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Type: Prelims Only

  • Lok Sabha passes the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill 2026

    Why in the news?

    The Lok Sabha passed the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, increasing the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court of India from 34 to 38 judges (including the Chief Justice of India (CJI)) to address rising case pendency.

    Key Provisions

    • Increased Strength: Raises the sanctioned strength from 34 to 38 judges.
    • Replaces Ordinance: Converts the earlier ordinance into permanent law.
    • Objective: Improve disposal of cases and reduce judicial backlog.

    Constitutional Basis

    • Article 124: Empowers Parliament to determine the number of Supreme Court judges by law.
    • Governing Law: Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956.

    Why is the Amendment Needed?

    • Over 92,000 cases were pending in the Supreme Court (as of 1 January 2026).
    • Growing gap between institution and disposal of cases.
    • Increasing litigation has added pressure on the Court.

    Challenges

    • Sanctioned posts must be filled promptly.
    • Delays in the Collegium appointment process.
    • More judges require additional infrastructure and staff.
    • Procedural delays and frequent adjournments remain unresolved.

    Back2Basics

    • Article 124: Establishes the Supreme Court and empowers Parliament to fix its strength.
    • Original Strength (1950): Chief Justice + 7 judges.
    • Appointment: By the President of India under the Collegium System.
    • Retirement Age: 65 years.
    • Evolution: Three Judges Cases
      • First Judges Case (1981): Executive had primacy in appointments.
      • Second Judges Case (1993): Introduced the Collegium System; judiciary gained primacy.
      • Third Judges Case (1998): Expanded the Collegium to the CJI plus four senior-most Supreme Court judges.

    [2014] The power to increase the number of judges in the Supreme Court of India is vested in?

    (a) The President of India

    (b) The Parliament

    (c) The Chief Justice of India

    (d) The Law Commission

  • New real-time national portal for organ transplants

    Why in the News?

    The National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) has launched a real-time national portal and mobile application to streamline organ transplantation by creating a unified waiting list, enabling national swap donations, and improving transparency.

    Key Features

    • National Waiting List: Creates hospital, State, regional and national waiting lists.
    • Real-time Allocation: Enables transparent organ allocation across India.
    • National Swap Donor Pool: Matches incompatible donor-recipient pairs across the country.
    • Aadhaar-linked Organ Pledge: Links donor pledges with Aadhaar for better verification.
    • Outcome Tracking: Hospitals upload follow-up data to monitor transplant outcomes.

    How does the Portal Work?

    • Patients are registered by authorised transplant hospitals.
    • Allocation follows the sequence: Hospital → State → Regional → National pool.
    • Kidney Allocation: Donor hospital retains one kidney and sends the other to the nearest matching government hospital.
    • Supports super-urgent transplant requests through the portal.

    Significance

    • Improves transparency and equity in organ allocation.
    • Expands the pool for compatible donor matching.
    • Reduces dependence on manual coordination.
    • Creates a national transplant database for better monitoring.

    Challenges

    • Different States follow different organ allocation policies.
    • NOTTO cannot mandate uniform allocation rules.
    • Low deceased organ donation rates remain a major constraint.
    • Portal effectiveness depends on accurate hospital data entry.

    Back2Basics

    • NOTTO: National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation.
    • Parent Body: Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).
    • Legal Basis: Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 1994 (THOTA).
    • Network: Works with Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisations (ROTTOs) and State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisations (SOTTOs).

    [2023] Consider the following statements:
    Statement-I: India’s public sector health care system largely focuses on curative care with limited preventive, promotive and rehabilitative care.
    Statement-II: Under India’s decentralized approach to health care delivery, the States are primarily responsible for organizing health services.
    Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

    [A] Both Statement-I and Statement-l are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I.

    [B] Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-is not the correct explanation for Statement-l.

    [C] Statement-l is correct but Statement-II is incorrect.

    [D] Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-Il is correct.

  • Proof of life: reworking the law on delayed birth and death registration

    Why in the News?

    The Lok Sabha passed the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026, amending the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969. It requires a Judicial Magistrate’s order for registration of births or deaths delayed by more than two years.

    Key Provisions

    • Judicial Approval: Delayed registration beyond 2 years requires approval from a Judicial Magistrate.
    • Existing Process Retained: Delays up to 2 years continue to require approval from an Executive Magistrate.
    • Objective: Strengthen verification and prevent fraudulent birth or death registrations.

    Why was the Amendment Needed?

    • The 2023 amendment made the birth certificate the primary proof of date and place of birth for: School admissions, Passports, Aadhaar, Voter rolls, Driving licences, and Government jobs
    • Higher importance of birth certificates increased the risk of fraudulent registrations.

    Significance

    • Enhances authenticity of delayed registrations.
    • Supports reliable digital civil registration records.
    • Reduces misuse of birth certificates for identity fraud.

    Challenges

    • Judicial process may increase costs and delays for genuine applicants.
    • Remote and vulnerable populations may face greater difficulty.
    • Adds workload to the lower judiciary.
    • No clear evidence supporting the two-year threshold.

    Back2Basics

    • Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969: Makes registration of every birth and death compulsory.
    • Registrar General of India (RGI): Nodal authority under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
    • Concurrent List: Both Parliament and State Legislatures can legislate on registration.
    • 2023 Amendment: Birth certificate became the primary document for proving date and place of birth.

    [2018] Consider the following statements:
    1.Aadhaar can be used as proof of citizenship and domicile.
    2.Once issued, the Aadhaar number cannot be deactivated or omitted by the issuing authority.
    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    [A] 1 only

    [B] 2 only

    [C] Both 1 and 2

    [D] Neither 1 nor 2

  • Why lab-grown diamonds are a sustainable alternative to mined stones

    Why in the News?

    With natural diamond reserves declining and concerns over environmental damage, conflict diamonds and forced labour, India is promoting Lab-Grown Diamonds (LGDs) through the India Centre for Lab-Grown Diamond (InCent-LGD) at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras.

    What is the Kimberley Process?

    • Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS): An international certification system launched in 2003 to prevent conflict (blood) diamonds from entering global trade.
    • Limitation: Difficult to trace the geographic origin of diamonds, enabling smuggling.

    Significance of Lab-Grown Diamonds

    • Lower water, land and environmental footprint.
    • Fully traceable and ethically sourced.
    • More affordable than mined diamonds.
    • Used in jewellery, cutting tools, drilling, semiconductors and quantum computing.

    India’s Initiative

    • Union Budget 2023-24 announced support for indigenous LGD production.
    • InCent-LGD established at IIT Madras with a ₹243 crore grant from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
    • Focuses on developing indigenous diamond seeds, machinery and manufacturing technology.

    [2018] Which one of the following foreign travellers elaborately discussed about diamonds and diamond mines of India?

    [A] Francois Bernier

    [B] Jean-Baptiste Tavernier

    [C] Jean de Thevenot

    [D] Abbe Barthelemy Carre

  • The legal patchwork facing doxxing victims in India

    Why in the News?

    The online targeting of women protesters has highlighted the absence of a dedicated law against doxxing in India, forcing victims to rely on scattered legal provisions.

    What is Doxxing?

    • Doxxing is the unauthorised public disclosure of a person’s private or personal information online to harass, intimidate or threaten them.
    • It can lead to stalking, identity theft, threats and physical harm.

    Existing Legal Framework

    • Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023: Provisions relating to stalking, criminal intimidation and harassment.
    • Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000: Covers privacy violations and unauthorised disclosure of personal information.
    • Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021: Prescribe due diligence obligations for online platforms and provide safe harbour protection.

    Challenges

    • No specific offence for doxxing under Indian law.
    • Delays in content removal and prosecution.
    • Difficulty in fixing platform liability due to safe harbour provisions.
    • Rising digital threats to privacy and safety.

    Prelims Facts

    • The Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023 governs the processing of personal digital data but does not specifically criminalise doxxing.
    • Safe Harbour under Section 79 of the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000 protects intermediaries from liability if they comply with due diligence requirements.

    [2024] Under which of the following Articles of the Constitution of India, has the Supreme Court of India placed the Right to Privacy?

    (a) Article 15

    (b) Article 16

    (c) Article 19

    (d) Article 21

  • India imposes Minimum Import Price on PVC resin to curb import dependence

    Why in the News?

    The Government has imposed a Minimum Import Price (MIP) of US$0.766/kg on PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) Suspension Resin to protect domestic manufacturers from cheap imports.

    What is MIP?

    • Minimum Import Price (MIP) is the minimum price below which a product cannot be imported.
    • It protects domestic industries from low-priced imports.
    • Unlike anti-dumping duty, MIP applies to all imports, irrespective of the exporting country.

    What is DGTR?

    • The Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) investigates unfair trade practices.
    • It recommends: Anti-dumping duties, Countervailing duties, and Safeguard measures

    Why was MIP Imposed?

    • Protect domestic PVC manufacturers from cheap imports.
    • Address import dependence due to insufficient domestic production.
    • Exemptions are available for:
      • Export Oriented Units (EOUs)
      • Special Economic Zones (SEZs)
      • Advance Authorisation Scheme imports.

    Challenges

    • Higher input costs for PVC-based industries.
    • Possible disputes at the World Trade Organization (WTO).
    • Does not address the domestic capacity gap.
    • Requires strict customs enforcement against under-invoicing.

    Prelims Facts

    • India uses MIP, anti-dumping duty, countervailing duty and safeguard duty as trade remedy measures.
    • PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) is a widely used plastic in pipes, cables, packaging and construction.
    • DGTR functions under the Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

    [2020] With reference to the international trade of India at present, which of the following statements is/are correct?

    1.India’s merchandise exports are less than its merchandise imports.
    2.India’s imports of iron and steel, chemicals, fertilisers and machinery have decreased in recent years.
    3.India’s exports of services are more than its imports of services.
    4.India suffers from an overall trade/current account deficit.
    Select the correct answer using the code given below:
    a) 1 and 2 only
    b) 2 and 4 only
    c) 3 only
    d) 1, 3 and 4 only

  • The fast-growing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo

    Why in the News?

    The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is facing its largest Ebola outbreak, with 3,605 cases and 1,587 deaths, caused by the Bundibugyo strain, for which no approved vaccine exists.

    What is a PHEIC?

    • A Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) is the World Health Organization’s (WHO) highest level of global health alert.
    • Declared when an outbreak poses a cross-border public health risk and requires international coordination.

    Why is the Outbreak Difficult to Control?

    • Caused by the Bundibugyo ebolavirus (BDBV) strain, with no approved vaccine or treatment.
    • Ongoing conflict hampers movement of health workers and supplies.
    • Weak healthcare infrastructure and community distrust delay detection and isolation.

    Response Measures

    • Oxford ChAdOx1 BDBV vaccine is undergoing clinical trials.
    • India has supplied emergency medicines to support relief efforts.
    • Surveillance, contact tracing and isolation remain the primary control measures.

    Prelims Facts

    • Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) is a severe viral haemorrhagic fever caused by Ebolaviruses.
    • It spreads through direct contact with infected body fluids of humans or animals.
    • The Bundibugyo virus (BDBV) is one of the six known Ebola virus species.
    • The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

    [2025] With reference to monoclonal antibodies, consider the following:

    I. They are man-made proteins.

    II. They stimulate the patient’s immune system to fight the specific disease.

    III. They are produced using animal cells only.

    Which of the statements given above are correct?

    (a) I and II only

    (b) II and III only

    (c) I and III only

    (d) All the three

  • Centre asks states to set up exclusive NDPS courts

    Why in the News?

    The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has directed States and Union Territories to establish exclusive NDPS courts to tackle the backlog of nearly 39 lakh drug-related cases. However, 22 States are yet to comply.

    What is the NDPS Act?

    • The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 is India’s primary law to regulate and prohibit narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.
    • The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) is the apex agency for enforcement.
    • The Narco-Coordination Centre (NCORD) coordinates anti-drug efforts among Central and State agencies.

    Why Exclusive NDPS Courts?

    • Speed up disposal of nearly 39 lakh pending cases.
    • Ensure specialised and faster trials for drug offences.
    • Improve conviction rates and reduce judicial delays.

    Significance

    • Strengthens deterrence against drug trafficking.
    • Helps curb crimes linked to money laundering, organised crime and terror financing.
    • Enhances India’s internal security, especially along vulnerable border regions.

    Challenges

    • 22 States have not yet established exclusive NDPS courts.
    • Need for adequate judges, prosecutors and infrastructure.
    • Court reforms must be complemented by effective enforcement and rehabilitation.

    Is it Mandatory?

    • Legally: The NDPS Act empowers State Governments to establish Special Courts, but it does not make exclusive NDPS courts mandatory in every district.
    • Administratively: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has strongly directed States and Union Territories to establish exclusive NDPS courts due to the huge backlog. While this directive is not directly enforceable like a statute, States are expected to comply in the interest of effective criminal justice and internal security.

    Prelims Facts

    • NCORD was established in 2016 to improve inter-agency coordination against drug trafficking.
    • NDPS Act, 1985 replaced the Opium Act, 1857, the Opium Act, 1878, and the Dangerous Drugs Act, 1930.
    • The NCB functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

    [2018, GS3, 15 marks] India’s proximity to two of the world’s biggest illicit opium-growing states has enhanced her internal security concerns. Explain the linkages between drug trafficking and other illicit activities such as gunrunning, money laundering and human trafficking. What counter-measures should be taken to prevent the same?”

  • Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyan launched

    Why in the News?

    The government launched the Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyan, a nationwide anti-drug campaign from 28,000+ locations with a 100-week action plan to promote a drug-free youth for Viksit Bharat 2047.

    About the Campaign

    • A national drug awareness and demand reduction campaign targeting youth.
    • Launched simultaneously from 28,000+ locations.
    • Over 1 crore youth participated in the anti-drug pledge.
    • Includes a 100-week activity plan for sustained community engagement.

    Significance

    • Strengthens the demand reduction pillar of India’s anti-drug strategy.
    • Promotes awareness, prevention and rehabilitation alongside enforcement.
    • Supports the vision of a healthy workforce for Viksit Bharat 2047.

    Challenges

    • Sustaining community participation over 100 weeks.
    • Expanding de-addiction and counselling infrastructure.
    • Measuring the campaign’s long-term impact.
    • Success depends on parallel action against drug trafficking.

    Prelims Facts

    • Implemented under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS).
    • Complements the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA) launched by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE).
    • Focuses on awareness, prevention, rehabilitation and youth participation.

  • Nearly 94,000 government schools shut in a decade

    Why in the News?

    A NITI Aayog report shows that about 94,000 government schools closed over the past decade. While the government calls it school rationalisation, concerns have been raised over its impact on access to education and the Right to Education (RTE).

    Key Findings

    • Government school enrolment declined from 71% (2005) to 49.24% (2024-25).
    • The sharpest decline was seen in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir.

    Government’s Stand vs Concerns

    Government’s Rationale

    • Merging low enrolment schools to improve teacher and resource utilisation.
    • Supported by the NEP 2020 concept of school complexes/clusters.

    Key Concerns

    • Increased travel distance, especially in rural and remote areas.
    • Greater impact on SC, ST, girl students and poor households.
    • May push disadvantaged families towards unaffordable private schools.

    Link with the Right to Education (RTE)

    • The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 guarantees a neighbourhood school for children aged 6 to 14 years.
    • School closures should not compromise this legal entitlement or equitable access.
    • Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) is India’s official school education database.

    [2018] Consider the following statements:

    1. As per the Right to Education (RTE) Act, to be eligible for appointment as a teacher in a State, a person would be required to possess the minimum qualification laid down by the concerned State Council of Teacher Education.

    2. As per the RTE Act, for teaching primary classes, a candidate is required to pass a Teacher Eligibility Test conducted in accordance with the National Council of Teacher Education guidelines.

    3. In India, more than 90% of teacher education institutions are directly under the State Governments.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    (a) 1 and 2

    (b) 2 only

    (c) 1 and 3

    (d) 1, 2 and 3