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Current affairsAll 25 High Courts Get Permanent Chief Justices: Centre Notifies Eight Appointments — Collegium System, Article 217, and Judicial PendencyThe Ministry of Law and Justice on September 5, 2026, notified the appointments of eight High Court judges as Chief Justices across eight High Courts. Following these appointments, all 25 High Courts in India now function with permanent Chief Justices for the first time — a milestone reflecting both the Supreme Court Collegium's functioning and efforts to address the judiciary's leadership deficit amid India's record case pendency crisis. Current affairsUNGA Declares November 27 as International Day Against Child, Early and Forced Marriage: India's Role, Legal Framework, and SDG 5.3The 193-member United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted by consensus on September 4–5, 2026, a landmark resolution designating November 27 every year as the International Day for the Elimination of Child, Early and Forced Marriage. India co-sponsored the resolution, which carries special national significance — November 27, 2024 was the launch date of India's 'Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat' campaign. Current affairsSupreme Court Directs States to Raise District Judges' Retirement Age: Pendency Crisis, Constitutional Framework, and Judicial ReformA Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant directed all States and Union Territories on September 1, 2026, to consider raising the retirement age of district judiciary judicial officers from 60 to 61/62 years, in the long-pending case All India Judges Association v. Union of India (W.P.(C) No. 1022/1989). The direction is driven by over 5.18 crore pending cases in district courts and 1,744 vacancies, and is contested by 10 States citing financial constraints. Current affairsGollala Gudi Temple in Telangana Declared Monument of National Importance by ASI — Kakatiya Heritage Near Ramappa UNESCO SiteThe Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has declared the Gollala Gudi temple complex in Palampet village, Mulugu district, Telangana, a Monument of National Importance — bringing ASI-protected sites in the state to 10. The Kakatiya-era temple, featuring three sanctums with a Shiva Lingam, is located near the UNESCO World Heritage Ramappa Temple. 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 affairsSupreme Court on Black Money in Elections: Directions to Curb Unaccounted Cash, Expedite Probes, and Protect Democratic IntegrityThe Supreme Court of India, in State of Karnataka & Anr. v. Prathik Parasrampuria (2026 INSC 868, August 17, 2026), held that the use of black money in elections "compromises democracy's core" and issued binding directions: report cash seizures above ₹10 lakh within 24 hours, complete election-related investigations within one year, designate specialised courts for candidate-related cases, and require High Court approval before withdrawing prosecutions. 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 affairsTribunals Reforms Act 2026: National Tribunals Commission Ends Executive Control — Judicial Independence RestoredThe Tribunals Reforms Act, 2026 received Presidential assent on August 13, 2026, after passing both Houses of Parliament within a single day. It repeals the Tribunals Reforms Act, 2021 — key provisions of which the Supreme Court had struck down for violating separation of powers — and establishes a National Tribunals Commission (NTC) as an independent institutional mechanism for appointments, performance review, and oversight of tribunals across India. Current affairsSupreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026: Sanctioned Strength Raised from 34 to 38 — Tackling 92,000+ Case BacklogParliament has passed the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, raising the apex court's sanctioned strength from 34 to 38 judges (including the Chief Justice). The Bill replaces the May 2026 ordinance and amends the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956 — a direct response to the 92,000+ case pendency crisis in India's highest court. 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 affairsKerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026: Parliament Renames Kerala as "Keralam" — Article 3, First Schedule, and Constitutional ProcedureParliament passed the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 in both Houses — Lok Sabha on August 11 and Rajya Sabha on August 12, 2026 — to rename the state from "Kerala" to "Keralam" in the First Schedule of the Constitution. The Bill awaits Presidential assent. It follows the constitutional procedure under Article 3, requiring only a simple majority, not a constitutional amendment under Article 368. Current affairsSupreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 2026: Parliament Expands Apex Court Bench to 38 JudgesParliament passed the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026 — Lok Sabha on 3 August and Rajya Sabha on 5 August — permanently increasing the apex court's sanctioned bench strength from 34 to 38 judges (including the Chief Justice). The legislation replaces an Ordinance promulgated on 16 May 2026 and amends Section 2 of the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956.