{"id":17,"date":"2026-08-09T16:25:46","date_gmt":"2026-08-09T16:25:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.desinews.co.uk\/?page_id=17"},"modified":"2026-08-09T16:25:46","modified_gmt":"2026-08-09T16:25:46","slug":"india","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.desinews.co.uk\/index.php\/india\/","title":{"rendered":"India"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__list wp-block-latest-posts\"><li><a class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.desinews.co.uk\/index.php\/2026\/08\/09\/rahul-navin-awarded-one-year-extension-as-ed-director\/\">Rahul Navin Awarded One-Year Extension as ED Director<\/a><div class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-full-content\"><p>NEW DELHI: In a notable development, <strong>Rahul Navin<\/strong>, currently serving as the Director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), has been granted a one-year extension in his tenure. This decision comes as his two-year fixed term was set to conclude this month, and now his term has been extended until <strong>13th August 2027<\/strong>.<\/p><p>According to a notification released by the <strong>Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT)<\/strong> on Saturday, the <strong>Appointments Committee of the Cabinet<\/strong> has approved the extension of Navin&#8217;s tenure as Director of ED for an additional year beyond <strong>13.08.2026<\/strong>, effectively allowing his service to continue beyond his retirement date of <strong>31.07.2027<\/strong>, or until further notice, whichever comes first.<\/p><p>Having served as ED director for three years, Navin\u2014a 1993 batch officer of the Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax)\u2014could potentially receive two more extensions, enabling him to remain in office until August 2029. This tenure aligns with the current Modi government, which is gearing up for general elections scheduled for <strong>April-May 2029<\/strong>.<\/p><p>Though his official retirement from service is due on <strong>31st July 2027<\/strong>, the tenure of an ED director can extend beyond the usual retirement age, as observed with his predecessor, <strong>Sanjay Mishra<\/strong>.<\/p><p>Originally from <strong>Bihar<\/strong>, Navin boasts an impressive academic background, holding a BTech and MTech from <strong>IIT Kanpur<\/strong> and an MBA from <strong>Swinburne University of Technology<\/strong> in <strong>Melbourne<\/strong>.<\/p><p>Navin took charge as Director (In-Charge) on <strong>15th September 2023<\/strong> and was officially appointed as Director of ED on <strong>14th August 2024<\/strong>. Beyond his administrative roles, he has authored a book titled <em>&#8220;Information Exchange and Tax Transparency: Tackling Global Tax Evasion and Avoidance&#8221;<\/em>, drawing upon his experience in the tax policy division of the finance ministry.<\/p><p>As the ED director, Navin has crafted a new framework for his team, emphasizing the completion of investigations within a two-year timeframe. He has also underscored the importance of auctioning and restoring properties to rightful claimants, whether individuals or banks, affected by fraudulent activities.<\/p><p>Furthermore, he has established specific targets for all zonal offices to streamline the filing of charge sheets, significantly reducing unnecessary delays. To date, the ED has successfully restored assets worth over <strong>Rs 35,000 crore<\/strong> to victims of fraud, utilizing provisions under sections 8(7) and 8(8) of the <strong>Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA)<\/strong>. These sections allow for the restitution of assets deemed to have been obtained illegally but legally belong to innocent parties.<\/p><\/div><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.desinews.co.uk\/index.php\/2026\/07\/13\/supreme-court-overrules-gauhati-high-court-on-citizenship-status-of-27-appellants\/\">Supreme Court Overrules Gauhati High Court on Citizenship Status of 27 Appellants<\/a><div class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-full-content\"><p>In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court of India on Monday overturned the Gauhati High Court&#8217;s decisions that had declared 27 appellants as foreigners. The apex court emphasized that issues regarding citizenship and foreigner status must be resolved through a process that is <strong>fair, lawful, and reasonable<\/strong>.<\/p><p>This verdict was delivered by a Bench comprising Justices <strong>Vikram Nath<\/strong> and <strong>Sandeep Mehta<\/strong>, who remanded the cases back to the relevant Foreigners Tribunals for a comprehensive review.<\/p><h2>Importance of Procedural Fairness<\/h2><p>While granting the appeals, the court noted that citizenship questions hold profound constitutional implications. The Bench stated that such matters necessitate strict adherence to procedural fairness, as highlighted by <em>LiveLaw<\/em>.<\/p><blockquote>\u201cCitizenship and foreigner status occupy a field of high constitutional and legal significance,\u201d<\/blockquote><p>the judges remarked, reiterating the importance of due process in these cases.<\/p><p>Nonetheless, the Supreme Court recognized the government&#8217;s responsibility to prevent the misuse of citizenship claims. The court asserted that the state has a <strong>legitimate and compelling interest<\/strong> in ensuring that individuals who do not qualify for Indian citizenship do not acquire such status through deceptive practices or procedural delays.<\/p><blockquote>\u201c&#8230; The State has a legitimate and compelling interest in ensuring that persons who are not legally entitled to claim Indian citizenship do not secure such status by misuse of process, by false claim or by taking advantage of delays,\u201d<\/blockquote><p>the Bench elaborated, stressing that these concerns should not undermine the requirement for a fair hearing.<\/p><h2>Re-examination of Cases<\/h2><p>The court clarified that it had not evaluated the merits of the citizenship claims presented by the appellants or the documents submitted in support of their assertions. <\/p><blockquote>\u201c&#8230; We have not examined the merits of the claims of citizenship by the appellants or expressed any opinion on the genuineness, admissibility, relevance or sufficiency of any document relied upon by them. Those questions must be decided by the concerned Tribunal independently,\u201d<\/blockquote><p>the Supreme Court stated, thereby directing the Foreigners Tribunals to reassess the cases without being swayed by the previous high court findings.<\/p><p>\u201c&#8230; The concerned Tribunals shall decide the cases afresh and uninfluenced by any of the observations made by the high court or by the Tribunals in the earlier opinions,\u201d<\/p><p>the Bench insisted.<\/p><h2>Legal Background<\/h2><p>Previously, the Gauhati High Court had ruled that under Section 9 of the Foreigners Act, 1946, the onus of proving Indian citizenship falls entirely on the individual, as the relevant information is deemed to be within their special knowledge. The high court emphasized that this burden remains unchanged even in <em>ex parte<\/em> proceedings.<\/p><\/div><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.desinews.co.uk\/index.php\/2026\/07\/13\/supreme-court-overturns-gauhati-high-courts-citizenship-rulings-emphasizes-fair-process\/\">Supreme Court Overturns Gauhati High Court&#8217;s Citizenship Rulings, Emphasizes Fair Process<\/a><div class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-full-content\"><p>The Supreme Court of India delivered a significant ruling on Monday, overturning the Gauhati High Court&#8217;s decisions which had declared 27 appellants as foreigners. The apex court emphasized that matters of citizenship and foreigner status must be determined through a process that is both <strong>fair<\/strong> and <strong>lawful<\/strong>.<\/p><p>This verdict came from a bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, who remanded the cases back to the relevant Foreigners Tribunals for new hearings. During the proceedings, the court highlighted the deep constitutional importance of citizenship matters, noting they involve fundamental rights that deserve procedural fairness.<\/p><h3>Constitutional Significance of Citizenship<\/h3><p>The bench stated that citizenship and foreigner status hold &#8220;<strong>high constitutional and legal significance<\/strong>&#8221; within Indian law. While recognizing the government&#8217;s obligation to prevent the misuse of citizenship claims, the court reiterated that this responsibility should not compromise the necessity for a fair hearing.<\/p><blockquote>&#8220;Citizenship and foreigner status occupy a field of high constitutional and legal significance,&#8221; the bench remarked.<\/blockquote><p>The court acknowledged the state&#8217;s compelling interest in ensuring that individuals who are not entitled to Indian citizenship do not gain such status through fraudulent claims or by exploiting procedural delays. It stressed that, &#8220;<em>persons who are not legally entitled to claim Indian citizenship must not secure such status by misuse of process<\/em>, by false claims, or by taking advantage of delays,&#8221; the ruling emphasized.<\/p><h3>Fairness in Determining Citizenship Claims<\/h3><p>Importantly, the Supreme Court clarified that it had not examined the merits of the appellants&#8217; citizenship claims or the validity of their submitted documents. &#8220;<strong>We have not evaluated the merits of the claims<\/strong> of the appellants or expressed any opinion on the genuineness, admissibility, relevance, or sufficiency of any document relied upon by them,&#8221; the Court stated.<\/p><p>The bench specifically noted that the remand order is not meant to provide any automatic relief but aims to ensure that determinations of foreigner status meet the standards set forth by the Foreigners Act of 1946 and the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order of 1964.<\/p><blockquote>&#8220;The remand being directed is not intended to confer any equity in favour of a person who is unable to establish his or her claim,&#8221; the Court clarified.<\/blockquote><p>Furthermore, the Supreme Court instructed the Foreigners Tribunals to reassess the cases without being swayed by previous findings from the high court or the tribunals. &#8220;<strong>The concerned Tribunals shall decide the cases afresh<\/strong> and uninfluenced by any of the observations made by the high court or by the Tribunals in the earlier opinions,&#8221; the Bench mandated.<\/p><h3>Burden of Proof in Citizenship Claims<\/h3><p>In previous rulings, the Gauhati High Court had determined that the burden of proving Indian citizenship lies entirely with the individuals involved, considering that the pertinent facts are assumed to be within their exclusive knowledge. The high court maintained that this burden remains unchanged even in ex parte proceedings.<\/p><p>This ruling by the Supreme Court marks a crucial step in upholding the procedural safeguards in citizenship-related cases, ensuring that justice is served under the rule of law, without compromising the rights of individuals involved.<\/p><\/div><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.desinews.co.uk\/index.php\/2026\/07\/11\/hello-world\/\">Hello world!<\/a><div class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-full-content\"><!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing!<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/div><\/li>\n<\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-17","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.desinews.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/17","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.desinews.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.desinews.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.desinews.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.desinews.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.desinews.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/17\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18,"href":"https:\/\/www.desinews.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/17\/revisions\/18"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.desinews.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}