FUNDAMENTALS
The Indian judicial system has influenced all spheres of life in India from religion to politics. Find out how much you known about all things legal in India. Write in with your suggestions, questions (with answers) to senjam@gmail.com
INDIAN JUDICIAL SYSTEM
1. Who is the first person to be hanged to death in post independence India? 2. The jury system existed in India till 1959. Which famous trial led to the abolition of jury trial in India? 3. The Red Fort Trials, or INA trials of the INA officers in 1945-46, had about ten trials. Name the three officers who were involved in the celebrated first trial. 4. In the Indira Gandhi assassination case, Satwant Singh and Kehar Singh were convicted and hanged to death. Who was acquitted? 5. How does India better know the case that went by the formal name of Indra Sawhney vs Union of India (Supreme Court 1993)? 6. Who is the only political leader from Jammu and Kashmir to have been hanged to death for carrying out subversive activities? 7. Name the most famous judgment arrived at by the three-Judge Bench of Justices Thomas, D.P. Wadhwa, and Syed Shah Mohammad Quadri. 8. Name the former wife of Muhammad Ahmed Khan who created legal history in India. 9. The Indian Penal Code does not apply to Jammu & Kashmir, where the Ranbir Penal code applies. How did it acquire the name Ranbir Penal Code? 10. What is the significance of this case known as Hussainara Khatoon v. State of Bihar AIR 1979 Supreme court?
ANYTHING GOES
1. Which South Indian film — listed in the top 100 movies by Time magazine — told the Godfatherish tale of Velu, a boy who embraces a life of crime after his father is killed by the police? (Dr Megha Krishnan, CMC, Vellore) 2. Kakawin are long narrative poems written in verse form. Which country do they belong to and which is the most famous Kakawin? (Commander G.R. Balakrishnan (Retd), Chennai) 3. What happened when Neil Papworth, an engineer with the Sema group, communicated with Richard Jarvis on 3 December, 1992? (Dee Surendranath, Hyderabad) 4. In Test cricket Ricky Ponting and Shivnaraine Chanderpaul have been out LBW 35 times during their Test career. However, who holds the dubious record for having been dismissed the maximum number of times LBW in Tests? (BK Harinath, Mysuru) 5. In Hindu mythology, who loaned money to Lord Balaji for his marriage with Goddess Lakshmi? (Philip Joshua, Secunderabad) 6. What product developed by a scientist named Krishna Bharat in the aftermath of 9/11 attacks is now used by hundreds of millions of people across the world? (Gayathri Jeevan, Thiruvananthapuram) 7. In the Bible, who is referred to as the ‘Second Man’ and the ‘The Last Adam’? (Deepak Gomes, Kolkata) 8. Which iconic structure in Europe was to be destroyed 20 years after its construction but was saved since it was re-purposed as a giant radio antenna? (Partha Sarkar, Kolkata)