Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2016 Comes Into Force From Today [Read Notifications]

The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2016 comes into force from today, i.e. April 1, 2017. However, the provisions relating to permission required to work from home (Section 3(5) of the Act), will come into effect from July 1, 2017.The Act had received the assent of the President on March 27, 2017 and it was notified in the official gazette on 28th March.But Section 2 of the Amendment...

Uttarakhand HC Declares Air, Glaciers, Forests, Springs, Waterfalls Etc. As Legal Persons [Read Judgment]

According to the bench, any person causing any injury and harm, intentionally or unintentionally to the Himalayas, glaciers, rivers, streams, rivulets, lakes, air, meadows, dales, jungles and forests is liable to be proceeded against under the common law, penal laws, environmental laws and other statutory enactments governing the field.One week after declaring rivers Ganga and Yamuna...

Not Covering Head With Pallu Is Not Cruelty Against Husband: Bombay HC

A woman cannot be expected to cover her head with a pallu in this century, the court said.The Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court has held that the act of not covering the head with a pallu and removing vermilion from the forehead or mangalsutra would not be acts that constitute cruelty within the meaning of the term, under the provisions of the Hindu Marriage Act.In the 21st century, a man...

GST Registration Deadline Extended Till April 30, 2017

The deadline for Goods and Service Tax (GST) registration has been extended till April 30, 2017. Previously the deadline for migrating to GST was March 31, 2017GST is targeted to rollout by July 1, 2017 and will be game changing reform for the Indian economy and will reduce the cascading effect of tax on goods and service. Once GST comes into force, all goods and services will be taxed...

Kerala HC Dismisses Plea Against SBI-SBT Merger [Read Judgment]

The State Bank of Travancore is history now as the State Bank of India has acquired it with effect from Saturday (April 1), as last-ditch efforts in the form of a public interest litigation before the Kerala High Court against the merger went futile last week.‘Save SBT Forum’ and some others had approached the Kerala High Court last week, questioning the legality of acquisition of business...

BCI strike: AG Rohit Deo Resigns As Maharashtra Bar Council Chairman

The Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa had made an appeal on March 27 to its members to abstain from work on Friday.This appeal came in light of the Bar Council of India’s call for a nationwide protest against the Law Commission of India’s proposed amendments to the Advocate’s Act.There was a mixed response to this call for abstention. While many lawyers chose not to attend court,...

Delhi HC Upholds Dismissal Of Plea Against ‘MSG 2: The Messenger’ [Read Judgment]

The law is well settled that the test is not of a sensitive person, but it has to be judged from the perception of a reasonable prudent man, the court said.A division bench of the Delhi High Court has upheld the single bench order dismissing a plea seeking quashing of the certificate issued by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to the movie MSG 2: The Messenger and direction to...

The Insolvency And Bankruptcy Board Of India Notifies Corporate Voluntary Liquidation Process Regulations

The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India has notified the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (Voluntary Liquidation Process) Regulations, 2016.The regulations provide for complete procedure in case of voluntary liquidation of corporate persons i.e. companies, limited liability partnership and any other person incorporated with limited liability.To initiate a voluntary...

Trial Judge Is Participant Of Trial, Not A Referee Or Umpire: Bombay HC [Read Judgment]

The Bombay High Court has held that the role of a trial judge is not that of a referee, umpire or even a prosecutor, but that of a participant in a trial.Justice AM Badar made some significant observations regarding the role of a trial judge while hearing an appeal filed against an order dated January 15, 2001, convicting the appellant of offence punishable under Section 3 (1) (x) of...

The Income Declaration Scheme, 2016: No Bar To Claim Credit Of Advance Tax Paid Relative To The Assessment Years [Read Judgment]

The Delhi High Court in Kumudam Publications Private Limited v. Central Board of Direct Taxes & Others has held that “there is no bar for an assessee or declarant to claim credit of advance tax amounts paid previously i.e. before making declaration under the IDS,  relative to the assessment years or period for which it seeks benefits under the Income Declaration  Scheme,...

One Page ITR 1: CBDT Simplifies Income Tax Return Filing For Individuals

In a step to reduce the compliance burden of around 2 crore tax payers the Central Board of Direct Taxes notified simplified income tax returns (ITR) form for individuals. These ITR forms will be for the assessment year 2017-18 and filed electronically from April 1, 2017.At present, ITR 1 (Sahaj) is filed by an individual having income from salary, one house property and other income...

Justice Indira Banerjee Appointed As CJ Of Madras HC,12 Addl. HC Judges Made Permanent

President of India Pranab Mukherjee has appointed Justice Indira Banerjee, Judge of the Delhi High Court, as the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court with effect from the date she assumes charge of her office.Additional Judges Appointed as Permanent JudgesPresident has appointed the following Additional Judges of Orissa, Kerala Jharkhand and MP High Courts as permanent Judges.Kerala...