Top 20 UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | May 25 to May 31, 2026

Event

• International Day of Yoga (IDY) 2026

— The main celebration of the International Day of Yoga (IDY) 2026 will be held in Kolkata on 21 June.

— The theme for this year is “Yoga for Healthy Ageing”, highlighting the role of Yoga in promoting physical health, mental well-being, and healthy ageing.

Art & Culture

The Vagdevi idol at the British Museum

• Vagdevi idol

— Recently, the Madhya Pradesh High Court declared the 11th-century Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Mosque complex in Dhar a temple. In its judgment, the court addressed claims concerning the idol of the temple’s reigning deity, Saraswati or Vagdevi, which is believed to be housed in the British Museum in London.

— The idol was excavated or recovered during clearing operations in Dhar by a British colonial officer, Major General William Kincaid. Following its removal from the Bhojshala complex, the idol was shipped to England, arriving in the UK in 1886. It was officially acquired by the British Museum in 1909.

— As per the British Museum website, the “Standing figure of the Jaina yakṣiṇī Ambikā carved in a coarse white marble” comes from the Paramara dynasty, and has a ‘production date’ of year 1034.

Economy

Kill Switch (NotebookLM)

• RBI’s Kill Switch

— The Reserve Bank of India is exploring the possibility of introducing a ‘Kill switch’ mechanism that would allow users at the receiving end of a potential digital scam to immediately stop all financial transactions from their accounts.

— A ‘kill switch facility’ is a mechanism that allows a system, device, account, or service to be shut down, disabled or blocked immediately in an emergency or under specific conditions.

• Retrospective taxation

— The Supreme Court on May 27 has upheld the constitutional validity of the government’s retrospective 28 per cent Goods and Services Tax (GST) levy on online gaming companies.

— The verdict effectively revives tax demands running into nearly Rs 2.5 lakh crore against gaming firms, fantasy sports platforms and casinos, and could well spell the end of the road for the online gaming sector, already reeling under a ban imposed by the government in 2025.

— Retrospective taxation means bringing changes in the legislation that impact the tax consequences of certain actions undertaken before the enactment of such legislation.

— The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, has imposed a ban on online real money games of all types, shutting the door on popular apps such as Dream11, Mobile Premier League and Winzo.

— Under the Act, the government has prohibited any person from offering online games in India, failing which they could be imprisoned for up to three years, and penalised Rs 1 crore. Those promoting such platforms, such as social media influencers, will also face jail time of two years and a penalty of Rs 50 lakh.

• Anti-dumping duties

— Industry associations and several government ministries have begun pushing for a suspension or pause in anti-dumping investigations into several chemical intermediaries due to a surge in prices and shortages caused by the ongoing war in West Asia.

— Anti-dumping duties are tariffs imposed by governments on imported goods that are sold at prices lower than their fair market value. These duties are used as a trade defence tool to prevent unfair competition and protect domestic industries.

— According to the World Trade Organisation, if a company exports a product at a price lower than the price it normally charges on its own home market, it is said to be “dumping” the product.

— The WTO Agreement does not regulate the actions of companies engaged in “dumping”. Its focus is on how governments can or cannot react to dumping — it disciplines anti-dumping actions, and it is often called the “Anti-dumping Agreement”.

Polity

• High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes 

— The government has constituted a “High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes” (HLCDC) under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

— It is tasked “to undertake scientific study of the nature, causes and consequences of unnatural demographic changes occurring across the country and to recommend appropriate policy, administrative and legal measures”.

— The committee will be chaired by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Prakash Prabhakar Naolekar and will include other members.

Image created by NotebookLM

• Parole

— On 26th May, Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, serving a 20-year sentence for raping two of his disciples, walked out of Rohtak’s Sunaria prison on a 30-day parole.

— This is the 16th time Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh has moved out of the prison since his conviction in the rape case in August 2017.

— Parole is a system of releasing a prisoner with suspension of the sentence. The release is conditional, usually subject to behaviour, and requires periodic reporting to the authorities for a set period of time. Parole is considered a reformative process.

What is the difference between Parole and Furlough?

This is a concept broadly similar to parole, but with some significant differences. Furlough is given in cases of long-term imprisonment. The period of furlough granted to a prisoner is treated as remission of his sentence

• Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) 

— The FWICE has taken a strong stand against Ranveer Singh for his sudden, unceremonious exit from Farhan Akhtar’s directorial Don 3.

— The film body has issued a non-cooperation directive against Ranveer, alleging that he failed to respond to their invitation to appear in person and discuss the issue despite three reminders.

— FWICE, established in 1956, is a film industry workers’ union and the parent body of 32 craft associations. It works towards promoting and safeguarding the economic and cultural interests of its members.

— FWICE intervenes in matters related to professional disputes, contractual disagreements, and non-payment of wages. It also has the authority to issue non-cooperation directives against actors, directors, producers, or production houses accused of violating industry norms. The organisation can direct its members to refrain from working with a particular individual or banner.

— In addition, FWICE lays down guidelines regarding working hours, minimum wages, and safety standards for daily-wage workers, technicians, and artists. The body also looks into cases of workplace misconduct and can enforce disciplinary action when required.

• Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs)

— The Election Commission is considering deploying special Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) for the internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Manipur, for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

— Under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, Electoral Registration Officers and AEROs are appointed for maintaining the electoral rolls of Assembly constituencies.

— In the case of Manipur, where thousands of electors have been displaced from their home constituencies, the EC is considering appointing special AEROs to decide on the eligibility of the electors staying in camps.

International 

• Abraham Accords

— US President Donald Trump on May 25 called on Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey, and Jordan to sign the Abraham Accords — a step towards recognising and normalising ties with its ally, Israel.

— The accords are essentially a series of peace agreements to normalise relations between Israel and Muslim-majority nations, stemming from the fact that upon the establishment of Israel in 1948, Arab states refused to accord diplomatic recognition to it.

— Named after the biblical figure of Abraham, the patriarch in Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, the agreements were presented by the US as a framework for peace, regional stability and economic cooperation between Israel and the Arab states.

— Introduced during Trump’s first term in 2020, the accords were framed as a negotiated resolution to the Palestinian issue; in practice, they have largely bypassed the question of Palestinian statehood altogether.

• Extradition

— India is working on the extradition of two more criminals from Türkiye wanted by the government — Navpreet Singh from Punjab, who is wanted in several narcotics-related cases, and Mohammad Sartaj from Madhya Pradesh, linked to cases involving threats and violence.

— India and Türkiye share a formal extradition treaty, which was signed in 2001 and came into force in June 2002. The framework allows both countries to formally request the transfer of fugitive criminals and individuals wanted for terrorism and other severe crimes.

— Extradition is the formal process of one country surrendering an individual to another country for prosecution or punishment for crimes committed in the requesting country’s jurisdiction. It is typically governed by a bilateral treaty between the two countries involved, or a larger multilateral treaty.

• Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting

— The foreign ministers of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), comprising India, the United States, Australia, and Japan, held the foreign ministers meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on 26th May, 2026.

— They launched a series of major initiatives spanning maritime surveillance, port infrastructure, critical minerals, and regional energy security.

Key multilateral frameworks announced:

(i) Indo-Pacific Maritime Surveillance Cooperation Initiative: This aims to improve maritime surveillance and information-sharing across the Indo-Pacific.

(ii) Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness Initiative: This will be expanded to provide near-real-time commercial maritime data to countries in the region.

(iii) Quad Ports of the Future Partnership: This is for port infrastructure development in the Pacific Islands. Under this, the Quad will work with Fiji to improve its port infrastructure.

(iv) Quad Critical Minerals Framework: This is aimed at strengthening critical mineral supply chains and their recycling.

• India-Cyprus elevate ties

— President of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides paid a State visit to India from 20 to 23 May 2026.

— India and Cyprus agreed to elevate their bilateral ties to Strategic Partnership, unveiled a 5-year roadmap for defence cooperation (2026-2031), decided to establish a cyber security dialogue and strengthen cooperation on maritime transport, space and health.

— There were six pacts signed that include an MoU on establishing a joint working group on counter-terrorism, establishment of official coordination and cooperation on Search and Rescue (SAR), on higher education and research and cultural cooperation from 2026-2030.

— The two sides are also working towards the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC) project.

— Cyprus is located close to Turkey and Syria. It’s a EU member despite being geographically in Asia. Its location makes it a crucial part of the IMEEC, an infrastructure project that India expects multiple benefits from.

— IMEC is supposed to boost trade and connectivity between India and Europe via the Middle East, and Cyprus, in the Mediterranean, has an important role to play.

Environment

Albino Hog Deer (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

• Albino Hog Deer

— A rare albino hog deer was spotted in Kaziranga National Park, drawing attention on social media.

— An albino deer is completely white with pink eyes, nose, and hooves due to the absence of body pigment caused by albinism. It is a genetic trait with the missing gene responsible for hair, tissue, and skin colour.

— The Indian hog deer is one of the smallest species of deer, standing about 70 cm at the shoulder and weighing approximately 50 kg. The hog deer gets its name from the hog-like manner in which it runs with its head hung low.

• Hasdeo Arand forest

— Rajasthan State-owned electricity producer has been granted an in-principle approval to clear 1,742.6 hectares in Hasdeo Arand forest in Surguja, Chhattisgarh, classified as ‘high-conservation zone’ category in the government’s own decision support system tool.

— The Hasdeo-Arand forest spans the Korba, Surguja and Surajpur districts in Chhattisgarh.

— It is home to dense Sal forests besides nine Schedule – I species, including leopards, sloth bears and elephants, which are accorded the highest level of protection under the country’s wildlife law.

— It is also a catchment for the Hasdeo River and Bango Dam, and a dispersal corridor for tigers.

Defence

• BrahMos missiles

— Indian Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh said India has signed a deal to sell BrahMos missiles to Vietnam and it is in final stage for a similar deal with Indonesia.

— BrahMos is built through the collaboration of India and Russia. An agreement was signed, which led to the formation of BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture between the DRDO and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyenia (NPOM).

— BrahMos is an amalgamation of the names of the Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers. The entity was set up with a mandate to design, develop, and manufacture a supersonic, high-precision cruise missile and its variants.

— India holds a 50.5 per cent share and Russia the other 49.5 per cent share in the joint venture. The first successful test of the missile was conducted on June 12, 2001, from the specially designed land-based launcher at the Integrated Test Range, off the Chandipur coast of Odisha.

— BrahMos is a two-stage missile with a solid propellant booster engine. The first stage brings the missile to a supersonic speed, greater than the speed of sound, and it then gets separated.

— The second stage of the liquid ramjet then fires and thrusts the missile to three times the speed of sound in its cruise phase. A liquid ramjet is an air-breathing jet engine that uses liquid fuel, which is injected into the high-speed airstream and ignited to produce thrust.

— BrahMos is an extremely versatile stand-off range ‘fire-and-forget’ type supersonic cruise missile that has proved its capabilities in land-based, ship-based, air launched and submarine-based versions.

Info-graphics by NotebookLM

• Oreshnik missile

— Russia used the Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile during a mass drone and missile attack on Kyiv on 24th May that killed at least two people, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

— Russia first used the Oreshnik missile on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro in November 2024. Moscow used it again in the Lviv region in January.

— Putin has said the Oreshnik (meaning hazelnut tree in Russian) travels at mach 10 (ten times the speed of sound) and can destroy underground bunkers several floors deep.

— He has also claimed the weapon remains immune to missile defence systems and said multiple Oreshnik missiles fitted with conventional warheads could cause destruction comparable to a nuclear strike.

• Arash-e Kamangir

— Iran has brought down a United States MQ-9 Reaper drone near the Strait of Hormuz using its new air defence system called the Arash-e Kamangir, Al Jazeera reported. The MQ-9 Reaper is a US unmanned aerial vehicle used for surveillance and strike missions.

— Iranian media describe it as a mobile air defence system designed to intercept drones and aircraft.

— The new interceptor system, Arash-e-Kamangir, announced by Fars translates, in Persian, to “Arash the archer”.

— It has been named after an eponymous hero from Persian mythology who had fired an arrow to draw the border between Iran and Central Asia, Al Jazeera highlighted. Broadly, Arash stands for a hero who helped Iran in its battle against international domination, it stated.

Science and Technology

Infographics created by Notebooklm

• India’s first hydrogen train

— The Railway Board (RB) has given approval to the introduction of the country’s first hydrogen-powered trainset.

— In March, the oscillation trial run of the train was completed. The test was conducted by the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) as part of the evaluation process.

— With its introduction into commercial service, India will join the global league of countries including Germany, Sweden, Japan and China – that operate hydrogen-powered trains.

— They use HFC (Hydrogen Fuel Cell) technology, which generates energy through the electrochemical reaction of compressed hydrogen with atmospheric oxygen, emitting water vapour as the sole byproduct. This makes the system a zero-emission mechanism at the point of use.

Sports

(Just FYI: Sports is not just about the events, it also brings geography and polity aspect. In Prelims 2026, a question was asked on Grand Slam Tennis Tournaments. So don’t ignore these topics.)

Novak Djokovic of Serbia cools himself with the ice during a break of the second round men’s singles tennis match against Valentin Royer at the French Open. (AP Photo)

• Clay court of Roland Garros

— Roland Garros (the French Open) is the only Grand Slam played on a clay surface. This year, as Paris experiences an unusually intense early-summer heatwave, with temperatures exceeding 35°C during the opening week of the tournament, the players are feeling the heat.

— Clay courts are moisture-dependent surfaces. Unlike hard courts, their playing characteristics are directly tied to how much water is retained beneath the top layer of crushed brick.

— When temperatures rise sharply, moisture evaporates faster. The surface becomes drier and harder, which changes the speed and bounce of the ball. Players at Roland Garros have already noticed the difference.

— Traditionally, clay slows the ball down because moisture creates more friction between the surface and the ball. But dry clay reduces that resistance. The bounce becomes quicker and lower, favouring aggressive baseline hitting over attritional rallying.

— The court is actually a complex five-layer structure nearly 80 centimetres deep. They are built using large foundation stones, gravel, volcanic rock residue, compacted limestone, and finally a thin layer of crushed red brick.

— According to Philippe Vaillant, head of court maintenance at Roland Garros, the limestone layer is the most critical component because it retains moisture and provides structural stability. The red brick layer is mainly cosmetic and helps players slide. If the limestone dries out excessively, the court can crack.

— The crushed brick layer is 3 to 5 millimetres thick. It is mainly there for colour and as a material that provides some sliding ability and an important visual contrast, since the limestone is almost white.

— To combat the heat, tournament staff are using calcium chloride, a salt compound spread across the courts in flake form each morning.

— The compound slows evaporation and helps the courts retain consistency through long matches played in direct sun. Groundskeepers say the substance effectively “reactivates” moisture in the crushed brick layer during the day.

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) With reference to India, consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2021)

1. When a prisoner makes out a sufficient case, parole cannot be denied to such prisoner because it becomes a matter of his/her right.

2. State Governments have their own Prisoners Release on Parole Rules.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

(2) Which of the following statements with regard to Green Hydrogen is/are correct? (UPSC CSE 2026)

1. It is decarbonized hydrogen obtained from natural gas reforming combined with carbon capture and storage (CCS).

2. It is produced using electrolysis of water with electricity generated by renewable energy.

3. The National Green Hydrogen Mission of India aims for an abatement of nearly 50 MMT of annual greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

Select the answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 2 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

For your suggestions and feedback, write to khushboo.kumari@indianexpress.com

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