The Supreme Court ruled that a person professing a religion other than Hinduism, Buddhism, or Sikhism cannot be considered a Scheduled Caste (SC) member. Conversion to any other religion results in immediate and complete loss of SC status, regardless of birth. The court invoked Clause 3 of the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950, which mandates this religious restriction. The ruling came in an appeal filed by Chinthada Anand, a Hindu-Madiga (SC) convert to Christianity, whose criminal proceedings under the SC/ST Act were quashed. The court clarified that "profess" implies public declaration and practice of a religion, not just personal belief, and outlined conditions for re-conversion.
The Supreme Court ruled that SC status is limited to individuals professing Hinduism, Buddhism, or Sikhism.
Conversion to any other religion leads to an immediate and complete loss of Scheduled Caste status, irrespective of birth.
The judgment invoked Clause 3 of the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950, which explicitly states this religious restriction.
Exam Points
The ruling is based on Clause 3 of the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950.
Sikh religion was added to Clause 3 in 1956, and Buddhism in 1990.
The case involved an appeal by Chinthada Anand, a Hindu-Madiga (SC) convert to Christianity.
The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2025 by Transparency International shows a global decline in perceived integrity, with the average score dropping to 42 out of 100. India ranks 91st out of 182 countries with a score of 39, showing stagnation over the past decade despite economic growth. Corruption incurs significant economic costs, estimated at 0.5% to 1.5% of India's GDP annually, diverting resources from crucial sectors. India's complex compliance architecture, with numerous imprisonment provisions in business regulations, also contributes to rent-seeking. While challenges exist, positive trends like digital public infrastructure, e-procurement, and GST network have reduced leakages and increased formalization, demonstrating that technology can reduce discretion.
The Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 indicates a global decline in perceived integrity, with India stagnating at a score of 39 and rank 91.
Corruption imposes significant economic costs, estimated to be between 0.5% and 1.5% of India's GDP annually, hindering development.
India's complex regulatory framework, including numerous imprisonment provisions in business regulations, creates opportunities for rent-seeking.
Exam Points
India's CPI 2025 score is 39, ranking 91st out of 182 countries.
The global average CPI score has dropped to 42 out of 100.
Corruption costs are estimated at 0.5% to 1.5% of India's GDP annually.
India's Companies Act, 2013, mandated profit-sharing for social good, but environmental needs remain neglected in CSR funding. Recent Supreme Court observations, invoking Article 51A(g), have reframed environmental spending as a constitutional mandate, linking the right to conduct business with the responsibility to restore the planet. An analysis shows a lopsided spending pattern, with education (38%), healthcare (22%), and rural development (10%) receiving the most funds, while environment averages only 7-9%. Corporations often prefer "quick wins" like awareness drives over long-term land-based restoration projects due to their complexity and lack of expert skills. A strategic shift towards an 'ecosystem recovery' strategy, with alliances and long-term financing mechanisms like restoration trusts, is needed for real ecological impact.
The Supreme Court has mandated environmental spending as a constitutional obligation, linking business rights to planetary restoration, invoking Article 51A(g).
CSR funding in India shows a significant imbalance, with environmental projects receiving only 7-9% of funds compared to social sectors like education and healthcare.
Companies often prioritize "quick wins" and easily reportable initiatives over complex, long-term environmental restoration projects.
Exam Points
The Companies Act, 2013, mandates Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in India.
The Supreme Court invoked Article 51A(g) for environmental spending.
Environmental CSR funding averages 7-9%, compared to education (38%) and healthcare (22%).
A prolonged regional war in West Asia, escalating from U.S. and Israel's attacks on Iran, would severely constrain the U.S. due to expended munitions and strained supply chains. The U.S. has already used a significant share of its previous procurements, with some expenditures in six days exceeding FY26 orders. Replenishing these stockpiles would cost billions. Furthermore, the U.S.'s ability to afford the war depends on mineral supply chains, as critical minerals like tungsten, gallium, germanium, and antimony, crucial for military applications, are under constrained supply, with China holding significant leverage. This highlights a strategic vulnerability for the U.S. in sustaining a long-term conflict.
A prolonged conflict in West Asia would significantly strain U.S. military stockpiles and supply chains.
The U.S. has expended a substantial portion of its munitions, with some six-day usages surpassing future procurement orders.
Replenishing these expended weapons would incur costs in billions of dollars for the U.S.
Exam Points
The article refers to a hypothetical conflict escalating from February 28.
The U.S. expended 158 THAAD interceptors in less than a week, almost 25% of its procurements till FY24.
Replenishing THAAD interceptors would cost around $2 billion.
The Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, ruled that systemic bias and long-held presumptions against women officers in the armed forces created an uneven playing field, hindering their chances for permanent commission (PC). The court upheld the right of women officers to equal opportunity, treatment, and dignity, granting them permanent commission and pensionary benefits. It found that Annual Confidential Reports (ACRs) of Short Service Commission Women Officers (SSCWOs) were graded casually, leading to lower scores compared to male counterparts who were eligible for PC. The court rejected the argument of vacancy caps, stating that the inclusion of SSCWOs for PC is a constitutional obligation, not a matter of discretion.
The Supreme Court identified systemic bias and unequal opportunity structures against women officers in the armed forces.
The court upheld the right of women officers to permanent commission and pensionary benefits, ensuring equal opportunity and dignity.
Annual Confidential Reports (ACRs) for Short Service Commission Women Officers (SSCWOs) were found to be casually graded, disadvantaging them in career progression.
Exam Points
The judgment was authored by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant.
The case involved women officers in the Army, Air Force, and Navy.
The ruling pertains to Short Service Commission Women Officers (SSCWOs) and their right to Permanent Commission (PC).
ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan stated that recent Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C61 and C62 mission setbacks should be viewed as opportunities to learn and strengthen the system, rather than failures. He acknowledged that the PSLV-C61/EOS-09 mission, launched on May 18, 2025, could not be accomplished due to an "observation in the third stage," and the PSLV-C62/EOS-N1 mission, launched in January, faced an "anomaly" at the end of the PS3 stage. Narayanan recalled ISRO's history of overcoming early setbacks, such as the first Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV) mission in the late 1970s, to achieve major milestones like its 100th launch.
ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan views recent PSLV mission setbacks as learning opportunities to strengthen the system, not failures.
The PSLV-C61/EOS-09 mission encountered an "observation in the third stage" preventing its accomplishment.
The PSLV-C62/EOS-N1 mission experienced an "anomaly" at the end of the PS3 stage.
Exam Points
ISRO Chairman is V. Narayanan.
The missions mentioned are PSLV-C61/EOS-09 (launched May 18, 2025) and PSLV-C62/EOS-N1 (launched January this year).
The first Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV) mission in the late 1970s also faced setbacks.
Harish Rana, who had been in a persistent vegetative state for 13 years, passed away at AIIMS, Delhi, days after the Supreme Court allowed the withdrawal of clinically-assisted nutrition and hydration (CANH). This judgment was the first of its kind in India, permitting passive euthanasia in specific circumstances. Rana, 32, had sustained 100% quadriplegic disability after a fall in 2013. His family, who had welcomed the court's decision, stating that no parent wanted to see their son suffer, donated his corneas and heart valves after his death. The case highlights the legal and ethical complexities surrounding end-of-life care and the right to die with dignity.
Harish Rana, in a vegetative state for 13 years, passed away after the Supreme Court allowed the withdrawal of clinically-assisted nutrition and hydration (CANH).
The Supreme Court's judgment was a landmark decision, being the first of its kind in India to permit passive euthanasia in such circumstances.
Rana had suffered 100% quadriplegic disability due to a fall in 2013.
Exam Points
The Supreme Court allowed withdrawal of clinically-assisted nutrition and hydration (CANH).
Harish Rana was 32 years old and had been in a vegetative state for 13 years since 2013.
He passed away at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi.
Biologics, a growing class of complex drugs, are increasingly used for chronic diseases, but animal models often fail to reliably predict their safety and efficacy in humans. This has prompted a shift towards human-relevant non-animal methodologies (NAMs) like organoids and 3D bioprinting. The 2026 Union Budget's Biopharma SHAKTI strategy aims to boost domestic production of biologics and biosimilars. NAMs can reduce development costs and timelines, but their adoption in India is slow due to challenges in translating innovation to industry, lack of sustained funding, and regulatory hurdles like patent evergreening and slow approval processes. Aligning with industry realities and ensuring regulatory clarity is crucial for India to realize the vision of Biopharma SHAKTI.
Animal models are often unreliable in predicting the safety and efficacy of biologics in humans, necessitating a shift to non-animal methodologies (NAMs).
NAMs, such as organoids and 3D bioprinting, are derived from human cells and more accurately replicate human biology.
The Biopharma SHAKTI strategy, announced in the 2026 Union Budget, aims to boost domestic production of biologics and biosimilars.
Exam Points
The 2026 Union Budget announced the Biopharma SHAKTI strategy.
The strategy has an allocation of ₹10,000 crore over five years.
The New Drugs and Clinical Trials (Amendment) Rules 2023 promote the use of non-animal methodologies.
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant recused himself from hearing petitions challenging the Chief Election Commissioner appointment law, citing "conflict of interest." This law replaced the CJI with a Union Minister on the selection panel for CEC appointments. The recusal raises questions about judicial conflict of interest, the doctrine of necessity, and the limits of pre-emptive judicial direction. The CJI's oral direction to exclude judges in the line of succession from the replacement bench is problematic, as recusal is an individual conscience matter and cannot be mandated prospectively. India lacks a statute governing judicial recusal, a binding code of conduct, or a mechanism to review recusal decisions, highlighting an urgent need for codification.
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant recused himself from a case challenging the CEC appointment law, citing a "conflict of interest."
The new law replaces the CJI with a Union Minister on the selection panel for Chief Election Commissioner appointments.
The recusal and the CJI's subsequent direction to exclude judges in the line of succession from the replacement bench raise questions about judicial impartiality and pre-emptive judicial direction.
Exam Points
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant recused from the case challenging the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023.
The doctrine of necessity (nemo judex in causa sua) is a key legal principle discussed.
The NJAC (National Judicial Appointments Commission) precedent of 2014-2015 is referenced.
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