15 October 2026
Justice Milind Ramesh Phadke of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Gwalior Bench, held that electricity is essential in modern life, so the right to electricity is part of the right to life and liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution. The petitioner in Preeti Sharma v. State of Madhya Pradesh, WP-17709-2026, had a temporary domestic connection at her Gwalior house that was disconnected on 27 August 2025 after a complaint by her mother, a respondent in the case. The Court held that she has a right to a connection as an occupier under Section 43 of the Electricity Act, 2003, and that distribution authorities need not decide title, partition or disputes between co-owners while processing a connection application. The respondents were directed to release the connection within seven days, subject to her complying with other norms, and the observations apply only while she remains in possession. The case is reported as 2026 LiveLaw (MP) 417.
Statutory provision:
Section 43, Electricity Act, 2003
Time to release connection:
Seven days
Why it matters for exams: Section 43 of the Electricity Act, 2003 and the expanding content of Article 21 are both heavily examined.
UPSCSSC
In plain words
Occupier Occupier of premises — A person in possession of premises, who may seek a supply even without proof of ownership.
13 October 2026
A division bench of Chief Justice Alpesh Y. Kogje and Justice Vivek Jain at the Jabalpur Bench rejected a plea by guest faculty lecturers in government colleges for regularisation of their services, holding that they have no vested right of regularisation. The Court noted that the State regularly advertises Assistant Professor posts through the Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission, so guest faculty had opportunities to apply. It held that Clause 6.1 of the circular of 5 October 2023, which raised guest faculty honorarium and capped monthly pay at Rs 50,000, does not conflict with Clause 13 of the UGC Regulations, 2018, because guest faculty were not appointed through the same selection process as regular or contractual teachers. The State's concessions in recruitment, including 25 per cent horizontal reservation and age relaxation, were held to be sufficient relaxations and reservations. The Court directed the State to offer a displaced guest faculty member a position at the nearest available college for their subject on disengagement. The case is Abha Agrawal v. State of Madhya Pradesh, WP 16358 of 2024, reported as 2026 LiveLaw (MP) 413.
Monthly pay cap:
Rs 50,000
Horizontal reservation in recruitment:
25 per cent
Why it matters for exams: The no-vested-right-to-regularisation principle and horizontal reservation are both frequently set.
UPSCSSC
In plain words
Horizontal reservation Horizontal reservation — A quota that cuts across all vertical categories rather than forming a separate category.
20 October 2026
Justice Amit Seth of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Gwalior Bench, issued notice to the respondents in Election Petition 6 of 2026, Deepak Belpatri v. Ghanshyam Singh. The petition challenges the election of Ghanshyam Singh, the MLA from the Datia constituency, on the ground that he did not fully disclose his criminal antecedents. The petition states that four cases are pending or disposed of against him while he disclosed only two. The petitioner has asked the Court to declare the election void and to declare respondent Ashutosh Tiwari, or another suitable candidate, duly elected. Notice was made conditional on payment of the process fee within seven working days and was ordered to be sent by registered post with acknowledgment due and by ordinary mode. The next hearing is listed for 1 December 2026.
Constituency:
Datia
Bench:
Gwalior Bench
Next hearing:
1 December 2026
Why it matters for exams: An election petition and the relief of declaring another candidate duly elected are core Representation of the People Act points.
UPSCSSC
In plain words
RAD Registered post with Acknowledgment Due — A postal mode in which the sender gets written proof that the notice was delivered.
Background
The National Tiger Conservation Authority's zone-wise list of tiger reserves places nine reserves in Madhya Pradesh, the largest number shown against any State in that list.
They are Bandhavgarh, Kanha, Madhav, Panna, Pench, Ratapani, Sanjay-Dubri, Satpura and Veerangana Durgavati.
Kanha is among the reserves whose protected area was notified in 1973-74, the earliest group on the Authority's list; its tiger reserve notification is of 2007, and it has a core area of 917.43 sq km and a buffer of 1,134.36 sq km, a total of 2,051.79 sq km.
Satpura has a core of 1,339.26 sq km and a total area of 2,133.31 sq km.
The State also holds three of the most recent additions to the national list: Veerangana Durgavati, notified as a tiger reserve in 2023 with a total area of 2339.12 sq km; Ratapani, notified in 2024 with a total of 1271.465 sq km; and Madhav, notified in 2025 with a core of 375.233 sq km and a total of 1651.387 sq km.
The Authority's list adds up to 46701.29 sq km of core area and 37786.54 sq km of buffer across the country, a total of 84487.83 sq km.
Tiger reserves in the State:
9
Core area of Kanha (sq km):
917.43
Total area of Kanha (sq km):
2,051.79
Newest reserve in the State and its notification year:
Madhav, 2025
Total area of all tiger reserves in India (sq km):
84487.83
Why it matters for exams: Which State has the most tiger reserves, which reserves are the newest and the core and buffer areas of Kanha are all standard questions in geography and environment papers.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
NTCA National Tiger Conservation Authority — The statutory body that notifies and oversees India's tiger reserves.
Core area Core or critical tiger habitat — The inner part of a tiger reserve kept inviolate for the breeding population.
Buffer area Buffer or peripheral area — The surrounding belt of a tiger reserve where limited human use is allowed.
Background
Raisen district is centrally located in Madhya Pradesh, lying between latitudes 22 degrees 47 minutes and 23 degrees 33 minutes North and longitudes 77 degrees 21 minutes and 78 degrees 49 minutes East.
It spans 8,395 sq. km, which the district administration gives as 1.93% of the total area of Madhya Pradesh, and is bordered by Vidisha to the north, Sehore to the west, Sagar to the east and south-east, Narsinghpur to the south-east and Narmadapuram, formerly Hoshangabad, to the south.
The district takes its name from the sandstone Raisen Fort on a hill, the term being traced to Rajavasini or Rajasayan, meaning the royal residence.
In the fifteenth century the area was ruled by the Sultans of Mandu and then by Rajputs; in 1543 Sher Shah Suri captured Raisen from the Puranmal Rajputs, and under Akbar it was the headquarters of a Sarkar in the Subah of Ujjain in Malwa.
After independence, when Bhopal State merged into the Indian Union as a 'C' state, Raisen district was formed on 5th May 1950 with Raisen town as its headquarters, comprising only seven tehsils to begin with.
The district is home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites - the Sanchi Stupa, and the Bhimbetka rock shelters in the southern part of the district near the Satpura range - as well as to the Raisen Fort and the Dargah of Peer Fatehullah Shah Baba, and to the Mahashivratri observance at Bhojpur and the Sanchi Mahotsav.
Area of the district (sq km):
8,395
Share of the State's area as the district gives it:
1.93%
District formed on:
5th May 1950
Tehsils at formation:
seven
World Heritage Sites in the district:
Sanchi Stupa and Bhimbetka
Why it matters for exams: The date on which Bhopal State's merger created this district, its share of the State's area and the World Heritage sites inside it are the facts a State Focus paper picks.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
'C' state Part C State — A category of State in the Constitution as first enacted, administered by a Chief Commissioner.
Sarkar Sarkar — A Mughal administrative division below a Subah, roughly a district.
Tehsil Tehsil — A revenue subdivision of a district in northern and central India.
Background
Anuppur district lies in the south-eastern part of Madhya Pradesh and was formed on 15th August, 2003 out of the district of Shahdol.
Its total area is 3746.71 sq. Km, which the district administration gives as 1.2 per cent of the State.
The district is bounded by Korea in Chhattisgarh to the east, by Dindori and Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh to the south, and by Shahdol to the north and west.
The Amarkantak plateau inside the district is revered as the source of the Narmada, and the district administration records that the Narmada, the Son and the Juhera rivers have their origins at Amarkantak; the Ministry of Tourism records that in Hindu mythology Amarkantak is the meeting point of three rivers, the Narmada, the Son and the Johila. The district administration lists the Juhila, Kewai and Tipan among its major rivers, and the mountain ranges run from south to east across it.
For administration the district has four tehsils, four district panchayats and 282 gram panchayats.
At the 2011 census its population was 749237, of whom 379114 were male and 370123 female, with 74385 Scheduled Castes and 358543 Scheduled Tribes; the density is 200 per sq. Km and the decadal growth rate fell from 21.22 to 12.30.
District formed on:
15th August, 2003
Parent district:
Shahdol
Area (sq km):
3746.71
Population at the 2011 census:
749237
Scheduled Tribe population:
358543
Gram panchayats:
282
Why it matters for exams: The source of the Narmada, the parent district from which Anuppur was carved and the heavy Scheduled Tribe share of its population are all exam-worthy facts about this district.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Amarkantak Amarkantak — The plateau in Anuppur district revered as the source of the Narmada.
Gram panchayat Gram panchayat — The village-level unit of rural local government.
Population density Population density — The number of people living in each square kilometre.
Background
The Ministry of Tourism's account of Madhya Pradesh places the Gwalior Fort among the state's architectural marvels and records that it was built by Raja Man Singh Tomar and served as the main residence of the rulers of the Tomar dynasty for a long period.
The Orchha Fort Complex stands against the backdrop of the Betwa River; its forts and palaces were built over a period of time by successive Maharajas of Orchha State and are a display of Mughal-influenced Rajput architecture, and the town is known for its palaces, temples and chhatris, or cenotaphs.
Omkareshwar is seated on an island formed by the Narmada River, and the Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga Temple draws devotees there; Ujjain, elsewhere in the state, holds the Mahakaleshwar Temple.
The Bagh Caves are a group of nine rock-cut monuments situated among the southern slopes of the Vindhyas in Bagh town of Dhar district, and are renowned for mural paintings that have retained their vibrancy over centuries.
The state's craft traditions include Dhokra, an ancient method of metal casting practised by tribal communities for generations, and Batik printing, a dyeing technique with a history spanning over 2000 years in which wax applied to fabric resists the dye and leaves intricate patterns.
Builder of the Gwalior Fort:
Raja Man Singh Tomar
River beside the Orchha Fort Complex:
Betwa River
River forming the island at Omkareshwar:
Narmada River
Rock-cut monuments in the Bagh Caves group:
nine
District holding the Bagh Caves:
Dhar
Age of the Batik printing tradition:
over 2000 years
Why it matters for exams: Which dynasty a fort belonged to, which river a heritage town stands on and which district holds a particular cave group are the exact pairings a State Focus paper tests.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Jyotirlinga Jyotirlinga — A shrine of Shiva counted among a traditional set of especially revered lingas.
Chhatri Chhatri — A domed cenotaph raised in memory of a ruler, a feature of Orchha's skyline.
Dhokra Dhokra metal casting — An ancient method of metal casting practised by tribal communities for generations.
Batik Batik printing — A dyeing technique in which wax applied to fabric resists the dye and leaves a pattern.
Rock-cut monument Rock-cut monument — A structure carved directly into living rock rather than built up from blocks.
Background
Jabalpur, the district where the High Court of Madhya Pradesh sits, covers 5,211 sq km and has Jabalpur town as its headquarters. Its population is 24,63,289, of whom 12,77,278 are males and 11,86,011 are females, and it has 1,514 villages. The language of the district is Hindi. Besides the High Court, Jabalpur holds the headquarters of West Central Railway and the Army headquarters for five states, namely Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Bihar and Jharkhand. The city was a historical centre of the Kalachuri and Gond dynasties, with a culture shaped by intermittent Mughal and Maratha rule.
Area:
5,211 Sq. Km.
Population:
24,63,289
Villages:
1,514
Why it matters for exams: Where a High Court sits, which railway zone is headquartered there and the district's area and population are all directly asked.
UPSCSSC
In plain words
West Central Railway West Central Railway — One of the zones of Indian Railways, with its headquarters at Jabalpur.
Background
Panna district is located in the north-eastern part of Madhya Pradesh. Panna town is its administrative seat, and the district is the northern district of Sagar division. It was a Gond settlement until the 13th century, after which Raja Chhatrasal Bundela made it his capital. Panna later became part of Vindhya Pradesh, and Vindhya Pradesh merged into Madhya Pradesh on 1 November 1956.
Division:
Northern district of Sagar division
Merger of Vindhya Pradesh:
1 November 1956
Why it matters for exams: Which princely region merged into Madhya Pradesh and on what date is a standard State formation question.
UPSCSSC
In plain words
Vindhya Pradesh Vindhya Pradesh — A former State of the Indian Union that was merged into Madhya Pradesh.
Background
Indore district sits on the Malwa plateau at an altitude of 553 m. Two small rivulets, the Saraswati and the Khan, meet at the centre of the city, and an eighteenth century temple called Sangamnath or Indreshwar stands at the meeting point. The name Indore is due to this deity. With a population of 32,76,697 at the 2011 census, it is one of India's million-plus cities, the largest city in Madhya Pradesh and the commercial capital of the State.
Altitude:
553 m
Population, 2011:
32,76,697
Why it matters for exams: Place-name origins, plateau location and the largest city of a State are frequently set together.
UPSCSSC
In plain words
Malwa plateau Malwa plateau — The volcanic upland of western Madhya Pradesh on which Indore stands.
Background
Bhopal district, the seat of the State government of Madhya Pradesh, was formed in 1972. It lies between 23.07 and 23.54 North latitude and 77.12 and 77.40 East longitude, at an elevation of 180 to 505 metres. Its two lakes still dominate the city and form its nucleus, and the district is surrounded by lakes and hills. The city traces back to the eleventh century Bhojpal, founded by Raja Bhoj, while the present city was established by the Afghan soldier Dost Mohammed, who lived from 1707 to 1740. Begums ruled Bhopal from 1819 to 1926.
District formed:
1972
Rule of the Begums:
1819 to 1926
Elevation:
180 to 505 metres
Why it matters for exams: The founding of Bhopal, the Begums' period and the district's formation year are all commonly asked.
UPSCSSC
In plain words
Bhojpal Bhojpal — The eleventh century settlement founded by Raja Bhoj from which Bhopal descends.
Background
The incentive package offered to units in the Gwalior zone shows how a State competes for electronics investment. A unit is offered a 50 per cent capital subsidy on eligible fixed investment, capped at Rs 200 crore, along with employment assistance and skill development support and freight subsidies for exports. There is reimbursement for research and development units and for patent, copyright and trademark filings, within limits, together with stamp duty reimbursement and power tariff rebates. The zone's planned coverage spans devices, optical fibre, semiconductors and 5G and 6G research and development, with common testing and certification labs, and it is linked to the India Semiconductor Mission, the Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme and the Telecom Technology Development Fund.
Capital subsidy:
50 per cent of eligible fixed investment, capped at Rs 200 crore
Why it matters for exams: Capital subsidy caps and the central missions a State cluster is tied to are both examinable economy points.
UPSCSSC
In plain words
India Semiconductor Mission India Semiconductor Mission — The central programme for building semiconductor and display manufacturing in India.