5 October 2026
The Supreme Court agreed to an early listing of a writ petition filed by Rakesh Kumar Singh concerning decisions taken by the Election Commission of India under Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Senior Advocate Vikas Singh mentioned the matter before a bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, submitting that the Election Commission is a multi-member body whose decisions require unanimity or a majority. The petition seeks the suspension of the Chief Election Commissioner pending adjudication, a writ of quo warranto, the preservation and production of Commission records, and an inquiry headed by a retired Supreme Court judge. Business Standard reported on 4 October 2026 that the bench would take up the pleas on Monday.
Petitioner:
Rakesh Kumar Singh
Bench led by:
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant
Counsel:
Senior Advocate Vikas Singh
Writ sought:
Quo warranto
Why it matters for exams: Article 324, the multi-member character of the Election Commission and the writ of quo warranto are frequently tested together.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Quo warranto By what authority — A writ by which a court asks a person holding a public office to show the authority under which the office is held.
5 October 2026
President of the Swiss Confederation Guy Parmelin is on a state visit to India from 5 to 7 October 2026 at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He holds bilateral talks with the Prime Minister on 5 October covering trade, investment, science, technology, innovation, mobility and culture. He also calls on President Droupadi Murmu, who hosts an official banquet, and meets External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. On 7 October he takes part in the second India-EFTA Prosperity Summit, held on the first anniversary of the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement. India and Switzerland established diplomatic relations on 14 August 1948 through a Treaty of Friendship.
Visitor:
Guy Parmelin, President of the Swiss Confederation
Dates:
5 to 7 October 2026
Summit:
Second India-EFTA Prosperity Summit, 7 October
Diplomatic relations since:
14 August 1948
Why it matters for exams: State visits, the office of the Swiss President and the India-EFTA agreement are regular objective questions in both PSC and UPSC papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
EFTA European Free Trade Association — A four-country European bloc of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, separate from the European Union.
Background
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is the United Nations specialized agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine and atmospheric pollution by ships. The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) is generally regarded as the most important of all international treaties concerning the safety of merchant ships, while the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) is the main international convention covering prevention of pollution of the marine environment by ships. SOLAS, 1974 was adopted on 1 November 1974 and entered into force on 25 May 1980. The MARPOL Convention was adopted on 2 November 1973, with a 1978 Protocol and a 1997 Protocol that added a new Annex VI. MARPOL's Annexes I and II entered into force on 2 October 1983. Annex I carries the Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Oil, and Annex II the Regulations for the Control of Pollution by Noxious Liquid Substances in Bulk.
SOLAS adoption:
1 November 1974
SOLAS entry into force:
25 May 1980
MARPOL adoption:
1973 (Convention), 1978 (1978 Protocol), 1997 (Protocol - Annex VI)
MARPOL entry into force:
2 October 1983 (Annexes I and II)
Why it matters for exams: Candidates are regularly asked to match the maritime convention to its subject, and to separate the dates of adoption from the dates of entry into force.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
IMO International Maritime Organization — The United Nations specialized agency responsible for the safety and security of shipping and for preventing pollution by ships.
SOLAS International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea — The IMO convention dealing with the safety of merchant ships and the people on board.
MARPOL International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships — The IMO convention dealing with pollution of the sea and the air by ships, organised in annexes.
Background
The Antarctic Treaty was signed in Washington on 1 December 1959 by the twelve countries whose scientists had been active in and around Antarctica during the International Geophysical Year (IGY) of 1957-58. It entered into force in 1961 and has since been acceded to by many other nations. Article I provides that Antarctica shall be used for peaceful purposes only. Article II provides that freedom of scientific investigation in Antarctica and cooperation toward that end shall continue, and Article III that scientific observations and results from Antarctica shall be exchanged and made freely available. Seven of the signatories - Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom - had territorial claims, sometimes overlapping, and other countries do not recognize any claims. Article IV preserves the status quo: no acts or activities taking place while the treaty is in force shall constitute a basis for asserting, supporting or denying a claim to territorial sovereignty in Antarctica, and no new claim or enlargement of an existing claim shall be asserted while the treaty is in force. Under Article VII all areas of Antarctica, including all stations, installations and equipment within those areas, shall be open at all times to inspection.
Signed at:
Washington
Date of signature:
1 December 1959
Original signatories:
twelve countries
Entered into force:
1961
Peaceful purposes only:
Article I
Signatories with territorial claims:
seven countries
Why it matters for exams: The treaty is the standard example of a demilitarised, science-only regime, and the number of original signatories and the claim-freezing article are frequently asked.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
IGY International Geophysical Year — A worldwide programme of earth-science research during which scientists from twelve countries worked in and around Antarctica.
Territorial sovereignty — A state's legal claim to rule a defined piece of territory.
Background
The legislative power in Peru, called the Poder Legislativo, rests with the Congress of the Republic (Congreso de la República). The Congress's own rules describe the Senate (Senado) as one of the two chambers that make up the bicameral structure (estructura bicameral) of the Congress of the Republic; the other chamber is the Chamber of Deputies (Cámara de Diputados). The Senate is made up of a minimum of sixty senators (sesenta senadores), and its members are elected for a term of five years (cinco años). Members of this chamber are called senators and may officially use the title Senador de la República. Its organisation and working are governed by the Political Constitution of Peru (Constitución Política del Perú), the Rules of the Congress of the Republic (Reglamento del Congreso de la República) and the chamber's own rules. Among the Senate's special functions are the ratification of the president of the Banco Central de Reserva and of the superintendente de banca, seguros y AFP, and the removal of senior officers of the state in the cases laid down by the Constitution.
Structure of the Congress:
estructura bicameral
Upper chamber:
Senado
Other chamber:
Cámara de Diputados
Minimum strength of the Senate:
sesenta senadores
Term of senators:
cinco años
Why it matters for exams: Whether a country's legislature has one chamber or two is a standard comparative-polity question, and Peru is now a two-chamber case with a named upper house, its own minimum strength and its own term.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Poder Legislativo Legislative Power — The branch of the Peruvian state in which law-making power resides.
bicameral two-chamber legislature — A legislature made up of two separate chambers that both take part in law-making.
Cámara de Diputados Chamber of Deputies — The other of the two chambers of Peru's Congress of the Republic.
Banco Central de Reserva Central Reserve Bank of Peru — Peru's central bank, whose president the Senate ratifies.
Background
The Thirteenth Schedule to the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 (No. 6 of 2014) lists the institutions and infrastructure to be developed in the successor State of Andhra Pradesh, and section 93 of the Act is the provision under which they are outlined. One of them is a Central Tribal University. The Union Cabinet approved an amendment to the Central Universities Act, 2009 for setting up a Central Tribal University in Andhra Pradesh, and the "Central Tribal University of Andhra Pradesh" is to be set up in Relli village of Vizianagaram District as provided under the Thirteenth Schedule. The Cabinet also approved a provision of Rs. 420 crore for the first phase expenditure towards establishing it.
Village:
Relli village
District:
Vizianagaram District
First phase provision:
Rs. 420 crore
Act amended:
Central Universities Act, 2009
Enabling Act:
Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 (No. 6 of 2014)
Schedule that provides for it:
Thirteenth Schedule
Why it matters for exams: The Thirteenth Schedule institutions promised to Andhra Pradesh are standard polity questions, and the district and village named for the Central Tribal University are the detail a paper tests.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Thirteenth Schedule — The schedule of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act that lists institutions and infrastructure to be developed in the State.
Central university — A university set up by an Act of Parliament and funded by the Union government.
Background
The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act is one of the four documents from which the Central Government's commitments to the newly created State of Andhra Pradesh flow, and under section 90 the Act declares the Polavaram Irrigation Project as a National Project. The Ministry of Finance records that the Polavaram Project is on the river Godavari near Ramayyapeta village of Polavaram mandal, about 42 km upstream of Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage in the State of Andhra Pradesh. It envisages construction of a dam and canal system to create an ultimate irrigation potential of 2,91,000 ha (7.2 lakh acres), generation of 960 MW of hydro power, drinking water supply to a population of 28.50 lakh in 540 villages, and diversion of 80 TMC of water to the Krishna river basin. Separately, under section 93 of the Act the institutions and infrastructure to be developed in the State are outlined in the Thirteenth Schedule, and the Act also provides for a developmental package for the backward areas of the State and for incentives in particular for the Rayalaseema and north coastal regions.
River:
river Godavari
Nearest village and mandal:
Ramayyapeta, Polavaram mandal
Distance upstream of Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage:
42 km upstream
Ultimate irrigation potential:
2,91,000 ha (7.2 lakh acres)
Hydro power:
960 MW
Diversion to the Krishna basin:
80 TMC
Why it matters for exams: Polavaram's statutory status as a National Project, its river, and the 80 TMC diversion to the Krishna basin are among the most frequently examined facts about Andhra Pradesh's water resources.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
TMC thousand million cubic feet — A unit used in India for large volumes of stored or diverted water.
Mandal — The administrative unit below the district in Andhra Pradesh, equivalent to a taluk.
National Project — A status under which the Centre takes on a large share of an irrigation project's cost.
Background
The Union Territory Administration of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu sets out the 2011 Census figures separately for each of its three districts. The sex ratio is 774 in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, 534 in Daman and 1031 in Diu. Because a sex ratio is the number of women per thousand men, Diu, the island district, is the only one of the three where women outnumber men. The child sex ratios are 926 for Dadra and Nagar Haveli, 897 for Daman and 929 for Diu. The recorded populations are 343709 for Dadra and Nagar Haveli, 1,91,173 for Daman and 52,074 for Diu, with densities of 700, 2655 and 1302 persons per square kilometre. Literacy is 76.2% in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, 88.06% in Daman and 83.46% in Diu. Each district has its own municipal council: the Silvassa Municipal Council, the Daman Municipal Council and the Diu Municipal Council.
Sex ratio, Dadra and Nagar Haveli:
774
Sex ratio, Daman:
534
Sex ratio, Diu:
1031
Population density, Daman:
2655
Literacy, Daman:
88.06%
Population, Diu:
52,074
Why it matters for exams: Sex ratio and literacy figures for the smaller union territories are asked directly, and the distance between Daman's 534 and Diu's 1031 within one union territory is exactly the contrast an examiner builds a question on.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Sex ratio — The number of females per thousand males in a population.
Child sex ratio — The same ratio counted only among children in the youngest age group recorded by the Census.
Background
Kavaratti is the capital of the Union Territory Lakshadweep and the Kavaratti Island is the headquarters of the Union Territory.
The island is at a distance of 404 km (218 nautical miles) from Kochi and is located between Agatti Island on the west and Andrott Island on the east, in the centre of the Lakshadweep archipelago.
It has an area of 4.22 sq km, a maximum length of 5.8 km and a width of 1.6 Km, and its lagoon runs about 6 km with an area of 4.96 sq km.
The island stands 2 to 5 m above the mean sea level on the western side and 2 to 3 m on the eastern side, and it has a small inland lake at its northern end.
At the 2011 census Kavaratti had a population of 11221, a density of 2396 per sq km and a literacy rate of 88.29.
Kavaratti has the maximum number of mosques in Lakshadweep: out of the 52 mosques, one of the oldest and most striking is the Ujra mosque built by Sheikh Mohammad Kasim, a 17th century structure with an ornate ceiling, while the Jamnath mosque has the largest tank of any mosque in the islands.
Kavaratti has been selected as one of the hundred Indian cities to be developed as a smart city under the Smart Cities Mission.
Total geographical area:
4.22 sq km
Distance from Kochi:
404 km (218 nautical miles)
Population (2011):
11221
Literacy rate:
88.29
Mosques on the island:
52
Why it matters for exams: The capital of Lakshadweep and its position in the archipelago are standard map questions, and the distance from Kochi is how papers test that an aspirant knows the territory is a long way offshore.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Lagoon Lagoon — The shallow stretch of water held between an island and the coral reef that rings it.
Nautical mile Nautical mile — A unit of distance used at sea, a little longer than a kilometre and a half.
Background
Prior to the formation of this Union Territory on 1st November,1956, these islands formed part of the erstwhile Madras State. The Union Territory was formed in 1956 and it was named Lakshadweep in 1973.
The Administrator appointed under Article 239 of the constitution is the head of this U.T.
The entire group of islands is considered as one District and was divided into four Tahsils, each put in charge of a Tahsildar, except Minicoy where the post of Tahsildar was abolished and a Deputy Collector appointed in August,1978.
The headquarters of the Administration was shifted from Calicut in Kerala State to Kavaratti Island in March,1964, and when annual expenditure crossed Rs. 3 Crores the departments were decentralised and new offices were created in 1972.
The lowest revenue official on each island was known as 'Amin' in the Laccadive group and Minicoy and as 'Karani' in the Amindivi group; all are now designated 'Amin'.
Under colonial rule the British brought in the Lakshadweep Regulation 1912, which conferred limited judicial and magisterial powers on the Amins and Karanis of the islands and also restricted the entry of outsiders.
Before that, five islands of the Amini group had passed to Tipu Sultan in 1783 at the islanders' own request, and after the battle of Seringapattom in 1799 the islands were annexed to the British East India Company and administered from Mangalore; the remaining islands were handed over to the Company in 1854.
Earlier part of:
erstwhile Madras State
Year the Union Territory was formed:
1956
Year it was named Lakshadweep:
1973
Administrator appointed under:
Article 239
Tahsils the single district was divided into:
four Tahsils
Year the headquarters moved to Kavaratti:
1964
Why it matters for exams: The year of formation and the later change of name are asked as separate facts, and the shift of the headquarters from the Malabar coast to Kavaratti explains why so much of the territory's administration is still tied to Kerala.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Tahsil Tahsil (Tehsil) — A revenue subdivision of a district, headed by a Tahsildar.
Amin Amin — The lowest revenue official on each island of Lakshadweep.
Amindivi group Amindivi group of islands — The northern group of the Lakshadweep islands, administered separately from the Laccadive group in colonial times.
Background
Local self-government in the Union Territory of Lakshadweep rests on the Lakshadweep Panchayats Regulation, 1994, which the President of India promulgated on 23rd April, 1994 and which was brought into force in the Union Territory on 23.5.1995.
Under the first schedule of the Regulation there have to be 10 village (dweep) panchayats, one in each of the inhabited ten islands, and a District Panchayat for the whole of Lakshadweep.
The first village (dweep) panchayats were constituted in December 2002 and the District Panchayat in January 2003.
The ten village (dweep) panchayats have 79 members between them. The District Panchayat is made up of 22 directly elected members, the 10 chairpersons of the village (dweep) panchayats and the Member of Parliament representing Lakshadweep.
Of those seats, 30 members of the village (dweep) panchayats and 12 members of the District Panchayat are women, and four of the ten village panchayat chairpersons are women.
For community development work the territory is separately divided into five Community Development Blocks, with Kavaratti, Amini, Andrott, Minicoy and Kiltan as block head quarters.
A village panchayat prepares its own annual budget and development plan, and these are placed before the District Panchayat meeting and go forward with the recommendation of the District Panchayat.
Governing Regulation:
Lakshadweep Panchayats Regulation, 1994
Village (Dweep) Panchayats:
10
District Panchayat:
1
Members of the village (dweep) panchayats:
79
Directly elected members of the District Panchayat:
22
Why it matters for exams: Panchayati Raj in a union territory is set up by a Regulation made by the President rather than by a state Act, and Lakshadweep is the clearest example: one district, ten island panchayats and a single District Panchayat that includes the territory's Member of Parliament.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Regulation Regulation made for a Union Territory — A law made for a union territory by the President instead of by a legislature.
Dweep Panchayat Village (Dweep) Panchayat — The island-level village panchayat in Lakshadweep, one for each inhabited island.
Community Development Block Community Development Block — An administrative unit through which rural development schemes are carried out.
Background
The Kerala High Court is hearing petitions on the constitution of the Kerala State Waqf Board. In an interim order it has held that the constitution of the Board prima facie appears to be not in conformity with Section 14 of the governing Act, has directed the Board not to exercise any major functions, incur capital expenditure or take policy decisions without the court's express permission, and has said that until further orders the Board is to function under the supervision of the Joint Secretary of the state government department dealing with Waqf matters. The permanent fact behind that case is the statute. The Kerala State Waqf Board is a statutory body established by the Government of Kerala under the Wakf Act, 1995. Its primary purpose is to manage, supervise, and ensure the proper administration of all registered Islamic religious and charitable endowments in the state, including mosques, madrassas, orphanages, and graveyards. The amending Bill of 2025 provided for the renaming of Waqf Act, 1995 as the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, 1995 (UMEED), and for a broad-based composition of the Central Waqf Council and the State Waqf Boards, ensuring the representation of Muslim women and non-Muslims. The UMEED Act mandates that every State Waqf Board include two non-Muslim members and one Shia member.
Governing Act:
Wakf Act, 1995
Renamed by the 2025 amendment as:
Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, 1995 (UMEED)
Provision on the Board's composition:
Section 14
Members the Act mandates:
two non-Muslim members and one Shia member
Why it matters for exams: The Act, its new name and the section that fixes a State Waqf Board's composition are the examinable core of the matter now before the High Court.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Waqf — Property permanently dedicated by a Muslim for a religious or charitable purpose.
UMEED Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, 1995 — The name given to the Waqf Act, 1995 by the amending Bill of 2025.
Prima facie — On a first look at the material, before the issue is finally decided.
Background
The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority is the body that carries India Meteorological Department weather warnings to the districts of Kerala and coordinates the State's response. State Disaster Management Authorities are statutory bodies constituted under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 (Central Act 53 of 2005). Kerala State Disaster Management Authority is a statutory non-autonomous body under the Chairmanship of the Chief Minister of Kerala. The first KSDMA was constituted vide S.R.O No. 395/2007 dated 4th May 2007, and the present composition of KSDMA is notified vide S.R.O No. 583/2013 dated 17th July 2013. Vide Section 3 of the Kerala State Disaster Management Rules (KSDMR), 2007 the authority is composed of ten (10) members, chaired by Chief Minister and convened by Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management. The Chief Secretary is the Chief Executive Officer of KSDMA vide Section 14 (4) of the DM Act, 2005. Its office is at Observatory Hills, Vikas Bhavan P.O, Thiruvananthapuram.
Constituting law:
Disaster Management Act, 2005 (Central Act 53 of 2005)
First constituted:
S.R.O No. 395/2007 dated 4th May 2007
Present composition notified by:
S.R.O No. 583/2013 dated 17th July 2013
Number of members:
ten (10)
Office:
Observatory Hills, Vikas Bhavan P.O, Thiruvananthapuram
Why it matters for exams: Every alert season raises the same examinable question: which law creates the State authority, who chairs it and who is its chief executive.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
S.R.O Statutory Rules and Orders — The numbering used for rules and notifications issued under a law.
Non-autonomous body — A body created by law but functioning within the government rather than independently of it.
Background
The district is in the news as the Kerala government has invited tenders for infrastructure development at the Palakkad Smart City, the Integrated Manufacturing Cluster being developed in the Puthussery Central and Kannambra areas as part of the Kochi-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor; the first-phase package is estimated at Rs. 1,100 crore and is targeted for completion within four years, and implementation is coordinated by the Kerala Industrial Corridor Development Corporation Ltd (KICDC), a special purpose vehicle formed jointly by the National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust and the Government of Kerala with equal equity participation. Palakkad is one of the fourteen districts of Kerala and has no coastal line. The district opens the state to the rest of the country through the Palakkad Gap with a width of 32 to 40 Kms. The present Palakkad district, as an administrative unit, was formed on the first of January 1957. The district is one of the main granaries of Kerala and its economy is primarily agricultural, and it is also the land of Palmyrahs. It consists of 2 revenue divisions, 6 taluks and 157 revenue Villages, with 13 block panchayats and 88 village panchayats, and the District headquarters is at Palakkad Town.
Formed as an administrative unit on:
the first of January 1957
Width of the Palakkad Gap:
32 to 40 Kms
Local bodies:
13 block panchayats and 88 village panchayats
Revenue divisions, taluks and villages:
2 revenue divisions, 6 taluks and 157 revenue Villages
District headquarters:
Palakkad Town
Why it matters for exams: The Palakkad Gap, the district's formation date and its 'granary of Kerala' tag are recurring one-mark questions, and the industrial corridor project makes the district current.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Integrated Manufacturing Cluster IMC — A planned industrial area with its own roads, power, water and effluent systems built before factories arrive.
Special purpose vehicle SPV — A company formed only to carry out one project.
Background
The district is in the news because the Kerala High Court has appointed a retired judge of the High Court as Observer to oversee the selection of Melsanthis at the Sabarimala Sree Dharma Sastha temple and the Malikappuram temple, which the Pathanamthitta district administration serves through its own Sabarimala orders and notifications. Pathanamthitta is the thirteenth revenue district of the State of Kerala. It was formed with effect from the 1st November, 1982, with headquarters at Pathanamthitta. It is bounded on the East by the State of Tamil Nadu, on the North by Changanassery and Kanjirappally Taluks of Kottayam District and Peerumade Taluk of Idukki District, on the South by Kunnathur, Pathanapuram and Kottarakkara Taluks of Kollam District and on the West by Chengannur, Mavelikkara and Kuttanad Taluks of Alappuzha District. The district nestles its head on the slopes of the Western Ghats and stretches to the low-lying rice fields bordering Alappuzha District.
Rank among revenue districts:
Thirteenth
Formed with effect from:
1st November, 1982
Headquarters:
Pathanamthitta
Eastern boundary:
the State of Tamil Nadu
Why it matters for exams: District formation dates and boundaries are asked directly in Kerala PSC papers, and Sabarimala's district is the commonest place question about Pathanamthitta.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Revenue district — The unit of State revenue administration headed by a District Collector.
Melsanthi — The chief priest of a temple under the Devaswom administration.
Background
The department that developed these parks has been renamed: the Kerala Government has renamed the Electronics and Information Technology Department as the Department of Information Technology, Artificial Intelligence and Future Technologies, through a Government Order issued on October 3, following the decision of the Council of Ministers on September 30. The department has over the years played a key role in developing Kerala's IT ecosystem, including Technopark, Infopark and Cyberpark. The renaming expands its mandate to cover emerging technology sectors and next-generation digital capabilities. The three parks themselves are the permanent fact an aspirant is asked about: Technopark, Infopark and Cyberpark remain the State's government-promoted technology parks whatever the department is called.
New name of the department:
Department of Information Technology, Artificial Intelligence and Future Technologies
Former name:
Electronics and Information Technology Department
Technology parks developed:
Technopark, Infopark and Cyberpark
Government Order issued on:
October 3
Why it matters for exams: The names of Kerala's government technology parks are a standing question, and the department's new name is the kind of renaming a paper asks about the following year.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Government Order GO — A written order of a State government that puts a decision into effect.
Council of Ministers — The body of ministers that takes collective decisions for a government.
Background
Article 124 of the Constitution states that there shall be a Supreme Court of India, and the Court came into existence on 26 January 1950 with the coming into force of the Constitution. The original Constitution of 1950 envisaged a Supreme Court with a Chief Justice and 7 puisne Judges, leaving it to Parliament to increase this number. Considering the increase in workload, Parliament increased the number of Judges from 8 in 1950 to 11 in 1956, 14 in 1960, 18 in 1978, 26 in 1986, 31 in 2009 and 34 in 2019. The Supreme Court accordingly comprises the Chief Justice of India and not more than 33 other Judges appointed by the President of India. In the early years all the Judges sat together to hear cases. Today the Judges sit in Benches of two and three and come together in larger Benches of 5 and more — a Constitution Bench — to decide any conflicting decisions between benches of the Supreme Court or any substantial questions concerning the interpretation of the Constitution. The proceedings of the Supreme Court are conducted in English, and its practice and procedure are regulated by the Supreme Court Rules, 2013.
Judges other than the Chief Justice of India:
not more than 33
Strength envisaged by the original Constitution:
Chief Justice and 7 puisne Judges
Minimum size of a Constitution Bench:
5
Article that establishes the Court:
Article 124
Why it matters for exams: The sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court and the minimum size of a Constitution Bench are among the most frequently asked factual questions on the higher judiciary.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Puisne Judge — A Judge of the Court other than the Chief Justice.
Constitution Bench — A bench of five or more Judges of the Supreme Court that decides substantial questions of constitutional interpretation or conflicts between benches.
Sanctioned strength — The maximum number of Judges the Court may have, fixed by Parliament.
Background
The Supreme Court has original, appellate and advisory jurisdiction. Its exclusive original jurisdiction extends to a dispute between the Government of India and one or more States, or between two or more States, in so far as the dispute involves a question of law or fact on which the existence or extent of a legal right depends. Article 32 of the Constitution gives the Court an extensive original jurisdiction for the enforcement of Fundamental Rights: it is empowered to issue directions, orders or writs, including writs in the nature of habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, quo warranto and certiorari. Its appellate jurisdiction can be invoked by a certificate granted by the High Court concerned under Article 132(1), 133(1) or 134, and under Article 136 the Court may in its discretion grant special leave to appeal from any judgment, decree, determination, sentence or order of any Court or Tribunal in the territory of India. Its advisory jurisdiction is exercised on matters specifically referred to it by the President of India under Article 143. Under Articles 129 and 142 the Court is vested with power to punish for contempt of court, including contempt of itself. In India a writ petition may be moved not only by an aggrieved individual but also by a public-spirited individual or group, which is how Public Interest Litigation works.
Writs named under Article 32:
5
Special leave to appeal:
Article 136
Advisory reference by the President:
Article 143
Power to punish for contempt:
Articles 129 and 142
Why it matters for exams: The five writs and the Articles that carry each limb of the Supreme Court's jurisdiction are standard one-mark questions, and candidates routinely confuse Article 32 with Article 136.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Writ — A formal written order of a court directing a person or authority to do or stop doing something.
Habeas corpus — A writ requiring a detained person to be produced before the court so the legality of the detention can be tested.
Quo warranto — A writ asking by what authority a person holds a public office.
Special leave to appeal — Permission the Supreme Court may grant at its discretion to appeal against any court or tribunal order in India.
Background
The Seventh Schedule of the Constitution contains three lists: a Union List, a State List and a Concurrent List. These lists set out the subjects on which Parliament and the Legislatures of States are empowered to make laws. Parliament is competent to make laws on matters enumerated in the Union List, and State Legislatures on matters enumerated in the State List. Both the Union and the States have the power to legislate on matters in the Concurrent List, and only Parliament has power to make laws on matters not included in the State List or the Concurrent List. In the event of repugnancy, laws made by Parliament shall prevail over laws made by State Legislatures, to the extent of the repugnancy; the State law shall be void unless it has received the assent of the President, and in that case it shall prevail in that State. Laws made by Parliament may extend throughout or in any part of the territory of India, while laws made by State Legislatures generally apply only within the territory of the State concerned. This is why provisions of law on matters in the State and Concurrent Lists vary from State to State.
Lists in the Seventh Schedule:
3
Matters in neither the State List nor the Concurrent List:
Parliament alone
Saving for a repugnant State law:
Assent of the President
Why it matters for exams: The division of legislative powers between the Union and the States is asked in almost every general studies paper, and the repugnancy rule is the part candidates most often get wrong.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Seventh Schedule — The schedule of the Constitution that lists the subjects on which the Union and the States may legislate.
Concurrent List — The list of subjects on which both Parliament and State Legislatures may make laws.
Repugnancy — A direct conflict between a Union law and a State law on the same subject.
Background
The World Trade Organization's agreements are long and technical, but a few simple principles run through all of them. The first is trade without discrimination, and it has two halves.
Under most-favoured-nation (MFN) treatment, a member cannot normally discriminate between its trading partners: grant one of them a special favour, such as a lower customs duty rate for one of their products, and the same must be given to all other WTO members. MFN is the first article of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which governs trade in goods, and it is also a priority in the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and in the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), though each agreement handles it slightly differently.
Some exceptions are allowed under strict conditions: a free trade agreement applying only to goods traded within the group, special market access for developing countries, and barriers against products traded unfairly from specific countries.
The second half is national treatment: imported and locally produced goods should be treated equally once the foreign goods have entered the market, and the same applies to foreign and domestic services and to foreign and local trademarks, copyrights and patents. Because it bites only after entry, charging customs duty on an import is not a violation of national treatment even where the like domestic product bears no equivalent tax.
Predictability is delivered by binding. When members agree to open their markets they bind their commitments, and for goods those bindings amount to ceilings on customs tariff rates. A member may apply a rate lower than its bound rate, but can change the binding itself only after negotiating with its trading partners, which could mean compensating them for loss of trade.
Since GATT's creation in 1947-48 there have been eight rounds of trade negotiations, and the agreements also allow change to be introduced gradually through progressive liberalization, with developing countries usually given longer to fulfil their obligations.
Most-favoured-nation treatment:
a favour given to one member must be given to all other WTO members
Where MFN sits in GATT:
the first article of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)
National treatment:
imported and locally-produced goods treated equally after the foreign goods have entered the market
Tariff bindings:
ceilings on customs tariff rates
Rounds of trade negotiations:
eight rounds of trade negotiations since 1947-48
Why it matters for exams: MFN and national treatment are the two phrases every trade question turns on, and the distinction between them, and the point at which each applies, is exactly what is tested.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
MFN most-favoured-nation treatment — The rule that a trade concession given to one WTO member must be extended to every other member.
GATT General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade — The WTO agreement that governs trade in goods.
GATS General Agreement on Trade in Services — The WTO agreement that governs trade in services.
TRIPS Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights — The WTO agreement on patents, copyrights, trademarks and other intellectual property.
tariff binding bound tariff rate — A ceiling a member has promised not to raise its customs duty above without renegotiating.