November 27, 2025 - Current Affairs

SC to ‘consider’ plea to revive NJAC: CJI

In News

The Chief Justice of India (CJI) recently stated that the Supreme Court would consider a plea seeking to revive the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) and put an end to the existing Collegium System.

What is NJAC?

NJAC was envisaged as a constitutional body to handle appointments/transfers of judges to the higher judiciary (Supreme Court and High Courts).

Under the 99th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2014 and the accompanying NJAC Act, 2014, new constitutional Articles (124A–124C) were inserted to establish NJAC.

Composition of NJAC: Chief Justice of India as the ex-officio Chairperson, the two senior-most judges of the Supreme Court, the Union Minister of Law and Justice, and two eminent persons.

The eminent persons were to be selected by a committee comprising the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice of India, and the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.

Digital Genetics Threatens Seed Sovereignty and Farmers’ Rights

In News

The use of Digital Sequence Information (DSI) is a major point of contention at the 11th session of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) in Lima (Peru).

Digital Sequence Information (DSI)

It refers to genetic data derived from DNA, RNA, or proteins that are stored, shared, and analyzed digitally.

It enables genome sequencing, bioinformatics, synthetic biology, and precision medicine, allowing researchers to study biodiversity without physically accessing biological samples.

Digital Sovereignty

Context

Global power structures have shifted from control over physical assets (oil, chokepoints) to Digital sovereignty.

Digital Sovereignty

It involves creating legal and regulatory structures that ensure sovereign control over data exports and unhindered rights to regulate the national digital space.

It is the physical layer (infrastructure, technology), the code layer (standards, rules and design) and the data layer (ownership, flows and use).

SC Accepted the recommendations on the Definition of Aravalli Hills

Context

The Supreme Court accepted the recommendations of a Union Environment Ministry panel on the definition of Aravalli Hills to restrict mining.

Background

For decades, the Aravalli hills have been under severe pressure from mining, both legal and illegal, and other development activities such as construction.

Last year, the SC had asked the government to come up with an uniform definition of the Aravalli.

While the FSI has been using a 3-degree slope yardstick to define Aravalli Hills since 2010, a technical committee formed for the purpose in 2024 modified the benchmark.

News in Short – 27 November, 2025

In News

The Supreme Court of India strongly criticized the rising trend of "bench hunting," where litigants seek out subsequent benches to overturn or modify earlier rulings.

About Article 141

Article 141 is the constitutional provision that mandates that the law declared by the Supreme Court shall be binding on all courts within the territory of India.

This establishes the Supreme Court as the highest authority, and its decisions are essential for maintaining the uniformity and certainty of the law throughout the country.

This principle, meaning "to stand by things decided," is the foundation of Article 141. It ensures that once a point of law has been authoritatively decided, it should be followed in future cases.