October 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.
October 2025's national polity digest — 11 landmark SC/HC rulings, the Pan-India electoral-roll SIR, UPSC's centenary, and a packed diplomatic calendar from Britain's PM to the Gaza Peace Summit and the 47th ASEAN Summit.
The Statue of Unity, Kevadia — the world's tallest statue, of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, whose 150th birth anniversary was marked as National Unity Day on 31 October 2025 · Vijay Barot / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
October 2025 — At a Glance
October 2025 was dense with governance news — the Supreme Court delivered a run of landmark rulings (District Judge eligibility, tribal women's inheritance, pedestrian safety, execution-petition pendency), the Election Commission launched Phase II of the nationwide electoral-roll SIR, and UPSC entered its centenary year. On the world stage, Britain's PM visited Delhi, India engaged the Taliban, a Gaza Peace Summit convened in Egypt, and PM Modi addressed the 47th ASEAN Summit virtually.
1. Judiciary — Landmark Rulings
SC: judicial officers with 7-yr Bar experience can become District Judges
- Case — *Rejanish KV v K Deepa* — a 5-judge Constitution Bench led by CJI B.R. Gavai.
- Ruling — Sitting subordinate-court judicial officers with 7 years' prior Bar experience can now directly apply for District/Additional District Judge posts under Article 233(2), overturning earlier rulings that reserved this quota solely for practising advocates.
- Details — Minimum age 35 years for both routes; States must amend recruitment rules within 3 months; the judgment applies prospectively.
SC: Gond tribal women can inherit ancestral property
- Case — *Ramcharan v Sukhram (2025)* — a Gond (Scheduled Tribe) woman's inheritance claim, on appeal from the Chhattisgarh HC.
- Ruling — Gond tribal women can inherit ancestral property even without explicit customary recognition — since the Hindu Succession Act, 1956 does not apply to STs (Section 2(2)), the Court held equality should be the default, shifting the burden of proof onto anyone claiming women were customarily barred.
- Principle applied — 'Justice, equity and good conscience' under Section 6, Central Provinces Laws Act, 1875 — used when law/custom is silent.
SC directives on pedestrian & road safety
- Origin — A 2012 PIL by orthopedic surgeon Dr. S. Rajaseekaran; SC's 2014 ruling made road safety a matter of public health, creating the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety (SCCoRS) under Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan.
- October 2025 directives — Footpath audits in top-50 cities, model Pedestrian Safety rules under Section 138(1A), Motor Vehicles Act, strict helmet/lane-discipline enforcement, and regulation of dazzling LED headlights/hooters.
- Data — MoRTH's 'Road Accidents in India 2023': 1.72 lakh road deaths, of which 35,221 (20.4%) were pedestrians — up from 10.4% in 2016.
SC's Public Trust Doctrine — man-made waterbodies
- Ruling — The Public Trust Doctrine (PTD) covers man-made waterbodies serving ecological purposes too — upheld the Bombay HC's order allowing limited, eco-friendly development around Futala Lake, Nagpur.
- Precedent — Builds on *M.C. Mehta v Kamal Nath* (1997) — the State is a trustee of natural resources.
More SC/HC rulings of the month
- Minors' property sales — SC: a minor, on turning 18, can repudiate a property sale made by a guardian without prior court permission — by suit or by conduct, within the limitation period.
- Execution petitions — SC termed 8.82 lakh pending execution petitions (Order 21, CPC 1908) 'alarming'; directed HCs to intensify monitoring, next review 10 April 2026. Highest pendency: Bombay HC (~3.4 lakh).
- Delhi HC — school fees — The Directorate of Education cannot interfere with private unaided schools' fees except to prevent profiteering or capitation fees (Section 17(3), DSEA 1973).
- Kerala HC — temple priests — Priest appointment is a secular activity; upheld 2022 rules requiring institutional certification (via KDRB) for Travancore Devaswom Board temples, delinking priesthood from caste/lineage.
- Madras HC — Thiruparankundram Hill — Official name 'Thiruparankundram Hill' upheld (1908/1923 gazettes); banned animal sacrifice at the Dargah (no proof it's an essential practice) under ASI Rule 8; allowed Muslim prayers at Nellithoppu only during Ramzan/Bakrid, with conditions.
- Movie ticket price cap — SC paused a Karnataka HC order on multiplex ticket-sale record-keeping, arising from a challenge to Karnataka's ₹200 ticket-price cap rule.
- BCCI on match-fixing — BCCI moved SC to have match-fixing prosecuted as cheating under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita; India currently has no dedicated statute — Law Commission's 276th Report (2018) had urged one.
- Delhi HC — Clean Slate Doctrine — A successful IBC resolution applicant cannot be held liable for the corporate debtor's past-management criminal offences — reaffirms the 'clean slate' doctrine (Section 31, IBC 2016).
2. Elections & Institutional Governance
Pan-India Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls
- What — ECI's Phase II SIR — a hybrid revision (door-to-door + summary framework) under Section 21(3), Representation of the People Act, 1950. Phase I was Bihar.
- Coverage — 12 States/UTs (TN, WB, Kerala, Puducherry, UP, MP, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, A&N Islands, Lakshadweep) — ~51 crore voters. Assam excluded (SC-supervised citizenship verification).
- Timeline — Enumeration 4 Nov–4 Dec 2025 → draft rolls 9 Dec 2025 → claims/objections 9 Dec–8 Jan 2026 → final rolls 7 Feb 2026.
SC order on Maharashtra local body elections
- Order — SC directed the Maharashtra SEC to hold all local body elections by 31 January 2026, criticising it for missing its own earlier deadline of 6 September.
- Why delayed — Pending OBC reservation issues (Banthia Commission report under challenge) — BMC, 29 municipal corporations, and 32 of 34 Zilla Parishads currently run by administrators.
UPSC Turns 100
- What — UPSC's Centenary Year celebrations run 1 Oct 2025 – 1 Oct 2026. UPSC is a constitutional body under Article 315, discharging functions under Article 320.
- Recent reforms — 100% online applications since 2012, face-recognition anti-impersonation system, PRATIBHA Setu (links interview-qualified-but-not-selected candidates to alternative jobs), AI-aided evaluation.
Model Youth Gram Sabha (MYGS) Initiative
- What — Centre launched Phase I of MYGS — modelled on Model United Nations (MUN) — to simulate Gram Sabhas in classrooms; by Ministry of Panchayati Raj with NIRDPR, Education and Tribal Affairs Ministries.
- Scale — Phase I covers ~1,100–1,200 schools (~620 JNVs + ~200 EMRSs, plus volunteer states Maharashtra & Karnataka); budget ₹8.5 crore (FY 2025-26); national prize pool with ₹1 crore top award.
3. Digital Governance & Institutional Regulation
Mandatory labelling of AI-generated content
- What — MeitY proposed amendments to the IT (Intermediary Guidelines) Rules, 2021, defining 'Synthetically Generated Information' (SGI) and requiring visible/audible labelling covering ≥10% of visuals or audio.
- Also — Only Joint-Secretary-rank (or DIG-equivalent) officers may now issue takedown notices; ECI separately mandated AI-content labelling (≥10% display area) for political parties' campaign material.
The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Rules, 2025
- What — MeitY's draft PROG Rules, 2025 (under the PROG Act, 2025) promote e-sports/social games and prohibit online money games; establish the Online Gaming Authority of India (OGAI).
- OGAI — Civil-court-like powers to classify money games, register games, issue directions and impose penalties; decisions appealable within 30 days; registration certificates valid up to 5 years.
Other regulatory & institutional updates
- Bar Councils vs social-media promotion — Karnataka Bar Council issued show-cause notices to 8 lawyers over promotional 'reels'; Advocates Act, 1961 (Section 49(1)(c)) and BCI Rule 36 bar advocates from advertising/soliciting work.
- ASI opens conservation to private players — For the first time, corporates/PSUs may undertake monument conservation (not just visitor amenities as under 'Adopt a Heritage') under ASI supervision, funded via the National Culture Fund with 100% CSR tax exemption.
- Notaries (Amendment) Rules, 2025 — Raises the ceiling on notaries appointable in Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Nagaland, under Section 15, Notaries Act 1952.
- ITAT's 84th anniversary — Income Tax Appellate Tribunal — est. 1941, India's oldest tribunal ('Mother Tribunal'), motto 'Nishpaksh, Sulabh, Satvar Nyay.'
4. Internal Security & Law Enforcement
Maoist insurgency's waning influence
- What — Nearly 6 decades after Naxalbari, Maoist strongholds are now confined to small pockets in Bastar, Dandakaranya, and the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border; Home Minister Amit Shah has pledged to end the insurgency by March 2026.
- Internal rift — CPI (Maoist) ideological head Mallojula Venugopal Rao twice urged ending armed struggle; other leaders rejected the stance — signalling a movement at odds with itself.
Extradition of fugitives & BHARATPOL
- What — Home Minister Amit Shah attended a CBI-organised conference on 'Extradition of Fugitives'; over 300 extradition requests are pending with foreign countries.
- BHARATPOL — MHA's new CBI-developed portal integrating state/district police, central agencies and CBI for seamless information-sharing on international fugitives.
Assam-Meghalaya border clash
- What — A man was killed in a clash along a disputed stretch of the 884.9 km Assam-Meghalaya border — one of 6 zones still unresolved despite a 2022 MoU that settled 6 of the 12 disputed sectors.
- 2022 pact — Covered 36.79 sq. km — Assam retained 18.51 sq. km, Meghalaya received 18.28 sq. km; ~70% of the boundary is now dispute-free.
UN Troop Contributing Countries' Chiefs Conclave
- What — India hosted the UNTCC Chiefs Conclave in New Delhi, coinciding with 75 years of Indian UN peacekeeping (began 1948, Korean War); army chiefs from 33+ nations attended (China, Pakistan not invited).
- India's record — ~5,500 personnel deployed in 9 UN missions; 179 personnel lost — the highest sacrifice among all troop-contributing nations.
5. India on the World Stage — Visits, Summits & Diplomacy
British PM Keir Starmer's India visit
- What — Starmer's first official India visit, reciprocating Modi's July 2025 UK trip that produced the India-UK CETA; attended the Global Fintech Summit, Mumbai.
- Key outcomes — £350 million deal for Lightweight Multirole Missiles (Belfast-built) for the Army; £250 million naval electric-engine co-development; IAF instructors to train at the RAF; 125-member UK trade delegation (largest ever); 64 Indian firms pledged £1.3 billion (₹15,430 crore) UK investment.
India's growing engagement with the Taliban
- What — India hosted Taliban Acting FM Amir Khan Muttaqi in New Delhi with full-protocol treatment, amid Pakistan-Taliban border clashes; India will upgrade its Kabul technical mission into a full embassy.
- Note — India still does not officially recognise the Taliban regime; handed over 20 ambulances and pledged health/water aid.
Gaza Peace Summit in Egypt
- What — International summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, co-chaired by Trump and El-Sisi, with 20+ global leaders, to finalise ending the Gaza war and launch Phase Two of the regional peace plan.
- India's role — India sent Kirti Vardhan Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs, as PM Modi's special envoy; Israel, Hamas and the Palestinian Authority did not attend.
47th ASEAN Summit
- What — Concluded in Kuala Lumpur (chaired by Malaysia's PM Anwar Ibrahim); PM Modi addressed it virtually — only the 2nd time since 2002 an Indian PM has skipped it in person — declaring 2026 the 'ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation.'
- Other highlights — East Timor (Timor-Leste) formally admitted as ASEAN's 11th member (first expansion since 1999); Philippines takes over ASEAN chairmanship for 2026; Thailand-Cambodia border-dispute peace deal signed.
Xi-Trump meeting & the trade fallout for India
- What — At the APEC Summit, South Korea, Trump and Xi met for the first time since Trump's return to office; China agreed to maintain rare-earth exports for a year, US cut China's overall tariff from 57% to 47%; Trump called it 'G-2.'
- Impact on India — With China's tariff now lower than India's 50%, India faces a comparative trade disadvantage — making a US-India trade deal more urgent.
US sanctions on Russian oil firms — impact on India
- What — US sanctioned Russian oil majors Rosneft and Lukoil; India imports 35% of its crude from Russia, over two-thirds via these two firms — sanctions risk disrupting supply via 'secondary sanctions' exposure for Indian refiners with US market links.
Other bilateral & multilateral engagements
- Mongolia — President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa's Delhi visit marked 70 years of ties/10 years of Strategic Partnership; India reaffirmed funding for the $1.7 billion Mongol oil refinery; 10 agreements signed.
- Canada — FM Anita Anand's visit (first in 2+ years) produced a New Roadmap reviving ties strained since the 2023 Nijjar killing allegations; CEOs Forum to resume 2026.
- Iran/Chabahar — India received a fresh 6-month US sanctions waiver for Chabahar port operations, reversing a September 2025 withdrawal threat.
- EU / Republic Day 2026 — India will, for the first time, invite EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President Antonio Costa as joint chief guests.
- Sir Creek — Defence Minister Rajnath Singh warned Pakistan of a 'decisive response' to any misadventure in the Sir Creek sector (Gujarat-Sindh tidal estuary, boundary unresolved since Partition).
- Australia — First Australia-India Defence Ministers' Dialogue; annual dialogue institutionalised, submarine-rescue cooperation signed, India offered MRO for Australian Navy ships.
- Pakistan-Afghanistan tensions — Fresh clashes along the colonial-era Durand Line; 2024 saw the decade's highest violence (1,600+ deaths) as the TTP demands reversal of the 2018 FATA-KP merger.
- India-China flights — Direct India-China flights resumed by end-October 2025, over 5 years after Covid/LAC-standoff suspension — following the 2024 border-patrolling arrangement.
- Iran & the CFT — Iran ratified a law joining the UN's International Convention for Suppression of Financing of Terrorism, aiming to restore global banking access — Iran was FATF-blacklisted in 2020.