National income

Financial market

🔆 CURRENT AFFAIRS – 16 MAY 2026

🔆 ECONOMY

📍 India’s Forex Reserves Rise Sharply
✅ Forex reserves increased by USD 6.295 billion to USD 696.988 billion
✅ Gold reserves saw major rise of USD 5.637 billion

📍 Wholesale Inflation Touches 8.3%
✅ India’s wholesale inflation rose to 8.3% in April 2026
✅ Highest level in nearly 3.5 years
✅ Driven mainly by fuel & power inflation

🔆 STATES

📍 Andhra Pradesh BharatNet Expansion Pact
✅ Digital Bharat Nidhi signed agreement with Andhra Pradesh for BharatNet expansion
✅ Project allocation: ₹2,432 crore
✅ Will cover 13,426 Gram Panchayats

📍 High-Altitude Irrigation Canal in Ladakh
✅ Vinai Kumar Saxena inaugurated Mahey Tokpo–Raldho irrigation canal
✅ Built above 14,000 feet in Changthang region

🔆 NATIONAL

📍 NHAI Launches Project Saksham
✅ National Highways Authority of India launched women-focused skill development initiative
✅ More than 80% beneficiaries are women

📍 ₹37,500 Crore Coal Gasification Scheme Approved
✅ Union Cabinet approved scheme for promotion of surface coal/lignite gasification projects
✅ Aim: Reduce imports of LNG, methanol & urea

📍 Mizoram Ginger Mission Launched
✅ Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia launched ₹189.79 crore mission
✅ Focus on GI-certified pharma-grade Mizo Ginger exports

🔆 AGREEMENTS & MoUs

📍 India’s First Mega Greenfield Shipyard
✅ MoPSW signed tripartite MoU for mega greenfield shipyard at Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu
✅ Partners include HD KSOE, NSHIP-TN & SMFCL
✅ Project linked to Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047

📍 IEPFA–Prasar Bharati MoU
✅ MoU signed to strengthen investor awareness initiatives nationwide
✅ Awareness messages to be broadcast on Doordarshan channels

🔆 APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

📍 South Asian Weightlifting Federation
✅ Sahdev Yadav elected President of South Asian Weightlifting Federation

🔆 RANKS & REPORTS

📍 Global Forest Goals Report 2026
✅ Report jointly prepared by UN DESA & UNFF Secretariat
✅ Global forest area declined by over 40 million hectares during 2015–2025
✅ Major causes: agricultural expansion & climate pressures

📍 Henley Passport Index 2026
✅ India ranked 78th with access to 56 destinations
✅ Singapore retained top position

📍 LEADS 2025 Report Released
✅ Union Minister Piyush Goyal released LEADS 2025 Report
✅ Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Mizoram & Delhi classified as “Exemplars”

🔆 DEFENCE

📍 AI-Powered Combat Aircraft ‘Kaal Bhairava’
✅ India’s AI-powered combat aircraft Kaal Bhairava to be manufactured in Portugal
✅ Developed by Flying Wedge Defence and Aerospace
✅ Part of Operation 777 initiative for globalising Indian defence manufacturing

🔆 ENVIRONMENT

📍 ZSI Discovers Two New Spider Species
✅ Zoological Survey of India discovered two new spider species in Nagaland
✅ Species named Psechrus ntu & Psechrus phenshunyu

#CurrentAffairs

Landmark Supreme Court Cases and their Verdicts

Mediaeval history shorts notes

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Westerlies

River landforms

Zones of earth

Biochemical cycle

Important Earthquake concept

Rock types

🔆Keywords in Preamble

Trick- DR. Sushant Singh Saini
was fond of JaLEBI

✅D- Democratic
✅R- Republic
✅S- Sovereign
✅S- Social
✅S- Secular
✅J-Justice
✅L-Liberty
✅E-Equality
✅B-Brotherhood-word used in the preamble is ‘fraternity’
✅I-Integrity


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🔆Bhakti Saint & their time period

✅Shankara (788 - 820 AD)
✅Ramanuja (1017-1137 A.D)
✅Basava (12th Century)
✅Madhva (1238-1319 AD)
✅Ramanada (15th century)
✅Kabir (1440-1510 AD)
✅Chaitanya (1468-1533 AD)
✅Guru Nanak Dev (1469-1538 AD)
✅Purandara (15th century)
✅Dadu Dayal (1544-1603 AD)
✅Surdas (1483-1563 AD)
✅Vallabhacharya (1479-1531 AD)
✅Shankaradeva (1499-1569 AD)
✅Mirabai (1498-1563 AD)
✅Haridas (1478-1573 AD)
✅Tulasidas (1532-1623 AD)
✅Namdeva (1270-1309 AD)
✅Jnanesvar (1275-1296 AD)
✅Eknath (1533-1599AD)
✅Tukaram (1608?- 1650AD)

#pre_revise

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Pollution and its impact on various organs

Prelims marksheet all conditions

https://upsconline.gov.in/marksheet/csp_premark_2025/login.php?examname=CSP&examyear=2025&a=1

🔆 Leiden Copper Plates Returned to India

📍 Context
✅ The Netherlands returned the 11th-century Chola copper plates to India during the Prime Minister’s State Visit to the Netherlands
✅ The artefacts were in possession of Leiden University and popularly known as the Leiden Copper Plates

✅ India and the Netherlands also elevated ties to a Strategic Partnership

🔆 About Leiden Copper Plates

📍 Composition
✅ Consist of:
• 21 large copper plates
• 3 small copper plates

✅ Fastened with a bronze ring carrying seals of:
• Rajendra Chola I
• Kulottunga Chola I

📍 Language
✅ Written in:
• Tamil
• Sanskrit

📍 History
✅ Taken to the Netherlands in 1712 from Nagapattinam by Florentius Camper, a Dutch missionary linked with the Dutch East India Company

📍 Significance
✅ Provide information about:
• Chola administration
• Taxation
• Land grants
• Irrigation systems
• Trade practices

✅ Mention grant of Anaimangalam village to a Buddhist vihara built by Srivijaya rulers
✅ Reflects:
• Religious harmony
• Chola links with Southeast Asia

🔆 About Copper Plate Inscriptions

📍 What are they?
✅ Official records engraved on copper sheets and tied with royal seals

📍 Purpose
✅ Recorded:
• Land grants
• Royal genealogies
• Religious donations
• Administrative orders

📍 Earliest Example
✅ Sogaura Copper Plate of the Mauryan Era
✅ Mentioned famine relief measures
✅ Written in Prakrit language and Brahmi script

📍 Distribution
✅ Majority of copper plate inscriptions found in South India

🔆 About Imperial Cholas (850–1279 AD)

📍 Overview
✅ One of the major Tamil dynasties along with:
• Cheras
• Pandyas

✅ Referred to as Muvendhar in Sangam literature

📍 Major Rulers
✅ Vijayalaya Chola — Founder
✅ Parantaka Chola — “Maduraikonda”
✅ Rajaraja Chola I — Conquered northern Sri Lanka & Maldives
✅ Rajendra Chola I — Conquered Srivijaya Kingdom and founded Gangaikondacholapuram

📍 Cultural Contributions
✅ Growth of Tamil literature and devotional traditions
✅ Works include:
• Kalingattupparani
• Thevarams by Nayanars

📍 Architecture
✅ Built magnificent temples such as:
• Brihadeeswarar Temple, Thanjavur
• Airavatesvara Temple, Darasuram
• Gangaikondacholapuram Temple

📍 Metal Sculpture
✅ Famous for bronze sculptures using Lost-Wax Method
✅ Used alloy of five metals:
• Copper
• Silver
• Gold
• Tin
• Lead

#history #prelims #mains

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