07 August 2025: The Hindu Editorial
1. SC imposes ₹10 lakh cost on plea against Stalin’s outreach
Source -Page 1, The Hindu, The Hindu Delhi Edition
| Topic: GS Paper 2: Polity and Governance (Judiciary, Executive accountability, Centre-State Relations |
| Context |
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Content:
Background:
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Ungaludan Stalin is a mass outreach initiative where the Chief Minister directly engages with citizens, collecting complaints and feedback.
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A previous Madras High Court ruling had temporarily halted the programme, questioning whether it was politically motivated.
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The programme was relaunched in a new format after some modifications.
Supreme Court’s Ruling:
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The bench led by CJI Chandrachud declared the petition an “abuse of process of law”.
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The Court stated there was no legal infirmity in a democratically elected Chief Minister directly engaging with citizens.
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It emphasized that such governance models do not violate constitutional principles, particularly when they improve access and grievance redressal.
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The Court imposed a fine of ₹10 lakh on the petitioner to discourage misuse of judicial time for political motives.
Constitutional and Governance Dimensions:
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Executive Accountability: Direct public outreach enhances administrative transparency.
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Role of Judiciary: Courts must discourage politically motivated litigation cloaked as PILs.
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Centre-State Balance: Validates state-level innovation in governance within the federal framework.
Implications:
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Sets a precedent against frivolous PILs used to settle political scores.
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Encourages participatory and responsive governance models at the state level.
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Emphasizes responsible use of PIL as a constitutional tool for genuine public interest.
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Practice Question: “Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has played a vital role in deepening democracy but is now increasingly misused for political purposes. Critically examine the need to balance judicial accessibility with protection against frivolous litigation, in light of recent SC rulings. (250 words” |
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