Current Affairs — Sunday, 3 May 2026
41 items
Tamil Nadu
- CM Vijay (TVK) Announces 2% DA Hike for Govt Employees — Tamil Nadu CM Vijay announced a 2% hike in Dearness Allowance for government teachers and employees; relevant for TN public finance and service conditions questions.
- CM Stalin Launches 10 Lakh Laptop Distribution for College Students — Chief Minister Stalin initiated distribution of 10 lakh laptops to Tamil Nadu college students under the state's flagship education scheme; key welfare scheme data point for TNPSC.
- MRF to Invest ₹3,500 Crore in Tamil Nadu — CM Stalin launched multi-sector projects across the state alongside MRF's ₹3,500 crore investment announcement; significant for industrial investment and TNPSC economy questions.
- Stalin vs Sitharaman: Paddy Bonus Policy Row — CM Stalin and Union Finance Minister Sitharaman sparred over the Centre's letter on Tamil Nadu's paddy bonus policy; relevant for Centre-State fiscal relations and agricultural MSP debates.
- Madras HC Bans Use of Former CMs' Photos in Govt Scheme Ads — The Madras High Court banned use of former Chief Ministers' photographs in Tamil Nadu government scheme advertisements; Supreme Court is also set to hear the state's plea on CM Vijay's name/photo ban in welfare schemes.
- TN Higher Education Minister: CM Need Not Be University Chancellor — Minister's statement that the Chief Minister need not be Chancellor of universities drew criticism from DMK and VCK; relevant for university governance and constitutional provisions on higher education.
- VCK Joins TVK-Led Government; Thirumavalavan Asks Cadre to Accept Alliance — VCK chief Thirumavalavan urged cadre to accept the party's entry into the TVK-led government, amid criticism from DMK leaders; significant for TN political realignment ahead of elections.
India — National
- Parliamentary Panel Summons Education Ministry, NTA, CBI Over Exam Conduct — A Parliamentary Standing Committee summoned officials over an assurance given in Rajya Sabha (USQ dated November 27, 2024) regarding "Conduct of Examination by NTA"; relevant for Parliament procedure, NTA reform debates.
- Bashir Badr, Noted Urdu Poet, Passes Away at 91 — Celebrated Urdu poet Bashir Badr, known for his ghazals and simple yet profound verse, passed away at age 91; important for arts and culture questions in GS Paper I.
- Key Commander of Banned Manipur Insurgent Group Arrested in Delhi — A joint security operation led to the arrest of a key commander of a banned Manipur insurgent organisation in Delhi; relevant for internal security and Northeast insurgency topics.
- Kazipet Rail Coach Manufacturing Unit Nears Completion; 200 Intercity Trains in 5 Years — The Kazipet Rail Manufacturing Unit in Telangana is close to completion with plans to manufacture coaches for 200 intercity trains over five years; relevant for Make in India, Railways infrastructure.
- Sharp Rise in Out-of-Pocket Health Spending; 11% Fall in Govt Expenditure (FY23) — A Ministry report revealed a sharp rise in out-of-pocket health expenditure alongside an 11% fall in government health spending in FY23; critical for social sector GS Paper II questions on healthcare financing.
- No Relief from Extreme Heatwave in North India Till May 29 — IMD forecasts continued extreme heatwave conditions across North India with no relief expected until May 29; relevant for disaster management and climate vulnerability questions.
- BJP Names New State Chiefs for Delhi, Punjab and Haryana — BJP announced new state unit presidents for Delhi, Punjab, and Haryana as part of organisational restructuring; relevant for polity and current political affairs.
- Kalai-II Hydel Project Gets Forest Clearance Amid White-Bellied Heron Concerns — The Kalai-II hydroelectric project received forest clearance despite concerns raised over the critically endangered White-Bellied Heron habitat; relevant for environment-development conflict questions.
Economy & Finance
- RBI Holds Repo Rate; GDP Growth Forecast Slowed to 6.9% for FY27 — The Reserve Bank of India kept the repo rate unchanged while revising India's GDP growth projection downward to 6.9% for FY2026-27; highly exam-relevant for monetary policy and macroeconomics.
- India's Energy Investment to Hit $170 Billion in 2026: IEA — The International Energy Agency projected India's energy investment at $170 billion in 2026, with solar PV growing 25% annually and oil refining by 23% in recent years; relevant for energy policy and GS Paper III.
- LPG Price Hiked; No Plan to Raise Petrol/Diesel Prices: Govt — The government hiked LPG prices to balance consumer interest and oil company finances but confirmed no immediate plans to raise petrol or diesel prices; relevant for energy subsidies and fiscal policy.
- US Team to Visit India on June 1–4 to Finalise Interim Trade Agreement — A US trade team will visit India from June 1–4 to finalise details of an interim bilateral trade agreement; relevant for India-US trade relations and tariff negotiations (GS Paper II/III).
- Rupee Falls 47 Paise to ₹95.73 Against US Dollar — The Indian rupee depreciated 47 paise to close at ₹95.73 against the US dollar amid global currency pressures; relevant for forex, balance of payments, and monetary policy questions.
- India Given One-Month US Waiver to Buy Russian Oil — The US granted India a one-month waiver to continue purchasing Russian oil, describing India as an "essential partner"; relevant for India's energy security and geopolitical balancing act.
Science & Technology
- Chandrayaan-2 DFSAR Detects Possible Subsurface Ice Near Moon's South Pole — Scientists using the Chandrayaan-2's Dual Frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar (DFSAR) payload detected possible presence of subsurface ice near the lunar south pole; major finding for ISRO and lunar exploration questions.
- SpaceX Starship Grounded Pending Investigation After Test Flight — SpaceX's Starship rockets have been grounded pending investigation after a test flight during which the spacecraft released 20 mock satellites before a planned splashdown in the Indian Ocean; relevant for space technology.
- NASA Outlines Moon Base Plans for Artemis Programme — NASA detailed plans including landers, buggies, and drones for the Artemis III mission, involving Blue Origin and SpaceX lunar landers; relevant for international space exploration.
- Air Pollution Cut India's Solar Power Output by 9.6% in 2023: Study — A new study found that air pollution reduced India's solar power generation by 9.6% in 2023, one of the highest losses globally, with northern India most affected; relevant for renewable energy and pollution policy.
Environment
- Activists Urge Centre to Reject Odisha's Sijimali Mine Clearance — Activists termed the expert panel's recommendation favouring Vedanta's Sijimali mine in Odisha as "unjust," warning it threatens the Panichida-Shuagad river and over 100 perennial streams; relevant for mining regulation and tribal rights (Forest Rights Act, PESA).
- Global Temperatures to Reach Near-Record Highs in Next Five Years: UN/Met Office — The UN's WMO and UK's Met Office jointly forecast near-record global temperatures over the next five years, with faster warming in the Arctic; relevant for climate change and international environmental agreements.
- Budget 2026-27: Air Quality Management Outlay Cut by 10% — India's Union Budget 2026-27 reduced the outlay for air quality management by 10%, with pollution control also seeing a dip; relevant for environmental governance and public health policy.
Sports
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Makes Strong Case for India T20I Call-Up — 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's consistent IPL performances have created strong pressure on selectors for a T20I call-up; notable as he would be one of the youngest Indian T20I debutants.
- Four Indian Women Named in ICC All-Female Panel for Women's T20 World Cup — ICC announced an all-female panel of match officials for the Women's T20 World Cup featuring four Indian officials, marking the third consecutive edition with such a panel.
- French Open 2026: Venus Williams Withdraws from Women's Doubles — Venus Williams, who recently became the oldest woman to compete in an Australian Open singles main draw, withdrew from the French Open women's doubles alongside Hailey Baptiste.
- Neymar Doubtful for Brazil's FIFA World Cup Opener Due to Injury — Brazil's 34-year-old Santos star Neymar is uncertain for the World Cup opener after missing pre-tournament friendlies against Panama and Egypt due to injury.
Appointments & Awards
- Padma Awards 2026 Presented by President Droupadi Murmu — President Droupadi Murmu presented the Padma Awards 2026, honouring recipients ranging from doctors to tribal artists described as "unsung heroes"; key for awards-based exam questions.
- Bhagat Singh Koshyari Awarded Padma Bhushan — Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister and Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari was conferred the Padma Bhushan in the 2026 awards ceremony.
- SC Collegium Recommends Judges for Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka High Courts — The Supreme Court Collegium recommended judicial appointments for the High Courts of Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka; relevant for judicial appointments process and collegium system questions.
International
- Iran-US-Israel Tensions: Kuwait Intercepts Missiles; Ceasefire Under Strain — Kuwait reported intercepting incoming missiles and drones, with the US blaming Iran for breaching a ceasefire; the Iran-Israel war, which began February 28, continues to affect West Asian stability and India's energy imports via the Strait of Hormuz.
- Australian PM Albanese Praises India's Economic Growth; Invites PM Modi — Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese lauded the India-Australia bilateral relationship and expressed eagerness to host PM Modi again; relevant for India's Indo-Pacific partnerships.
- Thailand Court Acquits Thanathorn Under Lese-Majesté Law in Rare Ruling — A Bangkok court acquitted former Future Forward Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit in a rare ruling under Thailand's strict royal defamation law; relevant for Southeast Asian democracy and rule of law.
### ⚡ Quick Revision
- Chandrayaan-2's DFSAR payload detected possible subsurface ice near the Moon's South Pole — a landmark finding for India's lunar science programme.
- RBI held the repo rate unchanged and revised India's FY27 GDP growth forecast down to 6.9%; India's energy investment projected at $170 billion in 2026 by the IEA, with solar PV growing at 25% annually.
- Out-of-pocket health expenditure rose sharply while government health spending fell 11% in FY23 (Ministry report) — a critical data point for social sector governance questions in UPSC/TNPSC.