The Supreme Court has stayed key portions of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, finding them "prima facie arbitrary." Specifically, the court stayed Section 3C, which allowed a Waqf to lose its character if a government official raised a doubt about its ownership. The court emphasized the principle of separation of powers, stating that determining property title belongs to the judiciary, not the executive. However, it refused to freeze the entire law, upholding the requirement for mandatory registration of Waqfs and the inclusion of non-Muslim members in Waqf Boards, while limiting their numbers to ensure community representation.
The Supreme Court stayed Section 3C of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, which allowed unilateral alteration of property status by government officials.
The court ruled that determining property title is a judicial function, and executive interference breaches the separation of powers.
The requirement for mandatory registration of Waqfs was upheld, noting that unregistered Waqfs cannot claim legal protection.
Exam Points
Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025.
Section 3C of the Act (stayed by SC).
Central Waqf Council: Maximum 4 non-Muslims out of 22 members.
The Supreme Court clarified that Aadhaar is part of the "right-to-vote statute" and can be used by voters for identity verification. This came during a plea challenging the use of Aadhaar for special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar. The court noted that Section 23(4) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, permits Election Commission officials to use Aadhaar to authenticate entries. While the petitioner argued Aadhaar is not proof of citizenship or residence, the court maintained its validity as a document for voter verification alongside other prescribed documents.
Aadhaar is recognized as a valid document for voter verification under the Representation of the People Act.
Section 23(4) of the RP Act, 1950, allows EC officials to use Aadhaar for authenticating electoral roll entries.
The court rejected the argument that Aadhaar is inferior to other identity documents for electoral purposes.
Exam Points
Section 23(4) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
Aadhaar is the '12th document' listed for voter verification.
Case involves special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin launched the 'Anbu Karangal' (Compassionate Hands) programme to support the education of orphaned children or those who have lost one parent. Part of the broader 'Thayumanavar' poverty alleviation initiative, the scheme provides a monthly aid of ₹2,000 to eligible children until they complete their schooling or reach the age of 18. In its first phase, 6,082 children will benefit. The initiative aims to uplift the most marginalized sections of society and ensure that financial constraints do not hinder the education of vulnerable children.
The 'Anbu Karangal' scheme provides ₹2,000 monthly assistance for the education of orphaned or single-parent children.
The scheme is a component of the 'Thayumanavar' programme, which focuses on supporting those living in extreme poverty.
Financial aid continues until the child completes schooling or turns 18 years old.
India's General Financial Rules (GFR) and the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal, while designed for transparency, often hinder R&D due to rigid procurement processes. Recent reforms in June 2025 aim to address this by allowing institutions to bypass GeM for specialized equipment and raising direct purchase limits. The article suggests further reforms, such as outcome-weighted tenders, 'sandbox' exemptions for premier institutes like TIFR or IITs, and AI-augmented sourcing. Emulating international models like the US SBIR or South Korea's 'pre-commercial procurement' could transform procurement from a cost-control mechanism into a catalyst for innovation.
Rigid procurement rules often prioritize cost-efficiency over the specific needs of high-tech research and development.
Recent reforms allow institutions to bypass GeM for specialized equipment and increase direct purchase limits from ₹1 lakh to ₹2 lakh.
The article advocates for 'mission-oriented procurement' where the state deliberately shapes technological markets.
Exam Points
General Financial Rules (GFR).
Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal.
Direct purchase limit increase: ₹1 lakh to ₹2 lakh.
To become a $30 trillion economy by 2047, India must address the low Female Labour Force Participation Rate (FLFPR), which stands at 41.7%, with only 18% in formal employment. The article highlights the Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) Index launched by Uttar Pradesh as a model for district-level tracking of gender parity across five pillars: education, health, livelihood, safety, and infrastructure. Effective gender budgeting requires moving beyond simple allocations to applying a gender lens to every rupee spent. Universal, gender-disaggregated data is essential for creating visible, measurable, and actionable policies across all levels of governance.
Inclusive growth is impossible if half the population remains invisible in the data driving policy and investment.
The WEE Index in Uttar Pradesh tracks women's participation across five key economic levers at the district level.
Gender budgeting should not be confined to specific welfare schemes but applied across all departments like energy and infrastructure.
Exam Points
India's target: $30 trillion economy by 2047.
Female Labour Force Participation Rate (FLFPR): 41.7%.
Women's Economic Empowerment (WEE) Index (Uttar Pradesh).
In the landmark Sukdeb Saha vs The State of Andhra Pradesh case, the Supreme Court ruled that the right to mental health is an integral part of the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution. The case arose from the suicide of a NEET candidate, highlighting the epidemic of student suicides in India. The court issued the 'Saha Guidelines,' requiring educational institutions to proactively develop support systems. This judgment shifts the perspective from viewing suicides as individual failures to recognizing them as outcomes of systemic neglect and 'structural violence,' mandating state responsibility for psychological well-being.
The SC elevated mental health from a statutory right under the Mental Health Healthcare Act 2017 to a fundamental right under Article 21.
The 'Saha Guidelines' mandate schools and colleges to establish mental health support systems and district-level monitoring committees.
The ruling introduces the concept of 'structural violence' to describe how institutional neglect contributes to student suicides.
Exam Points
Sukdeb Saha vs The State of Andhra Pradesh case.
Article 21 of the Indian Constitution (Right to Life).
India has bagged an exploration contract from the International Seabed Authority (ISA) to search for polymetallic sulphur nodules in the Carlsberg Ridge of the northwest Indian Ocean. This is the first such global licence granted for this specific region. These nodules are rich in critical minerals like manganese, cobalt, nickel, and copper, essential for green energy technologies. While India has secured rights for the Carlsberg Ridge, its application for the Afanasy-Nikitin Sea (ANS) mount is pending due to overlapping claims by Sri Lanka regarding continental shelf boundaries under UNCLOS.
The ISA granted India rights to explore polymetallic sulphur nodules in the 3,00,000-sq.km Carlsberg Ridge area.
Polymetallic nodules contain valuable metals including copper, nickel, cobalt, and manganese.
India's claim to the Afanasy-Nikitin Sea (ANS) is complicated by Sri Lanka's claim to an extended continental shelf.
Exam Points
International Seabed Authority (ISA) - based in Jamaica.
Carlsberg Ridge (Northwest Indian Ocean).
United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS).
In the case of Kiran vs Rajkumar Jivaraj Jain, the Supreme Court quashed a Bombay High Court order that had granted anticipatory bail to an accused in a caste-based crime. The Bench reaffirmed that Section 18 of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, creates a specific bar against anticipatory bail for such offences. The court cautioned against conducting 'mini-trials' at the bail stage and emphasized that the bar is constitutionally valid to protect vulnerable communities from intimidation and ensure effective prosecution.
Section 18 of the SC/ST Act explicitly prohibits the grant of anticipatory bail for offences under the Act.
The SC ruled that courts must only examine if a 'prima facie' case exists based on the FIR, without deep evidentiary analysis at the bail stage.
The judgment highlights that electoral retaliation against SC/ST voters is a serious offence that undermines social justice.
Exam Points
Section 18 of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
Kiran vs Rajkumar Jivaraj Jain (2024).
Section 438 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) / BNSS.
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