Alen C Babu

Internationalist | Catholic | Centre-Left and Social Democratic | Interested in Literature | Formerly @ MGGAC Mahe & Uni of Calicut

[Alen C Babu @AlenCBabu1]

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger, for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

01 James 01: 19-20 (ESV-CE)

[Saurav Das @SauravDassss]

The manner in which Chief Justice Surya Kant’s bench is proceeding in the #NCERT matter is terribly disquieting.

If the Chief Justice truly wishes, in his own words, to “catch the bull by the horn,” then there is a far worthier place to begin: with accountability within the institution. Let the Chief Justice tell the country what happened to those 8630 COMPLAINTS AGAINST SITTING JUDGES received by the Chief Justice of India’s Office over the last 10 years!

The Chief Justice’s bench is not only coming down heavily on the textbook chapter, but also now overseeing the proposal for an expert panel to vet future content touching the judiciary! Even more troubling is the manner in which the Chief Justice made severe, contemptuous remarks against academics who may actually possess a deeper engagement with history, pedagogy and democratic theory than some judges who sit in judgment over them, all WITHOUT affording them any opportunity to respond, explain, or defend their work!

As I wrote in my column for @frontline_india, the team associated with drafting the chapter may have exercised its policy discretion in concluding that the problem of judicial corruption was serious enough to warrant prominence in the chapter. Can the court then condemn this in this manner, for a policy choice they were entitled to make? Where is the procedural fairness, at the very least? To publicly censure scholars, taint their reputations, and then ensure, in practical effect, that they are kept away from future government work is disproportionate and is only a form of judicial punishment without trial. (Column here: https://t.co/wa5NLj40Lf)

The question is not whether school textbooks should be accurate, balanced or responsibly written. Of course they should! The question is whether a constitutional court can intervene in so SWEEPING and HIGH-HANDED a manner that it effectively begins to supervise pedagogy, blacklist academics by judicial signal, and expand its own oversight from one chapter in one book to future textbooks of higher classes that may mention the judiciary at all. That is not adjudication but an institutional overreach DRESSED UP as constitutional guardianship! Since when did the Court become a curriculum authority? Since when did retired members of the judicial fraternity become the natural custodians of how young citizens are to be taught about courts, corruption, criticism and institutional failure?

One would have thought that, in a democracy, the judiciary earns public trust by the force of its conduct and reasoning.

As for the Chief Justice’s reported remarks on social-media criticism, that critics must know how to “deal” with him, the language is simply ASTONISHING, though keeping in line with Chief Justice’s similar past utterances. The language is wholly unbecoming of a constitutional court, let alone of the highest judge in the country. A judge may be stern, may be offended, and may even warn against reckless imputations. But the language of personal settling, of teaching dissidents how to “deal” with him, belongs to street power, not constitutional power. In one of my other @frontline_india columns, I wrote about judicial temperament. Such language actually betrays a temper that is DANGEROUSLY at odds with the restraint, distance, and moral seriousness that the office of a judge demands. (Column here: https://t.co/RM3pQT5K4v)

The 8630 complaints, let the Chief Justice of India place in the public domain the details of how those complaints were handled, screened, buried, or acted upon.

Let him show the standards by which allegations of corruption, impropriety, conflict of interest, and sexual misconduct are treated when they concern judges themselves.

My RTIs have failed because opacity has been elevated into doctrine at the Supreme Court of India. But what the RTIs have achieved is to unveil this doctrine before the country. Can it be in institutional interest for the Chief Justice to continue maintaining opacity around the complaints which is precisely what fuels public suspicion?

It is far too easy to threaten contempt and legal troubles against citizens, academics, lawyers, or social-media users who speak about corruption in the judiciary.

But Chief Justice Kant must know that it is far harder to build an ethic of public confidence through transparency, self-scrutiny and demonstrable fairness.

That is the real test of integrity. Not muscular language from the bench. And not such coercive sanitisation of criticism. So can the judiciary submit itself to the standards of accountability that it so routinely demands from everyone else? Can Chief Justice Kant ensure this during his term?

[Prashant Bhushan @pbhushan1]

My Statement on my Contempt order today: I am grateful for the support of countless people: activists, lawyers, judges and fellow citizens who encouraged me to stand firm. I am gratified that it seems to have given strength to many people to stand up &speak out against injustice

[Alen C Babu @AlenCBabu1]

For now, @NTA_Exams has reportedly refuted speculations of Aadhaar address-based exam centre restrictions.

Aadhaar-based exam centre restrictions are a clear attack on opportunity & accessibility. Not everyone has the privilege to live, work or study in their native place.

[THE WEEK @TheWeekLive]

It would first affect #jeemains exams, after which it would be extended to other nationwide exams as well, such as #NEET-UG and #CUET-UG. #jeemainsexam #NTA #AadhaarUpdate

https://t.co/2DzBvkQsVz

[Education International @eduint]

Teachers are at the ❤️ of education.
They must also be at the 💙 of decision-making in education.

✊🏿 For teachers to be heard, education unions must be listened to.
- @daveswords

This #WorldTeachersDay, we call on governments to
📢#GoPublic
📢#FundEducation
📢#InvestInTeachers

[Malavika Rao @kaay_rao]

Heartbreaking news from EY Pune - a young CA succumbed to the work pressure and nobody from EY even attended her funeral - this is so appalling and nasty!!!

[Dr. Taimur Rahman @Taimur_Laal]

Relations between Pakistan and India should be like the relations between Arshad Nadeem and Neeraj Chopra.

They compete at the highest level and do their best to improve their own performance and they also respect and admire each other.

Two great ambassadors for peace

[Alen C Babu @AlenCBabu1]

@ForumLegum @barandbench These are people who belong to the most marginalised and vulnerable categories in this country. The said concession is of just 5%. They absolutely deserve it.

It is totally illogical to compare the lives of such people with that of forward classes who have social privilege.

[Alen C Babu @AlenCBabu1]

@ForumLegum @LiveLawIndia Private establishments only need to show their trade license/permit. Everyone would know the real, nefarious reasons why all of a sudden that these small stalls are asked to adhere to a standard of extreme "transparency" that even the State Govt themselves might never do.

[Arvind Gunasekar @arvindgunasekar]

‘Parliament Productivity’ is not a mere measure of how many minutes / hours Parliament functioned without disruptions but how effective the Opposition benches held the party in power accountable.

[Alen C Babu @AlenCBabu1]

Radically reform or scrap the NTA. Stop forcing the illogical mandate of NET as the sole criteria for PhD admissions.

Stop the over-centralisation of higher education. Return powers and give proper funding to Universities and States.

#NTA #UGC #HigherEducation

[UGC INDIA @ugc_india]

🗣️ Your Opinion Matters!
Got any suggestions for reforms on examination process conducted through NTA?

Scan the QR or tap on the link below to submit your suggestions!

We are listening!

🗓️ Last date: 7th July, 2024

🔗: https://t.co/UxltqgjF9j

[Alen C Babu @AlenCBabu1]

Don't play with the lives of students!

We cannot pay the price for @NTA_Exams incompetence!

#ugcnet2024 #NTA

[Ministry of Education @EduMinOfIndia]

Government is committed to ensure the sanctity of examinations and protect the interest of students.

Ministry of Education has decided that the UGC-NET June 2024 Examination be cancelled on the basis of inputs from Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs, prima-facie indicating that the integrity of the examination may have been compromised.

Fresh Examination shall be conducted, for which information shall be shared separately.

Matter being handed over to CBI for thorough investigation in the matter.

Read here : https://t.co/R5rwi1Hw96

[Alen C Babu @AlenCBabu1]

Vote for social justice, secularism, equity and development!
Vote for principled politics!
Vote for a fairer, greener and better future!
Vote!

Long live our Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic!

#INDIAjeetega #LokSabhaElection2024

[Alen C Babu @AlenCBabu1]

Lots of young people are still effectively disenfranchised.

Every citizen (especially students) who lives beyond a certain distance for study or work (like 300+ kms) from their native place or in a different State/UT must have the opportunity for early and secure postal voting.

[Election Commission of India @ECISVEEP]

Polling officials seen in action as they enable voting for the elderly citizens from the comfort of their homes! 🏠 👵🏻👴🏻

#HomeVoting #ChunavKaParv #DeshKaGarv #Elections2024 #ECI #YouAreTheOne

[Alen C Babu @AlenCBabu1]

Let us continue our proud tradition of rejecting the BJP and their politics of hate with even more vigour in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections!

[Alen C Babu @AlenCBabu1]

Mahe is the birthplace of some of India's bravest fighters against fascism and imperialism. And we have our mark in literature. In recent times, Mahe has indeed been reeling under multiple crises.

[Alen C Babu @AlenCBabu1]

Let us remember that PC George insulted Mahe from an NDA election platform. Let us be thankful for his foul comments for serving as a reminder of what the BJP and the NDA have for our region and our people - Contempt and ignorance.

[Asianet News @AsianetNewsML]

രാജ്യത്ത് ന്യൂനപക്ഷ അവകാശങ്ങൾ നിഷേധിക്കപ്പെടുന്നുവെന്ന് ലത്തീൻ അതിരൂപത
🔗 https://t.co/CQbx11BLjm
#Minority #LatinDiocese

[Alen C Babu @AlenCBabu1]

@Bharath12450842 @ForumLegum @AsianetNewsML @ECISVEEP Extremist organisations unleashing threats and violence against minorities & spreading hatred among people is what real communalism looks like. The hooligans who do it have been able to walk scot-free after their dirty acts in the last decade. We have a right to state this fact!