October delivered two Supreme Court judgments that will be read closely for years: the AT-1 bond ruling that voided a bank's emergency write-off, and the conversion-reservation ruling that settled a contested question about what happens to affirmative action benefits when a person changes religion.
Supreme Court Voids Yes Bank AT-1 Bond Write-Off of Rs 8,415 Crore
On 15 October, a bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Augustine George Masih dismissed appeals filed by Yes Bank, the Reserve Bank of India and the Union of India, upholding the Bombay High Court's January 2023 judgment that quashed the March 2020 write-off of Rs 8,415 crore in Additional Tier-1 bonds. The bench found no reason to interfere with the High Court's conclusion that the administrator had acted under an erroneous impression: the reconstruction scheme, as notified, did not authorise the write-down of the AT-1 bonds. Reported as 2026 INSC 1132. Yes Bank shares fell between 14.5 and 20 percent on the day. The detailed judgment was awaited.
Conversion Alone Does Not Confer Backward Class Membership: Supreme Court
Also on 15 October, a bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Shree Chandrashekhar dismissed the Tamil Nadu government's appeal, upholding the Madras High Court's June 2026 judgment striking down a government order dated 9 March 2024. That order had allowed persons from Backward Classes, Most Backward Classes, Denotified Communities and Scheduled Castes to claim Backward Class (Muslim) reservation benefits after converting to Islam. Reported as 2026 INSC 1129. The Court held that conversion to a non-Hindu religion does not, by itself, confer membership of a notified Backward Class community. Petitioner Sameer Ahamed had applied for a BC (Muslim) certificate after converting; the application was rejected, the Madras High Court upheld the rejection, and the Supreme Court confirmed that ruling.
Supreme Court: Sex Education from Primary School, Helplines in Every Classroom
On 18 October, the Supreme Court directed that sex education be introduced from the primary stage of schooling, that helplines be available in every classroom, and that teacher and parent training programmes be funded. The bench framed sex education and digital safety as two sides of the same coin, holding that both must form part of the school curriculum.
Supreme Court: Claimant Requiring Lifelong Attendant Is 100 Percent Functionally Disabled Under Motor Vehicles Act
Also on 18 October, the Supreme Court held that a claimant who requires a lifelong attendant as a result of an accident-related injury must be treated as one hundred percent functionally disabled for the purposes of computing compensation under the Motor Vehicles Act, even where the formal medical assessment of permanent disability is lower.
New Supreme Court Judge Sworn In: Justice Sunita Agarwal
Justice Sunita Agarwal was sworn in as a judge of the Supreme Court of India on 6 October 2026, having served as the 28th Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court from July 2023. She completed her LLB from Awadh University and was first appointed as Additional Judge of the Allahabad High Court in November 2011.
Digital Court Technology Office Inaugurated
On 16 October, the Supreme Court's eCommittee inaugurated the Digital Court Technology Office at Room No. 802, 8th Floor, Administrative Buildings Complex, New Delhi. Chaired by eCommittee Chairperson Justice Vikram Nath and Vice-Chairperson Justice Anjani Kumar Mishra, the DCTO will centralise the management, execution and monitoring of technology upgrades across Indian courts.