Law et al. News
Circa 2011-2012

CAT to decide appointment of Additional Secretary at Law Ministry

Fri 27 April 2012   Soibam Rocky Singh   New Delhi

The Central Administrative Tribunal has sought response from the union government on a plea challenging fresh appointment to the post of Additional Secretary in the Law Ministry allegedly made bypassing a number of eligible officers.

The tribunal has sought response from the Union Cabinet Secretariat, Department of Legal Affairs and Legislative Department in the Law Ministry, and the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on a plea by the Indian Legal Service Officers Association (ILSOA) seeking a stay on the ‘illegal’ appointment to the post of Additional Secretary.

The petitioners has contended that the Law Ministry on 12 March 2012 carried out the process of filling the vacant post to the position of Additional Secretary without preparing and finalizing the common seniority lists of eligible officers in violation of service rules and Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) instructions.

“Respondents illegally carried out the process of filling the post of Additional Secretary without preparing, circulating and finalizing the common seniority lists of officers in the grade of Joint Secretary in the four cadres of the Indian Legal Service,” the petition stated.

The petition alleged that the Annual Confidential Reports (ACRs) and service records of the Joint Secretaries eligible for the post were not considered by the Search-cum-Selection Committee before carrying out the process of personal interviews.

“Respondents have committed glaring illegal; personal interaction/interview without preparing common seniority lists of different cadres of Joint Secretaries in the Ministry of Law and Justice as required under the DoPT instructions, and without calling for the Annual Confidential reports (ACRSs) of feeder cadre incumbents,” the petition stated.

Alleging that the government is bent upon to ‘pick and choose’ officer of their choice while filling the vacant post, the petitioner said the selection process is illegal and ‘null and void.’ “The respondent has patently exercised fraud on power by misuse of its power in breach of law, by taking into account, extraneous matters and by ignoring relevant matter,” the petition stated that the vitiated process rendered the selection process ‘ultra vires’ and a case of ‘fraud on powers.’

According to the petition, the post of Additional Secretaries are filled up as per the DoPT rules which mandates for preparation of the common seniority list of the different cadre of Joint Secretaries in the ministry and assessment of ACRs of feeder cadre incumbents who hold the post of Joint Secretary.

The DoPT rules provides for constitution of Search-cum-Selection Committee for selecting and recommending suitable persons after considering the seniority, ACRs and service record of the candidates.

Seeking response from the respondents the tribunal ordered, “Perusing the entire facts of the case, we are of the opinion that there are in-depth questions of law involved in this case and it will be just and appropriate to adjudicate the matter after receipt of the counter and rejoinder from the parties.”

Directing the parties to file response by 2 May 2012, the tribunal said that the appointment in dispute will be subject to outcome of the case. “It is also provided that the result of the selection shall be subject to the ultimate outcome of the OA,” the Tribunal said.

Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi on Thursday unfolded the vision of roof-top solar power-packs that shall enable people in Gujarat to produce their own electricity and supply the surplus to the grid thereby generating additional income for the family. "An enabling state policy is on the anvil and shall be announced soon", he added even as the Asian Development Bank (ADB) announced an assistance of USD500 million for the second proposed solar park in Gujarat.

The Gujarat chief minister was speaking at a function in village Charanka of Patan district of North Gujarat where the first solar park of the state has come up with an investment of Rs 9000 crores in a 2669 acre plot of wasteland and possesses an operational capacity of 214 MW put up by private companies. The overall capacity of the Solar Park, when it expands to 5,000 acres, would be 500 mw, making it the largest solar farm in Asia.

This park forms part of the 605 MW solar power project spread across ten districts which was dedicated to the nation by the chief minister today. The project would produce 30 lakh units of clean energy daily, capable of electrifying 10 lakh households, and save 10 lakh tons equivalent of carbon dioxide emissions annually. “It has already created 30,000 additional jobs. Gujarat has enhanced it’s power generation capacity including the projects in various stages of implementation from 7000 MW to 18,000 MW over the last decade”, the chief minister said.

Detailing on the rooftop solar power pack vision, Modi said that once implemented it would enable individual homes to become self-reliant for their power needs and additionally enable people to rent out their rooftops for setting up such plants leading to additional earnings.” extra power generated could be sold to the grid for enhanced financial benefit”, he added.

The chief minister pointed out that technological developments had ensured a fall in production costs of solar power from Rs 15 to Rs 8.5 per unit.
 
Gujarat is already in the process of developing the state capital, Gandhinagar as a model solar city of the country. It already has multiple installations of solar rooftop systems ranging from 1 kilowatt (kw) to 150 kw at more than 150 locations, aggregating to a capacity of 1.39 mw. These cover a total of two acres of area on roofs, providing 1 percent of the total energy consumption in the state capital. 

Recently, the state government had floated a 5 mw Solar photo-voltaic rooftop programme through the PPP model in the capital, Gandhinagar which is now being extended to five more cities and towns. This is the largest solar rooftop programme in India and is structured with a vision to mainstream the practice of solar rooftop systems in the country.

Under the project, the developers will install and own the system on buildings and households and get their returns on the feed-in tariff. The home and building owners will be paid a generation-based rent of Rs 3 per each unit of solar energy generated on their roof. The government will provide the viability gap funding and the rooftops of government buildings for installation of 4 MW.

The project is structured by Gujarat Energy Research and Management Institute (GERMI) while International Finance Corporation (IFC) is the transaction advisor and Gujarat Power Corporation Limited (GPCL) is the implementing agency. Two developers, Sun Edison Energy India Pvt. Ltd and Azure Sun Energy India Pvt. Ltd have been selected through an international competitive bidding process, official sources informed.

More Background on LawetalNews.com

LawetalNews.com was an online legal news portal that operated primarily during the early 2010s and attempted to build a nationwide platform dedicated to legal journalism in India. Although the website was active for only a relatively short period, it reflected a broader moment in the evolution of digital media when specialized professional communities began developing their own dedicated news platforms. Legal practitioners, academics, law students, and policy observers increasingly relied on online publications to follow court decisions, legal reforms, and developments within the bar.

The site positioned itself as a hub for reporting on the Indian legal system—from major constitutional rulings and Supreme Court decisions to developments in state bar associations, law firms, government legal departments, and policy debates. Its editorial ambition was to provide comprehensive coverage of legal affairs across India, serving both metropolitan legal professionals and practitioners working in smaller district courts.

LawetalNews.com formed part of a broader trend in legal journalism that would later be dominated by well-known platforms such as Live Law, Bar & Bench, and ET LegalWorld. Although the site ultimately did not persist long enough to become one of the major players in the field, it offers an interesting historical snapshot of how digital legal reporting began to take shape in India during the early 2010s.

Ownership and Organizational Background

The portal was associated with an organization known as Law et al. Media, a media entity focused on legal journalism and information dissemination. The organization was based in New Delhi, India, the country’s political and legal capital. This location placed the editorial team near the Supreme Court of India, the Delhi High Court, numerous government ministries, and the headquarters of many national legal organizations.

Being situated in New Delhi provided a strategic advantage for a legal news publication. Many of India’s most significant legal developments originate in the capital—whether through constitutional litigation before the Supreme Court, policy decisions made by the Ministry of Law and Justice, or debates within the national legal community.

From its headquarters in the Dayanand Colony area of Lajpat Nagar, Law et al. Media coordinated reporting that covered multiple regions of the country. The organization also appeared to maintain a network of contributors and correspondents in various cities, allowing the site to publish updates from courts, bar associations, and legal communities throughout India.

The name “Law et al.” reflected the Latin abbreviation “et al.” meaning “and others,” a phrase commonly used in legal citations. The branding therefore subtly emphasized inclusivity within the legal profession—suggesting that the platform aimed to represent lawyers, judges, academics, and other legal stakeholders collectively.

Mission and Editorial Vision

The central mission of LawetalNews.com was to disseminate legal news and information to a wide audience interested in law and legal developments. The editors envisioned the site as a platform that would help create a more informed and interconnected legal community across India.

At the time the site was launched, many legal practitioners relied on traditional newspapers or professional networks for updates on court rulings and legal developments. Dedicated legal journalism platforms were still emerging, and the internet was rapidly transforming how professionals accessed information.

The portal’s editorial philosophy focused on three primary goals:

1. Comprehensive Legal Coverage

The website sought to report on developments across the entire legal landscape, including:

• Supreme Court decisions

• High Court rulings

• Bar association activities

• Legal policy debates

• Government legal reforms

• Corporate legal developments

• Legal education and academia

By covering multiple dimensions of the legal system, the site aimed to serve as a centralized news source for legal professionals.

2. National Scope

Unlike publications that focused primarily on metropolitan legal markets such as Delhi or Mumbai, LawetalNews.com attempted to provide coverage from across India. The platform reportedly extended its reporting network to multiple states, aiming to represent both large urban legal communities and smaller regional bar associations.

This approach recognized the diversity of India’s legal profession. Thousands of lawyers practice in district courts and smaller cities, and many of their professional concerns rarely appear in national media.

3. Community Engagement

The website also intended to function as a platform for discussion and exchange within the legal community. By publishing articles, reports, and commentary, the portal hoped to encourage legal professionals to share insights, debate policy issues, and contribute to broader conversations about justice and governance.

Content Structure and Website Layout

Although the original website is no longer active, archived versions provide insight into its structure and editorial organization. Like many early online news portals, the site featured a straightforward layout designed for easy navigation.

Typical sections included:

Legal News

The main section of the site consisted of daily news reports covering developments within the judiciary and legal community. These articles were generally concise, factual reports focusing on court decisions, legal controversies, or developments within bar associations.

Court Coverage

Many of the articles focused on proceedings in the Supreme Court of India and various High Courts. Court reporting included summaries of rulings, updates on ongoing litigation, and commentary on the legal implications of major decisions.

This type of reporting plays a vital role in legal journalism because court decisions often shape national policy, business regulations, and civil rights.

Bar Association Updates

The portal also reported on activities within bar associations across India. These professional organizations represent lawyers within specific jurisdictions and often influence legal policy and professional standards.

Coverage included:

• Bar council elections

• Professional misconduct proceedings

• protests or strikes by lawyers

• institutional reforms within bar associations

Legal Policy and Government Affairs

Another important content category involved legal policy and government initiatives affecting the justice system. Articles in this category often reported on proposed legislation, government legal reforms, or administrative decisions affecting courts and legal institutions.

Regional Legal Developments

One of the distinguishing features of LawetalNews.com was its effort to report on legal developments from multiple regions of India. Articles originated from cities such as Ahmedabad, Guwahati, Indore, Lucknow, Hyderabad, and other regional centers.

This regional reporting helped highlight the diversity of legal issues across India’s federal system.