Goa, Aug. 7 -- In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court on Monday upheld the legality of naming government welfare schemes after political leaders, setting aside a Madras High Court order that barred the Tamil Nadu government from launching a scheme bearing Chief Minister MK Stalin's name.

The apex court also imposed a fine of Rs.10 lakh on AIADMK Member of Parliament C Ve Shanmugam, the petitioner in the case, for selectively challenging only the DMK-led state government's scheme while ignoring similar initiatives at both the state and national levels. The amount is to be deposited with the state government and utilised for schemes benefiting the underprivileged.

A bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan R Gavai, along with...