Parliamentary Standing Committee
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Current affairsSupreme Court Collegium Approves 12 Additional Judges as Permanent in Four High CourtsOn September 23, 2026, the Supreme Court Collegium comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Vikram Nath and B.V. Nagarathna approved the confirmation of 12 Additional Judges as Permanent Judges across the High Courts of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Uttarakhand, and Gauhati — reinforcing the collegium-driven judicial appointment mechanism that has governed India's higher judiciary since 1993. Current affairsGreat Indian Bustard Conservation: Natural Breeding Breakthrough at Desert National Park, 11 Chicks Born in 2026In 2026, India's Great Indian Bustard (GIB) conservation programme at Desert National Park, Jaisalmer recorded a landmark milestone: 11 chicks were born, including 3 through natural mating — the first time captive-bred bustards have reproduced without artificial insemination. With only approximately 173 birds remaining globally (128 wild, 45 captive), this breakthrough under the IUCN-backed Project GIB marks a potential turning point for one of India's most endangered species. Current affairsMazagon Dock Shipbuilders Signs ₹15,000 Crore MoU for Greenfield Shipyard at Dugarajapatnam, Andhra PradeshMazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), a Navratna Defence PSU under the Ministry of Defence, signed an MoU on September 18–19, 2026 with NSHIP-AP (National Shipbuilding and Heavy Industries Park, Andhra Pradesh) to develop a ₹15,000 crore greenfield shipyard at Dugarajapatnam — the largest shipbuilding investment in Andhra Pradesh's history. The project will have an annual capacity of 1.2 million gross tonnes, create 45,000 jobs, and forms part of a ₹38,767 crore integrated shipbuilding cluster aligned with Maritime India Vision 2030. Current affairsMaruti Suzuki Commissions India's First Automotive Green Hydrogen Electrolyser Plant at Manesar, HaryanaMaruti Suzuki India commissioned a 300kW green hydrogen electrolyser plant at its Manesar manufacturing facility in Haryana on September 24, 2026 — the first such installation by an Indian automobile manufacturer. Using surplus solar power generated during holidays, the plant produces green hydrogen for blending with natural gas as a process fuel, advancing India's National Green Hydrogen Mission target of 5 million metric tonnes per year by 2030 while reducing Maruti's manufacturing carbon footprint from 615,000 to 266,000 tonnes by FY31. Current affairsDigital Communications Commission Dissolved After 37 Years: India's Telecom Governance RestructuredThe Union Cabinet on September 16, 2026 approved the dissolution of the Digital Communications Commission (DCC), the apex inter-departmental decision-making body of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), ending its 37-year existence. The Government Resolution was published in the Gazette of India on September 21, 2026. Telecom policy decisions will now flow directly through the DoT Secretary, Communications Minister, or Union Cabinet depending on project cost thresholds — eliminating an institutional layer considered structurally redundant under the Telecommunications Act, 2023. Current affairsHealth Ministry Advisory on Stem Cell Therapy: Supreme Court Judgment, NMC-ICMR Guidelines, and Autism RestrictionThe Union Health Ministry, alongside the National Medical Commission (NMC) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), issued a comprehensive advisory in September 2026 to strengthen regulation of stem cell therapy in India, following a Supreme Court judgment (January 30, 2026) explicitly banning the use of stem cell therapy for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as a routine clinical service due to insufficient scientific evidence. Current affairsSC in Sandeep Ghandat vs RBI (2026 INSC 955): RBI's Power to Supersede Multi-State Co-operative Bank Boards Not Capped at Six MonthsOn September 3, 2026, the Supreme Court of India held in Sandeep S. Ghandat vs Reserve Bank of India (2026 INSC 955) that the RBI's statutory power under Section 36AAA(1) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 to supersede the Board of Directors of a multi-State co-operative bank is not limited to the six-month cap prescribed under Article 243ZL(1) of the Constitution. The court set a five-year aggregate ceiling and ruled that state government consultation is not required for multi-State co-operative banks. Current affairsIndia Electric Mobility Index (IEMI) 2025: Delhi Tops Rankings, National EV Share Reaches 8.25%NITI Aayog and WRI India released the second edition of the India Electric Mobility Index (IEMI) 2025, ranking Delhi first with a score of 84/100. India's national EV market penetration reached 8.25% in 2025–26, with 2.5 million new registrations — a 25% year-on-year rise — placing the country on a trajectory toward its EV30@30 target. Current affairsShahzad Bhatti Network (SBN) Designated 46th Terrorist Organisation Under UAPA 2026The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) designated the Shahzad Bhatti Network (SBN) as a terrorist organisation — the 46th such designation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA). The SBN is a Pakistan-based network accused of financing, recruiting, and coordinating terrorist activities against India, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir. Current affairsMMDR Amendment Act 2026: Uniform Mineral Taxation, Fiscal Federalism, and Mining Revenue ReformThe Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2026 — passed by Lok Sabha on August 12 and Rajya Sabha on August 13, 2026 — bars state governments from levying fresh taxes or cesses on mineral rights beyond Central Government-prescribed conditions, creating a uniform fiscal framework for India's mining sector while states retain approximately 90% of mining revenue. Current affairsNational Quantum Mission (NQM): IIT Bombay Facilities Inaugurated — India's ₹6,003 Crore Quantum LeapFabrication and central research facilities under the National Quantum Mission (NQM) were inaugurated at IIT Bombay in September 2026, marking a key milestone in India's ₹6,003.65 crore quantum technology programme (2023–2031). NQM aims to develop quantum computers with 50–1,000 physical qubits by 2031, making India one of only six countries with a dedicated national quantum mission. Current affairsKishau Multipurpose Dam Project: Six-State MoU Signed — Water Security on the Tons RiverA long-pending Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the Kishau Multipurpose Dam Project was signed on September 15, 2026, between the Central Government and six states — Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi. The 236-metre concrete gravity dam on the Tons River (a Yamuna tributary) will generate hydropower, irrigate approximately 97,000 hectares, and supply 517 MCM of drinking water annually.
In previous-year questions
- The Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs (2026) recommended that India form a quadrilateral agreement on polar affairs with which group of countries?UPSC · Current Affairs
- The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has mapped how many elephant corridors across India?UPSC · Current Affairs
- What is a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), and how does it differ from a Parliamentary Standing Committee? Consider the following: 1. A JPC is constituted for a specific purpose (such as scrutinising one bill) and ceases to exist on submitting its report. 2. A Standing Committee is a permanent committee that examines all bills referred to it in a given subject area across sessions. 3. Both JPC and Standing Committees can summon witnesses and call for documents. 4. The FCRA Amendment Bill 2026 JPC has 31 members — 21 from Lok Sabha and 10 from Rajya Sabha. Which of the above statements are correct?UPSC · Current Affairs
- As of the Supreme Court's August 2026 order on declaring cancer a notifiable disease, how many of India's 36 states and Union Territories had already notified cancer, following a parliamentary standing committee recommendation?UPSC · Current Affairs
- The Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs presented its report "India's Role and Presence in the Arctic and Antarctic Regions" in the Lok Sabha on July 30, 2026. The report was chaired by which Member of Parliament?UPSC · Current Affairs