IT Rules Amendment, 2026
The Centre has amended the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules to address deepfakes and AI-generated misinformation. Effective 20 February 2026, platforms are required to remove specified unlawful synthetic content, including deepfake videos, non-consensual intimate images and fraudulently generated information, within three hours of receiving a court order or lawful government notice. This significantly reduces the earlier thirty-six hour compliance window.
The amended rules also require that AI-generated content be clearly labelled as synthetically generated information. Where technically feasible, platforms must embed identifiable provenance metadata to indicate that the content has been created using artificial intelligence. The rank of authorised officers empowered to issue takedown directions has also been elevated to senior levels.
Supreme Court Bars Stem Cell Therapy for Autism
In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court held that stem cell therapy cannot be used as a clinical treatment for Autism Spectrum Disorder outside properly regulated and approved clinical trials. The Court observed that offering such experimental interventions as treatment is unethical and amounts to medical malpractice.
The judgment emphasises that medical practice must be based on accepted scientific standards. Any deviation, particularly involving unproven therapies presented as established treatment, exposes practitioners to liability for negligence. Patients currently undergoing such therapy are required to be transitioned into approved clinical research frameworks under proper supervision.
Proposed Judicial Reforms
On 6 February 2026, a Private Member’s Constitution Amendment Bill was introduced in the Rajya Sabha proposing structural reforms within the higher judiciary. The Bill seeks the establishment of permanent regional benches of the Supreme Court in major cities and proposes an increase in the retirement age of High Court judges.
The proposal also includes measures aimed at enhancing social diversity in judicial appointments. While the legislative outcome remains uncertain, the introduction of the Bill has revived debate on access to justice and institutional reform within the higher judiciary.
Environmental Protection Fund Rules, 2026
The Union Government has notified the Environmental Protection Fund Rules, 2026 under the Environment Protection Act, 1986. The rules create a structured national mechanism for managing penalties collected under environmental laws, including those relating to air and water pollution.
The framework specifies utilisation of penalty funds for pollution monitoring, capacity building, remediation and other environmental protection measures. A defined revenue-sharing formula allocates a majority portion of collected penalties to the respective State or Union Territory, with the remainder retained by the Centre. The Fund is subject to audit oversight.
Indian Pharmacopoeia 2026 Released
On 2 January 2026, the 10th edition of the Indian Pharmacopoeia was released, updating national drug standards. The revised edition incorporates new monographs and expands the official compendium governing quality, safety and efficacy benchmarks for medicines and pharmaceutical ingredients.
Manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies and testing laboratories are required to align their products and processes with these updated standards under the Drugs and Cosmetics regulatory framework. Non-compliance may invite regulatory action.
Gender Stereotypes Handbook Withdrawn
The Supreme Court has set aside its 2023 Handbook on Combating Gender Stereotypes, observing that it was overly academic and not easily adaptable for trial court application. Instead of relying on a printed guide, the Court has directed the National Judicial Academy to develop practical training mechanisms for judges handling sexual offence cases.
The development signals a shift toward case-specific judicial sensitivity rather than structured advisory texts, while maintaining the broader commitment to fairness and non-discriminatory reasoning in adjudication.