Current Affairs Quiz — May 6, 2026

INS Mahendragiri is the sixth of seven frigates under Project 17A (Nilgiri-class guided missile stealth frigates), delivered on April 30, 2026 at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDSL), Mumbai. Its significance lies in ~75% indigenous content by value — a dramatic improvement from the ~30% of the earlier Project 17 (Shivalik class).
The seven ships are being built by two yards: MDSL, Mumbai (4 ships) and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata (3 ships). Designer: Warship Design Bureau of the Indian Navy.
Key systems: BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, MRSAM air-defence (India-Israel), MFSTAR phased-array radar, CODOG propulsion. All P17A ships are named after Indian mountain ranges.
The 7th ship, INS Vindhyagiri (GRSE), is under sea trials. Project 15B is the Visakhapatnam-class destroyer (different class); Project 75I is for submarines; Project 28 is Kamorta-class ASW corvette.

The PRIMARY catalyst for India accelerating gold repatriation was the 2022 precedent set when Western nations froze approximately $300 billion of Russia’s foreign exchange reserves held at Euroclear (Belgium) and other Western custodians following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This demonstrated that foreign-held central bank reserves can be weaponised as geopolitical tools.
India, observing that its own reserves stored at the Bank of England (London) and BIS (Basel) could theoretically face similar action in a future geopolitical confrontation, accelerated domestic repatriation as a risk-mitigation measure. In FY 2025–26 alone, 168.06 MT was repatriated — the largest single-year transfer.
Total RBI gold: 880.52 MT (March 2026); domestic share: 77% (~677 MT); remaining overseas: 197.67 MT. Gold’s share of total forex reserves: 16.7%. Options A, C, D are incorrect or not the primary trigger.

India grows approximately 21% of global cotton area (~11.4 million hectares) — the largest cotton acreage of any country — yet produces only about 23% of global output. India’s lint yield of 440 kg/hectare is significantly below the global average of ~770 kg/ha, and far below China (~1,900 kg/ha) and Brazil (~1,700 kg/ha).
This productivity gap is the core problem the mission targets. The mission targets 755 kg/ha by 2031 — approaching but not yet at the global average.
Key reasons for India’s underperformance: fragmented small landholding (average cotton plot: 1–2 ha), pink bollworm infestation (particularly damaging Bt cotton in Maharashtra/Gujarat since 2017), inadequate irrigation, and poor ginning quality (high trash content). The “Kasturi Cotton Bharat” premium brand also targets reducing trash content below 2% — a key quality benchmark for export markets.
Each bale = 170 kg; target: 498 lakh bales by 2031.

Press Note 2 (2026 Series) creates a precise threshold: an overseas company in which Chinese or Hong Kong entities hold up to 10% shareholding WITHOUT exercising “control” over the company — as defined by the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) 2002, which classifies ownership of more than 10% as a “beneficial owner” — may now invest in India through the automatic FDI route (no prior government approval needed). If the Chinese/HK shareholding exceeds 10% OR the Chinese entity exercises control, the government approval route remains mandatory.
The policy change addresses a key problem: many global investors (European, American, Japanese companies) had minor Chinese shareholders (below 5-10%) and were being blocked under the blanket PN3 (2020) rules, deterring “China+1” investments that India desperately wants. China’s FDI in India remains tiny: USD 2.51 billion cumulative (0.32% of total; India’s 23rd investor).
Also new: AIIB (multilateral bank, China-led) is now exempt from land-border restrictions. FDI processing timeline: 12 weeks for government route.

Crucially, increasing the number of Supreme Court judges does NOT require a constitutional amendment (Article 368). Article 124(1) of the Constitution originally specified the number of judges but empowered Parliament to “by law prescribe a greater number of judges.” Since Parliament is simply passing a regular law under this enabling provision — not amending the Constitution itself — only a SIMPLE MAJORITY in both Houses plus Presidential assent is required.
This is a critical distinction that Prelims candidates frequently get wrong, confusing it with Article 368 (special majority + possible state ratification). The bill proposes increasing from 34 total (33 + CJI) to 38 total (37 + CJI).
Historical increases: 1950: 8; 1960: 14; 1977: 18; 1986: 26; 2008: 34 (last increase). SC judges are appointed by the President on recommendation of the Collegium (CJI + 4 senior-most judges) — evolved through Second and Third Judges Cases (1993 and 1998).
All SC expenditure: Charged to Consolidated Fund of India (not subject to Parliament vote). Impeachment of SC judge: special majority REQUIRED — different from increasing strength.

The Dorjilung Hydroelectric Power Project is developed by Dorjilung Hydro Power Limited (DHPL), a Joint Venture between Bhutan’s Druk Green Power Corporation (DGPC) — which holds 60% equity — and India’s Tata Power — which holds 40% equity. This is Bhutan’s largest PPP hydropower project and Tata Power’s first major entry into Bhutan.
The World Bank provides financing (USD 515 million in concessional loans/credits — IDA + IBRD), but does not hold equity. The project is on the Kurichhu River in eastern Bhutan; 6 Francis turbines; 139.5 m concrete-gravity dam; underground powerhouse; annual generation 4,500+ GWh; ~80% to be sold to India; commissioning: September 2031.
Total project cost: ₹13,100 crore (~USD 1.7 billion). Bhutan’s electricity exports to India form ~40% of Bhutan’s total exports — a cornerstone of the bilateral relationship.
India’s model: historically, India provides grants + concessional loans for Bhutanese hydro (e.g., NHPC for Tala, Chukha); Dorjilung marks a shift toward private sector (Tata Power) participation.

“trAPPed” documented the epidemic of “digital arrest” scams — a sophisticated cybercrime where perpetrators (often operating from scam compounds in Myanmar’s Kokang region, Cambodia’s Sihanoukville, and Laos) impersonate Indian law enforcement officers (CBI, ED, police, customs, NCB) and conduct fake “digital arrests” via video call using high-quality props (uniforms, fake police stations). Victims — typically middle-class, educated Indians — are told they are under investigation for money laundering, drug trafficking, or other serious crimes.
Under extreme psychological pressure, they are coerced into transferring large sums (sometimes crores of rupees). The Bloomberg investigation revealed: (1) the scale — thousands of crore rupees lost annually; (2) the geography — scam centres use trafficked workers from Southeast Asia and China; (3) the mechanism — VoIP technology, money mule networks, cryptocurrency laundering; (4) India’s limited law enforcement reach across international borders.
PM Modi warned about digital arrests in his “Mann ki Baat” address in October 2024. Anand RK and Suparna Sharma (Bloomberg) shared the Illustrated Reporting category with Natalie Obiko Pearson (Bloomberg).

CINBAX-II was held at Kampong Speu Province, Cambodia, with India’s contingent of 120 personnel drawn from the Maratha Light Infantry Regiment and Cambodia’s 160 personnel from the Royal Cambodian Army. The exercise focuses on counter-terrorism operations in semi-urban and jungle terrain, including drone operations, sniper tactics, and mortar handling.
The first edition (CINBAX-I) was held in Pune, India in December 2024. CINBAX is part of India’s Act East Policy — the strategic framework for deepening engagement with Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific.
Cambodia is an ASEAN member state; India has significantly deepened military-to-military engagement with ASEAN nations through bilateral exercises (CINBAX with Cambodia, MAITREE with Thailand, SHAKTI with France [Djibouti], SURYA KIRAN with Nepal, GARUDA SHAKTI with Indonesia) to build interoperability and shared counter-terrorism frameworks. CINBAX is not linked to QUAD (Australia, India, Japan, USA) or BIMSTEC (Cambodia is not a member).

Indopotamon alipurduarense is a fossorial (burrowing) species, found in deep burrows up to 1.5 metres in muddy rice field soil in the sub-Himalayan Dooars region of Alipurduar district, West Bengal. What makes its ecology unusual is that it is active only during May–August (the monsoon period when rice fields flood) and remains underground in its burrows for the rest of the year — a strategy for surviving dry-season desiccation.
Appearance: greyish shell with vibrant orange-red edges and claws. It is only the SECOND species in the Indopotamon genus; the discovery brings India’s total freshwater crab species to 183.
The Dooars (sub-Himalayan foothill zone between Sikkim/Bhutan and the plains) is a biodiversity-rich but understudied region — several rivers (Tista, Jaldhaka, Torsa, Raidak, Sankosh) flow through it. Same day: three new Critically Endangered plant species also described from AP Eastern Ghats: Euphorbia ananthapuramensis, Euphorbia chalamensis, Ceropegia andhrica (leafless during flowering; edible tubers).

MARS (Methane Alert and Response System) was launched at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, in November 2022. It is operated by UNEP’s International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO), which was itself launched earlier at the G20 Leaders Summit in 2021.
The MARS pilot phase began in January 2023, initially covering oil and gas sector methane emissions detected by satellites. In May 2026, its coverage was expanded to include coal mines and waste facilities — making it a more comprehensive methane monitoring platform.
MARS operates a data-to-action cycle: satellite detection → alert to relevant country/company → response framework → progress tracking. Methane is approximately 80x more potent than CO₂ as a greenhouse gas over a 20-year period.
The Global Methane Pledge (launched COP26, Glasgow, 2021) committed 150+ countries to reduce methane emissions by at least 30% by 2030 from 2020 levels. MARS aligns with this commitment.
OGMP 2.0 is UNEP’s flagship program for oil and gas methane transparency.

Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act (WPA) 1972 provides the HIGHEST level of protection in India — it is an absolute prohibition on hunting, capturing, or trading listed species, with the most severe penalties under the Act. The caracal (Caracal caracal) is listed under Schedule I, meaning it receives this maximum legal protection in India.
However, globally the IUCN Red List classifies it as “Least Concern” because it has a wide distribution across Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and parts of South Asia — and maintains healthy populations in many regions. In India, however, the caracal is extremely rare, found primarily in arid and semi-arid regions of Rajasthan and Gujarat, and faces significant threats from habitat loss and human-wildlife conflict.
Key features: Medium-sized wild cat; speed up to 80 kph; can leap ~3 metres to catch birds mid-air; predominantly nocturnal; known as “siya gosh” (Persian for “black ear”); distinctive black-tufted ears for which it is named (Arabic “karah kulak” = black ear). The Schedule I-VI system under WPA 1972: Schedule I = maximum protection; Schedule II = also high protection; Schedules III-IV = less stringent; Schedule V = vermin (can be hunted); Schedule VI = protected plants.

The most directly violated right is Article 21 — the Right to Life and Personal Liberty, which the Supreme Court has interpreted expansively to include the right to a dignified life, right to shelter, and crucially, the right to due process before any deprivation of life or liberty. “Bulldozer justice” (state-directed demolitions of properties of accused persons, typically their homes) punishes persons — and often their entire families — before any judicial conviction, treating the accused as guilty. This violates the principle of “nemo debet esse judex in propria causa” (no one can be judge in their own case) and “audi alteram partem” (hear the other side).
The Rule of Law requires punishment only after judicial process. Article 14 (Equality) is also relevant — demolitions are often alleged to be selectively applied against religious minorities, violating equal treatment.
Note: Article 19(1)(f) (Right to Property) was removed by the 44th Constitutional Amendment (1978) — property is no longer a fundamental right, though Article 300A provides a constitutional right to property (but not a fundamental right). The Supreme Court in Abhay Nath Yadav (2024) and subsequent orders has directed that demolitions must follow due process — notice + hearing + municipal procedure.

Academic freedom in India is constitutionally grounded primarily in Article 19(1)(a) — Freedom of Speech and Expression (which includes freedom of research, publication, and intellectual inquiry), read with Article 21 (Right to Life with Dignity — includes intellectual autonomy). The UNESCO 1997 Recommendation concerning the Status of Higher Education Teaching Personnel is the primary international instrument that explicitly recognises academic freedom as a human right, including: freedom to teach, research, publish, and criticise institutions without fear of reprisal.
The Hindu editorial (May 6, 2026) draws on V-Dem Institute’s 2024 report classifying India as an “electoral autocracy” with academic freedom “completely restricted” — this refers to the V-Dem Academic Freedom Index, not a binding international instrument, but a widely used scholarly metric. Restrictions documented include: funding cuts to autonomous research bodies (like ICSSR), regulatory interference via new education regulations, visa denials to foreign scholars critical of India, and a documented culture of self-censorship in universities.
Article 30 protects minorities’ rights to establish educational institutions — relevant but not the primary academic freedom anchor. Article 21A is the Right to Education (6-14 years), not academic freedom.

Raghuram Rajan (former RBI Governor, University of Chicago economics professor) and Rohit Lamba (economist, Princeton) argue that India’s greatest competitive advantage for building sovereign AI is its already-deployed Digital Public Infrastructure — the “India Stack.” This includes: Aadhaar (1.4 billion biometric IDs), UPI (13+ billion transactions/month), ONDC (open network for commerce), DigiLocker (digital document repository), CoWIN, ABHA (healthcare ID), etc. This DPI generates massive, structured, consent-based data across demographics and sectors — a foundation no other country can replicate easily.
Their argument: India must invest in: (1) sovereign compute (GPU clusters for AI training); (2) open datasets from DPI; (3) open-source large language models in Indian languages; (4) public-private R&D investment. Without this, India risks becoming a “tenant” — using and paying for foreign AI infrastructure (OpenAI, Google, Microsoft) without building ownership or governance capability.
This connects to GS3 (technology policy, AI governance) and GS2 (digital governance, DPI). Option A describes India’s IT services strength (real but not the core argument).
Options C and D are partial truths but not Rajan-Lamba’s central argument.

Option A is entirely correct: Jim Corbett National Park was established in 1936 as Hailey National Park (named after then-Governor of UP, Malcolm Hailey) — making it India’s FIRST national park. It was renamed Ramganga National Park briefly, then renamed Jim Corbett National Park in 1957 (after the famous hunter-naturalist Jim Corbett who championed its creation).
It became the FIRST site under Project Tiger, launched by PM Indira Gandhi on April 1, 1973. Location: Nainital district (also part of Pauri Garhwal district) in Uttarakhand’s Himalayan foothills.
Main river: Ramganga (West branch) flows through the park — it is the dominant river. Other rivers/streams: Sonanadi, Palain, Mandal.
Area: ~1,318 sq km (core zone: ~521 sq km). Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) is the key species; Corbett also has elephants, leopards, and rich bird diversity (nearly 600 species).
Vikram, the Bengal tiger who died, was 21 years old — exceptionally old for a wild tiger (wild tigers typically live 10-15 years). Option B: Incorrect year (1924), river (Ganga doesn’t flow through Corbett), location (Dehradun).
Options C and D: Multiple errors.