ndia’s Supreme Court delivered 10 landmark judgments in 2025 spanning civil rights, governance, and environment. Rulings addressed stray dog management, curbed bulldozer-led demolitions, scrutinized Aravalli mining, stayed Waqf Act amendments, and clarified governors’ powers. Courts also touched electoral rolls, senior citizens’ property rights, live-in legality, and humane treatment of accused.
Across 2025, the Supreme Court set defining guardrails for state power, citizen dignity, and ecological protection. The bench tackled contentious governance practices and affirmed due process, while elevating humane standards in law enforcement and bringing clarity to personal law questions that ripple through everyday life.
Key highlights
• Notable update: Oversight on stray dog management, balancing public safety with animal welfare frameworks.
• Major takeaway: Crackdown on bulldozer-led demolitions—illegal razing without due process deemed unconstitutional.
• Important point: Environmental scrutiny intensified, with Aravalli mining and ecological safeguards under the microscope.
• Significant ruling: Stay on amendments to the Waqf Act pending deeper review of implications for property and community rights.
• Governance note: Clarifications on governors’ discretionary powers, reinforcing constitutional boundaries.
• Democratic process: Directions on electoral roll revisions and administrative diligence to protect voter integrity.
• Rights-focused: Prohibition of handcuffs on hospitalised accused, underlining human dignity.
• Civil clarity: High Court-linked developments on senior citizen property rights and the legality of live-in relationships, shaping societal norms.
Sources: MSN; The Daily Jagran; The Economic Times