The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has introduced the Companies Compliance Facilitation Scheme, 2026 (CCFS-2026), offering defaulting companies a one-time opportunity to regularise delayed annual returns and financial statements. The Scheme will operate from April 15 to July 15, 2026.

Under the Scheme, companies can complete pending filings by paying only 10% of the additional fees otherwise payable.

Inactive companies may apply for dormant status on payment of 50% of normal filing fees, while companies seeking strike-off can do so by paying 25% of the applicable fee.

The initiative aims to ease compliance burdens and ensure updated corporate records.

The Centre has named former district judge Deep Chandra Joshi as the acting President of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).

A notification issued by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs states that Joshi will function as President under Section 415(1) of the Companies Act, 2013, from February 14 to March 16, or until a regular President is appointed, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

Joshi has been serving as a Judicial Member of the NCLT since 2021, initially at the Jaipur Bench and later at the Cuttack Bench.

The appointment ensures continuity in leadership pending selection of a permanent President.

Thanya Nathan has created history by becoming the first visually challenged person to be appointed to Kerala’s judicial services.

She secured first rank among persons with disabilities in the Civil Judge (Junior Division) examination. A 100% visually challenged candidate, Nathan graduated with first rank in LLB from Kannur University and practised as an advocate in Taliparamba, Kannur district.

Her appointment follows the Supreme Court’s March 2025 ruling affirming that visually impaired candidates are eligible for judicial service appointments and must not face discrimination.

The Court emphasised the State’s duty to provide affirmative action and ensure inclusivity in judicial services.

The Uttarakhand government has notified the Uniform Civil Code (Amendment) Ordinance after receiving the Governor’s assent, introducing stricter penal provisions relating to marriage and live-in relationships.

The amendment prescribes imprisonment of up to seven years for entering into a marriage or live-in relationship through force, coercion, or fraud.

It also criminalises remarriage or live-in relationships without a valid divorce, and parallel live-in relationships. Living in a live-in relationship with a minor attracts imprisonment and a fine.

The ordinance further penalises illegal divorces, misrepresentation at the time of marriage, and compulsion to follow prohibited remarriage conditions. Administrative changes have also been introduced to strengthen enforcement.

South Korea has brought its wide-ranging artificial intelligence law into force, making it the first country where such regulation is fully applicable.

The AI Basic Act requires companies to notify users when generative AI is used and to clearly label content, including deepfakes, that cannot be easily distinguished from reality.

The Ministry of Science and ICT said the law is meant to build a safety- and trust-based foundation for AI innovation, with violations attracting fines up to 30 million won.

The law also places stricter transparency and safety requirements on 10 sensitive sectors, including nuclear power, criminal investigations, loan screening, education, and medical care.

The Rajasthan Cabinet approved a draft law to restrict transfer of immovable property in areas declared “disturbed”, making any transfer without prior government permission invalid and void.

The decision follows concerns that communal tension and mob violence in certain localities have forced residents to sell property at distressed prices.

The proposed "Rajasthan Prohibition of Transfer of Immovable Property and Provision for Protection of Tenants from Eviction from Premises in Disturbed Areas Bill, 2026" will be placed before the Assembly.

The State will be empowered to notify disturbed areas, and violations will be cognisable and non-bailable offences punishable with three to five years’ imprisonment and fine. 

The Delhi High Court has amended its Rules to clarify that, in criminal proceedings, the term “parties” will include the complainant and/or the victim.

The amendment, notified in the Delhi Gazette on January 19, modifies Part C of Chapter 16, Volume IV of the Delhi High Court Rules & Orders.

The clarification aligns the term with the definition of “victim” under Section 2(y) of the BNSS, corresponding to Section 2(wa) of the CrPC.

The Supreme Court recorded the submission of the Bar Council of India that the All India Bar Examination will now be conducted at least twice a year.

It observed that the newly framed rules permit final-semester law students to appear for the AIBE, subject to clearing their final examinations.

The Court noted that the objective of the petition had been fulfilled in view of the revised rules. It held that no further directions were required once the regulatory framework had been amended.

Accordingly, the Court disposed of the writ petition after taking the BCI’s statement on record.

[Nilay Rai v. Bar Council of India & Ors]

The Gujarat High Court has designated four lawyers as Senior Advocates following a Full Court decision taken on January 8.

The newly conferred Senior Advocates are Amar Niranjan Bhatt, Apurva Sharad Vakil, Megha Bhupendra Jani, and Mitul Kirit Shelat.

Megha Jani is the only woman among the four.

Notably, the High Court has recently introduced a minimum age criterion of 45 years for Senior Advocate designation, marking a significant step in regulating the process.

The Central government notified the appointment of Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta, Judge of the Allahabad High Court, as the Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand High Court. 

He will assume charge after the superannuation of the present Chief Justice on January 9, 2026.

The Supreme Court Collegium recommended his elevation on December 18, 2025, and the President approved the proposal, as announced by the Union law minister.

Justice Gupta was the second senior-most judge at the Allahabad High Court. He was elevated as an additional judge in 2013 and became permanent in 2015.

Parliament has passed the Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha (Amendment of Insurance Laws) Bill, 2025, introducing wide-ranging statutory reforms to India’s insurance framework.

The Bill amends key insurance legislations to permit up to 100% foreign direct investment, subject to regulatory conditions, and strengthens the statutory powers of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India.

It empowers the regulator to oversee governance standards, sales practices, and expenses of management, while introducing a stronger enforcement and penalty regime. The amendments also simplify capital and structural requirements for insurers and reinsurers and enhance statutory protection for policyholders.

The law will come into force on dates to be notified after Presidential assent.

The law ministry on January 2, 2026, issued a notification appointing Justice Mahesh Sharadchandra Sonak, currently a Bombay High Court judge, as the next Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court.

He is set to assume charge after incumbent Chief Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan demits office on January 8 upon attaining the age of 62.

His name was recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium last month, which also proposed four other judges for leadership roles in various High Courts.

Justice Sonak was appointed as a Bombay High Court judge on June 21, 2013, and is due to retire on November 27, 2026.