18 November 2025

• A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court highlighted that stagnation and inefficiency in subordinate judicial services contribute significantly to the massive pendency of cases.
• As per the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG), 4.69 crore cases are pending in district courts.
• Another SC Bench directed Delhi’s judicial officers to undergo training due to gaps in basic legal knowledge.
• Concerns raised about outdated procedural laws, inadequate training, and poor administrative design in subordinate courts.

Key Points

• Morning hours wasted on summons, filings, and roll-calls—reducing time for actual trials.
• Proposal: a dedicated ministerial judicial officer per district to handle clerical tasks, ex parte evidence, and cause lists.
• Newly appointed judges lack practical experience; poor order-writing noted.
• Ineffective laws:
  • Mandatory pre-suit mediation (Sec. 12A, Commercial Courts Act) delays cases.
  • Six-month cooling-off in mutual divorce often increases pendency.
  • New Rent Act creates jurisdictional confusion over unregistered leases.
• CPC issues:
  • Dual decrees in partition suits delay proceedings.
  • Order XXI’s excessive technicalities hamper execution.
  • 90-day written statement limit hasn’t expedited trials.

Static Linkages

• Art. 21 – Speedy justice (Hussainara Khatoon).
• Art. 233–237 – Subordinate courts framework.
• Art. 50 – Independence of judiciary.  NJDG under e-Courts Project.
• Law Commission (245th), ARC reports – judicial reform recommendations.

Critical Analysis

• Pros
  • Frees judges from clerical work.
  • Better training improves quality of orders and hearings.
  • Simplifying CPC reduces avoidable delays.
  • Consistent waiver of mediation/cooling-off prevents bottlenecks.
• Cons
  • Staffing and funding constraints.
  • Legal amendments require political will.
  • Resistance within judicial bureaucracy.  Digital gaps in rural courts.
• Stakeholders
  • Litigants seek timely justice; judges face workload stress; government must support reforms; bar councils influence court processes.

Way Forward

• Introduce ministerial courts for administrative tasks.
• Mandatory pre- and in-service training with High Court exposure.
• Simplify CPC: merge decree stages, streamline execution.
• Amend special laws to remove contradictions.
• Enhance judge strength, fill vacancies,strengthen e-Courts.
• Create Fast Track Execution Courts.

• Ten years since IAFS-III (2015), where India hosted all 54 African nations.
• India has since opened 17 missions, crossed
• $100 bn trade, backed AU’s G20 membership, and expanded defence, development, and digital ties.
• Recent steps:
  • AIKEYME 2025 maritime exercise with 9 African navies.
  • $40 mn EXIM Bank credit to ECOWAS Bank.
  • IIT Madras Zanzibar campus operational.

Key Points

• India is among Africa’s top five investors with $75 bn cumulative investment.
• Cooperation spans digital tools, vaccines, ports, power, and maritime security.
• Africa to house 25% of world population by 2050; India will be 3rd largest economy — forming a natural growth corridor.
• AfCFTA aims for a unified African market; India’s UPI/DPI align well.
• 40,000+ African students trained via ITEC, ICCR, e-Network.
• India still trails China due to smaller firm capacity and bureaucratic delays.
• India continues support for UN peacekeeping and African representation globally.

Static Linkages

• Ancient Indian Ocean trade routes; cultural exchanges since Sangam Age.
• South–South Cooperation (Bandung 1955) shaping India–Africa ties.
• LOCs via EXIM Bank under the IDEAS framework.
• India as a major UN peacekeeping contributor. 
• Global recognition of India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI).

Critical Analysis

• Strengths
  • Enhances strategic presence in Indian Ocean.  Access to energy, minerals, critical resources.
  • Strong soft power via education and skills training.
  • Boosts anti-piracy and maritime cooperation.
• Challenges
  • Competition from China’s large-scale financing.
  • Project delays due to bureaucratic hurdles.  Private sector risk-aversion.
  • Instability in parts of Africa (Sahel/Horn).  IAFS not convened since 2015.
• Stakeholders
  • African nations seek tech transfer and co- development.
  • Indian govt aligns diplomacy with economic + digital goals.
  • Indian SMEs need risk mitigation.
  • Students/alumni networks drive long-term ties.

Way Forward

• Revive IAFS as a regular summit.
• Develop a India–Africa Digital Corridor integrating DPI + AfCFTA.
• Joint investment in green hydrogen, EVs, fintech, biotech.
• Create credit guarantees for Indian SMEs in Africa.
• Build an Indian Ocean maritime security framework.

POWER GRAB

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

• Pakistan passed the 27th Constitutional Amendment (Nov 13), formalising expanded military control over the State.
• Army Chief Gen. Asim Munir gains centralised command, political influence, and lifetime legal immunity.
• Judicial powers curtailed; new constitutional court introduced.
• Happens amid economic crisis, insurgency, and souring relations with India & Afghanistan.

Key Points

• Creates Chief of Defence Forces (CDF); Army Chief = CDF.
• Introduces Commander of National Strategic Command for nuclear oversight.
• Five-star officers get lifetime immunity; removable only through Article 47-like impeachment.
• Supreme Court’s constitutional authority shifted to government-appointed constitutional court.
• Resignations from senior judges; opposition (Imran Khan) suppressed.
• Risks: democratic erosion, instability, military overreach.

Static Linkages

• Constitutionalism & separation of powers.  Judicial independence as part of Basic Structure.
• Civilian supremacy in democracies.  Rule of Law – Dicey.
• Nuclear command structures (India’s NCA).

Critical Analysis

• Pros: Better tri-service coordination; unified control over strategic assets.
• Cons: Constitutionalised military rule; weak civilian government; judicial capture; democratic rollback; possible unrest; negative impact on India–Pakistan ties; worsens economic uncertainty.

Way Forward

• Restore balance between military & civilian authority.
• Ensure independent judiciary & constitutional oversight.
• Political reconciliation and institutional strengthening.
• Economic reforms and regional confidence- building.

SC TELECOM DUES RULING SOFTENS BLOW

• The Supreme Court has allowed reconsideration of telecom companies’ Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) dues, reversing the rigid stance of the 2019 AGR judgment.
• This follows Vodafone’s appeal against the computation of dues that included notional revenue instead of only actual realised revenue.
• The 2019 judgment had imposed heavy liability (₹93,000 crore), mainly due to interest, penalty, and interest on penalty.
• The fresh direction enables possible waiver of interest and penalty, reducing financial stress on the telecom sector.

Key Points

• AGR was introduced under the 1999 New Telecom Policy, replacing fixed licence fees with a revenue-sharing model.
• Telecom operators pay a percentage of AGR as licence fee (earlier 15%, later 8%).
• Dispute:
  • DoT insisted AGR should include all revenues, including notional amounts and non-telecom income.
  • Operators argued AGR must reflect only actual receipts, after discounts and rebates.
• TDSAT (2015) ruled in favour of telecom companies—licence fee payable only on actual revenue.
• Supreme Court (2019) reversed TDSAT, leading to inflated dues (₹93,000 crore):
  • Principal: ₹23,000 crore
  • Interest + Penalty: ₹70,000 crore (≈75% of total).
• Supreme Court now acknowledges need for economic impact assessment of its judgments.
• Court’s new direction may enable correction of dues, waiver of punitive components, and relief for financially stressed telecom companies.

Static Linkages

•  Revenue definition under Accounting Standard AS-9: Revenue includes only actual consideration received or receivable, after discounts and rebates.
• Contractual obligations: As per general principles of contract law, parties are bound by express terms unless contrary to statute.
• Penalty jurisprudence: SC (1970) held penalties apply only when there is conscious disregard of statutory duty.
• Regulatory bodies: TDSAT under TRAI Act adjudicates disputes between operators and the government.
• Economic principles: Over-regulation can cause sectoral stress, affecting competition and consumer welfare.

Critical Analysis

• Pros
  • Financial Relief: Enables recalculation of dues, reducing pressure on telecom companies.
  • Corrects judicial overreach: Acknowledges flaws in 2019 ruling that ignored accounting norms.
  • Sectoral Stability: Prevents duopoly risk and enhances competition.
  • Consumer Benefit: Reduces risk of tariff hikes or service disruptions.
• Cons / Concerns
  • Uncertainty in regulatory environment due to inconsistent judicial interpretations.
  • Possible moral hazard if companies expect retrospective relief.
  • Government revenue impact, affecting public finances.
  • Delayed clarity has already caused market consolidation and stress (e.g., Vodafone Idea crisis).
• Stakeholder Perspectives
  • Telecom Operators: Relief vital for survival.
  • Government: Balances revenue interests with sector health.
  • Consumers: Concerned about service quality and affordability.
  • Judiciary: Needed to correct economic implications of earlier decision.

Way Forward

• Clear statutory definition of AGR to prevent future litigation.
• Rationalise penalty and interest structures in government contracts.
• Strengthen TRAI–TDSAT autonomy to avoid excessive judicial intervention.
• Predictable regulatory environment for long-term investment.
• Periodic review mechanism for telecom revenue-sharing.

• Ministry of Education to introduce AI from Class III (2026–27).
• CBSE’s SOAR covers 18,000+ schools with AI modules from Class VI.
• Draft AI curriculum submitted to NCERT.
• Few universities offer AI courses → concerns over rushing AI into schools.

Key Points

• 15-hour modules for Classes VI–VIII; 150-hour electives in IX–XII.
• Early exposure to CV, NLP, data, AI ethics, AI project cycle.
• Topics include SDGs, sustainability, systems thinking even in middle school.
• Government claims AI can bridge digital divide; critics call it unrealistic given low device access.
• Concerns over complexity, teacher preparedness, and age-appropriateness.

Static Linkages

• Art 51A(h) – scientific temper.
• NEP 2020 – digital literacy & tech integration.  Digital India – digital empowerment.
• RTE 2009 – norms for learning environments.  NCF – age-appropriate curriculum.
• NITI Aayog AI Strategy – “AI for All”.

Critical Analysis

• Pros
  • Early AI literacy; future-ready skills.
  • Aligns with NEP & national AI ambitions.  
  • May support personalised learning.
• Cons
  • Digital divide persists.
  • Cognitive mismatch for young learners.
  •  Teacher capacity gaps.
  • Risk of rote learning of AI terms.
  • Ethical concerns: data, surveillance, bias.
• Stakeholder Views
  • Govt: future workforce building
  •  Teachers/Parents: burden, complexity
  • Psychologists: addictive, premature exposure

Way Forward

• Pilot first, then phased rollout.  
• Strong teacher training.
• Invest in digital infrastructure.
• Clear child data & AI ethics norms.
• Prefer AI literacy, not full AI tech, in lower grades.
• Use AI as tool, not content-heavy subject.

INDIA’S TB GAINS AND THE ROAD AHEAD

Context of the News

• India aimed to eliminate Tuberculosis by 2025, ahead of the global 2030 target.
• The WHO Global TB Report 2024–25 shows India remains the world’s highest TB burden country.
• India recorded 27 lakh TB cases in 2024, showing marginal decline due to improved detection.
• The health system now detects 80% of estimated cases, compared to 50% in 2015.
• Despite improvements (21% fall in incidence, 28% decline in deaths since 2015), India remains off-track to meet the 2025 deadline.

Key Points

• 27 lakh TB cases (2024) vs 28 lakh (2022) — stagnation but greater accuracy due to expanded testing.
• India’s reduction in incidence (21%) > Global reduction (12% since 2014).
• High MDR-TB burden continues; BPaLM regimen reduces treatment duration by 6 months.
• Major gaps: treatment discontinuation, pollution-linked vulnerability, rising diabetes.
• More cases may be reported due to NTEP expansion, increased private-sector notifications.
• TB remains the leading infectious killer globally, surpassing HIV.
• India contributes approx. 28% of global TB burden (WHO estimate).

Static Linkages

•  TB is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Robert Koch discovery, 1882).
• Constitutional basis for public health: Entry 6 (State List), Entry 29 (Concurrent List).
• Related national programmes: National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP).
• TB control part of SDG 3.3: End epidemics of TB by 2030.
• Direct Benefit Transfer (Nikshay Poshan Yojana) provides ₹500/month nutritional support to TB patients.
• Pollution and lifestyle diseases (diabetes) increase vulnerability—NCERT Biology: immunity & pathogens.

Critical Analysis

• Pros
  • Strong diagnostic expansion (CBNAAT/TrueNat).
  • Higher case detection and shorter MDR-TB treatment.
  • Better surveillance through Nikshay portal.
• Cons
  • 2025 elimination target unlikely.
  • High MDR-TB burden, poor adherence.
  • Pollution & diabetes aggravate disease outcomes.
  • Stigma and private-sector under-reporting persist.

Way Forward

• Strengthen active case finding.  Scale up BPaLM nationwide.
• Integrate TB screening with diabetes and pollution data.
• Improve DBT implementation.
• Boost community counselling to reduce dropout.