Your weekly dose of legal insights, industry trends, and research-driven updates
1. SC to Host National Consultation on Safeguarding Girl Child Amid October Stakeholder Meet
The Supreme Court of India announced plans to hold a National Consultation on Safeguarding the Girl Child, bringing together key stakeholders, including government officials, judicial officers, NGOs and child rights experts. The initiative overseen by the Supreme Court’s special bench on child protection matters aims to address the increasing concerns surrounding female child safety, trafficking and exploitation across India. The consultation seeks to evaluate existing legal frameworks such as the POCSO Act and Juvenile Justice Act while recommending stronger enforcement and awareness measures. The Court emphasized that protecting the girl child is a constitutional and moral duty, urging all states and Union Territories to actively participate. The meeting, scheduled for later this month, will focus on developing actionable national strategies.
2. Delhi High Court Quashes DTIDC Order Blacklisting Bidder, Cites Violation of Natural Justice Principles
The Delhi High Court quashed the Delhi Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation (DTIDC) order that had forfeited the Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) and blacklisted bidder Omender Kumar for four years. The petitioner had cited medical reasons for his inability to complete tender formalities within the stipulated seven days. The Court observed that DTIDC acted in violation of principles of natural justice, as no prior notice or opportunity for explanation was provided before imposing punitive action. Justice Subramonium Prasad ruled that such blacklisting carries serious civil consequences and cannot be arbitrary. The Court set aside both the forfeiture and debarment orders but granted DTIDC liberty to take appropriate action afresh after following due legal procedure.
https://delhihighcourt.nic.in/app/showFileJudgment/59815102025CW8302020_193544.pdf
3. Transactional Risk Insurance Claims Surge in India as M&A Activity Accelerates, Reveals Marsh India Report
A report by Marsh India reveals that transactional risk insurance (TRI) claims in India are rising as merger and acquisition (M&A) activity increases. Since 2017, insurers have recorded roughly 50 claim notifications; in 2025 alone (up to July), 11 new claims have been filed. Approximately 77% of claims originate from private equity funds with the remaining 23% coming from corporates. Most claims are under warranty & indemnity (W&I) policies while 82% of this year’s claims fall under more specific transactional risk arrangements. Insurers paid out about USD 1 million so far, with many cases still under review.
4. Apple Urges India to Amend 1961 Tax Law Hindering Expansion of iPhone Manufacturing and Foreign Investments
Apple is pushing India to amend a nearly 65-year-old tax statute as a condition for ramping up its manufacturing footprint in the country. The iPhone maker reportedly wants changes to the Income Tax Act, 1961, arguing that the current provision treats ownership of high-end machinery by a foreign company as creating a “business connection” by making Apple’s global profits liable to Indian taxation. Apple claims the law disincentivizes investment by forcing its contract manufacturers to bear machinery costs they cannot sustain. Government officials are said to be weighing the request carefully, balancing the need for foreign investment with safeguarding India’s sovereign right to tax.
5. Supreme Court Sets Aside Calcutta HC Order Granting Land Back to Santi Ceramics in Singur Case
The Supreme Court has set aside the Calcutta High Court’s order directing the West Bengal government to restore 28 bighas of land to M/s Santi Ceramics Pvt. Ltd., ruling that the relief granted in Kedar Nath Yadav v. State of West Bengal applies only to dispossessed cultivators not industrial entities. The Bench led by Justice Surya Kant held that Santi Ceramics, a commercial enterprise that had accepted ?14.54 crore compensation without challenge could not later seek restoration under the guise of parity with farmers. The Court emphasized that judicial relief in Singur was designed to protect vulnerable agricultural communities, not profit-driven corporations and directed limited recovery of movable assets from the site within three months.
6. Supreme Court Transfers Karur Stampede Probe to CBI, Calls Tragedy a National Shock
The Supreme Court of India, describing the Karur temple stampede as an event that has “shaken the national conscience,” has taken the unprecedented step of ordering the CBI to conduct the investigation. The court expressed dissatisfaction with the local investigation’s progress and mandated that CBI file its final report within four months. The tragic incident occurred during a religious event when overcrowding led to a devastating stampede. The Supreme Court’s move underscores the gravity attached to the disaster and its resolve to ensure an impartial, rigorous inquiry into the causes and responsibilities.
7. SEBI Tightens Disclosure Rules for Related-Party Deals, Seeks Valuation Details
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has issued fresh guidelines tightening disclosure norms for listed firms entering into related-party transactions (RPTs). Companies must now present detailed justifications, external valuation reports and the percentage of the counterparty’s annual turnover related to the transaction to audit committees and shareholders. During shareholder approvals, the explanatory note must summarise the audit committee data, clarify business benefit, and enable shareholders to access valuation or external reports via email. However, smaller RPTs those under 1% of turnover or ?10 crore are exempt from these rigorous disclosure requirements. These revisions come into effect immediately and reinforcing SEBI’s push for transparency and accountability in intra-group dealings.
8. Airtel to Restrict Data Use Under DPDPA; MeitY Plans Consent Manager Registry
Bharti Airtel has announced it will tighten how customer data is used in line with India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDPA). The telecom giant said it will limit data processing strictly to essential operations such as service delivery and billing, avoiding profiling or secondary data use without explicit user consent. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) is developing a national “consent manager” registry that will let citizens view, grant or withdraw data permissions across multiple platforms. Together, these moves mark a major step toward greater transparency and individual control over digital privacy as India prepares to implement the DPDPA framework.
https://www.medianama.com/2025/10/223-airtel-dpdpa-restrictions-meity-consent-manager/
9. India Plans Hybrid Framework to Regulate AI and Digital Competition
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) is exploring a hybrid model of regulation to manage competition issues in artificial intelligence and digital markets. According to a new policy paper, traditional ex-post enforcement acting after violations occur may not be enough for fast-moving, data-driven AI markets that can quickly tip toward monopolies. Instead, the CCI suggests combining ex-ante measures which impose rules on dominant players in advance, with continued ex-post oversight. This approach aligns with global trends, such as the European Union’s Digital Markets Act which sets pre-emptive obligations for large tech companies. The move comes as India debates the Digital Competition Bill, 2024, aimed at curbing unfair practices by major digital platforms. By blending preventive and corrective regulation. The CCI hopes to foster innovation while ensuring fair competition, addressing risks like algorithmic collusion, data concentration and abuse of market dominance in India’s growing AI ecosystem.
https://www.medianama.com/2025/10/223-ex-ante-ex-post-india-regulate-ai-competition/