Daily Bulletin

The Supreme Court of India directed the Rajasthan State Election Commission (SEC) on November 2, 2026, to reconsider its rejection of an application by social activist Aruna Roy and others to conduct voter awareness campaigns. A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant mandated the SEC to pass an order within two days regarding the request for voter awareness yatras during phase 3 of the Panchayati Raj elections.

The Central government has amended the Census Rules, 1990, to explicitly permit the appointment of teachers from government, local authority, aided, and unaided private educational institutions, as well as officials from banks, companies, institutions, societies, and trusts, as Census enumerators. This amendment, highlighted on November 2, 2026, also retains a broader provision allowing 'any person' deemed suitable by a state government or Union Territory administration to perform enumerator duties.

The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has launched four new schemes for the academic year 2026-27 under its Institutional Development Cell (IDC), aimed at enhancing technical education infrastructure and academic quality. These initiatives, including IDEA Lab for practical learning facilities and MODROBS for laboratory infrastructure, were unveiled by AICTE Chairman Prof. Yogesh Singh to address diverse requirements of technical institutions.

An analysis of annual immovable property declarations by top-ranking Secretary-level officials, filed by March 31, 2026, revealed significant omissions in transparency. Out of 102 declarations accessed from 131 officials, 115 of the 244 self-acquired properties declared lacked details regarding their area or dimensions, and another 115 did not include their current market value. This issue persists despite Section 44 of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013, which mandates such declarations, with specific rules for their form and timelines still pending notification since a 2016 amendment.

In a significant legislative development, the state of Kerala passed the Keralam Senior Citizens (Care and Protection of Rights) Bill, 2026, in October 2026, becoming the first state in India to enact such a comprehensive law. This Bill aims to protect senior citizens from abuse and exploitation, while also proposing regulations for eldercare centres and ensuring enhanced access to healthcare and social security. This initiative aligns with broader national efforts like the National Program for Healthcare of the Elderly (NPHCE) and the Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana (AVYAY) to improve the quality of life for older adults.

The Government has notified the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) – Grievance Redressal Rules, 2026, establishing a structured, multi-tier, and time-bound mechanism for addressing scheme-related grievances. The Ministry of Rural Development stated that this mechanism will operate at Gram Panchayat, Block, and District levels, with designated Grievance Redressal Officers mandated to complete enquiries within seven working days and resolve grievances within 15 days from receipt.

The Supreme Court, in a ruling delivered on November 2, 2026, by a bench comprising Justice M.M. Sundresh and Justice Prasanna B. Varale, affirmed that a prisoner transferred to India from the United Kingdom under the Indo-UK Agreement on Transfer of Sentenced Persons is eligible to seek remission under applicable Indian policy. The Court set aside a Punjab and Haryana High Court order that had denied premature release to Gurmej Singh, who was convicted of murder in the UK in 2012 and transferred to India in May 2015, directing the Union Government to reconsider his case in accordance with the remission policy within eight weeks.

The Supreme Court, in a ruling delivered today, November 2, 2026, stated that inter-district transfers cannot be claimed as a matter of right by government servants, even for female employees seeking to join their in-laws' place. A bench of Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice K Vinod Chandran set aside contempt proceedings against the Secretary, Board of Basic Education, Uttar Pradesh, emphasizing that the education system is primarily for students and not to further teachers' careers or enable convenient postings. The Court held that allowing such a transfer for a teacher from Bahraich District to Lucknow, who had secured marks below the prescribed cut-off, would jeopardize student studies and violate the Right of Children for Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, which mandates a specific student-teacher ratio.