Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to withdraw a Union Ministry memorandum that exempts atomic mineral mining from public consultation. Stalin argues that coastal regions, rich in rare earth elements, are ecologically fragile and home to endangered species and natural barriers like mangroves. He emphasizes that such projects demand rigorous scrutiny and community involvement. The CM cited a 2020 Supreme Court verdict (Alembic Pharmaceuticals Ltd. v. Rohit Prajapati) stating that substantive changes to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) framework cannot be made through executive instructions like office memoranda, which cannot override statutory notifications.
- The Union Ministry issued a memorandum exempting atomic and strategic mineral mining from public hearings.
- CM Stalin argues this weakens participatory democracy and threatens ecologically sensitive coastal ecosystems like the Gulf of Mannar.
- The EIA Notification of 1994 originally made public hearings mandatory for such projects.
The Supreme Court Collegium, led by the Chief Justice of India, has recommended the appointment of regular Chief Justices for three High Courts. Justice Soumen Sen of the Calcutta High Court has been recommended as the Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court. Justice P.B. Bajanthri, currently the Acting Chief Justice of the Patna High Court, is recommended for the permanent position. Additionally, Justice M. Sundar of the Madras High Court has been recommended to lead the Manipur High Court. These recommendations are part of the ongoing process to fill judicial vacancies and ensure efficient functioning of state-level judiciary.
- The SC Collegium is the body responsible for the appointment and transfer of judges in the higher judiciary.
- Recommendations were made for the High Courts of Meghalaya, Patna, and Manipur.
- The process involves the senior-most judges of the Supreme Court making selections based on seniority and merit.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is contemplating the creation of Border Wing Home Guards (BWHG) along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China. Similar to the force patrolling the India-Pakistan border, BWHGs are drawn from local civilian populations in border areas. They serve as an ancillary to the Indian Army and ITBP during emergencies and help in intelligence collection. Currently, BWHGs are operational only in Rajasthan. The move aims to enhance the presence and surveillance capabilities along the 3,488-km border with China following the 2020 Galwan clashes and ongoing border tensions.
- BWHGs are a voluntary force drawn from local populations to assist regular border guarding forces.
- They are currently authorized in seven states, including Punjab, Gujarat, and North Eastern states.
- The force provides 'ancillary support' and is crucial for gathering local intelligence.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has notified the Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) Order, 2025, providing clarity on India's immigration framework. A significant aspect is the protection of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in Tamil Nadu from forcible repatriation, provided they entered before January 9, 2015. While the order offers relief from deportation, it does not automatically grant citizenship. Many refugees remain classified as 'illegal migrants' under the Citizenship Act, 1955, which remains a legal hurdle for naturalization. The order follows their exclusion from the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019 and aims for a more humane approach.
- The 2025 Order exempts specific groups from passport and visa requirements for staying in India.
- It protects Sri Lankan Tamil refugees who arrived before January 2015 from being forcibly sent back.
- The 'illegal migrant' tag remains a legal hurdle for these refugees seeking Indian citizenship.
The President has given assent to a new law in Manipur designed to regulate the issuance of Scheduled Caste (SC) and Other Backward Class (OBC) certificates. Introduced to prevent fraudulent claims and ensure uniformity, the law establishes Scrutiny Committees to verify suspicious certificates. Manipur currently recognizes seven SC communities and four OBC communities, with reservation quotas set at 2% and 17% respectively. While states like Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh already have similar legislation, this move aims to bring transparency to Manipur's administrative processes and ensure that benefits reach the genuine intended recipients amid ongoing ethnic sensitivities.
- The law establishes Scrutiny Committees with the power to verify caste certificates suo motu to prevent fraud.
- Manipur's reservation policy provides 2% for SCs, 17% for OBCs, and 31% for Scheduled Tribes (STs).
- Decisions by the Scrutiny Committee are final and can only be challenged in the High Court.
The Supreme Court of India has ordered the Election Commission of India (ECI) to include Aadhaar as one of the 12 valid documents for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar’s electoral rolls. This intervention follows the exclusion of over 65 lakh electors from the draft rolls. The ECI had previously argued that Aadhaar was proof of residency rather than citizenship, but the Court dismissed this, noting that other accepted documents also do not conclusively prove citizenship. The ruling emphasizes that procedural rigidity must not disenfranchise eligible citizens, particularly marginalized groups, women, and migrant workers who rely heavily on Aadhaar for identification.
- The Supreme Court ruled that Aadhaar must be accepted as a valid document for voter verification to ensure inclusivity.
- The ECI's previous exclusion of Aadhaar led to the removal of 65 lakh potential voters from Bihar's draft rolls.
- Statistical analysis revealed disproportionate removal of women and migrant workers during the revision process.
Maharashtra Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate, has been elected as the 17th Vice-President of India. He secured a decisive victory with 452 first preferential votes, defeating the Opposition's joint candidate, Justice B. Sudershan Reddy, who received 300 votes. The election saw a high turnout, with 98.2% of the total electorate casting their ballots. While the Opposition claimed a "moral victory" due to an improved vote share compared to 2022, reports of cross-voting from Opposition ranks bolstered the NDA's tally. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the VP-elect, expressing confidence in his ability to strengthen constitutional values.
- C.P. Radhakrishnan won the election by a margin of 152 votes against Justice B. Sudershan Reddy.
- The Vice-President is elected by an electoral college consisting of members from both Houses of Parliament.
- The election was conducted via the system of proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote.
The Supreme Court of India has directed the Election Commission (EC) to include Aadhaar as the 12th 'indicative' document for identity proof during the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar. A Bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi clarified that while Aadhaar can be used to verify identity or residence, it cannot be treated as evidence of Indian citizenship. The court noted that despite previous directives, booth-level officers were refusing to accept Aadhaar. The EC is now tasked with publicizing this order to ensure voters can use Aadhaar for filing claims or objections during the revision process.
- Aadhaar is now officially recognized as the 12th indicative document for identity proof in Bihar's electoral roll revision.
- The Supreme Court emphasized that Aadhaar serves as proof of identity or residence but is not proof of Indian citizenship.
- The Election Commission retains the authority to verify the authenticity and genuineness of any Aadhaar document submitted.
The Union Home Ministry recently exempted undocumented Sri Lankan Tamil refugees who entered India before January 9, 2015, from penal provisions under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025. However, a senior official clarified that these refugees remain ineligible for Long-Term Visas (LTVs). While the order removes the 'illegal migrant' tag, it does not grant immediate citizenship. In contrast, members of six minority communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan are eligible for LTVs and subsequent citizenship after 11 years of stay. This distinction highlights the specific legal framework governing different refugee groups in India.
- The MHA notified the Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) Order under the new 2025 Act to protect refugees from deportation.
- Registered Sri Lankan Tamil nationals entering before January 9, 2015, are exempt from passport and visa requirements.
- Unlike the six minority communities covered under the CAA framework, Sri Lankan Tamils currently cannot apply for LTVs.
The GST Council is considering a new paradigm of indirect tax regimes involving fewer rates and rationalized structures. A Group of Ministers (GoM) was constituted to look into these changes, aiming to simplify the existing multiple-rate structure (0%, 5%, 12%, 18%, 28%). Key proposals include reducing GST on health and life insurance, cancer drugs, and certain consumer goods to boost demand. While some sectors like healthcare and renewable energy welcome these moves, others like the textile and insurance industries have expressed concerns regarding input tax credits and increased costs. The removal of the compensation cess is also a major point of discussion.
- The rationalization process aims to reduce the complexity of the current GST structure and nudge economic growth.
- Proposed cuts include reducing GST on cancer drugs and potentially exempting certain insurance premiums.
- The compensation cess, currently levied on luxury and 'sin' goods, is slated to expire or be restructured.
Activists have raised concerns over the declining Central budget allocation for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). They argue that reduced funding is leading to a shortage of available work, effectively pushing the scheme back to its pre-2006 status. This trend particularly affects rural women, who constitute over 50% of the MGNREGS workforce. In the current financial year, women completed 56% of the total person-days. The scheme has historically been a tool for gender pay parity in rural areas, where women previously earned significantly less than men for similar work, making its funding crucial for social equity.
- Women represent more than 50% of the workforce in MGNREGS projects across India.
- Reduced budget allocations are causing a 'starving' of the welfare program, leading to work unavailability.
- MGNREGS provided rural women with equal pay for the first time, bridging the gap in agricultural wages.
The CoWIN portal, India's digital platform for COVID-19 vaccination management, has been facing a significant outage since early August. This has prevented citizens from accessing and downloading their vaccination certificates, which are still required for international travel visas and certain job applications. Owned and operated by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, CoWIN serves functions including registration, appointment scheduling, identity verification, and certification. Despite official assurances that the issue would be resolved, the outage has persisted for weeks, highlighting dependencies on digital public goods for essential documentation and the need for robust maintenance of such infrastructure.
- CoWIN was developed as a digital public good to manage over two billion vaccination doses in India.
- The platform consists of five modules: orchestration, vaccination cold chain, citizen registration, vaccinator, and certificate/feedback.
- Vaccination certificates remain essential for international travel and visa processing for many countries.
The article discusses the ongoing conflict between State Governors and elected governments regarding the appointment of Vice-Chancellors (V-Cs). Using Kerala as a case study, it highlights the Governor's claim that the Chief Minister has no role in V-C appointments based on 2018 UGC rules. The draft 2025 UGC Regulations further aim to divest State governments of this role. Historically, Governors were colonial instruments retained post-independence to ensure academic independence. However, recent trends show legislative moves in states like Punjab and West Bengal to replace Governors with Chief Ministers as Chancellors to ensure hands-on academic leadership.
- Governors often act as political agents of the Centre, leading to friction with State governments over university administration.
- The 2018 UGC rules mandate that search-cum-selection committees for V-Cs consist of persons of eminence not connected to the university.
- State legislatures in Punjab and West Bengal have passed laws to make the Chief Minister the Chancellor instead of the Governor.
The ongoing legal battle regarding bail for activists under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) highlights concerns over extended pre-trial detention. Section 43D(5) of the UAPA makes bail nearly impossible if the court finds the accusations 'prima facie true,' a standard hardened by the Supreme Court’s Watali (2019) judgment. Critics argue that this framework allows the legal process itself to become a form of punishment, especially when trials are delayed for years. The article emphasizes that constitutional guarantees of liberty under Articles 19 and 21 must be protected against state overreach and vague definitions of terrorist acts.
- Section 43D(5) of the UAPA prohibits bail if there are reasonable grounds to believe the accusations are prima facie true.
- The Supreme Court's Watali judgment (2019) restricts detailed examination of evidence at the bail stage, favoring the prosecution's narrative.
- Long incarceration without trial is increasingly viewed as a violation of fundamental rights under the Indian Constitution.
The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) announced its latest rankings, with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras, securing the top overall position for the seventh straight year. It also remained the country's best engineering college for the tenth consecutive year. IISc Bengaluru topped the universities and research categories. However, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan criticized the 'peer perception' parameter, which accounts for 10% of the marks, suggesting it might favor metropolitan institutions over state-run or rural ones. The rankings consider parameters like teaching, learning, resources, and graduation outcomes to evaluate higher education quality.
- NIRF provides a standardized framework to rank higher education institutions across India based on specific metrics.
- IIT Madras has maintained its dominance in both the overall and engineering categories for several years.
- The 'peer perception' parameter is under scrutiny for potential regional bias against non-metropolitan institutions.
The 56th GST Council meeting introduced significant rate rationalizations to boost consumption and simplify the tax structure. Key changes include reducing GST on entry-level cars, medical products, and insurance premiums. The Council moved towards a 'GST 2.0' framework, aiming for a simpler two-rate structure (12% and 18%) while addressing inverted duty structures in sectors like textiles and fertilizers. While sectors like auto and pharma welcomed the moves, airlines and high-end apparel makers expressed concerns over higher slabs. The removal of the compensation cess marks a shift in the federal fiscal landscape, requiring states to seek alternative revenue sources.
- The GST Council is a federal body where states and the center collaborate on tax rates and policy reforms.
- Rate cuts on insurance premiums aim to increase social security and insurance penetration among senior citizens and low-income families.
- The move towards a two-rate structure (12% and 18%) is intended to reduce compliance burdens and tax complexity.
This explainer examines the ongoing debate regarding the 50% ceiling on reservations in India. While the Indra Sawhney case (1992) established this limit to balance equality of opportunity with affirmative action, several states are pushing for higher quotas based on population data. The article explores Articles 15 and 16, which guarantee equality and allow for special provisions for backward classes. It also discusses the EWS reservation, which was upheld by the Supreme Court despite exceeding the 50% limit, and the recent debate over sub-categorization within SC/ST groups to ensure benefits reach the most marginalized.
- Articles 15 and 16 provide the constitutional basis for reservations in education and public employment.
- The 50% cap was established in the Indra Sawhney (Mandal) case but is not an absolute constitutional limit.
- The 103rd Constitutional Amendment introduced 10% EWS reservation, pushing the total beyond 50% in many states.
The Union Home Ministry has issued an order exempting Sri Lankan Tamil refugees who entered India before January 9, 2015, from penal provisions under the Passport and Foreigners Acts. This means those without valid documents will not be treated as illegal migrants or face fines and imprisonment. The government clarified that this exemption is distinct from the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and does not automatically extend the CAA cut-off date. The move is seen as a step toward providing relief to long-term refugees while maintaining the standard naturalization process for citizenship, which requires 11 years of residency.
- Refugees entering before Jan 9, 2015, are exempt from prosecution for lack of valid travel documents or visas.
- The exemption applies to those who opt to stay in India or voluntarily return to Sri Lanka.
- This order is separate from the CAA 2019, which has a different cut-off date and target group.
Data reveals that less than 40% of India's projected population of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) have been issued a Unique Disability ID (UDID) Card. This card is essential for accessing government benefits, including the ADIP scheme for assistive devices and reservations in jobs and education. Delays in processing applications (over 60% pending for more than six months) and digital literacy barriers are primary reasons for low coverage. States like West Bengal show extremely low coverage (6%), while Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra perform better. The lack of updated census data further complicates accurate targeting and resource allocation.
- The UDID card is a national database for PwDs implemented by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.
- It enables access to schemes like ADIP (Assistance to Persons with Disabilities) for wheelchairs, hearing aids, and prostheses.
- Digital literacy and the shift to online applications have excluded many PwDs who cannot navigate digital interfaces.
Following a Calcutta High Court order, the Centre is set to resume MGNREGA in West Bengal after a three-year hiatus due to alleged irregularities. However, the revival faces significant hurdles, including the mandatory Aadhaar-Based Payment System (ABPS) and the National Mobile Monitoring System (NMMS). Millions of workers, particularly women and marginalized groups, remain non-compliant with ABPS. The article emphasizes that restarting the scheme requires more than just a 'green signal'; it needs trust-building, logistical preparation, and administrative muscle to ensure that no worker is left behind due to technological bottlenecks.
- MGNREGA provides a vital safety net of 100 days of guaranteed work for rural households.
- The scheme was halted in West Bengal in March 2022 over 'widespread irregularities' involving over ₹10,000 crore.
- Technological requirements like ABPS and NMMS (geo-tagged photos) are major barriers for rural workers with limited digital access.
The passage of the Indian Ports Bill 2025 and the Merchant Shipping Act 2025 marks a significant shift in India's maritime governance. While intended to modernize outdated laws from 1908 and 1958, critics argue these reforms centralize power at the expense of states. The new Ports Act allows the Centre to direct State maritime boards, potentially undermining cooperative federalism. The Merchant Shipping Act introduces 'partial' Indian ownership, including OCI and foreign entities, which raises security concerns. The article calls for a course correction to balance ease of doing business with federal balance and maritime security.
- The Indian Ports Bill 2025 replaces the 1908 Act to streamline maritime governance and align with global practices.
- Critics highlight the centralization of power in the Maritime State Development Council, chaired by the Union Minister.
- The Merchant Shipping Act 2025 allows for partial foreign ownership of Indian-flagged vessels.
This opinion piece discusses the lack of transparency in the Supreme Court Collegium, highlighted by Justice B.V. Nagarathna's recent dissent regarding a judicial appointment. It argues that the 'culture of justification' is missing in the judiciary's own administrative decisions. While the Collegium system vests power in senior judges, the lack of public reasoning for appointments or rejections erodes institutional legitimacy. The author suggests that the judiciary must subject itself to the same standards of openness it demands from other branches of government to maintain public trust and democratic accountability.
- The Collegium system is a product of judge-made law from the Second (1993) and Third (1998) Judges Cases.
- Dissent within the Collegium is rarely made public, leading to a perception of total opacity in judicial appointments.
- Comparisons are drawn with the UK and South Africa, where judicial selection processes involve more public scrutiny.
The Supreme Court is hearing arguments from states like West Bengal and Karnataka regarding delays by Governors in assenting to bills. Senior advocates argue that under Article 200, Governors must return bills 'as soon as possible,' which should be interpreted as 'forthwith' or 'immediately.' They contend that Governors, as titular heads, cannot sit on bills indefinitely or question their constitutionality, as that role belongs to the judiciary. The states argue that such delays obstruct the will of the people and violate the federal structure, emphasizing that Governors must act on the 'aid and advice' of the State Cabinet.
- Article 200 requires Governors to either assent, withhold assent, or reserve bills for the President 'as soon as possible.'
- States argue that Governors are bound to grant assent if the legislature re-passes a bill after it was returned.
- The 'forthwith' interpretation aims to prevent Governors from creating a constant state of conflict with elected governments.
The 56th GST Council meeting, chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, decided to simplify the tax structure into primarily two slabs: 5% and 18%. A significant move includes removing the 18% GST on life and health insurance policies to make them more affordable. A 'special rate' of 40% will be introduced for 'sin goods' and luxury items like tobacco, large cars, and yachts. The changes, effective from September 22, aim to reduce prices for daily-use items, food, and life-saving medicines while addressing the long-pending inverted duty structure in sectors like textiles and fertilizers.
- The GST structure is being streamlined to 5% and 18% slabs for most goods and services.
- Health and life insurance premiums are now exempt from GST, moving from 18% to 0%.
- A 40% special rate applies to sin goods like tobacco and super-luxury items like yachts and large cars.