Government Explores Amendment to Women’s Reservation Act 2023; Considers Lottery System for 33% Seats by 2027

Tamil Nadu Assembly Resolution: Freeze Lok Sabha at 543 Seats, Implement 33% Women's Quota from 2029

The Tamil Nadu Assembly has passed a resolution demanding a permanent freeze of Lok Sabha seats at 543 and implementation of 33% women's reservation from 2029, rejecting any linkage to delimitation. This highlights the ongoing north-south divide over representation and the stalled women's quota implementation.

J&K Panchayat Polls Delayed as OBC Reservation Decision Pending; All Three Tiers of Local Bodies Expired

J&K cannot hold panchayat elections until the government decides on OBC reservation based on the OBC Commission report. All three tiers of local bodies (Panchayats, BDCs, DDCs) have expired, leaving the UT without elected local governance. This deadlock is a key issue in the statehood restoration discourse.

Rajya Sabha Passes Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill 2026, Raising Judge Strength to 38

The Rajya Sabha has cleared 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 of India. The Bill replaces a May ordinance, but Opposition MPs questioned the ordinance route and highlighted the persistent diversity deficit in judicial appointments. This is a high-yield Polity topic for Prelims and Mains, with concrete data on SC/ST/OBC/minority/women representation and judiciary infrastructure.

FCRA Amendment Bill 2026: Govt to Drop Retrospective Clause, Likely Introduced August 12

The Centre has assured to drop the retrospective clause from the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, after concerns from Christian organisations. Mizoram CM Lalduhoma met Home Minister Amit Shah, who confirmed the clause will be removed, and the Bill is likely to be taken up in Lok Sabha on August 12.

SC Collegium Elevation Threatens Maratha Quota Case; 10% SEBC Reservation at Risk

The Supreme Court Collegium’s recommendation to transfer Bombay HC Acting Chief Justice Ravindra V Ghuge to Calcutta HC may force a fresh hearing of the challenge to Maharashtra’s 2024 Maratha reservation law after 20 sittings. This is the second time a bench change has stalled the politically sensitive case, putting the 10% SEBC quota for the Maratha community in legal limbo.

Andhra Pradesh G.O. Rt. No. 1065 Enforces 33.33% BC Reservation in 100 ULBs for Elections

Andhra Pradesh has issued Government Order Rt. No. 1065 implementing 33.33% reservation for Backward Classes in elections to 100 out of 123 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). The move fulfills an NDA poll promise and is linked to the 16th Finance Commission's operational guidelines, which require duly constituted ULBs for grant eligibility. The decision triggers election preparations and has constitutional backing under Articles 243-U, 243-K, and 243-ZA.

Bombay HC Orders Reimbursement to 4 NEET Toppers Denied Govt Seats Due to EWS, Maratha Quotas

The Bombay High Court has directed the Maharashtra government to reimburse fees of four medical students who were denied government college seats despite higher NEET scores, due to the application of EWS and Maratha quotas. The court criticized the 'non-transparent' implementation of the state's reimbursement scheme and upheld the primacy of merit. This judgment is significant for understanding the judicial scrutiny of reservation policies and the principle of merit in public admissions.

Centre Reduces NEET-SS Qualifying Percentile to 30% for Special Stray Vacancy Round; 40 Seats Returned to TN

The Centre agreed in the Supreme Court to lower the NEET-SS qualifying percentile from 50% to 30% for a special stray vacancy round, aiming to fill 1,857 vacant super-speciality seats. Additionally, 40 vacant in-service seats originally diverted to the All-India Quota will be returned to Tamil Nadu for its own counselling, a significant win for the state's in-service reservation policy.