LEGAL NEWS

Right to Vote in India: Fundamental Right Debate and Electoral Roll Issues

• India adopted universal adult suffrage from the commencement of the Constitution, unlike the gradual expansion of voting rights seen in many Western democracies.

• The 61st Constitutional Amendment Act, 1988 lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 years, widening electoral participation among young citizens.

• Article 326 provides for elections on the basis of adult suffrage, while the Supreme Court in Kuldip Nayar (2006) treated the right to elect as a statutory right rather than an independent Fundamental Right.

• Judicial decisions, including Rajbala (2015), have examined voting as a constitutional right, while the broader relationship between elections, democracy and the Basic Structure continues to be debated.

• A reported ECINet-related episode in Goa allegedly affected 97 verified electors during electoral-roll revision, raising concerns about digital errors, restoration mechanisms and voter exclusion; these specific allegations require independent verification.

• Reports also referred to 14 internal objections within the ECI concerning administrative decisions and electoral-roll procedures, including issues related to technology and institutional decision-making.

• Supporters of Fundamental Right status argue that it could provide stronger constitutional safeguards against arbitrary deletion and digital exclusion, while concerns include increased litigation and the need to preserve accurate electoral rolls.

• Suggested reforms include prior notice and hearings before deletion, effective digital correction and audit systems, transparent Commission-level decision-making, alternative documents for welfare benefits, and clarification of the constitutional position on voting.

Election Commission’s Nine New Decisions 2026

• The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced nine administrative and technological measures following reported objections raised by two Election Commissioners.

• Meeting agendas will be circulated in advance, allowing all three Commissioners to review proposals before taking institutional decisions.

• Formal minutes will be prepared after Commission meetings to record deliberations and decisions and strengthen administrative accountability.

• Foreign visits by ECI officials will require Commission approval, bringing such official engagements under collective oversight.

• New IT modules and digital portals will undergo preliminary scrutiny by an officers’ committee before being placed before the Commission.

• An independent review of ECINet will be conducted by a committee headed by a senior Deputy Election Commissioner and supported by an IIT/IIIT expert.

• Field-level election officials will receive greater system access and flexibility, while directions issued by Election Commissioners are to be followed by officials.

• Regarding the 97 reported Goa voters, the ECI stated that 81 had filed Form 6 and directed the Chief Electoral Officer to facilitate their inclusion in the electoral roll.

• The ECI also clarified that Form 6 under the Registration of Electors Rules applies outside the Special Intensive Revision period, providing a route for eligible electors to seek inclusion.

NATIONAL NEWS

Shram Samvad Campaign 2026

• The Ministry of Labour and Employment launched the 90-day “Shram Samvad” campaign on 28 September 2026 to strengthen labour-law awareness and stakeholder engagement.

• The campaign will reach industrial clusters in 316 districts across all 36 States and Union Territories through district-level awareness activities.

• It seeks to familiarise employers, workers and authorities with the four Labour Codes and encourage dialogue on industrial relations and compliance.

• The four Codes are the Code on Wages, 2019; Industrial Relations Code, 2020; Code on Social Security, 2020; and OSH & Working Conditions Code, 2020.

• The Codes were operationalised on 21 November 2025, consolidating and replacing 29 central labour laws into a simplified code-based framework.

• The Central Rules were notified in May 2026, while complete implementation depends on States finalising and notifying their respective rules.

• A district-level programme at the Regional Labour Institute, Faridabad, on 28 September 2026 brought together around 75 representatives from employers and State authorities.

• Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurated the campaign in New Delhi, with the initiative also promoting awareness of AI, automation and robotics-related skills alongside labour administration.

India’s Performance at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026

• India secured 10th position at the 48th WorldSkills Competition, held in Shanghai, China, from 22–27 September 2026.

• The Indian contingent earned six silver medals and 20 Medals for Excellence, marking a significant performance at the global vocational skills event.

• India sent its largest-ever team of 70 competitors, who participated across 63 skill categories at the competition.

• The six silver medallists were Smriti Nambiar (Bakery), Mohammed Salam (Dental Prosthetics), Kovid Ajay Gangrade (Digital Interactive Media Design), Parth Vohra (Industrial Design Technology), Mehrunissa Begum (Logistics and Freight Forwarding) and Saniya Joshi (Retail Sales).

• Smriti Nambiar received the Best of the Nation recognition for India on 27 September 2026.

• India entered 11 new disciplines at the Shanghai edition, including Unmanned Aerial Systems and Intelligent Security Technology.

• Three silver medals came from disciplines in which India participated for the first time—Dental Prosthetics, Digital Interactive Media Design and Retail Sales.

• India improved from its 13th-place finish at WorldSkills Lyon 2024 to 10th place in Shanghai 2026, entering the top 10 for the first time in the competition.

SPORTS

Bodhana Sivanandan Becomes Youngest Woman Grandmaster

• Bodhana Sivanandan created chess history on 28 September 2026 by becoming the youngest-ever Woman Grandmaster (WGM) at just 11 years of age.

• Representing England, she achieved her third and final WGM norm at the 46th Chess Olympiad held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

• The WGM title is conferred by FIDE and is the highest women-specific title in chess, while the open Grandmaster (GM) title remains above it in the overall hierarchy.

• Sivanandan also secured her second International Master (IM) norm at the Olympiad, making it a separate achievement under the open-category title system.

• The 46th Chess Olympiad, a biennial international team competition organised by FIDE, saw Sivanandan play all 11 rounds on England’s top board, scoring 8 points.

• Her achievement surpassed Kateryna Lagno’s previous record, who had attained the WGM title at 12 years and four months.

• Sivanandan started playing chess during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown and became Britain’s youngest Women’s Chess Champion at the 2026 British Chess Championships in Coventry.

• She had already made history in July 2025 by becoming the youngest player to earn a WGM norm and, in August 2025, the youngest female player to defeat a Grandmaster, beating Peter Wells at 10 years, five months and three days.

AWARDS

65th National Exhibition of Art – Lalit Kala Akademi Awards 2026

• The Lalit Kala Akademi announced 20 awards on 27 September 2026 at the 65th National Exhibition of Art in New Delhi.

• The exhibition is being hosted at the Lalit Kala Art Galleries, Rabindra Bhavan, showcasing contemporary works across several visual-art disciplines.

• Established in 1954, the Lalit Kala Akademi serves as India’s National Academy of Art under the Ministry of Culture.

• For the 65th edition, the Akademi received 6,175 artworks from 2,495 artists representing 27 States and Union Territories.

• A First-Tier Jury shortlisted 270 works for exhibition, followed by a Second-Tier Jury that selected 20 award-winning works.

• The awards covered disciplines including painting, sculpture, drawing and printmaking, reflecting a broad range of contemporary visual expression.

• Among the recognised works, Chandra Shekhar Sain received an award for My Entire World – I in sculpture, while Gopal Chandra Naskar was honoured for The Tune of The Srimad Bhagavad Gita in painting.

• The exhibition was extended until 30 September 2026, with selected award-winning artworks also offered for sale as part of efforts to support artists and expand public access to art.

DEFENCE

KAZIND-2026: India–Kazakhstan Joint Military Exercise

• KAZIND-2026, the 9th edition of the India–Kazakhstan military exercise, is being conducted from 28 September to 11 October 2026 in Oskemen, Kazakhstan.

• India is participating with a 60-member contingent, mainly drawn from the Garhwal Rifles, along with personnel from the Indian Air Force.

• The Kazakhstan side is represented by a similarly sized contingent, primarily comprising troops from its Land Forces.

• The exercise is aimed at improving joint counter-terrorism capabilities for operations conducted under a United Nations mandate.

• Training activities cover semi-urban and mountainous terrain, reflecting the complex conditions involved in sub-conventional military operations.

• Troops will practise joint planning, air mobility, raids, search-and-destroy missions, cordon-and-search operations and special heliborne operations.

• The exercise also focuses on integrating unmanned aerial systems (UAS) with counter-UAS capabilities during operational scenarios.

• KAZIND-2026 will conclude with a validation exercise, where both contingents will demonstrate their coordinated response to a simulated terrorist threat, strengthening India–Kazakhstan defence cooperation.

Exercise Tarang Shakti 2026

• The Indian Air Force (IAF) began the second edition of Exercise Tarang Shakti 2026 at Air Force Station Jodhpur, Rajasthan, under the theme “Power in Partnership.”

• The multinational air exercise brings together the IAF and air forces from seven countries—the United States, Australia, France, Germany, UAE, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

• The exercise features the first operational participation of US F-35 stealth fighters in an Indian multinational air exercise.

• Major aircraft taking part include F-35, Rafale, F-16, Su-30MKI and Tejas fighters, supported by transport aircraft and aerial-refuelling platforms.

• Training focuses on large-force air operations, offensive and defensive counter-air missions, beyond-visual-range combat and aerial refuelling.

• Joint missions involving the F-35 and IAF aircraft will provide experience in stealth operations, sensor fusion and Dissimilar Air Combat Training (DACT).

• The exercise aims to improve tactical interoperability, mutual trust and understanding of lessons from contemporary air conflicts while strengthening coordination in complex aerospace operations.

• Alongside combat training, the programme includes an International Defence Aviation Seminar, aerospace industry visits, the Sekhon Marathon and joint yoga activities, promoting professional and cultural exchanges.