Polity and governanceThe Hindu, Page 1GS2GS3Must read
A Supreme Court Bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K. Vinod Chandran has held that the right to access and use the internet is a fundamental right under Article 21 (life and personal liberty) read with Article 19(1)(a) (freedom of speech and expression), and that children hold it just as adults do. The order, dated 15 October 2026, was passed in Just Rights for Children Alliance v. S. Harish, a plea by an NGO alleging that online platforms were still failing to tackle child sexual exploitative and abuse material (CSEAM) after the Court's September 2024 judgment. The Court found 'no progress worth the name' in more than two years.
Prelims facts
- On 15 October 2026 the Supreme Court held that the right to access and use the internet is a fundamental right under Article 21 read with Article 19(1)(a), for children as well as adults.
- The Bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K. Vinod Chandran rejected blanket bans, calling them 'unproven measures of proven disproportionality'.
- The Centre must set up a National Hash and URL List Database solely for CSEAM, with a final check by at least three trained human analysts.
- The order came in Just Rights for Children Alliance v. S. Harish, the case in which the Court in September 2024 held that viewing and storing CSEAM is an offence.
- Digital safety and age-appropriate sex education are to be part of the core curriculum, developed by NCERT and SCERTs.
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International relationsThe Hindu, WorldGS2GS3Must read
On 16 October 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order implementing the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 and, in the same order, waiving its main penalties. The Act, signed on 18 September 2026 after the Senate passed it 86 to 11, provides for a 500% ad valorem duty increase on goods from Russia and a 100% duty on goods from the five largest importers of Russian crude oil and natural gas that knowingly make new purchases on or after 18 October 2026. India, a leading buyer of Russian crude, was exposed to that 100% duty.
Prelims facts
- The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 was signed on 18 September 2026; the Senate passed it 86 to 11.
- It provides for a 500% ad valorem duty increase on Russian goods and up to 100% on goods from the top five importers of Russian crude and gas.
- A 16 October 2026 executive order waived these duties under Section 115(a), by certifying that a waiver is in the U.S. national interest.
- The waivers have no end date and can be withdrawn; the U.S. Trade Representative must keep monitoring purchases.
- GTRI says Russia's share of India's oil imports fell from 51% in July to 44% in August 2026.
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Society, justice and ethicsThe Hindu, NewsGS2GS3Must read
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has published the draft Food Safety and Standards (Foods for Infant Nutrition) Amendment Regulations, 2026, which would prohibit adding sucrose and fructose to food products intended for infants up to six months of age. The draft appeared in the Gazette of India on 16 October 2026, and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare announced it on 17 October. Stakeholders have 60 days to send objections and suggestions, which FSSAI will consider before finalising the amendment.
Prelims facts
- FSSAI's draft Foods for Infant Nutrition Amendment Regulations, 2026 would bar added sucrose and fructose in products for infants up to six months.
- The draft was published in the Gazette on 16 October 2026, with 60 days for objections and suggestions.
- The 2020 regulations prefer lactose and glucose polymers and cap sucrose plus fructose at 20% of total carbohydrate.
- FSSAI makes regulations under Section 92 of the FSS Act, 2006, with previous Central approval and after previous publication.
- The Health Ministry tied the draft to childhood obesity and to exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months.
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EconomyThe Hindu, FAQGS3
Within a month, four major central banks raised interest rates. On 10 September 2026 the European Central Bank raised all three key rates by 25 basis points, taking its deposit facility rate from 2.25% to 2.50% from 16 September. On 16 September the U.S. Federal Reserve raised its target range for the federal funds rate by a quarter point to 3.75% to 4.00%, by a 12 to 0 vote, its first hike since July 2023. On 18 September the Bank of Japan raised its policy rate from 1% to 1.25%, by 7 to 2. On 7 October the Reserve Bank of India raised the repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.50%, its first hike since 2023.
Prelims facts
- The Fed raised its target range to 3.75% to 4.00% on 16 September 2026, its first hike since July 2023.
- The ECB raised its deposit facility rate to 2.50% and the BoJ its rate to 1.25%, by a 7 to 2 vote.
- On 7 October 2026 the RBI raised the repo rate to 5.50%, with SDF at 5.25% and MSF at 5.75%, and adopted a 'calibrated tightening' stance.
- The RBI projects 2026-27 CPI inflation at 5.2%, above the 4% target, and GDP growth at 7.1%.
- India's 4% inflation target with a 2% to 6% band was retained for April 2026 to March 2031.
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International relationsThe Hindu, WorldGS2
The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) has released a report on the human rights situation in the Tamil-majority Northern and Eastern Provinces, 17 years after the civil war ended. It says 'militarization remains a persistent feature of governance and land use' there. The military runs farms and pre-schools, mainly through the Civil Security Department. The report calls the military's occupation of private land in Valikamam North since the 1990s 'one of the most egregious and longstanding instances' of its kind, and says Sri Lanka has no comprehensive security sector reform plan.
Prelims facts
- The HRCSL's October 2026 report says militarisation remains a persistent feature of governance and land use in Sri Lanka's Northern and Eastern Provinces.
- More than 580 skeletal remains have been recovered from the Chemmani mass grave in Jaffna.
- Sri Lanka's Defence Ministry says over 90% of military-held land has been returned; Tamil MPs dispute the figure.
- The HRCSL was created by Act No. 21 of 1996 and cannot enforce its own recommendations.
- The 13th Amendment, which followed the July 1987 Indo-Lanka Accord, created nine provincial councils, but land and police powers were never fully devolved.
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