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Highlights of May 1st Week Current Affairs
- Public healthcare usage has increased, with rural OPD visits rising from 28% (2014) to 35% (2025), showing growing trust in government facilities.
- Government-funded health insurance coverage has expanded significantly, reaching 45.5% in rural areas and 31.8% in urban areas.
- Public healthcare remains highly affordable, with median hospitalisation costs around ₹1,100. India is witnessing an epidemiological shift from infectious diseases to non-communicable diseases like diabetes and hypertension.
- Maternal healthcare indicators have improved sharply, with nearly universal antenatal care (~98%) and high institutional deliveries.
- A major concern is the high cost disparity, as private hospitalisation (₹50,508) is far more expensive than public care (₹6,631).
- The Supreme Court reinforced free and compulsory education by making RTE admissions mandatory and non-discretionary for schools.
- The E-PRAAPTI portal will enable Aadhaar-based tracking and reactivation of inactive EPF accounts, improving transparency and access.
- The government plans to include E100 and E85 fuels, boosting clean energy adoption but raising concerns over water use and food security.
- Key broader developments include Sikkim’s success in organic farming, Panchayat performance tracking through PAI 2.0, and India retaining its position as the world’s fifth-largest military spender.
- The Supreme Court of India called for reforms in abortion laws after dismissing a curative petition involving a 15-year-old rape survivor’s 30-week pregnancy.
- It recommended removing gestational limits under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act in cases of minor rape survivors due to delayed reporting and trauma.
- The Court reaffirmed reproductive autonomy, dignity, and bodily integrity as fundamental rights under Article 21.
- It emphasised that the State cannot force a survivor to continue pregnancy against her will.
- Observed that abortion laws must evolve to consider psychological trauma and late detection of pregnancy over foetal viability concerns.
- Current law allows abortion up to 24 weeks for minors and rape survivors, with stricter conditions beyond that.
- Mandatory reporting under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act can create procedural and privacy challenges for survivors.
- The Court may use Article 142 to grant relief in exceptional cases where legal limits hinder justice.
- Past rulings like Murugan Nayakkar v. Union of India prioritised trauma over foetal viability in minor rape cases.
- Key concerns include rigid gestational limits, delays due to medical boards, and barriers in timely access to abortion services.
- The Supreme Court of India is reviewing brain death certification amid concerns of malpractice and unethical organ harvesting.
- Brain death is legally recognised as death in India and is crucial for organ transplantation, involving irreversible loss of all brain activity.
- Certification requires a 4-member medical board, apnea test, and repeat verification, but inconsistencies in protocol implementation raise concerns.
- Lack of standardisation, low doctor training, and absence of advanced diagnostics like EEG are key issues flagged in brain death procedures.
- The concept of ecocide—severe environmental destruction—is gaining global attention but is not yet recognised under the International Criminal Court framework.
- Around 266 million people faced acute food insecurity globally in 2025, as per the Global Report on Food Crises 2026, driven mainly by conflict, climate events, and economic shocks.
- Public Interest Litigation (PIL), rooted in Articles 32 and 226, is facing misuse, judicial overreach, and weak enforcement despite its role in social justice.
- Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) has been introduced in India’s coal policy, enabling cleaner utilisation of deep coal reserves through syngas production.
- The National Company Law Tribunal is under scrutiny for delays that undermine the time-bound insolvency process under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016.
- The Komagata Maru Incident exposed racial discrimination in the British Empire and fueled revolutionary nationalism in India.
- India Meteorological Department warns a developing Super El Niño may weaken India’s southwest monsoon, raising risks for rainfall and economy.
- El Niño is an abnormal warming of the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, occurring every 2–7 years as part of El Niño–Southern Oscillation.
- Super El Niño is a stronger variant marked by sea surface temperature anomalies exceeding +2°C, causing intense global climate disruptions.
- Weakening or reversal of trade winds shifts warm water toward the eastern Pacific, triggering El Niño conditions.
- Bjerknes feedback loop sustains the phenomenon: ocean warming weakens winds, which further increases warming.
- Eastward shift of Walker Circulation reduces convection over India, leading to below-normal monsoon rainfall.
- Global teleconnections during El Niño alter monsoons, storm tracks, and temperature patterns worldwide.
- India’s southwest monsoon (June–September), contributing ~70% of annual rainfall, is often weakened during El Niño years (7 out of 10 cases).
- Reduced rainfall stresses agriculture, especially kharif crops, affecting nearly 60% of rainfed farmers and threatening food security.
- Lower rainfall impacts water resources, economy, and energy—causing groundwater depletion, food inflation, rural distress, and reduced hydropower generation.
- India hosts 7/8 Ashtamahasthanas yet attracts only ~6% of global Buddhist tourists, showing underutilised soft power.
- Key Buddhist sites include Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, Kushinagar, Rajgir, Vaishali, Shravasti, Sankasya (Lumbini in Nepal).
- Buddhist diplomacy helps India counter China via strategic soft balancing in Himalayan regions like Tawang.
- Relic diplomacy (e.g., Piprahwa relics) strengthens ties with Southeast & East Asia.
- Revival of Nalanda University boosts India’s position as a global Buddhist knowledge hub.
- International Buddhist Confederation promotes Pan-Asian cooperation.
- Buddhist values support India’s Act East Policy with ASEAN, Japan, Korea & Sri Lanka.
- Model Code of Conduct ensures free & fair elections, enforced by ECI under Article 324 (not a law).
- Whitley Awards 2026 honoured Indian conservationists for protecting endangered species like Indian Skimmer.
- MLFF barrier-less tolling system (FASTag + ANPR) launched in Gujarat to reduce congestion and improve efficiency.
- Union Cabinet approved the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026 to increase Supreme Court strength from 34 to 38 judges including the CJI.
- Article 124 empowers Parliament to increase the number of Supreme Court judges through legislation.
- The proposal aims to reduce pendency and ensure faster disposal of constitutional and civil cases.
- Larger judge strength will help in easier formation of Constitution Benches and special benches.
- Supreme Court strength has steadily increased from 8 judges in 1950 to 38 judges proposed in 2026.
- A Chief Minister can remain in office only while enjoying majority support in the Legislative Assembly.
- If majority is lost, the Governor may ask for a floor test, seek resignation, or invite another leader to form government.
- World Migration Report 2026 states India remains the world’s largest diaspora and top remittance recipient with around USD 137 billion in 2024.
- Climate disasters caused millions of internal displacements globally, with India recording over 5 million disaster-related displacements.
- India’s revised FDI approval SOP introduces 12-week time-bound clearances, digital processing, and stricter scrutiny for sensitive sectors.
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1 to 7 May 2026 (Weekly Current Affairs Quiz)
Current Affairs of Other Weeks in May 2026
| May 2nd Week Current affairs 2026 |
Current Affairs of Other Days in May 2026
| 7 May 2026 Current Affairs | |
| 6 May 2026 Current Affairs | 5 May 2026 Current Affairs |
| 4 May 2026 Current Affairs | 3 May 2026 Current Affairs |
| 2 May 2026 Current Affairs | 1 May 2026 Current Affairs |