UPSC Key: Cow Slaughter Ban, Jagannath Rath Yatra and Judicial Pendency

Top court stays HC’s cow slaughter ban order in TN

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance

Main Examination: General Studies II: Indian Constitution—historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.

What’s the ongoing story: The Supreme Court Monday stayed a Madras High Court order directing the Tamil Nadu government to ensure that no cows or calves are slaughtered anywhere in the state.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What the Madras HC said on cow slaughter?

• What does the state’s appeal argue?

• Is cow slaughter banned in the Constitution?

• What is the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP) for prevention of cow slaughter?

• What Article 48 of the Constitution says?

• What does the law say?

• What are the constitutional and legal basis of slaughter bans in India.

• How has the judiciary interpreted the balance between religious freedom, trade rights, and Directive Principles of State Policy?

• The 1958 Supreme Court ruling played a key role in shaping the debate on slaughter bans in India—know its significance and subsequent judicial developments in this context.

• How do slaughter bans impact economic activities such as the leather industry, meat exports, and the livelihoods of marginalized communities?

• Analyse the role of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, in slaughter bans in India.

• Suggest measures to strike a balance between religious sentiments, economic concerns, and constitutional principles.

Key Takeaways:

• Issuing notice on the Tamil Nadu government’s appeal challenging the May 27 High Court order, a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta directed that the judgement should remain on hold in the interim.

• The plea, filed on June 9 through the state’s counsel, Jayasree Narasimhan, said the High Court order imposed a blanket ban on cow slaughter even in the designated slaughterhouses, and this is unsustainable in law. The state said the original plea only raised the question of whether cows and calves could be sacrificed in places not designated as slaughterhouses on the occasion of Bakri Eid, but a division bench went further and ordered an absolute and blanket ban.

• The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government contended that the High Court order contravenes the provisions of the Tamil Nadu Animal Preservation Act, 1958, which permits the slaughter of cows over 10 years of age if a competent authority declares them unfit for work and breeding.

• The state also argued that even legislations such as the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Slaughter House) Rules, 2001, the Tamil Nadu Urban Local Bodies Act, 1998 and the Tamil Nadu Urban Local Bodies Rules, 2023, do not impose any total ban on slaughter but only prescribe conditions for it.

• The High Court’s action, it argued, amounts to “judicial lawmaking”. The appeal also contested the conclusion that the relevant authorities had conceded the veracity of the averments in the petitioner’s affidavit filed in support of his writ petition. It said the state’s stand was that it had already taken necessary action to prevent slaughter in public places and that any sacrifice would be allowed only in confined spaces, away from the public.

• Coimbatore resident K Surya Prasanth had approached the High Court alleging that authorities had made arrangements for the ritual sacrifice in areas not designated as slaughterhouses. Though he submitted a representation to the authorities, it was not considered, following which he moved the High Court.

Do You Know:

• In its judgement, the High Court bench of Justices G R Swaminthan and V Lakshminarayanan cited Article 48 of the Constitution of India, stating that it mandated that the state should take steps to prohibit the slaughter of cows, calves, and other milch or draught cattle.

• Article 48 of the Constitution says that “The State shall endeavour to organise agriculture and animal husbandry on modern and scientific lines and shall, in particular, take steps for preserving and improving the breeds, and prohibiting the slaughter, of cows and calves and other milch and draught cattle.” This is part of the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP), which are meant as guiding principles for the state but are not legally enforceable.

• The bench held that sacrificing a cow is not obligatory for Bakrid and read out Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Animal Preservation Act of 1958, which permits slaughter only with a certificate showing that the animal is “over ten years of age and is unfit for work and breeding”. It also invoked the Tamil Nadu Government order GO Ms No. 1715 on banning cow slaughter in slaughterhouses to increase milk production.
The bench held that “the authorities cannot permit slaughter of any animal in a place other than designated slaughter houses” and then noted that “no cow or calf is slaughtered on the eve of Bakrid or on any other day”, thereby creating a blanket direction.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Madras HC orders cow slaughter ban, but state’s laws speak of regulation. Here’s what they say

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
1) Consider the following statements regarding the Directive Principles of State Policy: (UPSC CSE, 2015)
1. The Principles spell out the socio-economic democracy in the country
2. The provisions contained in these Principles are not enforceable by any court.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Ladakh’s all 7 dists to get autonomous hill development councils: Chief Secy

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance

Main Examination: General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

What’s the ongoing story: The Ladakh administration on Monday announced the setting up of Autonomous Hill Development Councils for each of the new districts created in the Ladakh Union Territory.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is the 5th Schedule and 6th Schedule of the Constitution?

• Does Ladakh comes in Fifth or Sixth Schedule status?

• What is the Autonomous Hill Development Council?

• What Article 371 of the Constitution says?

• Map Work-Drass, Sham, Nubra, Changthang and Zanskar.

• Why creation of Autonomous Hill Development Councils in every district of Ladakh is significant?

• How decentralisation is improving governance in remote and border regions?

• What are the constitutional basis of local self-government in India?

• Why Ladakh wants constitutional safeguards?

Key Takeaways:

• Until now, the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDC) have existed in the two districts of Leh and Kargil. The administration had notified the creation of five new districts in April.

• Ladakh chief secretary Ashish Kundra announced the decision on Monday, stating that the move addresses the demand of the locals from each of these new districts – Drass, Sham, Nubra, Changthang and Zanskar.

• He said that a team from the Centre had recently visited Ladakh, following which a consensus emerged that a Union Territory-level body would be created under Article 371 of the Constitution and “a new and customised model under Article 371 would be created for Ladakh with the best provisions from other states applicable to Ladakh”.

• The proposed body would exercise legislative, executive, financial and administrative powers. The framework for this is currently under review, the chief secretary said, adding that “2026 will be a watershed year in Ladakh’s history”.

Do You Know:

• Section 3(1) of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Act provides for the constitution of a council in each district by government notification. “Therefore, the administration has decided to extend this to all of the new districts,” Kundra said.

• Though the concept of Hill Council was first fructified in Leh District in 1995 on the pattern of Darjeeling Hill Development Council, it was introduced in Kargil during the year 2003. The then esteemed coalition Govt.; headed by Hon’ble Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was instrumental in bringing Kargil District in the ambit of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council for the border development of the people of the area. The Hill Council in Kargil came in to existence in July 2003.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Why Ladakh’s agreement with Centre has hit a roadblock

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
2) Under which Schedule of the Constitution of India can the transfer of tribal land to private parties for mining be declared null and void? (UPSC CSE, 2019)
(a) Third Schedule
(b) Fifth Schedule
(c) Ninth Schedule
(d) Twelfth Schedule

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:
📍Why are the tribals in India referred to as ‘the Scheduled Tribes? Indicate the major provisions enshrined in the Constitution of India for their upliftment.(2016)

The Editorial Page

Why policy needs to focus on gender wealth inequality

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.

Mains Examination: General Studies I: Social empowerment

What’s the ongoing story: Bina Agarwal Writes-For reducing global wealth inequality, policies to tackle gender wealth inequality are as essential as policies to tackle household wealth inequality

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is the World Inequality Report?

• Who released the world inequality Report 2026?

• The World inequality Report 2026-what are the key takeaways?

• What the World Inequality Report 2026 says for India?

• What does gender inequality mean?

• Differentiate between the gender wage gap and the gender wealth gap.

• Why it is important for women to have ownership of productive assets?

• How can financial inclusion strengthen women’s economic empowerment?

• Discuss the constitutional provisions promoting gender equality in India.

• Discuss the Government steps and measures for promoting gender equality in India.

Key Takeaways:
Bina Agarwal Writes-

• The World Inequality Report 2026 was published this June by the World Inequality Lab, Paris School of Economics. The UN report ‘Counting What Counts’ was released this May. The first focuses on inequality head on. The second does so in part. Both pay some attention to gender inequality.

• The vast body of academic research on women’s economic status over the decades has focused mainly on one thing: Women’s situation in the labour market. This persistent mismeasurement of women’s economic status by ignoring gender inequality in wealth and assets in numerous papers, reports and policy briefs makes the main source of gendered economic inequality in much of the world, invisible and ignored in policy. Work by feminist economists does not entirely escape this bias.

• Why is measuring gendered inequality in wealth so important? Not just to correct serious conceptual flaws in measuring gender inequality, but also because wealth/asset ownership (a) affects women’s and children’s well-being in ways that employment alone does not; (b) impacts productivity and economic growth; and (c) is key to most sources of decent work and earnings.

Do You Know:

• The World Inequality Report 2026 reveals that global economic disparities remain at extreme levels, with the top 10% of the population holding 75% of global wealth while the bottom 50% owns just 2%. Released by the World Inequality Lab under the leadership of economists like Thomas Piketty and Lucas Chancel, this third flagship edition outlines intersecting crises across income, wealth, climate, and gender.

• The report places India among the most unequal large economies globally, citing a worsening trend since 2022.

• The World Inequality Report 2026 highlights that women capture just 25% of total global labor income. Globally, women earn only 61% of men’s hourly wages excluding unpaid work. When unpaid domestic and care labor is included, this figure drops to 32%, with women working an average of 53 hours per week compared to 43 hours for men.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍World Inequality Report 2026: Top 10% earners in India capture 58% of national income, bottom 50% get only 15%

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
3) Which of the following gives ‘Global Gender Gap Index’ ranking to the countries of the world? (UPSC CSE, 2017)
(a) World Economic Forum
(b) UN Human Rights Council
(c) UN Women
(d) World Health Organization

Nation

19 IPS officers, 12,000 policemen: Rath Yatra in Puri and the lessons learnt from last year

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main Examination:

• General Studies I: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.

• General Studies III: Disaster and disaster management.

What’s the ongoing story: With lessons from last year’s chaos during the Rath Yatra festival in Puri, the Odisha government has been leaving no stone unturned to implement an elaborate security and crowd-management plan for one of the country’s largest religious gatherings.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What does the Jagannath Rath Yatra embody?

• Discuss the historical, cultural, and religious significance of the Jagannath Rath Yatra in India.

• How does Jagannath Rath Yatra reflect the ethos of Indian civilization?

• Is Jagannath Rath Yatra in the Intangible Cultural Heritage list (ICH)?

• What are the challenges of organizing the Jagannath Rath Yatra?

• “Crowd management in religious gatherings like the Jagannath Rath Yatra is not just a logistical challenge but also a socio-cultural one.”-How far you agree?

• How administration is gearing up to prevent stampede at the Jagannath Rath Yatra?

• “Technology and tradition must go hand in hand for sustainable religious tourism.” Analyse this statement in the context of the Jagannath Rath Yatra.

• How AI technology and digital platforms can play significant role in enhancing the management and outreach of the Jagannath Rath Yatra in the 21st century?

• Examine the role of government agencies and scientific institutions like ISRO and BARC in ensuring sustainable management of large-scale public events like the Jagannath Rath Yatra.

Key Takeaways:

• Nearly 12,000 police personnel, 19 senior IPS officers, and over 100 senior administrative officers have been deployed as Puri prepares to welcome lakhs of devotees from across the globe for the nine-day festival starting July 16. Nearly three million devotees from India and abroad are expected to visit Puri during the festival.

• After the state government came under heavy criticism following a stampede-like situation outside the Gundicha Temple that left three devotees dead, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi directed all departments to ensure a faultless, safe and incident-free Rath Yatra through “proper coordination and seamless communication” among inter-departmental agencies.

• According to tradition, Lord Jagannath, along with his siblings Lord Balabhadra and sister Devi Subhadra, embarks on a nine-day annual sojourn from the 12th-century Jagannath Temple to their birthplace — the Gundicha Temple — where they stay till the “Bahuda Yatra” (returning car festival), scheduled for July 24 this year. The deities board three huge decorated chariots before travelling around 3 km to the Gundicha Temple. Millions of devotees pull the chariots along the Bada Danda (Grand Road) in Puri.

• Officials said top priority is being given to the timely completion of rituals in view of the delay in pulling the chariots last year, when Lord Jagannath’s chariot — Nandighosh — could barely move a few metres. The government also said adequate plans have been put in place for crowd control and devotees’ safety.

• Multiple evacuation corridors for the swift movement of devotees in emergencies, eight temporary hospitals with adequate staff, installation of nearly 500 CCTVs, and special measures for persons with disabilities, the elderly, and women are among the steps taken for smooth crowd management.

Do You Know:

• The Rath Yatra takes place on the second day of the Odia month of Ashadha Shukla Tithi (bright fortnight) every year to commemorate the journey of Lord Jagannath and his two siblings from their abode, the 12th-century Jagannath Temple, to the Gundicha Temple, believed to be their aunt’s home.
Goddess Ardhasini, also known as Mausima, is believed to be the aunt of the deities. The deities board three huge decorated chariots following the ceremonial procession called the Pahandi ritual, before marching for around 3 km to the Gundicha Temple. Millions of devotees pull the chariots on the Bada Danda (Grand Road) of Puri town.

• Puri occupies a significant space in Hindu mythology as it is worshipped as one of the char dham or four abodes where Lord Jagannath, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, is worshipped with his siblings. It is believed that witnessing the deities on their elaborately decorated chariots will cleanse people of their sins and grant them salvation.

• The three chariots – Taladhwaja Rath for Lord Balabhadra, the Darpadalan Rath for Goddess Subhadra, and the Nandighosa Rath for Lord Jagannath – are distinct from each other, and made afresh every year from the woods of locally available trees. They have their own colours, heights, diameters, wooden horses, guardian deities and even charioteers. Nearly 200 carpenters, labourers, woodcarvers, artists, and painters work for around 12 hours a day from Akshaya Tritiya onwards, nearly two months before the much-awaited event, to shape the chariots.

• According to the Guide for Managing Crowd at Events and Venues of Mass Gathering by NDMA, Individual behaviour in a crowd is sometimes influenced by the behaviour of others. The individuals within a crowd may act differently than if they were on their own. The unlawful actions of a few people can result in larger numbers following them. Research has shown that understanding of crowd behaviour has led to community based approach to crowd control instead of force based control
—The guiding principle for crowd control should be managing demand – supply gap through i) Controlling the crowd inflow, ii) Regulating the crowd at the venue, and iii) Controlling the outflow, if needed.
—In order to understand demand there is a need to understand the (i) historical numbers, crowd arrival patterns, growing popularity, type of visitors (ii) the Identify mass arrival time windows creating peaks (season, days of the week, time in the day, festivals, holidays etc.), (iii) Advance ticket booking/registration (iv) Public transport timetables.
—In order to understand the Supply one should calculate (i) the capacity at the venue: seating capacity; worships, offerings or prayers possible per hour etc. (ii) Calculate the capacity of holding areas/ queue complex

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath: Why millions throng Puri to witness the annual event

UPSC Previous Year Mains Question Covering similar theme:
📍Discuss the recent measures initiated in disaster management by the Government of India departing from the earlier reactive approach. (2020)

Explained

More births, deaths being recorded: Benefits, gaps

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Population and associated issues

What’s the ongoing story: India officially recorded more than 99% of its estimated births and deaths in 2024, according to the latest official data released earlier this month. This marks a significant increase in coverage in around a decade.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What has the path to universal registration been like?

• What is Civil Registration System (CRS)?

• Why does the data matter?

• What explains the shift in data?

• What gaps remain?

Key Takeaways:

• Data on births, deaths and stillbirths are recorded under a continuous and compulsory mechanism known as the Civil Registration System (CRS). It serves as a foundational source of India’s population data — how many people are being born, how many are dying, where these events are occurring, and so on — for the accurate estimation of mortality, fertility and sex ratio at birth.

• India nearing universal registration signals movement towards building a system in which every birth and death can be counted, certified, and ultimately used to inform public policy.

• The CRS has been legally operational since 1970, though the coverage and completeness of reporting were historically poor. The system operates under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, which was amended in 2023. Births and deaths are ordinarily required to be reported within 21 days. In hospitals, the medical officer in charge or an authorised official is responsible for reporting such events. For events at home, responsibility generally lies with the head of the household or another prescribed informant.

• Until 2000, India registered only 56% of births and 48% of deaths. By 2014, this figure rose to around 86.6% and 72.5%, respectively. Registration coverage also varied considerably, both by rural-urban location and across states.

• The latest CRS report, from the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India under the Home Ministry, shows coverage approaching 100%. In 2024, birth registration reached 99.1% and death registration reached 99.4%. Death registration has historically lagged behind birth registration, but it has since caught up rapidly. This marks a major shift for a country that historically had incomplete civil registration and relied heavily on surveys to estimate fertility and mortality.

• The improvement is also visible across states. In 2024, 18 states and Union Territories achieved 100% birth registration, while 21 states and UTs achieved 100% death registration.

Do You Know:

• A complete CRS is one of the most important sources of vital statistics. It is a crucial input for administrative use, assessing the impact of health and social policies, and understanding trends in fertility, mortality, and population change.

• Timely registration of births and deaths can provide real-time information on demographic changes and population health. For example, during a health crisis like the Covid-19 pandemic, timely reporting of deaths was crucial for identifying high-risk areas and controlling the spread of the disease. CRS is also important for understanding seasonal mortality changes, driven by high temperatures and pollution.

• Because of the CRS’s historically poor coverage, India has traditionally depended heavily on the Census, the Sample Registration System (SRS), and household surveys for estimates. But the Census is conducted only once every 10 years, and sample surveys do not provide reliable annual estimates at the district level.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Population spectres do harm. Managing demographic change is the challenge

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
4) Consider the following specific stages of demographic transition associated with economic development: (UPSC CSE, 2012)
1. Low birthrate with low death rate
2. High birthrate with high death rate
3. High birthrate with low death rate
Select the correct order of the above stages using the codes given below:
(a) 1, 2, 3
(b) 2, 1, 3
(c) 2, 3, 1
(d) 3, 2, 1

In Mahendragiri, proof of India’s growing prowess in shipbuilding

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main Examination: General Studies III: Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate.

What’s the ongoing story: The Indian Navy on Saturday (July 11) inducted the indigenously built advanced stealth frigate INS Mahendragiri into its Eastern Fleet during a ceremony held in Visakhapatnam.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is INS Mahendragiri?

• Know about Project 17A

• Indigenous stealth frigate, Mahendragiri (F38)-know in detail

• What is a stealth frigate?

• Under which class of frigates does Mahendragiri (F38) fall?

• Know the strategic importance of commissioning INS  Mahendragiri (F38) for India’s maritime capabilities.

• How Mahendragiri (F38) induction aligns with the Indian Navy’s goal?

• Compare Project 11356 Talwar-class frigates with India’s indigenous P-17A Nilgiri-class in terms of design philosophy.

• Compare destroyer, a frigate and a submarine.

• What is meant by a blue-water navy?

• How does indigenous naval shipbuilding contribute to national security?

• What is the strategic significance of inducting these ships in the Indian Navy?

• What are the efforts taken by the government for indigenisation of the Indian Navy?

Key Takeaways:

• Navy Chief Admiral Krishna Swaminathan described the warship as a symbol of India’s growing maritime capability and technological self-reliance. The commissioning is particularly significant as it marks the induction of the sixth indigenous stealth frigate from the Navy’s Project 17A into the force within just one-and-a-half years.
Since January 2025, six of the seven Project 17A frigates have been commissioned, including INS Mahendragiri. The seventh and last of them, INS Vindhyagiri, is also expected to be commissioned this year.

• Project 17A frigates are versatile multi-mission platforms designed to address current and future challenges in the maritime domain, including threats from adversarial submarines in the deep sea. They have been designed by Warship Design Bureau (WDB) and overseen by Warship Overseeing Team (Kolkata).

• According to the Navy, the frigates reflect a generational leap in indigenous ship design, stealth, survivability, and combat capability. The warships are fitted with an advanced weapons and sensor suite compared to the earlier Project 17 (Shivalik) class. These ships are configured with Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG) propulsion plants, comprising a diesel engine and a gas turbine that drive a Controllable Pitch Propeller (CPP) on each shaft, and an Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS).

Do You Know:

• INS Mahendragiri is built with over 75% indigenous content, has a displacement of approximately 6,670 tonnes and the capability to reach speeds of up to 28 knots.

• It is equipped with the BrahMos supersonic surface-to-surface missiles, a combination of multifunction radar and medium-range surface-to-air missiles, which can detect and kill aerial threats at extended ranges.
It also boasts anti-submarine warfare capabilities, with its arsenal including an indigenous rocket launcher, torpedo launchers, an Integrated Anti-Submarine Defence System, an Electronic Warfare suite and a Close-In Weapon System for short-range threats, and an embarked multi-role helicopter.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍INS Mahendragiri joins Indian Navy: Rajnath commissions indigenous stealth frigate

With 4 new benches, how SC plans to clear oldest pending cases

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary

What’s the ongoing story: To tackle the mounting backlog of cases in the Supreme Court, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has, in a significant move, created four specific benches exclusively to hear the oldest pending civil and criminal matters. This marks a structured attempt to ensure the conclusion of decades-old disputes pending before the apex court.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Know the constitutional role of the Supreme Court in India’s democratic framework.

• What are the causes of judicial pendency in India?

• How can dedicated benches improve judicial administration?

• What are the significance of technology in improving access to justice?

• Explain the relationship between speedy justice and the Rule of Law.

• What is the significance of constituting special Supreme Court benches for disposing of long-pending cases?

• Examine the role of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in reducing judicial backlog.

• Why there is the need for administrative and technological reforms in India’s higher judiciary?

Key Takeaways:

• According to the new roster notification, two division benches, headed by Justices P K Mishra and S V N Bhatti and comprising two judges each, will focus solely on the oldest civil cases.

• Two other division benches, led by Justices Manoj Misra and Ujjal Bhuyan, will be dedicated solely to the oldest criminal matters. These special benches will operate on “non-miscellaneous days”, which are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. In the Supreme Court’s parlance, Mondays and Fridays are “miscellaneous days” reserved for fresh filings and preliminary hearings. The middle of the week is meant for “regular matters” that require detailed, lengthy arguments.

• By freeing these four benches from the regular burden of miscellaneous hearings, the court will be able to give uninterrupted judicial attention to its longest pending cases.

Do You Know:

• Data from the National Judicial Data Grid provides a glimpse at the enormity of the backlog these benches are meant to address. The Supreme Court currently has 96,045 pending cases. Civil matters make up most of this burden, standing at 74,244 cases, while criminal matters account for the remaining 21,801.
Within this backlog, there are 24 civil cases and two criminal cases that have been pending before the court for over 30 years. The oldest civil case has been pending since 1986, while the oldest criminal case was registered in 1991.

• Another 525 civil cases and seven criminal cases were registered between 1996 and 2005, and have been pending ever since. The bulk of the older backlog lies in the 10– to 20–year bracket, which accounts for 7,993 civil cases and 1,585 criminal cases.

• This growing backlog presents a productivity paradox. Over the last five years, the Supreme Court has actually increased its rate of clearing cases, picking up markedly from the pandemic years – when courts operated at reduced functioning – to record its best-ever disposal figures. However, the overall pendency figure has continued to rise.

• This is primarily because the rate of new case intake is outpacing the rate of disposal. With the court becoming more accessible to citizens nationwide through e-filing and virtual hearings, case intake has risen exponentially. In 2025 alone, the total number of cases filed reached an unprecedented 75,402.

• Different Chief Justices have deployed varying strategies to unclog the docket over the last few years. Former CJI U U Lalit, during his short tenure in 2022, introduced a rigorous listing mechanism that carved out distinct time slots for fresh matters and long-pending regular hearings to ensure that old cases did not get buried under new filings.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Experts Explain | Why India’s courts are slow: the need for court managers

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
5) With reference to the Indian judiciary, consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE, 2021)
1.Any retired judge of the Supreme Court of India can be called back to sit and act as a Supreme Court judge by the Chief Justice of India with the prior permission of the President of India.
2. A High Court in India has the power to review its own judgement as the Supreme Court does.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither I nor 2

Economy

US N-fuel firm counters BARC’s safety concerns over thorium fuel

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

What’s the ongoing story: Chicago-based nuclear fuel company Clean Core Thorium Energy (CCTE) has refuted concerns over the use of its advanced nuclear fuel, ANEEL, in existing pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs). The company claimed that the thorium-based fuel improves key reactor safety characteristics and can be deployed without requiring modifications to reactor designs or control systems.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is thorium?

• What is a Thorium-based nuclear reactor?

• What is Advanced Nuclear Energy for Enriched Life (ANEEL)?

• What is high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU)

• Know the significance of thorium in India’s nuclear energy programme.

• What exactly the BARC paper had argued?

• Why Chicago-based nuclear fuel company Clean Core Thorium Energy (CCTE) has refuted concerns over the BARC paper?

Key Takeaways:

• In a paper published in the journal Nuclear Engineering and Design, researchers from Clean Core, the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, Toronto-based Innovative Nuclear Solutions, and San Diego-based Structural Integrity Associates challenged the findings of an earlier study by scientists at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). The BARC paper had argued that deploying ANEEL in India’s existing PHWR fleet would require reactor redesigns and could increase safety risks under accident conditions.

• The paper also claimed the advanced nuclear fuel has the potential to generate around six times more energy than conventional natural uranium fuel.

• CCTE, only the second American company to have secured an export license from the US Department of Energy to sell nuclear technology to India in nearly two decades, has developed the patented thorium-based fuel called ANEEL (Advanced Nuclear Energy for Enriched Life), which combines thorium with high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) for use in PHWRs.

• According to the company, ANEEL can be deployed in India’s PHWR fleet, which accounts for the majority of the country’s operational nuclear reactors. In December 2024, state-owned NTPC Ltd and CCTE had announced a strategic partnership to explore the development and deployment of ANEEL for existing nuclear stations in India, subject to regulatory clearances. Apart from exploring the development and deployment of ANEEL fuel in India, the two companies also intend to collaborate for exploring the possible indigenisation of its manufacturing with local supply chain development, establishing supply chain for HALEU, and supply of Uranium to India with sovereign guarantee.

Do You Know:

• In January, a paper published in the journal Current Science authored by scientists at BARC had flagged concerns about using ANEEL fuel in the country’s existing PHWRs. It concluded that thorium-HALEU fuel was “far from a drop-in option” and that existing reactors were unsuitable without substantial changes.
The CCTE paper, however, refuted this and described ANEEL as a “plug-and-play” replacement for natural uranium fuel bundles, saying it retains the same external dimensions and geometry as conventional fuel and modifications are limited to internal pin geometry and fuel composition.

• Another key issue flagged by the paper authored by BARC scientist is coolant void reactivity (CVR), a key reactor safety parameter. It argued that using thorium-HALEU fuel would make coolant void reactivity more positive, raising safety concerns. However, CCTE paper refutes this safety concern, claiming its ANEEL fuel reduces the safety risk. In a “loss-of-coolant” accident where the reactor’s cooling water disappears, standard uranium fuel causes a dangerous power surge measured at 16.4 mk. According to CCTE, ANEEL fuel reduces this surge to 13.3 mk, making the reactor more stable and easier to control during an emergency

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Thorium-based n-power key to securing energy independence

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
6) In India, why are some nuclear reactors kept under “IAEA safeguards” while others are not? (UPSC CSE, 2020)
(a) Some use uranium and others use thorium
(b) Some use imported uranium and others use domestic supplies
(c) Some are operated by foreign enterprises and others are operated by domestic enterprises
(d) Some are State-owned and others are privately owned

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:
📍With growing energy needs should India keep on expanding its nuclear energy programme? Discuss the facts and fears associated with nuclear energy. (2018)

 

PRELIMS ANSWER KEY

1.(c)  2.(b)  3.(a) 4.(c) 5.(c) 6.(b)

  

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