Current Affairs 23 May 2026 | 23rd May 2026 Current Affairs | Daily GK Updates

Supreme Court Orders FIR for Every Missing Child — No More Discretion at Police Stations

If you've ever wondered why so many missing children cases go unregistered, the Supreme Court has finally addressed it head-on.

The Supreme Court of India ordered all police stations in India to register a First Information Report for every complaint of a missing child or missing person.

This is a landmark ruling, and here's why it matters beyond the headline. Under current practice, police stations routinely classify missing person complaints as "missing person reports" rather than FIRs — which means the full machinery of criminal investigation never kicks in. No Investigating Officer is assigned, there's no mandatory follow-up timeline, and accountability is essentially absent. The SC has now made FIR registration mandatory and non-discretionary — every missing child complaint must be treated as a cognisable offence from day one.

The data that prompted this ruling:

• India's NCRB Crime in India 2024 report showed 98,375 children went missing in 2024 — a 7.8% increase over 2023

• Girls accounted for 77% of missing children cases

• A significant number of these children end up as victims of child trafficking, forced labour, or sexual exploitation

• Without an FIR, cases fall through the cracks — the SC's ruling directly closes this gap

Constitutional and legal basis:

• Article 21: Right to life and personal liberty — the SC has consistently held that children's protection rights fall within Article 21

• Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015: Mandates child protection mechanisms including mandatory reporting

• POCSO Act, 2012: Covers children who go missing in circumstances linked to sexual exploitation

TrackChild portal: The Ministry of Women and Child Development runs the TrackChild portal — a national database linking police records of missing children with those found or rescued. The SC's FIR mandate will significantly improve the quality of data feeding into TrackChild.

RBI Approves Record Dividend of ₹2,86,588.46 Crore to Government

This number is too significant to miss in your exam — commit it to memory.

The Reserve Bank of India approved a dividend of ₹2,86,588.46 crore to the Central Government for the accounting year 2025-26 on May 22, 2026. This is the highest dividend the RBI has ever transferred to the government.

Why is this the highest ever? The RBI's dividend to the government comes from its surplus income, which is primarily generated through:

• Interest earned on India's foreign exchange reserves ($640 billion)

• Gains from forex market interventions — when the RBI buys dollars cheap and sells them at higher rates

• Interest on government securities held in RBI's portfolio

• Revaluation gains on gold holdings

With global interest rates remaining elevated and India's forex reserves large, RBI's income from reserve management has surged — generating this record surplus.

The Bimal Jalan Committee (2019): The framework governing how much RBI transfers to the government was set by the Bimal Jalan Committee in 2019. Under this framework:

• RBI maintains a Contingency Risk Buffer (CRB) of 5.5–6.5% of RBI's balance sheet

• Any surplus beyond this buffer is transferred to the government as dividend

• The ₹2,86,588.46 crore is what remained after maintaining that buffer

How the government uses this dividend: The RBI dividend flows into the Consolidated Fund of India — it directly reduces the fiscal deficit without requiring additional borrowing. With India's fiscal consolidation a stated priority (fiscal deficit target = 4.9% of GDP in FY26), this transfer gives the government meaningful breathing room.

Previous record: The previous highest RBI dividend was ₹2.11 lakh crore transferred in 2023-24. The 2025-26 transfer is approximately 35% higher.

Agni-I Successfully Test-Launched from Chandipur, Odisha

A clean test of a short-range ballistic missile — and an important deterrence signal.

India successfully test-launched the Agni-I short-range ballistic missile on May 22, 2026, from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur in Odisha.

Agni-I — key facts:

Why periodic Agni-I tests still matter: Agni-I has been operational since 2004, but user trials — conducted by the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) rather than DRDO — are carried out regularly to validate operational readiness, train crews in launch procedures, verify missile performance parameters over time, and maintain deterrence signalling.

India's Agni series — complete picture:

ITR Chandipur: The Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur-on-Sea, Balasore district, Odisha is India's primary missile testing facility, operated by DRDO. All major Agni and strategic missile tests happen here. Abdul Kalam Island (formerly Wheeler Island) is also nearby and used for ICBM-class tests.

Petrol Up ₹5/Litre in 10 Days — Third Hike on May 23

Three hikes in ten days. That tells you how fast India's fuel pricing is adjusting to the West Asian energy crisis.

Petrol and diesel prices were raised again on May 23, 2026 — petrol by about 87 paise and diesel by around 91 paise per litre, marking the third hike in 10 days and pushing the total increase to nearly ₹5 per litre in major cities.

The cumulative fuel price picture:

Why three hikes in ten days? When Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) defer price adjustments — often for political reasons — the costs build up and then get released all at once. The Strait of Hormuz blockade pushed crude prices sharply higher, and OMCs couldn't absorb the losses for long. The sequential hikes reflect a catching-up process — aligning retail prices with actual import costs.

What this means for ordinary citizens:

• A two-wheeler filling up 5 litres pays ₹25 more per fill

• A car filling 40 litres pays ₹200 more per fill

• For transport operators running diesel trucks — fuel is their largest variable cost — this feeds directly into freight rates and, eventually, food prices

CNG Rates Hiked ₹1/kg in Delhi — Third Increase in 10 Days

CNG rates in Delhi were raised by ₹1 per kg on May 23, 2026 — the third such increase in 10 days.

CNG is the fuel for Delhi's auto-rickshaws, taxis, DTC buses, and private vehicles — approximately 1 million CNG vehicles in Delhi alone. A ₹1/kg hike seems small in isolation, but for auto-rickshaw drivers filling 5–6 kg daily, it adds up fast.

The bigger picture: With LPG deregulated on May 17 and CNG, petrol, and diesel prices all rising, India's entire fuel basket is now market-priced — a complete exit from the administered pricing regime that existed for decades. The government's rationale is that subsidising fuel distorts consumption and strains public finances. The real-world consequence is that it pinches hardest during global supply shocks.

India Blocked China's WTO Dispute Panel Request — Geneva

India blocked China's first request at the World Trade Organization Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) meeting in Geneva on May 22, 2026, for the establishment of a dispute panel over India's tariff and trade measures.

What happened at the WTO DSB? Under WTO rules, when a member country formally requests a dispute panel, the accused country can block the first request as a matter of right. The panel is automatically established only when the complainant makes a second request. India simply exercised this right.

What is China disputing? China is challenging India's high import duties and trade restrictive measures — specifically:

• Anti-dumping duties on Chinese goods (steel, chemicals, electronics components)

• Quality Control Orders (QCOs) — India's technical standards that China claims are being used as non-tariff barriers

• PLI-linked domestic content requirements — which disadvantage imported Chinese components

India's strategic position: India's trade relationship with China is significantly asymmetric — India runs a ~$85 billion annual trade deficit with China, the largest bilateral deficit it has with any country. India's tariff and QCO measures are defensive tools to protect domestic industry under the Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat frameworks.

WTO Dispute Settlement Body (DSB): The DSB administers the WTO's dispute settlement process — Panel → Appellate Body → implementation. Worth noting: the WTO Appellate Body has been non-functional since 2019 due to the US blocking new appointments, which has made the entire dispute resolution process considerably slower.

97 of World's 100 Hottest Cities Were in India — Unprecedented Heatwave Crisis

This is the most alarming environment story of May 2026 — and it's unfolding right now, the day before UPSC Prelims.

In 2026, India is facing an unprecedented heatwave crisis. On one single day, 97 of the world's 100 hottest cities were located in India. Cities of Uttar Pradesh were among the worst affected.

Why 97 of 100? India's geography, urbanisation pattern, and climate trajectory have combined to create this extraordinary situation:

• The land-locked Indo-Gangetic Plain — the world's most densely populated agricultural flatland — heats up rapidly without any coastal moderation

• Urban Heat Islands — cities like Lucknow, Kanpur, Allahabad, and Varanasi generate additional heat from concrete, vehicles, and air conditioners

• El Niño 2026 — the ongoing El Niño (with a 96% persistence probability, as covered on May 18) is suppressing monsoon moisture, allowing temperatures to build unchecked

• Pre-monsoon delay: With monsoon onset predicted for May 26, the heatwave had one more day to peak before relief was expected

The human cost: Heatwaves are India's deadliest natural disaster by average annual mortality — more than floods, cyclones, or earthquakes. Heat-related illness hits hardest among construction workers and farmers who can't avoid outdoor exposure, the elderly and children who are physiologically more vulnerable, and urban slum residents with no access to air conditioning.

IMD alerts: Delhi and parts of north India are under severe heatwave conditions with maximum temperatures around 43–46°C, and orange alerts issued by the IMD.

IMD alert colour codes:

• Green: No action needed

• Yellow: Watch — be aware

• Orange: Alert — be prepared (significant impact expected)

• Red: Warning — take action (severe/very severe heatwave)

ICAR's Khet Bachao Abhiyan — 2.712 Crore Farmers Reached on Balanced Fertiliser Use

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) announced major achievements under the nationwide Khet Bachao Abhiyan, aimed at promoting balanced fertiliser use and sustainable farming practices. The campaign reached 2.712 crore citizens through media broadcasts, social media, farmer groups, and local governance institutions.

What is Khet Bachao Abhiyan? The name translates to "Save the Field Campaign" — and it's exactly that. ICAR (under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education, DARE) runs this nationwide awareness and training campaign to:

• Promote balanced fertiliser use — the right combination of nutrients (NPK + micronutrients) rather than just excess urea

• Address India's growing soil health crisis, caused by decades of urea over-application that acidifies soil, depletes micronutrients, and strips out organic matter

• Train farmers in Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) — combining chemical fertilisers with organic inputs like compost, farmyard manure, and biofertilisers

Why this matters: India's urea consumption is among the world's highest, driven by heavy government subsidisation — urea is the most subsidised agricultural input in India. The result is a severely skewed fertiliser mix. The ideal N:P:K ratio is 4:2:1 — India's actual ratio is heavily nitrogen-dominated, degrading soil quality over time. Soil Health Cards issued under the Soil Health Card Scheme (2015) provide farm-specific recommendations, but farmer adoption of those recommendations has been incomplete.

ICAR — key facts:

• Indian Council of Agricultural Research — the apex body for agricultural research and education in India

• Under: Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture

• Established: 1929

• Governs: 100+ research institutes and 71 agricultural universities

• Headquarters: PUSA campus, New Delhi

NMEO-OP — India's Edible Oil Self-Sufficiency Mission

India launched the National Mission on Edible Oils – Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) in 2021 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with an outlay of ₹11,040 crore.

With India's edible oil import dependence now above 56% (covered May 19), this mission has taken on fresh urgency.

NMEO-OP — complete profile:

Why oil palm specifically? Oil palm produces the highest oil yield per hectare of any oilseed crop — approximately 3–4 tonnes of oil per hectare, compared to just 0.3–0.5 tonnes for sunflower or soybean. India's Northeast has the ideal agro-climatic conditions — high rainfall, humid climate, appropriate soil — and expanding domestic oil palm directly reduces dependence on Indonesia and Malaysia, which together dominate global palm oil supply.

India's edible oil import basket:

• Palm oil (Indonesia, Malaysia): ~60% of India's edible oil imports

• Sunflower oil (Ukraine, Russia): ~25% — severely disrupted by ongoing geopolitical tensions

• Soybean oil (Argentina, Brazil): ~15%

SRS 2024 — India's Birth Rate and Infant Mortality Continue Declining

The latest Sample Registration Survey (SRS) 2024 bulletin has confirmed a continued decline in India's birth rate and infant mortality.

The SRS is India's primary demographic data source, published by the Office of the Registrar General of India (ORGI) under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

India's demographic transition — key indicators:

What these numbers mean:

• A TFR below 2.1 (replacement level) in most states means India's population growth is naturally slowing — not from policy, but from development

• Declining IMR reflects real improvements in healthcare access, particularly through Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) and Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY)

• Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Delhi already have TFR well below replacement level — these states face ageing population challenges rather than population growth concerns

SDG 3 relevance: SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) targets include reducing global maternal mortality, ending preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5, and achieving universal health coverage — all directly tracked through SRS data.

CBSE Class 12 Revaluation Portal Glitch — Deadline Extended

CBSE Class 12 students reported glitches in revaluation portals — including payment failures and access issues — leading the board to extend its deadlines.

Not a major policy story, but relevant for education governance questions. CBSE's digital revaluation system failed under high traffic, causing payment gateway failures for revaluation fee submission, login access errors for thousands of students, and a 5-day deadline extension to accommodate affected students.

CBSE — key facts:

• Central Board of Secondary Education — established 1962

• Under: Ministry of Education

• Conducts: Class 10 (Secondary) and Class 12 (Senior Secondary) examinations

• Affiliated schools: approximately 27,000+ globally

• The CBSE revaluation process allows students to first request a photocopy of their answer sheet, followed by re-checking or revaluation

Odisha's Bomkai Weaving Revival — Ganjam District

Odisha's Department of Handlooms, Textiles and Handicrafts has launched a revival plan for the original Bomkai weaving tradition in Ganjam district.

What is Bomkai weaving? Bomkai — also called Sonepuri — is a traditional handloom weaving style from Odisha, characterised by:

• A distinctive extra-weft weaving technique that creates intricate patterns

• Traditional motifs drawn from tribal art and nature — fish, flowers, animals

• Rich contrasting borders with thread-work on both the body and borders of the saree

• Produced primarily in Sonepur (Subarnapur) and Ganjam districts of Odisha

Why a revival is needed: The original Ganjam style (which differs from the more commercially successful Sonepur variant) has been declining because power loom imitations flood the market at lower prices, younger weavers are leaving the profession for better-paying opportunities, and the intricate extra-weft technique is time-consuming — making authentic handmade Bomkai expensive relative to alternatives.

The GI tag dimension: Bomkai fabric holds a Geographical Indication (GI) tag protecting its authenticity. The revival plan will likely include GI-tag awareness, direct marketing linkages, and cluster development support.

India's handloom sector: India's handloom industry is the world's largest — employing approximately 4.3 million weavers. Key government support comes through the National Handloom Development Programme (NHDP), the Handloom Mark scheme, and the India Handloom Brand.

Major Abhilasha Barak — UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year 2025

Indian Army officer Major Abhilasha Barak received the United Nations Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award for 2025 on May 22-23, 2026.

About Major Abhilasha Barak: She is an Indian Army officer who was among India's first women combat aviators — one of the first women officers commissioned into the Army Aviation Corps. She received the award while serving with a UN peacekeeping mission.

The UN Military Gender Advocate Award:

• Established by the UN Secretary-General

• Recognises military personnel serving in UN peacekeeping operations who have shown dedication to integrating gender perspectives in UN Peace Operations

• Based on the principles of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (Women, Peace and Security, 2000) — a landmark resolution recognising the disproportionate impact of conflict on women and calling for women's full participation in peace processes

Saudi Arabia Joins International Big Cat Alliance — 26 Members Now

Saudi Arabia became the newest member of the International Big Cat Alliance on May 22, 2026. The alliance now has 26 member countries and five observer nations.

Saudi Arabia's entry is geographically meaningful — the Arabian Peninsula once hosted Asiatic Cheetahs (now functionally extinct in the wild outside Iran). Joining IBCA signals renewed interest in restoring cheetah habitat and participating in global big cat conservation governance.

IBCA updated membership:

• Total members: 26 countries

• Observer nations: 5

• The 2026 additions include Gulf nations, reflecting IBCA's expanding geographic footprint

Cybercrime Policy — Budapest Convention + New UN Framework + ₹782 Crore Budget

The Budapest Convention on Cybercrime is a historic multilateral treaty designed to harmonise national laws, upgrade digital forensic capabilities, and streamline cross-border cooperation on cybercrime investigation. India's government has ramped up its domestic security infrastructure, allocating ₹782 crore for cybersecurity in the latest budget cycle. CERT-In has deployed specialised sector-specific Security Operation Centers (SOCs) to monitor real-time DDoS and ransomware attacks on power and telecom grids.

Budapest Convention — why India hasn't joined: The Budapest Convention on Cybercrime (2001) — the world's first binding international treaty on cybercrime — was negotiated by the Council of Europe and is open to non-European nations. India has not joined, citing three concerns: it was drafted without adequate input from developing nations, it may require India to share data with foreign governments without sufficient sovereignty safeguards, and India prefers a UN-led global framework as a more inclusive alternative.

The new UN Cybercrime Convention: India was a key proponent of the UN Convention Against Cybercrime — negotiated at the UN in 2024 — which is broader and more inclusive than the Budapest Convention. This is India's preferred multilateral framework.

India's cybersecurity architecture:

• CERT-In (Computer Emergency Response Team — India): India's national cybersecurity agency under MeitY (Ministry of Electronics and IT)

• NCIIPC (National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre): Under NTRO (National Technical Research Organisation) — protects critical infrastructure

• ₹782 crore dedicated cybersecurity allocation in the latest budget

• Sector-specific SOCs covering power, telecom, banking, and healthcare

Q. What did the Supreme Court order about missing children on May 23?

The SC ordered all police stations in India to mandatorily register an FIR for every missing child or missing person complaint — ending the discretionary practice of filing lesser "missing reports." NCRB 2024 data shows 98,375 children went missing (7.8% increase), with girls comprising 77% of cases. The ruling is grounded in Article 21 and supported by the JJ Act 2015 and POCSO Act 2012.

Q. What is the significance of RBI's ₹2,86,588.46 crore dividend?

It is the highest-ever dividend transferred by the RBI to the Central Government — for accounting year 2025-26. It comes from surplus income after maintaining the Contingency Risk Buffer (5.5–6.5% of RBI's balance sheet) under the Bimal Jalan Committee (2019) framework. The dividend flows into the Consolidated Fund of India, reducing fiscal deficit without additional borrowing — approximately 35% higher than the previous record.

Q. Why did India block China's WTO dispute panel request?

India exercised its right under WTO rules to block China's first panel request at the DSB meeting in Geneva on May 22. Under WTO procedures, the accused party can block the first request — a panel is automatically established at the second request. China is challenging India's anti-dumping duties, Quality Control Orders (QCOs), and PLI domestic content requirements. India runs a ~$85 billion annual trade deficit with China.

Q. What is the heatwave crisis India is facing in May 2026?

On one day in May 2026, 97 of the world's 100 hottest cities were in India — driven by El Niño (96% persistence probability), the Indo-Gangetic plain's geography, urban heat islands, and a delayed monsoon. IMD issued orange alerts for Delhi and North India with temperatures at 43–46°C. Monsoon onset over Kerala was predicted for May 26.

Q. What is Khet Bachao Abhiyan?

A nationwide ICAR campaign under DARE (Ministry of Agriculture) to promote balanced fertiliser use — reaching 2.712 crore citizens through media, social media, and farmer groups. India's fertiliser use is heavily nitrogen-skewed (urea overuse), distorting the ideal NPK ratio of 4:2:1 and degrading soil health. ICAR was established in 1929 and governs 100+ research institutes.

Q. Who is Major Abhilasha Barak?

An Indian Army officer — among India's first women combat aviators in the Army Aviation Corps — who received the UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award for 2025. The award recognises military peacekeepers who promote gender integration in UN Peace Operations under UNSC Resolution 1325 (Women, Peace and Security, 2000).