Daily Bulletin

The Supreme Court has advanced a hearing to October 28, 2026, on the controversy surrounding the voter roll deletions of 13.36 crore names by the Election Commission of India (ECI). The judicial intervention addresses concerns over the ECI's directive for deleted voters to use Form 6 for re-registration, a form statutorily meant for first-time voters. Using this form requires a declaration of never having voted, which is a false statement for an existing voter and punishable under the Representation of People Act, 1950.

The Supreme Court has ruled on reservation for converts, upholding a Madras High Court judgment that struck down a 2024 Tamil Nadu government order. The order had allowed individuals converting from Hinduism to Islam to claim reservation under the Backward Class (Muslim) category. A bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and S Chandrashekhar held on October 15 that a person cannot carry forward the social backwardness of their pre-conversion caste to claim affirmative action under Article 16(4) of the Constitution, as religious conversion does not automatically confer membership in a recognised backward class.

The Supreme Court has sought the Centre's response on a plea for uniform safeguards for all forms of 'talaq' under Muslim personal law, including protection against polygamy without the wife's consent. A bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant is hearing the petition, which also challenges the constitutional validity of Talaq-e-Hasan and Section 2 of the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937.

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has issued guidelines for the revised Scheme of Assistance to National Sports Federations (NSFs), approving its continuation for the 16th Finance Commission cycle (2026-31) with an outlay of ₹7,386.74 crore. The revised scheme increases financial support for hosting international events to ₹50 crore, introduces dedicated Olympic Training Centres, and provides funding to promote indigenous sports globally. This framework is central to supporting athletes' preparation and is aligned with India’s 2036 Olympic bid.

The Election Commission of India has announced the schedule for the Special Summary Revision (SSR) of electoral rolls for 17 states and Union Territories, with January 1, 2027, as the qualifying date for new voters. The final rolls will be published on January 4, 2027. This exercise differs from the recent Special Intensive Revision (SIR) as it automatically includes existing electors, while deletions require a statutory procedure.

The Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) issued a 'Leave India' notice to actor Imran Khan, a United States citizen and an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholder. The notice, directing him to exit the country by October 28, was issued after he participated in a political protest in Mumbai. This action underscores the government's wide-ranging powers to regulate the activities of OCI cardholders, who are legally considered foreign nationals.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued a Gazette notification for the Census (Amendment) Rules, 2026, expanding the list of persons eligible for appointment as census enumerators. Under the Census Act, 1948, the amendment now permits the appointment of teachers from government, aided, and unaided private educational institutions. The pool of eligible personnel also includes clerks and officials from Central and State Governments, public sector undertakings, and banks, as deemed suitable by the respective state or Union Territory administrations.

Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Urban 2.0, the Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee has approved over 1.93 lakh additional houses in its 10th meeting on October 16, 2026. This brings the total number of sanctioned houses under the scheme to 20.80 lakh. The scheme is also promoting women-led development, with 97% of the sanctioned houses allotted either in a woman's name or under joint ownership, strengthening their financial security.