Supreme Court Archives

EXCLUSIVE: Firecracker Ban Ke Side Effects

We visit Delhi after SC's judgement that banned the sale of crackers and imposed a two hour time limit on bursting green crackers. Even the idea of clean air has sent everyone’s brain into toxic shock.

Arré Bench July 20, 2016

POV

Dear General Rawat, Homosexuality Does Not Make One a Poorer Soldier

Indian Army Chief Bipin Rawat today said he won’t allow gay sex in the forces – enough to win the “Outrage of the Day” contest. But expecting a woke response on sexuality from a 60-year-old army man is like looking for an auto-rickshaw outside Andheri station – you should be prepared for disappointment before you even begin.

Dushyant Shekhawat July 7, 2016

POV

Why I Didn’t Sign the Petition to Commute “Nirbhaya” Rapists’ Death Sentence to Life Imprisonment

If there ever was a case that was tailored to strengthen the position of those rooting for capital punishments for exceptionally cruel crimes, it would be the Dec 16 Delhi gang rape. As someone who experienced sexual violence at a young age, I wanted the rapists to die. Which is why, maybe the law should not give me or anyone the option to have our bloodlust satisfied.

Sonali Kokra July 3, 2016

Gender

The Silent Survivors of “Legitimate” Rape

Some women have been raped with unmentionable objects; some have been stripped naked. All victims of marital rape, their only refuge is a room at Mumbai’s KB Bhabha Hospital.

Kripa Krishnan July 1, 2016

POV

What’s Frivolous About Investigating Justice Loya’s Death?

How is a request for investigation into the death of a judge an attack on the judiciary? To imply that wanting to know how Justice Loya died is frivolous is a bit much coming from the Supreme Court, the custodians of our democracy.

Dushyant Shekhawat June 25, 2016

Pop Culture

Why is Karnataka Upset Over the Release of Rajinikanth’s Kaala?

No first day first show for Rajinikanth fans in Karnataka. Upset over the superstar’s comments on the Cauvery dispute, pro-Kannada activists have called for a ban on Kaala. Distributors decided to play it safe and not release the film in theatres.

Arré Bench June 20, 2016

POV

Sabarimala vs Triple Talaq: Dear PM, There’s No Choice Between Hindu & Islamic Oppression of Women

In a rare interview, PM Modi stated that banning triple talaq has helped secure gender equality, but the Sabarimala ban on women is a tradition that has nothing to do with discrimination. But if treating women’s bodies as sacrilege isn’t blatant discrimination, what is?

Kahini Iyer June 7, 2016

Technology

Aadhaar Verdict: Time to Worry About the Ghosts of Your Data Past

The Supreme Court’s Aadhaar verdict has maintained that the database’s benefits outweigh its risks. But do they? Data is the new plutonium, a simple target that unlike our land and water, stands at a crossroads of accessibility, where it is both an asset and a threat.

Manik Sharma May 24, 2016

Gender

Despite 377 Verdict, It’s Not All Rainbows for Trans People Yet

It will take more than the historic 377 verdict to eradicate homophobia and transphobia from our workplaces. Just ask Harshini, a trans-person who now holds a corporate job, after years of being turned down by employers who held her identity against her.

Dushyant Shekhawat May 21, 2016

Gender

Christine Blasey Ford, Tanushree Dutta, and the Future of #MeToo

Tanushree Dutta’s allegations of sexual harassment are eerily similar to Christine Blasey Ford’s, who testified at a US Supreme Court hearing yesterday. Does this mean that India’s #MeToo reckoning has begun? Because the movement’s progress in the US nearly one year on, is a sign that little has changed.

Kahini Iyer May 1, 2016