Daily Bulletin

The Karnataka High Court has quashed a state law that increased reservation for Scheduled Castes to 17% and Scheduled Tribes to 7%, as it breached the 50% ceiling on total reservations. A Division Bench ruled that the premise of providing reservation in proportion to population is erroneous, clarifying that the Constitution mandates 'adequate representation', not 'proportionate representation'. The court noted that the State failed to present extraordinary circumstances to justify breaching the limit.

Clarifying the evidentiary value of Section 161 CrPC statements, the Supreme Court has ruled they can be considered at the cognizance stage but not as evidence during a trial. In Mrityunjay Kumar Chaudhary v. State of Bihar, a bench of Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice K. Vinod Chandran affirmed that a magistrate can use this material to form a prima facie view. The Court also reiterated that a magistrate is not bound by a police closure report and is entitled to take cognizance of an offence based on available material.

The PM GatiShakti National Master Plan has expanded its scope beyond infrastructure to include social and economic sectors, culminating in the launch of a public platform in September 2025. Developed by the Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG-N), the geospatial digital platform now supports data-driven planning with over 65 software tools and 100 applications. The public platform, accessible through the Unified Geospatial Interface, extends selected data-analytics capabilities to private entities and the general public.

Leaders of the INDIA bloc have filed a joint writ petition in the Supreme Court against the Election Commission of India, alleging arbitrary functioning during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The petition, led by Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, cites large-scale voter deletions without due process, such as the removal of 20.66 lakh names in Punjab. The petitioners are seeking an independent audit of the SIR process by a committee headed by a retired Supreme Court judge.

The Union Government will cap trade margins on anti-cancer medicines at 30 percent of the Maximum Retail Price, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the Supreme Court. While noting the decision, a bench led by Justice Vikram Nath raised broader concerns about excessive margins across the pharmaceutical sector, questioning the justification for large mark-ups on items like cardiac stents. The apex court will further examine the need for a wider regulatory framework in a hearing scheduled for October 27.

The Supreme Court has directed Indian Railways to provide insurance cover for counter tickets, making it equivalent to the coverage offered for online purchases. A bench comprising Justice Ahsanuddhin Amanullah and Justice R. Mahadevan mandated the implementation of this directive within two weeks, effective from October 27, 2026. The Court has directed the Chairman and members of the Railway Board to be personally present on November 16 to report compliance.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the NH-22 four-laning project in Bihar, covering the 82.57-kilometre Muzaffarpur–Sitamarhi–Sonbarsa section. The project, to be developed under the Hybrid Annuity Mode at a cost of ₹3,590.73 crore, is a key component of the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan. It aims to enhance connectivity to the India-Nepal border via the Bhithamore Land Port and link several economic nodes, boosting regional trade and supply chain efficiency.

A high-powered task force on exam reforms will recommend a technology-based solution for paper leaks, according to its head, Nandan Nilekani. Speaking at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum 2026, Mr. Nilekani proposed creating a massive question bank and using technology like AI to generate a unique paper just before an exam. This approach, he argued, would eliminate the economic incentive for leaks by removing a fixed, pre-determined paper.