Comprehensive NPLC Tathya Study Notes - January 2026 Edition

NPLC: Institutional Identity and Philosophical Framework

• Foundational Mission and Philosophy:

  • Founded in 2011, Nishant Prakash Law Classes (NPLC) operates as a "Gurukul for CLAT & AILET."

  • Described as the "Super 30 of CLAT," emphasizing commitment, discipline, and personal mentorship over shortcut-based programs.

  • Success Metrics: 91% success rate and 5 of the top 10 ranks in CLAT & AILET 2025.

• Operational Model:

  • Strictly limited intake: 60 students offline and 30 online annually.

  • Small batch sizes ($22$ students per batch) to ensure a 1:15 mentor-student ratio.

  • Personalized monitoring: Students are identified by potential rather than roll numbers.

• The Mentor - Nishant Prakash:

  • An alumnus of a premier National Law School and former corporate lawyer at Luthra & Luthra.

  • Specialist in IP, Insurance, and Trade Law with over $30$ international and national publications.

  • Focuses on bridging textbook learning with practical application.

Polity & Governance: Sanchar Saathi App Controversy

• The Directive:

  • The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) mandated pre-installation of the Sanchar Saathi app on all mobile phones in India.

  • Clause 7(b): Requires the app to be "readily visible" and functionalities "not disabled or restricted."

  • Timeline: 90-day compliance window for manufacturers.

• Functionality & Citizen Services:

  • Tracking/blocking stolen phones via International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI).

  • Chakshu Feature: Reporting fraud calls, SMS, WhatsApp messages, and "digital arrest" scams.

  • Verification of the genuineness of handsets to curb counterfeit devices.

• Privacy & Legal Challenges:

  • Consent Dynamic: Shifting from "opt-in" to "opt-out" creates a "default effect" where users are unlikely to delete the app.

  • Judicial Test: Assessment against KS Puttaswamy (2017) regarding Legality, Necessity, and Proportionality.

  • Concerns: "Function creep" (data collected for one purpose used for another) and the app becoming a single point of failure for hackers.

Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023

• Framework:

  • India's first comprehensive data protection law inspired by the EU's GDPR.

  • Applies to digital personal data processed in India or processed outside India to offer goods/services to Indians.

• Rights and Duties:

  • Data Principal Rights: Access, correction, deletion, and grievance redressal.

  • Section 9: Mandates verifiable parental consent for children (<18 years).

  • Penalty: Fines up to $\text{   } \text{ }  \text{ } \text{ }   \text{ } \text{ } \text{ } \text{ } 10,000$ for false complaints by principals.

• Institutional Oversight:

  • Establishment of the Data Protection Board of India (DPBI).

  • Appeals flow to the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT).

• Section 44(3): Amends the RTI Act by removing the "larger public interest" test for shielding personal info.

International Relations: 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit

• Diplomatic Reaffirmation:

  • Held Dec 04-05, 2025; marked the 25th anniversary of the Declaration on Strategic Partnership (Oct 2000).

  • Sixteen agreements signed across defense, trade, healthcare, and academics.

• Economic Goals:

  • Revised trade target: $\$100 \text{ billion}$ by 2030.

  • Development of settlements using national currencies and interoperability of payment systems.

• Connectivity & Energy:

  • Chennai-Vladivostok Maritime Corridor: Operational as of Nov 2024, reducing shipping time from $40$ to $24$ days.

  • Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP): Ongoing cooperation for unit construction and fuel lifecycle support.

  • Gaganyaan Project: Indian astronauts trained at Russia's Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center.

Economy & Monetary Policy: RBI Repo Rate Cut

• Action:

  • RBI cut repo rate by $25$ basis points to $5.25\%$.

  • Cumulative 2025 reduction: $125$ basis points.

  • Liquidity Measures: $\text{   } \text{ }  \text{ } \text{ }   \text{ } \text{ } \text{ } \text{ } 1 \text{ lakh crore}$ government bond purchase (OMO) and a $\$5 \text{ billion}$ USD-INR swap.

• The 'Goldilocks Phase':

  • Defined as a period of moderate growth with low inflation (neither "too hot" nor "too cold").

  • Data Points: Q2:2025-26 GDP growth at $8.2\%$; headline inflation fell to $0.3\%$ in Oct 2025.

• Institutional Structure:

  • Monetary Policy Committee (MPC): Under Section 45ZB of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.

  • Target: Consumer Price Index (CPI) at $4\% \pm 2\%$.

  • MPC Composition: Six members; RBI Governor acts as ex-officio Chairperson with a casting vote.

Biosecurity and Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

• 50 Years of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC):

  • International conference in New Delhi (Dec 2025) titled "Strengthening Biosecurity for the Global South."

  • India ratified the BWC in 1974; it opened for signature in 1972.

  • Institutional Gaps: No permanent technical body, no compliance system, no verification powers (unlike the OPCW for chemical weapons).

• Article I (General Purpose Criterion): Bans agents/toxins that lack legitimate peaceful, protective, or prophylactic use.

• Bioterrorism (INTERPOL definition): Deliberate release of biological agents to cause fear/disease for political/social objectives.

• WMD Treaty Landscape:

  • Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT, 1968) - India is NOT a signatory.

  • Biological Weapons Convention (BWC, 1972) - India is a signatory.

  • Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC, 1993) - India is a signatory.

Environment: GEO-7 and Delhi Pollution

• Global Environment Outlook-7 (GEO-7):

  • Released Dec 2025 by UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

  • Findings: Emissions up $1.5\%$ annually since 1990; 1 million species face extinction.

  • Controversy: Published without a "Summary for Policymakers" (SPM) due to lack of consensus among major powers on fossil fuel phase-outs.

• GRAP 4 in Delhi-NCR:

  • Invoked on Dec 18, 2025, as AQI exceeded $350$ ($450+$ is "Severe Plus").

  • Stage IV Restrictions: Ban on non-BS-VI diesel vehicles from outside Delhi; 50% office attendance; construction/demolition ban; hybrid schooling.

  • Relief: $\text{   } \text{ }  \text{ } \text{ }   \text{ } \text{ } \text{ } \text{ } 10,000$ compensation for registered construction workers.

Legislative Overhauls (SHANTI, VB-G RAM G, Sabka Bima)

• SHANTI Bill, 2025:

  • Repeals the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and Liability Act, 2010.

  • Enables private sector participation in the nuclear energy sector.

  • Statutory empowerment of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB).

  • Graded liability: $\text{   } \text{ }  \text{ } \text{ }   \text{ } \text{ } \text{ } \text{ } 100 \text{ cr}$ to $\text{   } \text{ }  \text{ } \text{ }   \text{ } \text{ } \text{ } \text{ } 3,000 \text{ cr}$.

• VB-G RAM G Bill, 2025:

  • Replaces MGNREGA (2005).

  • Increases wage guarantee from $100$ days to $125$ days.

  • Shifts to "Normative Allocation" funding (60:40 standard; 90:10 Himalayan/NE states).

• Sabka Bima, Sabki Raksha Bill, 2025:

  • Increases FDI in insurance from $74\%$ to $100\%</strong>.</p></li><li><p>Reduces capital requirement for reinsurers from$\text{   } \text{ }  \text{ } \text{ }   \text{ } \text{ } \text{ } \text{ } 5,000 \text{ cr}$to$\text{   } \text{ }  \text{ } \text{ }   \text{ } \text{ } \text{ } \text{ } 1,000 \text{ cr}$$.

Historical and Cultural Debates

• Vande Mataram 150 Years:

  • Composed by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay (c. 1875) and included in the 1882 novel Anandamath.

  • 1937 CWC Decision: Confined singing to the first two stanzas at national gatherings due to religious allusions in later stanzas.

  • 24 Jan 1950: Dr. Rajendra Prasad declared Jana Gana Mana as Anthem and Vande Mataram as National Song with equal status.

• UNESCO Inscriptions:

  • Deepavali: Inscribed on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Dec 2025.

  • Manuscripts: Bhagavad Gita and Natyashastra added to the "Memory of the World" Register.

Legal Precedents and Principles

• Narco-Analysis Ruling (2025):

  • Supreme Court set aside a Patna High Court order, ruling involuntary narco tests unconstitutional.

  • Articles: Violates Article 20(3) (Self-incrimination) and Article 21 (Right to Privacy/Mental Autonomy).

  • Results have no standalone evidentiary value; only corroborative help.

• Law of Guarantees (Section 126-147, ICA 1872):

  • Surety liability is co-extensive with the principal debtor unless limited by contract.

  • Section 141: Surety is entitled to the benefit of every security the creditor has; loss of security discharges surety pro-tanto.

• Torts - Trespass to Person:

  • Assault: Wrongful apprehension of fear without contact (e.g., pointing an unloaded gun).

  • Battery: Intentional and unlawful use of force.

  • False Imprisonment: Complete restraint without justification (actionable even if the victim is unaware at the time).

High-Performance Computing and Tech Innovation

• National Supercomputing Mission (NSM):

  • Target: Near-complete indigenization by 2030.

  • PARAM Rudra: Supercomputing clusters deployed in Pune, Delhi, and Kolkata.

  • Capacity goal: 90 petaflops by March 2026.

• DHRUV64 Microprocessor:

  • Indigenous 64-bit processor based on open-source RISC-V architecture by C-DAC.

  • Aimed at strategic/defense applications and secure computing.

• Google's Project Suncatcher:

  • "Moonshot" to build space-based AI data centers using solar-powered satellites in LEO.