CURRENT AFFAIRS

Recent observations by the Allahabad High Court have renewed scrutiny of the practice termed “bulldozer justice” in Uttar Pradesh, where properties of individuals accused of crimes are demolished soon after allegations surface.

The Union Cabinet has approved the proposal to rename the State of Kerala as Keralam, reflecting the linguistic and cultural identity of the Malayalam-speaking population.

The proposed Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 will now be referred to the Kerala Legislative Assembly under Article 3 of the Constitution, after which Parliament will consider amending the First Schedule.

Recently, DMK MP and senior advocate P. Wilson introduced a private member's bill in the Rajya Sabha. The primary objective of this bill is to ensure social diversity in the higher judiciary and establish regional benches of the Supreme Court to facilitate access to justice for ordinary citizens.

The Supreme Court of India has scheduled hearings from April 7 before a nine-judge Constitution Bench to consider review petitions against its 2018 verdict permitting women of all ages to enter the Sabarimala Temple.

Three PILs have been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the constitutional validity of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act).

A Private Member’s Bill has been introduced in Parliament proposing constitutional amendments to promote diversity in judicial appointments and to establish regional benches of the Supreme Court of India.

The proposal for the Indian Scientific Service (ISS) has been under discussion following the Economic Survey 2025-26 and recent high-level meetings of the Empowered Technology Group. These highlighted the need for a specialized cadre to manage India's transition to a deep-tech and AI-first administration.

The Union government’s January 28 directive mandating the singing of all six stanzas of Vande Mataram at official functions has sparked objections from several organisations.

The 16th Finance Commission has submitted its report for 2026–31, and the Union government has accepted its recommendations on tax devolution to States, shaping Centre–State fiscal relations for the next five years.

The Opposition has moved a no-confidence motion against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. Parliamentary sources indicate that the motion will now be examined and processed as per established constitutional and procedural rules.