SC declares NJAC unconstitutional, upholds Collegium

The SC rejected the plea of Centre that the petition challenging NJAC Act be referred to a larger Bench.

In a collective order, the Supreme Court has struck down on the NJAC law meant to replace the two-decade old collegium system of judges appointing judges in higher judiciary. A Bench of five judges of the SC held the 99th Constitutional Amendment Act and the NJAC Act 2014 "unconstitutional and void".
The Supreme Court also held that the Collegium system as it existed before the NJAC \'operative\'. The five-judge Bench listed the petitions on November 3 to invite suggestions to improve the working of the existing Collegium system. "Help us decide for a better system of judicial appointments," Justice J.S. Khehar told the Centre and the petitioners. The Bench said that the judgment was the "collective view of the court".
The Bench struck down on the government\'s arguments that the question of validity of the NJAC and the 99th Constitutional Amendment should be referred to a larger Bench in light of the two Judges Cases of 1993 and 1998.
The NJAC Act was meant to replace the two-decade old collegium system of judges appointing judges in higher judiciary. The SC rejected the plea of Centre that the petition challenging NJAC Act be referred to a larger Bench.
The National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) was a body created to end the two-decade-old Supreme Court Collegium system of judges appointing judges to the highest courts in the land.
A five-judge bench - J.S. Khehar, J. Chelameswar, Madan B. Lokur, Kurian Joseph and A.K. Goel - had reserved its judgement on July 15 on the issue of validity of the 99th Constitutional amendment and the NJAC Act.
The parliament had unanimously voted in favour of the NJAC law and the Constitutional Amendment. The latter was then ratified by 20 State Assemblies and had received the Presidential assent.
One of the contentious provisions of the new law was the inclusion of two eminent persons to the NJAC which included Chief Justice of India, two senior most judges of the apex court and the Union Law Minister.

Reliance Capital launches Rs. 150 crore ESOP scheme

Reliance Capital Ltd, a part of Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group has announced an Employee Stock Option (ESOP) Scheme with a notional value of Rs. 150 crore to 250 employees across its various group units subject to necessary approvals.
Under the Scheme, eligible employees will get options on RCL listed stock and / or phantom shares of its businesses, the company said on Thursday.
The ESOPs comprise of 6,46,080 shares of Reliance Capital and the balance as Phantom Shares of operating subsidiaries. The grants have been approved by the Board of Directors of the company and the respective group companies.
The company said the scheme is part of its Rewards Programme aimed at retaining and incentivizing key employees for their contribution to the growth and profitability of the Company.

Zaheer Khan calls it quits

Zaheer, who captured 311 wickets in 92 Tests and 282 wickets in ODIs, did not see his inability to reach the coveted landmark of a century of Tests as a small setback in his career which he said personally was highly satisfactory.
Zaheer, the second-best fast bowler from India in Test cricket after Kapil Dev in terms of the number of wickets claimed, said he had thought a lot about his decision to call it a day, spoke to several of his former India mates and then took the call.
Asked about the high and low points of his international career that commenced in 2000 in the ICC Knock out tournament in Nairobi, Kenya, Zaheer said they were winning the World Cup in 2011 under Mahendra Singh Dhoni\'s captaincy and India attaining the world no. 1 in Tests, two years before that.

Shah Rukh Khan receives Honorary Degree from University Of Edinburgh.

The actor who has appeared in more than 80 films was presented with the degree in recognition of his outstanding record of philanthropy, altruism and humanitarianism and his global reach as an actor.