LEGAL NEWS
Supreme Court Observations on Medicine Pricing in India
• The Supreme Court heard petitions concerning medicine prices, medical equipment and generic pharmaceuticals, expressing concern over the gap between Price to Retailer (PTR) and consumer prices, particularly for cancer drugs.
• The Court questioned whether the 16% retailer margin under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013 (DPCO) could be extended to other essential medicines and flagged hospitals compelling patients to purchase medicines from their own pharmacies.
• The Essential Commodities Act, 1955 empowers the Central Government to regulate essential commodities, including medicines. Section 3(1) concerns supply, equitable distribution and fair prices, while Section 3(2)(c) enables price-control orders.
• Under the DPCO, 2013, scheduled medicines listed in Schedule I, based on the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM), are subject to government price ceilings. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) fixes these ceiling prices.
• According to the supplied material, Schedule I covers 384 drugs, accounting for approximately 20% of the pharmaceutical market’s total turnover. The NPPA calculates ceiling prices using the average PTR of eligible brands and generic versions, adding a 16% retailer margin.
• Ceiling prices are revised annually on 1 April according to the Wholesale Price Index (WPI). Manufacturers may adjust prices within the permitted WPI limit, including reductions when the WPI is negative.
• A key concern is that non-scheduled medicines generally lack fixed price ceilings. Although their MRP increases are restricted to 10% within 12 months, manufacturers can initially set high launch prices. The petitions also raise concerns about Article 21, hospital pharmacy mark-ups and generic medicines being 50–90% cheaper than branded alternatives.
• The controversy highlights the need for greater pricing transparency, effective enforcement of existing controls, monitoring of trade margins, wider access to affordable generic medicines and evidence-based regulation of non-scheduled drugs. Higher medicine costs under government-funded schemes can also increase the burden on public funds.
Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Act, 2026
• The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Act, 2026 came into force on 1 October 2026.
• It introduces stricter procedures for delayed registration under Section 13 of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969.
• Delays of more than one year and up to two years require approval from the District Magistrate, Sub-Divisional Magistrate or an authorised Executive Magistrate.
• Delays exceeding two years require an order from a Judicial Magistrate of the First Class.
• The amended provisions require verification and payment of the prescribed fee to strengthen the registration process.
• The changes aim to improve the reliability and accountability of birth and death records.
• The amendment strengthens official scrutiny of applications involving long delays in registration.
• The Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on 31 July 2026 and the Rajya Sabha on 4 August 2026.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
153rd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), 2026
• An Indian Parliamentary Delegation led by Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh departed for Arusha, Tanzania.
• The delegation will participate in the 153rd IPU Assembly and related meetings from 5–9 October 2026.
• The theme is “Enhancing good governance and empowering communities through inclusivity, trust and opportunities for all.”
• The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) was established in 1889 in Paris.
• IPU is an international organisation of parliaments promoting parliamentary diplomacy, democracy, peace and sustainable development.
• The IPU has 180 member parliaments and 15 associate members.
• Its headquarters was moved to Geneva, Switzerland, in 1921.
• The IPU Assembly is its principal statutory body, while the Governing Council serves as its plenary policymaking body.
NATIONAL NEWS
Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Electoral Rolls
• The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is an Election Commission of India (ECI) exercise to verify electoral rolls through house-to-house enumeration and remove deceased, duplicate, shifted and ineligible entries. It is grounded in Section 21 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, and Article 324 of the Constitution.
• According to the supplied critique, approximately 13 crore voter entries have been deleted, with cumulative deletions projected to reach 14 crore. The reported deletion ratio increased from around 8% in Bihar’s first phase to over 13% in the second and more than 15% in the third.
• The critique highlights constituency-level anomalies: Malakpet, Hyderabad, reportedly recorded 1,47,799 deletions against 1,32,024 votes polled in 2023; Yakutpura recorded 1,54,982 deletions against 1,40,434 votes polled. In Delhi’s Chandni Chowk, Booth 33 reportedly had 908 of 909 voters removed.
• Critics argue that the exercise may disproportionately affect religious minorities, Dalits, Adivasis, De-notified and Nomadic Tribes, migrant workers and women, particularly those lacking historical documents or stable residential addresses.
• Reported procedural concerns include living voters being wrongly classified as dead or shifted, fictitious addresses remaining on rolls, insufficient verification notices, and migrants being deleted from their original constituencies without being enrolled at their new residences.
• The critique questions reliance on 2002–2004 legacy electoral rolls and parental citizenship records, arguing that poor and unorganised-sector workers may lack the required documentary evidence. It also raises concerns about centralised software, overburdened Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and limited local mechanisms to reverse erroneous deletions.
• The central challenge is balancing electoral-roll accuracy with universal adult suffrage. Article 326 provides for elections to the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies on the basis of adult suffrage, subject to constitutional and statutory qualifications. Removing duplicate or ineligible entries is important, but eligible voters must have access to notice, hearings and appeals.
• Suggested reforms include mandatory pre-deletion notices and hearings, publication of provisional deletion lists, verification through Gram Sabhas and ward committees, improved inter-state voter-transfer mechanisms, and independent statistical audits. Transparent procedures and accessible appeals are essential to protect eligible voters and public trust in elections.
Mann Ki Baat Completes 12 Years – 2026
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat completed 12 years on 3 October 2026.
• The programme was first broadcast on 3 October 2014, coinciding with Vijayadashami.
• Its 138th episode was broadcast on 27 September 2026.
• The programme is generally aired on the last Sunday of every month at 11 a.m. for approximately 30 minutes.
• It is broadcast through Akashvani, Doordarshan and digital platforms.
• Mann Ki Baat is available in multiple Indian and foreign languages, expanding its reach to diverse audiences.
• The programme provides a platform to discuss social initiatives, public participation, inspiring stories and national issues.
• The 100th episode of Mann Ki Baat was broadcast on 30 April 2023.
Five Centres of Excellence for Classical Languages, 2026
• The Ministry of Education approved five Centres of Excellence on 3 October 2026.
• The centres will focus on Assamese, Bengali, Marathi, Pali and Prakrit.
• The Centre for Classical Assamese will be hosted by Tezpur University.
• The Centre for Classical Bengali will be hosted by Visva-Bharati University.
• The Centre for Classical Marathi will be hosted by Deccan College, Pune.
• The centres for Classical Pali and Prakrit will be hosted by the Central University of Odisha and Central University of Gujarat, respectively.
• Their work will include advanced research, documentation, preservation, digitisation and dissemination of linguistic and literary heritage.
• Following the recognition of these five languages as Classical Languages in 2024, India has 11 Classical Languages. Tamil was the first, receiving this status in 2004.
Wildlife Week 2026
• India observes Wildlife Week 2026 from 2–8 October.
• It promotes biodiversity conservation, habitat protection and public awareness.
• The theme is “Connecting Habitats, Thriving Wildlife.”
• The theme highlights the importance of ecological corridors for wildlife conservation.
• Ecological corridors enable species to move safely between habitats.
• Wildlife Week encourages public participation in protecting natural ecosystems.
• It emphasises the conservation of wildlife habitats and biodiversity.
• The initiative promotes human–wildlife coexistence and awareness of environmental protection.
STATE NEWS
Rajeshwari Kumari Elected to OCA Athletes Commission – 2026
• On 3 October 2026, Indian trap shooter Rajeshwari Kumari was elected to the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) Athletes Commission to represent South Asia for the 2026–2030 term.
• The election followed the conclusion of Athletes Commission elections at the 20th Asian Games Aichi–Nagoya 2026.
• She became the second Indian to serve on the Commission after Indian luger Shiva Keshavan, its Vice-Chairman.
• Rajeshwari Kumari began her trap-shooting career before 2014 and won bronze at the 2014 National Shotgun Championship in Patiala, Punjab.
• At the 2022 Asian Games, held in Hangzhou in 2023, she won silver in the Women’s Trap Team event.
• She represented India in the Women’s Trap event at the Paris Olympics 2024, finishing 22nd with a score of 113/125.
• In 2023, she secured India’s first-ever women’s trap quota place for Paris 2024 by finishing fifth in the individual finals at the ISSF World Championship in Baku, Azerbaijan.
• The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) was established on 16 November 1982 in New Delhi and has its permanent headquarters in Kuwait City, Kuwait.
Gujarat Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, 2026
• President Droupadi Murmu gave assent to the Gujarat Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, 2026, on 17 September 2026.
• The Gujarat government published the legislation in its Extraordinary Gazette on 1 October 2026.
• The UCC provides common legal provisions concerning marriage, divorce, succession, adoption and live-in relationships.
• Its implementation will begin after the Gujarat government issues a notification.
• The Gujarat Legislative Assembly passed the Bill on 24 March 2026, following nearly eight hours of debate.
• The legislation aims to establish a common framework for specified civil matters.
• The draft was prepared by a five-member expert committee headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Desai.
• The Bill is a state-level legislative initiative concerning personal and family-related civil matters in Gujarat.
Haryana’s IoT-Based Waste Management System – 2026
• Haryana plans to introduce an IoT-based waste management system at major pilgrimage sites, religious places, fairs and festivals.
• The system aims to improve scientific waste segregation, collection and disposal, especially during periods of heavy visitor footfall.
• Smart bins equipped with sensors will provide real-time fill-level data and automatically open their lids to support timely waste collection.
• Four-stream waste segregation stations and covered storage facilities will enable systematic waste handling.
• A 500-metre clean zone will be maintained around designated sites, with no open waste collection points along approach roads, parking areas and vendor zones.
• A minimum seven-day waste audit will assess waste generation, while littering hotspots will be geo-tagged for targeted action.
• Bhandaras, hotels, dharamshalas, prasad shops and flower shops within the buffer will be registered as bulk waste generators, with CPCB-related regulation.
• The initiative combines IoT, real-time monitoring and site-specific planning to reduce littering, improve operational efficiency and protect the environment around religious sites.
SPORTS
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in TIME100 Next 2026
• Indian teenage cricketer Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was named to the TIME100 Next 2026 list.
• TIME100 Next recognises emerging individuals shaping the future.
• At 15 years of age, Sooryavanshi is the youngest person selected for the 2026 list.
• He is the only Indian athlete featured and one of seven athletes on the list.
• TIME placed him in the “Phenom” category.
• He was recognised for his rapid rise from Bihar cricket to the Indian Premier League (IPL).
• His achievements include representing India’s national team and participating in the 2026 Under-19 World Cup.
• His selection highlights his emergence as a young talent in Indian cricket.
