Current Affairs Revision Hub

News Item

Justice Alpesh Yeshwant Kogje recently took the oath of office as the 30th Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court at a ceremony held in Bhopal. The oath was administered to him by the Governor of Madhya Pradesh, Mangubhai Patel.

Background

The appointment of High Court judges is a crucial aspect of the Indian judicial system. While the appointment notification is officially issued by the President of India under Article 217 of the Constitution (after consultation with the Chief Justice of India and the state Governor), the formal oath of office is administered by the Governor of the respective state under Article 219. The Madhya Pradesh High Court was established in 1956 and has its principal seat in Jabalpur.

Prelims Facts

• Appointing Authority: President of India.
• Administers Oath: Governor of the concerned state.
• Relevant Articles: Article 217 (Appointment) and Article 219 (Oath).
• Principal Seat of MP High Court: Jabalpur (with benches in Indore and Gwalior).

GS Mapping

GS2: Structure, organization and functioning of the Judiciary.

News Item

Justice Maheshchandra Tripathi, currently serving as a judge at the Allahabad High Court, has been appointed as the new Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court. His appointment was recently approved by the President of India, making him the 50th Chief Justice to lead this prestigious institution.

Background

The Bombay High Court is one of the oldest high courts in India, established under the High Courts Act of 1861. It possesses a vast territorial jurisdiction covering the states of Maharashtra and Goa, along with the Union Territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. The appointment of the Chief Justice of a High Court is fundamentally governed by Article 217 of the Indian Constitution. According to this constitutional provision, the Chief Justice of a High Court is appointed by the President of India after a mandatory consultation with the Chief Justice of India (CJI) and the Governor of the respective state. Furthermore, the transfer of a sitting judge from one High Court to another is executed under Article 222 of the Constitution.

Prelims Facts

• The Bombay High Court was inaugurated on August 14, 1862, alongside the High Courts of Calcutta and Madras.
• The retirement age for a High Court Judge is 62 years, while a Supreme Court Judge retires at 65 years.
• The President of India appoints and transfers the judges of the High Courts, acting on the binding recommendations of the Supreme Court Collegium.
• Although appointed by the President, the oath of office to a High Court Judge is administered by the Governor of the State.

GS Mapping

GS2: Polity and Governance | GS2: Judiciary

News Item

President Droupadi Murmu has appointed former Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Dr. Dinesh Sharma as the new Lieutenant Governor (LG) of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. He succeeds Admiral D K Joshi (Retd.), who had been serving in the prestigious constitutional post since October 2017.

Background

Union Territories (UTs) in India do not have their own independent governments like states; instead, they are directly administered by the President of India. According to Article 239 of the Indian Constitution, this administration is carried out through an administrator appointed by the President. Depending on the UT, this administrator is designated as a Lieutenant Governor (LG), Chief Commissioner, or simply an Administrator. An LG acts as an agent of the President and enjoys more executive powers compared to a State Governor, who is a titular head acting on the advice of the Council of Ministers. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, strategically located in the Bay of Bengal and guarding India's eastern maritime frontiers, have been a Union Territory since 1956 and are headed by an LG.

Prelims Facts

• Under Article 239, the President appoints administrators for Union Territories, who can be designated as Lieutenant Governors.
• The Andaman and Nicobar Islands were constituted as a Union Territory in 1956 under the States Reorganisation Act.
• The Ten Degree Channel geographically separates the Andaman Islands from the Nicobar Islands.
• Barren Island, situated in the Andaman Sea, is the only confirmed active volcano in the Indian subcontinent.
• The Saddle Peak National Park is located in the North Andaman Island.

GS Mapping

GS2: Polity and Governance | GS1: Geography

News Item

Retired Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra has been appointed as the first Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. He will be responsible for overseeing the administrative operations and management of the Ram Temple complex in Ayodhya.

Background

The Trust created the CEO post and formed a three-member search committee in July 2026 to improve transparency and administration following allegations of donation mismanagement. Originally, the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust was constituted by the Government of India in February 2020 to oversee the construction and administration of the Ram Mandir, functioning under the chairmanship of Mahant Nritya Gopal Das.

Prelims Facts

• The appointment was announced after a Trust meeting chaired by President Mahant Nritya Gopal Das at Maniram Das Chhawani.
• The three-member CEO search committee was led by retired Justice Pramod Kohli and included retired Lt Gen Vishnukant Chaturvedi and Suresh Haware.
• The Trust also appointed three new members: Madan Mohan Pandey (senior advocate), Mahesh Bhagchandka, and Dr. Nirmala Yadav.
• Over 5,500 applications were received for the newly created CEO post.

GS Mapping

GS2: Statutory, Regulatory & Various Quasi-judicial Bodies

News Item

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with the newly appointed Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Andy Burnham, to congratulate him on assuming office. The two leaders pledged to elevate the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and fully harness the economic benefits of the recently operationalized free trade agreement between the two nations.

Background

India and the United Kingdom share deep historical and democratic ties, with India's parliamentary structure heavily inspired by the UK's Westminster model. The bilateral relationship was officially upgraded to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2021, guided by a 10-year framework known as Roadmap 2030. This roadmap focuses on five key pillars: trade, defense, climate action, health, and people-to-people contacts. The recent operationalization of the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement marks a historic milestone in this journey. It aims to significantly reduce tariffs, remove trade barriers, and boost bilateral investments in critical sectors like artificial intelligence, clean energy, and higher education.

Prelims Facts

• Andy Burnham has assumed office as the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
• India and the UK recently operationalized the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement to boost mutual trade, technology sharing, and investments.
• The bilateral diplomatic and economic relationship is guided by the Roadmap 2030 framework adopted in 2021.
• India's parliamentary democracy is fundamentally based on the British Westminster system.

GS Mapping

GS2: International Relations | GS2: Bilateral Agreements

News Item

Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his warm congratulations to Andy Burnham on assuming office as the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He emphasized the shared democratic values and expressed optimism about strengthening the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Background

India and the United Kingdom share a deep historical relationship that was officially elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2021. Both nations collaborate extensively in defense, technology, green energy, and trade. A major upcoming milestone in this relationship is the implementation of CETA (Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement), designed to drastically reduce tariffs, boost bilateral trade, and promote cross-border investments. Furthermore, the two countries are actively working towards their shared 'Vision 2035', a long-term roadmap intended to expand diplomatic and economic cooperation over the next decade. This relationship is further anchored by a massive Indian diaspora of nearly 1.8 million people in the UK, acting as a dynamic "living bridge" between the two democracies.

Prelims Facts

• Andy Burnham assumed office as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
• India and the UK are set to operationalize the CETA (Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement) to significantly enhance bilateral trade.
• Both nations have pledged to advance their long-term diplomatic and economic roadmap under the shared Vision 2035.
• The UK is one of the permanent five (P5) members of the UN Security Council and a key strategic partner for India in the Indo-Pacific region.

GS Mapping

GS2: International Relations (Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India)