Judiciary (Indian Polity).
Syllabus: UPSC Pre GS1: Indian Polity and Governance; Mains GS2
Lok Adalat for UPSC: Article 39A, Legal Services Authorities Act 1987, NALSA structure, types of Lok Adalats, legal aid eligibility, issues and…
Supreme Court for UPSC: Articles 124-147, 34 judges, appointment and removal, original, appellate, writ and advisory jurisdiction, Article 142 and PYQs.
Article 32 for UPSC: why Ambedkar called it the heart and soul of the Constitution, five writs, Article 32 vs 226, suspension…
Writs for UPSC: the five writs, who can seek them and against whom, Article 32 vs Article 226, key cases and the…
Tribunals for UPSC: why they exist, Articles 323A and 323B from the 42nd Amendment, CAT, NGT, NCLT, L. Chandra Kumar, the 2021…
Judicial review for UPSC: meaning, Articles 13, 32, 226, basic structure, Ninth Schedule review, difference from judicial activism and overreach, and PYQs.
In a judgment of 16 October 2026, a Supreme Court Bench of Justices S.V.N. Bhatti and N.V. Anjaria held that investigating a bribe demand by a public servant does not need prior approval under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Asking for a bribe, the court said, is not part of discharging official duties.
UPSC angle: Prelims: Sections 7, 7A, 17A and 19 of the PC Act. · Mains GS-II/GS-IV: honest officers versus accountability.
19 Oct 2026
On 18 October 2026 Chief Justice of India Surya Kant inaugurated a permanent bench of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in Leh. Until now, a person in Ladakh who wanted to file a writ petition had to travel to Srinagar or Jammu, across high passes and harsh winters. The bench was made possible by a regulation that the President promulgated on 27 August and that came into force on 5 September. It is a simple idea with a big effect: bring the court to the people.
UPSC angle: Prelims: Arts. 214, 231, 241, 226, 39A; common High Court. · Mains GS-II: access to justice, judicial infrastructure.
18 Oct 2026
On 5 October 2026 the President appointed three High Court Chief Justices as judges of the Supreme Court: Justice Sunita Agarwal (Gujarat), Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya (Delhi) and Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh (Telangana). The first two have Allahabad as their parent High Court and the third Jharkhand.
UPSC angle: Prelims: Article 124. · Mains GS-II: judicial appointments.
5 Oct 2026
On 20 September 2026 President Droupadi Murmu spoke at the valedictory session of the International Conference on "The Future of Environment and Climate Dynamics", organised by the National Green Tribunal in New Delhi. She called for people-centric, community-based climate adaptation rooted in traditional knowledge, and for afforestation that restores whole ecosystems.
UPSC angle: Mains: Role of traditional knowledge in climate adaptation.
20 Sep 2026
The Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2026, passed by Parliament in August 2026, creates a judiciary-led National Tribunals Commission to select members of 16 tribunals and oversee them. It repeals the Tribunals Reforms Act, 2021, parts of which the Supreme Court struck down in Madras Bar Association v. Union of India. Members get a five-year term.
UPSC angle: Prelims: 323A/323B.
12 Aug 2026
The Law Ministry told Lok Sabha on 25 July 2026 that a future tribunal law will follow Supreme Court rulings on appointments, tenure and service conditions. On 19 November 2025, in Madras Bar Association v. UOI, the Court struck down certain provisions of the Tribunal Reforms Act, 2021 (para 142).
UPSC angle: Prelims: tribunal jurisprudence.
25 Jul 2026