1 October 2026
Justice Amit Mahajan of the Delhi High Court has quashed Look Out Circulars issued by the Directorate of Enforcement against two persons during a money-laundering investigation.
The judgment was delivered on 1 October 2026 in Deep Kumar Rastogi v. Directorate of Enforcement & Another, reported as 2026 LiveLaw (Del) 939.
The court said a Look Out Circular is a coercive measure and cannot be resorted to as a matter of routine merely because an investigation is pending.
The investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act had run for nearly six years.
The court noted that both persons had appeared before the investigators in 2020, had supplied documents and statements, had complied with summons in December 2025, and had travelled abroad without absconding.
While quashing the circulars the court imposed travel conditions reflecting that the investigation is still going on.
Judge:
Justice Amit Mahajan
Length of the investigation:
nearly six years
Citation:
2026 LiveLaw (Del) 939
Why it matters for exams: Look Out Circulars, the Directorate of Enforcement and the PMLA are recurring themes in polity and internal-security questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
LOC Look Out Circular — A notice to immigration authorities to stop a named person from leaving or entering the country.
PMLA Prevention of Money Laundering Act — The central law under which the Directorate of Enforcement investigates money laundering.
1 October 2026
A Delhi High Court bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia has upheld the provision that allows parents and senior citizens to ask a District Magistrate to evict children or other legal heirs from their property.
The ruling was delivered on 1 October 2026 in Punam v. Divisional Commissioner, GNCT of Delhi & Ors.
The provision is part of the framework under the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act and the Delhi Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Rules, 2009.
The court said the law provides relief to a senior citizen or parent to mitigate their suffering on account of non-maintenance and ill-treatment.
In the same judgment the court held that eviction proceedings under Rule 22(3)(1) of the 2009 Rules are independent of maintenance proceedings, so a senior citizen may pursue such an eviction without also claiming maintenance.
Bench:
Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia
Authority that orders eviction:
District Magistrate
Why it matters for exams: The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act and the District Magistrate's role under it are standard social-justice questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act — A law that lets parents and senior citizens claim maintenance and protection through a simple tribunal process.
1 October 2026
In Orris Infrastructure Private Limited v. Rakesh Kumar Gupta, the Supreme Court held that the admission of a Section 9 application under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code can be recalled if it was induced by fraud or collusion.
The Court added that recalling the admission does not automatically end the corporate insolvency resolution process.
The bench of Justices P.S. Narasimha and Alok Aradhe said the initiating creditor is only the triggering creditor and not the proprietor of the process.
Once admitted, the process works in rem, that is for all creditors and stakeholders together, and can continue even without the original applicant.
The Court remanded the matter to the National Company Law Tribunal, which must consult the resolution professional, the committee of creditors and stakeholders including homebuyers before deciding whether the process should go on.
The Court also said proceedings under Section 65 may be considered against the party that initiated the process fraudulently.
The judgment was delivered on 30 September 2026.
Case:
Orris Infrastructure Private Limited v. Rakesh Kumar Gupta
Date of judgment:
30 September 2026
Bench:
Justices P.S. Narasimha and Alok Aradhe
Why it matters for exams: The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code and the powers of the NCLT are frequently asked in economy and polity papers.
UPSCBank
In plain words
CIRP Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process — The process under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code in which a defaulting company is run by a resolution professional while creditors consider a resolution plan.
NCLT National Company Law Tribunal — The adjudicating authority for company law and insolvency matters in India.
In rem Against the thing — A proceeding that affects everyone with an interest in the property or company, not just the two parties before the court.
1 October 2026
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took part in the centenary celebrations of the Union Public Service Commission at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
He released a commemorative postage stamp, a special coin and a compilation of 100 landmark case laws.
He said the aim must be to bring in youth 'who are driven by Public Service, not Public Office'.
He asked that examination cycles be shortened so that candidates spend less on coaching and on living away from home.
The share of women among candidates has risen from 3 per cent in 1952 to over 30 per cent today, and three of the four UPSC Chairpersons appointed after 2014 are women.
He urged wider use of the iGOT platform under Mission Karmayogi for the training of serving officers.
Venue:
Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi
Women candidates:
3% in 1952 to over 30% today
Released:
Postage stamp, special coin, compilation of 100 case laws
Why it matters for exams: UPSC's constitutional position, its centenary and the Mission Karmayogi framework are standard polity and governance questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
UPSC Union Public Service Commission — The central recruiting body for the All India and Central Services, set up under Article 315 of the Constitution.
Mission Karmayogi National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building — A continuous training programme for government employees delivered largely through the online iGOT platform.
1 October 2026
Public Works Minister P. K. Basheer inaugurated the Thuvvakkad bridge in Edavanna panchayat, Malappuram district, on October 1, 2026. The bridge was built at a cost of ₹5.6 crore, is 9 metres wide and carries footpaths on both sides. Landowners along the alignment gave up land voluntarily for the approach roads, which the Minister acknowledged at the function. He said the bridge gives permanent relief to residents who had faced difficulty in crossing. The Minister also said a bridge is being built at Aryanthodika at a cost of ₹31.43 crore, with tender steps beginning this month, the tender to be opened in November and construction expected to start in the first week of December, and that a further bridge across the Chaliyar is planned in Edavanna panchayat.
Cost of the bridge:
₹5.6 crore
Width:
9 metres
Sanction for Ariyantholika bridge:
₹31.43 crore
Why it matters for exams: Named public works with their cost and the minister in charge are the kind of State-infrastructure detail Kerala PSC current-affairs papers test.
Kerala PSC
In plain words
PWD Public Works Department — The State department that builds and maintains roads, bridges and government buildings.
1 October 2026
Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas of the Kerala High Court disposed of a writ petition filed by Dinesh Menon seeking a declaration that Pala MLA Mani C Kappan stands disqualified.
The Court directed the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Kerala to take appropriate steps as he feels fit in accordance with law, at the earliest and without undue delay.
Kappan was convicted on September 1, 2026 in four cheque dishonour cases under the Negotiable Instruments Act.
The petition had also sought that a bye-election be held in the Pala constituency.
The case is Dinesh Menon v. State of Kerala and Ors., reported as 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 539.
Case:
Dinesh Menon v. State of Kerala and Ors.
Judge:
Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas
Constituency:
Pala
Citation:
2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 539
Why it matters for exams: The disqualification of a sitting MLA on conviction, and the Speaker's role in acting on it, is standard polity material for Kerala PSC and UPSC.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Negotiable Instruments Act Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 — The central law under which the dishonour of a cheque is a punishable offence.
Writ petition Writ petition under Article 226 — A petition before a High Court seeking a direction or order against a public authority.
1 October 2026
A Supreme Court bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K. Vinod Chandran declined to interfere with a Delhi High Court ruling in a copyright dispute over the song 'En Iniya Pon Nilave' from the 1980 Tamil film Moodu Pani.
The Delhi High Court Division Bench, led by Justice C. Hari Shankar, had held in May 2026 that the composer Ilaiyaraaja's copyright is limited to the music of the song and does not extend to the lyrics or the sound recording.
Saregama India Limited claimed the rights through an assignment from the film's original producer, and opposed the use of a recreated version.
Ilaiyaraaja's counsel argued that the ruling undermined Section 13(4) of the Copyright Act, 1957, which preserves separate copyright in works underlying a cinematograph film or sound recording.
The Supreme Court found no legal error in the High Court's decision but clarified that the High Court's observations are prima facie and are not to operate as binding precedent.
The producers had paid the deposit of Rs 30 lakh ordered earlier by the Single Judge.
Bench:
Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K. Vinod Chandran
Song and film:
'En Iniya Pon Nilave', Moodu Pani (1980)
Provision argued:
Section 13(4), Copyright Act, 1957
Deposit paid:
Rs 30 lakh
Why it matters for exams: The split between music, lyrics and sound recording under Section 13(4) of the Copyright Act is a favourite of law and general-studies papers alike.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Section 13(4) Section 13(4), Copyright Act, 1957 — It preserves a separate copyright in a work that is used in a cinematograph film or sound recording.
Assignment Assignment of copyright — A transfer of copyright from the owner to another person, in whole or in part.
Prima facie Prima facie — On the face of it; a tentative view taken without finally deciding the question.
1 October 2026
A Supreme Court bench of Justices Manoj Misra and Vijay Bishnoi passed an interim order in the Karnataka government's appeal concerning recruitment by the Karnataka Public Service Commission.
On 21 September 2026 the Karnataka High Court had constituted a Special Investigation Team headed by senior police officer Alok Kumar and ordered a de novo investigation.
The Supreme Court stayed the directions in paragraphs 34(i) and 34(ii) of the High Court judgment, which were the ones constituting the SIT and ordering the fresh investigation.
The cases concern recruitment to 400 Veterinary Officer posts and to Industrial Extension Officer and Gazetted Probationer posts.
The Court directed the Karnataka government to file objections to the proposed SIT members in a sealed cover and to suggest alternative names.
Notice in the matter was made returnable on 12 October.
Bench:
Justices Manoj Misra and Vijay Bishnoi
High Court order stayed:
Paragraphs 34(i) and 34(ii), order of 21 September 2026
SIT head named by the High Court:
Alok Kumar
Posts involved:
400 Veterinary Officer posts; Industrial Extension Officer and Gazetted Probationer posts
Notice returnable:
12 October
Why it matters for exams: An interim stay that names the exact paragraphs it suspends is a good illustration of how appellate interference works in practice.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
SIT Special Investigation Team — A team of officers constituted for one specific investigation, often on a court's direction.
De novo De novo investigation — An investigation started afresh from the beginning rather than continued from where it stood.
KPSC Karnataka Public Service Commission — The constitutional body that conducts recruitment to Karnataka's state services.
1 October 2026
The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India celebrated its tenth Annual Day at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.
Minister of State for Corporate Affairs Harsh Malhotra inaugurated the event.
The Board was established on 1 October 2016 under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016.
The Code has been amended seven times in its ten years, most recently through the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Act, 2026.
More than 4,400 insolvency professionals and more than 6,000 registered valuers are now part of the ecosystem.
A publication titled 'Shaping the Next Decade of IBC: The Road Ahead' was released at the event.
Winners of the seventh National Online Quiz on the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code were also recognised.
Established:
1 October 2016
Insolvency professionals registered:
Over 4,400
Registered valuers:
More than 6,000
Amendments to the Code:
Seven sets in ten years
Publication released:
Shaping the Next Decade of IBC: The Road Ahead
Why it matters for exams: The founding date of the IBBI, its parent Code and the number of amendments are direct one-line questions in banking and economy papers.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
IBBI Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India — The regulator of insolvency professionals, agencies and information utilities under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code.
IBC Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 — The law that consolidated India's insolvency rules into a single time-bound resolution process.
Registered valuer Registered valuer — A professional registered with the IBBI to value assets in insolvency and company-law proceedings.
1 October 2026
On 1 October 2026 the Calcutta High Court extended the interim protection from coercive action granted to Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, who represents Krishnanagar, till 29 January 2027. The order was passed by Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya. The matter arises from a case registered at Hogalberia police station in Nadia district, and Moitra has moved the court to have it quashed. The state told the court that the investigation is continuing and that Moitra appeared before the investigating officer on 14 August as directed. The court listed the matter for hearing on 13 January 2027. Separately, a Division Bench headed by the Chief Justice directed that cases concerning incidents of egg-pelting and other attacks on public figures be clubbed together.
Protection extended till:
29 January 2027
Next hearing:
13 January 2027
Judge:
Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya
Police station:
Hogalberia, Nadia district
Why it matters for exams: The distinction between interim protection, quashing of a case and a final verdict is a standing polity and judiciary question.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Interim protection Interim protection from coercive action — A temporary court order that bars arrest or similar steps while a petition is pending.
Quashing Quashing of a case — A High Court setting aside a criminal proceeding so that it cannot continue.
Division Bench Division Bench — A bench of two or more judges of a High Court, as against a single judge.
1 October 2026
West Bengal's Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Department has taken up 3,081 roads for repair at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore. Minister Agnimitra Paul said the work is to be completed by 10 October 2026, ahead of Durga Puja. The roads lie across municipalities, municipal corporations and development authorities in the state. Contractors will be held liable for defects for five years. The drive follows a directive from Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
Roads taken up:
3,081
Cost:
Rs 1,000 crore
Deadline:
10 October 2026
Defect liability:
Five years
Why it matters for exams: Questions that combine a state department's name with an outlay and a deadline are common in state civil service papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Defect liability period Defect liability period — The period after completion during which a contractor must repair faults in the work at its own cost.
Development authority Urban development authority — A statutory agency that plans and builds infrastructure for a defined urban area.
1 October 2026
The Allahabad High Court has registered a fresh suo motu Public Interest Litigation on noise pollution.
The order was passed by a Lucknow bench of Justice Rajan Roy and Justice Manjive Shukla, which was hearing an existing PIL on the misuse of pressure horns, modified silencers and hooters.
The court recorded that a Class 2 student of Divine Public School on City Palace Road in Bhagautiganj, Balrampur, collapsed in her classroom on 22 September when loudspeakers and a music system were being played at high volume during a nearby procession, and that she could not be saved after being taken for medical treatment.
The bench made it clear that it had not reached any conclusion on the cause of the child's death, but said the circumstances were sufficient for it to take cognisance of the matter.
It observed that noise pollution was becoming a menace despite its recognition under the Environment Protection Act, 1986 and the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000.
The new proceedings will examine compliance with those statutory provisions and the measures needed to curb noise pollution, with senior advocate Gaurav Mehrotra continuing as amicus curiae.
The court directed the state counsel to obtain reports from the District Magistrate and the Superintendent of Police of Balrampur, and listed the matter for further hearing on 12 October.
Bench:
Justice Rajan Roy and Justice Manjive Shukla, Lucknow
District:
Balrampur
Date of the incident:
22 September
Provisions to be examined:
Environment Protection Act, 1986 and Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000
Next hearing:
12 October
Why it matters for exams: The item ties a High Court's suo motu jurisdiction to the Environment Protection Act, 1986 and the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, a pairing examiners use in both polity and environment questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Suo motu Suo motu — A court taking up a matter on its own, without anyone filing a petition.
PIL Public Interest Litigation — A petition filed in the public interest rather than for a private grievance.
Amicus curiae Amicus curiae — A lawyer appointed to assist the court rather than to represent a party.
1 October 2026
Justice Vinod Diwakar delivered the judgment in Pappu Met @ Pappu v State of U.P. and Another, reported as 2026:AHC:204628.
The judgment records that 16.15 lakh criminal cases in Uttar Pradesh are pending without charges having been framed — 14.08 lakh in magisterial courts and 2.07 lakh in sessions courts.
It notes that 22.51 lakh charge-sheets were filed between 2021 and 2025.
On staffing, the judgment counts 10,352 vacancies across the High Court registry and the district judiciary: 1,122 judicial officer posts of 4,625 sanctioned, 7,834 district staff posts of 28,552 sanctioned, and 1,396 registry posts of 4,138 sanctioned.
It also records 1,65,930 bail orders passed in defiance of High Court guidelines between August 2025 and early 2026.
The judgment says judicial discipline is not a matter of choice but a constitutional imperative, and that the chief-justice-centric model of High Court administration requires recalibration.
It asks that full court meetings be convened, noting that only 16 were held over a decade.
Criminal cases awaiting framing of charges:
16.15 lakh
Total vacancies counted:
10,352
Judicial officer vacancies:
1,122 of 4,625 sanctioned
Charge-sheets filed 2021-2025:
22.51 lakh
Why it matters for exams: Judicial pendency and vacancy figures are standard data points for questions on judicial reform, and Uttar Pradesh carries the largest subordinate judiciary workload in the country.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Framing of charges Framing of charges by a criminal court — The stage at which a court formally sets out the accusations a person must answer before the trial begins.
Full court Full court meeting of a High Court — A meeting of all the judges of a High Court, used mainly for administrative decisions.
1 October 2026
The judgment was delivered by Justice Atul Sreedharan and Justice Divesh Chandra Samant in Arvind Kumar Yadav (Corpus) and Another v State of U.P. and Others, reported as 2026 LiveLaw (AB) 773.
The Bench held that the police cannot resort to pressure tactics to compel an offender to surrender by unlawfully detaining an innocent member of the family.
The court found that the petitioner had been kept in custody in Prayagraj for at least four days, from 23 to 26 June 2026, without lawful justification.
He had no connection with the case registered against his brother.
The court awarded ₹40,000 as compensation for the wrongful detention.
The amount is to be deducted from the salaries of the police officers found responsible, as determined by the State.
The court also directed that its displeasure be recorded in the service files of the station house officer, Yogendra Kumar Singh, and the investigating officer, Ashvani Savita.
Compensation awarded:
₹40,000
Period of detention:
23 to 26 June 2026
Citation:
2026 LiveLaw (AB) 773
Why it matters for exams: Compensation for illegal detention under Article 21 and the limits on police power are recurring questions in both polity and constitutional-law sections.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Habeas corpus Writ of habeas corpus — A writ by which a court requires that a detained person be produced before it and the legality of the detention be justified.
1 October 2026
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, and nine independent rights experts said on 1 October 2026 that authorities in Tennessee should not pursue any further attempt to execute Christa Pike in the United States.
Pike was denied clemency and survived two lethal injection attempts; one hour before her execution a court halted it and then lifted the stay.
Turk said the prolonged physical and mental suffering arising from multiple failed execution attempts is abhorrent and cruel, and reiterated that the death penalty has no place in any society.
Nine experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council said Tennessee must immediately and irrevocably end the cruelty by commuting Pike's death sentence, calling two botched attempts a flagrant breach of the prohibition of torture and of arbitrary deprivation of life.
The UN rights chief also pointed to unresolved questions about Pike's fair trial, and the statement came amid what his office described as an increase in the number of executions in the United States.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights:
Volker Turk
Failed execution attempts:
2
Human Rights Council experts who spoke:
9
Why it matters for exams: The item names the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the special procedures of the Human Rights Council, both standard polity and international organisation topics.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
OHCHR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights — The UN office in Geneva that leads the organisation's human rights work and supports the Human Rights Council.
commutation commutation of sentence — The replacement of a sentence with a lighter one, for example a death sentence with imprisonment.
1 October 2026
The International Chess Federation published on 1 October 2026 the main decisions of its 2026 General Assembly, held on 26 and 27 September 2026 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, during the 46th Chess Olympiad.
Timur Turlov was elected President of FIDE and Viswanathan Anand was elected Deputy President; four Vice-Presidents were also elected.
The Assembly approved the creation of a FIDE rating system for Fischer Random Chess, also called Chess960, to be elaborated and implemented no later than 1 June 2027.
It cleared the appointment of up to five Honorary Vice-Presidents who may take part in the work of the Council with all rights except voting.
It amended the FIDE Charter so that the English and French institutional names, International Chess Federation and Federation Internationale des Echecs, are presented jointly.
It noted the readiness of both the Qatar Chess Association and the Georgia Chess Federation to host the 2030 Chess Olympiad and instructed the FIDE Management Board to negotiate with Qatar first, the right to sign passing to Georgia if the required official guarantees are not provided; an Extraordinary General Assembly was set to meet online in late 2026 to review the 2027 and provisional 2028 budgets.
General Assembly dates and place:
26-27 September 2026, Samarkand, Uzbekistan
President elected:
Timur Turlov
Deputy President elected:
Viswanathan Anand
Chess960 rating system by:
1 June 2027
Why it matters for exams: Office-bearers of world sporting bodies and the venues of their events are routinely asked, and the Chess960 decision is a fresh, checkable fact.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Chess960 Fischer Random Chess — A chess variant in which the back-row pieces are shuffled into one of 960 legal starting positions.
1 October 2026
The UN General Assembly met on 1 October 2026 to consider the Security Council veto that blocked renewal of the Panel of Experts monitoring sanctions on Iran.
The Assembly meets automatically in such cases under the veto initiative, the standing mandate created by General Assembly resolution 76/262.
The United Kingdom's Permanent Representative, Ambassador Sarah MacIntosh, told the Assembly that UN sanctions on Iranian proliferation remain fully in force and are binding on all Member States despite the vetoes.
She said Iran has accumulated over 400 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 per cent, a level no other non-nuclear-weapon state has reached.
The draft resolution, which would have extended the panel's mandate by one year, was vetoed by Russia and China on 18 September 2026; 11 members voted in favour and Somalia and Pakistan abstained.
Enriched uranium stockpile cited:
over 400 kilograms at 60 per cent
Security Council vote on the draft:
11 in favour, 2 vetoes, 2 abstentions
Veto initiative resolution:
76/262
Why it matters for exams: The veto initiative under resolution 76/262 is exactly the kind of UN procedural mechanism examiners ask about, and the item ties it to a dated, specific veto.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
veto initiative General Assembly resolution 76/262 — A standing mandate under which the General Assembly meets to debate any situation in which a veto is cast in the Security Council.
Panel of Experts Panel of Experts — A group of specialists appointed to monitor and report on compliance with a Security Council sanctions regime.
1 October 2026
Algeria's National People's Assembly, the lower house of parliament, voted on 1 October 2026 to amend the penal code so that the death penalty can be imposed for deliberately setting fire to forests, woods or fields.
The same amendment extends capital punishment to child abduction committed with aggravating circumstances.
President Abdelmadjid Tebboune proposed the change in September 2026 after wildfires in the north-east of the country with an official toll of 12 dead.
Algeria has maintained a moratorium on executions since 1993, although death sentences have continued to be handed down.
Justice Minister Lotfi Boudjemaa said the death penalty was the appropriate legal response to curb these crimes.
The bill must now be reviewed by the Council of the Nation, the upper house, before the president can ratify it. Amnesty International opposed the measure.
Official wildfire death toll cited:
12
Moratorium on executions since:
1993
Why it matters for exams: The item carries a named legislature, a two-chamber legislative route and a dated environmental trigger, all of which make good objective questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Council of the Nation Majlis al-Umma — The upper house of Algeria's bicameral parliament, which must review bills passed by the lower house.
moratorium temporary suspension — Here, a standing practice of not carrying out death sentences even though courts may pass them.
1 October 2026
Eritrea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on 1 October 2026 that it was severing all diplomatic ties with Ethiopia.
The announcement followed Ethiopia's decision to shut its embassy in Asmara and to declare 10 Eritrean diplomats persona non grata, giving them 48 hours to leave.
Ethiopia said the expelled diplomats posed a direct threat to its national security.
Eritrea said it had no option but to reciprocate in kind.
The rupture came after heavy fighting broke out in northern Ethiopia between federal forces and the Tigray People's Liberation Front; Ethiopia said Eritrea was supporting the TPLF.
Eritrea became independent of Ethiopia in 1993, and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed had normalised relations with Asmara in 2018.
Eritrean diplomats declared persona non grata:
10
Time given to leave:
48 hours
Eritrean independence:
1993
Why it matters for exams: A complete diplomatic break between two Horn of Africa states tests both the Vienna Convention vocabulary of expulsion and the map and history of Ethiopia and Eritrea.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
persona non grata person not welcome — A declaration by which a receiving state requires a foreign diplomat to leave, without having to give reasons.
TPLF Tigray People's Liberation Front — The armed political movement based in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region.
1 October 2026
A Supreme Court bench of Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohana requested Attorney General R. Venkataramani to consider a plea to increase the statutory strength of State Bar Councils.
Section 3(2)(b) of the Advocates Act, 1961 caps the elected strength of a State Bar Council at 25 members where the electorate exceeds 10,000 advocates.
The petitioner, advocate Rohit Pandey, argued that the cap has not kept pace with the manifold increase in the electorate, pointing to the Bar Council of Delhi with about two lakh registered advocates.
Pandey polled 2,259 votes in the Delhi Bar Council election but did not win one of the 25 seats, while a woman candidate with 265 votes was elected under the mechanism adopted to implement the Court's direction reserving 30 per cent of seats for women.
Justice Bagchi said the Court was aware of the judicial limitation, which was why it was requesting the Attorney General.
The petition is Rohit Pandey versus Union of India, Writ Petition (Civil) No. 1218 of 2026.
Statutory cap:
25 elected members
Provision:
Section 3(2)(b), Advocates Act, 1961
Case:
Rohit Pandey v. Union of India, W.P.(C) No. 1218/2026
Why it matters for exams: The Advocates Act, 1961 and the composition of Bar Councils are directly examinable, and the case shows the limit of judicial power over statutory numbers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Attorney General for India Attorney General for India — The Union Government's chief legal adviser, appointed by the President under Article 76 of the Constitution.
State Bar Council State Bar Council — The statutory body under the Advocates Act, 1961 that enrols advocates and regulates the profession in a state.