Module 9 • Polity & Constitutional Law2026-08-0517 min read
Polity, Judiciary, Constitutional Governance & Electoral Reforms (2025–26)
Target Exam: UPSC & State PSCs National Current Affairs•Official Sources: India National State Gazettes, Budget & Official ReleasesUnion Budget, PIB, Economic Survey & National Official Releases
1. Election Commission of India: Appointments, Mandate & ECINET
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Apex Leadership:
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26th Chief Election Commissioner (CEC): Gyanesh Kumar.
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Election Commissioners: Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi.
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Statutory Appointment Mechanism: Appointed under the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023:
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Search Committee: Headed by the Union Minister of Law and Justice (prepares panel of 5 names).
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Selection Committee: Comprises the Prime Minister (Chairperson), a Union Cabinet Minister, and the Leader of the Opposition / Leader of largest opposition party in Lok Sabha.
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ECINET (Next-Gen Unified Electoral Portal):
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Consolidates previously fragmented digital portals (cVIGIL, Suvidha, Voter Helpline App, ENCORE) into a singular, resilient cyber-hardened architecture.
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Real-time monitoring of model code violations, single-window candidate permissions, and instant Form-6/7/8 voter roll modifications.
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ECI-SECs National Round Table 2026: Focused on harmonization of electoral rolls between the Election Commission of India and State Election Commissions (SECs) to eliminate duplicate voter lists.
2. Supreme Court of India: CJI Surya Kant & Full Working Strength
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52nd Chief Justice of India: Justice Surya Kant took oath as the 52nd CJI (succeeding Justice Sanjiv Khanna), bringing extensive constitutional jurisprudence on federalism, reservations, and civil liberties.
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Historic Full Sanctioned Strength (34 Judges):
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Appointment of 3 new Supreme Court judges filled all vacancies, restoring the apex court to its maximum statutory strength of 34 judges (including the CJI) under the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act.
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Collegium Architecture & Precedents:
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CJI + 4 senior-most judges for Supreme Court elevations (Article 124(2)).
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Landmark rulings reinforcing the doctrine of constitutional morality, limits on gubernatorial discretion in withholding assent to state bills (Article 200), and procedural guidelines for sub-classification within Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
3. Delimitation, One Nation One Election & Women's Quota (106th CAA)
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High-Level Committee on Simultaneous Elections (One Nation One Election):
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Headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind.
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Recommended a two-phase synchronization: Phase 1 (simultaneous Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assembly elections); Phase 2 (synchronizing local body elections within 100 days of Phase 1).
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Requires constitutional amendments to Article 82A, Article 83 (duration of Houses of Parliament), Article 172 (duration of State Legislatures), and Article 325.
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Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (106th Constitutional Amendment Act):
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Guarantees 33% reservation for women in Lok Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies, and the Legislative Assembly of NCT of Delhi (Articles 239AA, 330A, 332A, 334A).
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Entrenched sunset clause of 15 years with implementation contingent upon the publication of the post-2026 Census and completion of the subsequent Delimitation exercise.
4. Institutional Appointments & Governor Reshuffles (2025–26)
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National Statistical Commission (NSC):
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Dr. Saibal Chattopadhyay appointed as Chairperson of the National Statistical Commission to reform MOSPI macroeconomic datasets, base year revision, and periodic labour force survey (PLFS) architectures.
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Gubernatorial Reshuffles Across Key Jurisdictions:
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Lieutenant Governors and Governors reshuffled across National Capital Territory of Delhi, Union Territory of Ladakh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Bihar, and Telangana.
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Reaffirms judicial benchmarks (S.R. Bommai case, Nabam Rebia, Shamsher Singh) that Governors must act on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers under Article 163, barring strictly defined constitutional exceptions.
Key Examination Takeaways:
- Gyanesh Kumar serves as India's 26th CEC appointed under the landmark 2023 statutory selection committee process.
- ECINET consolidates all fragmented electoral apps (cVIGIL, Suvidha, ENCORE) into an integrated resilient cyber platform.
- Justice Surya Kant takes charge as 52nd CJI, leading a Supreme Court functioning at its full sanctioned strength of 34 judges.
- Kovind Committee on One Nation One Election recommends synchronized two-tier elections amending Articles 82A, 83, 172.