Article 14
Guarantees equality before the law and equal protection of the laws to all persons within India.
On UPSC.wiki
Current affairsPMAY-U 2.0: Original Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Urban Concludes September 2026, Successor Targets 1 Crore More FamiliesAs the original Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) concludes in September 2026 after completing approximately 1 crore houses in over 11 years, its successor — PMAY-U 2.0, approved by the Union Cabinet on August 9, 2024 — is now in full implementation. The new phase targets 1 crore additional urban families with a total investment of ₹10 lakh crore over five years, prioritising women's homeownership and affordable rental housing. Current affairsGlobal Gender Gap Index 2026: India Ranks 131st with 64.5% Parity — Gaps in Economic Participation and Political EmpowermentIndia ranked 131st out of countries surveyed in the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Index 2026, with an overall gender parity score of 64.5%. While India performs relatively better on health and survival, it continues to lag significantly on economic participation and opportunity, and political empowerment — dimensions critical for UPSC Social Justice and Governance papers. Current affairsVarsha Ashok Aglawe: First Woman Director General of the Geological Survey of India in Its 176-Year History — Geology, Critical Minerals, and the GSI MandateVarsha Ashok Aglawe assumed charge as the 54th Director General (DG) of the Geological Survey of India (GSI) in August 2026, becoming the first woman to head the institution in its 176-year history since its founding in 1851. A palaeontologist and palynologist with over three decades of GSI service, she identified a new dinosaur nesting site in Central India and brings expertise in critical mineral exploration that aligns directly with India's National Critical Minerals Mission. Current affairsSupreme Court Reduces Judicial Service Practice Requirement to 1 Year: Bhumika Trust Case 2026 — Complete UPSC GuideIn Bhumika Trust v. Union of India (August 21, 2026), a three-judge Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant reduced the mandatory law practice requirement for Civil Judge (Junior Division) recruitment from three years to one year, introduced a transitional waiver for notifications issued up to March 31, 2027, and mandated structured Academy training plus a two-year clerkship for all fresh appointees. Current affairsFCRA Amendment Bill 2026 Referred to JPC: What Changes, Why It's Contested, and Civil Society ImplicationsLok Sabha referred the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 to a 31-member Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on August 12, 2026. The bill — introduced by the Ministry of Home Affairs on March 25, 2026 — proposes creating a Designated Authority to vest and manage foreign contributions of organisations whose FCRA registration is cancelled, surrendered, or not renewed. Tamil Nadu's legislature and churches in Mizoram have formally opposed the bill over concerns about asset seizure and minority institutional autonomy. Current affairsNTA Overhaul 2026: Four-Tier Paper Checking, 600 Expert Replacement, CISF Security — Restoring Exam Integrity After NEET and UGC-NET ScandalsThe Ministry of Education announced a sweeping overhaul of the National Testing Agency (NTA) in August 2026 — replacing 600 subject-matter experts, introducing a four-tier question-paper checking system, deploying CISF security at NTA offices, and filling ten new leadership roles (CTO, CFO, CISO, GM Test Security, GM R&D). The reforms follow prolonged controversy over paper leaks in NEET-UG and UGC-NET and the enactment of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024. Current affairsSupreme Court Directs Election Commission to Curb Electoral Black Money: Seizure Reporting, Time-Bound Investigation, and Compliance DeadlineThe Supreme Court of India, in a bench led by Justices Sanjay Karol and N.K. Singh, issued comprehensive directions on August 17, 2026 to curb the use of black money in elections — mandating 24-hour seizure reporting, one-year investigation timelines, and a compliance report from the Election Commission of India by November 18, 2026. Current affairsSupreme Court "Judgments and Gender" Handbook 2026: Gender-Sensitive, Trauma-Informed Guidelines for All Indian CourtsSC approved "Judgments and Gender" handbook (July 14, 2026; released Aug 3–4). CJI Surya Kant's bench directed all courts to replace "prosecutrix" with "victim/survivor/complainant", ban patriarchal phrases, and apply trauma-informed adjudication. Triggered by Allahabad HC mischaracterising sexual assault of a 14-year-old as "rape preparation" (2026 SCC OnLine SC 207). NJA committee chaired by Justice Aniruddha Bose. DGPs and Directors of Prosecution also directed. Current affairsDelhi Lakshmi Yojana 2026: ₹2,500 Monthly Cash Transfer for Women and the Unconditional Cash Transfer Policy DebateThe Delhi Government approved the Lakshmi Yojana on 28 July 2026, providing ₹2,500 per month to women aged 21–60 from households with annual income up to ₹2.5 lakh. With a budget of ₹5,110 crore in 2026-27, the scheme is expected to benefit over 17 lakh women. It has reignited India's national debate on the fiscal sustainability, design, and empowerment effectiveness of Unconditional Cash Transfer (UCT) schemes for women. Current affairsSupreme Court Directs 19 States and UTs to Declare Cancer a Notifiable Disease for Early Detection and Uniform CareA Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant directed 19 states and Union Territories to declare cancer a "notifiable disease" to enable systematic early detection, uniform treatment, and data-driven public health planning. The order came in a PIL filed by Dr Anurag Srivastava, a former AIIMS surgeon, noting that only 17 of India's 36 states and UTs had complied with a parliamentary standing committee recommendation to notify cancer. Current affairsVanashakti v. Union of India (2026 INSC 761): Supreme Court Permanently Closes Door on Ex Post Facto Environmental ClearancesIn a landmark judgment on July 29, 2026 (2026 INSC 761), a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court of India headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant quashed the Centre's 2021 Office Memorandum permitting post-facto (retrospective) environmental clearances, ruling that the prior Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) clearance regime under the EIA Notification, 2006 is mandatory and can be modified only through a statutory notification — not an administrative order. Current affairsTribunals Reforms Bill, 2026: Lok Sabha Establishes National Tribunals Commission for 16 Quasi-Judicial BodiesThe Lok Sabha on August 10, 2026, passed the Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2026, establishing a National Tribunals Commission (NTC) to oversee appointments, performance evaluation, and complaints across 16 central tribunals. The legislation fulfils a long-standing Supreme Court directive (Madras Bar Association v. Union of India, 2021) for an independent, non-ministerial oversight body insulating tribunals from executive interference.
In previous-year questions
- The FCRA Amendment Bill 2026 proposes a new "Designated Authority" under Chapter IIIA. Which of the following triggers would cause foreign contributions and associated assets to vest permanently in this Authority under the proposed amendment?UPSC · Current Affairs
- The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and the Council of Churches in Mizoram (CCM) both opposed the FCRA Amendment Bill 2026. Which constitutional provisions are most directly implicated in their concerns about the bill's impact on minority institutions?UPSC · Current Affairs
- In Vanashakti v. Union of India (2026 INSC 761), the Supreme Court quashed the Central Government's 2021 Office Memorandum on post-facto environmental clearances on the ground that it violated which two constitutional provisions?UPSC · Current Affairs
- The Supreme Court bench that directed 19 states and UTs to declare cancer a notifiable disease (August 2026) invoked which constitutional provisions as the legal basis? The PIL argued that non-notification amounts to a violation of these rights.UPSC · Current Affairs
- Which article of the Indian Constitution provides the constitutional basis for making special provisions for women, such as the 33% reservation under the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023?UPSC · Current Affairs