LEGAL NEWS

Attorney General of India: Consent for Criminal Contempt Proceedings

• A Supreme Court advocate sought the Attorney General of India’s statutory consent to initiate criminal contempt proceedings against the Chief Election Commissioner.

• Under Section 15 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, prior consent of the Attorney General is required when a private person or third party seeks to initiate criminal contempt proceedings in the Supreme Court.

• The office of the Attorney General of India is established under Article 76 of the Constitution and is the highest law office of the Union Government.

• The President appoints the Attorney General, who must be qualified for appointment as a Supreme Court judge under the constitutional requirements.

• The Attorney General serves as the government’s principal legal adviser, provides legal advice and represents the Union before courts.

• The AG can participate in proceedings of both Houses of Parliament and their committees, but cannot vote in parliamentary proceedings.

• The Constitution provides no fixed tenure for the Attorney General; the office is held during the pleasure of the President.

• The Constitution also does not prescribe a specific removal procedure, while the Attorney General enjoys privileges and immunities similar to those available to Members of Parliament.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

UK Backs Voluntary Restraint on UNSC Veto

• The United Kingdom became the second permanent UNSC member, after France, to endorse the France-Mexico declaration calling for voluntary restraint on veto use during mass atrocities.

• The 2015 declaration urges the five permanent members to avoid using the veto in situations involving genocide, crimes against humanity and large-scale war crimes.

• Under Article 23 of the UN Charter, the five permanent members are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States; the Council also has 10 elected members serving two-year terms.

• Article 27 establishes the Council’s voting rules: substantive decisions require nine affirmative votes and can be blocked by a negative vote from any permanent member, while procedural matters are not subject to the veto.

• Resolution 377 A (V) of 1950, known as Uniting for Peace, allows the UN General Assembly to recommend collective measures when Council action is blocked by a lack of P5 agreement.

• UNGA Resolution 76/262 (2022) requires a General Assembly debate within 10 working days after a UNSC veto, giving the vetoing state an opportunity to explain its position.

• Calls for UNSC reform include concerns over regional representation, veto-related deadlock and the Council’s composition, which has remained unchanged in terms of permanent seats since its 1965 expansion.

• India’s participation in UN peacekeeping is often cited in reform discussions; despite contributing over 2.75 lakh personnel since 1948, India does not hold a permanent seat on the Security Council.

India Signs United Nations Convention against Cybercrime

• India signed the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime in September 2026 during the 81st UN General Assembly in New York.

• External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar signed the convention on behalf of India.

• The treaty was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2024 as the first comprehensive global convention specifically addressing cybercrime.

• It establishes a common framework for preventing and combating cyber offences and strengthening international cooperation.

• The convention facilitates cooperation in cybercrime investigations, electronic evidence sharing and related legal and technical matters.

• It addresses crimes involving different jurisdictions, where offenders, victims, digital infrastructure and electronic evidence may be located in separate countries.

• The convention entered into force in 2025 after the required threshold of 40 member-state signatures was reached; 93 countries had signed it by the end of 2025.

• India’s treaty is separate from the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, which India has not acceded to.

NATIONAL NEWS

AFSPA Extended in Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh

• The Centre extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958 for another six months from 1 October 2026.

• The extension covers specified areas of Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh following a review of the law-and-order situation.

• The Ministry of Home Affairs issued the relevant Gazette notifications on 25 September 2026.

• AFSPA applies to areas officially declared as “disturbed areas” and provides armed forces personnel with specified powers under the law.

• In Manipur, AFSPA continues across the state except areas under 13 police stations in five districts.

• In Nagaland, the extension covers nine districts and areas under 21 police stations in five additional districts.

• In Arunachal Pradesh, it remains applicable in Tirap, Changlang and Longding, along with areas under three police stations in Namsai district.

• Enacted in 1958, AFSPA is a Union law under which disturbed-area declarations and related extensions are notified through official Gazette publications.

STATE NEWS

Maharashtra Declares 265 Talukas Drought-Affected in 2026

• Maharashtra declared 265 of its 358 talukas drought-affected on 26 September 2026, covering nearly 74% of the state’s total land area.

• The declaration followed an 18.8% rainfall deficit recorded between 1 June and 18 September 2026, along with a prolonged two-month monsoon break.

• The deficient rainfall was associated with El Niño conditions, which can influence monsoon patterns and rainfall distribution in India.

• Districts including Dharashiv, Beed, Amravati, Solapur and Latur experienced significant rainfall shortages, with some areas receiving 40–50% less rainfall.

• Major Kharif crops affected by the drought include soybean, cotton, millet, maize, tur, moong and urad.

• Relief measures include land-revenue concessions, crop-loan restructuring, suspension of agricultural loan recovery and electricity-bill concessions for agricultural pumps.

• The state also planned drinking-water tankers, fodder supplies and relaxation of Employment Guarantee Scheme norms, along with expanded water-conservation activities.

• In India, drought declaration is an administrative process undertaken by state governments, generally considering rainfall deficiency, crop conditions, water availability and field-level assessments.

SPORTS

India Clinches Women’s Kabaddi Gold at Asian Games 2026

• India won the women’s kabaddi gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on 26 September 2026.

• India defeated Iran 37–34 in the final held at the Tokai Citizens Gymnasium, securing the title by a three-point margin.

• The victory gave India its fourth Asian Games gold medal in women’s kabaddi, following triumphs in 2010, 2014, 2022 and 2026.

• India successfully defended its 2022 title, with the previous edition having been held in 2023.

• India’s only silver-medal finish in women’s kabaddi at the Asian Games came in 2018, when Iran defeated India in the final.

• Pushpa Rana captained India in the 2026 final, while Zahra Karimi led the Iranian team.

• India’s final squad included players such as Pooja, Sanju Devi and Nikita Hathwala, alongside captain Pushpa Rana.

• Kabaddi is a contact team sport played on a rectangular court and has featured as a medal event for both men and women at the Asian Games.