In News:

In Dr. Lokesh B.H. & Ors. v. State of Karnataka &Anr. (2026), the Supreme Court held that Section 498A of the IPC (now Section 85 of the BNS) can apply to women in certain live-in relationships that qualify as a “relationship in the nature of marriage”, provided an intent to marry is established.

The Court adopted a purposive interpretation of the provision. Since the purpose of the law is to protect women from domestic cruelty, the absence of a formal marriage by itself should not exclude women in qualifying relationships from criminal protection. The Court linked this reasoning to Article 14, holding that excluding such women could create an unjustified distinction between similarly situated victims of domestic cruelty.

A qualifying relationship may involve factors such as shared finances, a shared domestic life, stability of the relationship and public recognition as spouses. However, the initial burden of establishing intent to marry lies on the woman seeking protection, and the Court did not prescribe fixed parameters for proving such intent.

498A/BNS vs Domestic Violence Act

The judgment also distinguishes the two legal frameworks. The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 primarily provides civil remedies, including protection and maintenance orders, whereas Section 85 BNS carries criminal liability and serves a deterrent function. Thus, the two mechanisms can operate in distinct but complementary ways.

The Court also stressed safeguards against arbitrary arrest by directing strict compliance with Arnesh Kumar v. State of Bihar (2014), including the requirement of a preliminary inquiry before arrest.

In News:

Grassroots women changemakers P. Pechiyammal and Govindhammal were honoured with the Dr. M.S. Swaminathan Award for Environment Protection 2026 for their contributions to environmental conservation and sustainable livelihoods.

The award, supported by the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) in partnership with CavinKare Pvt. Ltd. and Rotary Club of Madras East, recognizes grassroots individuals and organisations making tangible contributions to environmental protection, biodiversity conservation and sustainable agriculture.

Key focus: The award reflects Dr. M.S. Swaminathan’s vision of an “Evergreen Revolution”—increasing agricultural productivity while conserving natural resources and biodiversity. It covers both marine and terrestrial conservation, including coastal plastic management, biodiversity protection, sustainable farming and climate-resilient agriculture.

• P. Pechiyammal – Ramanathapuram: Worked on marine conservation, particularly removal of abandoned fishing nets and coastal plastic waste, helping reduce threats to coral reefs, turtles and fish from ghost nets.
• Govindhammal – Villupuram: Promoted organic and climate-resilient agriculture, soil health and strengthened Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) to improve farmers’ collective bargaining power.

In News:

Following attacks on the merchant vessels MT Al Bahiyah and MT Mombasa carrying Indian crew members in the Strait of Hormuz, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways launched a whole-of-government ‘Seafarer-First’ response to strengthen the safety and welfare of Indian seafarers operating in conflict-affected West Asian waters.

What is the ‘Seafarer-First’ Initiative?

• It is a flag-neutral, emergency contingency mechanism under which every Indian seafarer operating in high-risk maritime zones is to be individually accounted for, irrespective of the flag under which their vessel operates.
• The mechanism brings together the MoPSW, MEA, Indian Navy, Directorate General of Shipping (DGS), Indian Missions and other maritime agencies.
• The immediate focus is on the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman, where heightened geopolitical tensions can disrupt both maritime security and global trade.

Major Measures

• Vessel-by-vessel monitoring: The DGS will maintain a live dashboard covering vessel location, crew strength, welfare, cargo, intended voyage and threat assessment.
• Dedicated liaison officers: Each affected Indian seafarer will have a designated officer to coordinate with families on medical assistance, repatriation, wages, contractual rights and welfare support.
• 24×7 emergency assistance: A multi-channel grievance and emergency support mechanism has been activated for seafarers and their families.
• Threat-based voyage assessment: Vessels entering affected waters must undergo a fresh threat assessment, along with the professional judgement of the ship's Master and coordination with maritime authorities.
• Protection against forced deployment: Shipowners, vessel managers and RPSL agencies have been directed to ensure that Indian seafarers are not compelled to sail through high-risk zones without adequate information, protection and support.

Why is the Strait of Hormuz Important?

The Strait of Hormuz is a critical maritime chokepoint connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea. Its security has implications well beyond shipping because it is a major route for the movement of global energy supplies.

Therefore, attacks on merchant vessels can simultaneously create humanitarian, maritime-security and economic risks, particularly for countries such as India that depend heavily on seaborne energy imports and have a large community of seafarers.

In News:

The Union Government has included heatwaves and lightning among the notified natural calamities eligible for relief under the operational guidelines of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for the 2026–31 award period. The move follows the 16th Finance Commission’s recommendation, recognising the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events.

What Has Changed?

• The notified list has expanded from 12 to 14 categories. With the addition of heatwaves and lightning, states can now use SDRF resources to provide relief to people affected by these hazards.
• NDRF assistance can supplement state resources where applicable, while heatwave-related mitigation projects can also receive support through Disaster Mitigation Funds.
• This is important because it shifts heatwaves and lightning from being primarily treated as emerging climate risks to hazards that are formally integrated into India's disaster-relief financing framework.

Heatwaves and Lightning as Disaster Risks

• Heatwaves are prolonged periods of abnormally high temperatures relative to a region's normal climate. In India, they occur mainly between March and June, with May generally being the peak month. The IMD determines heatwave conditions using region-specific temperature thresholds.
• Lightning is a rapid atmospheric electrical discharge resulting from the separation and accumulation of opposite electrical charges. It can occur within clouds, between clouds, between clouds and the surrounding air, or between clouds and the ground. Its increasing impacts make early warning, public awareness and lightning-safe infrastructure particularly important.

Why is the decision significant?

The inclusion strengthens India's disaster risk financing and climate adaptation framework. It enables states to respond financially to increasingly frequent climate-related hazards rather than relying only on post-disaster arrangements.

However, relief financing alone cannot address the underlying risk. Effective disaster management requires heat-action plans, early-warning systems, resilient urban infrastructure, public cooling measures, lightning alerts, safer housing and electrical infrastructure, and community-level preparedness.

In News:

The Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) Bill, 2026 was introduced in the Lok Sabha to reform the governance structure of ISI, strengthen research and interdisciplinary collaboration, and develop it as a global centre of excellence. However, concerns have been raised over greater Central Government control and possible erosion of institutional autonomy.

Key Provisions

• The Bill proposes to repeal the Indian Statistical Institute Act, 1959 and convert ISI from a registered society into a not-for-profit statutory body corporate.
• The existing 33-member Council would be replaced by an 11-member Board of Governors (BoG). The Board would handle administration, budgets, creation of departments and centres, granting of degrees, regulations and institutional performance reviews.
• The President of India would become the Visitor, with powers to review the Institute's functioning, order inquiries and issue binding directions. The Director would be appointed by the Board with the prior approval of the Visitor and would function as the Chief Executive Officer.
• The Bill also proposes an Academic Council, Finance Committee and Management Councils for individual centres, creating a more streamlined governance structure.

Why is the Bill Controversial?

• The central concern is the balance between administrative efficiency and academic autonomy. Replacing a broad 33-member Council with a smaller 11-member Board could reduce faculty and institutional representation. Further, the Visitor's powers and the role of the Central Government in key appointments may increase executive influence over the Institute.
• There are also concerns that greater emphasis on industry collaboration and revenue generation could gradually shift ISI's focus from fundamental statistical research towards market-oriented objectives.

About ISI

• Founded in 1931 by P.C. Mahalanobis, ISI began as a statistical laboratory at Presidency College.
• The Indian Statistical Institute Act, 1959 gave it the status of an Institution of National Importance and empowered it to grant degrees.
• Headquartered in Kolkata, ISI has centres in Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai and Tezpur. Its existing governance structure is centred around a 33-member Council with representation from academics, scientists and government institutions.

Key Provisions

• The Bill proposes to repeal the Indian Statistical Institute Act, 1959 and convert ISI from a registered society into a not-for-profit statutory body corporate.
• The existing 33-member Council would be replaced by an 11-member Board of Governors (BoG). The Board would handle administration, budgets, creation of departments and centres, granting of degrees, regulations and institutional performance reviews.
• The President of India would become the Visitor, with powers to review the Institute's functioning, order inquiries and issue binding directions. The Director would be appointed by the Board with the prior approval of the Visitor and would function as the Chief Executive Officer.
• The Bill also proposes an Academic Council, Finance Committee and Management Councils for individual centres, creating a more streamlined governance structure.

Why is the Bill Controversial?

• The central concern is the balance between administrative efficiency and academic autonomy. Replacing a broad 33-member Council with a smaller 11-member Board could reduce faculty and institutional representation. Further, the Visitor's powers and the role of the Central Government in key appointments may increase executive influence over the Institute.
• There are also concerns that greater emphasis on industry collaboration and revenue generation could gradually shift ISI's focus from fundamental statistical research towards market-oriented objectives.