For justice around the clock | Explained

Pallikaranai marshland. File | Jothi Ramalingam The Madras High Court on Friday (July 24, 2026) directed the Tamil Nadu State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) to explain, by July 28 how could it unilaterally revoke the environmental clearance (EC) issued to Brigade Enterprises Limited for constructing high-rise residential towers near the Pallikaranai marshland, a designated Ramsar wetland site.Justice Mohammed Shaffiq issued the direction after senior counsel P.S. Raman complained that the EC had been revoked without following the principles of natural justice and issuing any notice to the realtor. The counsel also claimed that the construction site was located well outside the prohibited area around the marshland and that its parent title deed dates back to 1935.The submissions were made during the hearing of a writ petition filed by the construction company, challenging the revocation order passed by the SEIAA on May 12, 2026. Mr. Raman said, the SEIAA had actually issued the EC on January 20, 2025, after being satisfied that the property in question, which was being developed through a joint venture with the landowner, was not within the prohibited area.It was on the strength of the EC that the realtor had obtained the layout plan approval from the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) and other clearances from the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) before commencing the construction. Thereafter, Arappor Iyakkam, an anti-corruption organisation, had filed a public interest litigation (PIL) petition alleging that the property was within the prohibited area.A Division Bench of the High Court had entertained the PIL petition and stalled the construction by way of an interim order. However, after the dismissal of the PIL petition, Brigade recommenced the construction only to stop it again because of the unilateral revocation of the EC on the ground that the realtor had failed to obtain permission from the Tamil Nadu State Wetland Authority, Mr. Raman said.Contending that the permission from the Weland Authority needs to be obtained only “if applicable” and not otherwise, the senior counsel said, no such permission was required for the project in question because the authority had filed a categorical counter affidavit before the Division Bench that the ‘zone of influence’ around the 1,247.54 hectare Pallikaranai marshland was yet to be determined.Mr. Raman also told Justice Shaffiq that Brigade Enterprises had decided not to recommence the construction until the issue gets resolved. He, however, urged the court to stay the SEIAA’s EC revocation order as well as all further proceedings, since the CMDA had subsequently issued a show-cause notice to the realtor seeking an explanation as to why the plan approval should also not be revoked.Stating that the TNPCB, too, had withdrawn its consent, the senior counsel said: “The SEIAA’s unilateral order has led to consequential proceedings by other authorities. Therefore, they must be restrained from taking any such action.” After hearing him, the judge suo motu impleaded the CMDA, as well as the TNPCB, as respondents to the writ petition and adjourned the hearing to July 28. Published - July 24, 2026 01:04 pm IST

Image for representational purposes only. | The objective of the year-long nationwide exercise is to create a Campus Biodiversity Register (CBR) for each higher education institution.According to the NCF, the CBR has been inspired by the People’s Biodiversity Register (PBR), which contains comprehensive information on locally available bio-resources, including the landscape and demography of a particular area, and traditional knowledge.“The CBR project enables educational institutions to document the biodiversity found within their campuses. While the PBRs document the biodiversity of villages, towns, and cities, the focus of the CBRs is on educational institutions, bringing together students, faculty, and other staff to explore nature around them,” a statement from the organisation said.Conservationists have underlined the importance of college and university campuses as green spaces in India’s expanding urban landscape. Many such institutions harbour a diversity of trees, birds, butterflies, insects, reptiles, mammals, fungi, and countless other organisms.“These campuses often serve as biodiversity hotspots and refuges within urban landscapes, yet surprisingly little is known about the species they support. Without this knowledge, it is difficult to appreciate, conserve and manage these valuable ecosystems,” the statement read.The organisation said colleges and universities can register for the initiative until November 2026, and the documentation will be concluded in June 2027.Specific platformsOver the course of a year, participating institutions will document biodiversity using the recognised platforms iNaturalist, eBird, and SeasonWatch. “Whether through organised biodiversity surveys, campus walks, or everyday observations, participants will record the plants, animals, fungi, and other life forms they encounter. By the end of the project, each institution will have the information, skills and resources needed to compile its own CBR,” the NCF said.The biodiversity observations generated through the project are envisaged to contribute to global biodiversity databases while also helping institutions better understand and manage their own campuses. The initiative also aims to foster curiosity about the natural world and encourage a deeper connection between students and the biodiversity that surrounds them.“This is an opportunity to notice the biodiversity that often goes unnoticed geckos on classroom walls, moths around campus lights, ants around us, and countless other organisms that quietly share our campuses,” NCF’s programme manager Devica Ranade said on Tuesday (July 21, 2026).NBA Chairperson Virendra Tiwary said India’s youth have a crucial role in fulfilling the nation’s commitment to conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. “Documenting the biodiversity around them is the first step towards conservation,” he said. Published - July 22, 2026 08:28 am IST

Forest officials said that stocks at the government depot were mostly sandalwood and red sanders that were seized from smugglers. | 75 tonnes of red sanders that is worth around ₹50 lakh at the Government Sandalwood Depot in Tirupattur town on Tuesday.Forest officials said that it was during a routine inspection of stocks of wooden logs in the depot on July 18 that a team of forest officials found that 1.75 tonnes of red sanders were missing in one of the storehouses at the depot, which usually had around 100 tonnes of seized red sanders for many years.Forest officials said that stocks at the government depot were mostly sandalwood and red sanders that were seized from smugglers during surprise checks in areas along Tamil Nadu - Andhra Pradesh border. The seized logs were used to make incense sticks. Forest officials said that based on a complaint by Jothi Lingam who was in charge of the depot, a case was registered by Tirupattur Town police. A probe is under way. Published - July 22, 2026 12:58 am IST

Just 40 days after returning to sea with dreams of coming home next April to marry his fiancée, 26-year-old merchant navy officer Akhil Joyan from Kerala was killed in an alleged Russian missile strike on the cargo vessel MV Golden Leo near Ukraine’s Odessa port, shattering the aspirations of a family that had invested everything in his future.The confirmation of Akhil’s death reached his family in stages — first as uncertainty, then as devastating certainty.“We first received a call from the Mumbai-based agency around 10 or 11 in the morning, saying there had been a missile attack and the ship had suffered damage,” said Shaji Valipalackal, Akhil’s paternal uncle, told The Hindu.“An email letter said several Indians were among the dead but none had been identified. It was only around 4 pm that the company confirmed Akhil’s death after his body was identified.”The attack on the Guinea-Bissau-flagged cargo vessel near Odessa claimed 10 lives, including four Indians. Akhil, the ship’s chief officer, was among those killed.For Joyan and Saly, who struggled financially to educate their only son, Akhil’s journey to the merchant navy represented years of sacrifice finally bearing fruit.“He always wanted to join the merchant navy. Even though we couldn’t afford it, the family took loans to educate him because it was his dream,” Mr. Shaji said. “Whatever savings the family had were spent on his education.”Joyan, who works as a salesman in a private establishment, managed to build the family’s new house only after Akhil secured his job. The family moved into the house barely a year ago, believing their hardship were finally behind them.Akhil had completed his plus two at St. Jude’s Higher Secondary School, Vellarikundu, before graduating in Marine Engineering from Chennai with distinction. He had been serving aboard merchant vessels for the past four years. Only two months ago, Akhil had returned home on leave to finalise his engagement with a woman from Idukki. The engagement was held on May 24 and the wedding was planned for April next year, when he was expected to return on leave.“He had gone back to sea only about 40 days ago. Everything was planned around his next vacation,” his uncle recalled.The family’s last contact with Akhil was a missed call and a brief WhatsApp message reading “Hi” on Sunday evening.“We couldn’t reconnect after that. We believe he may have tried to contact home after the first missile strike. After that, there was a complete silence,” Mr. Shaji said.The family says information from the shipping company has been limited. According to the company, repatriating Akhil’s body could take at least 10 to 15 days, he said. “The only update we have now is that the body has been shifted to a hospital. Beyond that, we have no official information,” Mr. Shaji said.The Kerala government has assured the family of full support. The District Collector, senior officials and Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala have contacted the family, while the Centre and NORKA have initiated efforts to facilitate the return of the body.“They have promised that the government will coordinate everything, including the expenses,” Mr. Shaji said.Beyond his maritime career, Akhil was a talented sportsman who had earned recognition for his extraordinary physical fitness. He held a Worldwide Book of Records title for completing 25 rope pull-ups in 30 seconds, reclaiming a record he had earlier lost.Teachers and neighbours remember him as a disciplined, cheerful young man whose achievement inspired many in the village.His parents, overwhelmed by grief, require medical attention after the news broke. His mother Saly has struggled to cope with the loss of her only child.District Collector Arjun Pandian said they are yet to receive official details regarding the repatriation of the body. “We have not received complete official information yet. NORKA is coordinating the process through the Indian Embassy, but even they do not have clarity on how many day

The story so far: The Supreme Court on July 14 decided to examine a writ petition filed by a woman lawyer, advocate Maheravish Rein, for framing a uniform and institutional framework to urgently set up Benches, night or day, no matter the hour, for citizens who approach constitutional courts, including State High Courts, in cases affecting their life and liberty.Ms. Rein’s has filed the case in the backdrop of reports of late-night arrests, illegal detentions, early morning demolitions of homes, deportations, custodial abuse and other executive excesses were on the rise.A Constitution Bench in the case of Bihar Legal Support Society versus Chief Justice of India in 1986 had underscored that the Supreme Court was a ‘people’s court’ and must function as the “symbol of the hopes and aspirations of millions of people in the country. The judgment was a sequel to the apex court’s speedy consideration of the bail application of two industrialists in a late-night sitting in September 1986. A writ petition had been filed in the court questioning whether the court would show the same anxiety in the cases of “small men”.Forty years later, Ms. Rein pointed out that the present institutional framework of constitutional courts largely restricts access to judicial remedies to designated court hours, working days and limited Vacation Benches. As a result, individuals facing urgent violations of liberty and fundamental rights often encounter significant practical difficulty in obtaining immediate judicial protection during nights, weekends, public holidays and court recesses. She cautioned that the absence of a Standard Operating Procedure ensuring continuous judicial accessibility may result in irreversible consequences before affected persons are able to approach constitutional courts.The Constitution does not sleep, and operates as a living and continuous guarantee of liberty. The protection of fundamental rights cannot remain contingent upon the opening and closing hours of courts. The Constitution cannot fall silent at night, nor can liberty await the morning bell of the courts.Ms. Rein argues that in a system where executive power may operate at any hour, the protection of fundamental rights cannot remain constrained by the temporal boundaries of court schedules. The right to access justice transcends beyond ordinary court hours, weekends and public holidays. The justice system in countries like the U.K, Singapore, Sweden and the U.S. have institutionalised out-of-hours justice administration systems integrating digital ecosystems. Kerala had launched a 24X7 online court initiative to tackle high pendency and delays. However, the initiative seemed to have escaped the constitutional courts in the country.The Supreme Court has now agreed to explore issuance of directions to High Courts to evolve suitable procedures or rosters for the hearing of urgent matters during off-hours and creation of ‘Emergency Constitutional Benches’ or designated duty judges, accessible through electronic filing and digital platforms.Comment | Holding the Court accountable amid democratic strain What the Supreme Court Rules say about out-of-hours court sittings?The Rules primarily define formal court schedules and establish temporal boundaries for the Supreme Court Registry.An amendment brought into force in the Supreme Court Rules 2013 from July 14 last year said that “no work, unless of an urgent nature, shall be admitted after 4.30 p.m.” on normal working days. On Saturdays, offices are open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and “no work, unless of an urgent nature, shall be admitted after 12 noon”. The amended rule finally left it to the Chief Justice of India’s discretion to decide when the offices of the court would remain open during partial court working days, Christmas and New Year holidays.Rules do not provide a protocol