Supreme Court Suggests Permanent Women-Only Vice-President Post in SCBA
• The Supreme Court on 8 May 2026 proposed creating a permanent women-only Vice-President post in the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) from the 2027–28 election cycle.
• The proposal was made during hearings related to reforms in Bar associations and improving women’s representation in elected posts.
• The SCBA is the recognised association of advocates practising before the Supreme Court of India, having posts like President, Vice-President, Secretary, and executive committee members.
• The Court directed the SCBA General Body Meeting to consider adding an additional Vice-President post reserved exclusively for women.
• The Court recalled its earlier order dated 27 April 2026, which had reserved the Vice-President post for women for the 2026–27 SCBA elections.
• After objections raised by women lawyers, the Court restored the earlier reservation structure for the 2026–27 cycle.
• Under the restored arrangement, the Secretary post, two senior executive committee posts, and three executive committee posts remain reserved for women members.
• The issue was raised through an application filed by seven women SCBA members, including R. Shase and Savita Devi, arguing that the Secretary’s post carries greater functional importance than the Vice-President post.
Jayen Mehta Elected First Chairman of SPCDF
• Jayen Mehta was unanimously elected as the first Chairman of SPCDF (Sardar Patel Cooperative Dairy Federation Limited) on 8 May 2026.
• He is currently the Managing Director of GCMMF (Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd.), popularly known as Amul.
• Sangram Chaudhary was elected as the Vice-Chairman of the federation.
• The election was conducted at AmulFed Dairy, Gandhinagar, and the results were officially declared on 7 May 2026.
• Jayen Mehta’s name was proposed by Ashok Chaudhary and seconded by Shabesinh Parmar.
• SPCDF is a newly established multi-state cooperative dairy federation, inaugurated on 6 July 2025.
• The federation was inaugurated by Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah.
• The SPCDF board includes representatives from GCMMF and its 10 member unions, along with three cooperative milk society representatives from Assam, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh, and its tenure is five years from 5 May 2026.
Q Manivannan Elected as Transgender MSP in Scotland
• Q Manivannan, a non-binary transgender Indian from Tamil Nadu, was elected on 8 May 2026 as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP).
• Manivannan won the seat for Edinburgh & Lothians East, representing the Scottish Greens.
• They became one of the first two transgender MSPs elected to Holyrood (Scottish Parliament).
• The Scottish Parliament is Scotland’s devolved legislature located at Holyrood, Edinburgh, established in 1999 under the Scotland Act 1998.
• Manivannan became the first person elected to Holyrood without a permanent UK visa.
• This became possible due to a 2025 SNP law, allowing non-UK citizens with any type of leave (including study visas) to contest elections.
• Manivannan moved to Scotland in September 2021 to study at the University of St Andrews, after studying at OP Jindal Global University, Delhi.
• They use they/them pronouns and have publicly highlighted their identity as a queer Tamil immigrant from a marginalised background, linking their politics with working-class causes.
Kuljeet Kaur Marhas Elected Fellow of The Meteoritical Society (2026)
• Kuljeet Kaur Marhas was elected as a Fellow of The Meteoritical Society for 2026 on 9 May 2026.
• She became the first Indian woman to receive this prestigious international recognition in meteoritics and planetary science.
• She is associated with the Planetary Science Division, Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad.
• The Meteoritical Society is an international scientific organisation working on meteorites, planetary materials, and Solar System research.
• In the Society’s 93-year history, she became only the third Indian scientist to be honoured as a Fellow.
• Her research focuses on short-lived radionuclides and stable isotopes found in extraterrestrial materials.
• She has studied key early Solar System components such as pre-solar grains, CAIs (Calcium-Aluminium-rich Inclusions), chondrules, and meteorite organic matter.
• She has analysed samples from Stardust, Hayabusa, and Apollo missions using advanced techniques like Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) and nanoSIMS, and is also a Fellow of AGU and recipient of the Devendra Lal Memorial Medal.
Thalapathy Vijay Sworn in as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister (10 May 2026)
• C. Joseph Vijay (Thalapathy Vijay) took oath as the 9th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on 10 May 2026.
• The oath of office and secrecy was administered by Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, Chennai.
• The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly has 234 elected seats.
• In the 2026 Assembly elections, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) emerged as the single largest party with 108 seats.
• TVK formed a coalition government with the Indian National Congress and other parties.
• Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam was founded by Vijay in February 2024.
• TVK became the first non-Dravidian party to form the government since 1967, ending decades of DMK-AIADMK dominance.
• Vijay contested from Perambur and Tiruchirappalli East, won both, resigned from Tiruchirappalli East, retained Perambur, and on his first day approved key measures like 200 units free electricity, a women’s safety force with helpline, and a statewide anti-drug mechanism, with a floor test expected before 13 May 2026.
India Fully Operationalises Four Labour Codes (21 Nov 2025)
• India fully implemented four labour codes on 21 November 2025 after issuing the necessary rules and official notifications.
• These codes replaced 29 central labour laws, creating a simplified and unified labour framework.
• The four codes are: Code on Wages, 2019, Industrial Relations Code, 2020, Code on Social Security, 2020, and Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020.
• The Code on Wages, 2019 standardises provisions related to minimum wages, bonus, and wage payments across establishments.
• Under the new wage definition, basic pay + dearness allowance + retaining allowance must constitute at least 50% of total remuneration.
• The Code on Social Security, 2020 expands social security coverage to gig workers and platform workers, bringing them under formal protection.
• Aggregators must contribute 1% to 2% of annual turnover, subject to a maximum of 5% of the amount paid to such workers.
• The new framework fixes a 48-hour weekly work limit, mandates overtime pay beyond this limit, promotes workplace equality, and provides free health check-ups for workers aged 40+ under the Occupational Safety Code.
Kuljeet Kaur Marhas Elected Fellow of The Meteoritical Society (2026)
• Kuljeet Kaur Marhas was elected as a Fellow of The Meteoritical Society for 2026 on 9 May 2026.
• She became the first Indian woman to receive this prestigious international recognition in meteoritics and planetary science.
• She is associated with the Planetary Science Division, Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad.
• The Meteoritical Society is an international scientific organisation working on meteorites, planetary materials, and Solar System research.
• In the Society’s 93-year history, she became only the third Indian scientist to be honoured as a Fellow.
• Her research focuses on short-lived radionuclides and stable isotopes found in extraterrestrial materials.
• She has studied key early Solar System components such as pre-solar grains, CAIs (Calcium-Aluminium-rich Inclusions), chondrules, and meteorite organic matter.
• She has analysed samples from Stardust, Hayabusa, and Apollo missions using advanced techniques like Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) and nanoSIMS, and is also a Fellow of AGU and recipient of the Devendra Lal Memorial Medal.
Thalapathy Vijay Sworn in as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister (10 May 2026)
• C. Joseph Vijay (Thalapathy Vijay) took oath as the 9th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on 10 May 2026.
• The oath of office and secrecy was administered by Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, Chennai.
• The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly has 234 elected seats.
• In the 2026 Assembly elections, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) emerged as the single largest party with 108 seats.
• TVK formed a coalition government with the Indian National Congress and other parties.
• Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam was founded by Vijay in February 2024.
• TVK became the first non-Dravidian party to form the government since 1967, ending decades of DMK-AIADMK dominance.
• Vijay contested from Perambur and Tiruchirappalli East, won both, resigned from Tiruchirappalli East, retained Perambur, and on his first day approved key measures like 200 units free electricity, a women’s safety force with helpline, and a statewide anti-drug mechanism, with a floor test expected before 13 May 2026.
India Fully Operationalises Four Labour Codes (21 Nov 2025)
• India fully implemented four labour codes on 21 November 2025 after issuing the necessary rules and official notifications.
• These codes replaced 29 central labour laws, creating a simplified and unified labour framework.
• The four codes are: Code on Wages, 2019, Industrial Relations Code, 2020, Code on Social Security, 2020, and Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020.
• The Code on Wages, 2019 standardises provisions related to minimum wages, bonus, and wage payments across establishments.
• Under the new wage definition, basic pay + dearness allowance + retaining allowance must constitute at least 50% of total remuneration.
• The Code on Social Security, 2020 expands social security coverage to gig workers and platform workers, bringing them under formal protection.
• Aggregators must contribute 1% to 2% of annual turnover, subject to a maximum of 5% of the amount paid to such workers.
• The new framework fixes a 48-hour weekly work limit, mandates overtime pay beyond this limit, promotes workplace equality, and provides free health check-ups for workers aged 40+ under the Occupational Safety Code.
Bihar Launches Traffic Challan One-Time Settlement Scheme, 2026
• Bihar introduced the Traffic Challan One-Time Settlement Scheme, 2026 through a gazette notification dated 30 April 2026.
• The scheme provides up to 50% waiver/relief on pending traffic e-challans and will remain valid till the end of financial year 2026–27.
• It applies to e-challans pending for more than 90 days, though the cut-off date is mentioned as 31 March 2025 / 31 March 2026 in different references.
• The scheme became operational from 9 May 2026, coinciding with the National Lok Adalat.
• Offences eligible for settlement include violations like not wearing helmet, not wearing seat belt, and driving without insurance.
• Serious offences such as using a handheld mobile phone while driving and dangerous driving (Section 184, Motor Vehicles Act, 1988) are excluded.
• The Patna High Court issued directions on 8 May 2026 to ensure smooth Lok Adalat functioning, including security, accessible centres, and owner notification through mobile numbers.
• Payments under the scheme are strictly online only (no cash), and a compliance report on collection and disposal from the 9 May 2026 Lok Adalat must be submitted to the Patna High Court by 22 June 2026.
Delhi Launches Aftercare Scheme for Young Persons (10 May 2026)
• Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta launched the Aftercare Scheme for Young Persons on 10 May 2026.
• The Delhi government allocated ₹3.5 crore for the scheme in the 2026–27 financial year.
• The scheme targets young persons leaving child care institutions and orphanages after attaining 18 years of age.
• It is implemented under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.
• The scheme will be executed by Delhi’s Women and Child Development Department.
• Beneficiaries will receive support for higher education, skill development, vocational training, internships, and employment opportunities.
• Additional assistance includes monthly stipend, mentoring, counselling, career guidance, and rehabilitation support, based on individual care plans.
• Oversight will be done through a State Aftercare Committee and district committees; Delhi has 88 Child Care Institutions, with about 150–200 youths exiting every year, and two aftercare homes (one for boys and one for girls).
Bihar Abolishes Vigilance Investigation Cadre, Merges it with Police
• The Bihar Cabinet approved the abolition of the Bihar Vigilance Investigation Cadre on 5 May 2026.
• The cadre will now be merged into the regular Bihar Police force through an order issued by the Bihar Home Department.
• The restructuring covers vigilance cadre officers including DSPs, police inspectors, and sub-inspectors.
• Earlier, the vigilance investigation setup functioned as a separate cadre within Bihar’s policing structure.
• Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs) from the vigilance cadre will be inducted into the Bihar Police Service.
• Inspectors and sub-inspectors from the 2014 and 2023 batches will be absorbed into equivalent ranks in Bihar Police.
• The merger ensures service continuity, meaning past service benefits will remain protected for absorbed officers.
• For seniority, absorbed officers will be placed immediately after the last-ranked officers of their respective batches in the Bihar Police.
Jharkhand Achieves Zero Primary Dropout Rate (UDISE+ 2024–25)
• Jharkhand recorded a 0% primary dropout rate in 2024–25, as per UDISE+ 2024–25 data and a NITI Aayog report (8 May 2026).
• The primary dropout rate in Jharkhand had earlier been 6.41% in 2014–15, showing major improvement over a decade.
• The upper primary dropout rate declined from 7.42% (2014–15) to 1.7% (2024–25).
• The secondary dropout rate sharply reduced from 23.2% to 3.5% during the same period.
• In 2024–25, Jharkhand reported zero primary dropout for both boys and girls, after being above 11% in 2022–23.
• Jharkhand’s primary Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) fell from 109.2% (2014–15) to 92.5% (2024–25), while secondary GER increased from 66.05% to 72%.
• As per September 2023 estimates, around 86,000 children were still out of school, and a statewide survey was planned from 15 Nov 2025 to 10 Jan 2026 to identify such children.
• The state also faced major infrastructure challenges, including 99,565 teacher vacancies (2025–26) and 9,172 single-teacher schools, though it ranked 4th nationally in reducing secondary dropout in 2024–25.
Archibald Prize 2026 Awarded to Richard Lewer
• The Archibald Prize 2026 was awarded on 8 May 2026 to Melbourne-based artist Richard Lewer.
• He won the prize for his portrait of Iluwanti Ken, a respected Pitjantjatjara Elder.
• The award carried a cash prize of $100,000, and the winning entry was selected from 1,034 submissions.
• The Archibald Prize is a prestigious Australian portrait painting award established in 1921.
• It is administered by the Art Gallery of New South Wales, located in Sydney.
• Richard Lewer has been a six-time finalist in the Archibald Prize (2017, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2025, and 2026).
• Iluwanti Ken is also recognised as a senior artist and ngangkari, meaning a traditional healer in Central Australia.
• The Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes exhibition 2026 opened on 9 May 2026, featuring 59 finalist works, and will run until 16 August 2026.
