Current Affairs 06 May 2026

National Affairs

MoP Revises Make in India Norms for HVDC Substations; Targets 60% Local Content by 2035

The Ministry of Power (MoP), through an official notification, revised the Make in India procurement norms for High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) substations.

The revised norms replace the earlier immediate 60% local content requirement with a phased roadmap, targeting 60% localisation by FY35.

Phased Implementation:

Applicable: The new norms extend to HVDC substations, particularly Line Commutated Converter (LCC) systems, under the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) or turnkey project category, which are important for long-distance power transmission infrastructure.

Framework: The changes come under the Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) framework, which provides 'purchase preference' (linked with local content) in respect of the power sector.

BIS Publishes Six Standards for Assistive Technologies under NLEAP Initiative

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), under the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA), Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution (MoCAF&PD), published six new Indian Standards for priority medical assistive technologies under the National List of Essential Assistive Products (NLEAP) framework.

MoHFW Releases Guidance Document on Diabetes Mellitus in Children

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) released a 'Guidance Document on Diabetes Mellitus in Children' at the National Summit on Best Practices in Public Healthcare Service Delivery held in Chandigarh.

The document is India's 1st structured and standardised national framework for the screening, diagnosis, treatment, and long-term management of diabetes in children.

Objective: Ensure universal diabetes screening of all children from birth to 18 years, using both community and school platforms for early detection.

Free-of-Cost Package: Comprehensive, free-of-cost care package at public health facilities including screening, diagnostic services, lifelong insulin therapy, and monitoring devices.

4Ts Framework: Introduces the '4Ts awareness framework' for early detection of Type 1 Diabetes among children:

• Toilet
• Thirsty
• Tired
• Thinner

Govt Notifies South Coast Railway Zone with Visakhapatnam as Headquarters

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Ministry for Railways (MoR), officially notified the creation of the South Coast Railway (SCoR) Zone, with its headquarters at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh (AP).

The zone will become India's 18th railway zone and is set to be operational from 1 June 2026.

Background: Announced in February 2019 as part of railway reorganisation, fulfilling a long-pending demand of AP following its 2014 bifurcation.

Divisions: Comprises the Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, and Guntur divisions in AP, reorganised primarily from the South Central Railway (SCR) with minor adjustments from the East Coast Railway (ECoR).

Connectivity: Cargo and container train services being strengthened to connect ports, tourism centres, and major cities along the East Coast Corridor, boosting logistics and economic growth.

Significance: Expected to enhance connectivity across coastal AP, boost port-led freight and logistics, support industrial growth and tourism, generate employment, and improve passenger services and infrastructure.

International Affairs

USA Launches 'Project Freedom' to Escort Ships Through Strait of Hormuz

The United States of America (USA), under President Donald Trump, launched 'Project Freedom', a naval escort operation to guide stranded commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating Iran–USA tensions.

Objective: Ensure safe maritime passage and protect global shipping routes from disruptions caused by regional conflict and oil supply instability.

Operation: Deployment of the USA Navy under USA Central Command (CENTCOM), including:

• Warships
• Over 100 air- and sea-based aircraft
• Multi-domain unmanned platforms
• ~15,000 personnel
• Continuing an economic blockade restricting transit to and from Iranian ports

Strait of Hormuz: A narrow maritime passage between Oman and Iran connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea — one of the world's most critical energy transit routes.

Banking & Finance

ADB Launches New Financing Partnership Facility to Strengthen Asia's Critical Mineral Supply Chains

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) launched a new financing facility titled "Critical Minerals-to-Manufacturing Financing Partnership Facility" to strengthen critical minerals supply chains across Asia and the Pacific regions.

The initiative was launched at ADB's 59th Annual Meeting (AM) of the Board of Governors in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Funding Structure — Two Windows:

Critical Minerals Database: ADB has established a Critical Minerals Database to enhance transparency and coordination across global supply chains.

NSE Launches Electronic Gold Receipts to Enhance Transparency in Gold Market

The National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) launched the Electronic Gold Receipts (EGR) segment, with approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), on 4 May 2026, to create a transparent and efficient gold trading ecosystem.

Features: EGRs are dematerialised securities backed by physical gold stored in SEBI-approved vaults, traded electronically on exchanges to formalise gold investments.

Tax Advantage: No Goods and Services Tax (GST) applicable on EGR trading until conversion into physical gold.

Participants: Jewellers, refiners, traders, institutional players, and retail investors — enabling small-ticket gold investments through a secure digital route.

Impact: Modernises gold as an asset class, improves financial inclusion, and reduces fragmented pricing benchmarks.

Awards & Recognitions

Pulitzer Prize 2026: Anand RK & Suparna Sharma Honoured for India's Digital Arrest Exposé

The Pulitzer Board announced the winners of the 110th Pulitzer Prize (2026) across categories including Journalism, Books, Drama, Music, and Special Citations on 6 May 2026.

The New York Times (NYT) won 3 awards, bringing its total Pulitzer prizes to 142 — a record high since the awards started in 1917. Reuters secured 2 Pulitzer prizes, bringing its total to 15.

Key Winners:

Appointments & Resignations

Writer-Lyricist Prasoon Joshi Appointed as Chairman of Prasar Bharati

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) appointed National Award-winning lyricist Prasoon Joshi as Chairman of Prasar Bharati (PB), India's public service broadcaster. He succeeded Navneet Kumar Sehgal who resigned in December 2025.

Science & Technology

SpaceX Falcon 9 Launches South Korea's CAS500-2 Satellite Along with 45 Rideshare Payloads from California, USA

SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, USA, deploying the Republic of Korea's CAS500-2 Earth observation satellite along with 45 secondary rideshare payloads into Sun-synchronous orbit.

Rocket: Falcon 9 first-stage booster B1071 completed its 33rd flight and successfully landed at Landing Zone 4 within 7.5 minutes — the 34th landing at that site and the 608th booster landing overall for SpaceX as part of its reusable launch system.

Sports

BWF Thomas & Uber Cup Finals 2026: Chinese Men, South Korean Women Win Titles in Denmark

The Badminton World Federation (BWF) Thomas & Uber Cup Finals 2026 — the 34th Thomas Cup (men's) and 31st Uber Cup (women's) — were held at Horsens, Denmark from April 24 to May 3, 2026.

Results:

Format: 16 teams per event divided into 4 groups of 4; top 2 teams advance to quarter-finals, followed by a knockout stage in best-of-five format (ties end at 3 wins).

Obituary

Italy's Former F1 Racing Driver and Paralympic Champion Alex Zanardi Passes Away

Italian former Formula 1 (F1) driver and four-time Paralympic gold medallist Alessandro Leone Zanardi (Alex Zanardi) passed away at the age of 59 in Veneto, Italy. He was born on October 23, 1966, in Bologna, Italy.

Racing Career: Competed in 41 Grands Prix (GPs) from 1991 to 1999; best result — 6th place at the 1993 Brazilian GP.

Motorsport: Won back-to-back CART titles in 1997 and 1998 with Chip Ganassi Racing (15 wins); later competed in the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) from 2005–2009, securing 4 victories using adapted hand controls.

Paralympic Career:

Important Days at a Glance

Current Affairs 06 May 2026