Current affairs for UPSC
Daily notes mapped to syllabus topics, with “Asked before” PYQs and original practice MCQs.
GS2 · IRIndia hosted the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi on 14 May 2026 as BRICS chair. EAM said the world faces unprecedented uncertainty that hurts developing countries through energy, food and fertiliser pressures. India set out four priorities under BRICS@20: Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability, and pressed for reform of the UN Security Council.
UPSC angle: Prelims: India's BRICS chair 2026; BRICS@20 theme. · Mains: BRICS and the Global South.
14 May 2026GS3 · InflationWPI inflation (base 2011-12) jumped to 8.30% in April 2026, up from 3.88% in March. Fuel & Power inflation was 24.71% and crude petroleum 88.06%. Primary articles rose 9.17% and manufactured products 4.62%. Food index inflation stayed low at 2.31%. CPI inflation for April was only 3.48%, so producers felt the oil shock first.
UPSC angle: Prelims: WPI vs CPI.
14 May 2026GS3 · LogisticsIndian Railways recorded a 170% rise in cement movement in the four months after its November reforms. The reforms use Make in India bulk cement tank containers and a bulk cement terminal policy. Next, Railways wants a bigger share of fly ash: about 300 million tonnes are produced, but only about 13 million tonnes now move by rail.
UPSC angle: Prelims: modal share target.
14 May 2026GS3 · Telecom diplomacyThe ITU Council, meeting in Geneva from 28 April to 8 May 2026, accepted India's proposal to host the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in 2030 (PP-2030). Final approval is likely at PP-2026 in Doha, Qatar, in November 2026. India also pushed its candidatures for Council re-election and for Director of the Radiocommunication Bureau.
UPSC angle: Prelims: ITU.
14 May 2026GS3 · Cyber securityIndia will chair the Common Criteria Development Board (CCDB) from April 2026 to April 2028. The post was confirmed at the CCRA's first quarter meeting in Tokyo (14 to 16 April 2026). The CCDB runs the technical work on the Common Criteria for IT security testing. India has been a CCRA certificate-authorising nation since 16 September 2013.
UPSC angle: Prelims: Common Criteria.
14 May 2026GS3 · InfrastructureThe Union Cabinet on 13 May 2026 extended the lease of AAI land to MIHAN India Limited beyond 6 August 2039. MIL can now license Nagpur airport to GMR Nagpur International Airport Limited for 30 years from the operation date. It follows a Supreme Court ruling of 27 September 2024. The target capacity is 30 million passengers a year.
UPSC angle: Prelims: PPP airports.
13 May 2026GS3 · AgricultureThe CCEA approved MSP for 14 kharif crops for marketing season 2026-27 on 13 May 2026. Common paddy gets ₹2,441 per quintal, up ₹72. The biggest absolute rise is for sunflower seed (₹622), then cotton (₹557), nigerseed (₹515) and sesamum (₹500). Moong gives the highest margin over cost at 61%; most crops get 50%.
UPSC angle: Prelims: MSP crops, CACP.
13 May 2026GS3 · ShipbuildingA tripartite MoU signed on 20 April 2026 by HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, NSHIP-TN and Sagarmala Finance Corporation will develop India's first mega greenfield shipyard at Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu. Planned capacity is 2.5 million gross tonnage a year, with about 15,000 direct jobs. It came under the India–Korea VOYAGES maritime framework.
UPSC angle: Prelims: shipbuilding schemes.
13 May 2026GS2 · JudiciaryThe Department of Justice released ₹401.50 crore on 13 May 2026, the first instalment of the mother sanction for 2026-27 under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for district and subordinate court infrastructure. Since inception, ₹12,844.72 crore has been released, building 6,345 court halls and 4,023 residential units by 31 March 2026. A five-year extension to 2030-31 is under process.
UPSC angle: Prelims: judicial infrastructure CSS.
13 May 2026GS3 · EnergyOn 13 May 2026 the Cabinet approved a ₹37,500 crore scheme for surface coal and lignite gasification. It pays up to 20% of plant and machinery cost through competitive bidding and targets gasifying about 75 million tonnes of coal. The aim is to cut imports of LNG, urea, ammonia and methanol. Coal linkage tenure goes up to 30 years.
UPSC angle: Prelims: coal gasification target.
13 May 2026 
