Judgements by the Supreme Court of India in cases of disputes will help us to define our constitutional rights and freedom. Here we will list down the most important landmark judgements made by the Supreme Court of India in 2024. These judgements showcase the power of the judiciary in this nation.
S.108 Electricity Act Judgement
In the Section 108 Electricity Act judgment Supreme Court has made clear that the State Electricity Regulatory Commissions has autonomous power. The State Electricity Regulatory Commission can function independently as per the judgement. The Supreme Court in the judgement has stated that the SERCs can take their own decisions. They don’t need to operate under the state government or central government.
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Persons with Disabilities and Medical Education
The Supreme Court has stated in the judgement that the government and private educational institutions cannot stop persons with disabilities from their access to education. The institutions cannot stop disabled persons from pursuing their education. The judgement also stated that the regulatory bodies must provide facilities and opportunities to deserving candidates. The authorities cannot deny education without checking the disability and prohibiting them from completing their education.
Bail under UAPA
In a landmark judgement by the Supreme Court, the court declared that bail should be granted to deserving persons under UAPA. The court stated that the rejection of bail to deserving persons is considered a the violation of fundamental rights of the accused. If bail is not granted the accused is denied the fundamental right which comes under Article 21. Even if the accused is under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, the person can be granted bail. In the judgement, the court stated that once the bail is given, then it cannot be declined.
The inaction of authorities in controlling air pollution in Delhi
A public interest litigation was filed in court as the government authorities are not taking action to control pollution in the capital city. The petitioners sought action by the judiciary. They also argued that the government has failed to control air pollution in Delhi. The petitioners also said that the air pollution in the city is affecting the fundamental right to life as per the constitution of India.
The Supreme Court has directed central and state governments to take appropriate actions to control air pollution. The existing law has to be implemented by the government authorities. The government must also take action to reduce vehicle emissions. The authorities were directed to charge penalties to those who violate the law. The judgement of the Supreme Court shows that the government authorities must take appropriate action to protect the environment.
Kuldeep Kumar vs U.T Chandigarh
This case is about the malpractice conducted in an election in Chandigarh. The malpractice took place in the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation Mayoral elections. The presiding officer of the election declared that the eight votes were invalid. This declaration by the presiding officer affected the election result. Kuldeep Kumar filed a petition in court about this incident. He argued that the votes were valid and the declaration of the presiding officer was not correct. As per the declaration the opponent won the election.
The Supreme Court judged in favour of Kuldeep Kumar that the malpractice took place in the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation Mayoral elections. Kuldeep Kumar was declared the mayor of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation. The Supreme Court ordered proceedings against the presiding officer for making wrong statements.
Electoral bond scheme case
In the electoral bond scheme case, the Supreme Court judged that the electoral bond scheme was unconstitutional. This scheme is against the right to information in the constitution of India. The electoral bonds scheme enabled people to purchase electoral bonds from SBI to political parties. The value of electoral bonds can be Rs 1000, Rs 10,000, Rs 1 lakh, Rs 10 lakh or Rs 1 crore. Electoral bonds were declared unconstitutional. The electoral bond scheme violated the right to information. It also violates the equality principle.
The judgement by the Supreme Court has increased transparency of the funding by political parties. This decision also limits the involvement of corporates in politics. This was a landmark judgement made by the Supreme Court of India in 2024.
MK Ranjitsinh vs Union Of india
The case between MK Ranjitsinh and vs Union of India was about the protection of the endangered species Great Indian Bustard. The species was under threat of extinction as its natural habitat was destroyed due to powerlines in Gujarat and Rajasthan.
The court has stated that biodiversity and developmental goals have to be protected. A committee was appointed to study underground powerlines and remedies to protect the bird species. In this landmark judgement by the Supreme Court of India, the court was to align the developmental goals of the nation without disturbing the natural habitat.
Noble M Paikada VS Union of India
In this case, the Supreme Court struck down the notification released by the Ministry of Environment in 2020. The notification allowed soil extraction for developmental projects without environmental clearances. Through this landmark case in 2024, the Supreme Court of India emphasised the importance of environmental protection. The judgement also made it clear that we cannot harm the environment in the name of development.
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Conclusion
Here in this article, we have listed the main landmark judgements of the Supreme Court of India in 2024. The judgements of the Supreme Court of India show its power over the ruling government. The Supreme Court reinforces the constitutional rights of its people. The analysis of the judgements of the Supreme Court will surely make us more aware of our legal and constitutional rights. These supreme court judgements have given clarity to the rules and laws existing in this nation.