Daily Bulletin

The Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023, has altered the process for appointing Election Commissioners, raising constitutional questions about institutional independence. The new law establishes a selection committee comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, and a Union Cabinet Minister nominated by the Prime Minister. This legislation effectively overrides the Supreme Court's 2023 ruling in Anoop Baranwal v. Union of India, which had mandated a committee including the Chief Justice of India to ensure impartiality.

The Union government has launched a PMAY-G housing initiative in Andhra Pradesh to construct 3 lakh permanent houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin 2.0). Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Andhra Pradesh CM Shri Nara Chandrababu Naidu inaugurated the project in Guntur district, releasing the first instalment of ₹3,600 crore. The final allocation was increased from an initial proposal of 76,000 houses following a request from the state government.

The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognisance of the library's potential displacement due to the Central Vista project. A bench will hear the matter concerning the 135-year-old Central Secretariat Library, the second-largest in the country, which was ordered by the Central Public Works Department to vacate its premises in Shastri Bhawan without a confirmed alternative location.

A July 1995 Supreme Court Constitution Bench ruling affirmed the multi-member structure of the Election Commission of India and the principle of decision-making by majority. The court held that while the Chief Election Commissioner has stronger protection from removal under Article 324, this does not grant superior authority, establishing the CEC's position as 'primus inter pares' or first among equals. The case arose after the 1993 appointment of two Election Commissioners alongside then-CEC T.N. Seshan.

Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan described mass disenfranchisement of citizens as "intrinsically arbitrary" and a negation of the constitutional order. Delivering a valedictory address in Hyderabad, he asserted that the right to vote is a constitutional right integral to citizenship, citing Articles 325 and 326. His remarks were made amidst the ongoing controversy surrounding the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Union Agriculture Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan conducted an extensive survey of flood-affected districts in Bihar, where nearly 50 lakh people have been affected. The floods, with water levels reportedly a foot higher than in 2016, have severely damaged banana and maize crops in districts including Hajipur, Munger, and Bhagalpur. An Inter-Ministerial Central Team will conduct a detailed assessment for assistance under the National Disaster Response Fund, supplementing the state's immediate relief of ₹7,000 per family.

The Jharkhand High Court has questioned the legal authority for the continued detention of a woman at a Foreigners’ Holding Centre, invoking Article 21 and the right to personal liberty. The woman, alleged to be a Bangladeshi national, was acquitted of charges under the Foreigners Act on July 20, 2026, but remains in detention. The court has directed the state's Home Secretary to appear on October 5 to explain the legal basis for her confinement.

An Everest cumin powder recall has been ordered by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) after a sample was found to be "unsafe" due to excessive pesticide residues. The specific batch, tested by a Referral Food Laboratory, contained Azoxystrobin and Thiamethoxam beyond prescribed limits. The FSSAI has directed the company to withdraw the entire batch from the market and implement corrective actions.