LEGAL NEWS

Supreme Court Raises Concerns Over Tribunal System in India

• The Supreme Court has criticised tribunals for weak functioning, calling them structurally flawed due to issues in appointments and administration.

• Excessive executive influence over tenure, salaries, and selection of members has raised serious doubts about judicial independence.

• The Court reaffirmed through L. Chandra Kumar v. Union of India that High Courts’ jurisdiction forms part of the Basic Structure and cannot be replaced by tribunals.

• It highlighted the urgent need for an independent National Tribunals Commission (NTC) to ensure autonomy and accountability.

• Many tribunals operate without effective oversight, creating an institutional accountability vacuum.

• Instances of judicial misconduct and lack of discipline within tribunals have further weakened their credibility.

• Technical members often lack specialised knowledge in fields such as environmental, corporate, or insolvency law.

• Persistent vacancies have led to huge backlogs, including tens of thousands of pending cases in bodies like Armed Forces Tribunals.

• Executive dominance is problematic, especially since the government is itself a frequent litigant before these forums.

• Overlapping jurisdictions and excessive reliance on tribunals dilute the authority of regular courts and increase appeals.

• Tribunals derive constitutional legitimacy from Articles 323A and 323B inserted by the 42nd Amendment to handle specialised disputes.

• Through rulings such as S.P. Sampath Kumar v. Union of India, R. Gandhi v. Union of India, Rojer Mathew v. South Indian Bank, and Madras Bar Association v. Union of India, the Court has stressed balanced composition, longer tenure, and independent selection — directing Search-cum-Selection Committees to recommend only one name per vacancy to limit executive discretion.

IMPORTANT DAYS

National Science Day 2026 – 28 February

• National Science Day is observed every year on 28 February across India.

• The day commemorates the discovery of the Raman Effect by C. V. Raman.

• He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930 for this groundbreaking discovery.

• The occasion promotes scientific awareness and encourages curiosity among people.

• Theme-based science communication and outreach activities are organised nationwide.

• The national-level celebration was conducted by the Department of Science and Technology at Vigyan Bhawan.

• The 2026 theme is “Women in Science: Catalysing Viksit Bharat.”

• The theme recognises the role of women scientists and innovators in advancing India’s development journey.

AWARDS

RAV Vaidyas Honoured at National Arogya Fair 2026

• Eminent Ayurvedic practitioners associated with the Rashtriya Ayurveda Vidyapeeth (RAV) were honoured at the National Arogya Fair 2026 held in Shegaon, Maharashtra.

• The awards were presented by President Droupadi Murmu for outstanding contributions to Ayurveda.

• The event was organised by the Ministry of Ayush in collaboration with the Akhil Bhartiya Ayurved Mahasammelan.

• Jeevan Gaurav Samman was conferred upon Vaidya Shri Devendra Triguna for his lifelong service and leadership in Ayurveda.

• Ayurveda Gaurav Samman was awarded to Prof. Rakesh Amarnath Sharma, P. M. Warrier, Ramdas Avhad, Maneesha Upendra Kothekar, and Ashutosh Satish Gupta.

• The honours recognised excellence in clinical practice, scholarship, institutional leadership, and global promotion of Ayurveda.

• The National Arogya Fair 2026 was conducted from 25–28 February 2026, showcasing India’s traditional healthcare systems.

• The recognitions highlighted continued efforts to strengthen Ayurveda through mentorship, governance, and international outreach.

STATE NEWS

Tripura Launches First Startup Incubation Hub “T-Nest”

• Tripura inaugurated its first incubation and innovation hub “T-Nest” (Tripura: Nurturing Entrepreneurship and Startups) in Hapania near Agartala.

• The initiative has been launched to boost the state’s startup ecosystem and entrepreneurial culture.

• Chief Minister Manik Saha formally inaugurated the hub under the Tripura State Innovation Mission.

• Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh was present at the launch ceremony.

• T-Nest aims to promote innovation and support startup development across Tripura.

• The hub will act as a collaborative platform linking government bodies, academic institutions, industry players, and investors.

• It is expected to nurture entrepreneurship and create opportunities for emerging innovators in the region.

• A Memorandum of Understanding was signed with T-Hub to enable national-level mentorship, support, and collaboration.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Google Rolls Out Nano Banana 2 in Gemini App

• Nano Banana 2 has been introduced in the Gemini app and is also accessible through its AI Mode.

• It has been integrated into Flow, Google’s AI-powered video creation platform.

• The original Nano Banana tool, launched in August, brought nearly 13 million new users to the Gemini app within just four days.

• By mid-October, users had created over five billion images using the tool.

• Google later launched Nano Banana Pro in November as an upgraded version.

• Nano Banana 2 operates on the Flash models of Gemini.

• The latest version delivers faster image generation, improved editing speed, and better instruction accuracy.

• With the launch of Gemini 3 in November, the Gemini app crossed 750 million monthly active users by December.

ECONOMY NEWS

India’s Real GDP Growth Trends and Sectoral Performance

• India’s real GDP expanded by 7.8% in the third quarter of the current financial year, showing sustained economic momentum.

• The overall growth for 2025–26 is projected at 7.6%, improving from 7.1% in 2024–25.

• A new national accounts series has been released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation with 2022–23 as the revised base year, replacing 2011–12.

• The updated base year reflects a post-pandemic stable economic environment, making it more relevant for current assessment.

• Quarterly performance showed strong momentum with 8.4% growth in Q2, which moderated slightly to 7.8% in Q3.

• The manufacturing sector emerged as a major growth driver, recording double-digit expansion in 2023–24.

• Both the secondary and tertiary sectors grew above 9% in the current financial year, indicating broad-based expansion.

• High-growth service segments such as trade, hotels, transport, storage and broadcasting expanded by 10.1%, while private consumption and capital formation both rose by over 7%, supporting demand and investment.