UPSC Current Affairs 06 May 2026

• Increase in Judges: The sanctioned strength will increase by 4 judges.
• New Total Strength: The number will rise from 33 to 37 judges (excluding the Chief Justice of India).
• Including the CJI: With the Chief Justice of India, the total maximum strength will be 38 judges.
• Constitutional Basis: The bill exercises powers under Article 124(1), which allows Parliament to prescribe the number of judges.
• Funding: Salaries and infrastructure for the new judges will be funded by the Consolidated Fund of India.

• Faster Justice: More judges will allow for more benches to function simultaneously.
• Case Clearance: Aims to reduce the "crisis of pendency" currently plaguing the apex court.
• Constitution Benches: Additional strength provides flexibility to form more Constitution Benches for critical legal questions.
• Administrative Efficiency: Helps the court manage the heavy workload without compromising on the depth of hearings.

Year	Sanctioned Strength (Excluding CJI)	Total (Including CJI)
1950	7	8
1956	10	11
1960	13	14
1977	17	18
1986	25	26
2009	30	31
2019	33	34
2026 (Proposed)	37	38

• Pending Vacancies: There are currently two existing vacancies in the Supreme Court.
• Upcoming Retirements: Five judges are scheduled to retire by the end of 2026, making the new appointments even more critical for maintaining working strength.
• Next Steps: The Bill will be introduced in the upcoming session of Parliament for discussion and passing.
• The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, cleared the proposal to amend the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956. This move follows reports of over 92,000 pending cases and is the first such increase in judicial strength in seven years.

• MSMEs: 100% credit guarantee coverage.
• Non-MSMEs & Airlines: 90% credit guarantee coverage.
• Guarantor: The National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company Limited (NCGTC) provides these guarantees to banks and financial institutions.

• Target Group: MSMEs, non-MSME business enterprises, and scheduled passenger airlines.
• Account Status: Borrowers must have "Standard" accounts as of March 31, 2026.
• Prerequisite: Must have existing working capital limits or outstanding credit facilities with a lender.

• General Sectors: Additional credit up to 20% of peak working capital utilised during Q4 of FY 2025–26 (capped at ₹100 crore).
• Airlines: Additional credit up to 100% of outstanding credit (capped at ₹1,500 crore per borrower).

• MSMEs / non-MSMEs: 5-year loan tenor, including a 1-year moratorium on principal repayment.
• Aviation Sector: 7-year loan tenor, including a 2-year moratorium.
• Fees: Zero guarantee fee is charged by the NCGTC, making the credit more affordable.

• The scheme is applicable for all loans sanctioned from the date of guidelines issuance until March 31, 2027.

• Job Protection: By providing timely liquidity, the government aims to prevent distress closures and job losses.
• Supply Chain Stability: Ensures that domestic production remains uninterrupted despite global volatility.
• Sector-Specific Relief: Targeted support for the aviation industry, which is highly sensitive to external fuel price shocks.

• Recommendation: Based on reports from the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).
• Legal Basis: Governed by the Sugarcane (Control) Order, 1966, issued under the Essential Commodities Act (ECA), 1955.

• Production Cost: Includes seeds, fertilizers, and labour.
• Alternate Crops: Trends in prices of other agricultural commodities.
• Consumer Interest: Ensuring sugar remains affordable for the public.
• By-products: Revenue from molasses, bagasse, and press mud.
• Farmer Margin: Reasonable profit and risk margins for growers.

• 14-Day Rule: Mills must pay farmers within 14 days of cane delivery.
• Interest: Delays can attract interest of up to 15% per annum.
• Default Penalty: Unpaid dues can be recovered by the government by attaching mill properties.

• FRP: The Central Government's minimum price applicable nationwide.
• SAP (State Advised Price): Some states (like UP, Punjab, Haryana) fix their own price, which is generally higher than the FRP.
• Mill Liability: Mills in these states must pay the higher SAP to farmers.

• Direct Link: BCIs create a communication pathway between the brain's electrical activity and an external device (computer, robotic arm, etc.).
• Bypassing Movement: It allows individuals to perform actions using thoughts alone, skipping the need for muscle or nerve involvement.

• Invasive: Electrodes are surgically implanted into the brain tissue. They provide high-quality signals but carry surgical risks.
• Non-Invasive: Sensors are worn on the scalp (like EEG headsets). These are safer and easier to use but have lower signal precision.
• Semi-Invasive: Placed on the surface of the brain (under the skull). These balance signal quality and safety.

• Medical: Restoring speech for ALS patients and motor function for those with paralysis.
• Military: Hands-free drone control, enhanced situational awareness, and cognitive performance monitoring.
• Consumer: Neuro-gaming, mental health monitoring (insomnia/depression), and "mind writing."

• Neuralink (USA): Elon Musk’s firm recently demonstrated a patient using an implant to control a computer and drive sounds.
• China: Setting a 2027 goal for tech breakthroughs; already testing semi-invasive systems like "Beinao-1" in clinical patients.
• India: Actively exploring the "Expanding Neural Frontiers" through military-industrial partnerships.

• Neuro-Security: The risk of brain activity data being hacked or misused.
• Privacy: "Mind reading" concerns—protecting private thoughts vs. intentional commands.
• Safety: Risks of infection, seizures, or long-term brain tissue damage from implants.

• Established: October 2, 1975, based on the recommendations of the Narasimham Committee.
• Statutory Basis: Governed by the Regional Rural Banks Act, 1976.
• Core Purpose: To provide institutional credit to small/marginal farmers, agricultural labourers, and rural artisans who were previously dependent on informal moneylenders.

• Central Government: 50% share
• Sponsor Bank (Public Sector Bank): 35% share
• State Government: 15% share

• Priority Sector Lending (PSL): RRBs must allocate 75% of their total credit to priority sectors (vs. 40% for commercial banks).
• Regulation & Supervision: They are regulated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and supervised by NABARD.
• Reach: They operate through over 22,000 branches across 700+ districts, with 92% of branches in rural or semi-urban areas.

• Stressed Assets: New RBI directions effective July 1, 2026, revise how RRBs classify and provision for restructured or calamity-affected loans.
• Digital Channels: A new framework mandates RRBs to introduce and operate full-fledged internet and mobile banking services with standardized cybersecurity protocols.
• Unified Branding: A new unified logo was unveiled in late 2025 to create a single brand identity for all RRBs nationwide.

• Focus: Provide high-quality middle and high-level education to Scheduled Tribe (ST) students in remote areas.
• Parity: Developed to be on par with Navodaya Vidyalayas and Kendriya Vidyalayas.
• Holistic Growth: Emphasis on academic excellence, sports, and preserving local tribal art and culture.

• Curriculum: Follows the CBSE curriculum with English as the medium of instruction.
• Capacity: Each school accommodates 480 students (equal number of boys and girls) from Class VI to XII.
• Facilities: Fully residential campuses typically spread over 15 acres, featuring labs, hostels, playgrounds, and staff quarters.
• Free Education: All expenses—including tuition, boarding, uniforms, and books—are covered by the Central Government.

• More than 50% ST population.
• At least 20,000 tribal persons (as per 2011 Census).

• Ministry: Functioning under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
• Implementing Agency: Managed by the National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS), an autonomous body that ensures uniform standards across all states.

• Construction Grants: Enhanced to ₹37.80 crore for plain areas and ₹48 crore for hilly or Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) affected regions.
• Recurring Grants: The government provides approximately ₹1.09 lakh per student per annum for school operations.
• Centre of Excellence (CoE): The scheme includes 15 specialized Centres of Excellence for Sports to train tribal athletes for national and international competitions.

• Bridge the Gap: Serves as a unified interface to connect field observations by Central Prabhari Officers with administrative action at the District, State, and Central levels.
• Data-Driven Decisions: Enables "data-driven governance" by providing field-level insights directly to NITI Aayog and line ministries.

• Instant Visibility: Once a CPO submits observations from a district visit, the data goes live immediately for the District Administration to view and act upon.
• Integrated Platform: Brings together CPOs (usually Additional/Joint Secretary rank officers), District Magistrates, State Planning Secretaries, and Central Ministries on one dashboard.
• Structured Monitoring: Allows for the tracking of suggestions, recording of feedback from states, and monitoring of responses to ensure accountability.

• Stakeholders:
  • CPOs: Submit field recommendations and mentor District Collectors.
  • Districts: View suggestions and submit responses/actions taken.
  • State Planning Secretaries: Gain a "bird’s-eye view" to coordinate across various state departments.
  • NITI Aayog/Ministries: Monitor inputs to resolve bottlenecks at the central level.

• The 3Cs Strategy: Supports the core philosophy of Convergence (of schemes), Collaboration (between tiers of gov), and Competition (among districts).
• Viksit Bharat: Positioned as a milestone toward the goal of "Viksit Bharat" (Developed India) by ensuring inclusive development in historically under-developed regions.

• Direct Ownership: An EGR is an electronic receipt issued against physical gold deposited in SEBI-accredited vaults.
• Three-Tranche Lifecycle:
  1. Creation: Physical gold is deposited with a Vault Manager and converted to electronic form.
  2. Trading: The EGR is traded on stock exchanges (BSE/NSE) like any regular stock.
  3. Redemption: Investors can surrender the EGR to take physical delivery of the gold.

• Demat Form: EGRs are held in your existing demat account.
• Denominations: Trading is allowed in small units, such as 1 gram, making it accessible to retail investors.
• Purity Standards: Gold must meet LBMA Good Delivery or India Good Delivery standards.
• Perpetual Validity: Unlike some derivatives, EGRs have no expiry and can be held indefinitely.

• GST Advantage: No GST is charged when buying or selling EGRs on the exchange. A 3% GST is only levied if and when you convert the receipt back into physical gold.
• Capital Gains: If held for more than 3 years, they attract 20% Long Term Capital Gains (LTCG) tax with indexation benefits.
• Zero Storage Risk: Since the gold is in a regulated vault, investors avoid locker costs and the risk of theft or purity fraud.

• Established: 1966.
• Headquarters: Manila, Philippines.
• Primary Goal: To foster a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia-Pacific while eradicating extreme poverty.
• Membership: 69 members (49 from within the Asia-Pacific region and 19 from outside).

• Japan & USA: Largest shareholders (approx. 15.6% each).
• China: 6.4%.
• India: 6.3% (India is a founding member and the 4th largest shareholder).

• Financial Assistance: Provides loans, technical assistance, grants, and equity investments to both governments (sovereign) and the private sector.
• Credit Rating: Maintains a AAA bond credit rating, allowing it to raise funds in global capital markets at low costs.
• Sectors Covered: Transport, energy, health, education, financial systems, and disaster management.

• Strategic Partner: ADB is one of India's largest development partners, focusing on infrastructure and climate-resilient growth.
• Recent Funding: In 2024, the ADB committed $4.25 billion for 21 projects in India, with over 60% dedicated to climate mitigation and adaptation.
• Key Projects: Ongoing support for the Chennai Metro expansion, universal health coverage in Mizoram, and flood management along the Brahmaputra in Assam.

• Purpose: To alert pilots about any condition, facility, or hazard that could affect the safety of a flight.
• Mandatory Review: Pilots are legally required to review all active NOTAMs for their route before take-off.

• Hazard Alerts: Rocket launches, parachute jumps, or military exercises.
• Infrastructure Status: Closed runways, broken taxiway lights, or out-of-service navigation aids (GPS/VOR).
• Flight Restrictions: Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) over VIP movements (like the Prime Minister's travel) or major sporting events.
• Natural Disasters: Volcanic ash clouds, bird migration warnings, or severe weather conditions.

• Coded Language: They use standardized abbreviations ("RWY" for Runway, "CLSD" for Closed) to keep messages brief.
• Standardized Duration: They include an "Effective Time" and an "Expiration Time." If the expiration is unknown, they are marked EST (Estimated).

• NOTAM (D): Pertains to navigation facilities and airports (distant).
• FDC NOTAM: Flight Data Centre notices regarding regulatory changes or amendments to charts.
• Pointer NOTAM: Highlights another NOTAM to ensure it isn't missed.
• Military NOTAM: Specifically for military airfields and operations.

• Information Overload: A single long-haul flight can have over 100 pages of NOTAMs, making it hard for pilots to spot the most critical warnings.
• Outdated Formatting: Many systems still use all-capital letters and complex codes that date back to the era of teleprinters.

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