LEGAL NEWS

Supreme Court Declares Access to Trauma Care a Part of Article 21 (26 May 2026)

• The Supreme Court, in SaveLIFE Foundation v. Union of India (2026), held that access to timely trauma care is an integral part of the Right to Life under Article 21.

• The Court directed the integration of emergency helplines 100, 101, 102, 108, 1033 and 1091 with the national emergency number 112 within three months.

• The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare was asked to frame guidelines for a National Trauma Registry within eight weeks.

• All States and Union Territories must establish State Trauma Registries to collect and monitor trauma-related data.

• The Court ordered that all registered ambulances comply with the National Ambulance Code, install GPS systems, and be linked to the 112 emergency network.

• States and UTs were directed to create physical and digital grievance redressal mechanisms for Good Samaritans who assist accident victims.

• The Court mandated implementation of the Cashless Treatment of Road Accident Victims Scheme, 2025 (PM RAHAT) in all States and UTs.

• Non-compliance with PM RAHAT and related directions was treated as a violation of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.

• The Supreme Court retained continuing oversight and directed Chief Secretaries of all States and UTs to submit compliance reports within prescribed timelines.

APPOINTMENTS

Harsh Malhotra Appointed Delhi BJP President

• Harsh Malhotra was appointed President of the Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party on 28 May 2026.

• He replaced Virendra Sachdeva as part of a wider organisational reshuffle.

• The reshuffle also included appointments in Haryana, Punjab, and Tripura.

• Harsh Malhotra was serving as Minister of State for Road Transport & Highways and Corporate Affairs in the Union Government.

• He was elected to the Lok Sabha from the East Delhi constituency in the 2024 General Elections.

• Earlier, he served as a councillor from Welcome Colony and as Mayor of the erstwhile East Delhi Municipal Corporation during 2015–16.

• The appointment was announced through an organisational order issued by Arun Singh.

• Nitin Nabin approved the appointment along with new state unit chiefs in Haryana, Punjab, and Tripura.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Indian Peacekeepers to Receive UN Honours

• Lance Havildar Harbhajan Singh and Naib Subedar Sujit Kumar Pradhan will be awarded the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal posthumously by the United Nations.

• The award ceremony will be held at the UN Headquarters in New York on 5 June 2026.

• The Dag Hammarskjöld Medal honours military, police, and civilian personnel who lose their lives while serving in UN peacekeeping missions.

• Harbhajan Singh served with MONUSCO, while Sujit Kumar Pradhan served with UNMISS.

• Major Abhilasha Barak will also receive the 2025 UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award.

• She is currently serving with UNIFIL and is recognised for promoting gender inclusion in peacekeeping operations.

• India is one of the largest contributors to UN peacekeeping missions, with over 4,200 personnel deployed worldwide.

• The Dag Hammarskjöld Medal is named after Dag Hammarskjöld, who served as UN Secretary-General from 1953 to 1961.

UN Adds Israeli Entities to Sexual Violence Blacklist

• The United Nations included certain Israeli entities, including the Israeli Prison Service, in its 2026 annex on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence.

• The annex forms part of the annual report issued by the United Nations Secretary-General on sexual violence in armed conflicts.

• The list contains state and non-state parties accused of conflict-related sexual violence and is reviewed periodically.

• Entities included in the annex generally remain listed for at least one year before further review.

• Hamas was added to the blacklist in August 2025 over allegations linked to the 7 October 2023 attacks and hostage abuse.

• In August 2025, António Guterres had placed Israel on notice regarding possible inclusion in the report.

• Following the 2026 listing, Israel announced a freeze in relations with the Secretary-General’s office and cancelled a planned visit by Pramila Patten.

• The blacklist is a UN monitoring mechanism aimed at documenting and addressing sexual violence in conflict situations worldwide.

NATIONAL NEWS

India’s Total Fertility Rate Falls to 1.9 in 2024

• India’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) declined to 1.9 in 2024, according to the Sample Registration System (SRS).

• The replacement fertility level is 2.1 children per woman, required for a population to replace itself from one generation to the next.

• TFR refers to the average number of children a woman is expected to have during her reproductive years (15–49 years).

• Bihar recorded the highest TFR among states at 2.9, while Delhi recorded the lowest at 1.2.

• Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand remained above the replacement fertility level.

• Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and West Bengal each recorded a TFR of 1.3 in 2024.

• Rural India recorded a TFR of 2.1, whereas urban India recorded a lower TFR of 1.5.

• India’s working-age population (15–59 years) constituted 66.4% of the total population in 2024.

• The share of the elderly population (60+ years) increased from 8.6% to 9.7% over the last decade, with Kerala recording the highest elderly population share at 15%.

STATE NEWS

Sikkim Police Receives President’s Police Colour

• Droupadi Murmu conferred the President’s Police Colour (Nishaan) on the Sikkim Police at Paljor Stadium on 28 May 2026.

• The President’s Police Colour is the highest ceremonial honour awarded to a police force in India.

• The award recognises exceptional service, professionalism, discipline, bravery, and dedication to the nation.

• Sikkim Police became the 15th state police force in India to receive this distinction.

• Established in 1897, Sikkim Police plays a key role in law and order, border security, crime prevention, and community policing.

• It became the third police force in Northeast India to receive the honour after Assam Police and Tripura Police.

• The Ministry of Home Affairs issued the approval for the award on 16 January 2026.

• During the ceremony, the President highlighted emerging challenges such as cybercrime, online fraud, hacking, deepfakes, and the need for citizen-friendly policing.

Karnataka Leadership Change (28 May 2026)

• Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah informed his cabinet colleagues of his decision to step down from office.

• Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar is expected to succeed him as Chief Minister for the remaining two years of the government's term.

• Siddaramaiah had assumed office on 20 May 2023 after the Congress won the Karnataka Assembly elections.

• The leadership transition is linked to an alleged power-sharing arrangement within the Congress following the 2023 election victory.

• Siddaramaiah is expected to submit his resignation to Thaawarchand Gehlot, the Governor of Karnataka.

• Under Article 164 of the Constitution, the Governor appoints the Chief Minister and other ministers.

• After accepting the resignation, the Governor will invite the new leader to form the government.

• Mallikarjun Kharge reportedly declined an offer to lead the state, citing age and health reasons.

• Senior Congress leader H. K. Patil confirmed that D. K. Shivakumar would become the next Chief Minister.