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TrackerSupreme Court

Big Supreme Court cases: what is decided and what is pending

Eleven cases that shape elections, federalism, religion and Parliament's powers, with the bench, the last hearing and what comes next.

From the editorial deskPublished

The Supreme Court under Chief Justice Surya Kant has a full docket of cases that bear on how India is governed. This tracker follows 11 of them.

Some are settled. A nine-judge bench split 4-4-1 on what counts as an “industry” in August, a seven-judge bench closed the legislative privilege reference on 6 October without answering it, and the Court quashed FIRs against NEET protesters across the country. Others are waiting. The Sabarimala reference has been reserved since 14 May. The challenge to the 2023 law on appointing Election Commissioners is headed to a Constitution Bench. And states have said they will challenge the new mines law that limits their power to tax minerals.

Disposed 1Referred to larger bench 1Reserved 2Decided 3Partly decided 1Challenge announced 1Pending 2
Disposed

Disposed as infructuous; questions of law left open

N. Ravi v. Speaker, Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly

Whether legislative privilege under Article 194 overrides free speech under Article 19(1)(a); arose from the TN Assembly's 2003 order to arrest editors of The Hindu over an editorial.

Bench
7 judges: CJI Surya Kant and Justices Aravind Kumar, P.K. Mishra, Joymalya Bagchi, Vipul Pancholi, Shree Chandrashekhar and V. Mohana
Latest
6 Oct 2026. Reference closed because the Assembly resolution was withdrawn in 2004.
Next
None. The legal question awaits a future case.

Sources: LiveLaw, 6 Oct 2026 · Supreme Court Observer, 12 Aug 2026

Referred to larger bench

Referred to a Constitution Bench

Jaya Thakur v. Union of India (challenge to the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023)

Whether Sections 6 and 7 of the 2023 Act, which removed the Chief Justice of India from the panel that selects the CEC and Election Commissioners, compromise the Election Commission's independence.

Bench
2 judges: Justices Dipankar Datta and S.C. Sharma (CJI Surya Kant recused on 20 Mar 2026)
Latest
23 Sep 2026. The two judges split on whether a larger bench was needed, then unanimously sent the papers to the CJI so a Constitution Bench can be constituted. Decision had been reserved on 30 Jul 2026.
Next
Constitution Bench to be constituted; no hearing date announced. Separately, on 5 Oct 2026 a bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana issued notice to the Centre and the ECI on a plea asking whether CEC Gyanesh Kumar can individually exercise powers vested in the full Commission, and said 'Any modification to Form 6 has not been approved by us' (IANS; PTI).

Sources: Supreme Court Observer, 23 Sep 2026 · Supreme Court Observer, 30 Sep 2026 · SocialNews.XYZ (IANS), 5 Oct 2026

Reserved

Judgment reserved

Arjun Floor Mills v. State of Orissa

Validity of Orissa's additional tax on dealers by annual turnover (10% for ₹10 lakh to ₹1 crore, 15% above ₹1 crore); the state argues the 2017 tax changes make the reference academic.

Bench
7 judges: Seven-judge Constitution Bench (members not named in source)
Latest
22 Sep 2026. Judgment reserved after one day of hearing.
Next
Verdict.

Sources: Supreme Court Observer, 30 Sep 2026

Decided

FIRs quashed under Article 142; related matters pending

NEET-UG 2026 protest FIRs (Jantar Mantar protests of 20 July 2026)

Whether FIRs filed across India against students who protested the NEET-UG paper leak should be quashed.

Bench
3 judges: CJI Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana
Latest
16 Sep 2026. On 1 Sep 2026 the Court quashed FIRs for incidents of 20-25 July, barred fresh FIRs except one Delhi Police FIR against 2,873 people with alleged 'serious criminal antecedents', and said the order is not a precedent. On 16 Sep it dismissed as premature a plea to reconstitute the High-Power Enquiry Committee on police excesses (formed 18 Aug).
Next
The Union must frame a compensation policy, including for families of students who died by suicide, within three months of 1 Sep 2026.

Sources: Supreme Court Observer, 1 Sep 2026 · Supreme Court Observer, 30 Sep 2026

Decided

Retirement age of district judges (All India Judges' Association line of cases)

Whether to raise the retirement age of district judges from 60 to 62.

Bench
3 judges: CJI Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana
Latest
1 Sep 2026. Seven states directed to amend service rules to raise the age to 62; officers who retired on or after 31 Mar 2026 may opt to rejoin, subject to conditions.
Next
States to amend their rules; no deadline stated.

Sources: Supreme Court Observer, 30 Sep 2026

Partly decided

Bihar SIR upheld; later-phase challenges pending

Association for Democratic Reforms v. Election Commission of India and connected SIR petitions

Legality of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar and later phases.

Bench
2 judges: CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi (Bihar ruling)
Latest
Sep 2026. Notice issued on a Delhi petition alleging SIR notices were issued mechanically. In August the Court directed the ECI to disclose pending appeals in West Bengal. Bihar SIR upheld unanimously on 27 May 2026.
Next
Hearings on Delhi and West Bengal matters; no dates in sources found.

Sources: Supreme Court Observer, 30 Jun 2026 · Supreme Court Observer, 30 Sep 2026 · Supreme Court Observer, 30 Sep 2026

Decided

Decided, split verdict

State of Uttar Pradesh v. Jai Bir Singh

Whether to revisit the 1978 Bangalore Water Supply test for what counts as an 'industry' under Section 2(j) of the Industrial Disputes Act.

Bench
9 judges: Nine judges led by CJI Surya Kant
Latest
20 Aug 2026. Four judges backed the CJI's narrower 'discernible commercial character' test; four (Nagarathna, Datta, Bhuyan, Bagchi) backed the 1978 test; Justice P.S. Narasimha left the 1978 test undisturbed because the ID Act has been repealed. The 1978 test continues for pending ID Act disputes.
Next
None in this case. The Industrial Relations Code, 2020 definition is to be read on its own terms.

Sources: Supreme Court Observer, 30 Sep 2026 · Supreme Court Observer

Challenge announced

Challenge to 2026 amendment announced; filing not confirmed

States' power to tax minerals: Mineral Area Development Authority v. Steel Authority of India (2024) and the MMDR (Amendment) Act, 2026

Whether Parliament can bar states from taxing mineral rights and mineral-bearing land, after a 2024 nine-judge ruling upheld state taxing powers.

Bench
9 judges: Nine-judge Constitution Bench (2024 ruling)
Latest
20 Aug 2026. Karnataka, Kerala and Telangana said they would jointly challenge the MMDR (Amendment) Act, 2026 in the Supreme Court; Congress's Jairam Ramesh said a petition had been prepared.
Next
Filing of the states' petition; no listing found as of 11 Oct 2026.

Sources: Business Standard, 20 Aug 2026 · PRS Legislative Research · Khaitan & Co, 21 Aug 2026

Pending

Pending; interim stay refused

Challenges to the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Act, 2026

Validity of the 2026 amendment that replaces the definition of a transgender person with listed categories and adds medical board review of identity certificates.

Bench
Not stated in source
Latest
Aug 2026. Union assured the Court of interim validity for existing identity cards. Earlier, the Court declined an interim stay (May) and issued notice on 15 Jun on the Union's plea to transfer High Court challenges to itself.
Next
Hearing on transfer and merits; no date in sources found.

Sources: Supreme Court Observer, 30 Sep 2026

Reserved

Judgment reserved

Sabarimala reference (review of the 2018 women's entry judgment and connected religious-freedom questions)

Scope of freedom of religion under Articles 25 and 26, the essential religious practices doctrine and 'constitutional morality'; the reference also covers the Dawoodi Bohra and Parsi women matters.

Bench
9 judges: CJI Surya Kant and Justices B.V. Nagarathna, M.M. Sundresh, Ahsanuddin Amanullah, Aravind Kumar, Augustine George Masih, Prasanna B. Varale, R. Mahadevan and Joymalya Bagchi
Latest
14 May 2026. Judgment reserved after 16 days of hearing.
Next
Verdict. The CJI indicated in August it could come by 6 Oct 2026 (LiveLaw, Kerala Kaumudi); no verdict found as of 11 Oct 2026.

Sources: Supreme Court Observer, 30 Jun 2026 · LiveLaw, 11 Aug 2026 · Kerala Kaumudi, 12 Aug 2026

Pending

Pending since notice in February 2023

Petition on the failure to elect a Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker

Whether the delay in electing a Deputy Speaker breaches the Constitution; the post has been vacant since June 2019.

Bench
Not stated in source
Latest
Feb 2023. Supreme Court issued notice to the Centre.
Next
No hearing date in sources found.

Sources: PRS Legislative Research · PRS Legislative Research

How to read it

Each case shows the issue in plain words, the size of the bench that last heard it, its status, the date of the last order or hearing, and the next step. Status is one of: pending, reserved (heard, judgment awaited), referred to a larger bench, partly decided, decided, disposed (closed without a ruling on the merits), or challenge announced.

Bench size refers to the bench that last dealt with the case. Where a source does not name the judges, we say so.

Source note

Details come from Supreme Court Observer, LiveLaw, Kerala Kaumudi, Business Standard, Khaitan & Co and PRS Legislative Research, each named in the data file with its date and link. We have not relied on court orders directly. We update this page after each major hearing or judgment.