LEGAL NEWS

Supreme Court Releases Draft Regulations for Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Courts, 2026

• The Supreme Court of India has released the Draft Regulations for Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Courts, 2026 to establish a governance framework for the responsible and phased adoption of AI across the judiciary.

• The regulations will come into force in the Supreme Court on a date notified by the Chief Justice of India (CJI), while High Courts will implement them separately through notifications issued by their respective Chief Justices, allowing phased implementation.

• AI will be permitted only for administrative and judicial support functions such as case management, preparation of cause lists, scheduling of hearings, transcription of proceedings, translation of judgments, legal research, and document analysis.

• The draft prohibits the use of AI for judicial decision-making, including risk scoring, bail assessment, prediction of recidivism, evaluation of witness credibility, or determining flight risk, ensuring that judicial discretion remains with judges.

• Processing of personal data through AI systems must comply with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, while every AI system will undergo technical, legal, ethical, and cybersecurity audits, and each court will maintain an AI Register and a manual emergency fallback mechanism.

• The regulations propose establishing a full-time Apex Body at the Supreme Court to oversee AI implementation, supported by the Centre of Research and Excellence on Artificial Intelligence (CoRE-AI) for evaluating AI tools and monitoring technological developments.

• Courts must inform parties whenever AI materially assists in case management or judicial administration, and any person adversely affected by a prohibited use of AI will have the right to seek grievance redressal before the concerned court.

• AI is expected to improve case management, multilingual access through translation, legal research, and judicial efficiency, helping reduce case pendency and improve access to justice, while safeguards have been incorporated to address concerns relating to bias, privacy, data protection, cybersecurity, and overdependence on automated systems.

India Targets Full Digital Criminal Justice System Rollout by 1 July 2027

• The Union Government has set a target to achieve a fully digital criminal justice system by 1 July 2027 through the Interoperable Criminal Justice System (ICJS), enabling seamless coordination among all criminal justice institutions.

• The ICJS integrates major digital platforms, including Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS), e-Courts, e-Prisons, e-Forensics, and e-Prosecution, creating a unified criminal justice ecosystem.

• The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) is the nodal agency for implementing the project, while the National Informatics Centre (NIC) serves as the technology partner.

• The digital framework aims to cover every stage of criminal proceedings, including FIR registration, investigation, evidence collection, filing of charge sheets, forensic reporting, witness testimony, trial proceedings, and final case disposal.

• The CCTNS project, launched in 2009, connects police stations across the country through a common software platform to support investigations, data analytics, policy-making, and citizen services.

• Digital platforms such as e-Prisons, e-Forensics, and e-Prosecution provide real-time information sharing among prisons, forensic laboratories, prosecutors, and courts, improving transparency and efficiency in criminal proceedings.

• The National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS) serves as a nationwide repository of criminal fingerprints accessible to State, Union Territory, and central law enforcement agencies.

• The Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022 empowers police and prison authorities to collect measurements for identification and investigation purposes, with the NCRB designated as the implementing agency across all States and Union Territories, strengthening the digital foundation of India’s criminal justice system.

APPOINTMENT

Former ISRO Chairman S. Somanath Joins Agnikul Cosmos Board

• S. Somanath, former Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), has joined Chennai-based Agnikul Cosmos as an Observer on its Board of Directors.

• He served as ISRO Chairman from January 2022 to January 2025 and contributed to India’s space programme for nearly four decades.

• Agnikul Cosmos, a space technology startup headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, is developing the Agnibaan launch vehicle, a two-stage rocket designed for orbital satellite missions.

• The company’s upcoming Mission 02 aims to achieve India’s first recovery of an orbital-class rocket booster through a controlled descent and ocean retrieval of the first-stage booster.

• The upper stage of Agnibaan is designed with a convertible architecture, enabling it to continue operating in orbit as a platform for future space-based applications after payload deployment.

• Agnikul Cosmos has secured patents in India, the United States, and Europe for its convertible upper-stage technology, reflecting its focus on advanced launch and space operation capabilities.

• The company is working on technologies related to launch vehicle development, reusable rocket systems, booster recovery, and on-orbit operations, supporting India's growing private space sector.

• The appointment of S. Somanath is expected to strengthen Agnikul Cosmos with his extensive expertise in space missions, launch vehicle technology, and strategic guidance, further advancing India's commercial space ecosystem.

STATE NEWS

Maharashtra Becomes First State to Enact Women Farmers Empowerment Act, 2026

• Maharashtra has become the first Indian state to enact the Maharashtra Women Farmers Empowerment Act, 2026, providing legal recognition and protection to the rights of women farmers.

• The legislation was introduced during the UN-observed International Year of the Woman Farmer, promoting inclusive, equitable, and sustainable agrifood systems.

• The Act seeks to address gender disparities in agriculture by improving women’s access to land, water, institutional credit, government schemes, and other productive resources, which have traditionally been linked to land ownership.

• Adopting the approach of the National Policy for Farmers, 2007, the Act recognises as farmers women engaged in crop cultivation, animal husbandry, poultry, fisheries, agro-forestry, vermiculture, mushroom cultivation, and primary agricultural processing, whether working as owners or labourers.

• A key provision is the introduction of the Woman Farmer Certificate (WFC), which can be obtained through the Gram Sabha or Nagar Panchayat and serves as official proof of farming activity, eliminating the need for land ownership to access government benefits.

• The Act mandates the creation of a centralised digital registry of certified women farmers along with a dedicated Women Farmers Empowerment Fund to support targeted welfare and development programmes.

• Implementation will be supervised through a two-tier institutional mechanism, comprising a State-Level Monitoring Committee headed by the Chief Secretary and a Governing Council chaired by the Chief Minister for policy oversight.

• The legislation builds upon the objectives of Maharashtra’s Fourth Policy for Women (2024) and aims to strengthen economic empowerment, financial inclusion, and asset ownership among women engaged in agriculture, where women constitute a significant share of the rural workforce.

Jharkhand Secures GI Tags for Four Traditional Products

• In June 2026, Jharkhand received Geographical Indication (GI) tags for Bhagaiya Silk, Kuchai Silk, Munda Jewellery, and Jharkhand Bamboo Craft, recognising their unique regional identity and traditional heritage.

• Geographical Indications (GI) in India are registered under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999, with registrations administered by the GI Registry under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). A GI registration remains valid for 10 years and is renewable.

• Bhagaiya Silk, produced in the Godda district, is a premium wild Tasar silk, while Kuchai Silk from Seraikela-Kharsawan is known for its natural golden sheen, tribal weaving traditions, and eco-friendly production methods.

• Munda Jewellery, handcrafted by the Munda tribal community, is distinguished by its traditional geometric designs and cultural significance, whereas Jharkhand Bamboo Craft utilises bamboo from the Chhota Nagpur Plateau to create both decorative and utility products.

• NABARD Jharkhand played an important role in identifying these products, documenting their unique characteristics, and supporting producer organisations, value-chain development, and market access.

• GI recognition enhances the branding, authenticity, and commercial value of regional products while promoting exports, tourism, rural livelihoods, and traditional craftsmanship.

• Tasar silk, one of Jharkhand’s signature products, is a wild silk produced by silkworms that feed on forest trees, making it distinct from cultivated mulberry silk.

• Jharkhand continues to strengthen its portfolio of GI products, with other recognised items including Bhoya Saree and Fabric, Tumka Chadar, Baroni Paintings, Tussar Silk and Sarees, Jadopatia Painting, Pancho Saree and Fabric, Kesaria Kalakand, and Dokra Craft, several of which were showcased at Bharat Tex 2026.

RANKING AND INDEX

India Introduces Index of Services Production (ISP) to Measure Services Sector Performance

• The Government of India has introduced the Index of Services Production (ISP), the country's first high-frequency indicator to measure the real output of the formal services sector, with the first trial index released for April 2026.

• The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has developed the index with 2024–25 as the base year, while a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), constituted in May 2025, designed its methodology.

• The ISP will be released monthly, generally on the 29th of each month with a 60-day time lag, providing timely data for national accounts, economic analysis, and policy formulation.

• The trial index covers 19 formal service sub-sectors, representing nearly 60% of India's formal services economy. Of these, 14 sub-sectors recorded double-digit year-on-year growth in April 2026.

• The index converts nominal service-sector data into real output using price deflators and combines information from administrative records, the Annual Survey of Incorporated Services Sector Enterprises (ASISSE), and Goods and Services Tax (GST) data, marking the first use of high-frequency GST data in an official statistical index.

• The services sector contributes 52.9% of India's Gross Value Added (GVA), accounts for around 30% of total employment, and recorded services exports of USD 103.41 billion during April–June 2026–27, underscoring its importance to the Indian economy.

• In the April 2026 trial index, the fastest-growing sub-sectors were Accommodation & Food Services (37.2%), Retail Trade (30.8%), Administrative & Support Services (28.7%), Real Estate (27.7%), and Telecommunications (22.8%).

• The ISP complements the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) by capturing short-term trends in the services sector, aligns with OECD and Eurostat statistical standards, and is expected to improve GDP estimation, economic monitoring, and evidence-based policymaking, while supporting India's long-term goal of securing a 10% share in global services exports by 2047.