Goonj – India Law Blog & Insights on Society and Spirituality

👁️‍🗨️ Can Visually Impaired People Watch Movies in Theaters & OTT Platforms? 🎬 👓 Understanding Visual Impairment Contrary to myths, visually impaired individuals are not completely unable to experience the world. Most blind people have some level of vision, varying from light perception to blurry shapes, figures, or colors. People with total blindness cannot see anything, but alternative ways allow them to interact and perceive their surroundings: ✋ Touch 🔊 Sound 🎧 Audio Description (AD) 📖 Braille 🌟 Alternative Ways to Experience Films Visually impaired people use various methods to enjoy cinema and visual media: Touch: Feeling props, tactile models, or Braille scripts. Sound: Enhanced listening for audio cues, dialogues, and music. Audio Description (AD): A separate narration describing visual elements. Braille: Accessible scripts or subtitles in Braille for comprehension. Alt text for image: Infographic of alternative ways for visually...

👶 Surrogacy and the Rights of a Single, Unmarried Woman in India Exploring the legal challenges, social norms, and reproductive rights under the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act 2021 🌐 Introduction Surrogacy has long provided a pathway for women who cannot conceive naturally to become parents. Historically, even Babylonian law permitted surrogacy to prevent divorce. Today, advances in medical science, evolving social norms, and legal reforms have shaped modern surrogacy. However, this progress has raised ethical, social, and legal questions regarding women’s rights, child welfare, and social justice. Critics argue that surrogacy can exploit women in developing countries, while supporters see it as a necessary resource for women facing infertility or social barriers. 👶 What Is Surrogacy? Surrogacy is a process where a woman (the surrogate) carries and delivers a child for another individual or couple (the intended parents). IVF (In-Vitro Fertilization) is typically used, and a legal c...

🏛️ Consumer Protection Act vs Lawyers: Can Advocates Be Sued for Deficiency in Service? Introduction The Consumer Protection Act was enacted to safeguard consumers from unfair trade practices, fraud, poor quality, and non-delivery of promised services. Originally designed to cover sectors like healthcare, retail, and finance, a question soon arose — should lawyers also fall within its ambit? If a lawyer accepts fees but fails to perform due diligence or act responsibly, can the client drag them before a consumer court for deficiency in service ? This question continues to generate intense debate within India’s legal system. ⚖️ Legal Background: The 1986 Act and “Service” Definition The Consumer Protection Act, 1986 , defines “service” under Section 2(1)(o) as any service made available to potential users in exchange for consideration. In 2007, the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC ) held that legal services provided by advocates would fall under this defini...

🪷 Sari, (All) Saree, Sorry… When “smart casuals” clash with cultural identity — a reflection on modern discrimination wrapped in colonial hangover.   “We only allow smart casuals, and saree does not come under smart casuals.” A brown girl in a posh restaurant in New Delhi prohibits the entrance of a brown lady. Yes — not a scene from the British Raj, but from our very own state capital , in free India , that attained independence at midnight on 15th August 1947 . Unknowingly, my mind wandered and started flipping the pages of India’s Struggle for Independence by Bipin Chandra . I recalled the Swadeshi and Non-Cooperation Movements — potent tools to drive away the colonial yoke. But now, it seems, that phrase has turned into a twisted modern version: “Non-Swadeshi (attire), Non-Entrance.” 🕰️ History Continues — It Doesn’t Repeat Ah, how easily we forget. “Time is the best healer,” they say. How long can we remember those “crazy guys” who sacrificed their lives for this c...