Current Affairs — 18 May 2026

1. Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Ordinance, 2026

Core Context and Background

The Supreme Court of India has been grappling with a monumental backlog of cases — over 92,000 cases were pending before the apex court at the time of this development. For years, legal experts and the judiciary have flagged the need to expand the court's strength to address this crisis effectively. The last expansion took place in 2019, when the judge strength was raised from 30 to 33 (excluding the Chief Justice).

Latest Developments

President Droupadi Murmu promulgated the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Ordinance, 2026, under Article 123 of the Constitution, which empowers the President to issue ordinances when Parliament is not in session and when immediate legislative action is deemed necessary. The ordinance increases the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges from 33 to 37, meaning the total bench including the Chief Justice of India now stands at 38. This followed the Union Cabinet's earlier approval of a related amendment bill.

UPSC Prelims Perspective

• The Supreme Court was originally established with 8 judges (1 CJI + 7 puisne judges) under the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956. Parliament has the authority to legislate on this number.

• Article 123 governs the President's Ordinance-making power — an ordinance has the same force as an act of Parliament but must be laid before Parliament when it reassembles and lapses if not approved within 6 weeks.

• The relevant constitutional provision for the constitution of the Supreme Court is Article 124.

• The concept of judicial pendency is a critical governance issue under GS Paper II (Indian Polity and Governance).

2. India-Netherlands Strategic Partnership (2026–2030)

Core Context and Background

The Netherlands is one of India's key partners in Europe, particularly for trade and technology. India is the Netherlands' largest trading partner outside the EU in terms of goods exports. The bilateral relationship has been on an upward trajectory, with growing convergence on technology, clean energy, and maritime domains.

Latest Developments

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited The Hague in May 2026 and held talks with Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten. The two nations formally elevated their ties to a Strategic Partnership and adopted the India-Netherlands Strategic Partnership Roadmap 2026–2030. Key outcomes include:

• A landmark Tata Electronics–ASML agreement linked to India's first front-end semiconductor fabrication (fab) facility in Dholera, Gujarat — a 300 mm advanced fab planned under India's semiconductor mission.

• An ambitious Green Hydrogen Roadmap, aiming to position India as a global producer and exporter of green hydrogen.

• Agreements on critical minerals, renewable energy, defence and maritime security, AI and quantum systems, water management, healthcare, higher education, and cultural heritage.

• A focus on Indo-Pacific maritime security as part of broader strategic convergence.

UPSC Prelims Perspective

• ASML (Advanced Semiconductor Materials Lithography) is a Dutch company and one of the world's most critical suppliers of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines — the technology that enables cutting-edge chip manufacturing.

• Dholera in Gujarat is one of India's first Greenfield Smart Cities under the DMIC (Delhi–Mumbai Industrial Corridor) project and now also hosts the planned semiconductor fab.

• India's semiconductor mission is part of the broader India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) launched under the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY).

• Green hydrogen is produced using electrolysis of water powered by renewable energy, resulting in zero-carbon hydrogen output.

3. PM Modi Receives Sweden's Royal Order of the Polar Star

Core Context and Background

Sweden and India share a Strategic Partnership forged in recent years with focus areas including innovation, clean technology, defence, and multilateral cooperation. The two nations have had historically warm ties rooted in shared democratic values.

Latest Developments

During his Nordic visit, Prime Minister Modi was conferred with the Royal Order of the Polar Star (Nordstjärneorden) — Degree Commander Grand Cross by Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf, with the honour being presented by Crown Princess Victoria in a ceremony at the County Governor's residence in Sweden. This makes PM Modi the first Asian leader to receive this prestigious Swedish order of chivalry. It is the 31st global honour bestowed upon PM Modi, and he dedicated the recognition to the 1.4 billion people of India. The two leaders also exchanged gifts commemorating Rabindranath Tagore, symbolising the deep civilisational and intellectual ties between India and Sweden.

UPSC Prelims Perspective

• The Royal Order of the Polar Star (Nordstjärneorden) is the premier state distinction of Sweden used to honour foreign heads of government, royalty, and individuals for outstanding public service.

• Sweden is a NATO member and part of the EU. It borders Norway and Finland, with access to the Baltic Sea.

• Such bilateral honours are significant from the India's foreign policy and global image perspective for UPSC.

• Sweden is also an important partner in India's defence and defence technology cooperation, with companies like Saab (Gripen aircraft, Carl-Gustaf systems) having a major presence.

4. State of India's Environment (SOE) 2026 Report

Core Context and Background

The State of India's Environment (SOE) report is an annual publication by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and Down To Earth magazine. It is one of the most authoritative annual assessments of India's ecological health and is closely tracked in policy circles. The report draws upon the globally significant Planetary Boundaries Framework, first proposed by scientist Johan Rockström in 2009 and updated in 2023, which identifies nine critical processes that keep Earth within its safe operating space.

Latest Developments

The SOE 2026 report delivers a stark warning: 7 out of 9 planetary boundaries have now been breached. The latest to cross the threshold is ocean acidification, with ocean acidity having increased by 30–40% since the industrial era. The nine planetary boundaries and their current status are:

• Transgressed: Climate Change, Biosphere Integrity (Biodiversity Loss), Land System Change, Freshwater Change, Biogeochemical Flows (Nitrogen and Phosphorus cycles), Novel Entities (plastics, synthetic chemicals), and Ocean Acidification (newly transgressed).

• Within Safe Limits: Atmospheric Aerosol Loading (regionally risky) and Stratospheric Ozone Depletion (recovering, thanks to the Montreal Protocol).

Additional key findings include:

• The world is dangerously close to breaching the 1.5°C global warming threshold of the Paris Agreement, pushing coral reefs and the Amazon rainforest toward tipping points.

• Global forest cover has fallen to 59%, far below the 75% safe threshold.

• Species extinction rates exceed 100 per million species-years, ten times the safe limit.

• The invasive plant Lantana camara now occupies nearly 50% of India's forest and scrublands, suppressing native grasses and reducing prey availability for tigers, which intensifies human–tiger conflicts.

• The report recommends strengthening the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and integrating planetary boundaries into national accounting systems.

UPSC Prelims Perspective

• The Planetary Boundaries Framework — developed by scientists at the Stockholm Resilience Centre — is a core concept in environment GS Paper III.

• The National Green Tribunal (NGT) was established under the NGT Act 2010 under Article 21 and 48A of the Constitution. It deals with cases relating to the environment, forests, and other natural resources.

• Lantana camara is a Category I invasive alien species in India; its spread is a significant ecological challenge.

• The Montreal Protocol (1987) — concerning stratospheric ozone depletion — is widely regarded as the world's most successful environmental treaty.

• Ocean acidification occurs when CO₂ dissolves in seawater to form carbonic acid, reducing the ocean's pH. It threatens coral reefs and shell-forming organisms.

5. Panzath Nag Festival — Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir

Core Context and Background

India is a land of rich intangible cultural heritage, and community-led environmental conservation practices are a hallmark of many local traditions. In Jammu and Kashmir, water bodies — springs, rivers, and wetlands — are culturally venerated and ecologically vital.

Latest Developments

The Panzath Nag festival, a centuries-old community tradition, was observed in Panzath village, Anantnag district, in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The festival involves thousands of villagers collectively cleaning the Panzath Nag — a cluster of approximately 500 freshwater springs spread over 1.5 km, supplying drinking and irrigation water to over 25 villages. Participants use traditional wicker baskets to scoop out fish and garbage simultaneously — a rare convergence of cultural celebration, water resource management, and ecological conservation. The springs are also desilted and weeded during the exercise to ensure uninterrupted water flow throughout the year.

UPSC Prelims Perspective

• Anantnag district is located in the Kashmir Valley, in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

• J&K was bifurcated into two union territories — J&K (with legislature) and Ladakh (without legislature) — under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.

• This topic is relevant to the Art and Culture section of UPSC Prelims (GS Paper I) and also to environment conservation topics.

• Community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) is an important governance concept.

6. Advanced Agni Missile with MIRV Technology Successfully Tested

Core Context and Background

India's strategic deterrence capabilities have been a focus of attention in the Indo-Pacific security landscape. Following the historic Mission Divyastra test on March 11, 2024 — India's first publicly acknowledged test of an Agni-5 missile equipped with MIRV — the country has continued to validate and consolidate this technology.

Latest Developments

India conducted a successful flight trial of an Advanced Agni ballistic missile fitted with MIRV (Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle) technology from Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha in May 2026. The missile successfully deployed multiple payloads, targeting different locations spatially distributed across a large area in the Indian Ocean Region. This was India's second publicly acknowledged MIRV test, cementing India's position among a small and exclusive group of nations — currently including the USA, Russia, China, the UK, and France — with demonstrated MIRV capability.

UPSC Prelims Perspective

• MIRV stands for Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle. A single ballistic missile fitted with MIRV can deliver multiple nuclear or conventional warheads to different targets in a single launch.

• Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Island (formerly Wheeler Island) is located in the Bay of Bengal off the coast of Bhadrak district, Odisha. It is the primary testing site for India's missile systems under the DRDO.

• Agni series of missiles is developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and produced by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL). Agni-5 is an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM-class) with a range of over 5,000 km.

• India's nuclear doctrine is based on No First Use (NFU) and Credible Minimum Deterrence.

• Mission Divyastra (March 2024) = India's first successful MIRV test.

7. Government Revises SOP for FDI Approvals

Core Context and Background

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is a crucial driver of India's economic growth, technology transfer, and job creation. The government approval route for FDI operates in sensitive sectors where automatic approval is not granted — such as defence, media, telecom, and investments from land-bordering countries. The existing SOP dated back to 2017, necessitating an update in line with current realities.

Latest Developments

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) issued the revised Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for processing FDI proposals under the Press Note 2 of 2026. Key features of the revised framework include:

• All FDI proposals must now be filed digitally through the Foreign Investment Facilitation (FIF) Portal or the National Single Window System (NSWS) — making the process completely paperless.

• A maximum processing timeline of 12 weeks (extended from the earlier 10-week SOP of 2017) has been set for FDI approvals.

• Investments from neighbouring countries sharing land borders with India (such as China and Pakistan) will receive expedited decisions within 60 days, provided the foreign investor holds up to 49% ownership and majority ownership and control remain with Indian citizens.

• Enhanced disclosure requirements and sector-specific timelines have been introduced.

UPSC Prelims Perspective

• India follows a dual-route FDI policy — the Automatic Route (no prior government approval required) and the Government Approval Route (prior approval from FIPB/government required).

• The Foreign Investment Facilitation Portal (FIF Portal) is managed by DPIIT under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

• Press Note 3 of 2020 was an earlier landmark regulation that mandated government approval for FDI from countries sharing a land border with India (aimed primarily at Chinese investments post-Galwan).

• The NSWS (National Single Window System) is part of India's effort to improve Ease of Doing Business.

8. Project Cheetah Update — Kuno National Park

Core Context and Background

India reintroduced the cheetah — a species that had gone extinct in India by 1952 — through Project Cheetah, one of the world's most ambitious wildlife translocation programmes. The first batch of 8 cheetahs arrived from Namibia in September 2022, followed by 12 from South Africa in February 2023. The programme has been watched closely for its outcomes and challenges.

Latest Developments

A batch of 9 cheetahs from Botswana (6 females and 3 males) arrived at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh in February 2026. Two of these cheetahs were formally released into the open forest zone of Kuno by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav in May 2026 after completing their quarantine period. India's total cheetah population at Kuno has now reached 57, which includes 28 India-born cubs — a significant milestone for in-situ breeding success. While earlier years saw significant mortality from causes like renal failure, radio-collar abrasions causing septicemia, and prey-related injuries, mortality rates had dropped substantially by 2025, indicating improved management protocols.

UPSC Prelims Perspective

• The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) was declared extinct in India in 1952. It is the world's fastest land animal.

• Kuno National Park is located in Sheopur district, Madhya Pradesh. It is also a potential second home for the Asiatic Lion (Panthera leo persica), which is currently found only in Gir National Park, Gujarat.

• The cheetahs reintroduced in India are African cheetahs (from Namibia, South Africa, and now Botswana). The Asiatic cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) is critically endangered and found only in Iran.

• Project Cheetah is managed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in collaboration with the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).

• The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) lists the African cheetah under Appendix I (threatened with extinction) and the Asiatic cheetah under Appendix I as well.