Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has claimed that the University Grants Commission’s draft regulations are part of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s agenda to impose a single history, tradition and language on the country. At a protest organised by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, he contended that the Hindutva organisation is seeking to erase all other cultures and traditions.

The draft rules have been framed in line with the Union government’s New Education Policy 2020. Among other contentious changes, they propose to revise the process for appointing teaching and administrative staff and grant chancellors more authority in selecting vice chancellors. In most state-run universities, the chancellor is the state governor, who is appointed by the Centre.

On Wednesday, seven state governments passed a joint resolution demanding that the regulations be withdrawn, arguing that state governments should play a central role in appointing vice chancellors. Limiting the power of states in this regard would violate federal principles, read the document, adopted by Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Kerala, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. Read on.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed in Parliament that the Uniform Civil Code is in line with the vision of the Constitution’s framers. Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, he said those who study Constituent Assembly debates would see that the government is acting in the same spirit.

Article 44 of the Constitution states that the government should “endeavour to secure” a Uniform Civil Code, but it remains part of the Directive Principles and is not legally enforceable. The code would standardise laws on marriage, divorce, succession and adoption, replacing community-specific personal laws largely derived from religious texts.

On January 17, Uttarakhand became the first state to implement a Uniform Civil Code after Independence. Gujarat has appointed a committee to draft a similar law within 45 days. A common civil code has been in place in the former Portuguese colony of Goa since 1867.

Critics argue that the proposed law draws primarily from Hindu personal law and could erase the practices of minority communities. The Bharatiya Janata Party has especially targeted Muslim personal law, claiming it discriminates against women in areas such as polygamy, inheritance and divorce. Read on.

The Supreme Court has adjourned the bail petitions of lawyer Surendra Gadling and activist Jyoti Jagtap in the Bhima Koregaon case. It also deferred the National Investigation Agency’s appeal against bail granted to Mahesh Raut, who is also accused in the case.

Gadling and Jagtap were among 16 persons charged under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act for allegedly instigating caste violence near Pune in January 2018. Raut was granted bail in September 2023, but the Supreme Court stayed the order based on the agency’s claim that he had links to banned Maoist outfits.

Anand Grover, representing Gadling, said his client was a lawyer who represented the “so-called Maoists”. Justice Rajesh Bindal remarked that Gadling was “not just representing but doing many other things”.

Gadling, arrested in July 2018, and Jagtap, arrested in September 2020, remain in custody. Over six years, nine persons accused in the case have secured bail, including Rona Wilson and Sudhir Dhawale last month. Jesuit priest Stan Swamy died in custody in 2021.

The court decided to hear all bail-related matters in the case together at a later date. Read on.

The Supreme Court has directed the police to ensure the safety of Discovery India employees after they allegedly received threats in connection with their documentary series Cult of Fear: Asaram Bapu. The company said that groups claiming to support Asumal Harpalani, better known as Asaram Bapu, threatened its employees after the series began streaming on Discovery+.

The petition states that the documentary “sheds light on the life of Asaram Bapu, a self-proclaimed spiritual leader currently serving a life sentence for crimes including rape and murder since 2018”. The 86-year-old has been in custody since 2013 and is out on interim medical bail until March 31.

In January 2023, a Gandhinagar court sentenced Harpalani to life imprisonment for repeatedly raping a 16-year-old girl. Before his conviction, he built a multi-crore business empire selling spiritual literature and products. In August 2024, the Gujarat High Court rejected his plea to suspend his sentence. Read on.

Three teachers at a government school in Tamil Nadu’s Krishnagiri district were arrested on Tuesday for allegedly raping a 13-year-old student on school premises. The alleged abuse was discovered when the headmistress visited the girl’s home to inquire about her prolonged absence.

The girl was medically examined and a police complaint was filed by her mother, the headmistress, and a school teacher, leading to the arrest of the three men, aged 57, 48, and 37. They have been charged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and been suspended from service. They denied the charges, according to the district’s chief education officer.

Protests erupted in the area, with residents and the girl’s relatives demanding action. On Wednesday, police intervened when an angry crowd blockaded a road outside the school. Krishnagiri District Collector C Dinesh Kumar dismissed rumours that the girl had been impregnated and said she was receiving psychological counselling.

Opposition leaders criticised the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government for the incident. All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader Edappadi K Palaniswami said the government should “bow its head in shame”, while Bharatiya Janata Party state chief K Annamalai accused it of failing to ensure children’s safety. Read on.

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