Important Current Affairs

Justice Surya Kant Sworn in as 53rd Chief Justice of India

● On November 24, 2025 Justice Surya Kant was sworn in as the 53rd Chief Justice of India (CJI) by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. He will serve as CJI for about 15 months until his retirement on February 9th 2027.

● Justice Kant was born in Hisar, Haryana and graduated in law from Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak in 1984. He achieved a distinguished career trajectory by becoming Haryana’s youngest Advocate General at age 38 in 2000, later a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2004 and then Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court in 2018 before being elevated to the Supreme Court of India in May 2019.

● Justice Surya Kant’s top priority is to reduce the pendency of over 90,000 cases in the Supreme Court by actively clearing old Constitution Bench cases and addressing the systemic issues causing this backlog. Justice Kant plans to revive confidence in lower courts and promote mediation as a way to reduce litigation.

● Justice Kant is known for preferring conciliatory approaches to disputes rather than confrontational ones as shown when he helped negotiate an end to the farmers’ agitation in 2020. He is recognized for emphasizing “Indianness” in judicial reasoning relying mainly on Indian case laws and principles rather than foreign precedents.

● Justice Surya Kant has been part of several landmark judgments including the abrogation of Article 370, One Rank One Pension scheme for defence forces, striking down the electoral bonds scheme and involvement in the Pegasus spyware and sedition law cases. He has also emphasized reducing frivolous and repetitive litigation and urged for better utilization of judicial resources. His tenure will also focus on handling the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) case related to electoral roll revisions. He also ordered that one third of seats in Bar associations including the Supreme Court Bar Association be reserved for women.

Iran suspends Visa Free entry for Indians

● Iran has suspended its visa free entry facility for Indian nationals from November 22, 2025. Iran had introduced a visa waiver for Indians in February 2024, aiming to boost tourism.

● This decision was made because some Indians were tricked by fake job offers or assurances of easy transit to Gulf or European countries and after arriving some Indians were kidnapped by criminal gangs demanding ransom.

● Some of these gangs are believed to be organized and linked to groups from Pakistan.

● Iran aims to stop criminals from misusing the visa free entry by requiring Indian travelers to have a visa. Indian travelers are warned to be careful and avoid agents offering fake visa free travel or transit to other countries through Iran.

● The Indian government and embassy in Iran have been working with Iran on this issue. Now Indian travellers will now need to obtain a visa for both entry and transit through Iran.

● This measure is to protect Indian citizens and prevent further abuse of the visa free entry facility by criminal networks.

Slovenia Votes to Suspend Euthanasia Law in Referendum

● On November 23, 2025 Slovenia held a National referendum to decide whether to implement the law legalizing assisted dying for terminally ill adults. About 53% of Slovenians voted against the law while 47% supported it, resulting in the suspension of the law’s implementation for at least a year.

● The law, originally passed by the Slovenian parliament in July 2025 and supported by a 2024 referendum, would have allowed terminally ill patients to choose assisted dying if their suffering was unbearable and all treatment options were exhausted.

● The referendum was called after a civic group backed by the Catholic Church and conservative opposition gathered over 46,000 signatures to challenge the law.

Euthanasia and Countries where it is legal

● The word euthanasia comes from the Greek word “eu” meaning “good” and “thanatos” meaning “death” so it literally means “good death”.

● Euthanasia also called “mercy killing” means intentionally ending a person’s life to relieve severe pain or suffering. It is legally permitted in only a few countries under strict laws and medical supervision.

● There are two types of Euthanasia: Active euthanasia involves taking direct action to cause death such as giving a lethal injection or medication with the intention to end the person’s life quickly and painlessly. It is usually carried out by a medical professional at the patient’s request. Passive euthanasia means allowing a person to die naturally by withholding or withdrawing life sustaining treatment such as turning off a ventilator or stopping medical interventions.

● The Netherlands was the first country to legalize voluntary euthanasia. Countries that have legalized euthanasia include Australia, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain and Uruguay. Each country has its own version of the law but all share common conditions: patients must make the decision voluntarily, show mental competence and have an incurable illness or unbearable suffering that cannot be relieved by other means.

India’s stand on Euthanasia

● The Supreme Court of India legalized passive euthanasia in the landmark Aruna Shanbaug case (2011), recognizing the right to die with dignity as part of the fundamental right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution.

● In Common Cause vs. Union of India (2018) the Supreme Court further allowed patients to create “living wills” or advance directives to refuse treatment in specific terminal or vegetative conditions.

● Active euthanasia is prohibited and punishable under Indian law. The process for passive euthanasia in India involves strict guidelines including medical opinions and court approvals, to prevent misuse.