NEW DELHI: The Upper House of the Indian Legislature here today [Aug 9] approved another constitutional amendment giving the Prime Minister absolute immunity from judicial prosecution for life, it was announced. Whatever violation the Premier may commit, whether criminal or civil, she is no longer subject to prosecution by any judicial authority in India even beyond the Premier’s term of office. Before the constitutional amendment, the privilege of immunity applied only to the President and the Governors of the Indian Federal States … according to the Indian Constitution. The Lower House is to give its approval on Aug 18.

[According to another report, Indian] Information Minister V.C. Shukla said … that the Government was contemplating to restructure the entire Indian Press. The statement was seen as heralding a Government move to institutionalise the state of censorship introduced under the national emergency declared on June 26. Shukla speaking … in Calcutta, said “the Government is determined to correct the situation as quickly as possible”. He said, however, that the Government had no intention to take over the newspapers in the country. — News agencies

Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2025