Constitutional Law

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 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

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

Supreme Court Rules High Courts Cannot Reweigh Evidence Under Certiorari Jurisdiction In a significant ruling reinforcing the boundaries of judicial review, the Supreme Court of India has held that High Courts exercising certiorari jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution cannot reweigh evidence or substitute their own findings for those arrived at by subordinate courts and tribunals. The decision in Basamma & Anr. v. Goparappa and Ors. (2026 LiveLaw (SC) 690) reaff

In a landmark ruling that reinforces the constitutional dignity of incarcerated persons, the Supreme Court of India has directed all States and Union Territories to formulate comprehensive early release policies for elderly and terminally ill prisoners. The judgment, delivered in NALSA v. Union of India, 2026 INSC 713 (also cited as 2026 LiveLaw (SC) 684), marks a significant step toward humane prison reform in India. The Court held that the continued incarceration of prisone

The Karnataka High Court on July 7, 2026, heard arguments in a batch of petitions challenging the Karnataka Cinemas (Regulation) (Amendment) Rules, 2025, which cap movie ticket prices at Rs 200 across cinemas and multiplexes in the state. The Multiplex Association of India, Hombale Films LLP, and other entertainment industry stakeholders argued before Justice M.G.S. Kamal that the state government lacks the legislative authority to fix ticket prices and that the cap violates

On July 16, 2026, the Supreme Court of India declined to entertain a batch of contempt petitions alleging violations of its November 2024 anti-demolition guidelines. Instead of adjudicating the factual disputes itself, the Court transferred the petitions to the jurisdictional High Courts and directed them to decide the matters within four months. The Bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V. Mohana also ensured that interim protection