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

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2 weeks ago

Are you preparing for the UPSC CSE Prelims 2026? Don’t miss out on important current affairs tidbits. Learn about the Mekong River pollution, SACHET, Sovereign Cloud System, Thomas Cup, Peacock Tarantula, and more.

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.)

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
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