UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS

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.

Denotified, nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes have demanded constitutional recognition and a separate column in the 2027 Census to address long-standing political, administrative, and social marginalisation.

In a significant hearing, the Supreme Court of India sharply questioned the data practices of Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, suggesting that the extraction of user data may resemble “theft” rather than voluntary exchange.

A decade-long study (2016–2025) by the Square Circle Clinic, NALSAR University of Law, reveals systemic flaws in death penalty sentencing in India.