Daily Bulletin

The Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA) has filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging provisions of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act) and its Rules, specifically concerning the disclosure of confidential journalistic sources. The DNPA argues that Section 36, which allows the Central Government to demand information from data fiduciaries, and the lack of journalistic exemptions, violate fundamental rights including freedom of the press under Article 19(1)(a) and the right to privacy under Article 21, with concerns about potential penalties up to ₹250 crore.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has implemented a series of significant reforms, including removing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) declaration from the online voter enrolment Form 6 on its ECINet portal, making it a separate document. This decision, communicated to the Supreme Court in an October 26 counter-affidavit, follows objections from Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, who deemed the earlier insertion "unauthorised/illegal." Other key changes, reported on November 4, 2026, include mandating the circulation of agendas and minutes for Commission meetings, requiring Commission approval for officers' foreign travel, subjecting new IT modules to a Committee of Officers and Commission approval, and constituting an audit of ECINet's compliance.

A seven-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, on November 4, 2026, declared a nearly three-decade-old reference concerning states' legislative competence to impose additional sales tax or surcharge as academic. The bench ruled that the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime in 2017 rendered the constitutional question infructuous, which originated from Arjun Flour Mills v. State of Odisha (1994) challenging the Odisha Sales Tax Act, 1947.

The Government of India has notified the Bharatiya Vayuyan Niyam, 2026, a comprehensive new rulebook for India’s civil aviation sector, set to come into force on January 1, 2027. These rules, comprising 220 provisions across eight chapters and six schedules, replace the outdated Aircraft Rules, 1937, aiming to modernize the regulatory framework in line with advancements in aircraft technology, operations, and financing, and include a graded penalty structure from ₹10,000 to ₹1 crore.

The Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court, in a ruling on October 30, set aside the Public Safety Act (PSA) detention of 26-year-old Ajaz Ahmad Seh from Pulwama, observing that merely using an encrypted application or VPN, or being in contact with alleged terrorist associates, is insufficient for preventive detention. Justice Wasim Sadiq Nargal highlighted the lack of specific particulars and questioned the District Magistrate's independent application of mind, emphasizing that preventive detention is a precautionary measure to be exercised sparingly and in strict conformity with constitutional safeguards.

The Supreme Court, on November 4, 2026, expressed a strong opinion that laws disqualifying individuals with more than two children from contesting local body elections have lost their relevance due to India's declining fertility rate. A bench comprising Justice PS Narasimha and Justice Alok Aradhe referred the 2003 Javed v State of Haryana judgment, which upheld the two-child norm, to a larger bench for reconsideration, noting that India's Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has fallen to 1.9, below the replacement level of 2.1.

Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla, on November 4, 2026, called for a common digital Audit Monitoring Platform for state legislatures, mirroring the system used by parliamentary committees, during the valedictory session of the Conference of Chairpersons of Public Accounts Committees (PACs) in Thiruvananthapuram. Speaker Birla emphasized that such a platform would significantly enhance the efficiency, transparency, and effectiveness of legislative oversight. The conference also adopted the "Keralam Resolution", proposing measures like setting deadlines for Action Taken Reports, developing digital monitoring systems, and strengthening coordination with the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) using advanced forensic tools.

The Supreme Court rejected a plea seeking mandatory rotation of seats reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in State Legislative Assemblies and Parliament. The Court, comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V Mohana, affirmed that this matter falls within the legislative domain of Parliament and cannot be directed by the judiciary, upholding Section 9(1)(c) of the Delimitation Act, 2002. Petitioner Jagdish Singh had argued that continuous reservation, such as in the 191-Kadipur Assembly Constituency reserved for SCs for nearly seven decades, violates constitutional rights.