Constitutional Law

The Supreme Court of India on July 24, 2026, issued an interim order prohibiting the unauthorized extraction, editing, posting, re-posting, uploading, and monetization of audio-video recordings of judicial proceedings on social media and digital platforms. A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V. Mohana passed the order while hearing a petition highlighting the widespread misuse of livestreamed court hearings on

In a strong rebuke to state governments across India for their persistent failure to implement the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, the Supreme Court on July 29, 2026, directed eleven states and union territories to appoint State Commissioners for Persons with Disabilities within four weeks. A bench comprising Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice K.V. Viswanathan passed the directions while hearing a public interest litigation filed by disability rights act

Indian citizens who have voluntarily acquired citizenship of another country automatically lose their Indian citizenship under Section 9 of the Citizenship Act, 1955. However, the Act provides a pathway for such former citizens to regain Indian citizenship through registration under Section 5(1)(f). This provision is particularly relevant for members of the Indian diaspora who wish to return permanently and reacquire full citizenship rights. This guide explains the complete p

The Rajya Sabha on July 29, 2026, passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, extending statutory criminal protection to India’s national song, "Vande Mataram," for the first time since Independence. The Bill, introduced in the Upper House on July 24 during the Monsoon Session of Parliament, amends the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 to include the national song alongside the national anthem, the national flag, and the Consti

A writ petition has been filed before the Supreme Court of India seeking a nationwide ban on the use of pellet guns and pump-action guns for crowd control by law enforcement agencies. The petition has been filed by Yashovardhan Azad, a retired Intelligence Bureau Special Director and 1976-batch IPS officer, along with two individuals who claim to have been injured by pellet fire during the July 20, 2026 Sansad Chalo march in Delhi. The petitioners, represented by advocate Vri

The Central Government has mounted a direct challenge to the doctrine of "constitutional morality" before a nine-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Union of India, argued that constitutional morality is not a concrete doctrine but a vague sentiment capable of elastic interpretation, and that landmark judgments relying on it, including the decriminalisation of adultery in Joseph S

The Supreme Court of India, on July 28, 2026, took up a batch of Public Interest Litigations alleging severe police excesses during the nationwide protests over the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohana, ordered the immediate release of all detained minors, stayed coercive action against students, and directed all states to preserve electronic evidence relating to the prot

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned from the Council of Ministers on July 25, 2026, following weeks of sustained nationwide protests over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak. President Droupadi Murmu accepted the resignation with immediate effect. Pralhad Joshi, currently serving as Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and New and Renewable Energy, has been given additional charge of the Education Ministry. Pradhan's departure marks the first

The Andhra Pradesh High Court has quashed the FIR registered by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) against Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and former Municipal Administration Minister P. Narayana in connection with the Amaravati land pooling scheme. Justice Y. Lakshmana Rao held that the prosecution was "vitiated by mala fides and political vendetta" and amounted to an abuse of the criminal process. The FIR, registered in 2021, had alleged offences under the Indian

Public Interest Litigation, commonly known as PIL, is one of the most significant innovations of the Indian judiciary. Unlike conventional civil suits where only aggrieved parties can approach the court, PIL allows any public-spirited citizen or organization to file a petition on behalf of those who are unable to access the courts themselves. Rooted in the principles of social justice and constitutional accountability, PIL has been instrumental in addressing issues ranging fr

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear two separate petitions alleging excessive police force against students protesting the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak. A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V Mohana will take up the matter, which arises out of the events surrounding the "Sansad Chalo" march on July 20, 2026. The petitions seek guidelines to regulate police action during public protests, an independent investigation into the us

The Bombay High Court, in a ruling delivered on July 22, 2026, held that a child seeking admission in a school under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (RTE Act) cannot be denied the reservation benefit solely because the caste certificate of the child's deceased father was not produced. Justice Nijamoodin Jamadar ruled that if the child furnishes the mother's caste certificate, the authorities cannot insist on the father's certificate as a preco

The Bombay High Court, in a ruling delivered on July 22, 2026, held that a child seeking admission in a school under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (RTE Act) cannot be denied the reservation benefit solely because the caste certificate of the child's deceased father was not produced. Justice Nijamoodin Jamadar ruled that if the child furnishes the mother's caste certificate, the authorities cannot insist on the father's certificate as a preco

The Supreme Court of India, on July 24, 2026, passed an interim order prohibiting the unauthorized use or circulation of live-streamed court proceedings on social media and digital platforms. The order, delivered by a bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, aims to preserve the dignity and sanctity of judicial proceedings in an era of rapidly evolving digital communication. The Court clarified that the interim order will n

The Delhi High Court on Thursday, July 23, 2026, agreed to hear on Friday, July 24, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the July 20 "Sansad Chalo" protest organised over the alleged NEET paper leak. The PIL, filed by Satish Kumar Aggarwal, former Vice-President of the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha, through advocates Sneh Vardhan and Pratibha Sinha, alleges that the protest was part of a larger conspiracy involving foreign

The Delhi High Court, on July 21, 2026, directed the shifting of climate and education activist Sonam Wangchuk from Safdarjung Hospital to Medanta Hospital for continuous medical monitoring during his ongoing hunger strike. A bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia passed the order, underscoring the fundamental rights of the activist under Article 21 of the Constitution. Wangchuk has been on a hunger strike since June 28, 2026, in suppo

The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) faction moved the Supreme Court of India on July 21, 2026, challenging the Lok Sabha Speaker's decision to approve the merger of six of its Members of Parliament with the rival Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction. The merger, approved by Speaker Om Birla on July 18, 2026, has reduced the UBT faction's strength in the Lok Sabha from nine to just three MPs, while the Shinde Sena's numbers have swelled to 13. Senior Advocate Devadatt Ka

The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) faction moved the Supreme Court of India on July 21, 2026, challenging the Lok Sabha Speaker's decision to approve the merger of six of its Members of Parliament with the rival Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction. The merger, approved by Speaker Om Birla on July 18, 2026, has reduced the UBT faction's strength in the Lok Sabha from nine to just three MPs, while the Shinde Sena's numbers have swelled to 13. Senior Advocate Devadatt Ka

In Manoj Goyal v. Rajasthan High Court & Ors. (2026 LiveLaw (SC) 695 / 2026 INSC 699), the Supreme Court upheld the validity of a minimum cut-off in the interview component of district judge recruitment, dismissing the appeal of a candidate who fell short of the 25 percent threshold by a mere 0.50 marks. A bench of Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice Prasanna B. Varale, in a judgment delivered on July 13, 2026, held that statutory rules prescribing interview cut-offs prevail ove

On July 20, 2026, the Supreme Court of India pulled up the Union Government for its continued delay in complying with a court direction to confer the President's Police Medal for Gallantry on former police officer Vivek Singh Chouhan, who shot dead two dacoits during an anti-dacoity operation in 2003. A bench of Justice Vikram Nath, Justice Sandeep Mehta, and Justice R. Mahadevan expressed displeasure after Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan sought further time to comply with