July

• President Murmu rejected the mercy plea of Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Mohammed Arif
• Red Fort terrorist attack

  2000
• Mohammed Arif was convicted and sentenced to death


  October 2005
• A constitution bench directed that Arif shall be entitled to seek re-opening of the dismissal of the review petitions for an open court hearing


  January 2016
• President Droupadi Murmu rejected the mercy petition filed by Arif


  June 12, 2024
• President Droupadi Murmu assumed office


  July 25, 2022
• A mercy petition is a formal request for clemency directed to the President or Governor by a convict sentenced to death or imprisonment
• Mercy petitions are recognized in countries such as the USA, UK, Canada, and India
• Presidential Powers (Article 72)


  The President can grant pardons, reprieves, respites, remissions, or commute sentences, especially in death penalty cases
• Governor’s Powers (Article 161)


  Governors of states hold similar powers
• Factors considered for Mercy Petitions

  • Convict’s health
  • Mental fitness
  • Family’s financial condition
• Judicial Review


  The Supreme Court allows for judicial review on limited grounds, including lack of application of mind, malafide intentions, or exclusion of relevant material
• Bachan Singh v. State of Punjab (1980)


  Upheld the constitutionality of the death penalty and established the “rarest of rare” standard
• Maru Ram v. Union of India (1981)

  Clarified that the pardoning power is exercised on the advice of the Council of Ministers
• Kehar Singh v. Union of India (1989)


  Detailed the scope of the President’s pardoning power
• Shatrugan Chauhan v. State of U.P. (2014)


  Stated that inordinate delays in deciding mercy petitions can lead to commuting death sentences
• Reservation categories in Bihar

  • Backward Classes (BC)
  • Extremely Backward Classes (EBC)
  • Scheduled Castes (SC)
  • Scheduled Tribes (ST)
• The Patna High Court struck down the Bihar government's decision to increase the reservation quota from 50% to 65%
• The Bihar Assembly passed the Bihar Reservation Amendment Bill in November 2023
• The increase followed a caste-based survey report indicating a need for greater representation
• Key points in the Court’s Verdict

  • PIL Filed
  • Court's Ruling
  • State's Justification
  • EWS Quota
• The increase beyond the 50% limit was challenged through a Public Interest Litigation (PIL)
• The Patna High Court ruled that the 65% quota violated the 50% limit set by the Supreme Court in the Indira Sawhney case (1992)
• The Bihar government argued the increase was based on proportional population rather than adequate representation in government jobs
• Combined with the 10% Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) quota, the total reservation reached 75%, which was deemed unconstitutional by the court
• Other States with Reservations Above 50%

  • Chhattisgarh (72%)
  • Tamil Nadu (69%)
  • Lakshadweep Islands (100% for STs)
  • Arunachal Pradesh (80%)
  • Nagaland (80%)
  • Mizoram (80%)
  • Meghalaya (80%)
• Bihar has the lowest per capita income in India
• Bihar has the highest fertility rate and a low urban population
• Bihar has low college density and a high poverty rate
• 85th Amendment Act


  Introduced the concept of consequential seniority for SC/ST candidates promoted through reservations
• 103rd Amendment


  Introduced reservation for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in central government jobs and educational institutions
• Mohammad Arif is affiliated with Lashkar-e-Taiba
• Article 72 of the Constitution of India grants the President the authority to pardon, reprieve, respite, or remit punishments
• The 262nd Law Commission's Report recommended the "absolute abolition" of the death penalty for all crimes, with the exception of those related to terrorism and waging war
• In the Maru Ram vs Union of India case (1980), the Supreme Court addressed the scope of the pardoning powers under Articles 72 and 161
• 59 people died and more than 200 were hospitalized after consuming spurious liquor in Tamil Nadu’s Kallakurichi district
• Ten people have been arrested in connection with the hooch tragedy in Tamil Nadu
• Hooch


  Poor-quality alcohol often produced in unregulated conditions, posing significant health risks
• Hooch Production Process


  1. Fermentation

  2. Distillation (Optional)
• Ethanol


  The primary psychoactive ingredient in alcoholic beverages