Executive & Judiciary
Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary—Ministries and Departments of the Government; pressure groups and formal/informal associations and their role in the Polity.
UPSC questions on Executive & Judiciary — previous year & Mains practice →
Articles for this syllabus topic(18)
AI Revolution in Indian Judiciary: How Tools Like TERES and SUVAS Are Streamlining Courts and Reducing Backlogs
The Supreme Court and several High Courts have increasingly adopted AI-powered tools to tackle persistent issues like case delays, translation barriers, and heavy workloads, with recent implementations showing significant efficiency gains. This comes amid a growing backlog of over 50 million cases across Indian courts, prompting the judiciary to leverage technology for faster justice delivery while maintaining human oversight.
Delhi HC Delves into AFT's Limits: Transwoman's Battle Against Navy Firing Sparks Debate on Tribunal's Constitutional Reach
The Delhi High Court, in a significant October 17 order, asked the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to clarify if the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) can decide the constitutional validity of laws beyond its own enabling Act, amid a transwoman's ongoing challenge to her 2017 dismissal from the Indian Navy. This development, referred to a three-judge bench, highlights tensions between military discipline, transgender rights, and judicial oversight, especially as the case could set precedents for gender transition policies in the armed forces.
Himachal Floods' Floating Logs: Nature's Uproot, Not Illegal Cut, State Assures Supreme Court
The Himachal Pradesh government filed an affidavit with the Supreme Court on October 27, 2025, clarifying that logs seen floating in viral flood videos from Ravi and Beas rivers were uprooted trees from cloudbursts and landslides, not illegal felling. This addresses the court's September suo motu notice after August floods killed 320 people, amid rising fears of deforestation in the sensitive Himalayan belt, where climate change is making such events deadlier and more frequent.
Supreme Court Flags Alarming Delays: Over 8.82 Lakh Execution Petitions Stuck, Threatening Faith in Justice Delivery
The Supreme Court has expressed strong disappointment over the slow disposal of execution petitions in lower courts, extending a six-month deadline for high courts to monitor and clear backlogs after an initial March 2024 order showed limited progress. With 8.82 lakh cases still pending—many for up to five years—the court warned that such delays turn court victories into hollow promises, eroding public trust in the judiciary, as highlighted in recent reports from The Hindu and Indian Express.
Supreme Court Mandates Nationwide Footpath Audits and Safety Rules to Address Rising Pedestrian Deaths in India
The Supreme Court of India, in a significant judgment on October 7, 2025, issued comprehensive directives to enhance pedestrian safety, including mandatory audits of footpaths in major cities and the creation of online grievance portals, in response to the sharp rise in road accident fatalities where pedestrians account for over 20 percent of deaths as per the latest Ministry of Road Transport and Highways report.
Supreme Court Emphasizes Reasonable Time for Governors' Assent to Bills, Highlights Risks in Imposing Fixed Timelines
The Supreme Court, during a hearing on a presidential reference, stressed that governors are expected to grant assent to state assembly-passed bills within a reasonable time, while cautioning against setting rigid time limits due to potential risks of excessive judicial intervention in legislative processes. This observation came amid pleas from opposition-ruled states like Kerala, Karnataka, and Punjab, highlighting delays by governors in acting on bills, prompting debates on constitutional obligations and gubernatorial discretion.