Indian Polity & Governance

The Armed Forces are reportedly seeking a higher retention percentage for Agniveers after completion of their four-year tenure, with the Navy likely to seek around 75% retention and the Army and Air Force around 50%, against the current approved ceiling of 25%. The issue is important for UPSC because it connects military manpower planning, national security, defence reforms, youth employment, training costs, operational readiness and post-service rehabilitation.

The Delhi High Court has held that private media organisations may be amenable to writ jurisdiction under Article 226 when they perform a public function and violate a person’s right to privacy. The verdict arose from a broadcast that revealed details capable of identifying a minor survivor of sexual abuse and has triggered a debate on press freedom, privacy, horizontal application of fundamental rights and possible chilling effects on journalism.

Following a framework agreement with the United States in mid-June 2026 that reopened the Strait of Hormuz and lifted a US naval blockade, Iran has dropped its wartime toll but continues to levy a navigation fee and an environmental protection charge on ships using the waterway. This has triggered a sharp legal dispute over whether a coastal state can charge vessels passing through an international strait. This article explains the news event, the geography and energy significance of Hormuz, the UNCLOS framework, the difference between transit passage and innocent passage, the competing legal arguments, and the stakes for India's energy security.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has notified a revised compensation framework for victims of small-value digital banking fraud, under which a bona fide customer who loses up to Rs 50,000 in a fraudulent electronic banking transaction (EBT) can recover a major portion of the loss. The framework will take effect from 1 January 2027 and, notably, makes the RBI itself bear the largest share of the compensation. This article explains the new mechanism, the eligibility conditions and cost-sharing math, the existing zero-liability/limited-liability framework of 2017, the scale of bank and digital fraud in India, and the concerns around implementation.

At the 14th Passport Seva Divas, a senior Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official clarified that an Indian passport is primarily a travel document and does not by itself serve as conclusive proof of Indian citizenship. The remark, made amid the ongoing nationwide Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, triggered a wider public debate on what actually proves citizenship in India. This article explains the constitutional basis of citizenship under Articles 5–11, the five modes of acquisition under the Citizenship Act, 1955, why no single document is conclusive proof, key Supreme Court rulings on the burden of proof, and the link with the NRC and Aadhaar.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs notified the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Rules, 2026 through gazette notifications on 22 June 2026, overhauling how NGOs and associations receiving foreign funds are registered and regulated. Registrations must now be purpose-specific and geography-specific, activities must be chosen from a defined schedule, and several religious activities are funded only while excluding proselytisation. The rules also expand the definition of "key functionary," mandate social-media disclosure, require 75% utilisation before fresh instalments, and revise compounding penalties. This article explains the FCRA framework, the new rules, the constitutional context of the proselytisation bar, and the long-running debate over regulating foreign funding of civil society.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer led a high-level American delegation to New Delhi (22–24 June 2026) for talks with Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal aimed at concluding an interim India–US Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA). The visit comes at a decisive moment: the US Supreme Court has struck down the earlier emergency tariffs, the temporary 150-day Section 122 tariffs lapse on 24 July, and a fresh Section 301 tariff architecture is being shaped. This article explains the legal basis of US tariffs, the Supreme Court verdict, India's shrinking goods trade surplus with America, the FDI and rupee pressures, and India's key negotiating concerns.

India’s top atomic energy regulator is expected to maintain rigorous safety and licensing requirements for Small Modular Reactors even as the government prepares rules under the SHANTI Act, 2025. The issue matters because the Act opens India’s tightly controlled civil nuclear sector to private participation, while India is also trying to expand nuclear capacity for clean, round-the-clock power and industrial decarbonisation. The Department of Atomic Energy has earlier stated that AERB’s nuclear safety framework is generally technology-neutral and can be used for both public and private nuclear projects. Press Information Bureau +1

The Supreme Court has held that the right to walk on safe, demarcated footpaths is a fundamental right under Part III of the Constitution, and that pedestrians must take priority over motor vehicles. Delivered while deciding a motor-accident compensation case in which a five-year-old boy was killed by a tanker, the verdict reads this right into Article 19(1)(d) and Article 21, places a binding duty on civic bodies, and asks the government to frame a law. This article explains the judgment, the constitutional basis of the right, the expanding scope of Article 21, the duties of municipal bodies, the road-safety data behind the issue, and the way forward.

A recent Indian Express interview with lawyer and anthropologist Petra Molnar discussed the AI Resist List and warned that AI-led growth narratives can hide issues of invisible labour, data extraction, surveillance, digital infrastructure and democratic accountability. The debate is significant for India as it expands the IndiaAI Mission, data centres, AI compute capacity and digital public infrastructure.

The Union Government, Assam and Nagaland have signed a tripartite MoU to facilitate mineral oil operations in the Assam-Nagaland boundary areas, where exploration had been stalled due to border and law-and-order concerns. The development is important for UPSC because it links energy security, cooperative federalism, inter-state boundary disputes, Article 371A, environmental clearance and India’s dependence on hydrocarbon imports.

The Union environment clearance process for the Kente Extension coal project in Chhattisgarh’s Hasdeo-Arand region is in focus after the MoEFCC Advisory Committee recommended Stage-I/In-principle forest clearance for a coal mine linked to Rajasthan’s power needs. The issue is important for UPSC because it connects forest diversion, coal-based energy security, biodiversity conservation, elephant movement, tribal rights and environmental governance.

The Supreme Court, while upholding the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, has ordered that voters excluded on doubtful-citizenship grounds be referred to the competent authority under the Citizenship Act, 1955 for adjudication within four weeks. Assam's decades-old experience with 'D' (Doubtful) voters shows why this may be far from simple. This article explains the SIR verdict, how the 'D-voter' tag and Foreigners Tribunals work, the burden-of-proof question, and the constitutional and legal framework governing voter citizenship in India.

The Supreme Court, in Dr. Ramesh vs State of Maharashtra, has stressed strict enforcement of the PCPNDT Act to curb sex-selection practices driven by patriarchal preference for a male child. The judgment is important for UPSC because it links gender justice, child sex ratio, reproductive technology regulation, constitutional equality and welfare legislation.

The question of whether a political party can use a “cockroach” as its election symbol came into focus after reports around the Cockroach Janta Party and India’s election-symbol rules. The issue is important for UPSC because it explains the Election Commission of India’s powers, the Election Symbols Order, reserved and free symbols, registered unrecognised parties and the role of symbols in India’s electoral democracy.

The Union government is preparing to reintroduce its constitutional amendment for delimitation and women's reservation, two months after the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 was defeated in the Lok Sabha in April for want of a two-thirds majority. The reworked plan reportedly seeks to add clarity that every state's existing seat share will be protected even as the House is expanded to around 850 seats, with allocation among states kept proportionate to the 1971 Census — a move aimed at winning over southern states and the DMK. This article explains what delimitation is, the constitutional provisions (Articles 81, 82, 170, 330, 332), the 1971 Census "freeze", the women's reservation link, the North-South federalism debate, and why a Constitution Amendment Bill can fail despite a clear majority.

India is reworking the template for its Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) to make them more investor-friendly while protecting its sovereign policy space, after years of falling net foreign investment and costly arbitration defeats. Reports indicate the Centre is anchoring the new model on three principles: a minimum two-year window for exhausting local remedies before international arbitration, no Most-Favoured Nation (MFN) clause, and exclusion of tax matters. This article explains what BITs are, how India's treaty regime evolved from 1994 to the restrictive 2016 Model BIT, the arbitration losses (White Industries, Vodafone, Cairn, Devas) that reshaped policy, the working of Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS), and what the proposed changes mean for India's FDI strategy and regulatory autonomy.

The Supreme Court, in Prajwala v. Union of India (May 2026), has framed a binding "Victim Protection Plan" for survivors of trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation (CSE), holding that they have a fundamental right to rehabilitation and must never be treated as criminals. Invoking Articles 21, 23, 32 and 142, the Court placed victims' consent and dignity at the centre and distinguished voluntary adult sex workers, for whom forcible "rescue" does not arise. The plan will operate until Parliament enacts a comprehensive anti-trafficking law. This article explains the judgment, the Prajwala case, the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, and the constitutional and international framework on trafficking — mapped to the UPSC syllabus.

The Supreme Court has invoked its extraordinary powers under Article 142 to crack down on rampant illegal sand mining inside the tri-state National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary, pulling up Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh for "casual and indolent" inaction after two forest guards were killed in 2026. This in-depth explainer covers the Chambal sanctuary's unique ecology, the critically endangered gharial, India's sand-mining laws (MMDR Act, Sustainable Sand Mining Guidelines), the Deepak Kumar verdict, denotification controversies, and the constitutional principles of environmental governance — everything a UPSC aspirant needs in one place. Why in News The Supreme Court of India is hearing a suo motu case on large-scale illegal sand mining inside and around the National Chambal (Gharial) Sanctuary, a riverine protected area shared by Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. In a series of strongly worded orders through April and May 2026, the Court has rebuked the three state governments for administrative apathy, linked their inaction to the killing of frontline forest staff, and invoked Article 142 of the Constitution to issue sweeping enforcement directions. The case has brought national attention to sand mining as an environmental and rule-of-law crisis, and to the survival of the critically endangered gharial, whose last major wild stronghold is the Chambal.

Ahead of the RBI Monetary Policy Committee meeting (June 3–5, 2026) and amid a crude-oil spike triggered by the West Asia conflict, economists have flagged a key gap: policymakers target the inflation rate, but households experience affordability — whether incomes outpace the cumulative rise in prices. This article explains the difference between inflation and affordability, India's Flexible Inflation Targeting framework, CPI measurement, real vs nominal wages, PLFS worker data, and how RBI's tools work.

US President Donald Trump's late-May 2026 demand that Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, and the UAE "mandatorily" sign onto the Abraham Accords as a precondition for ending the ongoing 2026 Iran War has left West Asian capitals confused and resistant. The proposal, made via a Truth Social post on May 25, 2026 after a conference call with regional leaders, has revived debate over Arab-Israeli normalisation, the Palestinian question, and the future of US diplomacy in the region. This article explains the Abraham Accords, their origin and signatories, the unfolding 2026 Iran War context, Saudi-Pakistani objections, and India's deep strategic stakes through IMEC, I2U2, energy security, and the 9-million-strong Gulf diaspora.

On 28 May 2026, the Supreme Court of India upheld the constitutional validity of the retrospective levy of 28% Goods and Services Tax (GST) on online money gaming, fantasy sports and casinos, reviving tax demands worth nearly ₹2.5 lakh crore against companies like Dream11, Gameskraft and Delta Corp. The Bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan held that any game involving staking of money on uncertain outcomes amounts to "betting and gambling" for GST purposes, irrespective of whether skill or chance dominates. This article explains the verdict, the constitutional and statutory framework under Articles 246A and 366, the meaning of "actionable claims," the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming (PROG) Act 2025, the long-standing skill versus chance jurisprudence, and the wider economic and federal implications for India's gaming sector.

On 23 May 2026, the Union Ministry of Rural Development released draft rules under the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 (VB-G RAM G), the new law that will replace the two-decade-old MGNREGA from 1 July 2026. This article explains what VB-G RAM G is, how it differs from MGNREGS, the shift from demand-driven to supply-driven employment, normative allocation, the new 60:40 funding pattern, the role of the 16th Finance Commission, the federalism and wage concerns raised, and everything UPSC aspirants need on this major change in India's rural employment policy.

On 27 May 2026, the Supreme Court upheld the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls as constitutionally valid under Article 324, but ruled that the EC's citizenship scrutiny cannot be the final word — doubtful cases must go to the competent authority under the Citizenship Act, 1955. This article explains the SIR exercise, the constitutional basis under Articles 324–326, the Representation of the People Act 1950, the distinction between electoral eligibility and citizenship, the proportionality test, key data on deleted voters, and the safeguards mandated by the Court — covering everything UPSC aspirants need on this landmark verdict.

Women's representation in India's Lok Sabha and state assemblies has rarely crossed half of the 33% mark, with the current share in Lok Sabha at around 14.4% and even lower in most Vidhan Sabhas. Despite the passage of the Women's Reservation Act in 2023 providing one-third quota, the reservation is not yet operational because it is linked to the delimitation exercise after the next Census. This article explains the constitutional framework for women's representation, current data, the 2023 Act provisions, the technical role of delimitation, global comparison and all basic concepts from the UPSC point of view.

The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 failed to pass in the Lok Sabha because it did not receive the special majority required under Article 368 of the Constitution. The bill sought to enable fresh delimitation, increase Lok Sabha strength to 850 seats and operationalise one-third women’s reservation. This article explains the constitutional amendment procedure, special majority requirement, technical provisions of the bill, delimitation framework and all basic constitutional concepts behind why such a bill can fail in Parliament.

The United States has initiated a Section 301 investigation into India’s labour practices, questioning whether India has ratified key International Labour Organization (ILO) treaties related to the future of work. Indian negotiators will hold talks with the US next week to address the concerns. This article explains what Section 301 investigation means, the role of ILO treaties, India’s position on labour standards, implications for bilateral trade and all basic technical concepts behind the probe.

The government will introduce a 'schedule' in Parliament that clearly lists the exact new number of Lok Sabha seats for every state while keeping each state's current percentage share in the total strength unchanged. This move uses the 2011 Census for delimitation, increases overall Lok Sabha seats by about 50 per cent to around 850, and protects South India's representation. The article explains what the schedule means, how delimitation works, the pro-rata formula for seats, impact on North-South balance, women's quota rollout and all basic technical concepts behind the three constitutional amendment bills.

The government has circulated three Constitutional Amendment Bills to enable fresh delimitation based on the 2011 Census, raise Lok Sabha strength from 543 to 850 seats, and operationalise one-third reservation for women in Parliament and state assemblies. These bills aim to implement the long-pending women's quota early while ending mandatory delimitation after every Census. This article explains the key provisions of the bills, the constitutional process of amendment, what delimitation means, how the 2011 Census will be used, the impact on North-South balance.

With just one day left for the voter list to be finalised for the first phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections (scheduled for April 23, 2026), the appellate tribunals set up to hear appeals of “deleted” voters held their first and only hearing so far. Following a Supreme Court order, the tribunal quickly restored the name of Motab Shaikh, the Congress candidate from Farakka in Murshidabad district, who had been removed from the voter list during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. Most other tribunals are yet to start functioning fully, raising concerns about lakhs of voters still waiting for a final decision before the nomination deadline ends on April 6.

On March 28, 2026, the Rajasthan High Court issued an important order banning night safaris and the use of drones, spotlights, torch lights and similar devices in the Jawai Leopard Reserve in Pali district. The court acted on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by local resident Apoorva Agrawat. It directed the state government to ensure no wildlife spotting activities take place after 7 pm or before 6 am. The bench noted that unregulated tourism, especially at night, was causing serious disturbance and stress to leopards and other animals. This order aligns with similar restrictions already followed in places like Ranthambore National Park.

On March 27, 2026, the government introduced the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026 in the Lok Sabha. The bill seeks to amend 79 central acts administered by 23 ministries and proposes to decriminalise 717 minor procedural offences while removing or changing 67 more provisions. This is the second edition of the Jan Vishwas initiative after the 2023 Act. Congress members raised strong objections during introduction, but the government rejected them, saying there is no precedent for sending such bills to a parliamentary committee at this stage.

The Supreme Court on March 11, 2026, dismissed the Centre's appeals against judgments from three High Courts—Delhi, Madras, and Kerala—ruling that creamy layer status for Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservations cannot be based only on parental income. This decision came in cases involving UPSC civil services candidates whose parents work in public sector undertakings (PSUs) or private firms, emphasizing that social status and job equivalence must also be considered to avoid unfair treatment among similar OBC groups.

The Supreme Court, on March 11, 2026, approved the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment for 32-year-old Harish Rana, who has remained in a persistent vegetative state for over 13 years following a severe head injury. This decision represents the first real-world use of India's passive euthanasia guidelines, highlighting the need for clear rules on end-of-life care to allow individuals to pass away naturally when medical treatment offers no hope of recovery.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has announced that starting next year, all proceedings in both Houses of Parliament, along with related official paperwork, will be translated into India's 22 scheduled languages using Artificial Intelligence. This step aims to make parliamentary work more accessible to people across the country, marking the first time such full translations will be available to the public. The announcement was made during a press conference ahead of a major international speakers' meeting, highlighting efforts to use technology for better democracy.

The Supreme Court of India has issued a notice to the Central government and the Election Commission on a public interest litigation challenging a key provision in the 2023 law that grants lifelong immunity to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioners (ECs) from civil or criminal proceedings for actions taken during their official duties. This move comes amid growing concerns about the potential for unchecked power in the electoral body, especially as it could affect the fairness of elections, and the court has agreed to examine the law's validity without staying its operation for now.

The Assam government has recommended granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to six communities through a new three-tier framework, aiming to include them without diluting existing ST rights. However, this proposal has been rejected by a representative group of existing ST communities, who call it unconstitutional and a threat to their political representation. This comes amid heated discussions as Assam prepares for elections, highlighting tensions between inclusion demands and protection of tribal interests.

The article discusses a recent 10-hour parliamentary debate initiated by the central government on Vande Mataram, the national song of India. Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi delivered a speech revisiting the decision by India's first Prime Minister (PM) Jawaharlal Nehru to adopt only the first two stanzas of the original composition, framing it as an act of appeasement toward Muslim leaders. This has sparked discussions on including the dropped stanzas, granting equal legal status to Vande Mataram alongside the national anthem Jana Gana Mana, and exploring the musical reasons behind Nehru's choice, beyond political narratives.

Delhi's air quality plunged to a 'very poor' level with an AQI of 301 on October 27, 2025, prompting the government to prepare for a cloud seeding operation on October 28 if weather permits, aiming to trigger artificial rain and flush out pollutants. In parallel, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) enforced a ban on non-BS-VI commercial goods vehicles entering the city from November 1, under GRAP Stage II, to curb rising vehicular emissions as stubble burning and post-Diwali haze intensify the annual winter pollution spike, affecting millions in the national capital.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on October 27, 2025, kicked off the second phase of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across 12 states and six Union Territories, impacting 51 crore voters. This nationwide drive, starting with training from October 28 and house-to-house checks from November 4, aims to clean up voter lists by removing duplicates, deceased entries, and migrants while adding new eligible voters. Drawing lessons from Bihar's first phase—where over 68 lakh names were deleted—the process has been simplified to avoid overburdening citizens, especially with assembly elections looming in four states next year. Assam is notably excluded for now due to ongoing citizenship verification under the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

The Election Commission of India (ECI) issued a detailed advisory on October 25, 2025, directing all political parties to prominently label videos, images, and audio clips that are created or altered using artificial intelligence (AI). This move addresses the rising threat of deepfakes, which the ECI says are "contaminating the level-playing field" in elections by spreading misleading information that looks real. The advisory builds on earlier warnings and aligns closely with recent draft amendments to the Information Technology Rules, 2021, proposed by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). It comes amid growing concerns over AI's role in shaping public opinion during campaigns, as seen in past elections where synthetic content disrupted voter trust.

The Indian government, through the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), proposed amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules on October 22, 2025, making it mandatory for social media users and platforms to label AI-generated or synthetically altered content. This move comes amid a surge in non-consensual deepfake videos targeting women, including celebrities like Rashmika Mandanna and Aishwarya Rai, which blend seamlessly into feeds on Instagram and X, eroding privacy and consent while spreading misinformation at scale. The rules aim to empower users to distinguish real from fake, with platforms required to verify declarations and apply visible markers, addressing a crisis where 90% of deepfake victims are women.

On October 21, 2025, Sanae Takaichi was elected by Japan's Parliament as the nation's first female Prime Minister, securing a majority vote after forming a coalition between her ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the Japan Innovation Party (JIP). This marks a significant shift in Japanese politics, ending a three-month vacuum following the LDP's election losses in July and the resignation of Shigeru Ishiba, while highlighting the rise of conservative leadership in response to party crises.

The Supreme Court relaxed the absolute ban on firecrackers in Delhi-NCR, allowing the use of green crackers on a test case basis during Diwali. This order, passed by a bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, aims to find a middle ground between cultural practices and the growing public health crisis from air pollution, as complete bans have proven hard to enforce and led to smuggling of more harmful crackers.

The Supreme Court has relaxed the complete ban on firecrackers in Delhi-NCR for Diwali, permitting the sale and use of green crackers on a trial basis for two days from October 18 to 20, 2025, with specific timings, following requests from the Centre and considering enforcement challenges, to test if regulated use can balance cultural celebrations with air quality protection amid rising pollution concerns.

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.

A recent analysis has brought attention to the use of President's Rule in India since Independence, showing it has been imposed 135 times, and in 87 of those cases, a different party or group took over after it ended. This comes as Manipur remains under President's Rule for eight months due to ongoing ethnic issues, with talks about how this tool affects state governments and politics.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi recently raised serious concerns about an attempt to delete over 6,000 voter names from the electoral rolls in Karnataka's Aland Assembly constituency in 2023. He claimed that fake deletion forms were filed online without the voters' knowledge, mostly targeting Congress supporters, and that the Election Commission of India (ECI) has not shared key details with investigators despite multiple requests. This has sparked a debate on the safety of voter lists and how deletions happen, highlighting potential misuse in the system.

The US Federal Reserve, the central bank of the United States, cut interest rates by 25 basis points on September 17, 2025, bringing the target range to 4-4.25 percent. This move comes at a time when both inflation and unemployment are going up together, making it hard for the Fed to meet its two main goals of keeping prices stable and ensuring as many people as possible have jobs. Fed Chair Jerome Powell shared his thoughts in a press meet, pointing out the tough choices ahead, especially with political pressure from US President Donald Trump. This situation is important for India because US policies affect global trade, oil prices, and the value of the Indian rupee.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) convened a key conference with Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) from all states and Union Territories on September 11, 2025, to prepare for a nationwide Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Highlighting Bihar's ongoing SIR, where over 75% of existing voters were successfully linked to the 2003 rolls, the ECI directed states to focus on similar matching exercises with their last intensive revision records. This step aims to reduce the burden of document submission for voters and maintain the integrity of electoral rolls amid concerns over duplicates and ineligible entries, especially ahead of upcoming assembly elections in several states.

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.

The Supreme Court, on September 8, 2025, issued a directive to the Election Commission of India to include Aadhaar as the 12th document for verifying voter identity during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar. This step addresses fears of large-scale voter exclusion ahead of the state's Assembly elections, while the court made it clear that Aadhaar does not serve as evidence of citizenship. The order came during hearings on petitions challenging the revision process, which has sparked political debates and confusion over document requirements for proving eligibility.

The Women's Reservation Act 2023, passed by Parliament in September, mandates 33% reservation for women in Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies. However, its implementation depends on delimitation exercises and constitutional amendments that may take several years.