Current Affairs — Saturday, 23 May 2026

Tamil Nadu

- TVK Government Reaffirms Two-Language Policy (Tamil & English) — Tamil Nadu Education Minister Rajmohan confirmed the new TVK-led government will continue the state's long-standing two-language policy in schools, rejecting the Centre's three-language formula.

- Centre Withholds ₹3,500 Crore Over Language Policy Dispute — The Union Government has stalled ₹3,500 crore in funds for Tamil Nadu for two years, reportedly linked to the state's refusal to adopt the three-language policy under the National Education Policy.

- Tamil Nadu Rejects PM-SHRI Scheme — The state government has rejected the PM Schools for Rising India (PM-SHRI) scheme, citing incompatibility with Tamil Nadu's two-language policy and federal concerns.

- Tamil Nadu Tells Supreme Court: Navodaya Schools Incompatible with Two-Language Policy — The state government argued before the Supreme Court that Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas, which follow a three-language model, conflict with Tamil Nadu's established language policy.

- CM Vijay Expands Cabinet — 23 New Ministers Added on May 21, 2026 — Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay (of TVK) expanded his cabinet by inducting 23 ministers, with the cabinet notably including a record seven Dalit ministers handling key portfolios.

- CPI-M Warns TVK Government Over AIADMK Stance — Alliance partner CPI-M issued a warning to CM Vijay's government, threatening to withdraw support over concerns about the government's approach toward AIADMK.

India — National

- Supreme Court Quashes Madras HC Order on 'Ungaludan Stalin' Scheme — The Supreme Court dismissed a plea against the nomenclature of Tamil Nadu's 'Ungaludan Stalin' initiative and imposed a ₹10 lakh cost on AIADMK MP C. Ve. Shanmugam, the petitioner.

- Supreme Court Holds Line Against Executive Control Over Tribunals — The Supreme Court ruled against attempts by the executive and legislature to exert control over tribunals, reaffirming judicial independence.

- Justice Varma Impeachment: Concerns Over Bypassing Judges (Inquiry) Act — Reports of the government considering bypassing the standard procedure under the Judges (Inquiry) Act for the impeachment of Justice Varma have raised constitutional concerns.

- Tamil Nadu Moves Supreme Court Against Madras HC Order on Scheme Ads — Tamil Nadu challenged a Madras High Court order that restrained the use of living persons' names and former CMs' photos in government scheme advertisements.

- India's Supreme Court Described as Being in 'Crisis' — Multiple analyses highlight mounting concerns over judicial pendency, executive-judiciary relations, and the appointment process for judges in India's apex court.

- High Court Judgments — Applicability Across India Clarified — Legal discussions have highlighted that a High Court's judgment is binding only within its territorial jurisdiction, not across all of India — a key constitutional law concept.

Economy & Finance

- RBI Holds Repo Rate Steady at 5.25% After Union Budget 2026 — The Reserve Bank of India's Monetary Policy Committee kept the repo rate unchanged at 5.25% in its first policy review following Union Budget 2026, citing stable growth and inflation outlook.

- RBI Pegs FY26 Inflation at 2.1%, Real GDP Growth at 7.4% — RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra projected retail inflation at 2.1% and real GDP growth at 7.4% for FY2025-26, citing budget measures, trade deals, and benign inflation as positive factors.

- Union Budget 2026 — Key Challenges Behind India's Growth Story — Despite world-beating growth projections, analysts flag structural challenges including fiscal consolidation, employment generation, and global trade uncertainty in the Union Budget 2026.

- Economic Survey 2025-26 Released — The Economic Survey 2025-26, tabled by the government, provides a comprehensive outlook on India's macroeconomic performance and policy priorities for the coming fiscal year.

- Budget 2026-27: Air Quality Management Outlay Cut by 10% — The Union Budget 2026-27 reduced allocation for air quality management by 10%, with pollution control spending also seeing a dip, raising environmental concerns.

Science & Technology

- ISRO & DRDO Building India's Quantum Communication Network — ISRO and DRDO are jointly developing an unhackable quantum communication network aimed at ending cybercrime vulnerabilities in critical national infrastructure.

- Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to Carry Indian Food on Axiom Mission 4 — Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will carry ISRO and DRDO-prepared moong dal halwa and aam ras aboard the Axiom Mission 4 to the International Space Station.

- ISRO-DRDO Sign MoUs for Gaganyaan Mission — ISRO and DRDO signed multiple MoUs with various firms covering food systems, health monitoring, and emergency systems in preparation for India's crewed Gaganyaan spaceflight mission.

- CSIR & ISRO Hold Joint Meet to Advance Human Spaceflight Research — The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and ISRO held a joint meeting to accelerate research in areas critical to India's human spaceflight programme.

Environment

- State of India's Environment 2026 Report Highlights Rising Climate Risks — The report flags increasing climate-related risks, growing human-wildlife conflicts, and critical gaps in pollution monitoring across India.

- Budget 2026-27 Cuts Air Quality Management Funding by 10% — The reduced budgetary allocation for air quality and pollution control has drawn criticism from environmentalists amid worsening urban air quality in Indian cities.

Sports

- Cricket at LA 2028 Olympics Scheduled to Begin July 12 — The International Olympic Committee has confirmed that cricket matches at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics will commence on July 12, marking cricket's historic return to the Games after 128 years.

- India Eyes Olympic Gold in T20 Cricket at LA 2028 — Following India's T20 World Cup triumph, the BCCI and selectors are planning strategically for a gold medal run at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics cricket event.

- Jay Shah: India Aims to Host 2036 Olympics; Gujarat to Contribute 10 Medals — ICC Chairman and former BCCI Secretary Jay Shah stated that India is actively bidding to host the 2036 Olympics and expressed hope that Gujarat will contribute 10 medals to India's tally.

- 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics Medal Count: Norway Leads — Norway tops the 2026 Winter Olympics medal tally, with Italy (host nation) and USA close behind — relevant for international sports GK.

Appointments & Awards

- Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari Takes Oath as Madras HC Chief Justice — Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari was sworn in as the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, a key judicial appointment relevant to Tamil Nadu governance.

- Justice Manikumar Appointed as New SHRC Chairman — Justice Manikumar has been appointed as the Chairman of the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC), an important appointment for the state's human rights oversight mechanism.

- Justice M. Fathima Beevi, First Woman Judge of Supreme Court of India, Passes Away — Justice M. Fathima Beevi, a pioneering figure who became the first woman judge of the Supreme Court of India in 1989, has passed away — a significant figure in Indian legal history.

- Bhagat Singh Koshyari Awarded Padma Bhushan — Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister and Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari was conferred the Padma Bhushan, one of India's highest civilian honours.

- CM Vijay Appoints Vishnu Reddy and John Arokiasamy as Advisors — Tamil Nadu CM Vijay appointed Vishnu Reddy and John Arokiasamy as official advisors to the state government.

International

- Africa Occupies Central Place in India's Foreign Policy: Jaishankar — External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stated that Africa has become a central pillar of India's foreign policy today, reflecting India's growing engagement with the African continent.

- India-France Joint Statement Issued — India and France issued a joint statement covering areas of strategic partnership, defence cooperation, and bilateral trade, reaffirming the depth of the India-France strategic relationship.

- EU and India Seek Closer Relations amid Trump-Led Global Disruptions — The European Union and India are actively strengthening bilateral ties in trade and geopolitics as U.S. President Trump's policies continue to reshape the global order.