The Rajasthan High Court rejected the Rajasthan Public Service Commission’s appeal against a single bench order allowing candidates appearing for their law degree in 2024 to sit for the Assistant Prosecution Officer exam.

The division bench of Justices Dr. Pushpendra Singh Bhati and Bipin Gupta held that the advertisement, incorporating website instructions, explicitly permitted “appearing” candidates as eligible.

Citing the Supreme Court’s Tej Prakash Pathak ruling, the Court noted there was no midstream rule change, and supplementary instructions formed part of the original advertisement.

The Court found no error in the single judge’s decision and dismissed the appeals.

The Delhi High Court overturned a Central Information Commission (CIC) order directing the CBSE to disclose Smriti Irani's and Narendra Modi's educational records.

The court ruled that the right to information is not absolute and is subject to exemptions protecting personal information under Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act.

It held that no overriding public interest justified the disclosure, as academic qualifications are not a statutory requirement for holding public office. The CIC's direction was deemed an intrusion into privacy and inconsistent with the RTI Act's provisions.

[University of Delhi v. Neeraj and other connected matters]

The Kerala High Court invoked its powers under Section 58(1)  of the Advocates Act, 1961, to safeguard the enrollment process of law graduates in Kerala.

Law graduate Stephen V. Thomas highlighted conflicting Division Bench decisions and the Bar Council of Kerala's failure to constitute a valid quorum.

Justice N. Nagaresh observed that the State Bar Council isn’t functioning and directed the Bar Council of India’s Enrollment Committee to step in.

As an interim measure, the committee has been asked to schedule and conduct enrollments and report back. Additional hearings are set for one month later.

[Stephen Thomas v Bar Council of India]

The Supreme Court stayed a Kerala High Court ruling that had declared Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) a "public authority" under the Right to Information Act, 2005.

A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta passed the interim order on CIAC's appeal, noting its contention that it is a company incorporated under the Companies Act, not created by Parliament or funded by the government.

Earlier, the Kerala High Court had upheld the State Information Commission's order holding CIAL accountable under RTI, imposing costs and directing it to ensure full compliance.

The Calcutta High Court directed the West Bengal government, along with the Kolkata and Bidhannagar Municipal Corporations, to submit reports on measures for the sterilisation of stray dogs.

The Bench of Justices Sujoy Paul and Smita Das granted four weeks’ time for filing the reports.

Advocate Akash Sharma, through a PIL, highlighted an alarming surge in dog-bite incidents from about 23,000 in 2022 to over 76,000 in 2024 and accused civic authorities of neglecting their duties under the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023.

[Akash Sharma v State of West Bengal & Ors]

The Kerala High Court transferred Chavara Family Court Judge Udayakumar V to the Kollam Motor Accident Claims Tribunal following a woman litigant’s complaint that he made obscene and sexually coloured remarks during counselling

She filed the complaint before the Kollam Principal District Judge, prompting the High Court to issue a mutual transfer order on August 20.

The Court also posted Judge Prasanna Gopalan of Kollam MACT to the Chavara Family Court.

The Court directed the Registrar (District Judiciary) to conduct an inquiry, while the Administrative Committee will review the investigation report in the coming week.

The Supreme Court ruled that people excluded from the draft electoral roll during Bihar’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) can submit objections using their Aadhaar card along with the required forms.

The Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi allowed objections online or physically, with acknowledgement receipts from booth-level officers.

The Court urged political parties to assist excluded voters, expressing surprise over only two objections from party agents.

The ruling followed petitions challenging the Election Commission of India’s directive, which the Court upheld, affirming ECI’s powers under Article 324 of the Constitution and the Representation of the People Act.

The Supreme Court held that Forest Range Officers (FROs) of Andhra Pradesh qualify as members of the “State Forest Service,” making them eligible for promotion to the Indian Forest Service (IFoS).

The Court ruled that once the service is approved by the Centre, FROs substantively appointed under Class A of the Andhra Pradesh Forest Service fall within Rule 2(g) of the Recruitment Rules.

The court directed the Centre and State to consider eligible FROs in future IFoS recruitment.

However, the appellant received no personal relief due to seniority concerns and a delay in approaching authorities.

[P. Maruthi Prasada Rao v State of Andhra Pradesh]

The Supreme Court directed the Jharkhand High Court to “gracefully” consider the transfer plea of Additional District Judge Kashika M Prasad, a single mother, who sought retention at Hazaribag or transfer to Bokaro for her son’s education.

A Bench of CJI BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran emphasised that the request was not about convenience but necessity, cautioning the High Court against acting “egoistically.”

The Court noted that judicial officers deserve parental consideration from the High Court.

The Court also recalled that only 92 of the 194 days of child care leave earlier sought by the judge had been sanctioned.

The Allahabad High Court ruled that reservation benefits for NEET must be granted based on the Unique Disability ID (UDID) card issued by the competent authority and that designated medical bodies cannot reassess a candidate’s disability.

Justice Pankaj Bhatia held that authorities may only test functional ability to pursue the course but cannot override the UDID certification.

The Court relied on Purswani Ashutosh v. Union of India (2019) and observed that once functional suitability is confirmed, the UDID prevails for reservation.

Granting relief to a petitioner with 70% permanent disability, the Court quashed the reassessment certificate and allowed his writ petition.

[Maaz Ahmad v. UOI & Ors]

The Rajya Sabha passed The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, prohibiting online money games and related services such as advertisements and banking offers.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted the bill’s aim to protect the 2/3rd legitimate gaming sector while banning addictive online money games linked to financial losses, money laundering, and terror funding.

The law defines online money games as paid games with monetary stakes but excludes e-sports and educational online social games, and applies both domestically and internationally.

The Bill allows the government to establish an authority with investigative powers, including searches and arrests without warrants, with penalties up to Rs. 1 crore.

The Supreme Court clarified that the Clinical Establishment (Central Government) Rules, 2012, framed under the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010, remain in operation and have not been stayed.

The clarification came while hearing petitions, including one by the All India Ophthalmological Society, challenging provisions that mandate uniform rates for medical procedures.

The Court also noted Rule 9, which requires hospitals to display service rates within the range fixed by the Centre in consultation with states.

Listing the matter for final hearing on November 18, the Court directed the National Council under Section 3 of the Act to submit its views.

[All India Ophthalmological Society And Anr. v UOI]

The Kerala High Court has ordered the state government to revive the Kochi Metropolitan Transport Authority (KMTA) within three months, citing its prolonged defunct status as a failure in addressing urban mobility challenges.

Established to coordinate transport policies and integrate buses, metro, and ferries, the KMTA has been defunct since 2019.

The Court emphasised that its revival is crucial for sustainable urban planning and reducing traffic congestion in Kochi. Directions include appointing members, allocating funds, and ensuring functional autonomy.

The ruling responds to a writ petition highlighting public inconvenience due to uncoordinated transport systems.

[Adv. Richard Rajesh Kumar and Anr. v UOI and Ors.]

Students at National Law University and Judicial Academy, Assam (NLUJAA) launched a peaceful protest over new minimum threshold rules for electives and concerns about placements and internships.

With batches of 55-60 students, they demanded the freedom to choose electives without being forced due to intake caps.

They also criticised the lack of a placement liaison officer and the absence of a Day Zero despite a ₹70 lakh budget for internships and placements.

After hours of protest, Vice-Chancellor KVS Sarma met students, agreed to remove elective limits, and promised transparency on the placement budget within two weeks. The protest is now on hold.