September 2025

In short: India's governance, law & order and appointments this month — distilled for SI/Constable Prelims.

Current Affairs — India › Polity & Governance · 22 min read · Free to read · English & Telugu

Bilingual study notes for the Andhra Pradesh Police SI & Constable exams (SLPRB AP) by AP Police Hub, a product of Anvil Academy.

An exhaustive, point-wise digest of September 2025's governance, judiciary, security and diplomacy stories — the Waqf Act ruling, C. P. Radhakrishnan's swearing-in as 15th Vice-President, new ITBP & CISF chiefs, Sonam Wangchuk's NSA detention, the Telangana domicile-rule verdict, the 25th SCO Summit, Nepal's Gen Z protests, and Trump's Gaza peace plan.

Portrait of Ladakh climate activist Sonam Wangchuk — Ladakh climate activist Sonam Wangchuk — detained under the National Security Act this month after violence during a Leh statehood protest, with his organisation's FCRA licence also revoked · Sonam Wangchuk / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

September 2025 — At a Glance

September 2025 was an unusually heavy month for governance news — the Supreme Court struck down key provisions of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, C. P. Radhakrishnan was sworn in as India's 15th Vice-President, Ladakh activist Sonam Wangchuk was detained under the NSA, and India hosted the 89th IEC General Meeting while attending the 25th SCO Summit in China. Below is the exhaustive, exam-ready version of every governance, law and diplomacy item from the month.

Headlines of the month

Supreme Court stays key provisions of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 — including the Collector's power to decide waqf-vs-government-land disputes — as unconstitutional.
C. P. Radhakrishnan sworn in as India's 15th Vice-President (9 September); two 1993-batch IPS officers, Praveen Kumar (ITBP) and Praveer Ranjan (CISF), take over as new force chiefs.
Ladakh climate activist Sonam Wangchuk detained under the National Security Act (NSA) after violence during a statehood protest in Leh; his organisation's FCRA licence is revoked.
The Supreme Court upholds Telangana's 4-year domicile rule for 85% MBBS/BDS state-quota seats, and makes the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) mandatory for Classes 1–8 recruitment/promotion.
PM Modi attends the 25th SCO Summit in Tianjin, China (Tianjin Declaration condemns the Pahalgam attack); Singapore PM Lawrence Wong visits India; the EU unveils a Strategic Roadmap with India.
Nepal's Gen Z-led protests force PM K. P. Sharma Oli's resignation; former Chief Justice Sushila Karki sworn in as interim PM. US President Trump unveils a 20-point Gaza peace plan.
NCRB's Crime in India 2023 report shows cybercrime up 31.2% (Telangana 2nd-highest, 18,236 cases); the Ministry of Home Affairs notifies the Immigration & Foreigners Rules/Orders, 2025.

1. Judiciary & Law

September was dominated by Supreme Court rulings — on the Waqf Act, police-station CCTVs, Sikh marriage registration, Telangana's medical-admission quota, teacher eligibility, Aadhaar as an SIR document, and beggars' homes — plus a new immigration law and a fresh drone bill.

SC on the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025

What — The SC declined to stay the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 entirely but stayed several provisions it found *prima facie* arbitrary, invoking Article 300A (no deprivation of property without due process).
Collector's power — Declared totally unconstitutional the provision letting district Collectors decide if waqf property is actually government land — held only tribunals/courts can decide property titles.
5-year practice rule — Stayed the requirement that a waqf creator must have practised Islam for 5 years, citing no verification mechanism.
Non-Muslim members — Capped non-Muslim representation on waqf bodies at 4 (Central Council) and 3 (State Boards), lower than the Act's proposed 12 and 7.
Waqf by user — Upheld deletion of "waqf by user" (declaring waqf by long religious use, no documents) but only prospectively — protects properties registered before 8 April 2025.

Immigration & Foreigners Rules/Orders, 2025

What — The MHA notified the Immigration and Foreigners Rules, 2025 and the Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) Order, 2025 under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 (April 2025) — one consolidated law replacing four colonial-era Acts.
Registration — Foreigners staying >180 days must register within 14 days via the SuSwagatam app/indianfrro.gov.in; minors <12, OCI cardholders and short-term visitors exempt.
Institutional duties — Universities must report foreign students' admission/progress/departure; hotels report guests within 24 hours; hospitals report foreigner births/deaths within 7 days.
Extra Mile — SC agreed to examine alleged gender bias in Assam's Foreigners Tribunals, which reject oral evidence and demand documents many rural, illiterate women lack — raising Article 14/15/21 concerns.

Draft Civil Drone (Promotion and Regulation) Bill, 2025

What — The Civil Aviation Ministry released a draft Bill to replace the Drone Rules, 2021, with DGCA as the regulatory authority; requires a Unique Identification Number (UIN) and Type Certificate for every drone.
Airspace zones — India's airspace divided into Green (free flight), Yellow (prior ATC permission) and Red (Central Government approval only) zones; violations attract up to 3 years' jail or ₹1 lakh fine.
Compensation — Compulsory third-party insurance; ₹2.5 lakh for accidental death, ₹1 lakh for grievous injury, handled by Motor Accident Claims Tribunals.

Gag Order in the Adani Case, and Personality Rights

Gag order — A Delhi court set aside its own ex-parte gag order that had barred journalists from publishing content against Adani Enterprises Ltd, holding it violated natural justice (hearing must precede restraint) and the Bonnard Standard on defamation injunctions.
Personality Rights — The Delhi HC protected Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan and Karan Johar from unauthorised commercial/digital use of their name, image and voice, while affirming parody/satire/news use remains protected free expression.
Commercial speech — In a case against comedians (incl. Samay Raina) over insensitive jokes on persons with disabilities, the SC directed the government to draft guidelines distinguishing free speech from hurtful, monetized content.

SC flags non-working CCTVs in police stations

Trigger — A *suo motu* PIL after 11 custodial deaths in Rajasthan in 8 months, where authorities cited dysfunctional cameras to withhold CCTV footage.
SC suggestion — An independent, AI-based central control room to monitor police-station CCTVs without human intervention, so tampering/shutdowns are flagged instantly.
Precedent — Builds on Paramvir Singh Saini v. Baljit Singh (2020), which mandated CCTVs (night vision, audio, 18-month storage) in all police stations to safeguard Article 21.

SC on the Anand Marriage Act — registering Sikh marriages

Order — SC directed 17 states and 8 UTs to frame rules within 4 months for registering Sikh marriages under the Anand Marriage Act, 1909 (amended 2012), stressing secular equal treatment.
Background — The 1909 Act validated Anand Karaj (Sikh marriage before the Guru Granth Sahib) but lacked registration provisions until the 2012 Amendment (Section 6); most states still hadn't framed rules.

SC upholds Telangana's 4-year domicile rule for MBBS/BDS admissions

Rule upheld — SC upheld Telangana's Medical & Dental Colleges Admission Rules, 2017, requiring Classes 9–12 continuous study in Telangana for the 85% state-quota MBBS/BDS seats — overturning HC rulings that had extended it to outside-state residents.
Constitutional basis — Consistent with Article 371D (protecting local students' access to education); rule held reasonable, not an Article 14 violation.
Exception — A 2024 proviso exempts children of state-government employees, All India Services officers and defence/paramilitary personnel with compulsory transfer postings.

SC makes TET mandatory; questions the 2014 RTE minority exemption

TET ruling — In Anjuman Ishaat-e-Taleem Trust v. State of Maharashtra, SC made the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) mandatory for both new appointments and promotions of in-service teachers in non-minority schools, Classes 1–8.
Extra Mile — SC referred its own 2014 Pramati judgment (exempting minority schools from the RTE Act's 25%-reservation clause) to a larger bench for reconsideration, over education-quality concerns.

SC allows Aadhaar as ID for Bihar's voter-roll revision, not as citizenship proof

Order — SC directed the EC to accept Aadhaar as the 12th identification document for Bihar's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, clarifying it proves identity, not citizenship.
Extra Mile — EC launched an Aadhaar-linked e-sign feature on its ECINet portal to curb fraudulent online voter deletions, after misuse allegations in a Karnataka constituency.

Case pendency crisis deepens in the Supreme Court

Numbers — SC pendency hit a record 88,417 cases despite full strength of 34 judges — civil 69,553, criminal 18,864; August 2025 saw 7,080 new filings vs 5,667 disposed.
Reasons — Low judge-population ratio (~15 per million), 5,600+ judicial vacancies, government litigation (~50% of pending cases), and underused ADR mechanisms.

SC judgment on beggars' homes; foreign-court divorce ruling

Beggars' homes — Arising from a 2000 cholera outbreak at Delhi's Narela beggars' home (6 deaths), SC held such homes are a "constitutional trust" guaranteeing dignity, health and humane treatment under Article 21 — not penal or discretionary-charity institutions.
Foreign divorce — Gujarat HC ruled a foreign court's "irretrievable breakdown" divorce cannot dissolve a marriage solemnised under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 — since that ground isn't recognised under the HMA and one spouse objected; re-marriage without a valid HMA divorce risks bigamy under IPC Sec. 494.

Other Supreme Court & High Court rulings — quick facts

Ruling	Key fact
COTPA / Arundhati Roy PIL	Kerala HC hearing a PIL over her book cover (depicting her smoking) allegedly violating the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003 for lacking health warnings.
SC on anticipatory bail in caste crime	In Kiran v. Rajkumar Jivaraj Jain, SC quashed Bombay HC's anticipatory bail grant, reaffirming Section 18 of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 bars it where a prima facie offence exists.
Doctrine of contributory negligence	AP HC ruled it cannot be invoked in criminal cases — a rash/negligent driver stays liable under Sec. 304A IPC even if the victim was partly negligent.
Doctrine of escheat	SC ruled a State cannot claim property under Section 29, Hindu Succession Act, 1956 once a valid probated Will exists — escheat (ownerless property reverting to the State, Article 296) is a last resort only.
Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC)	Multiple films faced heavy censorship over caste/mythology/political references; CBFC certifies under the Cinematograph Act, 1952 (2023 Amendment added anti-piracy measures, sub-categories UA 7+/13+/16+).

2. Governance, Appointments & Security

C. P. Radhakrishnan sworn in as 15th Vice-President

What — Chandrapuram Ponnusamy (C. P.) Radhakrishnan won the mid-term VP election held 9 September 2025 (after Jagdeep Dhankhar's resignation) and was sworn in as India's 15th Vice-President; previously Governor of Maharashtra and Jharkhand.
Electoral process — Under Article 66, elected by an Electoral College of both Houses of Parliament only (state legislatures don't participate) by Proportional Representation via Single Transferable Vote; Article 68 gives a full 5-year term.

New Director Generals of ITBP and CISF

Appointments — The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved two 1993-batch IPS officers: Praveen Kumar as DG of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Praveer Ranjan as DG of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).
ITBP — 1.03 lakh+ personnel, guards the 3,488 km Indo-China frontier (9,000–18,700 ft altitude); provides Amarnath Yatra security.
CISF — 2.2 lakh strength, guards 369 key installations — Parliament, airports and hydropower projects near the J&K LoC.

Sonam Wangchuk detained under the NSA

What — Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, leading Ladakh's statehood and Sixth Schedule movement, was detained under the National Security Act (NSA) and shifted to Jodhpur jail after violence during a Leh protest; his organisation's FCRA licence was also revoked.
NSA provisions — Allows pre-emptive detention up to 12 months; grounds must be communicated in 5–15 days; an Advisory Board of HC judges reviews within 3 weeks; detainees cannot have legal representation before it.
FCRA revoked — The FCRA, 2010 (Amendment 2020) regulates foreign contributions to NGOs; all foreign funds must route through a single SBI account, admin-expense cap is 20%, and registered entities cannot transfer funds to other NGOs.

NCRB's Crime in India 2023 report

What — The NCRB released Crime in India 2023 after a two-year gap — the last annual report filed under the IPC, since the BNS took effect in July 2024; overall recorded crime rose 7.2% to 6.24 million cases.
Cybercrime surge — Cybercrime rose 31.2% to 86,420 cases (fraud = 68.9% of these); traditional murder (-2.8%) and rape (-5.9%) declined.
State-wise cybercrime — Karnataka highest (21,889 cases), followed by Telangana (18,236, up from 15,297 in 2022) and Uttar Pradesh (10,794).
Vulnerable sections — Crimes against STs up 28.8%, children up 9.2%, women up marginally 0.7% (448,211 cases).

DRI seizure, J&K Rajya Sabha seats, and other governance items — quick facts

Item	Key fact
Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI)	Under "Operation Weed Out", DRI seized 39.2 kg of hydroponic weed at Mumbai airport; est. 1957, HQ New Delhi, under CBIC, apex anti-smuggling agency.
J&K Rajya Sabha polls hang fire	Law Ministry rejected EC's request for a Presidential order to stagger J&K's 4 RS seats (all vacant since 2021); J&K has had no say in recent VP/President elections.
National Conference of Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) 2025	Amit Shah inaugurated the 2nd ANTF conference; released NCB Annual Report 2024, launched Online Drug Disposal Campaign; goal — drug-free India by 2047.
Fast Track Immigration – Trusted Traveller Programme (FTI-TTP)	Rolled out at 5 more airports (Lucknow, Thiruvananthapuram, Tiruchirappalli, Kozhikode, Amritsar); e-gate clearance in ~30 seconds for pre-verified Indians/OCIs; planned expansion to 21 airports.
11th CPA India Region Conference	Held at Vidhana Soudha, Bengaluru (Commonwealth Parliamentary Association); resolved to reduce legislative disruptions, boost research support, and adopt digital tools for transparency.

3. India's Diplomacy & World Affairs

PM Modi's SCO Summit visit concluded, Singapore's PM visited India, the EU unveiled a strategic roadmap, and world events — Nepal's revolution, Trump's Gaza plan, Israel's Doha strike and more — carried direct implications for India's foreign policy.

25th SCO Summit, Tianjin — the Tianjin Declaration

What — PM Modi attended the 25th SCO Summit in Tianjin, China, concluding 1 September 2025 with the Tianjin Declaration as the central outcome — it explicitly condemned the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack.
SCO background — Established 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan; India & Pakistan joined as full members in 2017 (Astana); Laos granted 15th dialogue-partner status in 2025.
Key outcomes — 20 documents signed, incl. a 2026–2035 Development Strategy, a Cooperation Programme against extremism, decision to set up an SCO Development Bank, and merging observers/dialogue partners into a single "SCO Partners" category (27-nation family).

Singapore PM's visit, and the India-EU Strategic Roadmap

Singapore visit — PM Lawrence Wong visited India on the 60th anniversary of ties; both sides institutionalised the annual India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR) and adopted an 8-pillar roadmap (economy, skills, digital, sustainability, connectivity, healthcare, people-to-people, defence).
India-EU roadmap — The EU unveiled a new Strategic Roadmap with 5 pillars — Prosperity & Sustainability, Technology & Innovation, Connectivity & Global Issues, Security & Defence, and cross-cutting Enablers — ahead of an India-EU leaders' summit planned February 2026.

Nepal's Gen Z protests topple the government

What — Protests erupted after Nepal banned 26 major social media platforms (TikTok complied and stayed accessible); led by Gen Z youth (born 1997–2012) angered by corruption and joblessness, they turned violent and PM K. P. Sharma Oli resigned.
Interim PM — Former Chief Justice Sushila Karki — Nepal's first woman CJ (2016–17), known for zero-tolerance on corruption — was sworn in as interim PM.

Trump's 20-Point Gaza Peace Plan, and India's stand

Core elements — Requires Hamas to disarm; a temporary International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza; Israel pledges not to annex Gaza; a technocratic Palestinian committee to govern under an international "Board of Peace" led by Trump.
Hostages — Within 72 hours of Israel's acceptance, all hostages must be returned; Israel to release 250 life-term prisoners and 1,700 Gazans detained since 7 October 2023.
India's stand — PM Modi called it a "viable pathway" to peace; India flagged concern over Pakistan's visible role in the process, given its usual muted West Asia posture.

World affairs and India's diplomatic response — quick facts

Event	Key fact
France recognises Palestine	At the UNGA, joins UK, Canada, Australia and other nations; recognition is largely symbolic given Israel's continued occupation.
Israel's strike on Doha	First direct Israeli strike on a Gulf Arab state, targeting Hamas leaders; India called it a "violation of sovereignty" at the UN Human Rights Council — a notably stronger response than usual.
UN snapback sanctions on Iran	France, Germany, UK triggered the JCPOA's veto-proof "snapback" mechanism after declaring Iran non-compliant with the 2015 nuclear deal — sanctions auto-restored without Security Council consensus.
Saudi Arabia-Pakistan defence pact	Mutual defence pact — aggression against either treated as aggression against both; first major defence agreement between an Arab nation and a nuclear-armed state; India said it will study implications.
India's economic package for Mauritius	$680 million package covering infrastructure, healthcare, defence and maritime security; India backed Mauritius' sovereignty over the Chagos archipelago.
China declares Scarborough Shoal a nature reserve	Philippines called it "illegitimate", asserting its own sovereignty; seen as part of China's "grey-zone" South China Sea strategy.
H-1B visa fee hike	US imposed a $100,000 fee on new H-1B entrants from 21 September 2025; those already holding valid visas (in or outside the US) are exempt; hits Indian tech workers hardest.
India on the U.S. fentanyl blacklist	Trump's annual Majors List named 23 countries (incl. India, Pakistan, China, Afghanistan) as major drug-transit/source hubs — reflects trade/geography exposure, not counternarcotics performance.
China forgoes WTO Special & Differential Treatment	China will not claim S&DT benefits in new WTO agreements (retains developing-country status formally) — seen as symbolic reform amid US pressure.
China's new K visa	New visa (effective 1 Oct) targeting young foreign STEM graduates, competing for global tech talent as the US tightens H-1B access.
Ethiopia inaugurates Africa's largest hydropower dam	Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile — 5,150 MW capacity; Egypt (97% Nile-dependent) protested at the UN calling it an "existential threat".
BRICS virtual summit on Trump tariffs	India (EAM Jaishankar) opposed linking trade with non-trade issues, called for fair, rules-based trade and resilient supply chains amid US 50% tariffs on Indian/Brazilian exports.
UNGA: India urges major UN reforms	EAM Jaishankar's 80th UNGA session speech flagged conflict-resolution failures, terrorism as an urgent shared threat, and called for the Global South (led by India) to take greater responsibility.
UN backs New York Declaration (two-state solution)	UNGA endorsed it 142-10-12 (Israel, US among 10 opposing); roadmap demands Gaza ceasefire, hostage release, a sovereign Palestinian state, and Hamas disarmament.
Global South urges UN reform	India hosted 20 'like-minded' Global South nations on UNGA sidelines; EAM Jaishankar warned multilateralism is "under attack" as key institutions are starved of resources.
UK to make digital ID mandatory for work	A free, mobile-held digital ID (modelled on Estonia/Denmark/Australia/India) will prove Right to Work in the UK, aimed at curbing illegal immigration and under-the-table employment.