SC Grants Equal Leave for Adoptive Mothers
In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court of India has struck down a restrictive provision in the Social Security Code regarding maternity benefits. The court ruled that denying maternity leave to adoptive mothers of children older than three months is unconstitutional. A bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan held that the age of the child should not be a barrier to parental bonding, placing adoptive motherhood on equal footing with biological parenting.
The Union Parliament successfully passed the Appropriation Bill 2026 after a detailed discussion in the Rajya Sabha. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman defended the government’s fiscal management, asserting that the administration has completely repaid the staggering ₹2.92 lakh crore burden of oil bonds inherited from the previous UPA era. She highlighted that the current budget remains transparent and realistic, focusing on record capital outlays to sustain India’s economic growth momentum.
West Bengal’s political landscape shifted gears as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee officially released the Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate list for the upcoming 2026 Assembly elections. The party will contest 291 out of 294 seats, leaving three for its allies in the Darjeeling hills. Simultaneously, the Election Commission of India (ECI) ordered a major administrative reshuffle, transferring 19 senior police officers in the state to ensure a free and fair polling process.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw presented a transformative roadmap for the national transporter in the Lok Sabha. He informed the house that Indian Railways has achieved nearly 99% electrification and successfully developed the world’s most powerful hydrogen train. The Minister highlighted that the ₹2.93 lakh crore capital expenditure for 2026-27 will prioritize safety systems like ‘Kavach’ and the expansion of Vande Bharat sleeper coaches to modernize passenger travel.
The Congress party faced a significant setback in the northeast as sitting MP Pradyut Bordoloi resigned from the party to join the BJP just ahead of the Assam polls. Meanwhile, the ECI has deployed over 1,100 central observers across five poll-bound states, including Tamil Nadu and Kerala. These observers are tasked with monitoring election expenditures and grievances to uphold the integrity of the democratic process as the Model Code of Conduct takes full effect.
