Daily Current Affairs Quiz 24 October 2026

Introduction: Candidates must file affidavits on their assets, educational qualifications and criminal antecedents with their nominations. Filing false information or hiding it is an offence under Section 125-A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (non-cognisable, bailable; up to six months in prison, a fine, or both). A Bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Sheel Nagu has now held that ordinary private citizens can file such complaints.

Body: (1) The ruling: Section 195 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which needs a public servant's complaint for some offences, does not limit Section 125-A; no court is barred from taking cognisance on a private complaint. (2) Significance: it gives the vigilant citizen-voter locus standi, makes disclosure enforceable from the nomination stage and supports the voter's right to know. (3) Limits: the penalty is light; trials are slow and may end after the term; returning officers do not verify affidavits; a false affidavit is not itself a ground for disqualification.

Reforms: raise the penalty and make conviction a ground for disqualification; let the Election Commission cross-check affidavits with income-tax, property and police databases before polling; fast-track courts for election offences; publish affidavits in a searchable format.

Conclusion: The ruling turns disclosure from a formality into a duty that citizens can enforce; stronger penalties and verification will complete the reform.

213 words · Battle IAS model answer

Introduction: India's Permanent Representative Harish Parvathaneni told the General Assembly that authority derived from victory in the Second World War cannot compensate for a 'deficit in legitimacy' of an unrepresentative Council, and that the United Nations' credibility is 'called into question' as conflicts multiply.

Case for reform: the Council has 15 members, five permanent veto-holders (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States) and 10 elected for two years; Africa has no permanent seat; the Asia-Pacific Group, with over 60% of the world's population, is under-represented; the veto often paralyses action in grave conflicts; India argues that expanding only non-permanent seats leaves the 'central imbalance' untouched.

Obstacles: Charter amendment under Article 108 needs two-thirds of members including all five permanent members; the Uniting for Consensus group opposes new permanent seats; disagreement on the veto for new members; the Intergovernmental Negotiations since 2009 have no text-based process.

India's strategy: work with the G4 and the African Union for a common text; press for text-based negotiations; build support through its 2028-29 candidacy, peacekeeping record and Global South leadership; show flexibility on the veto question.

Conclusion: Reform is hard but necessary; a Council that cannot renew itself will find it harder to command authority.

197 words · Battle IAS model answer