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Current affairsFrontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA) Act 2026: Presidential Assent and Autonomy for Six Eastern Nagaland DistrictsPresident Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA) Bill 2026, which was unanimously passed by the Nagaland Legislative Assembly on September 3, 2026. The Act creates a 62-member autonomous authority with powers over 46 subjects for six underserved eastern Nagaland districts, addressing a longstanding demand of the Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation (ENPO). Current affairsLadakh Bench of J&K High Court Inaugurated: Access to Justice in India's Highest UTChief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant inaugurated the Ladakh Bench of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh at Melongthang, Leh on October 18–19, 2026, ending years of geographic inaccessibility to justice for Ladakh's residents. The bench, approved by the Union Cabinet in August 2026, operates as a fully IT-enabled, paperless court and marks the culmination of judicial reforms triggered by the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019. 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 affairsNobel Peace Prize 2026: Navi Pillay Awarded for Promoting Peace and International LawThe Norwegian Nobel Committee on 9 October 2026 awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to South African jurist Navanethem "Navi" Pillay — former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda President, and ICC judge — "for her efforts to promote peace and international law," recognising her pivotal role in prosecuting war crimes and genocide. 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 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 affairsSupreme Court Collegium Approves 12 Additional Judges as Permanent in Four High CourtsOn September 23, 2026, the Supreme Court Collegium comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Vikram Nath and B.V. Nagarathna approved the confirmation of 12 Additional Judges as Permanent Judges across the High Courts of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Uttarakhand, and Gauhati — reinforcing the collegium-driven judicial appointment mechanism that has governed India's higher judiciary since 1993. Current affairsInternational Day of Democracy 2026: Deliberative Democracy and the AI Governance ChallengeThe United Nations observes International Day of Democracy on September 15 each year. The 2026 theme is "Raising Hands and Voices — Fostering Agency and Ownership through Deliberative Democracy," highlighting participatory governance models as democratic institutions face challenges from disinformation, AI-driven political manipulation, and declining citizen trust globally. 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 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 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.
In previous-year questions
- As of 2026, approximately how many cases are pending in India's district and subordinate courts?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Under Section 36 of the Protection of Human Rights Act (PHRA) 1993, the NHRC cannot inquire into any complaint if the alleged violation occurred more than how many years before the complaint is filed?UPSC · Current Affairs