UPSC Current Affairs Pointers brings you essential current affairs of the past week, to aid you in your Prelims and Mains preparation of UPSC, State PCS and other competitive examinations.

Art & Culture

Anaimangalam Chola Copper Plates

• Amid Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit, the Dutch government handed over the Anaimangalam Chola Copper Plates to India, a culmination of a 14-year effort to get them back.
• Known in the Netherlands as the Leiden Plates, they are among the most significant surviving records of the Chola dynasty and among the most important artefacts of Tamil heritage held anywhere outside India.
• The Anaimangalam copper plates comprise a set of 21 large plates and three smaller ones, weighing approximately 30 kg, are bound together by a bronze ring bearing the royal seal of the Chola dynasty.
• These were issued to commemorate grants made by the renowned Chola ruler Rajaraja I (985-1014 CE) to a Buddhist vihara (monastery) at the Chola port town of Nagappattinam in Tamil Nadu.
• The vihara had been constructed by Chulamanivarman, the Sailendra ruler of Southeast Asia.
• The inscriptions on the plates are written in both Sanskrit and Tamil. As per Leiden University, the Sanskrit section traces the genealogy of the Chola dynasty, beginning with the mythical lineage linked to the Hindu god Vishnu.
• The Tamil text highlights the accomplishments of Rajaraja I, father of Rajendra I, including his donation of an entire village’s revenue to a Buddhist pagoda in the 21st year of his reign.

Report

(FYI: The data provided in these reports can be used to substantiate your Mains answer and create a broad understanding of the topic.)

NITI Aayog Education Quality Report 2026

• NITI Aayog has released a report titled, ‘School Education System in India: Temporal Analysis and Policy Roadmap for Quality Enhancement.’ The analysis provides for the decade from 2014-15 to 2024-25.
• Overall, school enrolment has dropped by about 8% over the past decade: from 26.95 crore in 2014-15 to 24.69 crore in 2024-25.
• Three reasons are cited for the drop:
  (i) demographic shifts, particularly falling fertility rates leading to a smaller school-age population
  (ii) the effects of school consolidations or mergers
  (iii) Challenges in retaining students at higher levels of education.
• The school enrollment in government schools dropped from 54.3% in 2014-15 to 49.25% in 2024-25. In contrast, enrolment in private schools jumped from 31.7% to 38.8%. The rest are in government-aided or other schools.
• NITI Aayog has marked secondary education as the “most fragile link” in the schooling cycle. The Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) at the secondary level has only seen a marginal rise over the past decade — from 75.68% to 78.7%.  The GER in the primary and upper primary levels is over 90%.

FYI

GER is the total enrollment at a particular level of education, expressed as a percentage of the official age-group population for that level.

• Drop-out level: The dropout rate at the primary level has fallen to near zero: from around 4% in 2014-15 to 0.3% in 2024-25. At the upper primary stage, the figure was 3.5% in 2024-25, close to the 3.77% a decade ago.
• The secondary stage dropout rate has dropped from 17.86% to 11.5% over the decade, but the rate remains the highest at this stage of schooling.

Event

Kimberley Process (KP) Intersessional Meeting

• The Kimberley Process (KP) Intersessional Meeting 2026 was held in Mumbai from 11th May to 14th May. India is holding the chair of KP for this year.
• India’s Kimberley Process 2026 Chairship is guided by the 3Cs: Credibility, Compliance, and Consumer Confidence in the natural diamond sector.
• The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) is a mechanism used by KP to prevent the trade of conflict diamonds. Launched in 2003, it is enforced individually by KP Participant countries to ensure that rough diamonds in the legitimate supply chain are KP-compliant.
• At present, the Kimberley Process has 60 participants representing 86 countries, with the European Union and its Member States participating as a single bloc.
• ‘Conflict diamonds’, also known as blood diamonds, are the rough diamonds mined and used by rebel movements or their allies to finance armed conflicts aimed at undermining legitimate governments.

About Diamonds

Diamond composition is pure carbon. In diamonds, each carbon atom is bonded to four other carbon atoms, forming a rigid three-dimensional structure. It is the hardest natural substance known and has a very high melting and boiling point.

Polity

MoU signed between RBIH and I4C

• In a push to curb cyber-enabled financial frauds, the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), under the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
• It aims to enhance fraud-risk intelligence sharing, analytical support, and operational coordination, with a particular focus on identifying and eliminating mule accounts — a key enabler of cyber fraud.
• Under the MoU, the I4C will share intelligence related to suspected mule accounts through its Suspect Registry, which will be integrated into AI-driven fraud detection systems such as MuleHunter.ai deployed across banks.
• The RBIH will use these datasets to train and enhance fraud-risk assessment models, enabling more proactive detection and prevention of suspicious transactions.

FYI

RBIH, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Reserve Bank of India, has been driving innovation in financial technologies, particularly in AI-based fraud detection systems.

SEHAT – Science Excellence for Health through Agricultural Transformation

• The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) jointly launched ‘SEHAT’.
• It is a national mission-mode programme designed to translate agricultural advancements into tangible health outcomes for the people .
• The mission focuses on five priority areas:
  1. Development and evaluation of biofortified and nutrient-dense crop varieties to address malnutrition and improve nutritional status;
  2. Strengthening integrated farming systems to promote dietary diversification, enhance farm incomes, and build resilience
  3. Addressing occupational health risks among agricultural workers through targeted, evidence-based interventions
  4. Advancing agriculture-enabled strategies for the prevention and management of non-communicable diseases
  5. Strengthening One Health preparedness through integrated surveillance, diagnostics, and research at the human–animal–environment interface

AI-enabled hyper-local weather forecasts

• The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has launched two advanced, Artificial Intelligence-based weather forecasting products for the core monsoon areas, which practice rain-fed agriculture.
• One is developed by the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF). One forecasting product has been specifically developed for Uttar Pradesh.
• This product incorporates AI and offers a spatial resolution of up to 1 km, meaning rainfall forecasts can now be provided for every 1 km geographical area, making it a highly localised and specific forecast.
• Another AI-driven rainfall forecasting product has been developed by Pune-based Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM).
• This forecasting system closely tracks how the monsoon will progress into various parts of the country, more specifically, every district. It is capable of generating district-level rainfall forecasts well in advance, and the updates will be made available every Wednesday.

National Sports Development Fund(NSDF)

• Contributions to the NSDF have more than halved in three years — from Rs 85.26 crore in 2023-24 to Rs 37.02 crore in 2025-26.
• The NSDF was established in 1998 under the Charitable Endowments Act, 1890.
• It is funded by donations from the public and private sectors, Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), and charities or non-profits, with contributions from the Government.
• The fund is governed by a Council headed by the Union Sports Minister — currently Mansukh Mandaviya.
• The Council also includes top office-bearers from Public Sector Undertakings, industry bodies like FICCI and CII, private-sector representatives and sports ministry officials.
• Day-to-day operations and grant approvals are handled by a six-member executive committee chaired by the Sports Secretary.

Economy

The Policy Move+

What is WHT?+

World vs India+

India’s WHT History+

Withholding Tax

• In order to attract foreign investors’ investment inflow, the government is considering slashing the ‘withholding tax’ rate on government bonds.
• At present, non-residents pay a withholding tax of about 20% on the interest they get on the government bonds they hold — one of the highest in the world — after a concessional rate of 5% ended in 2023.
• A high withholding tax is seen as a major deterrent for foreign capital inflows at a time when India is grappling with rising external pressures, including a sharp surge in crude oil prices.
• Withholding tax, or WHT, is a tax collected at the source of income. Instead of waiting for an investor or foreign company to pay taxes at the end of the financial year, the government requires the payer to deduct a portion of the income before it is remitted to the recipient.
• The deducted amount is then directly deposited with the government. In simple terms, whenever income is earned
• whether through employment, investments, royalties or other sources — the government ensures tax collection in advance through withholding tax.

Government Bonds

Government bonds or government securities, are tradable instruments issued by the Central Government or the State Governments. It is used by the government to borrow money from the public.

Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) scheme

• To incentivise greater clean energy adoption, the government is set to link the adoption of renewable energy to the SASCI scheme.
• The 2026-27 Union Budget allocated Rs 2 lakh crore as 50-year, interest-free capex loans for states called Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI).
• Under this programme, while Rs 75,000 crore is ‘untied’ – or provided without any conditions – the majority is tied to the reform performance of each state across a variety of spheres ranging from power, mining, agriculture, and public finance, among others.
• As such, the better a state performs on these reform criteria, the more they can avail from the ‘tied’ component of the programme.
• The loans availed under the SASCI programme count over and above each states’ net borrowing ceiling, which is capped at 3% of their Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP), as per the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act.

Scheme for Promotion of Surface Coal/Lignite Gasification Projects

• The Union cabinet on 13th May has approved a new scheme to promote conversion of coal and lignite into synthesis gas (syngas) through the gasification process in a move to strengthen energy security.
• With an outlay of Rs 37,500 crore, the Scheme seeks to incentivise 25 projects for production of syngas and downstream products, targeting gasification of approximately 75 million tonne (mt) of coal/lignite.
• The new scheme is an addition to the existing viability gap funding scheme worth Rs 8,500 crore approved in 2024 for incentivising coal and lignite gasification projects.
• Coal gasification is a thermochemical process of converting coal into synthesis gas (syngas), which is a mixture of fuel-rich gases like carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), hydrogen (H2), and methane (CH4).
• The syngas can be used for producing Synthetic Natural Gas (SNG), electricity generation, energy fuel (methanol and ethanol), ammonia for fertilisers, and chemicals.
• The coal gasification process involves oxidation of coal at higher temperatures and pressures to produce syngas. There are two main types of gasification: Surface gasification and Underground coal gasification (UCG).
• In surface coal gasification, coal is first mined and then converted into gas in above-ground industrial reactors using oxygen, steam and high temperatures.
• In contrast, underground coal gasification converts coal into gas while it is still buried deep underground by injecting air or oxygen into coal seams through wells and extracting the resulting gas to the surface.
• The newly approved scheme primarily focuses on surface gasification projects

Prohibition on export of Sugar 

• Amid inflation and future supply concern, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has prohibited export of raw, white and refined sugar with immediate effect till September 30.
• The prohibition on sugar exports will not apply to the advance authorisation scheme (AAS), government-to-government exports, and consignments already in the physical export pipeline, it stated.
• As per the notification, the prohibition will also not apply to sugar exports to the European Union and the US under the preferential quota.

Advance Authorisation Scheme (AAS)

ASS allows the duty free import of input goods that are physically incorporated in an export product. In addition to any inputs, packaging material, fuel, oil, and catalyst which is consumed / utilized in the process of production of export products, is also allowed.

International Cooperation

BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting

• The BRICS Foreign Ministers’ meeting was held in India from 14 to 15 May 2026. The meeting was chaired by Dr. S. Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister.
• BRICS Foreign Ministers and Heads of Delegation from Member and Partner Countries participated in the meeting.
• BRICS stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, the original five members who were large, non-Western economies.
• In January 2025, Indonesia officially joined the BRICS as a full member taking total membership to 10. Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates are also part of the bloc.

India’s BRICS Presidency

India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit. The theme for the BRICS is “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”. It draws inspiration from the Prime Minister’s “Humanity First and People-centric” vision for BRICS. It is guided by four broad priorities: resilience, innovation, cooperation, and sustainability. The BRICS logo consisted of lotus in the colours of the BRICS nations. It blends tradition with modernity, with petals reflecting the vibrant colours of all BRICS members and symbolising collective strength and unity. At the centre, the “Namaste” gesture conveys warmth, respect, and harmonious collaboration.

India-UAE deepen ties

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the United Arab Emirates on 15 May 2026 and held discussions with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
• Both the nations signed a slew of pacts including a framework for a strategic defence partnership, storage of 30 million barrels in Indian strategic petroleum reserves, supply of LPG and a ship repair cluster in Gujarat’s Vadinar.
• Strategic Collaboration Agreement was signed between Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company to enhance UAE’s participation in India’s Strategic Petroleum Reserves to 30 million barrels, and work together to set up strategic gas reserves in India.
• The UAE has been the first country to partner with India in strategic petroleum reserves. In 2018, the ISPRL and ADNOC entered into an agreement for the UAE to store over 5 million barrels of crude oil reserves at ISPRL’s facility in Mangaluru.

Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPRs)

According to the statement made by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) in the Rajya Sabha on March 23, India is currently holding 3.37 million tonnes of oil, or just about two-thirds of their total storage capacity (5.33 million tonnes of crude oil). The SPRs — spread across three locations in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka — are meant to act as a buffer for short-term supply shocks.

Environment

Kaziranga Wildlife

• An environmental activist has filed a complaint to the Supreme Court-mandated Central Empowered Committee (CEC) regarding alleged illegal construction within the Kaziranga Wildlife Corridor.
• The Kaziranga National Park, which has the world’s largest population of the one-horned rhinoceros and is home to 37 species of mammals and nearly 500 species of birds, is located on the Brahmaputra floodplains in Central Assam’s Nagaon and Eastern Assam’s Golaghat districts.

Science and Technology

Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) tolling system

• On May 11, Delhi-NCR got its first and India’s second Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) barrier-less tolling system on Mundka-Bakkarwala toll plaza on Urban Extension Road (UER)-II.
• Now, vehicles will not have to stop at the toll plaza for user fee or toll payment. The toll amount will be deducted with the help of high-performance Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) readers and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras mounted over the gantry.
• The RFID and ANPR cameras work and read the FASTag and Vehicle registration Number (VRN) even when vehicles being driven at a speed of 80-100 kmph pass the gate, and the required amount gets deducted.
• According to the Economic Survey 2025-26, the MLFF is projected to be implemented across national highways and expressways with four or more lanes, by March 2029.

Hypersonic Missile Technology

• On 9th May, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) making a further breakthrough in hypersonic missile technology  achieved a 1,200-second runtime of its actively cooled scramjet full-scale combustor,
• The test was conducted at the Scramjet Connect Pipe Test (SCPT) facility in Hyderabad.
• The hypersonic cruise missile is capable of exceeding five times the speed of sound, or over 6,100 km per hour, for extended periods.
• The speed is achieved through a cutting-edge air-breathing engine, which utilises supersonic combustion to sustain long-duration flight.
• Supersonic Combustion Ramjet or Scramjet engine efficiently operates at hypersonic speeds and allows supersonic combustion.
• The fundamental change in a scramjet is that the air does not slow down in its combustion chamber but stays supersonic throughout the engine. This makes the design, development and operation of the scramjet far more challenging.
• Scramjet combustor in this technology incorporates an innovative flame stabilisation technique that holds a continuous flame inside the combustor with an air speed of more than 1.5 km per second.
• A specialised indigenous endothermic scramjet fuel was used in this.
• The fuel was jointly developed for the first time by the DRDL and industry partners. The fuel offers dual benefits of significant cooling improvement and ease of ignition.

Thermal Barrier Coating (TBC)

• Another key achievement amid the development of hypersonic technologies is the development of Thermal Barrier Coating (TBC).
• It is designed to withstand extreme temperatures encountered during hypersonic flight.
• A new advanced ceramic TBC having high thermal resistance and capable of operating beyond the melting point of steel has been jointly developed by DRDL and Department of Science and Technology (DST) facilities.

Methane

• Methane buildup in the cargo hold of a bulk carrier ship berthed at Kandla port, Kutch, is the likely reason for the death of three migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh on 13th May, 2026.
• Methane is a colourless, highly flammable gas which is the primary component of natural gas.
• Low level exposure of methane would not be expected to cause adverse health effects. However, exposure to high levels of methane can reduce the amount of oxygen breathed from the air. This can result in mood changes, slurred speech, vision problems, memory loss, nausea, vomiting, facial flushing and headache. This could also lead to death.

Health

PCOS is now PMOS

• One of the world’s most common women’s health conditions, previously known as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), will now be called Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS).
• It has been renamed to better reflect its complex, multisystem nature.
• What was known as PCOS affects around one in eight women globally, or more than 170 million women.
• It is associated with a wide spectrum of symptoms including irregular or absent menstrual cycles, infertility, pregnancy complications, excess hair growth, acne, anxiety, depression, weight gain, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
• The earlier name reduced a complex, long-term endocrine disorder to a misunderstanding about ‘cysts’ and a narrow focus on the ovaries. This contributed to delayed diagnosis and inadequate treatment.
• Prof Teede, who led the renaming process, said decades of research have shown that the condition does not involve abnormal ovarian cysts. Instead, there are arrested follicles that may appear cyst-like on ultrasound.

Lormalzi

• Pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly has launched donanemab in the Indian market under the brand name Lormalzi.
• The once-a-month 350 mg infusion has been shown to slow the progression of the disease by dissolving the amyloid beta protein plaques in the brain — a classical sign of the neuro-degenerative disease.
• This drug is an important innovation. Dementia currently affects approximately 8.8 million people in India, with Alzheimer’s disease accounting for the majority of cases. This number is projected to nearly double to 16.9 million by 2036.
• Donanemab is a monoclonal antibody that reduces amyloid beta protein plaques in the brain to slow down cognitive decline in patients with early Alzheimer’s disease.

Awards

National Florence Nightingale Awards 2026

• The National Florence Nightingale Awards for the year 2026 was awarded to fifteen Nursing professionals by the President to the nursing personnel, on the occasion of International Nurses Day (May 12, 2026).
• The award was instituted in 1973 by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare as a mark of recognition for the meritorious services rendered by nursing personnel to society.
• Each award includes a Certificate of Merit, a cash prize of one lakh rupees and a medal symbolising the nation’s gratitude for the invaluable service rendered by these health warriors.

Test Your Knowledge

(Note: The best way to remember facts for UPSC and other competitive exams is to recall them through MCQs. Try to solve the following questions on your own.)

1. Consider the following statements about the National Sports Development Fund (NSDF):
   1. Governed by a Council headed by the Union Sports Minister.
   2. Established in 1998 under the Charitable Endowments Act, 1890.
   
   Which of the statements mentioned above is/are correct?
   (a) 1 only
   (b) 2 only
   (c) Both 1 and 2
   (d) Neither 1 nor 2
   
   
2. Syngas is a mixture of
   Consider the following substances:
   I. Ethanol
   II. Nitroglycerine
   III. Urea
   
   Coal gasification technology can be used in the production of how many of them?
   (a) Only one
   (b) Only two
   (c) All the three
   (d) None

If you missed the UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past few weeks : Click Below Links

UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | 04–10 May 2026 read it here

UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | 27 April – 03 May 2026 read it here

UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | 20– 26 April 2026 read it here

UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | 13– 19 April 2026 read it here

UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | 06– 12 April 2026 read it here

The post UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | 11–17 May 2026 appeared first on Rma News: Latest News, Live Breaking News, Today News, Political News Updates.

The 2026 Kerala Assembly election delivered a major political shift, with the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) returning to power after the Left Democratic Front’s prolonged tenure in the state.

Kerala Assembly Election 2026 — Final Seat Tally

• Indian National Congress: 63 seats
• Communist Party of India (Marxist): 26 seats
• Indian Union Muslim League: 22 seats
• Communist Party of India: 8 seats
• Kerala Congress: 7 seats
• Bharatiya Janata Party: 3 seats

Polling for all 140 constituencies was held in a single phase on April 9, 2026.

Major Political Outcome

The Congress-led UDF crossed the majority mark comfortably and is set to form the next government in Kerala. The ruling Left Democratic Front suffered a heavy setback, with the CPI(M)-led alliance losing significant ground across the state.

Key Leaders Who Won

• Pinarayi Vijayan retained his seat despite the Left’s poor overall performance.
• V. D. Satheesan secured victory in his constituency.
• Rajeev Chandrasekhar also registered a notable win for the BJP.

Significance of BJP’s Performance

The BJP winning 3 seats is considered historically significant in Kerala politics, where the party has traditionally struggled to gain legislative representation.

Political Landscape

UDF Alliance

• Indian National Congress
• Indian Union Muslim League
• Kerala Congress factions and allies

LDF Alliance

• Communist Party of India (Marxist)
• Communist Party of India

For the complete constituency-wise winners list and detailed candidate results, users generally refer to the official Election Commission of India results portal and state-wise election dashboards.

Here’s the full winners list:

Also See

West Bengal Assembly Election Results 2026

Tamil Nadu Assembly Election Results 2026 

Assam Assembly Election Results 2026

Puducherry Assembly Election Results 2026

The post Kerala Election Results Winners List 2026: Congress Wins 63 Seats as CPI(M) Shrinks to 26 seats. Full Constituency-Wise List appeared first on Rma News: Latest News, Live Breaking News, Today News, Political News Updates.

V. D. Satheesan took oath as the Chief Minister of Kerala on May 18, 2026, at the Central Stadium, leading the new United Democratic Front (UDF) government in the state.

The oath of office and secrecy was administered by the Governor of Kerala in the presence of senior national and state leaders.

Congress Ministers in the Kerala Cabinet

The Indian National Congress secured 11 berths in the Cabinet:

• Ramesh Chennithala
• Sunny Joseph
• K. Muraleedharan
• A. P. Anil Kumar
• P. C. Vishnunadh
• T. Siddique
• Bindu Krishna
• K. A. Thulasi
• Roji M. John
• M. Liju
• O. J. Janeesh

IUML Ministers

The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) was allotted five Cabinet positions:

• P. K. Kunhalikutty
• N. Shamsudeen
• K. M. Shaji
• P. K. Basheer
• V. E. Abdul Gafoor

Ministers from Other UDF Allies

• Mons Joseph — Kerala Congress (Joseph)
• Shibu Baby John — Revolutionary Socialist Party
• Anoop Jacob — Kerala Congress (Jacob)
• C. P. John — Communist Marxist Party

National Leaders Present

The swearing-in ceremony was attended by:

• Mallikarjun Kharge
• Rahul Gandhi
• Priyanka Gandhi

The new UDF government marks the return of the Congress-led alliance to power in Kerala after defeating the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front in the 2026 Assembly election.

Kerala’s new Council of Ministers

Also Read

Oath ceremony of West Bengal CM Subhendu Adhikar 2026

Oath ceremony of Tamil Nadu CM C Joseph Vijay 2026

Oath ceremony of Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma 2026

Historic Oath ceremony of Puducherry CM A. Namassivayam 2026

The post V D Satheesan’s Swearing-In as Kerala Chief Minister with 20-Member Cabinet; Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Present appeared first on Rma News: Latest News, Live Breaking News, Today News, Political News Updates.

N. Rangasamy was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Puducherry on Wednesday, beginning a record fifth term in office and reinforcing his status as one of the Union Territory’s most influential political leaders.

The swearing-in ceremony took place at Lok Bhavan, where Lieutenant Governor K. Kailasanathan administered the oath of office and secrecy.

Ministers Sworn In Alongside Rangasamy

Two MLAs took oath as ministers in the NDA government:

• A. Namassivayam — Bharatiya Janata Party
• Malladi Krishna Rao — All India N.R. Congress

Historic Milestone

With this oath-taking:

• N. Rangasamy became the first leader to serve five terms as Chief Minister of Puducherry.
• This is also his second consecutive term leading the NDA alliance government in the Union Territory.

NDA’s Strength in the Assembly

The NDA secured a comfortable majority in the 30-member Assembly:

• All India N.R. Congress (AINRC): 12 seats
• Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP): 4 seats
• All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK): 1 seat
• Latchiya Jananayaga Katchi (LJK): 1 seat

Cabinet Expansion Expected

Sources within the alliance indicated that the Cabinet would be expanded later, with three more ministers likely to be inducted as part of seat-sharing and alliance arrangements.

Focus Areas of the New Government

The Rangasamy-led administration is expected to prioritise:

• Welfare programmes
• Infrastructure development
• Employment generation
• Better coordination with the Central government

Senior BJP leaders, NDA allies, party workers and elected representatives attended the ceremony amid tight security arrangements around the venue.

Also Read

Oath ceremony of West Bengal CM Subhendu Adhikar 2026

Oath ceremony of Tamil Nadu CM C Joseph Vijay 2026

Oath ceremony of Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma 2026

Oath ceremony of Kerala CM V D Satheesan’s 2026

The post Historic Oath: N Rangasamy Assumes Office as Puducherry CM for Fifth Time appeared first on Rma News: Latest News, Live Breaking News, Today News, Political News Updates.

Himanta Biswa Sarma was sworn in on May 12, 2026, as the Chief Minister of Assam for a second consecutive term, becoming the first non-Congress leader in the state’s history to achieve this milestone.

The oath-taking ceremony was held at the College of Veterinary Science Playground and was administered by Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya.

Ministers Sworn In Alongside Himanta Biswa Sarma

Four leaders also took oath as minister-designates:

• Rameswar Teli — BJP
• Ajanta Neog — BJP
• Atul Bora — AGP
• Charan Boro — BPF

The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) are allies of the BJP-led NDA in Assam.

Dignitaries Present

The swearing-in ceremony was attended by:

• Narendra Modi
• Amit Shah
• Rajnath Singh
• BJP national president Nitin Nabin
• Chief Ministers of NDA-ruled states and Union Territories
• Religious leaders, industrialists, and foreign delegates

Among the international guests was Sergio Gor.

Historic Political Context

The NDA secured a third straight term in Assam after winning 102 of the 126 Assembly seats:

• Bharatiya Janata Party: 82 seats
• Asom Gana Parishad: 10 seats
• Bodoland People’s Front: 10 seats

The BJP first came to power in Assam in 2016 under Sarbananda Sonowal. Leadership later transitioned to Himanta Biswa Sarma in 2021.

Political Messaging

Ahead of the ceremony, Sarma invoked the blessings of:

• Kamakhya Temple
• Srimanta Sankardev

He reiterated the NDA government’s emphasis on “jati, mati, bheti” (community, land, and foundation), highlighting land reclamation and identity politics as key priorities for the new term.

Also Read

Oath ceremony of West Bengal CM Subhendu Adhikar 2026

Oath ceremony of Tamil Nadu CM C Joseph Vijay 2026

Oath ceremony of Kerala CM V D Satheesan’s 2026

Historic Oath ceremony of Puducherry CM A. Namassivayam 2026

The post Himanta Biswa Sarma sworn in as Assam Chief Minister; four MLAs take oath as ministers appeared first on Rma News: Latest News, Live Breaking News, Today News, Political News Updates.

Report

(FYI: The data provided in these reports can be used to substantiate your Mains answer and create a broad understanding of the topic.)

World Press Freedom Index 2026

• World Press Freedom Index, which evaluates 180 countries, recorded its lowest average score in the index’s 25-year history.
• It is an annual report published by Reporters Without Borders.
• For the first time in the Index’s 25-year history, more than half the world’s countries now fall into the “difficult” or “very serious” categories for press freedom.
• For the first time, in over half of the world’s countries and territories (52.2%), the state of press freedom is categorised as “difficult” or “very serious.” This category was a small minority (13.7%) in 2002.
• According to the Report, “The Index’s legal indicator has seen the most severe decline this year. This score deteriorated in more than 60% of states — 110 out of 180 — between 2025 and 2026. This is notably the case in India (157th), Egypt (169th), Israel (116th) and Georgia (135th).”
• The index measures five key areas—economic, legal, security, political, and social conditions affecting journalism. Among these, the legal environment has worsened the most this year.
• At the top of the index, Norway retained the number one position for the 10th consecutive year, while Eritrea remained at the bottom for the third year in a row.
• As for India, it slipped further down the rankings. From 151st place in 2025, it now stands at 157th in 2026, with a global score of 31.96. The country remains in the “very serious” category.

NCRB data

• According to the latest data released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), India witnessed an overall decline in crime cases with a 6% dip in 2024, recording 58.85 lakh cases as against 2023’s 62.41 lakh cases
• The NCRB calculates the crime rate on the basis of the number of cases registered per lakh population. It saw a dip during the period – from 448.3 in 2023 to 418.9 in 2024.
• Cyber crimes saw an almost 18% jump in the period.
• Crime against women showed a dip of 1.5% from the previous year, with 4.41 lakh cases lodged in 2024 as compared to 4.48 lakh the previous year.
• Telangana recorded the highest crime rate against women in the country in 2024. The state reported a crime rate of 128.6 cases per one lakh population, the highest in India, followed by Odisha at 118.3.

At a Glance+

Rising Threats+

Women & Children+

SC/ST & Trafficking+

Context+

Polity

Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme 5.0 

• With an aim to meet the additional credit needs of industries under distress amid the ongoing West Asia conflict, the Union Cabinet has approved a credit support scheme named ‘Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme 5.0’
• It targets additional credit flow of Rs 2.55 lakh crore including Rs 5,000 crore for airlines.
• The ECLGS was launched in May 2020 as part of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan to support eligible MSMEs and other eligible businesses in meeting their operational liabilities amid disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• 100% guarantee is provided to Member Lending Institutions (MLIs) in respect of the credit facility extended by them under the scheme to eligible borrowers.
• The later versions of the scheme have covered Mudra borrowers and other stressed sectors including healthcare, hospitality, leisure, travel, tourism and civil aviation.

 Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026

• The Union Cabinet on 5th May approved the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, to increase the strength of judges in the Supreme Court from the existing 34 to 38.
• The Bill has amended the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956.
• Currently, the Act provides for a maximum of 33 judges of the Supreme Court, excluding the Chief Justice of India. The amendment increases that to 37 judges, excluding the CJI.
• The last time the strength of the court was increased was in 2019, when an amendment raised it from 30 to 33, excluding the CJI. Originally, the Act had provided for a maximum of 10 judges, excluding the CJI, which was increased to 13 in 1960 and then 17 in 1977.
• The strength was further increased in 1986, 2008 and 2019.

Climate & Soll+

Growing Zones+

The Mission+

Mission for Cotton Productivity (2026–27 to 2030–31)

• The Centre on 5th May approved Rs 5,659.22 crore for the Mission for Cotton Productivity for five years (2026–27 to 2030–31). The scheme was announced in the Union Budget 2025-26.
• It is aligned with the 5F vision (Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion to Foreign) of the Government for the textile sector.
• It aims to provide “the best of science & technology support” to farmers and “ensure a steady supply of quality cotton” for the Indian textile industry.

About Cotton

Cotton, a semi-xerophyte, is grown in tropical and subtropical conditions. It is popularly called“White Gold” and primarily a Kharif crop. The minimum temperature required for better germination under field conditions is 15 degrees Celsius. The optimum temperature for vegetative growth is between 21 and 27 degrees Celsius, and it can tolerate temperatures to the extent of 43 degrees Celsius; however, temperatures below 21 degrees Celsius impact its growth.

International Cooperation

India-Vietnam elevate ties

• India and Vietnam have decided to elevate bilateral ties to ‘Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership’ during the recent visit of President of Vietnam To Lam.
• Both countries have set a new trade goal of $25 billion by 2030 and increased defence systems procurement.
• India was one of the first countries with whom Vietnam entered into a Strategic Partnership in 2007. This was also India’s first Strategic Partnership within the ASEAN region. The two countries elevated the relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2016.

Economy

New SOP for FDI 

• The government has issued a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) as per which foreign direct investment (FDI) proposals will be required to be processed within 12 weeks.
• As per the new SOP, the Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade (DPIIT) is expected to disseminate the proposal to ministries concerned, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) within two days.
• Under the new SOP, investments in broadcasting, telecommunications, space, private security agencies, defence, civil aviation, and mining and mineral separation of titanium-bearing minerals and ores, its value addition, and integrated activities shall require security clearance from MHA.

Environment

White-Bellied Heron

• A THDC India Ltd proposal seeking clearance for the Kalai-II hydroelectric project in Arunachal Pradesh does not make any mention of the habitat of the critically endangered White-Bellied Heron.
• Lohit River is a habitat for the critically endangered White-Bellied Heron, which has been accorded Scheduled-I status, the highest protection, under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
• The bird is critically endangered, as per the Red List of the International Union on Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The bird’s presence has been recorded both upstream and downstream of the Kalai-II project.
• It is endemic to the fast-flowing Himalayan freshwater riverine habitats, spanning across Bhutan, India, Myanmar, China, and Bangladesh.

They are an indicator of the health of the Himalayan freshwater ecosystem. Their elusive and highly habitat specific habit in feeding, nesting, and food selection make them great environmental sensors.

Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC)

• New researchers have suggested that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), which regulates climate across much of the globe, may slow by up to 59% by 2100.
• The AMOC is a large system of ocean currents. It is the Atlantic branch of the ocean conveyor belt or thermohaline circulation (THC), and it distributes heat and nutrients throughout the world’s ocean basins.
• AMOC carries warm surface waters from the tropics towards the Northern Hemisphere, where it cools and sinks. It then returns to the tropics and then to the South Atlantic as a bottom current. From there, it is distributed to all ocean basins via the Antarctic circumpolar current.
• Gulf Stream, a part of the AMOC, is a warm current responsible for the mild climate on the Eastern coast of North America as well as Europe. Without a proper AMOC and Gulf Stream, Europe will be very cold.
• Though the AMOC is in the Atlantic, its breakdown would trigger chaos in the Pacific.
• El Niño is a periodic warming of the Pacific Ocean that disrupts global weather. Because global ocean currents and wind patterns are deeply interconnected, a sluggish AMOC traps heat in the southern hemisphere and leaves the North Pacific cooler.
• This throws off the delicate temperature balance that drives El Niño. Studies suggest a weaker AMOC will make El Niño events more unpredictable and extreme.
• According to researchers, freshwater from melting Greenland ice sheets and the Arctic region can make circulation weaker as it is not as dense as saltwater and doesn’t sink to the bottom.

Sulphur dioxide (SO₂) emissions from coal-fired power plants (CFPP)

• According to a study conducted by researchers from IIT Delhi, India could prevent an estimated 1,24,564 deaths every year by fully mitigating sulphur dioxide (SO₂) emissions from coal-fired power plants (CFPP).
• The study is among the first comprehensive attempts to quantify how SO₂ from CFPPs contributes not only to ambient SO₂ levels, but also to the formation of secondary fine particulate matter, or PM2.5.
• The researchers found that a decrease in these emissions could reduce annual PM2.5 exposure by 0.3-12 microgrammes per cubic metre and ambient SO₂ levels by 0.1-13.6 parts per billion across states.
• The CFPPs emit SO₂, which react in the atmosphere to form secondary inorganic aerosols, including sulphate, nitrate and ammonium. These pollutants add to PM2.5, the fine particulate matter linked to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.
• The study comes amid continuing debate over the installation of flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) systems in CFPPs. Last year, the Ministry of Environment exempted the majority of India’s coal-based thermal plants from installing FGD systems.
• The FGD is a technology that removes SO₂ from exhaust gases of fossil fuel power plants and industrial boilers, reducing acid rain and air pollution.

Rusty-spotted cat 

• Researchers confirmed first photographic evidence of the rusty-spotted cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus), one of the world’s smallest species of wildcat in the Aravalli scrublands at the doorstep of Delhi.
• The rusty-spotted cat is classified as ‘Near Threatened’ on the IUCN Red List, and is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act.
• The rusty-spotted cat measures no more than 35-48 cm in length, about half of which is bushy tail. It has short, reddish grey fur, with rusty spots on the back and sides.
• The cat is native to India, Nepal and Sri Lanka, where almost 75% of its habitat is believed to be under threat from land-use change, including agriculture and urban expansion. The animal is rarely documented due to its secretive nature and low density.

Science and Technology

Voyager 1  

• On April 17, scientists turned off the Low-energy Charged Particles experiment (LECP) to ensure Voyager 1 has more time available to continue its exploration of space beyond the solar system.
• Launched in 1977, Voyager 1 is one of the most important space missions ever undertaken.
• It was originally sent to study the outer planets, including Jupiter and Saturn, but it went far beyond its initial goal. Today, it is the most distant human-made object in space, travelling through interstellar space at high speed.
• The instrument that was powered down is known as the low-energy charged particles experiment (LECP). It has been operating almost continuously since Voyager 1 was launched in 1977.
• Over the years, the LECP has studied ions, electrons, and cosmic rays from both the solar system and interstellar space.
  

The Pathfinder

• Space-tech startup Pixxel on May 4, announced a partnership with LLM provider Sarvam AI to develop and build India’s first orbital data centre satellite called The Pathfinder.
• Expected to reach orbit by the end of 2026, the 200-kg satellite will house GPUs (graphics processing units) that will be used to carry out training and inference of Sarvam’s AI model.
• Unlike conventional satellite computing, which relies on low-power edge processors optimised for survival rather than performance, the Pathfinder satellite will house the same generation of hardware as on-ground data centres used to power frontier AI models.

GaN (Gallium Nitride) technology

• The Union Cabinet on May 5 approved two new semiconductor plants in India, including one that could be the country’s first display fabrication facility.
• With these, the government has approved a total of 12 chip plants under the first leg of the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM).
• Launched in 2021, ISM 1.0 was conceived as a state-backed push to build a full-stack chip ecosystem, from fabrication and packaging to design and display manufacturing.
• The recent approval is given to a Rs 3,068 crore compound semiconductor fabrication and assembly based on GaN (Gallium Nitride) technology for manufacturing Mini/Micro-LED display modules to be set up by Crystal Matrix Ltd.
• Semiconductors are made of materials such as silicon and possess a degree of electrical conductivity between that of a conductor and an insulator. Silicon has been the component mostly used in semiconductors.
• In recent years, gallium nitride (GaN), another semiconductor, is making its way into electronics as it is better suited for high power and high-frequency applications.
• Gallium Nitride is a material that is considered a better alternative to silicon. It is much better at conducting high voltage over longer times compared to silicon. It also allows electrical currents to travel faster through it.
• With lower heat, Gallium Nitride structures can be stacked closer to each other than other materials, which also means the overall structure (the charger) is smaller in size.

‘ANEEL’ fuel 

• Chicago-based nuclear fuel company Clean Core Thorium Energy (CCTE) announced that its patented ‘ANEEL’ fuel has completed its high burnup irradiation test in an Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at Idaho National Laboratory (INL).
• It is only the second American company to have secured an export license from the US Department of Energy (DAE) to sell nuclear technology to India in nearly two decades.
• CCTE has developed a thorium-based fuel, called ANEEL or Advanced Nuclear Energy for Enriched Life, that can be deployed in the country’s Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) at scale.
• ANEEL is a new type of fuel that blends thorium with HALEU (high-assay low-enriched uranium) which is an important step towards the third leg of India’s 3-stage nuclear programme.
• STAGE 3 of nuclear programme: The third stage will be based on the ThU233 cycle. U233 produced in the second stage can be used for the third stage of the power programme, which consists of advanced thermal and fast breeder reactors, for long-term energy security.
• PHWRs are said to be more suited to handling thorium because heavy water – an isotope of water that has an extra neutron on the hydrogen atom – absorbs fewer neutrons during the fission process, increasing the efficiency of the fission reaction by allowing more neutrons to be absorbed by the thorium.

Drishti satellite

• An Indian start-up, GalaxEye, rode on a SpaceX rocket on May 3 to launch a first-of-its-kind satellite, aptly called Drishti.
• Drishti is the first satellite of GalaxEye, a company started by alumni of IIT Madras. It rode on a Falcon 9 rocket by SpaceX from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, United States, as one of the 45 payloads on the CAS500-2 mission.
• Drishti is equipped to take optical images, very much like a normal camera, as well as radar-generated images of the same place at the same time, something that has not been tried before.
• That is the reason that the company has described their innovation as Opto-SAR technology. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) captures radar generated images.
• Multi-spectral images are clear and easy to understand, but they are not effective during cloudy weather or nighttime, for instance. SAR signals can penetrate clouds and take continuous images, but they are not intuitive. Like X-ray images, they need experts to glean the information.
• The uniqueness of Drishti is that it has both the sensors that will enable simultaneous imaging.

Defence

Tactical Advanced Range Augmentation (TARA) system

• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Air Force (IAF) on May 7 successfully carried out the first flight trial of TARA system that can transform an unguided missile into a guided one.
• The TARA glide weapon system is primarily a modular kit that can be attached to a conventional unguided warhead. It helps the missile glide over long distances, and accurately strike a target.
• The system is believed to use a combination of inertial navigation and satellite-based positioning to steer the missile towards the target.
• The TARA system glides, rather than relying on a rocket motor. This makes it lightweight and cost-effective while still extending the missile’s range.
• Unguided bombs, which are referred to as gravity bombs or dumb bombs, can thus be upgraded to smart bombs, or precision-guided munitions, with relatively low effort. This can reduce the need to develop entirely new missile systems.
• This approach can substantially reduce costs while allowing rapid scaling of precision strike inventory.

Diseases

(Just FYI: UPSC has consistently included questions on health and diseases in its examinations over the years. For instance, in 2014, a question about the Ebola virus appeared in the Prelims, and in 2017, a question about the Zika virus was featured. Therefore, it is crucial to stay updated on diseases that are currently in the news.)

Hantavirus

• The outbreak aboard the Hondius has so far resulted in three deaths — a Dutch couple and a German national — while several others from Britain, the Netherlands, and Switzerland remain hospitalised in South Africa, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.
• Named after the Hantan River in South Korea, hantavirus is a family of rodent-borne viruses that can cause serious illness and death in humans.
• In most cases, it does not spread through casual contact between people. Still, humans run the risk of getting infected by breathing in contaminated air with rodent urine, droppings, or saliva, especially in closed or dusty spaces.
• Hantavirus infections have two main clinical presentations: Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), a lung illness, and haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, a kidney disease.
• Symptoms can appear between one and eight weeks after exposure and may initially resemble flu-like illness, including:
  • Fever
  • Muscle aches
  • Fatigue
  • Headaches
  • Chills

In severe cases, patients may develop respiratory failure and fluid buildup in the lungs.

• There is a lack of effective antiviral treatment for treating hantavirus infection. The medical approach to treatment focuses on providing supportive care — oxygen therapy, fluid management and intensive care for patients who experience severe symptoms.

Persons in News

Lieutenant General N S Raja Subramani

• The Centre has appointed Lieutenant General N S Raja Subramani (Retd) as the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), who shall also function as Secretary to the Government of India, Department of Military Affairs.
• He is the third person to assume the post after Gen Bipin Rawat and Gen Anil Chauhan.
• Vice-Admiral Krishna Swaminathan has been appointed as the next Chief of Naval Staff. He is presently the Western Naval Commander in Mumbai. He will take charge from the current CNS Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi on May 31.

Tribhuvan Prasad Singh

• —A new variety of rose has been named after India’s first full-time secretary of the Planning Commission and 1936-batch ICS officer Tribhuvan Prasad Singh, better known as TP Singh.
• — “Tribhuvan”, as it is called, has been developed by South Asia’s leading nursery and rose breeder, K S Gopalaswamiengar Son, popularly known as KSG Son, at Chamarajpet, Bengaluru, over four and a half years. It is a hybrid of ‘Black Prince and Corrida’.
• — T P Singh (1913-1975), who later served as the country’s finance and agriculture secretary, is often recalled as one of leading policymakers post Independence.

Terms making buzz

Ecocide

• A recent report by Lebanon accused Israel’s military of committing “ecocide” during its 2023-24 invasion of southern Lebanon – reshaping both its “physical and ecological landscape”.
• Ecocide refers to the very worst harms caused to the environment by human actions, usually on a major industrial scale or affecting a huge area.
• The term was coined in 1970 by Prof Arthur W Galston – a Yale plant biologist whose early research contributed to the development of Agent Orange – to describe massive, long-term environmental devastation, particularly caused by the herbicide’s use in the Vietnam War.

Test Your Knowledge

(Note: The best way to remember facts for UPSC and other competitive exams is to recall them through MCQs. Try to solve the following questions on your own.)

1. Consider the following statements about the World Press Freedom Index 2026:
   
   1. Published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
   2. It recorded its lowest average score in the index’s 25-year history.
   3. India is ranked 151st.
   
   Which of the statements mentioned above is/are correct?
   (a) 1 and 2 only
   (b) 2 and 3 only
   (c) 1 and 3 only
   (d) 1, 2, and 3
   
2. With reference to – the White-Bellied Heron, consider the following statements:
   
   1. It is critically endangered as per the Red List of the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
   2. Scheduled-I status of the Wildlife Protection Act.
   3. Found in Arunachal Pradesh.
   
   How many of the statements mentioned above is/are correct?
   (a) Only one
   (b) Only two
   (c) All three
   (d) None
   
3. “The crop is subtropical in nature. A hard frost is injurious to it. It requires at least 210 frost — free days and 50 to 100 centimeters of rainfall for its growth. A light well-drained soil capable of retaining moisture is ideally suited for the cultivation of the crop.” Which one of the following is that crop? (UPSC CSE 2020)
   
   (a) Cotton
   (b) Jute
   (c) Sugarcane
   (d) Tea

If you missed the UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past few weeks : Click Below Links

UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | 27 April – 03 May 2026 read it here

UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | 20– 26 April 2026 read it here

UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | 13– 19 April 2026 read it here

UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | 06– 12 April 2026 read it here

UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | 30 March – 5 April 2026 read it here

The post UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | 04–10 May 2026 appeared first on Rma News: Latest News, Live Breaking News, Today News, Political News Updates.

C. Joseph Vijay was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium after his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), secured majority support with backing from the Congress, CPI, CPI(M), VCK, and IUML.

Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar invited Vijay to form the government after the alliance crossed the majority mark in the 234-member Assembly.

Tamil Nadu Cabinet Ministers 2026

N. Anand

Portfolios:

• Rural Development
• Water Resources
• Panchayats
• Poverty Alleviation Programme
• Rural Indebtedness
• Irrigation Projects

Aadhav Arjuna

Portfolios:

• Public Works Department
• Buildings
• Highways
• Minor Ports
• Sports Development

Aadhav Arjuna is also associated with basketball administration in Tamil Nadu and India.

K. G. Arunraj

Portfolios:

• Health

A retired IRS officer and former doctor, Arunraj earlier served in the civil services before entering politics.

K. A. Sengottaiyan

Portfolios:

• Finance

The senior-most minister in the cabinet, Sengottaiyan previously handled major departments in earlier AIADMK governments.

P. Venkataramanan

Portfolios:

• Food and Civil Supplies
• Consumer Protection
• Price Control

R. Nirmalkumar

Portfolios:

• Energy
• Law
• Prevention of Corruption
• Courts and Prisons
• Legislative Assembly
• Elections
• Passports

Rajmohan

Portfolios:

• School Education
• Archaeology
• Tamil Official Language
• Tamil Culture
• Information and Publicity

Rajmohan became only the second Dalit leader in Tamil Nadu to hold the School Education portfolio.

T. K. Prabhu

Portfolios:

• Natural Resources
• Minerals and Mines

S. Keerthana

Portfolios:

• Industries
• Investment Promotion

She became the first woman to head the Industries Ministry in Tamil Nadu.

Portfolios Retained by CM Vijay

C. Joseph Vijay retained several major departments, including:

• Public
• General Administration
• Police
• Home
• Municipal Administration
• Women’s Welfare
• Youth Welfare
• Urban and Water Supply
• Welfare of Children
• Welfare of Aged and Differently-abled Persons
• Special Programme Implementation

The government is expected to expand the cabinet later, with additional portfolios likely to be allocated to alliance partners, including the Congress.

Also Read

Oath ceremony of West Bengal CM Subhendu Adhikar 2026

Oath ceremony of Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma 2026

Oath ceremony of Kerala CM V D Satheesan’s 2026

Historic Oath ceremony of Puducherry CM A. Namassivayam 2026

The post Vijay Takes Oath as Tamil Nadu CM – Full Roster of 9 Ministers in His Inaugural Cabinet appeared first on Rma News: Latest News, Live Breaking News, Today News, Political News Updates.

Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday took oath as the ninth Chief Minister of West Bengal, creating history as the first leader from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to occupy the state’s top post.

The swearing-in ceremony was held at the historic Brigade Parade Ground, making Adhikari the first Bengal Chief Minister to take oath at the venue.

Dignitaries Present

The high-security event was attended by:

• Narendra Modi
• Amit Shah
• Rekha Gupta
• Bhajan Lal Sharma
• Mohan Yadav
• Yogi Adityanath
• Other BJP and NDA leaders

The oath of office was administered by Governor R. N. Ravi.

Ministers Sworn In Alongside Suvendu Adhikari

Dilip Ghosh

A veteran BJP organiser and former West Bengal BJP president, Dilip Ghosh played a major role in expanding the BJP’s grassroots network in Bengal after 2014. He previously served as MP from Medinipur and is known for his long association with the RSS.

Agnimitra Paul

Fashion designer-turned-politician Agnimitra Paul is currently the only woman minister in the BJP-led Bengal Cabinet. She emerged as a prominent BJP face in Bengal after joining the party in 2019 and later became state Mahila Morcha president and BJP Bengal general secretary. She retained the Asansol Dakshin Assembly seat in the latest election.

Ashok Kirtania

Ashok Kirtania represents Bangaon Uttar in North 24 Parganas, a constituency with significant Matua influence. The BJP views him as an important leader among the Matua community and Hindu voters in the region.

Kshudiram Tudu

Kshudiram Tudu represents Ranibandh in the tribal-dominated Jungle Mahal region. His induction reflects the BJP’s strategy to strengthen outreach among tribal communities in West Bengal.

Nisith Pramanik

One of the BJP’s prominent young leaders in North Bengal, Nisith Pramanik previously served as Union Minister of State for Home Affairs and Youth Affairs & Sports. He is considered influential among the Rajbangshi community and youth voters in the Cooch Behar region.

Cabinet Expansion Ahead

Only six ministers, including the Chief Minister, have taken oath so far. With the constitutional limit allowing up to 44 ministers in the West Bengal Cabinet, around 39 more MLAs may be inducted in the coming expansion.

Also Read

Oath ceremony of Tamil Nadu CM C Joseph Vijay 2026

Oath ceremony of Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma 2026

Oath ceremony of Kerala CM V D Satheesan’s 2026

Historic Oath ceremony of Puducherry CM A. Namassivayam 2026

The post Who took oath with Suvendu Adhikari among Bengal ministers? See complete list appeared first on Rma News: Latest News, Live Breaking News, Today News, Political News Updates.

Index

(FYI: The data provided in these reports can be used to substantiate your Mains answer and create a broad understanding of the topic.)

Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) 2.0

• The Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj released the second edition of the PAI. It assessed 2,59,867 rural local bodies based on their performance and progress on nine themes covering sustainable development goals (SDGs).
• It assesses panchayats based on their performance across 150 indicators covering nine SDGs during the 2023-24 financial year.
• The Gram Panchayats have been ranked under five categories based on their score on a scale of 0-100: ‘Achiever’ (90-100), ‘Front Runner’ (75-90), ‘Performer’ (60-75), ‘Aspirant’ (40-60) and ‘Beginner’ (below 40).
• Of the 2,59,867 Gram Panchayats, 3,635 have been ranked as ‘Front Runner’, 1,18,824 as ‘Performer’, 1,23,719 as ‘Aspirant’, and 13,689 as ‘Beginner’. No panchayat could make it to the ‘Achiever’ category.
• Among the ‘Front Runner’ panchayats, 943 were in Tripura, which constituted 80 per cent of the state’s total 1,176 rural local bodies. The state was followed by Kerala, where 10 per cent of its 941 Gram Panchayats have been assessed as ‘Front Runner’. With 8 per cent of its total 6,794 Gram panchayats assessed as ‘Front Runner’, Odisha stood next.

Polity

MHA updates citizenship rules

• The Union Home Ministry has notified the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2026.
• It has introduced electronic Overseas Citizen of India (e-OCI) cards, fully online applications, and stricter norms on dual passports for minors.
• A new provision allows issuance of electronic OCI (e-OCI) alongside physical cards, signalling a shift toward paperless identity for overseas Indians.
• A major update mandates that minors holding Indian passports cannot simultaneously possess passports of other countries, as inserted in a new proviso to rule 3 and this addresses concerns over dual citizenship misuse, though OCI status itself does not confer full citizenship rights.
• According to the notification, an application for registration as an Overseas Citizen of India cardholder under section 7A shall be made in Form XXVIII electronically on the designated online portal.

OCI

Introduced in August 2005, the OCI scheme provides for registration of all Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) who were citizens of India on January 26, 1950, or thereafter, or were eligible to become citizens of India on the said date. It was introduced by amending the Citizenship Act, 1955, in August 2005. In 2015, the government discontinued the PIO scheme, and PIO cardholders were required to convert to OCI.

Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Rules, 2026

• The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Rules, 2026, which was passed last year, came into force on May 1.
• The rules establish the Online Gaming Authority of India (OGAI) as the sectoral regulator, housed under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MietY).
• This authority has wide-ranging powers, including determining whether a game qualifies as an Online Money Game (played after depositing user fees/based on monetary stakes), Online Social Game (not involving staking money), or esports (competitive organised games involving skills like physical dexterity and strategic thinking).
• It can also issue directions, hear complaints, and impose penalties. Its composition is entirely government-led, with representatives from ministries including Home Affairs, Finance, Information & Broadcasting, Sports, and Law.
• In the case of online money games, which are banned, banks are required to act on OGAI directions — including suspending or restricting payments — effectively making the payments layer a key enforcement tool.
• The rules also introduce data localisation obligations, requiring gaming platforms offering social games or esports to store traffic and related data within India.

Online Gaming Authority of India (OGAI) — At a Glance

E-PRAAPTI portal 

• The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has launched a portal named E-PRAAPTI — EPF Aadhaar-Based Access Portal for Tracking Inoperative Accounts.
• It will help resolve the long-pending issue of unclaimed deposits. It will be helpful for those EPF members who do not have a Universal Account Number (UAN) and have EPF accounts in the physical mode.
• The portal will provide a streamlined Aadhaar-based authentication mechanism that will enable members to securely access their old EPF account which may not have an UAN linked with it and initiate the process for updating their member profile, followed by seamless UAN linking and activation.

Reconstitution of NITI Aayog

• The government has reconstituted the NITI Aayog, appointing Ashok Kumar Lahiri as its vice chairman and four new full-time members.
• He has replaced vice-chairman Suman Berry, who was serving in the post since April 2022.
• The Governing Council of NITI Aayog comprises the Prime Minister of India; Chief Ministers of all the States and Union Territories with Legislature; Lt Governors of other UTs; Ex-Officio Members; Vice Chairperson, NITI Aayog; Full-time Members, NITI Aayog and Special Invitees.
• First constituted in February 2015 and reconstituted in February 2021, the Governing Council embodies the objectives of cooperative federalism and presents a platform to discuss inter- sectoral, inter-departmental and federal issues to accelerate the implementation of the national development agenda.

First paperless state judiciary

During the two-day National Conclave on Technology and Judicial Education, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant declared Sikkim to be the first paperless state judiciary in the nation. He said integrating technology into judicial processes dismantles geographical barriers to help litigants overcome problems of terrain, finance and distance.

International Cooperation

Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)

• The United Arab Emirates has exited the OPEC and OPEC+ oil group effective May 1 in a major setback to oil exporting groups and its leader Saudi Arabia amid the war in West Asia.
• Founded in September 1960 at the Baghdad conference in Iraq, OPEC was originally established by five members — Iran, Kuwait, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.
• Prior to OPEC’s formation, Western multinational oil companies (often referred to as the Seven Sisters) largely dictated the prices paid to oil-producing nations.
• OPEC was created to counter this dominance, coordinating the petroleum policies of its member states to ensure that they received stable returns.
• The UAE formally joined the alliance in 1967, six years before the OPEC oil embargo was imposed on nations like the US and the Netherlands owing to their support of Israel in the Arab-Israeli war.
• The wider OPEC+ alliance was created in 2016. It included 10 major non-OPEC producers led by Russia. A response to the US’s booming shale oil production, OPEC+ produced over 40% of the world’s crude oil.
• OPEC, and OPEC+ by extension, derive their power through their influence in oil supply management. OPEC attempts to manage oil prices by regulating production limits and setting strict quotas for each of its member countries.

Defence

Vikram VT 21 

• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) recently launched its Vikram VT 21 project with two Advanced Armoured Platforms — wheeled and tracked.
• An Advanced Armoured Platform (AAP), Vikram VT 21 is a modern military combat vehicle built with enhanced armour protection to withstand certain projectiles, blasts, and shrapnel plus which has improved mobility across varied terrains and integrated weapons and surveillance systems.
• The Vikram VT 21 project includes two variants. First is wheeled, which run on tyres and are faster, easier to maintain, and better suited for roads and urban and semi urban environments.
• Second is tracked, which moves on continuous tracks like tanks, offering superior grip, stability, and performance on rough, uneven, or off-road terrain.
• These vehicles are fitted with an indigenously designed 30 mm crewless turret — a remotely operated gun system mounted on top, with no soldier sitting inside it — built to improve mobility, firepower, and protection.

Environment

Mekong River pollution

• Demand for fish is reducing due to worries over contamination of the Mekong River and its tributaries.
• — The contamination is due to toxic runoff from rare earth mines upstream that is threatening millions who rely on those waters for farms and fisheries.
• Rising demand for rare earth materials is driving an unregulated mining boom centered in war-torn Myanmar, to the west, that is spreading to Laos, in the east.
• The Mekong originates in the Tibetan Plateau in China and flows to the South China Sea through Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
• Exposure to heavy metals such as arsenic, mercury, lead and cadmium raises risks of cancer, organ failure and developmental harm, especially for children and pregnant women.
• Thailand is bearing the brunt of the mining boom as such toxins imperil its global food exports — from bags of rice in U.S. supermarkets to edamame snacks served in Japan and garlic used in Malaysian kitchens.
• Rare earths are mined by digging up rock or washing chemicals through soil to extract the minerals, creating toxic waste. The physical footprint of this process is recognisable in satellite data.

Peacock Tarantula

• The Andhra Pradesh Forest Department, in collaboration with the Eastern Ghats Wildlife Society, has initiated a conservation status survey of the Peacock Tarantula (Poecilotheria metallica) in the vast landscape of the Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR).
• The genus Poecilotheria belongs to the family Theraphosidae and is made up of arboreal species of spiders, which are known to occur in India and Sri Lanka. The genus is represented by eight species in India and seven in Sri Lanka
• Peacock Tarantula is also called Gooty tarantula, or metallic tarantula because of its attractive iridescent colouration. The Gooty in the name comes from a town in Andhra Pradesh in India, where it was first discovered in 1899.
• Peacock Tarantula is found predominantly in the deciduous forests of central and southern India. It has a distinct blue hue, one that darkens with age and maturity.
• The tarantula preys upon a variety of insects, including crickets, grasshoppers, and other small bugs. This natural predation helps regulate insect numbers, preventing potential outbreaks and ensuring that no single insect species overwhelms the ecosystem
• By keeping insect populations in check, the Peacock Tarantula contributes to the overall health and stability of its environment, promoting biodiversity and supporting the intricate web of interactions that characterize its ecosystem.
• It is classified as ‘critically endangered’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Heatwave in India

• Light to moderate rainfall on 29th and 30th April, brought an end to a week-long spell of heatwaves in most parts of north and central India, the first of the season.
• Heatwave is a condition where the temperature of the place gets unusually and uncomfortably, higher than the normal. The thresholds defined by IMD are specific to India and are not universal definitions of heatwave.
• Summers have always been very warm in most parts of India, but heatwaves are very specific conditions defined by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
• If the maximum temperature of a place gets at least 5℃ higher than normal, and this condition is reached at least two days in succession, the place is said to be experiencing a heatwave. If the temperature gets warmer than normal by 7℃, a severe heatwave is declared.
• A few other things are factored in before declaring a heatwave, particularly whether the place is located in plains or mountains and whether its normal temperature is below 40℃ or higher.
• There are two areas where heatwaves are common in India: one, the northwestern and central part extending into Bihar and Jharkhand, which is known as the core heatwave zone; and two, the eastern coast comprising Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.
• As many as 23 states in India are now affected by heatwaves. Each one of them, and hundreds of cities, now implement a heat action plan during summers.
• Incidentally, a heatwave is not yet considered a notified disaster under the Disaster Management Act in India. The Sixteenth Finance Commission, which submitted its report last year, recommended that both heatwaves and lightning be included as notified disasters.

Science and Technology

Sovereign cloud system

• The Indian government is considering mandating companies in critical sectors such as energy, telecom, and banking to use Made-in-India sovereign cloud systems.
• According to government officials, the move under discussion is aimed at reducing dependence on foreign cloud providers and strengthening data security.
• Cloud systems are on-demand, internet-based services that deliver computing resources—such as servers, data storage, databases, and software—hosted in remote data centres rather than on local hardware.
• Big businesses need cloud systems primarily for scalability and cost efficiency, allowing them to instantly scale IT infrastructure up or down to meet fluctuating demand without heavy capital investment.
• This consideration is made because last year Microsoft suddenly blocked oil refiner Nayara Energy from its IT services.
• A BLOCK by a cloud system provider can log out a client company from accessing its own data, communication channels and other tools and products. This can critically endanger operations in sectors such as telecom, energy and financial services.

Technology for pothole repairing

• The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is looking for a more effective, scientifically driven fix to the problem of potholes in the city.
• On the MCD’s table are three technologies for pothole repair, resurfacing, and road maintenance that have been patented by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI).
• The technologies being examined are:
  
  (1) Ecofix, a ready-to-use steel-slag-based pothole-repair mix
  (2) Rejupave Rejuvenator, a material for dense carpet work and resurfacing of roads
  (3) Modified Mix Seal Surfacing or MSS+, a cold-mix surfacing technology that reduces the need to heat road material.

Nobitex crypto exchange

As per the recent reports by Reuters, Nobitex, a crypto exchange, is used by the Iranian state and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to route money to allies outside the conventional banking system.

Brothers Ali and Mohammad Kharrazi – using the family surname Aghamir – built Nobitex into the country’s dominant cryptocurrency provider. It handles an estimated 70% of Iran’s crypto transactions.

Vikram-1 

• Skyroot Aerospace has flagged off Vikram-1 rocket to Sriharikota, with the launch of the rocket slated for later this year.
• Vikram-1 is a multi-stage launch vehicle with solid and liquid fuel-based engines designed for launching satellites weighing up to 350kg to low earth orbit.
• The low earth orbit is the region of space from 160 km to 2,000 km above the surface of Earth.
• What makes Vikram-1 different is that the rocket is made of carbon composite instead of metals, and houses a 3D-printed indigenously made engine — making its manufacturing and assembly easier, quicker and cheaper.
• Skyroot was also the first private company to carry out a single-stage sub-orbital flight in 2022, followed by another company, Agnikul. A sub-orbital flight is launched at a slower speed than the orbital velocity, so it reaches outer space but cannot get into an orbit around Earth.

Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF)

• The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) on May 1 operationalised India’s first MLFF barrier-less tolling system at the Choryasi toll plaza on the Surat–Bharuch section of NH-48 in Gujarat.
• The MLFF system removes the need for boom barriers and vehicles to stop for toll collection. Instead, high-performance Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) readers and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras read the FASTag and Vehicle Registration Number (VRN).
• ICICI Bank has developed the Choryasi toll collection system. An agreement between Indian Highways Management Company Limited (IHMCL) — NHAI’s tolling implementation agency — and the bank was signed in 2025.
• According to the Economic Survey 2025-26, the MLFF is projected to be implemented across all four-lane and above national highways and expressways by March 2029.

Cell-broadcasting technology and SACHET

• On May 2, India launched its Cell Broadcast messaging system using indigenous technology that would act as an instant disaster alert service for citizens.
• National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has successfully operationalized the Integrated Alert System (SACHET), developed by the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT).
• SACHET (which means ‘alert’), is an Integrated Alert System that aims to deliver disaster and emergency related alerts via SMS to mobile users within the geo-targeted areas.
• This is different from earlier sms alerts, here cell broadcast technology is used which mirrors the technologies used in countries such as Japan- J-alert system (which issued tsunami alerts).
• Cell Broadcast is a method of simultaneously sending short messages to multiple mobile phones within a defined geographic area.
• As part of day-to-day network functionality, cell towers communicate with phones within their reach, providing information such as the network it is connected to. This information is usually invisible to the user. Its only purpose is to help the network function as it should.
• The communication of information from cell towers to handsets, and the technology that enables it, are known broadly as cell broadcast.
• So, government authorities can harness this system of one-way communication between cell towers and phones to issue emergency alerts.
• The system essentially works by sending a single message from a mobile network tower to all phones connected to that tower at the same time, instead of sending individual SMS messages.
• Unlike SMS, which is a one-to-one channel, cell broadcast is a one-to-many technology. This means that one message can be sent to millions of devices within a few seconds.
• It needs no app or subscription as well. The only requirement is that the phone is switched on and configured to accept such messages (Settings → Safety and emergency →Wireless emergency alerts →Test alerts).

India’s first portable bedside MRI system

• In a first, AIIMS New Delhi has introduced India’s first portable bedside MRI system, marking a significant step in critical care and neuro diagnostics.
• The ultra–low-field device can be wheeled directly to a patient’s bedside, enabling rapid brain imaging for critically ill patients in ICUs, emergency settings, and neurosurgical care.
• Unlike conventional MRI machines that require dedicated suites and patient transport, this system eliminates the risks associated with moving unstable patients and allows imaging to be performed within the safety of the ICU environment.

Diseases

Autism

• A recent study by the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi has found that children exposed to higher screen time before the age of one were more likely to show signs of autism by the age of three.
• Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) not only showed earlier and more problematic digital media use than peers but also had higher rates of sleep problems and reduced physical activity.
• ASD is a neurodevelopmental condition affecting brain development, characterised by persistent challenges in social communication, interaction, and restricted or repetitive behaviors.
• It is considered a “spectrum” because symptoms, severity, and abilities vary widely, ranging from individuals needing significant support to those who are highly independent.

Economy

Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) projects 

• The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has introduced stricter disqualification norms for Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) projects to prevent “catastrophic failures” caused by construction defects.
• The Ministry circular extends provisions earlier applied to Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) projects to HAM contracts as part of the ministry’s broader push to strengthen quality in national highway development.
• HAM is a variant of the Public-Private Partnership model, where the government pay 40% of the project cost during construction and the balance 60% as annuity payments over the operations period.

Guinness World Record for the Andaman and Nicobar administration

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands on May 2 set a new Guinness World Record by unfurling the largest Indian flag, underwater. The feat was achieved at Swaraj Dweep, formerly known as Havelock Island. The tricolour displayed underwater measured 60 metres in length and 40 metres in width.

Biofuel b50 in Indonesia 

• Amid the surge in oil prices because of the Iran war, Indonesia has announced the roll-out of the biofuel B50, a blend of 50% palm oil-based biodiesel and 50% conventional diesel.
• As Indonesia accounts for half of global palm oil exports (as of 2024), the shift toward a B50 programme, which reorients supply from export markets to domestic consumption, is expected to significantly influence global palm oil markets.
• For India, the implications are particularly pronounced. India imports around USD 8.5 billion of palm oil, and more than 50 per cent of it comes from Indonesia (as of 2024).
• Palm oil is extensively used across household cooking, the food processing industry, and industrial sectors such as soaps and oleochemicals.

Sports

(Just FYI: With the unpredictability of the UPSC examinations and questions like the ICC World Test Championship question 2021, you can’t be sure of anything. It is wise to know what it is and not go into too much detail.)

Thomas and Uber Cup 2026

• The 34th edition of the Thomas Cup – the men’s team world championships in badminton, and the 31st Uber Cup –  the women’s variant, was held in Horsens, Denmark. The finals were played on 3rd May.
• It is a biennial international championship. In 2022, India made history by winning the maiden Thomas cup and the women’s team won the bronze medal in the 2014 and 2016 editions.
• In the Thomas Cup 2026, the Indian team was defeated by the French team in the semi-final.
• The Thomas Cup 2026 edition was won by China after defeating France, marking their second win in a row (2024).
• The Republic of Korea earned its second Uber Cup title after beating the People’s Republic of China in the Finals.

Test Your Knowledge

(Note: The best way to remember facts for UPSC and other competitive exams is to recall them through MCQs. Try to solve the following questions on your own.)

1. Consider the following statements about the Online Gaming Authority of India (OGAI):
   
   1. It operates under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
   2. It determines whether a game qualifies as an Online Money Game.
   
   Which of the statements mentioned above is/are correct?
   (a) 1 only
   (b) 2 only
   (c) Both 1 and 2
   (d) None of the above
   
2. Consider the following statements:
   
   1. The Thomas Cup and Uber Cup are associated with badminton.
   2. Uber Cup is a women’s variant of the badminton championship.
   3. India won its maiden Uber Cup in 2022.
   
   How many of the statements mentioned above is/are correct?
   (a) Only one
   (b) Only two
   (c) All three
   (d) None

If you missed the UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past few weeks : Click Below Links

UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | 20– 26 April 2026 read it here

UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | 13– 19 April 2026 read it here

UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | 06– 12 April 2026 read it here

UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | 30 March – 5 April 2026 read it here

UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | 23– 29 March 2026 read it here

The post UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | 27 April – 03 May 2026 appeared first on Rma News: Latest News, Live Breaking News, Today News, Political News Updates.

The 2026 Puducherry Assembly election resulted in a decisive victory for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), allowing the alliance to comfortably retain power in the Union Territory.

Puducherry Assembly Election 2026 — Final Seat Tally

• All India N.R. Congress (AINRC): 12 seats
• Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP): 4 seats
• All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK): 1 seat
• Lok Janshakti Party (LJP): 1 seat
• NDA Total: 18 seats

The Puducherry Legislative Assembly has 30 elected members, and the majority mark is 16.

Key Highlights

• The NDA comfortably crossed the majority mark and retained control of the Union Territory.
• N. Rangasamy led the AINRC to victory.
• Rangasamy won from both constituencies he contested:
  • Thattanchavady
  • Mangalam
• Polling was held on April 9, 2026.

Election Statistics

• Voter turnout: 89.87%
• Polling stations: 1,099
• Candidates in fray: 294

Political Context

The election saw intense competition among:

• The NDA alliance led by AINRC and BJP
• Opposition parties including the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and Indian National Congress
• Newly floated regional outfits and smaller parties

The result further strengthened the political position of N. Rangasamy in Puducherry politics.

For complete constituency-wise winners and candidate-wise vote margins, users generally refer to the official Election Commission of India portal and Puducherry election dashboards.

Here’s the full winners list:

Also See

West Bengal Assembly Election Results 2026

Tamil Nadu Assembly Election Results 2026 

Assam Assembly Election Results 2026

Kerala Assembly Election Results 2026

The post Puducherry Election Results 2026: Full List of constituency-wise winners appeared first on Rma News: Latest News, Live Breaking News, Today News, Political News Updates.