New Delhi [India], March 19 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Friday allowed the Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta to apprise it within a week’s time with regard to a PIL filed by the Youth Bar Association of India (YBAI), seeking compulsory pre-litigation mediation, as the plea has said that mundane routine matters take up most of the court’s time.
The SG Mehta today pleaded before the Apex Court that he be given 3-4 days’ time to respond to the petition filed by YBAI.
The YBAI has filed the PIL before the Supreme Court seeking appropriate directions and or orders to the concerned authorities to make compulsory pre-litigation mediation in those cases, which are possible to conduct.
The plea has said that mundane routine matters take up most of the Court’s time, and thereby a policy can be created to speed up hearings.
The Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sharad Arvind Bobde, observed during the course of the hearing, “We heard that the Parliament is considering bringing some sort of legislation on the issue of pre-litigation mediation cases.”
To this, the SG Mehta sought 3-4 days, to respond to the petition. CJI Bobde fixed next Thursday as the date of hearing in the petition.
The petitioner, YBAI sought the Apex Court’s direction to the respondent, including the Union of India (UOI) to consider mandatory ‘Pre-Litigation Mediation’ and to take appropriate measures to provide for mandatory ‘Pre-litigation mediation.’
The petitioner, YBAI, sought the issuance of guidelines or formulate a Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) so as to give immediate effect to the functioning of ‘Pre-Litigation Mediation’.
The petitioner, YBAI, sought to direct the parties in a certain type of non-urgent matters such as commercial cases, partition suits, probation petitions and such other categories as this court may deem fit.
The petitioner, YBAI, further sought a direction from the SC to first exhaust mandatory pre-litigation mediation at a court-annexed mediation centre or such other centre as this Court may deem fit. (ANI)

Guwahati (Assam) [India], March 19 (ANI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will be releasing the party’s manifesto for the poll-bound Assam on March 20.
The Congress leader arrived in the state on a two-day campaign.
Speaking to ANI Congress Spokesperson AICC in-charge of Media for Assam Polls Gourav Vallabh said, “We are giving ‘five guarantees’ to the people of Assam which are the key points of our manifesto and is agreed by the alliance partners too as a part of Common Minimum Program.
Vallabh said that the manifesto will promise no implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) in Assam.
“Manifesto will also assure of creating 5 lakh government jobs and 25 lakh private job opportunities in the state within 5 years if Congress comes to power,” Vallabh added.
Other than this, the manifesto of Congress will also mention Rs 365 for tea workers, 200 units of free electricity and Rs 2000 for housewives a month.
In reply to the question of why there is a need for “giving guarantees”, Vallabh said, “We have confidence in our manifesto and our governance so we are giving guarantees. The present government had lost the trust of the people. So gaining the trust of the people is important so we are using the word ‘Guarantee’.”
“Assam’s budget is Rs 1.25 lakh crores. For giving 200 units of free electricity, we need Rs 4 thousand crores annually,” Vallabh said.
“Rs 2000 help to women in the state will provide a chance for to fulfil the basic amenities and this scheme will cost Rs 14 thousand crores annually,” he said.
“In total, we will be needing Rs 18 thousand crores needed for the welfare schemes which is less than 10 per cent of the total budget but it will help 60 Lakh families,” he added.
Vallabh further said, “We had started a portal for unemployed youths. We got 1.25 lakh applications for various jobs. So we have already started the work in the direction of full filling the promises.”
Rahul Gandhi will also interact with IOC Employees in Digboi on March 20 and will also be addressing two rallies — one in Jorhat and the other in Gohpur.
Assembly elections in Assam for 126 seats will be held in three phases starting on March 27. The counting of votes will take place on May 2. (ANI)

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 19 (ANI): With coronavirus cases rising in Maharashtra, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said that if guidelines against the spread of COVID-19 are not followed, strict measures will be taken in near future.
The Chief Minister also called upon people to get vaccinated against the virus.
“Number of COVID-19 patients had increased in September 2020 as well. But today we have vaccine as a shield. Citizens should get vaccinated. Rules should be followed so that there’s no infection. But if rules aren’t followed, strict measures will be taken in near future,” Thackeray told media persons here.
Maharashtra reported 25,833 new COVID-19 cases, 58 deaths and 12,764 recoveries on Thursday. (ANI)

Hooghly (West Bengal) [India], March 19 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party leader Swapan Dasgupta on Friday filed his nomination for the assembly election from the Tarakeshwar seat in Hooghly district at the SDO office in West Bengal’s Chandannagar.
Taking to Twitter, the former Rajya Sabha MP thanked the staff at the SDO office for their help.
“Filed my nomination for the Tarakeshwar Assembly seat. Lots of paperwork. But I must compliment the staff at the SDO office in Chandannagar for their diligence and patience. They were there to help, not create hurdles,” Dasgupta tweeted.
Dasgupta tendered his resignation as a Rajya Sabha MP earlier this week.
Elections to the 294-member West Bengal Assembly will be held in eight phases starting from March 27 with the final round of voting taking place on April 29. The counting of votes will take place on May 2. (ANI)

Tinsukia (Assam) [India], March 19 (ANI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wants to govern Assam from Nagpur while allowing outsiders to take over the state whereas, the Congress would work as per the wishes of the locals.
Addressing a public meeting in the Tinsukia district ahead of the Assembly election in Assam, Rahul Gandhi said, “BJP wants to run Assam from Nagpur (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s Headquarters). They want outsiders to come and (take over) take what is yours as they took your airport. We want to run Assam from Assam only. Our Chief Minister will work after listening to the people of Assam and would have nothing to do with Nagpur.”
The Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who arrived in the state on a two-day campaign began with interaction with students at a college in Lahowal in Dibrugarh and interacted with tea garden workers at Dinjoy tea estate in Dibrugarh.
During his interaction with students in Dibrugarh earlier, the Wayanad MP also hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleging that the latter visited the state only during election time.
“During the floods, you (the voter) cannot give him anything so he does not come but during elections, you can give him votes, so he comes,” Gandhi said.
Further, he attacked the BJP at the Centre for rising “unemployment amongst youth, the declining democracy, and the farm law protest.
Gandhi said, “Democracy is declining. Youth are unemployed, farmers are protesting, CAA is there. We can’t ask the people of Assam to forget their culture, language if they come to Delhi. People from different cultures, languages, religions make up India. One force, born in Nagpur, trying to control the whole country. If the country’s future (students) cannot openly talk to the Prime Minister, then there is no doubt that something somewhere is wrong.”
The Congress would be contesting the Assembly polls in alliance with the minority-based All India United Democratic Front and four other parties.
Assembly elections in Assam for 126 seats will be held in three phases starting on March 27. The counting of votes will take place on May 2. (ANI)

New Delhi [India], March 19 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address election rallies in poll-bound West Bengal and Assam on Saturday and said it is clear that people in both states want to elect NDA in the assembly polls.
The Prime Minister will address election rallies in Kharagpur in West Bengal and Chabua in Assam.
In a tweet, the Prime Minister said that he will elaborate on BJP’s development agenda in his speeches.
“Will be in Assam and West Bengal tomorrow and the day after. Tomorrow, March 20, I would be speaking at rallies in Kharagpur (WB) and Chabua (Assam). Will elaborate on BJP’s development agenda during my speeches. It is clear both states want to elect NDA in the upcoming polls,” he said.
PM Modi had addressed a rally at Karimganj in Assam and Purulia in West Bengal on Thursday.
BJP-led government is seeking to retain power in Assam. In West Bengal, the party is seeking to oust the ruling Trinamool Congress government.
Elections to the 294-member West Bengal Assembly will be held in eight phases from March 27 to April 29.
Assam will have three-phased election from March 27 for its 126 seats.
The counting of votes will take place on May 2. (ANI)