Articles by Devika Agarwal
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Feb 06, 2019
Should PUBG and other online video games be banned or regulated in India?
A PIL was recently filed in the Bombay HC calling for a ban on the popular video game, PUBG. -
Jan 02, 2019
From central watchdog to out-of-court settlements, Consumer Protection Bill 2018 makes big strides in consumer rights
The Consumer Protection Bill 2018 is revolutionary in the aspect that it establishes a watchdog to bust unfair trade practices, oversee violation of consumers' rights and false or misleading advertisements prejudicial to the public and consumer interests -
Nov 17, 2018
Maratha quota row: Reservation unwarranted; several past panels concluded community is not 'backward'
As far as the Maratha community is concerned, the findings of many commissions are that Marathas are forward classes, with many Marathas in top political ranks and heading businesses. -
Oct 15, 2018
#MeToo: Decoding validity of defamation suits, rights of accused in sexual harassment cases on social media
In the wake of the #MeToo campaign afoot in India, some individuals moved the Delhi High Court on 11 October to prevent a woman from detailing her sexual harassment ordeal on social media as it implicates the petitioners. -
Oct 03, 2018
SC's Sabarimala, Ayodhya, triple talaq verdicts: 'Essential part of religion' under Article 25 must adhere to doctrines of that religion
The absence of publicly available information on whether a mosque forms an essential part of Islam highlights that perhaps in Ismail Faruqui too, the Supreme Court did not engage adequately with this issue, prompting Justice Nazeer to dissent from the majority opinion in the instant case. -
Sep 20, 2018
Centre passes ordinance on triple talaq: Is criminalising offence tantamount to 'legislative overreach'?
While the government's intention to ban Triple Talaq is laudable inasmuch as it can act as an effective deterrent for men from arbitrarily divorcing their wives, the question is whether criminalising the offence can amount to a case of 'legislative over-reach'; here, I refer to a scenario where the Legislature is overstepping into the domains of a religion's personal law to prescribe a remedy which the personal law never intended. -
Sep 17, 2018
Supreme Court verdict on reservation in promotions for SC/STs must ensure filtering out of creamy layer candidates
The Supreme Court will soon pronounce its verdict on a batch of petitions that have sought the reconsideration of a 2006 judgment, wherein the court laid down that the state government is not bound to provide for reservation in promotions for SC/ST members -
Sep 14, 2018
Hate speech in India: Media's rabble-rousing doesn't help cause, proves counter-productive to free speech
The problem of hate speech is compounded when propagated by members of the press. This is because unlike the situation where the person making the hate speech is a politician or an ordinary citizen/internet user, the media is expected to be comparatively neutral while reporting events. -
Aug 09, 2018
Meesha book controversy: Ban on literary work violates freedom of speech; test for such moves should be extremely stringent
Meesha book controversy: Calls for ban on books violating the right to freedom of speech and expression and the court, in deciding whether a prohibition on a book is justified, must balance free speech with public interest -
Jul 19, 2018
Online sexual harassment: Kerala HC ruling a good start but govt needs to hold internet intermediaries accountable
In Majeesh K Mathew v. State of Kerala, the Kerala HC observed that making comments on social media which contain sexually explicit content against a woman amounts to online sexual harassment