UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS — 28 SEPTEMBER 2026
Should Voting Be a Fundamental Right? ECINet Glitches and the Election Commission’s Nine-Point Reset
(Polity and Governance) (TH) (IE) A reported software glitch on ECINet, the Election Commission of India’s unified digital platform, allegedly kept 97 physically verified electors in Goa off the final electoral roll — and with it, off a State health-insurance scheme linked to the roll. Coming alongside reports of 14 internal objections by two Election Commissioners, the episode has revived an old question: should the right to vote be a Fundamental Right? The Commission has since announced nine corrective decisions.
How India got universal adult suffrage
Most Western democracies widened the franchise in slow stages — first property-owners, then all men, and much later women. India took the opposite route: it granted universal adult suffrage on day one of the Constitution, regardless of property, literacy, caste or gender. This bold choice is one of the defining features of the Indian Constitution.
- Article 326: Elections to the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies are held on the basis of adult suffrage.
- 61st Constitutional Amendment Act, 1988: Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 years (see Major Constitutional Amendments at a Glance).
- Basic Structure link: From Kesavananda Bharati (1973) onwards, democracy and free and fair elections have been treated as part of the Basic Structure.
What is the legal status of the vote today?
The Constitution places adult suffrage in Part XV (Elections), not in Part III (Fundamental Rights). The details — who may be registered, deleted or disqualified — are left to Parliament. Courts have described the vote in three different ways:
| Case | Year | How the vote was characterised |
| PUCL v. Union of India | 2003 | Right to vote is statutory, but the act of casting a vote is a form of expression under Article 19(1)(a) (Right to Freedom). |
| Kuldip Nayar v. Union of India | 2006 | Five-judge Bench: the right to elect is a statutory right, governed by electoral law — not a Fundamental Right. |
| Rajbala v. State of Haryana | 2015 | Described the right to vote as a constitutional right. |
The result is a grey zone: the vote is more than an ordinary statutory entitlement, yet it cannot be enforced directly through Article 32 the way a Fundamental Right can (see Right to Constitutional Remedies).
The Goa episode: when software decides who votes
Roll revision flags 97 entries ➜ Physical verification finds them eligible ➜ ECINet reportedly blocks restoration by EROs ➜ Names miss final roll ➜ Health-scheme access disrupted
- Why it matters: A clerical error hurts one person; a centralised software error can exclude many eligible voters at once, with no quick fix at the field level.
- Welfare spill-over: Where welfare eligibility is tied to the electoral roll, a deletion becomes a double exclusion — from voting and from services.
- Internal governance: Under Sections 17 and 18 of the CEC and Other ECs Act, 2023, the Commission should act unanimously as far as possible and by majority where members differ.
The Commission’s nine decisions at a glance
| Area | Decision |
| Collective functioning | Agendas to be circulated before every Commission meeting; minutes to be issued afterwards. |
| Oversight of officers | Foreign visits by ECI officers need Commission approval; directions of Election Commissioners to be meticulously complied with. |
| IT governance | New IT modules/portals first examined by a committee of officers; an independent review of ECINet by a committee headed by a senior Deputy Election Commissioner with an IIT/IIIT expert. |
| Field flexibility | Field officers to get greater system access and discretion, where statutorily permitted. |
| Goa electors | 81 of the 97 omitted electors have filed Form 6; Goa’s Chief Electoral Officer directed to facilitate their inclusion. |
| Form 6 | The Form 6 prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules applies outside the Special Intensive Revision period. |
Should voting be elevated to a Fundamental Right?
| Arguments for | Arguments against |
| Stronger judicial review of arbitrary deletions and excessive documentation demands. | A surge of writ petitions during time-bound election processes. |
| Constitutional safeguard against automated, software-driven exclusion. | Must still allow legitimate deletion of dead, shifted or ineligible electors. |
| Protects welfare access where schemes rely on electoral rolls. | Must be reconciled with Article 329(b), which bars courts from interfering mid-election; disputes go by election petition. |
| Aligns with Article 25 of the ICCPR on political participation. | Parliament’s power to regulate franchise details could be curtailed. |
Way forward
- Constitutional clarity: A larger Bench could revisit Kuldip Nayar and settle where the vote sits in the constitutional scheme.
- Due process before deletion: Individual notice, a real hearing, a reasoned order and an accessible appeal.
- Decentralised digital control: EROs must retain the power to correct and restore entries, with audit trails and independent technical audits.
- Delink welfare from rolls: Accept alternative identity documents for social schemes.
- Documented collective decisions: Major software and policy changes to be decided at Commission level, as the 2023 Act envisages. (Also see Electoral Reforms and E-Governance.)
📖 Read More: Election Commission of India • Electoral Reforms • Election Process in India • Basic Structure of the Constitution
Regulate or Prohibit? Rethinking Lottery Governance in India
(Polity and Governance) (TH) A fresh debate has opened on whether India should strictly regulate lotteries rather than ban them. Critics of blanket prohibition argue that bans do not end demand — they push it towards illegal lotteries, matka, satta and offshore betting apps, while States lose revenue and legitimate vendors lose livelihoods.
Who can make laws on lotteries?
| Source | Provision | What it covers |
| Seventh Schedule – Union List | Entry 40 | Lotteries organised by the Government of India or a State Government |
| Seventh Schedule – State List | Entry 34 | Betting and gambling |
| Seventh Schedule – State List | Entry 62 | Taxes on luxuries, including betting and gambling |
| Lotteries (Regulation) Act, 1998 | Central law | Conditions for State-run lotteries; lets a State prohibit sale of other States’ lotteries (Section 5) |
| Lotteries (Regulation) Rules, 2010 | Rules | Regulate paper and online lottery operations |
Landmark judgments
- State of Bombay v. R.M.D. Chamarbaugwala (1957): Gambling is res extra commercium — outside trade and commerce — so it cannot claim protection under Article 19(1)(g) or Article 301.
- B.R. Enterprises v. State of U.P. (1999): Upheld the 1998 Act. A State that runs its own lottery cannot selectively bar other States’ lotteries — the so-called “all-or-nothing” rule.
- Skill Lotto Solutions v. Union of India (2020): Lotteries, betting and gambling are actionable claims that count as “goods” for GST purposes.
The all-or-nothing rule produced a perverse outcome: States unable to police outside operators chose total bans (Tamil Nadu in 2003, Karnataka in 2007), giving up their own revenue. Today only a limited group of States — such as Kerala, Punjab, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Goa and several north-eastern States — run lotteries.
Taxation snapshot
- Income tax: Winnings taxed at a flat 30% plus 4% cess — an effective 31.2%, with TDS before payout.
- GST: Since the September 2025 rate rationalisation, lotteries, betting and gambling attract the special 40% rate (see Indirect Taxes in India).
Concerns on both sides
| Harms of lotteries | Harms of blanket bans |
| Regressive — draws disproportionately from low-income households. | Demand shifts to matka, satta and offshore apps with no age checks or audits (Organised Crime, Money Laundering). |
| Rapid-draw and instant games encourage compulsive play and debt. | Loss of State revenue earmarked for welfare. |
| Misleading jackpot advertising; the self-regulatory ASCI code lacks statutory force. | Livelihood loss for vendors, including persons with disabilities. |
Critics also point to a class asymmetry: affluent citizens may legally take high-risk bets in futures and options — where SEBI studies found roughly nine in ten individual traders lose money — while the poor person’s lottery ticket is banned outright.
Towards an accountable regime
Amend Section 5 (end all-or-nothing) ➜ Independent statutory lottery authority ➜ Third-party audit of draws and RNGs ➜ Purchase caps and ad curbs ➜ Joint MeitY–FIU-IND action on illegal apps
The Kerala model — draws run departmentally, sales reserved for registered vendors and persons with disabilities, and proceeds channelled into the Karunya Benevolent Fund for healthcare — shows how a lottery can be run as a transparent public enterprise.
📖 Read More: Indirect Taxes in India • Organised Crime
Beyond the Security Lens: Reimagining Kashmir as India’s Gateway to Eurasia
(International Relations) (TH) A former Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir has argued that India should move beyond a purely security-centric view of J&K and Ladakh, and revive their historic role as a trade bridge to Central Asia and the wider Eurasian landmass through secure, regulated trans-Himalayan corridors.
Kashmir as a historic crossroads
- Silk Road legacy: Caravan routes through Kashmir and Ladakh linked South Asia with Tibet and Central Asia — carrying shawls, silk and spices, but also ideas and craft traditions (a branch of the wider Silk Road).
- Persian–Central Asian synthesis: The 14th-century Sufi scholar Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani and the artisans who came with him are credited with nurturing carpet-weaving, papier-mâché and other crafts (see Impact of Central Asian Contacts and Sufism).
- The post-1947 freeze: Partition and later tensions along the Line of Control and the Line of Actual Control shut old routes, turning a trade hub into a guarded frontier (see Understanding the Kashmir Conflict).
The demographic and aspiration argument
India’s large young workforce is an asset at a time when rival manufacturing economies such as China are ageing. But smartphones show young people global lifestyles that local job markets cannot yet match. This aspiration–reality gap — worsened by recruitment delays and exam irregularities — can breed frustration (see Unemployment).
For Kashmiri youth shaped by decades of conflict, economic dignity is presented as a necessary complement to — not a substitute for — security.
Connectivity as a tool of stability
Regulated cross-border trade ➜ Local jobs in logistics, warehousing, hospitality ➜ Communities gain a stake in peace ➜ Greater regional stability
Unlike an airport, a land corridor spreads benefits along its length — construction, trucking, cold storage, trade finance and farming. It could also give Indian firms a shorter route to Central Asian markets than long multimodal sea routes.
Hurdles in the way
| Challenge | Why it is hard |
| Bilateral impasse | Any corridor needs Pakistan and China on board; terrorism and strategic mistrust stand in the way (India–Pakistan Relations, India–China Relations). |
| Sovereignty | Likely routes cross contested areas such as Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Aksai Chin. |
| Terrain and ecology | Extreme winters, high passes, seismic risk and fragile ecosystems make all-weather roads costly (Major Mountain Passes in the Himalayas). |
| Security and regulation | Cargo must be screened to stop narcotics, weapons and fake currency. |
Way forward
- Phased pilot corridors at a few border points, expanding only as security and trust improve.
- Smart borders: non-intrusive scanners, RFID-based freight tracking and regulated digital payments.
- Pragmatic dialogue: Use platforms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation for practical connectivity talks without first settling every territorial dispute.
- Local value addition: Cold chains, dry ports and testing labs to take Kashmiri horticulture, saffron and handicrafts to wider markets.
- Vajpayee’s engagement approach: Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s emphasis on dialogue and human contact alongside firm security.
📖 Read More: India and Central Asia • Understanding the Kashmir Conflict • The Changing Security Landscape in J&K • SCO
When Trade Becomes a Weapon: Understanding Weaponised Interdependence
(International Relations) (DH) Global supply chains were once expected to make war too costly to wage. Today, the same networks — payment systems, chip supply chains, mineral processing and shipping lanes — are being used as instruments of pressure. This phenomenon, called weaponised interdependence, has direct implications for India’s economic security.
The concept
The idea was formalised by political scientists Henry Farrell and Abraham Newman in 2019. It challenges the liberal belief that interdependence breeds peace (see Theories and Approaches in International Relations). Global networks are not flat — they have hubs, and the states that control those hubs gain leverage.
The theory identifies two mechanisms: a panopticon effect (gathering intelligence from data flowing through a hub) and a chokepoint effect (denying others access to the hub) — see overview.
Where the chokepoints lie
| Domain | Chokepoint | Illustration |
| Finance | US dollar clearing and SWIFT | About US$300 billion of Russia’s central bank reserves frozen after 2022; secondary sanctions force third countries to choose sides. |
| Semiconductors | EDA software, lithography, advanced fabs | Chip-design tools (Synopsys, Cadence), EUV machines from the Netherlands’ ASML, leading-edge fabrication at TSMC; US export controls on advanced chips to China. |
| Critical minerals | Mining and processing | China dominates rare-earth mining and, even more, processing; it has curbed exports of gallium, germanium and antimony. |
| Energy | Pipelines | Europe’s exposure to Russian gas supplies. |
| Infrastructure | Sea lanes and cables | Straits of Malacca, Hormuz and Bab-el-Mandeb; the bulk of intercontinental data moves over subsea cables. |
From efficiency to resilience
| Aspect | Classical globalisation | Contemporary model |
| Driver | Cost minimisation | Security and resilience |
| Supply model | Just-in-time | Just-in-case (stockpiles, redundancy) |
| Trade policy | Multilateralism (WTO) | Unilateral tariffs, minilateral groupings |
| Finance | Universal dollar clearing | Currency and payment-system fragmentation |
India’s exposure
- Pharmaceuticals: Heavy dependence on China for Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Industry).
- Clean energy: Reliance on imported solar wafers, battery cells and rare earths.
- Electronics: Domestic semiconductor and component ecosystems are still young.
India’s responses
| Tool | Purpose |
| Production Linked Incentive schemes | Build capacity in electronics, solar modules, ACC batteries and bulk drugs (PLI for Pharmaceuticals). |
| India Semiconductor Mission | Incentives (around US$10 billion) for fabs, display and packaging units. |
| KABIL and critical-minerals strategy | Secure overseas lithium and cobalt assets (e.g., Argentina, Australia) — see Critical Minerals. |
| Special Rupee Vostro Accounts; UPI links | Rupee trade settlement; cross-border UPI linkages with partners such as the UAE, Singapore and Mauritius. |
| Press Note 3 (2020) | Screening of FDI from land-border countries. |
Way forward
- Diversify (“China+1”) through agreements such as the India–EFTA TEPA, India–UAE CEPA and India–Australia ECTA (see Types of Trade Agreements).
- Create India’s own indispensability in generic medicines, IT services and agri-exports.
- Minilateral supply-chain coalitions — Quad, IPEF and G20 initiatives.
- Balance self-reliance with openness to preserve strategic autonomy.
📖 Read More: Theories and Approaches in IR • Critical Minerals • Semiconductor Industry • Types of Trade Agreements
Green Fuel for Global Ships: India’s First Port-Based e-Methanol Plant at Kandla
(Science and Technology) (PIB) (ET) The foundation stone of India’s first port-based e-methanol plant was laid at Deendayal Port, Kandla (Gandhidham, Kutch), on 26 September 2026 by the Chief Ministers of Gujarat and Assam and the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. The ₹2,300 crore plant will supply green fuel to ships on the Asia–Europe trade corridor.
What is e-methanol?
e-Methanol is a synthetic “electrofuel”. Green hydrogen, made by splitting water with renewable electricity, is combined with captured carbon dioxide to produce methanol. When the CO₂ comes from biogenic sources, the fuel is close to carbon-neutral over its life cycle — making it a leading candidate to replace heavy fuel oil in shipping.
Renewable power + desalinated water ➜ Electrolysis → green hydrogen ➜ Combine with captured biogenic CO₂ ➜ e-Methanol ➜ Bunkering for ships
The project at a glance
| Feature | Details |
| Promoters | Deendayal Port Authority (DPA) and Namrup-based Assam Petro-Chemicals Ltd (APCL) — capital contribution ratio 76:24 |
| Total capacity | 150 tonnes per day (TPD), built as scalable modules |
| Phase I | 50 TPD at ₹1,200 crore — target January 2027 |
| Phase II | 100 TPD at ₹1,100 crore — target March 2027 |
| DPA’s contribution | Equity of ₹567.32 crore, 75 acres of land, desalinated water and renewable energy |
| Cost advantage | About US$750 per tonne, against a global rate of about US$1,300 per tonne |
| Jobs | More than 3,500 direct and indirect |
| Market | Vessels on the Asia–Europe corridor; Kandla envisioned as a green-fuel hub on the Singapore–Rotterdam route |
Why it matters
- Decarbonising shipping: Supports global efforts led by the International Maritime Organization to cut shipping emissions, and India’s net-zero by 2070 pledge (see Climate Mitigation Measures).
- Green hydrogen demand anchor: Creates assured offtake for the National Green Hydrogen Mission (see also Hydrogen Economy).
- Port-led growth: Complements Sagarmala and plans to add 100 ships to India’s merchant fleet over five years and become a top-five ship-owning nation by 2047.
- Cooperative federalism: Pairs Assam’s petrochemical know-how with Gujarat’s port infrastructure — an example of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat.
📖 Read More: National Green Hydrogen Mission • Hydrogen Economy • Major Ports of India • Sagarmala
Dual Fuel on the Rails: India’s First LNG-Powered Train Rolls Out of Sabarmati
(Science and Technology) (DD) Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah flagged off India’s first LNG-powered train from Sabarmati, Ahmedabad, on 27 September 2026 and launched railway projects worth ₹1,472 crore. The train runs on a diesel–liquefied natural gas (LNG) dual-fuel system.
How the dual-fuel system works
Indian Railways has retrofitted two 1,400 HP Driving Power Cars (DPCs) at the Sabarmati Integrated Coaching Depot with electronically controlled gas-injection systems. The engine can switch between LNG and diesel without loss of performance, with LNG replacing roughly 40% of diesel consumption.
| Parameter | Details |
| Rake | 8-coach, non-AC chair car passenger train |
| Inaugural run | Sabarmati – Mahesana (Ahmedabad Division, Western Railway) |
| Fuel storage | Insulated cryogenic tank (reported 2,200 litres per DPC) holding LNG at about –162°C |
| Diesel substitution | Up to ~40% |
| Emissions | Lower particulate matter, NOₓ and CO₂ than conventional diesel traction |
| Savings (reported) | About ₹11.9 lakh per DPC per year; ~₹23.9 lakh per 8-coach train |
Other projects launched
- Kavach: The indigenous automatic train-protection system commissioned on a section around Sabarmati (₹48 crore); work begun on the Ahmedabad–Palanpur and Ahmedabad–Samakhiali routes.
- Capacity: Doubling of the Sabarmati–Sarkhej line; trial of India’s first long-haul double-stack container train between JNPT (Mumbai) and Vadodara.
Significance
- A lower-emission bridge fuel for non-electrified routes, shunting and some freight services, complementing electrification (see Railway Industry and Infrastructure Sector).
- Cuts diesel use and oil-import dependence while diversifying the energy mix (see Natural Gas and Cleaner Energy Sources).
📖 Read More: Natural Gas • Railway Industry • Air Pollution
Kallakkadal: When the Sea Arrives Like a Thief
(Geography) (DD) The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) issued a red alert for the Kerala coast for 26–28 September 2026, warning of 1.0–1.5 m waves and “Kallakkadal” swell surges. The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority advised a halt to beach activities and fishing; similar warnings covered southern Tamil Nadu and Lakshadweep.
What is Kallakkadal?
Kallakkadal is a Malayalam word meaning “the sea that comes like a thief”. It describes sudden coastal flooding caused by long-period swells that arrive on a calm, clear day — with no local storm, rain or strong wind to warn people.
How it forms
Intense storms in the Southern Ocean ➜ High-energy, long-period swells ➜ Travel thousands of km across the Indian Ocean ➜ Shoaling raises wave height near shore ➜ Seawater surges inland (worse at high tide)
- Wave period: Often above 15–22 seconds, so each wave carries great energy (compare Types of Ocean Tides and Coastal Processes).
- Duration: An episode may last 12–48 hours, with repeated flooding pulses.
- Prone areas: Kerala coast (Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Ernakulam and beyond), Lakshadweep and southern Tamil Nadu.
- Early warning: INCOIS runs a Swell Surge Forecast/Early Warning System using ocean observations and wave models.
Kallakkadal vs tsunami vs storm surge
| Feature | Kallakkadal | Tsunami | Storm surge |
| Trigger | Distant storms far away in the ocean | Undersea earthquake, landslide or volcanic eruption | Cyclone winds and low pressure |
| Local weather | Calm, clear | Can be calm | Stormy |
| Warning signs | Hardly any locally | Receding sea, earthquake | Cyclone forecasts |
| Read more | Indian Ocean | Tsunami: A Natural Hazard | Cyclones: A Natural Hazard |
Impacts
- Damage to homes, roads, seawalls and fishing harbours; coastal erosion.
- Saltwater intrusion into wells and farmland.
- Danger to small fishing boats and loss of nets and gear — hitting fisher livelihoods hardest (see NDMA).
📖 Read More: Coastal Processes • Indian Ocean • Tsunami: A Natural Hazard
The Caspian Sea: Iran’s Northern Lifeline as Hormuz Chokes
(Geography) (AJ) With a naval blockade disrupting Iran’s southern ports and the Strait of Hormuz, Iran is shifting oil exports and cargo northwards through Caspian ports such as Bandar-e Anzali, Amirabad and Nowshahr — putting the world’s largest inland water body back on the strategic map.
Physical profile
| Feature | Details |
| Nature | World’s largest inland body of water; an endorheic basin with no outlet to the ocean — water leaves only by evaporation |
| Location | Between Europe and Asia — east of the Caucasus, west of the Central Asian steppe, north of the Iranian Plateau |
| Littoral states | Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Azerbaijan (TARIK 😊) |
| Area and volume | About 371,000 sq km (excluding the Garabogazköl lagoon; about 386,400 sq km gross); volume about 78,200 cubic km — details |
| Level | About 27–28 m below mean sea level |
| Salinity | About 1.2% — roughly one-third that of ocean water, making it brackish |
| Depth profile | Very shallow north (average ~5–6 m), deeper middle basin, and a southern basin reaching about 1,025 m |
| Inflows | The Volga alone supplies about 80% of inflow; the Ural, Terek and Kura add the rest |
| Origin | A relic of the ancient Paratethys Sea |
Shrinking sea
Upstream dams, water withdrawals and warmer temperatures that raise evaporation have lowered the Caspian by about 2 metres since the 1990s. Shallower northern ports now handle smaller vessels, which limits how much trade Iran can divert north.
Strategic significance
- Energy: Rich offshore oil and gas fields (see World Distribution of Petroleum).
- Connectivity for India: A key link in the International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC), connecting Indian Ocean trade via Iran to Russia, Central Asia and Europe (see India–Iran Relations and India and Central Asia).
- Legal status: The five littoral states signed a Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea at Aktau in 2018.
📖 Read More: Political Map of Asia • India–Iran Relations • India and Kazakhstan • India and Turkmenistan Caspian Sea
Sinking Land, Surviving States: The UN Declaration on Sea-Level Rise
(Environment) (UN) (BL) On 24 September 2026, world leaders at the 81st session of the UN General Assembly adopted, by consensus, a Declaration on Sea-Level Rise. It gives legal reassurance to low-lying coastal countries and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) that rising seas will not erase their statehood or maritime rights. India welcomed the declaration.
Background
For atoll nations like Tuvalu, sea-level rise is an existential threat: land may disappear, but should the State — and its seat at the UN — disappear too? The process was co-facilitated by Australia and Cabo Verde.
Key provisions
| Pillar | What the declaration says |
| Continued statehood | A presumption in favour of continued statehood, legal personality and UN membership even if territory is lost |
| Fixed maritime zones | Baselines and zones lawfully set under UNCLOS — territorial sea, EEZ — need not be redrawn as coasts retreat |
| People and rights | Displaced people retain protections under international human-rights law, including nationality and cultural identity |
| Finance | Simpler, predictable adaptation finance for vulnerable countries |
| Science and warning | Ocean data sharing, coastal risk mapping and multi-hazard early-warning systems |
Significance
- Rethinking sovereignty: Loosens the traditional territorial test of statehood rooted in the Westphalian system.
- Legal certainty: Builds on work by the International Law Commission and on the 2024 advisory opinion of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea on climate change and the marine environment.
- India’s stance: Stressed equity and Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR-RC); with its long coastline and island territories (Lakshadweep, Andaman & Nicobar), India itself is highly exposed (see Laws of the Sea).
📖 Read More: Laws of the Sea • UNFCCC • Climate and Environment Diplomacy • The United Nations
AFSPA Extended Again in Parts of the Northeast: Security Needs vs Accountability
(Internal Security) (IE) The Ministry of Home Affairs has extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA) by another six months in notified “disturbed areas” of Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh, citing continuing insurgent activity.
Origins and legal framework
- Colonial roots: The Armed Forces Special Powers Ordinance of 15 August 1942 was issued to suppress the Quit India Movement.
- 1958 Act: Enacted first as the Armed Forces (Assam and Manipur) Special Powers Act to deal with the Naga insurgency; later extended to the other north-eastern States and renamed.
- Section 3: The Central Government, the Governor of a State or the Administrator of a UT may declare an area “disturbed”.
- Powers: Armed forces may use force (including lethal force in specified situations), arrest and search without warrant; prosecution of personnel needs prior Central sanction.
- J&K: Governed by a separate Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act, 1990.
Rollback and review
Since 2022 the Centre has progressively shrunk AFSPA’s footprint in the Northeast; it had earlier been withdrawn entirely from Tripura (2015) and Meghalaya (2018). Localised extensions continue where ethnic violence in Manipur and cross-border insurgent groups persist (see The North-East Insurgency Landscape).
Key reviews and judgments
| Review / case | Year | Key takeaway |
| Naga People’s Movement of Human Rights v. Union of India | 1997 | Supreme Court upheld AFSPA but required periodic review of disturbed-area declarations (ordinarily within six months) and compliance with do’s and don’ts |
| Justice B.P. Jeevan Reddy Committee | 2005 (report) | Recommended repeal and folding essential provisions into the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act |
| Justice N. Santosh Hegde Commission | 2013 | Probed alleged fake encounters in Manipur; flagged serious accountability gaps |
The debate balances operational needs of the armed forces in insurgency zones against concerns over human rights and accountability (see Armed Forces and Internal Security and Legal Architecture of Internal Security).
📖 Read More: India’s Response to North-East Insurgency • The North-East Insurgency Landscape • Legal Architecture of Internal Security
Tarang Shakti 2026: “Power in Partnership” over the Thar Skies
(Internal Security) (DD) (TH) The operational phase of Exercise Tarang Shakti 2026, the Indian Air Force’s multinational air exercise, began at Air Force Station Jodhpur, Rajasthan. Running from 26 September to 12 October 2026 under the theme “Power in Partnership”, it features seven foreign air forces flying alongside the IAF, with many more countries attending as observers.
Exercise at a glance
| Feature | Details |
| Edition | Second edition; the first (2024) was held in two phases — at Sulur (Tamil Nadu) and Jodhpur |
| Host | Indian Air Force, Air Force Station Jodhpur |
| Foreign air forces flying | USA, Australia, France, Germany, UAE, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh |
| Foreign platforms | F-35 Lightning II, Rafale, F-16, A400M, MRTT, C-130/C-130J and KC-30A |
| IAF platforms | Su-30MKI, Tejas and others |
| Missions | Large-force engagements, counter-air, air defence, beyond-visual-range combat, air-to-air refuelling, tactical airlift |
| Outreach | International seminar, industry visits, the Sekhon Marathon, heritage tours and yoga |
France has deployed Rafale fighters, A330 MRTT tankers and A400M transports as part of its Mission Pégase 26, underlining deepening India–France aerospace ties.
Significance
- Builds interoperability among Western, Russian-origin and indigenous fleets — valuable for coalition operations and HADR (see Air Defence).
- Exposure to fifth-generation tactics and Dissimilar Air Combat Training.
- Showcases indigenous platforms such as the Tejas, supporting defence exports and Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
- Deepens defence diplomacy with partners including Germany, Australia, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
📖 Read More: Air Defence • India and France • Armed Forces and Internal Security
Shaheed Bhagat Singh at 119: The Revolutionary Who Made Ideas His Weapon
(History) (ET) The Prime Minister paid tribute to Bhagat Singh on his 119th birth anniversary on 28 September, calling him an enduring inspiration for India’s youth.
Life at a glance
| Year | Milestone |
| 1907 | Born at Banga, Lyallpur district, Punjab (now in Pakistan) — the anniversary is marked on 28 September, though some records give 27 September |
| 1919 | Deeply affected by the Jallianwala Bagh massacre |
| 1926 | Founded the Naujawan Bharat Sabha to mobilise youth |
| 1928 | HRA reorganised as the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA); in December, J.P. Saunders was shot in Lahore to avenge Lala Lajpat Rai’s death (see Simon Commission) |
| 8 April 1929 | With Batukeshwar Dutt, threw non-lethal bombs in the Central Legislative Assembly to protest the Public Safety Bill and the Trade Disputes Bill |
| 23 March 1931 | Hanged with Rajguru and Sukhdev in Lahore Central Jail after the Lahore Conspiracy Case |
Ideas and legacy
- Socialist and rationalist: Influenced by Marx and other revolutionary thinkers; his essay “Why I Am an Atheist” is a classic of Indian rationalism.
- Journalist: Wrote for Urdu and Punjabi papers, for Kirti (journal of the Kirti Kisan Party) and briefly for Veer Arjun, often under pen-names.
- “Inquilab Zindabad”: He popularised the slogan that became a rallying cry of the freedom struggle.
- Remembrance: 23 March is observed as Shaheed Diwas in memory of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev.
His trial and execution galvanised the youth and shaped debates at the Karachi Session of 1931 (see Revolutionary Nationalism in the 1920s).
📖 Read More: Revolutionary Nationalism in the 1920s • Growth of Leftist Movement in India • Great Personalities in Early 20th Century • Civil Disobedience Movement