Legal Current Affairs for 19 December 2025

Implementation: jointly by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) & National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
Outlay: ₹507.37 crores
Coverage: Across 20 States and 81 disaster-prone districts with 20 Gram Panchayats each.
Cluster based Approach: GP and Model GP have to be located in a close cluster.
Integrated Approach: It calls for the preparation of Panchayat- and village-level Disaster Management Plans and their integration with local development processes, including Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs).
Introduction of Model Gram Panchayat Concept: One for each of 20 States for six different hazards (one GP for each hazard).
Model GP will serve as demonstrative templates for integrating disaster resilience into planning, infrastructure and community preparedness.

Legality: The Court clarified that live-in relationships between consenting adults are neither criminal nor prohibited under Indian law.
Autonomy: It reaffirmed that adults are free to make personal life choices, and such autonomy cannot be restricted merely due to social or familial disapproval.
State Duty: The judgment emphasised that denial of police protection in such cases amounts to a failure of the State’s constitutional obligation to safeguard life and liberty.
Social Morality: The Court held that concerns about “social fabric” cannot override fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution.
Evidentiary Presumption: It referred to Section 114 of the Indian Evidence Act / Section 119(1) of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 which states that if a couple lives together for a significant period of time as husband and wife, they shall be presumed to be married.
The Courts shall apply this presumption to protect the rights of parties in a live-in relationship, particularly women and children born out of such relationships.

Recently, Letter of Intent on defence cooperation was signed between India and Netherlands
Political Features
Location: Northwestern Europe.
Boundaries: Germany (east), Belgium (south),
Maritime Boundary: North Sea (Atlantic Ocean) to the north and west.
Institutions: International Court of Justice and International Criminal Court are situated in Hague.
Geographical Features
3 primary features: Lowlands, The Veluwe and Utrecht Hill Ridge (central part), and The Limburg Hills (South).
Water Bodies
Major lake: Ijsselmeer (largest freshwater)
Rivers: Rhine (empty in North Sea), the Meuse, and Scheldt.

Type: Statutory body established under Competition Act, 2002.
It was subsequently amended by the Competition (Amendment) Act, 2007.
Ministry – Minister of Corporate Affairs(MCA)
Composition – Chairperson and not less than 2 and more than 6 Members to be appointed by the Central Government
Prohibits anti-competitive agreements, abuse of dominant position by enterprises and
Regulates combinations (acquisition, acquiring of control and M&A), which causes or likely to cause an appreciable adverse effect on competition within India.
Give opinion on competition issues on a reference received from a statutory authority established under any law
Protect the interests of consumers and ensure freedom of trade in the markets of India.

Ministry: Subordinate office under the Ministry of Coal.
Objective: Ensure transparency, efficiency, and consumer protection in the coal sector.
Mandate: Regulates coal quality, grading, and sampling under Colliery Control Rules
Functions: Collects coal production statistics; monitors dispatch and supply.
Regulatory Role: Oversees mine opening, closure (gives approval on Mining Plan and Mine Closure Plan under MMDR Act 1957,), and washery-reject disposal.

Origin: It is a statutory body under the CAQM in NCR and Adjoining Areas, Act 2021.
Replaced the Environment Pollution Prevention and Control Authority (EPCA).
Ministry: Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change
Jurisdiction: National Capital Region (NCR) and adjoining areas (Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh).
Powers: It has binding powers to restrict polluting activities, order compensation, investigate, issue directions, prepare guidelines, etc.

Anti-dumping duty is a trade remedy that a country imposes when imports are sold below their normal value in international markets.
If a company exports a product at a price lower than the price it normally charges on its own home market, it is said to be “dumping” the product.
Such duties are allowed under the WTO agreements to protect domestic industries from dumping.