LEGAL NEWS

Supreme Court Flags Need to Amend MTP Law for Minor Rape Cases

• The Supreme Court examined the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 1971 in cases involving unwanted pregnancies of minor rape survivors.

• The Court asked the Union Government to consider amending the law to remove the gestational time limit in rape cases involving children.

• The MTP Amendment Act, 2021 allows termination up to 24 weeks for special categories such as minors and rape survivors.

• On 30 April 2026, a Bench of CJI Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi raised the issue of removing statutory limits for such cases.

• On 2 May 2026, the Court orally observed that the MTP Act may require further legal changes for pregnancies resulting from rape of minors.

• The case involved a 15-year-old rape survivor seeking termination of a 30-week pregnancy, which was beyond the usual legal limit.

• The Court linked the issue to reproductive autonomy under Article 21, stating the decision should rest with the survivor and her parents.

• On 4 May 2026, the Court dropped contempt proceedings against the Centre and AIIMS after compliance with its direction to terminate the pregnancy.

Union Cabinet Clears Increase in Supreme Court Judge Strength

• The Union Cabinet approved on 5 May 2026 an increase in the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges from 33 to 37 (excluding the Chief Justice of India).

• With the Chief Justice of India (CJI) included, the total number of judges will rise from 34 to 38.

• The strength of the Supreme Court is fixed under the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956.

• To implement this change, the government will introduce the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026 in Parliament.

• The decision is linked to the heavy workload of the Court, with more than 92,000 pending cases.

• Higher judge strength will allow more division benches and constitutional benches to function simultaneously.

• The extra expenditure for judges, supporting staff, and infrastructure will be met from the Consolidated Fund of India (Article 266).

• The last increase was done in 2019, when the sanctioned strength (excluding CJI) was raised from 30 to 33 under the same Act.

NATIONAL NEWS

South Coast Railway Zone to be Notified from 1 June 2026

• The Union Government will officially notify the South Coast Railway Zone (SCoR) on 1 June 2026, with headquarters at Visakhapatnam.

• After notification, SCoR will become India's 18th railway zone, mainly covering railway administration in Andhra Pradesh.

• The new zone will include Guntakal, Guntur, and Vijayawada divisions, which are currently under the South Central Railway.

• It will also have a newly formed Visakhapatnam division, earlier part of the Waltair division under the East Coast Railway.

• The Union Cabinet gave ex post facto approval for the zone's creation on 7 February 2025 (approval granted after the decision/action).

• The foundation stone for the headquarters building in Visakhapatnam was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January 2025.

• The Andhra Pradesh government provided 52.2 acres of land at Mudasarlova in August 2024, and the project received ₹184 crore for establishment.

• On 29 April 2026, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the notification and, along with CM N. Chandrababu Naidu, reviewed progress while proposals were also made to merge certain railway sections into the new zone.

Union Cabinet Approves Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) 5.0

• The Union Cabinet approved Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) 5.0, continuing India's credit guarantee-based liquidity support system.

• ECLGS was originally launched in 2020 as a pandemic-time measure to provide emergency credit support to stressed businesses.

• It is a government-backed credit guarantee scheme, not a direct cash grant or subsidy programme.

• The scheme provides additional working capital loans to eligible borrowers, especially MSMEs (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises).

• Under ECLGS, the government offers a sovereign guarantee, reducing default risk for banks and lending institutions.

• The scheme has been implemented through banks and other eligible financial institutions.

• ECLGS has been extended and modified in multiple versions since 2020, showing its continued relevance in economic support policy.

• Such credit guarantee frameworks help improve access to formal credit by encouraging lenders to provide collateral-free or partially secured loans.

Hazaribag Notified as India's First Pearl Farming Cluster

• Hazaribag has been notified as India's first pearl farming cluster under PMMSY (Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana).

• The cluster has received an investment of around ₹22 crore through a joint initiative of the Central Government and the Jharkhand Government.

• Hazaribag was officially declared a Pearl Cluster on 30 August 2024 by the Department of Fisheries, Government of India.

• The project initially began as a pilot initiative in 2019–20 under the Jharkhand state plan and later expanded into a structured cluster model.

• The Purty Agrotech Training Centre, Ranchi (set up in 2024 using CSR support) has trained more than 132 farmers in modern pearl farming methods.

• According to NFDB (National Fisheries Development Board), Hazaribag district alone has produced around 1.02 lakh pearls.

• Jharkhand has reported over 800 trained pearl growers across the state as of February 2026, showing rapid growth in this sector.

• The cluster is supported by multiple institutions, with plans like a brood bank for the Vietnamese mussel Hyriopsis cumingii, and certificate courses introduced by St. Xavier's College, Ranchi to strengthen training, value addition, and market linkage.

APPOINTMENTS

Runiel Debbarma Appointed Chief Executive Member of TTAADC

• Tripura appointed Runiel Debbarma as the Chief Executive Member of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC).

• TTAADC is a Sixth Schedule Autonomous District Council functioning under the Constitution of India.

• The council was created under the Sixth Schedule, which provides self-governance arrangements for tribal regions in North-East India.

• TTAADC administers tribal-dominated areas of Tripura and plays a key role in local governance and development planning.

• The Chief Executive Member heads the executive committee and is responsible for administration and implementation of council decisions.

• Autonomous District Councils have authority over matters such as land use, forests, village administration, and protection of customary laws.

• The Sixth Schedule is applicable in four states: Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram.

• Such councils strengthen tribal autonomy by enabling local decision-making and preservation of traditional practices within their jurisdiction.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Canada Becomes First Non-European Participant in EPC Summit

• Canada became the first non-European country to attend a European Political Community (EPC) Summit.

• Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney participated in the 8th EPC summit held in Yerevan on 4 May 2026.

• The European Political Community (EPC) was launched in 2022 after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine to strengthen political dialogue in Europe.

• The EPC includes EU member nations as well as non-EU European countries like the UK, Turkey, Norway, and Switzerland, but it is not an EU membership platform.

• The Yerevan summit was co-chaired by Nikol Pashinyan and Antonio Costa.

• Nearly 50 leaders participated, discussing key issues such as regional security, political stability, and infrastructure cooperation.

• Canada's participation followed an official invitation extended by Antonio Costa on 28 April 2026.

• During the visit, Carney also met Nikol Pashinyan on 3 May 2026, while clarifying that Canada is not seeking European Union membership.

AWARDS

Indians Win Pulitzer 2026 for Visual Report on Digital Arrest Scam

• Indian illustrator Anand RK, investigative journalist Suparna Sharma, and Natalie Obiko Pearson won the Pulitzer Prize 2026 in the Illustrated Reporting and Commentary category.

• The award was announced on 4 May 2026 and recognised their illustrated investigative project titled trAPPed.

• The Pulitzer Prize is administered by Columbia University and is considered one of the world's most prestigious journalism awards.

• The Illustrated Reporting and Commentary category honours reporting that combines strong journalism with impactful visual storytelling.

• trAPPed, published by Bloomberg, investigates the growing cybercrime trend of "digital arrest" in India.

• The report focuses on a case where an Indian neurologist was threatened and controlled through her phone by scammers posing as authorities.

• The work highlights wider issues such as online fraud networks, surveillance-like intimidation tactics, and misuse of digital tools.

• Anand RK is known for graphic investigative storytelling, while Suparna Sharma has decades of reporting experience focusing on systemic failures and human impact.

MISCELLANEOUS

India Allows Limited Wheat Exports After 2022 Ban

• India permitted restricted wheat exports in 2026 after the export ban imposed on 13 May 2022.

• On 13 February 2026, the government approved export of 2.5 million tonnes of wheat and 0.5 million tonnes of wheat products.

• Later, on 20 April 2026, an additional 2.5 lakh tonnes of wheat exports were allowed.

• Although wheat exports are officially still under the "prohibited" category, limited shipments are being permitted through special approvals and government-to-government routes.

• The export ban in 2022 was introduced due to food security concerns, reduced harvest expectations, and rising inflation.

• Wheat production for the 2025–26 crop year is estimated at a record 120.2 million tonnes, supported by better acreage and favourable weather.

• As of 1 April 2026, wheat stock in the central pool of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) was projected at around 18.2 lakh tonnes.

• Countries like Egypt, Indonesia, Myanmar, and Bangladesh have shown interest in importing wheat from India after the export relaxation.

Bengaluru Ranked World's Fastest-Growing Major City Till 2035

• Bengaluru has been ranked as the world's fastest-growing major city up to 2035 in Savills' Growth Hubs Index.

• This index is part of Savills' Resilient Cities research programme and evaluates long-term urban economic potential.

• The ranking studied around 245 global cities using indicators like projected GDP growth, wealth expansion, demographic change, and migration trends.

• Bengaluru's top position is mainly attributed to its strong talent base and its emergence as a preferred destination for Global Capability Centres (GCCs).

• GCCs are offshore units of multinational companies handling areas such as technology services, analytics, finance, and operational support.

• Several Indian cities featured in the top 20 list, placing India among the leading countries in the growth hub assessment.

• The report showed a strong Asia-Pacific dominance, with the region accounting for nearly three-fourths of the top 50 cities and about 85% of the top 20.

• The study also linked fast-growing cities like Bengaluru to rising demand in real estate sectors such as housing, office spaces, and infrastructure-driven development.

Mario Miranda Birth Centenary Marked with India Post Tribute

• The birth centenary of Mario Miranda was observed on 2 May 2026, marking 100 years since his birth in 1926.

• On 3 May 2026, India Post unveiled a special philatelic tribute in Panaji.

• The tribute included a commemorative cancellation along with four specially designed picture postcards dedicated to his legacy.

• Mario Miranda, whose full name was Mario Joao Carlos do Rosario de Britto e Miranda, was famous for satirical line drawings reflecting everyday life.

• He was born in Daman and was brought up in Loutolim, which strongly influenced his artistic themes.

• An exhibition titled "Growing Up in Mario's World" is scheduled at the Sunaparanta Goa Centre for the Arts from 9 May to 13 June 2026.

• Another exhibition opened in Miramar, Goa on 2 May 2026, curated by the Directorate of Art & Culture and inaugurated by his sister Fatima Miranda Figueiredo.

• The Indian Cartoon Gallery in Bengaluru is hosting "Mario @100" from 2 May to 23 May 2026, showcasing 110 of his works; he was also awarded the Padma Vibhushan posthumously in 2012.