LEGAL NEWS

Joint Parliamentary Committee Backs One Nation, One Election Proposal

• On 11 July 2026, the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) stated that the One Nation, One Election (ONOE) proposal is consistent with the Constitution of India.

• The Committee examined the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024, which was introduced in the Lok Sabha on 17 December 2024 and referred to the JPC on 19 December 2024.

• One Nation, One Election aims to conduct Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assembly elections simultaneously under a common electoral schedule.

• The 41-member JPC, chaired by BJP MP P.P. Chaudhary, held around 16 meetings across Parliament and several States to examine the proposal.

• The Committee consulted constitutional experts, including six former Chief Justices of India, and concluded that the proposal does not violate the federal structure or democratic principles.

• According to the JPC, a large majority of civil society stakeholders consulted supported the proposal, while economists highlighted potential governance and economic benefits.

• As the proposal requires changes to the Constitution, the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024 must be passed by Parliament through a special majority under Article 368 of the Constitution.

• The JPC Chairperson indicated that, if approved, the One Nation, One Election framework could be implemented in time for the 2029 General Election, with estimates suggesting significant savings and improved administrative efficiency.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

South China Sea Arbitral Award Marks 10th Anniversary

• The South China Sea Arbitral Award completed 10 years on 12 July 2026, marking a decade since the landmark international ruling was delivered.

• The award was issued on 12 July 2016 by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), The Hague, under the dispute settlement mechanism provided in Annex VII of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

• The case was initiated by the Philippines against China, and the tribunal ruled that China’s Nine-Dash Line claim had no legal basis under international law.

• The ruling also addressed issues relating to maritime entitlements, artificial islands, and activities carried out in the South China Sea.

• UNCLOS, adopted in 1982 and effective from 1994, establishes the legal framework for maritime zones, including the territorial sea, contiguous zone, Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and continental shelf, with an EEZ extending up to 200 nautical miles.

• China has consistently rejected the arbitral award and did not participate in the arbitration proceedings, while the Philippines observes 12 July as West Philippine Sea Victory Day.

• In 2026, Japan, the United States, the Philippines, and 11 other countries issued a joint statement reaffirming that the 2016 arbitral award is final, legally binding, and definitive.

• On the 10th anniversary, the European Union expressed concern over rising tensions in the region, while the Philippine Navy and United States Navy commemorated the occasion with a water salute and horn-blowing ceremony at Subic Bay.

India Withdraws 2017 Travel Restriction Notification for Yemen

• The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) withdrew its 3 October 2017 notification imposing special travel conditions on Indian citizens travelling to Yemen, with the new notification issued on 10 July 2026 and published on 12 July 2026.

• The withdrawal was made under Section 19(d) of the Passports Act, 1967, which empowers the Government to regulate matters relating to international travel.

• The 2017 restrictions had been introduced due to the deteriorating security situation arising from the civil war and armed conflict in Yemen.

• Despite the withdrawal of the notification, the MEA continues to advise against non-essential travel to Yemen and urges travellers to carefully assess the security situation before visiting.

• Indian nationals currently residing in Yemen have been advised to remain vigilant, minimise unnecessary movement, and follow local security advisories.

• Citizens living in or travelling to Yemen are also encouraged to register with the Embassy of India in Riyadh to facilitate communication and emergency assistance when required.

• Yemen, located on the south-western Arabian Peninsula, has remained affected by prolonged conflict since 2014, resulting in continuing security concerns.

• The withdrawal notification was signed by Joint Secretary B. S. Mubarak, formally cancelling the special travel conditions that had been in force since 3 October 2017.

STATE NEWS

Ahmedabad Sets Guinness World Record for Largest Tree Plantation in One Hour

• Ahmedabad created a Guinness World Record on 12 July 2026 by planting 3.61 lakh (361,000) saplings within one hour at Bhadaj, Gujarat.

• The plantation drive was organised by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) using the Miyawaki method over an area of nearly 76,000 square metres.

• More than 25,000 volunteers participated in the campaign, during which 35 indigenous plant species were planted.

• The event was conducted in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.

• The Miyawaki method, developed by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, is a dense afforestation technique that promotes rapid growth of native, multi-layered forests in limited urban spaces.

• Ahmedabad surpassed the previous Guinness World Record set by Assam, which had planted 331,929 trees in one hour on 15 September 2023.

• The plantation drive forms part of a broader green initiative targeting the planting of 1.25 crore trees in the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency and 50 lakh trees within the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation area.

• On 13 July 2026, Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi congratulated the organisers and volunteers, noting that this achievement marked Ahmedabad’s fifth Guinness World Record in the past three years.

Assam Launches Statewide Drug Disposal Campaign

• Assam launched a statewide drug disposal campaign on 12 July 2026 at the 14th Assam Police Battalion ground, Daulasal (Nalbari district).

• During the campaign, seized narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances worth ₹472.51 crore were destroyed, and Assam’s first narcotics incinerator was inaugurated.

• The disposal process involved crushing the contraband with a road roller followed by controlled incineration, with the operation scheduled to continue for 10 days.

• The destroyed stock included approximately 60 kg of heroin, 38,000 kg of ganja, 39 kg of morphine, and 4.97 lakh psychotropic tablets.

• The destruction of these substances was carried out in accordance with the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, India’s principal anti-narcotics law.

• Over the last five years, Assam Police registered more than 3,300 cases under the NDPS Act and seized illegal drugs valued at over ₹3,227 crore.

• Similar drug destruction drives were organised simultaneously across several districts of the State as part of a coordinated anti-narcotics campaign.

• The first narcotics incinerator at Daulasal was provided by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, strengthening Assam’s capacity for the safe disposal of seized narcotic substances.

Ladakh Expands Administrative Network with 17 New Tehsils

• The Union Territory of Ladakh approved 17 new tehsils on 12 July 2026, increasing the total number of tehsils from 15 to 32.

• The reorganisation was approved by Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena to strengthen local administration and improve public service delivery.

• A tehsil is a sub-district administrative and revenue unit responsible for land records, revenue collection, and local governance, and is headed by a Tehsildar.

• Under the revised structure, Leh will have 5 tehsils, Kargil 7, Changthang 4, Nubra 6, Zanskar 4, Sham 5, and Drass 1.

• The reorganisation follows the recommendations of a Union Territory-level committee and ensures that each revenue village falls under only one tehsil and each tehsil belongs to a single district.

• A revenue village is the smallest unit in the land revenue system, primarily used for maintaining land ownership and revenue records.

• The new administrative arrangement is expected to reduce travel distances for residents of remote border regions, where access to government offices often required journeys of over 300 kilometres.

• The Chief Secretary has been directed to appoint independent Tehsildars for all newly created tehsils to ensure efficient administration and improved governance.

SPORTS

India Wins Five Gold Medals at International Physics Olympiad 2026

• India won five gold medals at the 56th International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) 2026, held in Bucaramanga, Colombia, from 5–12 July 2026.

• With all five participants securing gold medals, India finished joint World No. 1 alongside China, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, and Taiwan in the competition.

• The International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) is an annual global competition for secondary school students, featuring challenging theoretical and experimental physics examinations.

• India’s gold medallists were Kanishk Jain (Pune), Riddhesh Anant Bendale (Indore), Rishit Garg (Delhi), Shresth Suraiya (Mumbai), and Svarit Joshi (Ahmedabad).

• This marked only the second occasion, after 2018, when every member of the Indian team won a gold medal at the IPhO.

• The 56th edition of the Olympiad brought together 381 students from 87 countries, making it one of the world’s premier science competitions for school students.

• The Indian delegation was led by Prof. Anwesh Mazumdar and Prof. Leena Joshi, while the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE) coordinated the team’s selection, training, and mentoring.

• HBCSE, functioning under the Department of Atomic Energy and as part of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), oversees India’s participation in international science olympiads.

RANKING AND INDEX

NSE Launches Nifty500 Ahimsa Index

• NSE Indices Limited, a subsidiary of the National Stock Exchange (NSE), launched the Nifty500 Ahimsa Index on 10 July 2026.

• The index tracks selected companies from the Nifty 500 that follow Ahimsa (non-violence) principles by excluding businesses involved in activities that cause harm to animals.

• It is a thematic index with a base date of 1 April 2016 and a base value of 1000, focusing on values-based investing rather than the overall market.

• The index has been developed in collaboration with the Ahimsagain Foundation under the Ahimsa Investment Movement framework.

• Companies are classified into Green, Orange, and Red categories according to their business practices and impact on animal welfare, with only eligible companies included in the index.

• Stock weights in the index are determined using the free-float market capitalisation method, which considers only shares available for public trading.

• The Nifty500 Ahimsa Index will undergo semi-annual reconstitution, ensuring that its constituents are reviewed and updated twice every year.

• The index is designed to serve as a benchmark for asset managers and can be used for developing passive investment products, including Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) and index funds.