{
  "id": 14250890,
  "title": "Former Supreme Court judge calls for constitutional safeguards to ensure ECI’s independence",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/former-supreme-court-judge-calls-for-constitutional-safeguards-to",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-13T17:16:49.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu",
    "slug": "the-hindu",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/former-supreme-court-judge-calls-for-constitutional-safeguards-to-ensure-ecis-independence/article71580390.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Former Supreme Court judge Kurian Joseph has advocated for constitutional amendments to ensure the independence of the Election Commission of India (ECI). He believes that the appointment and service conditions of the ECI should be enshrined in the Constitution, rather than being left to Parliament's discretion. Joseph emphasized that the ECI must remain independent and is designed to be independent. The retired judge contended that constitutional institutions, such as the Supreme Court, are meant to be watchdogs and guardians of the Constitution. He expressed concerns about the perceived lack of accountability within high Constitutional institutions, stating that the institutions are more likely to suffer from abuse of power than honor the Constitution's intent.\n\nK.R. Meera, a writer, commented on the fearless protests led by the Cockroach Janata Party, which demanded the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation. Meera had faith in the youth's agitation to uphold the true essence of democracy and brotherhood. Former Kerala High Court judge K. Balakrishnan Nair delivered the keynote address and highlighted that the removal of individuals from electoral rolls during the special intensive revision was done in violation of natural justice principles. The authorities failed to follow the required procedures during this process. Additionally, a collective of youth organized a protest in solidarity with the ongoing agitation to demand Kumar's resignation. They held placards condemning him for alleged mass voter deletions and irregularities. Furthermore, this group questioned the Central government's decision to de-notify Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site in New Delhi.",
  "summary": "Constitution; K. Balakrishnan Nair, former Kerala High Court judge, says the removal of voters during the special intensive revision violated the principles of natural justice; writer K.R. Meera expresses faith in youth-led protests to restore democracy and brotherhood",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 6,
    "also_reported_by": [
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        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/supreme-court-asks-delhi-governmente-to-seek-inputs-from-ib-on-hawara",
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        "published": "2026-10-13T18:21:18.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Indian Express",
        "title": "Supreme Court seeks Intelligence Bureau input on Jagtar Singh’s transfer request to Punjab prison",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/supreme-court-seeks-intelligence-bureau-input-on-jagtar-singhs",
        "published": "2026-10-13T18:45:59.000Z"
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    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}