SC Directs Centre on NTA Reform: Radhakrishnan & Nilekani Committee Recommendations

SC's March 11 Creamy Layer Judgment: Centre Seeks Clarification for 100 OBC CSE-2025 Candidates

Centre has approached SC seeking clarification on its March 11 judgment that ruled income cannot be the sole criterion for creamy layer among OBCs. The plea concerns 100 candidates selected in CSE since 2016 but rejected due to creamy layer criteria. The government warns retrospective application could disrupt CSE-2025 training and allocation.

Nandan Nilekani Committee Can Reform NTA’s Hybrid Bureaucracy-Academia Structure for Exam Integrity

This article critically examines why India's high-stakes examinations, despite technology and security measures, continue to face breaches. It argues that the core problem lies not in security but in NTA's flawed hybrid structure that mixes bureaucracy with external academic expertise, leading to weak accountability and process failures at the source.

President Murmu Assents to Anti-Paper Leak Bill: 5-10 Years Jail, ₹50 Lakh Fine, Fast-Track Courts

President Droupadi Murmu has given assent to the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, introducing stricter punishments (5-10 years jail, fines up to ₹50 lakh for individuals, ₹10 crore for organized crime) and mandatory fast-track courts for trials within 3 months. This comes after NEET 2026 paper leak protests.

Madras HC Directs TN Chief Secretary to Form Panel on POCSO, Juvenile Justice Gaps

The Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu government to form a committee of Home, Health, and Law Secretaries to address systemic gaps in implementing the POCSO and Juvenile Justice Acts. The court made key suggestions including gender-neutral application of POCSO, avoiding criminalizing consensual adolescent relationships, and establishing protocols for medical termination of pregnancy and child witness deposition rooms. This is crucial for UPSC aspirants as it touches upon child rights, judicial activism, and state governance.

SC Stays UGC Equity Regulations 2026 as 'Vague', Centre Reconsiders Framework

The Centre informed the Supreme Court that the UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026 — aimed at preventing caste-based discrimination on campuses — is under reconsideration. The SC had earlier stayed the regulations, calling them 'prima facie vague' and potentially divisive. The 2012 regulations remain in force.

SC Directs UGC to Reconsider 2026 Equity Regulations; 2012 Norms to Stay

The Centre informed the Supreme Court that the UGC's 2026 equity regulations (aimed at preventing caste-based discrimination on campuses) are under reconsideration. The SC had earlier stayed these regulations, calling them 'prima facie vague' and potentially divisive, and reinstated the 2012 regulations. This is crucial for understanding the intersection of judicial review, social justice policy, and higher education governance.

Centre Seeks SC Exemption for CSE 2025, 2026 from OBC Creamy Layer Income Test Retroactivity

The Centre has urged the Supreme Court to keep CSE 2025 and 2026 out of the Rohith Nathan judgment's retrospective operation, allowing the older OBC creamy layer income test to continue. It warns that retrospective application would hit 3.7 lakh OBC recruitments since 2016 and trigger widespread litigation across Railways, Banks, Posts and paramilitary.

Supreme Court Directs FSSAI to Set Timeline for FoPL Phase-II High Fat-Sugar-Salt Warning Labels

The Supreme Court has asked FSSAI to provide a scientifically justified and clearly defined timeline for the second phase of Front-of-Package Labelling (FoPL) that warns about high fat, sugar, or salt in packaged foods. The court warned that without a deadline, implementation could be indefinitely postponed and also flagged gaps in label design and school-level nutritional literacy. The next hearing is scheduled for September 10.