Society, justice and ethicsThe Hindu, Page 1GS2GS1Must read
On 28 September 2026, a Supreme Court bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K. Vinod Chandran took suo motu cognisance (acted on its own, without anyone filing a petition) of recent sexual offences against women and girls in Delhi-NCR, and issued directions the same day. The case is titled In Re: Recent Rape Incidents in Delhi NCR. The court referred to the gang rape of a 17-year-old girl at Aastha Kunj Park, the gang rape and murder of a teenage girl in Swaroop Nagar, and the sexual assault of a minor on a sleeper bus that travelled 47 km from Greater Noida to Delhi without being stopped by police. The bench said one could not help drawing "painful parallels to the Nirbhaya incident of 2012" and found a "systematic failure" by police and administrative authorities to guarantee basic public safety.
Prelims facts
- A bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K. Vinod Chandran took suo motu cognisance of Delhi-NCR rape cases on 28 September 2026 and relied on Article 21.
- Delhi Police must map vulnerable spots district-wise and audit lighting and CCTV within four weeks.
- The Delhi High Court must report on Fast Track Special Courts and POCSO courts; such trials should preferably finish within one year.
- Authorities must report the working status of 112, 181, One Stop Centres, Women Help Desks, the Safe City Project and the sexual offender database.
- Section 72 of the BNS and Section 23 of the POCSO Act bar disclosure of a victim's identity.
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Polity and governanceIndian Express, Page 11GS2GS3Must read
On 28 September 2026, a Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana asked the Union government to make statutory rules that stop social media companies from opening accounts for minors. The case is Just Rights for Children Alliance v Union of India, a public interest petition seeking safeguards against the use of social media and other digital platforms by children. Platforms today let children as young as 13 sign up by simply declaring their age. Justice Bagchi remarked that "a 15 year old child can have a Twitter account", and the bench said intermediaries should at least shape their membership so that the minimum threshold of 18 years is not breached.
Prelims facts
- On 28 September 2026 the Supreme Court, in Just Rights for Children Alliance v Union of India, asked the Centre to frame statutory rules barring social media firms from enrolling minors.
- The reasoning: under Section 11 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872 a minor cannot contract, and the Majority Act, 1875 fixes majority at 18.
- Mohori Bibee v Dharmodas Ghose (Privy Council, 1903) held a minor's contract void ab initio.
- The court warned it could act through Section 79 of the IT Act, 2000, the safe harbour for intermediaries.
- The DPDP Act, 2023 defines a child as a person below 18 and requires verifiable parental consent to process a child's data.
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EconomyIndian Express, Page 1GS3Must read
India's Index of Industrial Production (IIP), which measures the change in the volume of industrial output, grew 8% in August 2026 over August 2025, according to data released by the National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation on 28 September 2026. July's growth was revised up to 7.4% from the first estimate of 6.7%. Business Standard described August's figure as the second-fastest growth in over two years. Growth for April to August 2026 was 6.7%, against 4.2% in the same months of 2025. This is the new IIP series with base year 2022-23, whose first release covered April 2026 data.
Prelims facts
- The IIP grew 8% year-on-year in August 2026; July was revised to 7.4% from 6.7%.
- Manufacturing grew 9%, electricity and gas 12.3%, water supply and waste management 6.3%, while mining contracted 5.6%.
- Capital goods grew 16.9% but consumer non-durables only 2.1%.
- The new IIP series has base year 2022-23 and uses the Output Producer Price Index instead of the WPI as its deflator.
- The IIP is compiled and released by the National Statistics Office under MoSPI.
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Polity and governanceThe Hindu, Page 10GS2
On 28 September 2026, the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly passed by voice vote a resolution moved by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah seeking the immediate restoration of full statehood to the Union Territory, and asked that it be forwarded to the Government of India for action. Members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) walked out before the vote. Mr. Abdullah criticised the delay in restoring statehood and urged members to withdraw their amendments to the resolution, which they did before the voice vote. The BJP objected to the resolution's references to earlier Assembly resolutions of 26 June 2000 (on autonomy) and 6 November 2024 (on special status).
Prelims facts
- The J&K Assembly passed a resolution by voice vote on 28 September 2026 seeking immediate restoration of statehood; BJP members walked out.
- The J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019 took effect on 31 October 2019 and created two UTs: J&K with a legislature on the Article 239A model, and Ladakh without one.
- The J&K legislature cannot make laws on public order and police.
- In In Re: Article 370 (11 December 2023) a five-judge bench upheld the abrogation, directed restoration of statehood at the earliest and elections by 30 September 2024.
- Only Parliament can restore statehood, by law under Articles 3 and 4; an Assembly resolution is not binding.
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EconomyThe Hindu, Page 6GS3GS2
Writing on the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste, observed every year on 29 September, an article in The Hindu argues that reducing food loss and waste is a "triple win" for India: better food security, lower greenhouse gas emissions and higher incomes along the value chain. The article notes that although India produces enough food for its 1.4 billion people, considerable food is lost between the farm and the plate. The UN General Assembly designated the day through resolution 74/209 of 19 December 2019, and it was first observed in 2020. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that about 13% of food produced is lost after harvest and before retail, and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) reports that 19% of food available to consumers, about 1.05 billion tonnes, is wasted in retail, food service and households.
Prelims facts
- The International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste is observed on 29 September; the UN General Assembly designated it by resolution 74/209 in 2019.
- FAO estimates about 13% of food is lost between harvest and retail; UNEP says 19% of food available to consumers is wasted.
- SDG target 12.3 aims to halve per capita food waste at retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along supply chains by 2030.
- India has run three national post-harvest loss surveys: 2005-07 and 2012-14 by ICAR-CIPHET (the second sponsored by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries) and 2020-22 by NABCONS for the Ministry.
- The op-ed calls food loss reduction a triple win for food security, climate and incomes.
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