Judiciary and Legal Systems

Justice Ranganath Mishra was the first Oriya (Odia) Chief Justice of India, serving from 1990-1991. He later headed the National Human Rights Commission. Balakrishnan was a later CJI (Kerala), Gobindchandra Mishra and Gopal Praharaj are notable Odia figures but not Chief Justices. This is an important milestone in Odia representation in the judiciary.

The Keshavananda Bharati case (1973) was heard by the largest-ever bench of 13 judges, who delivered a historic 7-6 majority verdict establishing the 'basic structure' doctrine. This landmark judgment limited Parliament's power to amend the Constitution's basic features. The options 7, 9, and 11 do not match this unprecedented bench size.

H.J. Kania served as the first Chief Justice of independent India's Supreme Court from 1950-1951. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was the chief architect of the Constitution but not a Supreme Court judge.

The Supreme Court has advocated for using technology like email to send summons and serve notices as a measure to reduce delays in court proceedings. This modernizes the process and cuts down on time spent in physical service of documents. Fast track courts (B) require government creation, not Supreme Court authority. Lok ayukthas (A) deal with anti-corruption, not case pendency.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) consists of 15 judges who are elected by the UN General Assembly and Security Council for nine-year terms. These judges represent different geographical regions of the world. The court is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations.

When a judge declares a judgment, it is typically 'against' something or someone, especially when contradicting or opposing government orders. 'On' would be used for supporting something, 'with' suggests agreement, and 'for' indicates favoring.

Election petitions are filed to challenge the validity of an election. Under the Constitution, the power to decide election petitions is vested in the High Courts. The High Court's decision can then be appealed to the Supreme Court.

Under Article 125(2) of the Constitution, the salaries and allowances of High Court judges are charged to the Consolidated Fund of India. This centralized charging ensures financial independence of the judiciary and uniformity across states, preventing state legislatures from influencing judges through financial control.

The Bombay High Court upheld the death sentence of Ajmal Kasab in 2012 for his role in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. The Supreme Court later confirmed the sentence in 2013. The question asks which court 'recently upheld' it, referring to the High Court's decision that was affirmed by the apex court.

A magistrate is a judicial officer who administers the law, particularly in lower courts handling minor offenses. A 'Justice of the Peace' is a specific type of magistrate who presides over minor legal matters and civil ceremonies. Options like 'meanwhile' or 'degree' don't relate to judicial roles.

The Supreme Court of India originally had a sanctioned strength of 26 judges including the Chief Justice. This was the authorized strength for many years before subsequent amendments increased it first to 31 and then to 34. Option A (25) is incorrect as it falls below the actual sanctioned strength.

Option D is correct. Section 57 of the Evidence Act requires courts to take judicial notice (accept without proof) of facts that are matters of general public knowledge. Both option A (Gazetted Holidays observed by Government of India) and option B (rules of road) are matters of common public knowledge that every court is presumed to know without formal evidence. Section 57(f) covers matters of general public knowledge, and Section 57(g) covers official notifications. Both fall within judicial notice.

Article 145(3) of the Constitution mandates that no judgment shall be delivered by the Supreme Court except in open Court. This ensures transparency and public confidence in judicial proceedings. Option A is incorrect because the Chief Justice cannot unilaterally decide sitting places; it requires Presidential approval. Option C is wrong because only Parliament can enlarge Supreme Court's jurisdiction (Article 138). Option D is incorrect because Article 144 applies to ALL authorities, not just those in aid of Supreme Court.

Under Article 202(3)(d) of the Indian Constitution, the salaries and allowances of High Court judges are charged on the Consolidated Fund of the State (not the Consolidated Fund of India). This means these expenditures are not subject to annual voting by the state legislature and are mandatorily payable.

to transfer the proceedings of a lower court to a higher court