Centre says same‑sex couples cannot get tax exemption as courts hear Aadhaar LPG, Jantar Mantar and alcohol age‑check cases

Tax exemption for same‑sex couples rejected by Karnataka High Court

The Union government told a Karnataka High Court bench that the Income Tax Act’s gift‑tax exemption for spouses cannot be extended to same‑sex partners. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Additional Solicitor General Arvind Kamath argued that the provision is linked to “legally recognised relationships” and that widening it would amount to an indirect recognition of same‑sex marriage, which the law does not provide for. The court has set a hearing for 2 November to seek technical clarifications.

Delhi High Court seeks response on mandatory Aadhaar for LPG subsidies

On 14 October, a bench of Acting Chief Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Justice Sanjay Sharma ordered the Centre, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board and the three public‑sector oil firms to file replies to a public‑interest litigation filed by lawyer Pulkit Luthra, who is 75 percent visually disabled. The petition contends that the biometric Aadhaar requirement – including iris scanning – bars about 3.16 crore consumers, especially the elderly and disabled, from receiving subsidised LPG refills. Attorney General R. Venkataramani defended the rule as a safeguard against subsidy abuse and promised that accommodations for disabled persons would be made. The matter is listed for a further hearing on 18 November.

Challenge to the de‑notification of Jantar Mantar as a protest site

The Indian Youth Congress has moved both the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court against the October 11 order that removed Jantar Mantar from the list of designated protest locations. The petition, filed by IYC president Uday Bhanu Chib, argues that the shift to alternative sites such as Ramlila Ground and Burari Ground threatens the constitutional right to peaceful assembly under Articles 19(1)(a) and 19(1)(b). Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar says the change follows Supreme Court directions and that a revised SOP for the new venues will be issued. The High Court has issued notice to the authorities, and the Supreme Court has asked the government to consider an alternate venue for future demonstrations.

Supreme Court presses Centre on mandatory age checks at liquor outlets

A three‑judge bench of the Supreme Court noted with concern that the Union government had not appeared to answer a petition filed by Community Against Drunken Driving (CADD). Justice Vikram Nath remarked, “They don’t take this seriously?” prompting the Court to grant the government four weeks to file a response and to summon Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to appear. The plea seeks a uniform protocol for age verification at all points of sale, noting that legal drinking ages range from 18 to 25 across states, and also raises objections to alcohol being sold in tetra‑pack formats that resemble non‑alcoholic beverages.

These four filings illustrate the courts’ role in scrutinising government policies while the Centre continues to stress the legality and stability of its regulatory framework.