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Pesticides Management Bill, 2025

Pesticides Management Bill, 2025 On 7 January 2026, the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare released a fresh draft of the Pesticides Management Bill, 2025, aimed at regulating the manufacture, import, sale and use of pesticides. It seeks to replace the existing Insecticides Act, 1968 and the Insecticides Rules, 1971. Salient Feature of the Draft Bill Details Comprehensive Regulation The framework covers the entire lifecycle of pesticide

13 April, 2026
Institutional Mechanism in Agriculture
Agriculture Credit
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SC Ruling on Equal Inheritance for Tribal Women

SC Ruling on Equal Inheritance for Tribal Women The Supreme Court delivered a landmark verdict affirming that tribal women possess equal rights to inherit ancestral property. The ruling marks a major step toward gender equality in regions governed by traditional and customary laws. By striking down patriarchal customary practices that historically favoured male heirs, the Court reinforced that culture and autonomy cannot be used to deny women their constitutional protections.

Supreme Court Limits on Narco-Analysis

Supreme Court Limits on Narco-Analysis In December 2025, the Supreme Court set aside a Patna High Court order and reaffirmed that involuntary narco-analysis is unconstitutional. Upholding the landmark Selvi vs. State of Karnataka (2010) guidelines, the Court ruled that investigative requirements cannot override fundamental rights. The judgment protects the dignity and autonomy of accused persons during investigation. It makes clear that scientific techniques such as narco-analysis ca

Environmental Responsibility as Core CSR: SC

Environmental Responsibility as Core CSR: SC On December 19, 2025, the Supreme Court delivered a landmark ruling interpreting Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to inherently include environmental protection. While addressing conservation of the endangered Great Indian Bustard (GIB), the Court held that corporations have a fundamental duty to safeguard ecology as key organs of society. The ruling expands CSR beyond charity and welfare activities. It treats environmental protection

SC Ruling on Pollution Control Board Powers

SC Ruling on Pollution Control Board Powers On August 4, 2025, the Supreme Court delivered a landmark judgment empowering State Pollution Control Boards (PCBs) to penalize environmental violations. Reversing a previous High Court decision, the Court clarified the statutory authority of these boards to ensure environmental accountability. The ruling strengthens the enforcement role of PCBs by allowing them to act not only after damage has occurred but also preventively where environme

Supreme Court Expands Ambit of POSH Act, 2013

Supreme Court Expands Ambit of POSH Act, 2013 On December 10, 2025, the Supreme Court delivered a landmark ruling broadening the jurisdiction of Internal Complaints Committees (ICCs) under the POSH Act, 2013. The decision addresses modern workplace complexities where survivors and harassers may belong to different organizations. The ruling makes the POSH framework more practical for contemporary work environments, where work is not limited to a single physical office and may involve

SC Verdict on Reproductive Autonomy in Surrogacy

SC Verdict on Reproductive Autonomy in Surrogacy On October 9, 2025, the Supreme Court ruled that age limits under the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021 cannot apply retrospectively. The ruling protects couples who had initiated IVF or frozen embryos before the law came into effect in January 2022. The judgment recognizes reproductive autonomy as a part of personal liberty and privacy. It prevents couples from being unfairly denied surrogacy access after they had already begun lawful

Religion and Privacy are Interlinked: SC

Religion and Privacy are Interlinked: SC In October 2025, the Supreme Court delivered a landmark verdict while hearing challenges to Uttar Pradesh’s Anti-Conversion Law. The Court ruled that the right to choose a religion is a personal choice, and excessive State regulation of it violates fundamental rights. The verdict links freedom of conscience with privacy and autonomy. It recognizes that faith, conversion, and marriage are deeply personal decisions that cannot be controlle

SC Extends ‘Public Trust Doctrine’ to Man-made Lakes

SC Extends ‘Public Trust Doctrine’ to Man-made Lakes On October 9, 2025, the Supreme Court expanded the scope of environmental protection by ruling that the Public Trust Doctrine applies to man-made lakes and reservoirs, not just natural water bodies. The verdict came in a plea involving Futala Lake in Nagpur. The ruling prevents governments or authorities from treating public ecological resources as ordinary property. Even if a water body is man-made, it can still serve

Income Alone Can’t Decide OBC Creamy Layer: SC

Income Alone Can’t Decide OBC Creamy Layer: SC The Supreme Court has ruled that income cannot be the sole criterion for determining the “creamy layer” among Other Backward Classes (OBCs). The judgment addresses a long-standing issue regarding “equivalence” between children of government servants and employees working in PSUs or the private sector. The Court clarified that the status of a candidate should not be judged only by salary or income. Instead, t

Ethnographic Study of Denotified and Nomadic Communities

Ethnographic Study of Denotified and Nomadic Communities The Anthropological Survey of India and Tribal Research Institutes have completed a landmark ethnographic study, successfully classifying 268 previously unmapped Denotified, Semi-Nomadic and Nomadic Tribes. The study addresses the historical neglect of communities that were stigmatized under the colonial-era Criminal Tribes Act. These communities have often faced social exclusion, poor documentation and weak access to welfare s