Supreme Court judge Justice Vikram Nath said on Sunday that while Artificial Intelligence (AI) can serve as an effective aid for the judiciary, it can “never replace judges or the work they do.”. Supreme Court judge Vikram Nath highlights limits of AI in judiciary (Representative photo). Speaking at a conference organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association in Bengaluru on global perspectives on judicial governance and the role of AI, Justice Nath spoke about the limits of technology in legal decision-making.. He said, “While AI may assist with research and improve efficiency, it cannot substitute the trained mind of a lawyer or the ethical and disciplined judgment that a judge must exercise.”. “Technology may help draft a note, collate data, etc., but it can never replace a judge or the work that judges do,” he added.. Emphasising that there is no fixed formula for judicial decision-making, Justice Nath said, “Even cases arising from the same law require different approaches based on facts and context. AI cannot grasp or replicate this nuance.”. In matters such as bail or commercial settlements, he said judges often make differentiated assessments. “In a case involving ten accused in the same FIR, a judge may grant bail to nine and deny it to one. AI cannot make that distinction,” he said.. He added, “While AI can widen access and improve transparency, it also carries certain risks.”. Justice Nath urged the legal community to engage with AI responsibly, without compromising core judicial values. 

 New Delhi: As the Ministry of Education prepares to strengthen the open schooling framework through the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), as part of a nationwide effort to bring out-of-school children back into the education system, concerns have emerged over the institution’s finances and functioning.. The findings come against the backdrop of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which aims for 100% enrolment from pre-school to secondary level by 2030. (Hindustan Times). A recent working paper by the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP), a finance ministry think tank, highlights that NIOS has not received government budget support since 2012–13. Instead, it operates largely as a self-financing body, relying heavily on student fees, the paper notes.. It further mentions that while NIOS has accumulated significant surpluses, its spending pattern raises questions. “In 2021–22, the institute generated about ₹188 crore in academic receipts and recorded a surplus of over ₹127 crore, with total reserves nearing ₹800 crore. However, expenditure on staff ( ₹65.8 crore) was more than double the spending on student academic needs ( ₹30.8 crore),” the report says.. Experts argue that the concern is not the surplus itself, but how it is used, especially when student outcomes remain modest. In 2024, pass rates stood at 60.14% for Class 10 and 62.39% for Class 12, among the lowest across school boards, according to the government data.. “NIOS operates with a financial efficiency that mirrors a profit-making corporation rather than a non-profit educational board,” the paper published on February 18 states.. Titled “Strengthening State Open Schools: A Need for a Dedicated and Focused Policy for School Dropouts”, the study was authored by HK Amar Nath of NIPFP and Nikhil Rahangdale of the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade. It forms part of a broader study commissioned by Ramon Magsaysay Award winner NGO ‘Educate Girls’.. The findings come against the backdrop of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which aims for 100% enrolment from pre-school to secondary level by 2030. However, data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2023–24 shows nearly two crore children aged 14–18 remain out of school, while over 50 lakh students fail board exams annually.. The education ministry has described open schooling as a “practical alternative” for children unable to attend regular schools due to economic or social constraints.. Yet, the NIPFP report points to deeper structural challenges. Only 9.7% of India’s 1.47 million schools offer secondary-level education, creating what researchers call a “structural break” where student enrolment drops sharply after upper primary.. NIOS currently serves around 27 lakh learners and has recorded over 41 lakh enrolments in the past five years through more than 10,800 study and exam centres. However, staffing shortages persist, with 139 vacancies out 

 The suicide of a senior government officer in Punjab has sent shockwaves across the state. On Friday, Gagandeep Singh Randhawa, district manager of the Punjab Warehousing Corporation (PWC), died by suicide after consuming a poisonous substance, but not before recording a video in which he blamed Punjab minister Laljit Singh Bhullar.. Grieving family members of Punjab State Warehousing Corporation (PSWC) district manager, Gagandeep Singh Randhawa in, Amritsar on Saturday. (Sameer Sehgal/HT) (HT_PRINT). “Kha layi ‘celphos’ tuhade yaar ne, minister Laljit Bhullar de dar ton. Hun nahi main bachda,” (Your friend has consumed Celphos out of fear of minister Laljit Bhullar. I will not survive now), Randhawa said in the clip, according to a PTI report.. A day later, Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann directed the chief secretary to conduct an impartial probe into the matter and asked the minister to step down to ensure a fair investigation.. An FIR has been lodged against Bhullar, his father Sukhdev Singh Bhullar, and his personal assistant Dilbagh Singh under Sections 108 (abetment of suicide), 351(3) (criminal intimidation), and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.. What are the claims made by his wife in the FIR?. Randhawa’s wife, Upinder Kaur, has made serious allegations in the FIR, stating that her husband was constantly pressured by Bhullar to withdraw a tender.. In her complaint, Kaur alleged that Bhullar initially pressured Randhawa to allot a warehouse tender to his father, Sukhdev Singh Bhullar, threatening him with violent consequences if he refused.. Also Read: Punjab minister Laljit Bhullar resigns after warehousing DM ends life. Kaur further stated that her husband told her he was repeatedly pressured to award the tender to Bhullar’s father, even though doing so would have violated the rules. She claimed that he would often break down and felt helpless due to the threats.. When the tender was eventually awarded to another party, Bhullar allegedly increased the pressure on Randhawa.. According to Kaur, this was followed by further threats over WhatsApp calls, with Bhullar demanding that Randhawa cancel the tender and reissue it in his favour.. Kaur also alleged that on March 13, Bhullar summoned Randhawa to his residence in Patti, where he humiliated and assaulted him. She claimed that Bhullar held him at gunpoint and forced him to admit that he had accepted a bribe of ₹10 lakh to award the tender to another party.. A few days later, Randhawa consumed poison and died.. Opposition slams AAP government in Punjab over the suicide. Opposition parties have slammed Punjab’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, accusing it of creating a reckless law-and-order situation in the state where even government officers are no longer safe.. BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said the AAP government is indulging in crime and corruption in Punjab, adding that both Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann are busy protecti 

 Nearly three years after ethnic violence tore through Manipur, a cautious first step towards reconciliation emerged as chief minister Yumnam Khemchand sat down with the apex Kuki-Zo body for an “ice-breaking” meeting, describing it as an effort to bridge the deep trust deficit between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities.. Manipur CM Yumnam Khemchand Singh (right) briefs the media after the meeting in Imphal on Sunday. (HT Photo). According to a statement issued on Sunday by the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC), the meeting was held in Guwahati on Saturday and marked the first engagement between the two sides since violence broke out on May 3, 2023.. “As the first engagement after nearly three years of conflict between the Meitei and the Kuki-Zo communities, the interaction was largely an ‘ice-breaking’ session,” the statement said.. The KZC delegation raised several key issues related to the ongoing unrest in Manipur, including the urgent need to de-escalate tensions between the Kuki and Tangkhul Naga communities and the importance of ensuring justice for victims as a prerequisite for any meaningful peace and reconciliation process.. The council also emphasised maintaining the sanctity of the “buffer zone” until a political settlement is reached and called for expediting the ongoing Suspension of Operations (SoO) talks to ensure durable and lasting peace in the region.. “The chief minister, in turn, shared his concerns, commitments, and the steps undertaken by his government to restore peace and normalcy in Manipur,” the statement added.. Speaking to the media on Sunday during a visit to the Inter-State Bus Terminus (ISBT) in Imphal, Khemchand described the meeting as a first step towards addressing the “trust deficit” between the two communities.. He said no demands were raised and no commitments were made during the interaction, but stressed the need for reconciliation and restoration of peace.. Khemchand said the state government may invite KZC for another round of talks in Imphal, if required.. “Any step for restoration of peace in Manipur cannot be done in a single meeting, it will take time to regain trust among the warring communities, and the trust deficit among the two communities has been reduced, which is a positive step towards reconciliation,” he said.. The CM noted that internally displaced persons (IDPs) from both Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities continue to suffer from a trust deficit, and said the meeting in Guwahati was aimed at rebuilding confidence.. Responding to questions on the demand for a separate administration and the issue of buffer zones, he said, “The Prime Minister of India has already made his statement on the Parliamentary floor that the territorial boundary of Manipur will not be compromised, so what comment can I add to this?”. On the term “buffer zone”, he added, “there is no buffer zone in Manipur, but there are some sensitive areas.” 

 Jammu: The pilgrimage to the Mata Vaishno Devi temple atop Trikuta hills in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district resumed on Sunday after its temporary suspension due to heavy rush, officials said.. Illuminated view of the main gate of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Temple on the first day of Chaitra Navratri, in Reasi on Thursday. (ANI Video Photo) (ANI Video Grab). Authorities on Saturday suspended the pilgrimage to the cave shrine due to a heavy rush at the Bhawan, as 39,000 devotees paid obeisance at the temple till late in the afternoon.. Chaitra Navratri started on March 19 and will end on March 27.. “The yatra has been resumed after temporary suspension due to a heavy rush at the Bhawan,” a shrine board official said. He said that registration for the yatra resumed this morning in Katra.. Nearly one lakh devotees have paid obeisance so far, with authorities ensuring smooth and safe arrangements for the pilgrimage.. On Saturday, more than 39,000 pilgrims visited the holy town of Katra and paid obeisance at the Mata Vaishno Devi temple, officials said.. Officials said that more than 5,000 more pilgrims were on their way to the cave shrine after registration. There was a huge rush of pilgrims at the registration centre.. Hundreds of devotees chanting ‘Jai Mata Di’ were trekking along the serpentine pathway to the Mata Vaishno Devi temple atop Trikuta hills on the third day of Navratri to pay obeisance and seek the deity’s blessings.. Decorated with a variety of fresh flowers filling the air with fragrance and illuminated with multi-coloured lights to provide a spectacular view to devotees, the cave shrine is witnessing a huge rush of pilgrims.. Authorities have put in place multi-tier security arrangements at the Katra base camp and en route to the shrine to ensure a safe and secure yatra.. The sacred Shat Chandi Maha Yagya commenced at the revered Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine on Thursday, heralding the auspicious beginning of Chaitra Navratri 2026.