Latest news with #DipankarDatta
Time of India
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
EC to roll out simpler EVM check protocol; major verifications in Maharashtra soon
More than six months after the declaration of Maharashtra Assembly election results - over 100 applications for checking & verification (C&V) of EVM memory across constituencies - largely by the defeated INDIA bloc candidates - will finally be addressed. ET has gathered that the Election Commission will announce a new, simpler protocol for memory checks of the voting machines within the next two weeks, setting the wheels in motion for the conduct of the C&V, which had been paused for months amid court battles. As per rulebooks, the EVM C&V process is timed to be completed largely within two months of the declaration of election results, except in cases where an Election Petition (EP) challenging the result may have been filed in court. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Mini House for 60 sqm for Seniors with Toilet and Bath (Click Here) Pre Fabricated Homes | Search Ads Search Now Undo PROTOCOL SWITCH Following Supreme Court directions on April 26, 2024 - two runners-up/losing candidates can seek burnt memory verification in about 5% of EVMs per Assembly constituency for suspected 'tampering or modification' within seven days of counting day. Live Events The original 2024 ECI protocol for the EVM memory check - issued amid Lok Sabha polls - allowed candidates to choose various combinations of EVM/VVPATs for the memory check in the presence of the candidates along with engineers from the EVM manufacturers (ECIL and BEL). This SOP, however, was challenged in court over its efficacy. In a hearing on February 11, 2025, the special Supreme Court bench - with then Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Dipankar Datta - took another view and observed that the EVM C&V mechanism was not meant to be such a complex one involving the erasure and reloading of polling data, but merely a verification of the EVMs by an engineer of the manufacturing company to dispel doubts on possible tampering. Awaiting clarity from the court on the path ahead, the poll panel chose to pause all ongoing C&V processes in the interim. The clarity came with the May 9 hearing of the case, where the bench accepted the EC's proposal - to not delete data from EVMs whose verification is sought by candidates. The SC said that the idea was simply that engineers of Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) 'certify' that they are satisfied that 'the burnt memory/microcontrollers and software have not been tampered with and their integrity is maintained'. The court has, however, allowed room for a mock poll. Accordingly, a simpler SOP detailing both aspects is now set to be brought in, ET has gathered. MAHARASHTRA CALLING The biggest impact will be in Maharashtra where, in the aftermath of a tightly contested Assembly election in November 2024, a record 104 Checking & Verification (C&V) applications were filed across 95 constituencies seeking verification of 755 EVMs. The maximum verification applications appear to have been filed by candidates from the Sharad Pawar NCP, as per preliminary assessments. The Indian National Congress is not far behind, with at least a score of C&V applications filed by its candidates. The largest number of applications have come from constituencies in the districts of Thane, Pune, Ahilyanagar and Mumbai South-Urban. As many as 137 EVMs are sought to be checked in Pune district, followed by 75 in Thane and 74 in Ahilyanagar, as per ECI data. Nearly half of these were later caught in EPs filed simultaneously in several of the same constituencies.
New Indian Express
01-06-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
OPSC's plea against HC order to pay Rs 10 lakh to OJS aspirant rejected by SC
CUTTACK: The Supreme Court has dismissed the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC)'s special leave petition (SLP) seeking intervention against the Orissa High Court order to pay Rs 1 lakh compensation for procedural lapses that resulted in non-evaluation of an answer to a question in the case of a candidate who appeared for the Odisha Judicial Service (Main) examination. In the order on Friday, a SC bench comprising Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta and Bijay Bishnoi said, 'Having regard to the peculiar facts and circumstances of this case, we are not inclined to interfere with the cost amount awarded by the high court in favour of the respondent - a young law graduate, who is aspiring to become a judicial officer.' According to the case records, Jyotirmayee Dutta had appeared for the OJS Main Exam 2022. The results were declared on December 4, 2023, but she could not qualify for the next stage by a narrow margin of five marks. On August 27, 2024, she filed a petition in high court alleging that a question in the Law of Property paper was left unevaluated, and its marks were not added to the total. If her answers had been properly scrutinised, she would have qualified for the next stage. The high court then ordered for her answer script to be independently assessed by experts from three reputed universities. Though non-evaluation of a question was confirmed and marks were awarded for the question, the petitioner did not achieve the necessary marks to pass the examination. Accordingly, the high court dismissed the petition on February 13 this year, but ordered, 'However, considering the mental trauma and financial burden the petitioner has endured in pursuing this case to highlight the said lapse, this court deems it appropriate to award compensation of Rs 1 lakh to the petitioner, which shall be paid by the OPSC within a period of 60 days from the date of this judgment.' However, the high court clarified, 'It is made clear that the compensation is awarded to acknowledge the procedural flaw brought to light and to serve as a reminder for OPSC to maintain stricter scrutiny in its evaluation processes.'
United News of India
31-05-2025
- Politics
- United News of India
SC slams Orissa Public Service Commission for evaluation error in judicial exam
New Delhi, May 30 (UNI) The Supreme Court on Friday came down heavily on the Orissa Public Service Commission (OPSC) for its refusal to admit a mistake in evaluating a judicial service aspirant's answer sheet in the 2022 Odisha Judicial Service Examination. A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta, and Vijay Bishnoi was hearing an appeal filed by the OPSC challenging an Orissa High Court order directing it to pay Rs 1 lakh in compensation to the affected candidate. Expressing serious concern over the Commission's conduct, the Supreme Court stated that such blunders in examination evaluation cannot be taken lightly and that public bodies must be held accountable. 'You, as an examination body, commit these kinds of blunders, you should be taken to task. How will the young generation have faith and trust in you? This Commission is adamant. Some arrogant elements are sitting there. You are still insisting there is no mistake. The Commission thinks too highly of itself. Case dismissed,' Justice Kant remarked sharply during the hearing. The counsel for OPSC urged the Court to at least expunge the adverse observations made against the Commission by the High Court. To this, Justice Dipankar Datta observed, 'Had you at the first instance accepted that 'there is something wrong on our part and we would examine it,' the matter would have ended.' While dismissing the appeal, the Supreme Court clarified that the adverse comments made by the High Court in its judgment should not be treated as precedent. 'The observations made in the impugned judgment are in the context of the mistake detected in the evaluation of one of the question papers and are not to be treated as precedent for future cases,' the bench stated. The case arose after a candidate who took the 2022 Odisha Judicial Service Examination approached the Orissa High Court, claiming she had narrowly missed the cut-off for the interview stage because one of her answers was left unevaluated. Independent expert assessment ordered by the High Court confirmed the error. Although the re-evaluated marks did not qualify her for the interview round, the High Court strongly criticised the OPSC for the lapse. It emphasised that such errors are unacceptable in competitive examinations, which are career-defining and involve significant personal and financial sacrifices by candidates. It further stressed that the evaluation process must meet the highest standards of diligence and fairness. The High Court ordered OPSC to pay Rs1 lakh as compensation for the negligence, a directive that has now been upheld by the Supreme Court with its dismissal of the OPSC's appeal. UNI SNG RN
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Business Standard
30-05-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Supreme Court calls crypto laws obsolete, urges govt to act on regulation
The Supreme Court on Friday observed that India's current laws are 'completely obsolete' when it comes to dealing with cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin. The top court noted that there is a 'grey area' in how these digital assets are regulated and asked the government to take steps to address the issue. A bench of Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta, and Vijay Bishnoi was hearing a case involving Gujarat-based businessman Shailesh Babulal Bhatt, who is accused of Bitcoin-related fraud in multiple states, Live Law reported. Senior advocates Siddharth Dave and Mukul Rohatgi, representing Bhatt, reminded the court that it had earlier asked the Attorney General of India about a proper regulatory system for cryptocurrencies. 'When we were asking them that have some regulatory mechanism, a very, very sweeping statement was made – 'no, no, we are watching, we are looking at the international economic conditions'...' Justice Kant observed, as quoted by Live Law. This is not the first time the Supreme Court has highlighted the need for clear cryptocurrency laws. In earlier hearings, it compared unregulated Bitcoin trade to hawala transactions and warned that the lack of rules makes it easy for people to misuse the system. In November 2023, the Supreme Court dismissed a petition asking for guidelines on trading and mining cryptocurrency. The SC bench had said, 'Parliament will do it, we will not issue any directions.' In January 2024, the top court gave the Union Government time to state its position on cryptocurrency issues, especially in cases happening across various states. In April 2025, another bench said that the matter falls under policy and not judicial decision-making, advising the petitioner to approach the proper authority. Govt to release discussion paper on crypto policy Meanwhile the Central government may release a discussion paper next month to explore policy options for crypto assets, according to a report by The Economic Times. This comes amid rising global acceptance of digital currencies, especially after former US President Donald Trump publicly voiced his support for them. According to the report, the paper will draw on insights from a study by the International Monetary Fund and the Financial Stability Board, and will also gather perspectives on how various countries are regulating cryptocurrencies. 'The discussion paper on crypto assets is being given finishing touches,' an official told The Economic Times. The paper could be posted for public comments as early as next month.
Deccan Herald
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Deccan Herald
Bangalore Palace Ground: Supreme Court suspends previous order on insurance of TDR certificates
A bench of Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta and N Kotiswar Singh said all the TDR certificates would remain deposited with the Registry and if released, then those would not be utilised or any third party right would be created.
