Current affairs#2026: ISRO Team Visits Japan for Chandrayaan-5 Preparation

Scientists from ISRO visited the Tanegashima Space Centre-Space (Japan) to review launch infrastructure and conduct pre-mission assessments

LUPEX / Chandrayaan-5 Mission Highlights

Joint Mission: ISRO + Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency

Launch Window: 2027–2029 (via Japan’s H3 rocket)

Objective: Explore Moon’s South Polar Region for water ice

ISRO: Developing a ~6000 kg Lunar Lander

JAXA: Providing H3 rocket + ~350 kg Lunar Rover

📌 Why Important?

This mission is crucial for future human exploration and understanding lunar water resources — a key factor for long-term space missions

#Chandrayaan5 #ISRO #JAXA #SpaceCollaboration #UPSC#PSC #2026 CurrentAffairs

The Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF) programme has been named a global finalist for the Food Planet Prize 2026

Key Highlights:

• First Indian initiative to reach finalist stage since launch (2020)
• Selected from 1000+ global nominations — only Indian finalist

APCNF: Aims to transition 6 million farmers to agroecology-based natural farming. Implemented by Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS) under AP Govt

Food Planet Prize:

• World’s largest environmental award ($1.5 million)
• Founded by Curt Bergfors Foundation (2019)
• Focus: Transforming global food systems sustainably

Extra Fact: APCNF earlier won the Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity (2024)

📌 Why important?
Promotes climate-resilient, chemical-free agriculture — crucial for UPSC/PSC Environment topics.

#APCNF #FoodPlanetPrize #SustainableAgriculture #CurrentAffairs #UPSC #PSC

Current affairs # Opposition MPs move fresh motion seeking removal of CEC :

The CEC can be removed only like a Supreme Court Judge impeachment

Grounds: “Proved misbehavior” or “incapacity”

Step-by-Step Process:

Motion Initiation: 100 LS members or 50 RS members sign the motion

Admission: Speaker/Chairman may accept or reject the motion

Inquiry Committee: 3 members: SC Judge + HC Chief Justice + Eminent Jurist

Parliament Approval: Both Houses must pass with Special Majority (Majority of total strength + 2/3rd of members present & voting)

Final Removal: President issues removal order

#UPSC #Polity #ElectionCommission #PrelimsRevision # PSC exams

Current affairs: UAE exits OPEC & OPEC+ — Major shift in global oil dynamics

United Arab Emirates announced its exit from OPEC and OPEC+ effective May 1, amid ongoing West Asia tensions.

UAE was the 3rd largest producer in OPEC after Saudi Arabia and Iraq — making this a major setback for the bloc.

UAE joined OPEC in 1967 (via Abu Dhabi) and continued after becoming a nation in 1971.

About OPEC & OPEC+:

OPEC: Intergovernmental body of 12 major oil-exporting nations.

OPEC+: Formed in 2016, includes OPEC + 10 non-OPEC producers (notably Russia).

Why it matters: Weakens coordinated oil production control and may impact global oil prices.

#CurrentAffairs #PSCchronicles

AP current affairs # Andhra Pradesh, launching a new Population Management Policy effective from August 15, 2026:

This policy marks a strategic shift from "population control" to "population management" or "population balance," aimed at countering a declining Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 1.5 and an increasingly aging population. The core objective is to raise the TFR to the replacement level of 2.1.

What is Total Fertility Rate (TFR)?

Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is the average number of children a woman would have throughout her reproductive years (15–49).

సంతానోత్పత్తి రేటు (Total Fertility Rate - TFR) అంటే ఒక మహిళ తన జీవితకాలంలో సగటున ఎంతమంది పిల్లలకు జన్మనిస్తుందో తెలిపే సంఖ్య

Government of India has officially notified 100% Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the insurance sector under the automatic route.

భారత ప్రభుత్వం బీమా రంగంలో 100% FDIని అనుమతిస్తూ అధికారికంగా నోటిఫికేషన్ విడుదల చేసింది.

విదేశీ కంపెనీలు ఇప్పుడు భారత ప్రభుత్వ ముందస్తు అనుమతి లేకుండానే నేరుగా 100% పెట్టుబడులు పెట్టవచ్చు.

LIC మినహాయింపు: ప్రభుత్వ రంగ సంస్థ అయిన LIC (లైఫ్ ఇన్సూరెన్స్ కార్పొరేషన్) లో మాత్రం విదేశీ పెట్టుబడుల పరిమితి 20% గానే కొనసాగుతుంది.

Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has been awarded the prestigious Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar 2025 in the Institutional Category for its outstanding work in ocean-related disaster management.

Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar is a prestigious annual Indian national award announced on January 23rd (Netaji’s birth anniversary) to recognize exceptional work in disaster management.

Mission Drishti is the successful space mission by Bengaluru-based startup GalaxEye, which launched the world's first OptoSAR satellite on May 3, 2026.

Weighing 190 kg, it is the largest satellite ever built by a private Indian company and was launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from California.

Naval Anti-Ship Missile–Short Range (NASM-SR) is India's first indigenous helicopter-launched anti-ship missile.

Developed by the DRDO specifically the Research Centre Imarat (RCI) in Hyderabad, it is designed to replace the ageing British-origin Sea Eagle missiles used by the Indian Navy

AMCA stealth fighter manufacturing hub is set to transform India’s defence ecosystem as Andhra Pradesh prepares to host a ₹15,000 crore facility. This project, led by DRDO, aims to boost indigenous production of next-generation stealth fighter jets.

Andhra Pradesh State Investment Promotion Board (SIPB), chaired by Chief Minister approved Royal Enfield’s ₹2,200 crore investment on May 7, 2026. This project marks the motorcycle manufacturer's first major expansion outside of Tamil Nadu since it began operations

Andhra Pradesh government is launching the Kalyana Lakshmi scheme:

The scheme aimed at providing financial support for the marriage of daughters of DWCRA (Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas) members.

The scheme offers loans up to ₹1 lakh at a low 4% (Pavala Vaddi) interest rate, repayable in 48 installments

Orvakal Node is a massive 9,719-acre industrial smart city being developed in the Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh.

It is a key project under the Hyderabad–Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (HBIC), aimed at transforming the Rayalaseema region into a global manufacturing hub with a projected investment of ₹12,000 crore

Union Cabinet approved a proposal on to increase the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court of India from 34 to 38 judges, including the Chief Justice of India (CJI)

DRDO,IAF conduct maiden trial of TARA glide weapon:

DRDO and the Indian Air Force have conducted the maiden flight-trial of the Tactical Advanced Range Augmentation (TARA) weapon system.

TARA is India’s first indigenous glide weapon system capable of converting conventional unguided warheads into precision-guided weapons for accurately engaging ground-based targets.

Government of India has appointed Lt Gen N S Raja Subramani (Retd.) as the next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). He will succeed the current CDS, General Anil Chauhan, who completes his tenure on May 30, 2026

As part of its efforts to transform the products made in Andhra Pradesh into recognised global brands, the government has initiated steps to develop Product Perfection Clusters (PPCs) in the Amaravati, Visakhapatnam and Tirupati economic regions

The idea behind the PPCs is to elevate local manufacturing to international standards

Indian government has announced key military appointments:

Lieutenant General N.S. Raja Subramani (Retd) has been appointed as the next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).

Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan has been named the new Chief of the Naval Staff.

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA) will be officially repealed and replaced by the "Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025" (VB-G RAM G) on July1, 2026.

Amended BharatNet Program (ABP) is an upgraded version of the BharatNet Project.

It aims to provide high-speed broadband connectivity to all 2.64 lakh Gram Panchayats (GPs) and approximately 3.8 lakh non-GP villages on a demand-driven basis