New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday delivered a significant verdict on the *Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. The court refused to suspend the entire Act but imposed an *interim stay on several controversial provisions. The ruling has triggered widespread debate as the Waqf law has long been a politically and socially sensitive issue.

Which Provisions Have Been Suspended?

1. Five-Year Practicing Muslim Condition
   The Act required that a person establishing a Waqf must have been a “practicing Muslim” for at least five years. The Supreme Court stayed this provision, observing that the term lacks a clear definition and cannot be enforced without proper guidelines.
2. Collector’s Authority Over Waqf Property
   The amendment empowered District Collectors to decide whether a property qualifies as Waqf property. The court suspended this clause, stating that it could undermine citizens’ rights and interfere with judicial processes.
3. Cap on Non-Muslim Members in Waqf Boards and Council
   The Act limited the inclusion of non-Muslims to three in State Waqf Boards and four in the Central Waqf Council. The Supreme Court has stayed this restriction as well.
4. CEO Must Be from Muslim Community
   Another provision directed that, as far as possible, the CEO of a Waqf Board should belong to the Muslim community. This clause has also been put on hold.

The bench clarified that suspending the entire law would not be appropriate, but certain disputed provisions must remain on hold until the matter is fully heard. All stakeholders will be allowed to present detailed arguments in the upcoming hearings.

Opposition parties have welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision, calling it a safeguard of constitutional values, while the government has defended the amendment, saying it aimed to bring more transparency and accountability in Waqf property management.

For now, the stay is interim and will remain effective until the court delivers its final verdict. The upcoming hearings will determine whether these provisions will be struck down permanently or modified for compliance with constitutional principles.

This ruling is expected to have a major impact on Waqf property administration across India and will likely fuel further nationwide debate in the coming months.

Mumbai, Sep 15: The Indian benchmark indices opened on the flat note with a positive bias on Monday, on the back of positive domestic inflation data and growing expectations of a US Federal Reserve rate cut.

As of 9.30 am, the Sensex was up 4.5 points or 0.005 per cent at 81,909, and the Nifty was up 4.15 points or 0.017 per cent at 25,118.

The broadcap indices outperformed benchmark indices, as Nifty Midcap 100 inched up by 0.26 per cent, and the Nifty Small cap 100 moved up 0.53 per cent.

Bajaj Finance, Tata Motors, Hero Motocorp and Bajaj Finserv were the top gainers on NSE Nifty 50 index. Infosys Ltd., Tata Consultancy Services, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd., and Shriram Finance Ltd. weighed on the Nifty 50 index.

Among sectoral indices, Nifty Realty, the top gainer, jumped 1.19 per cent. Nifty PSU bank (up 0.39 per cent) and Nifty Auto (up 0.38 per cent) were the other major gainers. Nifty Pharma was the top loser down 0.78 per cent.

Inflation had cooled to 2.07 per cent well below the RBI’s projection of 3.1 per cent in August, latest government data said.

Analysts said that Indian equities, which have recently underperformed compared to global peers, now appear attractively valued. Positive factors such as ongoing GST reforms, anticipation of a Fed rate cut, and improving US–India trade ties are expected to further support the market.

Last week, Nifty 50 notched its eighth consecutive advance, closing above the symbolic 25,100 mark for the first time since July—its longest winning streak in a year and the biggest weekly gain in nearly three months.

“Nifty has been gradually taking out the crucial resistances and on the weekly chart, the Nifty has confirmed a pattern of higher tops and higher bottoms, which is an encouraging sign for a sustained positional bullish trend,” said Devarsh Vakil, Head of Prime Research at HDFC Securities.

Nifty seems to be heading towards the next resistance of 25,250, while the 24,900 level could offer support, he added.

Major US indices posted strong weekly gains and closed near all time highs. The Nasdaq rose 2.0 per cent, the S&P 500 gained 1.6 per cent, and the Dow advanced 1.0 per cent, marking the best week since early August.

Most of the Asian markets made strong gains during the morning session. While China’s Shanghai index advanced 0.22 per cent, and Shenzhen added 1.07 per cent, Japan’s Nikkei rose 0.89 per cent, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index jumped 0.32 per cent. South Korea’s Kospi inched up 0.52 per cent.

The US markets are pricing in a 96.4 per cent probability of a 25-basis-point rate cut on September 17, with additional cuts expected through year-end. Softer labour data and persistent inflation support the dovish shift, boosting demand for equities and cryptocurrencies, said analysts.

Mumbai: In a shocking accident early Saturday morning, a speeding car lost control on LBS Road in Ghatkopar, crashing into a divider before ramming into roadside shops and leaving three pavement dwellers critically injured. The incident reportedly occurred around 7 am near the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) Water Supply Department office, a usually busy stretch that was relatively quiet at the time.

CCTV footage of the accident has surfaced on the internet showing exact moments of the crash when the speeding car crashed into the divider and then rammed into the shops injuring pavement dwellers. Other visuals showed the aftermath of the crash showing the crashed vehicle surrounded by locals.

According to reports quoting eyewitnesses, the car was being driven at high speed when it suddenly swerved across the road and slammed into the steps of a shop. Unfortunately, three people who had been sleeping on the footpath at that very spot bore the full impact of the collision.

All three sustained grievous injuries and were immediately rushed to Rajawadi Hospital by locals and police personnel. Doctors have confirmed that the victims are undergoing treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and remain in a critical condition.

Several onlookers reported that the vehicle was occupied by two young women and one young man, all of whom appeared to be under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash. Their reckless driving, locals alleged, was the direct cause of the accident.

Police officials from Ghatkopar station reached the spot shortly after receiving calls from locals. The occupants of the car were taken into custody, and the vehicle was seized for inspection. A case has been registered, and further investigations are underway to determine whether the driver was indeed intoxicated.