# Judiciary

• The sheer defiance of governments towards judicial pronouncements, their inclination to pass off the responsibility of decision making to courts and the legislature’s ambiguity, lack of foresight and public consultation before making laws have led to docket explosion, Chief justice of India NV Ramanna said here on Saturday.
• He was speaking at a joint conference of chief justices and chief Ministers also attended by Narendra Modi.
• CJI also said that contempt cases are a new burden on courts.
• In the conference, PM Modi said that state governments should repeal “obselete and archaic laws”.
• PM also pushed for more use of local languages in courts.

# K-rail project

• An alternative project to the semi high speed rail silverline, by developing third and fourth parallel lines to the existing railway lines, will cost ₹20000 crores for land acquisition and civil works ₹5000 crores for signalling, according to Kerala rail development Corporation.
• At a recent open delete on silverline, environmental scientist RGV Menon had asked K-rail to compare the cost of the ₹64000 crore silverline with the alternative proposal.
• However, K-rail managing director has said that if parallel lines are laid the speed of semi high speed trains cannot be attained.

# Army chief

• General Manoj pandey on Saturday took charge as the 29th chief of army staff from general Manoj Naravane, who retired from service.
• General pandey is the first officer from the corps of engineers to head the 1.3 million army.
• The government is yet to appoint the chief of Defence staff, the post which is vacant since the untimely death of General Bipin Rawat.

# Pakistan

• Amidst last minute drama, Hamza shehbaj, son of Pakistani prime minister shehbaj sharif, on Saturday took oath of the Punjab chief minister, the country’s most populous state with 110 million population.
• National Assembly Speaker Raja pervaiz ashraf administered the oath of office to the 47 year old Hamza shehbaj at the governor house.
• Earlier, Punjab’s governor Omar sarfaraz cheema rejected the resignation of outgoing chief minister Usman bujdar and restored his cabinet.
• Governor has termed the appointment of new chief minister as unconstitutional.