On May 5, 2026 the Union Cabinet approved amendments to the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956 raising the sanctioned strength from CJI + 33 puisne judges (34) to CJI + 37 puisne judges (38). It is the largest expansion since 2008 (31) and aims to address pendency exceeding 80,000 cases. The constitutional anchor is Article 124(1), which empowers Parliament to fix SC strength by law.

📌 Trajectory of SC strength: 1950 (8) → 1956 (11) → 1960 (14) → 1978 (18) → 1986 (26) → 2008 (31) → 2019 (34) → 2026 (38). Article 124(1) reads: "There shall be a Supreme Court of India consisting of a Chief Justice of India and, until Parliament by law prescribes a larger number, of not more than seven other Judges." Judge-to-population ratio remains a concern (~21 per million target).

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All three statements are correct. The Governor's discretion under Article 163 is limited and judicially reviewable (Nabam Rebia, 2016). S.R. Bommai (1994) is the leading judgment holding that floor test is the only legitimate test of majority. The Sarkaria Commission (1988) laid down the order of preference for inviting a person to form government in a hung house, beginning with the leader of the single largest pre-poll alliance or party.

📌 Article 163(1) provides that the Council of Ministers shall aid and advise the Governor except where the Governor is required to exercise functions in his discretion. Article 164(1) provides that the Chief Minister shall be appointed by the Governor. The Punchhi Commission (2010) endorsed and refined the Sarkaria order of preference. The Tamil Nadu Assembly has 234 seats; majority = 118.

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The 11th Quad FM meeting at Hyderabad House on May 26, 2026 adopted the Critical Minerals Initiative Framework with a mobilised target of USD 20 billion for resilient supply chains in rare earths, lithium, cobalt and nickel; and the Indo-Pacific Maritime Surveillance Collaboration (IPMSC) — a first-of-kind initiative integrating maritime domain awareness platforms across the four navies. EAM Jaishankar hosted Marco Rubio (US), Penny Wong (Australia) and Toshimitsu Motegi (Japan).

📌 The Quad was initiated in 2007 by Japanese PM Shinzo Abe, lapsed after Australia's withdrawal in 2008, and was revived in 2017 at the working level; foreign-minister-level meetings have been held annually since 2019. It is a non-treaty grouping built around shared support for a free, open, inclusive and rules-based Indo-Pacific, with cooperation expanding from maritime security to critical and emerging technologies, supply-chain resilience, and infrastructure.

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IRENA's Renewable Energy Statistics 2026 placed India 3rd globally in renewable energy capacity, with 283.46 GW of non-fossil installed capacity for FY26 (after China and the United States). India added 55.3 GW in a single year — including 44.61 GW of solar, a national record. India had already crossed its NDC 2030 target of 50% non-fossil installed capacity in November 2025.

📌 IRENA (International Renewable Energy Agency) was statutorily founded in 2009 and became operational in 2011; its headquarters is at Abu Dhabi (UAE). India is a founding member. Under its updated NDC for 2031–2035, approved by the Cabinet in March 2026, India targets 60% non-fossil installed capacity and a 47% reduction in emissions intensity of GDP by 2035 (from 2005 baseline).

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All three statements are correct. The RBI Central Board on May 23, 2026 approved a record ₹2.87 lakh crore surplus transfer to the Centre for FY26 — the largest annual dividend in the central bank's history. RBI gold reserves stood at 880.52 metric tonnes with 168.06 MT repatriated in FY26 (the largest single-year repatriation), bringing the domestic share to 77% (up from 38% in March 2023). The surplus is determined under the Economic Capital Framework (Bimal Jalan Committee, 2019) and statutorily routed under Section 47 of the RBI Act, 1934.

📌 The RBI Act, 1934 governs the central bank's functions; Section 47 provides for transfer of surplus profits to the Centre after provisions for bad debts, depreciation and contributions to reserve funds. Gold accounts for approximately 16.7% of India's forex reserves. The Economic Capital Framework (ECF), introduced after the Bimal Jalan Committee (2019), defines the appropriate level of risk and contingency provisioning.

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The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is a door-to-door enumeration conducted by the Election Commission under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. The relevant forms are Form 6 (new voter), Form 7 (objection/deletion), Form 8 (correction) and Form 8A (transposition). On May 27, 2026 a bench led by CJI Surya Kant upheld the SIR exercise, clearing the path for revised electoral rolls before upcoming elections.

📌 The Representation of the People Act, 1950 deals with the preparation of electoral rolls; RPA 1951 governs the conduct of elections and disqualifications. The ECI is a constitutional body under Article 324 and conducts intensive revision under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. After Anoop Baranwal (2023) the Chief Election Commissioner and Other ECs (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023 governs ECI appointments.

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The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) was enacted in 2005 and came into force on February 2, 2006. It is being replaced from July 1, 2026 by the Viksit Bharat — Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025, which was notified in May 2026. MGNREGA was the world's largest legal employment-guarantee programme, providing 100 days of guaranteed wage employment per rural household per year.

📌 MGNREGA was a rights-based welfare law operationalising Article 41 (right to work) as a Directive Principle of State Policy. Social audits under the Act are mandated by Sections 17 and 27. The VB-GRAMG transition reframes the rural employment guarantee from a pure 100-day entitlement to an outcome-linked aspirational mission, while retaining social-audit and convergence frameworks.

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Statements 1 and 2 are correct. India put the IWT in abeyance after the Pahalgam attack (April 22, 2025) and invoked VCLT Article 62 (fundamental change of circumstances). Statement 3 is incorrect — under the IWT, the eastern rivers Ravi, Beas and Sutlej (~33 MAF) are allocated to India; the western rivers Indus, Jhelum and Chenab (~135 MAF, about 80% of the total Indus basin flow) are allocated to Pakistan with limited Indian non-consumptive rights.

📌 The Indus Waters Treaty was signed at Karachi on September 19, 1960 by PM Jawaharlal Nehru and President Ayub Khan, brokered by the World Bank. India's rights on the western rivers are limited to run-of-river hydropower, domestic use and limited agriculture. The Indus originates from the Senge Khabab perennial spring near Mount Kailash on the Tibetan Plateau (~5,180 m elevation).

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Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7, 2025 as India's calibrated cross-border response to the Pahalgam terror attack of April 22, 2025 (Baisaran meadow). The strikes targeted nine terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir at locations including Bahawalpur and Muridke, associated with Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba. In May 2026 the Indian Army clarified that the ceasefire continues without expiry.

📌 Operation Sindoor established a new baseline in India's counter-terror doctrine — calibrated cross-border strikes below the threshold of full war, demonstrating compellence while preserving escalation control under the nuclear shadow. The DGMO hotline between India and Pakistan was established in 1971; the formal 2003 ceasefire was reaffirmed in February 2021.

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On May 27, 2026 DRDO's Solid State Physics Laboratory (SSPL) announced indigenous mastery of Gallium Nitride (GaN) Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) technology, making India the 7th nation after USA, Japan, Germany, France, UK and China. GaN is a wide-bandgap semiconductor critical for AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) radars, electronic warfare, satellite communication, and EV power electronics.

📌 Wide-bandgap semiconductors (GaN, SiC) outperform silicon at high frequency, high temperature and high power, making them indispensable for next-generation radars and EW. Earlier in the month (May 9, 2026), DRDL Hyderabad sustained a full-scale scramjet combustor for over 1,200 seconds — among the longest publicly reported runs anywhere in the world. Both achievements feed into India's strategic-technology Atmanirbharta.

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National Technology Day is observed every year on May 11, commemorating the Pokhran-II nuclear tests of May 11, 1998 (Operation Shakti — five tests at the Pokhran range, Rajasthan). The 2026 edition was the 28th. The scientific architects were Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam (DRDO), Dr. R. Chidambaram (DAE) and Dr. K. Santhanam (DRDO). The day also commemorates the first test-flight of Hansa-3 (indigenous aircraft) and the test-firing of Trishul missile on the same day.

📌 Pokhran-I, codenamed "Smiling Buddha", was conducted on May 18, 1974 under PM Indira Gandhi. Pokhran-II in 1998 led to international sanctions and the eventual India-US civil nuclear deal (2005–2008). India is not a signatory to the NPT (1968) or the CTBT (1996) but voluntarily maintains a unilateral moratorium on testing and a No-First-Use nuclear doctrine.

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All three statements are correct. The International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) was launched in April 2023 by PM Modi at the 50th anniversary commemoration of Project Tiger; it is headquartered in India. IBCA covers seven big cat species — tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, cheetah, jaguar and puma — across 95 range countries. On May 6, 2026 Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav launched the IBCA logo and website; Saudi Arabia joined as the 26th member ahead of the first IBCA Summit (June 1–2, 2026).

📌 India is the only country to host populations of five of the seven big cats (tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, cheetah — the last reintroduced under Project Cheetah from Namibia and South Africa from 2022). Project Tiger was launched on April 1, 1973 by PM Indira Gandhi with 9 initial reserves; India currently has 58 notified tiger reserves (Madhav, MP became the 58th in March 2025).

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The 28% GST on online money gaming, on the full face value of bets, has been in effect since October 1, 2023 following the 51st GST Council meeting. On May 27, 2026 a bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan held that the skill-versus-chance distinction is irrelevant once money is staked, validating GST demand notices exceeding ₹1 lakh crore against online gaming companies.

📌 GST was introduced from July 1, 2017 with Article 246A enabling concurrent legislative power for both the Centre and States. The GST Council is established under Article 279A, chaired by the Union Finance Minister with State FMs as members. Decisions are taken by a three-fourths weighted majority. The Centre's vote weight is one-third and the States' combined weight is two-thirds.

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The third India–Nordic Summit was held in Oslo on May 19, 2026 during PM Modi's five-nation European tour. The previous editions were held at Stockholm (2018, the inaugural edition under Swedish chairship) and Copenhagen (2022). The Nordic group comprises Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland. Key outcomes included the India–Norway Green Strategic Partnership.

📌 India's engagement with the Nordic region has accelerated around the Arctic, green hydrogen, semiconductors (Sweden, Netherlands), and maritime supply chains. India became an Observer State at the Arctic Council in 2013. The India–Cyprus Strategic Partnership (May 22, 2026) also institutionalised the "Friends of IMEC" coalition — the first formal grouping built around the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor announced at G20 Delhi 2023.

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All three statements are correct. DPIIT issued Press Note 2 (2026 Series) on May 6, 2026 modifying Press Note 3 (2020) — the post-Galwan order that required prior government approval for FDI from countries sharing a land border with India. The 2026 amendment permits up to 10% Chinese/Hong Kong shareholding without control via the automatic route, sets a 12-week timeline for government-route applications, and exempts the AIIB.

📌 Press Note 3 (2020) was issued following the Galwan Valley clash of June 2020 (in which India lost 20 soldiers; Chinese casualties remain unconfirmed) to prevent opportunistic takeovers during the COVID-19 downturn by entities of countries sharing land borders with India (China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Afghanistan). Press Note 2 (2026) reflects a pragmatic recalibration without abandoning the strategic-screening intent.

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SIPRI Military Expenditure Database 2026 (released May 3, 2026) placed India as the 5th-largest military spender globally at $92.1 billion (an 8.9% rise on procurement following Operation Sindoor). Global military expenditure crossed $2,887 billion — the 11th consecutive annual rise. The top five spenders are USA, China, Russia, Germany and India. SIPRI is headquartered at Stockholm and was founded in 1966.

📌 SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute) tracks military expenditure in constant 2022 US dollars to facilitate inter-temporal comparisons. India's defence budget has a large pension and salary share; the capital outlay determines modernisation. India's defence exports crossed ₹21,000 crore in FY25, with BrahMos, Akash, Pinaka, Tejas LCA and Astra missile as major export-pull platforms.

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The IMD declared the onset of the Southwest Monsoon over Kerala on May 24, 2026 — 8 days before the normal onset date of June 1, and the earliest onset since 2009. However, IMD's seasonal forecast pegged 2026 rainfall at 92% of the Long Period Average (868.6 mm), implying below-normal rainfall — the first such forecast since 2023. The criteria for declaring onset are based on rainfall over selected stations in Kerala, wind speed, depth and outgoing longwave radiation.

📌 The Indian Summer Monsoon is driven by differential heating of land and ocean, the inter-tropical convergence zone (ITCZ) shift, and the Somali jet. ENSO (El Niño/La Niña) and the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) are major modulators. The Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) influences sub-seasonal variability. Recent research has flagged Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) weakening as a tipping-point risk for the Indian monsoon.

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All three statements are correct. PLFS is conducted by the NSO under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI). It was launched in 2017 to replace the quinquennial NSSO Employment-Unemployment Surveys, providing more frequent annual and quarterly data. PLFS uses both CWS (a 7-day reference) and UPSS (a 365-day reference) to capture short-term and long-term labour market dynamics. The Q4 FY26 bulletin (released May 13, 2026) showed urban unemployment at 6.6%.

📌 PLFS publishes annual reports (rural + urban) and quarterly urban bulletins. Key indicators are Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR), Worker Population Ratio (WPR) and Unemployment Rate (UR). The 2022–23 base-year revision under NSO's ongoing exercise updates GDP and IIP series; the new GDP base year is 2022–23 (replacing 2011–12), reflected in the Provisional Estimates of Annual GDP FY26 released on May 29, 2026.

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The "trAPPed" series by Anand RK and Suparna Sharma (Bloomberg) won the Pulitzer Prize 2026 for Illustrated Reporting and Commentary for their investigation into India's "digital arrest" cyber-fraud — a scam that defrauds victims of crores by impersonating law-enforcement officers via video calls. Aniruddha Ghosal (Associated Press) won the International Reporting category. The Pulitzer Prize was established in 1917 and each category carries a USD 15,000 stipend.

📌 The Pulitzer Prize is administered by Columbia University and awarded annually for excellence in journalism, books, drama and music. The categories include Public Service (a gold medal, no cash prize), Breaking News Reporting, Investigative Reporting, Explanatory Reporting, Local Reporting, National Reporting, International Reporting, Feature Writing, Commentary, Criticism, Editorial Writing, Illustrated Reporting and Commentary, and others.

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The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) reported on May 24, 2026 that Aadhaar enrolments had crossed 144 crore — a global record for any biometric identity system. UIDAI is statutory under the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016. Section 7 of the Act enables benefit-linkage to subsidies. Aadhaar data protection is aligned with the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023.

📌 Aadhaar is the world's largest biometric identity programme. The Supreme Court in Puttaswamy (Privacy) II / Aadhaar judgment (2018) upheld the constitutional validity of Aadhaar but struck down Section 57 (private-entity use) and read down mandatory linkage with banking and telecom. Aadhaar is the backbone of India's Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) along with UPI and DigiLocker.

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All three statements are correct. The CSE State of India's Environment 2026 (released May 25) drew on the latest planetary boundaries assessment, which found 7 of 9 boundaries breached globally. The framework was developed by Johan Rockström and colleagues at the Stockholm Resilience Centre in 2009 and updated in 2023 to add the "novel entities" boundary (covering chemical pollution, plastics and other anthropogenic substances).

📌 The nine planetary boundaries are: (1) climate change, (2) biosphere integrity, (3) land-system change, (4) freshwater change, (5) biogeochemical flows (N/P), (6) ocean acidification, (7) atmospheric aerosol loading, (8) stratospheric ozone depletion, (9) novel entities. Crossing a boundary increases the risk of large-scale, abrupt or irreversible environmental changes.

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INS Mahendragiri is the 6th Project 17A Nilgiri-class stealth frigate, delivered by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) on May 4, 2026. The delivery completed MDL's portion of the seven-ship P-17A programme (the remaining three are from GRSE Kolkata) and marked MDL's 100th vessel built. INS Taragiri, the fourth P-17A frigate, was commissioned on April 3, 2026 at Visakhapatnam.

📌 Project 17A is a follow-on to Project 17 (Shivalik-class frigates). Distinguishing features include stealth shaping (reduced radar cross-section), the indigenous HUMSA-NG sonar suite, BrahMos supersonic cruise missile (Mach 2.8–3.0), Barak-8 medium-range SAM, and 76 mm Super Rapid Gun Mount. The Nilgiri-class is named after hill ranges across India — Nilgiri, Himgiri, Udaygiri, Taragiri, Vindhyagiri, Mahendragiri, Dunagiri.

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India crossed its NDC 2030 target of 50% non-fossil installed capacity in November 2025 — five years ahead of schedule. This was confirmed by IRENA's Renewable Energy Statistics 2026 released on May 5, 2026, which placed India 3rd globally in renewable energy capacity at 283.46 GW. The Cabinet had approved the updated NDC for 2031–2035 in March 2026, with a new target of 60% non-fossil installed capacity and a 47% reduction in emissions intensity of GDP by 2035 from the 2005 baseline.

📌 India's First Updated NDC (August 2022) targeted 45% emissions intensity reduction by 2030 and 50% non-fossil installed capacity by 2030. The Panchamrit commitments at COP26 (Glasgow, 2021) added a 500 GW non-fossil capacity by 2030 and net-zero by 2070. The updated NDC for 2031–2035 (March 2026) raises ambition to 47% emissions intensity reduction and 60% non-fossil capacity by 2035.

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Anti-Terrorism Day is observed on May 21 every year, commemorating the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi at Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu on May 21, 1991 by an LTTE suicide bomber. The 2026 observance marked the 35th anniversary. The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA) and its successive amendments are the principal anti-terror law in India, with Section 43D(5) imposing a restrictive bail standard.

📌 The LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) was banned in India under UAPA following Rajiv Gandhi's assassination. The Jain Commission (1998) inquired into the conspiracy. The Sri Lankan civil war ended in May 2009 with the LTTE's military defeat. India's position on Sri Lanka has since balanced strategic interests (Trincomalee, Hambantota) with concerns for Tamil minority rights and post-conflict reconciliation.

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All three statements are correct. The Bombay Reorganisation Act, 1960 came into force on May 1, 1960 — observed annually as Maharashtra Day and Gujarat Day. It bifurcated the bilingual Bombay State (created in 1956) into the Marathi-speaking Maharashtra (with Bombay city) and the Gujarati-speaking Gujarat (initial capital Ahmedabad; later Gandhinagar). It was preceded by the States Reorganisation Act, 1956 based on the Fazal Ali Commission (1953).

📌 The States Reorganisation Act, 1956 reorganised Indian states on linguistic lines, creating Andhra Pradesh (1 November 1956 — by merging Telugu-speaking areas of Hyderabad State with the existing Andhra State, which had been carved out of Madras State on 1 October 1953 following Potti Sriramulu's death), Karnataka, Kerala (1 November 1956 — Kerala Piravi). The constitutional mechanism for state reorganisation is Article 3, which empowers Parliament to alter state boundaries by simple majority.

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Sikkim was declared India's 5th fully literate state on May 28, 2026 under ULLAS — Understanding of Lifelong Learning for All in Society, the New India Literacy Programme (2022–27). The other four fully literate states/UTs are Mizoram, Goa, Tripura and Ladakh. ULLAS targets non-literates aged 15 years and above and uses the DIKSHA platform and trained volunteer teachers.

📌 Saakshar Bharat (2009) was the previous adult-literacy programme that ran till 2018. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (2001) — now subsumed under Samagra Shiksha — was the flagship school-education programme for elementary education. ULLAS's pedagogy includes Functional Literacy and Numeracy, Critical Life Skills, Vocational Skills, Basic Education and Continuing Education. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 sets the framework.

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SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute) is headquartered at Stockholm, Sweden — not Geneva. IRENA (International Renewable Energy Agency) is correctly headquartered at Abu Dhabi, UAE. IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) is headquartered at Gland, Switzerland — not Nairobi. Therefore only the IRENA pairing is correct.

📌 Headquarters of major bodies frequently tested: WHO (Geneva), WTO (Geneva), ILO (Geneva), UNCTAD (Geneva), UNHCR (Geneva), WIPO (Geneva), UNHRC (Geneva); UNESCO (Paris), OECD (Paris); UNEP (Nairobi); FAO (Rome), IFAD (Rome), WFP (Rome); IMF (Washington DC), World Bank (Washington DC); IAEA (Vienna), OPEC (Vienna); IRENA (Abu Dhabi); SIPRI (Stockholm); IUCN (Gland, Switzerland).

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PM Modi attended the 75th anniversary of the reconstructed Somnath Temple's inauguration on May 11, 2026. The reconstructed Somnath Temple was inaugurated on May 11, 1951 under the leadership of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and K.M. Munshi (the original temple had been destroyed multiple times across history, with the most well-documented destruction by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1026 CE). The same date (May 11) is observed as National Technology Day for the Pokhran-II tests (1998).

📌 The Somnath reconstruction is a foundational moment of post-independence cultural reconstruction. The Constituent Assembly held its first session on December 9, 1946. The RBI was founded on April 1, 1935 under the RBI Act, 1934. The Constitution of India was adopted on November 26, 1949 and came into force on January 26, 1950.

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All three statements are correct. CSE flagged the breach of 7 of 9 planetary boundaries in the State of India's Environment 2026 (May 25). IMD pegged the 2026 SW monsoon at 92% of the Long Period Average (868.6 mm) — below-normal, the first such call since 2023. The normal date of monsoon onset over Kerala is June 1; the 2026 onset on May 24 was 8 days before normal — the earliest since 2009.

📌 LPA is the average rainfall over a 50-year reference period (1971–2020 for the current series); normal monsoon is 96–104% of LPA. Below normal: 90–96%; deficient: <90%. Quantitative forecasts are issued in two stages — April (first stage) and May (updated). The SW monsoon contributes about 70% of India's annual rainfall and is critical to agriculture, water availability and hydropower.

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