The Niyam Blog

Legal AI, Indian case law, and how to use both well

Practical guides and product notes on AI-assisted legal research, drafting, and citation — written for advocates, in-house teams, and law students in India.

Golden scales of justice on a desk beside a laptop, representing law and electoral fairness in India.

Supreme Court

Supreme Court Upholds Bihar SIR: What It Means for Voters

The Supreme Court upheld the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision of Bihar electoral rolls. Here is what the judgment says and what voters must do.

Niyam · 16 Jun 2026

A High Court advocate reviewing case papers at a desk, representing inherent powers and FIR quashing under BNSS Section 528

Case Analysis

BNSS Section 528: inherent powers of the High Court

BNSS Section 528 carries forward the High Court's inherent powers from CrPC Section 482, covering FIR quashing, Bhajan Lal categories, settlement quashing, and 2025 limits.

Niyam · 16 Jun 2026

A student holding a school certificate and documents at a desk

High Courts

Correcting your date of birth on a CBSE certificate

How CBSE bye-laws and High Courts treat date of birth and name corrections on school certificates, the two-year window, and why service-record claims fail.

Niyam · 16 Jun 2026

A stack of stamped legal documents and case files on a desk in a court registry

Legal Research

How to get a certified copy of a judgment or court order in India

A practical guide to getting a certified copy of a judgment in India: the copying section, fees, urgent copies, online eCourts and SCI options, and limitation.

Niyam · 16 Jun 2026

A person checking documents and a laptop screen while researching a legal matter

Legal Research

How to check your case status online in India: a full guide

Track any Indian court case online using eCourts, the 16-digit CNR number, NJDG, and the eCourts app. Step-by-step search by CNR, party, advocate, and FIR.

Niyam · 16 Jun 2026

A person signing a cheque at a desk beside legal documents

Legal Research

Cheque bounce under Section 138 NI Act: the complete practical guide

A practical guide to Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act in India: the exact timeline, demand notice format, jurisdiction, defences, and settlement.

Niyam · 16 Jun 2026

Police station front desk with a register and pen, representing FIR registration for cognizable offences

Legal Research

Cognizable vs non-cognizable offences in India explained

How cognizable and non-cognizable offences differ under BNSS 2023, and what that split means for your FIR, police arrest powers, and the investigation.

Niyam · 16 Jun 2026

House keys resting on a property document beside a model home, suggesting ownership of inherited family property

Case Analysis

Daughters' rights in ancestral property: what Vineeta Sharma settled

A 2026 guide to daughters' rights in ancestral property: how Vineeta Sharma (2020) made daughters coparceners by birth, and how to claim your full share.

Niyam · 16 Jun 2026

A sanitation worker sweeping a public road in India, representing daily-wage municipal staff who seek regularisation

High Courts

Daily-wage and ad-hoc regularisation: what the Supreme Court allows

Umadevi barred backdoor regularisation but left a one-time exception for long-serving staff. Here is what daily-wage and contractual workers can actually claim.

Niyam · 16 Jun 2026

A person reviewing data permission settings on a tablet, representing consent management under the DPDP framework

Notifications & Circulars

The Consent Manager framework under the DPDP Act and Rules

How the DPDP Consent Manager works: the consent flow, registration conditions, the Rs 2 crore net worth bar, fiduciary duties, and what businesses must do to comply.

Niyam · 16 Jun 2026

A wall calendar and laptop on a desk, representing data protection compliance deadlines

Notifications & Circulars

DPDP compliance deadlines 2026-27: the calendar every business needs

A date-by-date DPDP compliance calendar for 2026-27, with a checklist by business size and the penalties for missing each deadline under the DPDP Rules.

Niyam · 16 Jun 2026

Indian criminal courtroom desk with statute books and a gavel representing default bail under BNSS Section 187

Case Analysis

Default bail under BNSS Section 187(3): the 60/90-day right

How default bail works under BNSS Section 187(3): the 60 vs 90-day rule, the contested 15-day police custody change, and the cases on this indefeasible right.

Niyam · 16 Jun 2026

A wooden judge's gavel resting on a sounding block beside legal documents and a laptop

Legal Research

File a consumer complaint online via eDaakhil (2026 guide)

A practical 2026 guide to filing a consumer complaint online in India, from the eDaakhil portal to its successor e-Jagriti, with jurisdiction, fees and steps.

Niyam · 16 Jun 2026

An open law book beside a wooden gavel, representing constitutional remedies and writ jurisdiction in India

Legal Research

The five writs explained: habeas corpus to quo warranto

A guide to India's five writs under Articles 32 and 226: habeas corpus, mandamus, certiorari, prohibition and quo warranto, with landmark cases explained.

Niyam · 16 Jun 2026

Indian rupee notes and coins beside a payment terminal, representing tax levied at the point of a money transaction

Notifications & Circulars

28% GST on online gaming: the full face value fight

How 28% GST on the full face value of player deposits works, why it triggered ₹2.5 lakh crore in demands, and the Supreme Court ruling that settled it.

Niyam · 16 Jun 2026

Legal Research

Legal research in Hindi and Indian languages: AI opens the law

How AI is opening Indian legal research in Hindi and regional languages in 2026 - Article 348, SUVAS judgment translation, Indic LLMs, and the limits.

Niyam · 16 Jun 2026

A person filling out an official government application form at a desk

Legal Research

How to file an RTI application in India (2026 complete guide)

A practical 2026 guide to filing an RTI application in India - who can file, the online and offline process, fees, the 30-day timeline, exemptions and appeals.

Niyam · 16 Jun 2026

A stack of corporate documents and a calculator on a desk, suggesting financial review and corporate insolvency proceedings

Notifications & Circulars

IBBI CIRP Fourth Amendment 2026: what changed for creditors

The IBBI CIRP Fourth Amendment 2026, notified 8 June 2026, reshapes CoC composition, resolution cost approval, going concern reporting, and plan evaluation.

Niyam · 16 Jun 2026

Smartphone showing social media feeds, representing online speech and government fact-checking

High Courts

Kunal Kamra v Union of India: the Fact Check Unit struck down

How the Bombay High Court struck down the IT Rules Fact Check Unit in Kunal Kamra v Union of India, the split verdict, the tie-breaker, and Article 19.

Niyam · 16 Jun 2026

Two people shaking hands across a table over signed documents, signifying an amicable settlement

Legal Research

Lok Adalat explained: how India's people's courts settle cases

Lok Adalat explained for 2026 - statutory basis, types, what cases qualify, award finality, court fee refund, National Lok Adalat figures and referral.

Niyam · 16 Jun 2026

Two wedding rings resting on a divorce settlement document beside a pen, representing a mutual consent divorce in India

Legal Research

Mutual consent divorce in India: process and timeline (2026)

Mutual consent divorce under Section 13B HMA explained: two-motion process, the six-month cooling-off, when courts waive it, settlement, costs and timeline.

Niyam · 16 Jun 2026

Medical students in white coats studying together, representing NEET-UG aspirants affected by the 2026 re-exam

Legal News

Supreme Court Refuses an Online NEET-UG 2026 Re-Exam

The Supreme Court refused to order an online NEET-UG 2026 re-exam on 21 June, citing the NTA's strain. The ruling, the reasoning, and what students can do.

Niyam · 16 Jun 2026

Colourful kites flying against a clear sky during an Indian kite-flying festival.

High Courts

Nylon manjha ban: the NGT order and High Court enforcement

What the law says about nylon and Chinese manjha: the 2017 NGT ban, EPA and criminal liability, state notifications, and High Court enforcement orders.

Niyam · 16 Jun 2026

Supreme Court

Online Gaming Act 2025 and the Supreme Court's 27 May verdict

The SC held real-money games including fantasy sports are betting, upheld 28% GST on face value, and validated ~₹2.5 lakh crore in demands. Full breakdown.

Niyam · 16 Jun 2026

A set of legal documents and a fountain pen on a desk, suggesting the drafting and scrutiny of a plaint

Case Analysis

Order 7 Rule 11 CPC: rejection of plaint and the leading tests

Order 7 Rule 11 CPC explained - the six grounds for rejecting a plaint, the limitation bar, and leading Supreme Court tests from Arivandandam to Dahiben.

Niyam · 16 Jun 2026