Article 14
Guarantees equality before the law and equal protection of the laws to all persons within India.
On UPSC.wiki
Current affairsFast Track Special Courts Scheme Extended to March 2031: ₹3,788 Crore for Speedy Justice in Rape and POCSO CasesThe Union Cabinet approved a five-year extension of the Fast Track Special Courts (FTSC) scheme from April 2026 to March 2031 with a financial outlay of ₹3,788.04 crore, expanding the network from 779 to 850 courts — including exclusive POCSO courts — to deliver time-bound justice in rape and child sexual abuse cases across 29 states and UTs. Current affairsSupreme Court Clarifies OBC Creamy Layer Ruling: Parental Post Category Must Be Considered; Past Allocations UndisturbedOn 6 November 2026, the Supreme Court clarified its landmark March 11 judgment that salary income alone cannot determine OBC creamy layer status — the category of government posts held by parents must also be considered. The Court held the ruling prospective, leaving concluded selections and promotions undisturbed, but directed it to govern the pending Civil Services Examination 2025 service allocations. Current affairsHigh-Level Committee on Banking for Viksit Bharat: Government Constitutes Reform Panel Under Former CVC Suresh N. PatelThe Union Government constituted the "High-Level Committee on Banking for Viksit Bharat" on October 30, 2026, chaired by former Central Vigilance Commissioner Suresh N. Patel, to recommend structural, regulatory, and legislative reforms to make Indian banks globally competitive, financially inclusive, and resilient by 2047. The committee has a six-month tenure and includes the RBI Deputy Governor and two former senior banking officials as members. Current affairsNational Sentencing Policy for India: Supreme Court Direction, Malimath Committee and UPSC AnalysisIndia has no national sentencing guidelines, leaving criminal sentencing "judge-centric" — the same offence can draw radically different sentences from different judges. In Sunita Devi v. State of Bihar (May 2024), the Supreme Court directed the Department of Justice to examine a national sentencing policy, stating "sentencing shall not be a mere lottery." The Malimath Committee (2003) first proposed a statutory Sentencing Commission. The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS, 2023) reformed criminal law but contains no sentencing framework, keeping the structural gap live in 2026 jurisprudence. Current affairsInternational Day of the Girl Child 2026 (October 11): Theme, Child Marriage, and India's Legal FrameworkThe United Nations observes International Day of the Girl Child every year on 11 October. The 2026 theme is "End child marriage and invest in girls' rights," reflecting the global urgency to eliminate child marriage affecting approximately 12 million girls annually. India, home to the largest number of child brides globally in absolute terms, has robust legal provisions against child marriage while continuing to address enforcement and social norm gaps. Current affairsGujarat Uniform Civil Code 2026: Presidential Assent and India's Journey Towards a Common Civil LawPresident Droupadi Murmu gave assent to the Gujarat Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, 2026 on September 17, 2026, making Gujarat the second Indian state after Uttarakhand to enact a UCC. The Act governs marriage, divorce, succession and live-in relationships for all residents irrespective of religion, and will come into force on a date to be notified separately by the state government. Current affairsNational Tribunals Commission Rules 2026: Independent Oversight Body for India's 16 Quasi-Judicial TribunalsThe Ministry of Law and Justice notified the National Tribunals Commission and Qualification, Selection and Conditions of Service of Chairperson and Members of Tribunals Rules, 2026 on September 30, 2026, published in the Official Gazette on October 3. These rules operationalise the Tribunals Reforms Act, 2026, which established an independent National Tribunals Commission (NTC) to replace the Central Government's role in tribunal appointments and oversight — a direct response to Supreme Court rulings that struck down executive dominance in the 2021 tribunal reform framework. Current affairsUIDAI Aadhaar Samvaad 2026: Five New Initiatives Launched on 17th Aadhaar Day in KolkataThe Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) held its annual 'Aadhaar Samvaad' stakeholder conference in Kolkata on September 29, 2026, marking the 17th Aadhaar Day. Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) Jitin Prasada was the chief guest at the event, which saw over 600 stakeholders participate. Five new initiatives were unveiled: Face Authentication for the electronic Public Distribution System (ePDS), SWIK Portal 2.0, Sub-AUA/Sub-KUA LITE Framework, a New Token Management System, and a revamped UIDAI website. Current affairsGender Snapshot 2026 (UN Women & UN DESA): 1 in 3 Gender Equality Institutions Weakened, SDG 5 Off Track by 171 YearsUN Women and UN DESA jointly released the Gender Snapshot 2026 on September 17, 2026, revealing that 1 in 3 national gender equality institutions lost institutional power in just two years, while bilateral aid for gender equality fell 13% between 2023 and 2024. Not a single SDG 5 (Gender Equality) indicator is on track by 2030, and gender equality globally is 171 years away at the current pace of progress. 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.
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
- With reference to the Fast Track Special Courts (FTSC) Scheme, which Article of the Constitution has been interpreted by the Supreme Court to include the right to a speedy trial as a fundamental right?UPSC · Current Affairs