Direct Election of Mayor

State governments should amend State Municipal Acts or relevant laws to provide for the direct election of the Mayor by all eligible voters of the municipal area.

Here's the states with direct election of the Mayor and their current status 👇🏻

2.Fixed Tenure of Mayor (5 Years)

The Mayor should have a fixed term of five years, co-terminus with the tenure of the municipal council, ensuring stability in governance.

3. Mayor as Executive Head

The Mayor should be designated as the head of the city government with overall executive authority, with clearly defined roles and responsibilities vis-à-vis the Municipal Commissioner.

4.Timely and Regular Municipal Elections

State governments should ensure time-bound municipal elections by incorporating mandatory legal provisions, including safeguards against delays in the reconstitution of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).

5. Introduction of Mayor-in-Council System

Municipal laws should recognise the Mayor-in-Council as the apex executive body, with:

Clearly defined roles and responsibilities
A mandatory timeline for its constitution (preferably within 15 days of election results)

6. Strengthening State Finance Commissions (SFCs)

Ensure timely constitution and effective functioning of SFCs

Enable predictable and systematic fiscal transfers to ULBs

Introduce performance-linked devolution of funds to incentivise stronger local revenue efforts

Source: Indian Express
Read the explanation below

FDI in Insurance
FDI in insurance has been increased to 100% under Automatic Route. Since FDI limits in the pension sector are statutorily linked with the insurance sector, so now pension sector has also been allowed 100% FDI under automatic route.

Even though FDI in insurance has been increased to 100% under automatic route (that means Govt. approval will not be required) but it needs to be approved by the that sector regulatory body which is 'Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI)'. And this approval is required for even Indian insurance companies also.

FDI limit in Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) which is a PSU will continue to remain capped at 20% under the automatic route as it has been established under a separate law, 'Life Insurance Corporation Act 1956'.

Chinese FDI
Earlier foreign companies have any Chinese ownership were not allowed to invest in India without Govt.'s approval. But now Govt. has eased this regulation. So now, foreign companies with Chinese shareholding of less than 10% are allowed to invest in India under automatic route under FEMA (Foreign Exchange Management Act 1999). But these relaxed FDI rules will not apply to entities registered in China/Hong Kong or other countries sharing land borders with India.

FDI in Nuclear Power
The Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy (SHANTI) Bill, 2025 allows private entities (including foreign, up to 49%) in specified nuclear activities under the automatic route. This move enables private (including foreign) firms to build, own, and operate nuclear plants (aiming for 100 GW of nuclear capacity by 2047), while the government retains 51% control over critical areas. It will end the sole monopoly of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) on plant operations.

that's what peak detailing look like
bro literally predicted his future

🌿⛽️🚢 [Env] India’s 1st Green Methanol Plant at Kutch for ship fuel
- Bunker Oil = heavy fuel used in ocean-going ships. It is a thick, dirty, residual product of petroleum refining. Methanol can be used as alternative.
- Conventional Methanol = produced from gas/coal gasification.
- Green Methanol = produced from agri/biomass.
- 🌿 Prosopis juliflora — The Invasive alien Species from Mexico.
- Local names: Gando Baval (Gujarat) | Vilayati Keekar (North India) | Velikathan (Tamil)
- 1920s: British introduced to Delhi. Later in Gujarat to combat Desert expansion. But later, devastated Banni Grasslands**, Kutch.
- 2026: India's first green methanol plant — located at Deendayal Port Authority (DPA), Kandla, Gujarat. It will use this alien species to make green methanol.

Indirect motivation for prelims, sorry for this but it is true

https://upsconline.nic.in/login - CSP 26 Admit Card Link

From today, turn off every single notification, PYQs, or whatever you decided to do last week. Just have faith in yourself.

U will succeed 💪🏻

Netherlands will hand over the 11th-century Anaimangalam Chola Copper Plates to India during PM Modi’s visit. The 21-plate set records Rajaraja I’s grant to a Buddhist vihara at Nagapattinam & has been at Leiden University for over 300 years.

‘Operation RAGEPILL’

UPSC Annual Calendar 2027 Out

UPSC CSE : 23 May, 2027

Source: Indian Express
Explained below.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is conducting a $5 billion USD/INR buy/sell swap auction on May 26. Under this arrangement, banks will sell US dollars to the RBI (and RBI will sell rupee to banks) and simultaneously agree to buy them back at the end of a 3-year tenor. So, basically this swap will be reversed after 3 years.

Why RBI is doing this swap?
Since last few days, RBI's aggressively sold dollars in the spot market (forex market) to defend the rupee (because rupee was depreciating and it has moved to $1=Rs.96). Spot dollar sales by RBI remove rupee liquidity from the banking system which results in tighter liquidity conditions in the economy. This swap by RBI will negate that effect, easing tight financial conditions.

Tomorrow, 9:31 a.m. scenes at a few centres across India.