Article 226
Empowers High Courts to issue writs for enforcement of fundamental rights and for any other purpose — wider than Article 32.
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Current affairsNHRC India Faces GANHRI Accreditation Review: Downgrade from 'A' to 'B' StatusThe Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) has postponed its final accreditation review of India's National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to November 2026. NHRC faces a potential historic downgrade from 'A' (fully compliant) to 'B' (partially compliant) status under the Paris Principles, following concerns about independence, transparency in appointments, and its failure to adequately address serious human rights violations. Current affairsPreventive Detention and Article 22 Safeguards: Supreme Court Reinforces Constitutional Protections in 2026The Supreme Court issued two landmark rulings in 2026 on Article 22 safeguards. September 2026: arrest without written grounds is void ab initio — the accused is entitled to release, not bail. August 2026: preventive detention is fundamentally illegal if the detaining authority does not explicitly inform the detenu of their right to represent before it. Both rulings tighten constitutional accountability under Articles 22(1) and 22(5). 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 affairsSupreme Court Issues Fresh Directions Against Digital Arrest Scams: RBI Ordered to Frame SOP on Mule Accounts Within Four WeeksThe Supreme Court of India has issued fresh nationwide directions to combat digital arrest scams, ordering the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to frame a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for handling mule bank accounts within four weeks, directing states to operationalise cyber fraud grievance mechanisms and e-Zero FIRs, and requiring the SOP to be shared with every High Court Registrar General. Complaints on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal fell sharply from 1,23,672 in 2024 to 16,377 by June 30, 2026. Current affairsThamirabarani River Declared a Legal Person: Madras High Court's Earth Jurisprudence RulingThe Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court (Justices G.R. Swaminathan and B. Pugalendhi) declared the Thamirabarani River a legal person on July 23, 2026, grounding the ruling in its status as a Hindu deity and banning all immersions and dumping in the river — the first such declaration in Tamil Nadu and a landmark development in India's Earth Jurisprudence. 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
- Under which Article of the Constitution of India does the High Court exercise control over district courts and subordinate courts, including the discipline and postings of judicial officers?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Which body hears appeals against orders passed by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), and under which provision of the SEBI Act, 1992?UPSC · Current Affairs
- The writ of habeas corpus is the primary remedy against unlawful detention in India. Which of the following statements about habeas corpus petitions is correct?UPSC · Current Affairs