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GK Update

Fri 05 Jun, 2026

National News

Natural Gas Discovery at Sri Vijayapuram-3

  • Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Puri announced the discovery of a natural gas reserve at Sri Vijayapuram-3, located approximately 15 kilometers off the east coast of the Andaman Islands.

Related Facts:

Key details of the discovery:

  • Location: Approximately 15 kilometers off the east coast of the Andaman Islands.
  • Well Name: Sri Vijayapuram-3.
  • Discovering Company: Public sector undertaking Oil India Limited (OIL).
  • Depth: The reserve was discovered at a water depth of 355 meters. Production testing was conducted at a depth exceeding 1,900 meters.
  • Part of the Campaign: This discovery marks a major success under the 'Samudra Manthan Mission,' launched to explore India's deep-water energy reserves.

Multifaceted Significance:

  • Proximity to the Strait of Malacca: Situated near the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, this block lies at the mouth of the Strait of Malacca—one of the world's busiest maritime trade routes. India's energy presence here is of critical importance.
  • Influence in the Indo-Pacific: Large-scale energy exploration in this region will strengthen India's strategic position in the Indo-Pacific and assist in monitoring China's growing activities.
  • Strengthening the 'Act East' Policy: This discovery will provide fresh momentum to India's 'Act East' policy in terms of economics and infrastructure.
  • The Government of India has set a target to increase the share of natural gas in its primary energy basket from 6% to 15% by 2030. This discovery will aid in achieving that goal.

Vehicle Sales in May 2026

  • Sales of approximately 4.4 lakh vehicles were recorded in India's passenger vehicle market in May.
  • This represents a 23% increase compared to the previous year.

Key Facts:

  • Maruti Suzuki: Retains the top spot with a market share of approximately 43–46%.
  • Other Major Players: Tata Motors ranks second and Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) third, followed by Hyundai, Toyota, and Kia.
  • Contribution to GDP: The automobile sector contributes approximately 49% to India's manufacturing GDP and over 7.1% to the total GDP. Growth in this sector boosts the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).
  • Global Ranking: Driven by this sustained growth, India has emerged as the world's third-largest automobile market (after China and the US).

Launch of India's First Flex-Fuel Passenger Car

  • Union Ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and Nitin Gadkari launched India's first flex-fuel passenger car.

Key Facts:

  • Fuel Capability: The vehicle is capable of running seamlessly on any blend ranging from E20 (20% ethanol and 80% petrol) to E100 (pure 100% ethanol).
  • Objective: The primary goal of this technology is to reduce massive crude oil imports, cut carbon emissions, and boost Indian farmers and the rural economy.
  • Energy Transition: According to the government, India has achieved its ethanol blending target well ahead of schedule, marking a significant step towards self-reliance.

Important Day

'World Environment Day'

  • 'World Environment Day' is observed annually on June 5th with the aim of raising global awareness about environmental conservation.

'World Environment Day':

  • Theme (2026): "Inspired by Nature, for the Climate, for Our Future"
  • Global Host Country: Azerbaijan
  • Leading Organization: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
  • Established: By the United Nations General Assembly during the 1972 Stockholm Conference
  • First Observed: June 5, 1973
  • First Slogan: "Only One Earth"

Person In News

Maria Montserrat Alvarado

  • Pope Leo XIV appointed Maria Montserrat "Montse" Alvarado as the new head (Prefect) of the Vatican's Dicastery for Communication.

Key Facts:

  • Maria Montserrat Alvarado: First female head of the Vatican's Dicastery for Communication.
  • Historic Role: Head (Prefect), Vatican Dicastery for Communication.
  • Distinguished Record: First lay woman (non-religious woman) in history to lead a Vatican Dicastery.
  • Appointment Date: June 2, 2026 (announced by Pope Leo XIV).
  • Assumption of Office: Will officially take charge on November 1, 2026.
  • Current Position: President and COO, EWTN News (global Catholic media network).
  • Nationality: Mexican-American.
  • Succession: She will succeed Paolo Ruffini, who had held the position since 2018.

V. Mohana

  • Senior Advocate Venkat Subramani Mohana (V. Mohana) has taken the oath as a Supreme Court judge, becoming the 12th woman judge in the history of the Supreme Court.

Related Facts:

  • Direct elevation from the Bar: Justice V. Mohana is the second woman in the country's judicial history—after Justice Indu Malhotra (appointed in 2018)—to be elevated directly from the Bar (lawyer quota) to the position of a Supreme Court judge.
  • Long tenure: Due to her direct appointment from the Bar, she will have a long tenure of approximately five years in the Supreme Court and is set to retire in June 2031.
  • First from Tamil Nadu: She is the first woman lawyer from Tamil Nadu to be appointed as a Supreme Court judge directly under the Bar quota.
  • Current status: With the appointment of Justice V. Mohana, there are now two sitting women judges in the Supreme Court—Justice V. Mohana and Justice B. V. Nagarathna.
  • Justice B. V. Nagarathna is in line to become India's first woman Chief Justice (CJI) in 2027.
  • First woman judge: Justice M. Fathima Beevi became the first woman judge of the Supreme Court in 1989.
  • Second woman judge: Justice Sujata Manohar (1994).
  • Other notable fact: In 2021, during the tenure of the then CJI N. V. Ramana, a new record was set when three women judges (Justice Hima Kohli, Justice Bela M. Trivedi, and Justice B. V. Nagarathna) took the oath simultaneously.

Supreme Court:

  • Establishment: 26 January 1950.
  • The first Supreme Court (Supreme Court of Calcutta) was established in 1774. Sanctioned strength of judges: Total sanctioned posts: 38 (37 other judges and 1 Chief Justice of India)
  • Current judges: 37 (including the CJI)

Note: In May 2026, the sanctioned strength was increased from 34 to 38 by the Central Government through the 'Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Ordinance'. Subsequently, in June 2026, 5 new judges were appointed, bringing the total number to 37.

  • Right to Constitutional Remedies: Article 3
  • It is also known as the guardian of the Constitution.
  • Article 131: Details regarding the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court
  • Articles 133-136: Appellate jurisdiction
  • Article 143: Advisory jurisdiction
  • Article 137: Review of judgments

Neelkanth Mishra

  • The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the appointment of Neelkanth Mishra as Executive Director at the World Bank headquarters in Washington D.C. for a term of three years.

Related Facts:

  • Succession: Neelkanth Mishra will succeed Parameswaran Iyer, a retired 1981-batch IAS officer. To ensure a smooth transition, the government has extended Parameswaran Iyer's tenure until the new appointee assumes office.
  • Representation: He will represent a South Asian constituency on the World Bank Board, comprising India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka.

World Bank:

  • Establishment: 1944 (Bretton Woods Conference)
  • Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States
  • Operations Began: 1946
  • President: Ajay Banga

5 Institutions of the World Bank Group:

  • IBRD – International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
  • IDA – International Development Association
  • IFC – International Finance Corporation
  • MIGA – Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency
  • ICSID – International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes

Subhash C. Kashyap

  • Subhash C. Kashyap, former Secretary-General of the Lok Sabha and a constitutional expert, passed away at the age of 97.
  • He authored more than 100 books.
  • He served as the Secretary-General of the Lok Sabha from 1983 to 1990.

Science and Technology

First Direct Evidence of Methane Gas on an Interstellar Comet

  • NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has detected methane gas directly on an interstellar comet for the first time.

Related Facts:

  • First Direct Observation: This is the first direct detection of methane gas on any interstellar object originating outside our solar system.
  • Chemical Fingerprint: The mid-infrared chemical fingerprint of an interstellar body has been captured for the first time using the James Webb Telescope's Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI).
  • Distinct Chemical Composition: This comet was found to have significantly higher levels of carbon dioxide and methane relative to water compared to comets within our solar system.
  • Interstellar Comet '3I/ATLAS':
  • Third Confirmed Interstellar Body: This is the third interstellar body to enter our solar system. Previously, 1I/ʻOumuamua (2017) and 2I/Borisov (2019) were discovered.
  • Discovery: It was discovered in July 2025 by the NASA-funded 'ATLAS survey telescope' located in Chile.
  • Characteristics: It has a diameter of approximately 2.6 kilometers. Scientific research suggests it could be around 7 billion years old, making it older than our solar system (4.6 billion years).

James Webb Space Telescope (JWST):

  • Mission Type: Space Observatory
  • Launch Date: December 25, 2021
  • Rocket: Ariane 5
  • Cost: Approximately $10 billion
  • Operators: NASA, ESA, and CSA
  • Location: 1.5 million km from Earth, at Lagrange Point 2 (L2)

New World Record for 'Artificial Sun'

  • South Korea's 'artificial sun' (KSTAR) set a new record by sustaining nuclear fusion plasma for a record 102 seconds, aided by a new tungsten divertor.
  • Additionally, the experiment maintained an ion temperature of 100 million degrees Celsius—seven times hotter than the Sun's core—for a record 48 seconds.

Related Facts:

  • Full name of KSTAR: Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research
  • Dual Record: The reactor achieved two milestones during the latest test campaign.
  • H-mode (High-confinement mode): Sustained a high-density, stable plasma state for 102 consecutive seconds.
  • Extreme Temperature: Maintained a temperature of 100 million degrees Celsius for 48 seconds.

T-Mobile USA's First Global Technology Center Outside the US

  • T-Mobile USA has established its first global technology center outside the United States in Hyderabad through its subsidiary, TMUS Global Solutions.

Key Facts:

  • Inauguration: The center was inaugurated by Telangana's Minister for IT and Industries, D. Sridhar Babu.
  • Location and Size: The center is located in Hyderabad's HITEC City and spans a vast area of ​​250,000 square feet.
  • Objectives and Hiring: The company plans to increase the workforce at this center to 1,000 employees by 2027. Operations have already commenced, and more than 500 employees have already been hired.

Announcement of the End of the MAVEN Spacecraft Mission

  • NASA announced the conclusion of the mission of its MAVEN spacecraft, which had been orbiting Mars.
  • Launched in 2013, MAVEN's objective was to study the atmosphere of Mars.
  • Contact with the spacecraft was lost last December after it moved behind Mars.
  • Investigations revealed that the spacecraft began spinning rapidly, affecting its orbit and depleting its batteries.
  • According to scientists, it will remain in Mars' orbit for the next 50 to 100 years, after which it will crash onto the planet's surface.

MAVEN Mission:

  • Full Name: Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution
  • Launch: It was launched in November 2013 aboard an Atlas V rocket and entered Mars' orbit in September 2014.
  • Mission Duration: It was designed for a primary mission of only one year but operated successfully for over 11 years.

India's Mars Missions:

  • India's First Interplanetary Mission: Mars Orbiter Mission-1 (MOM / Mangalyaan-1)
  • Launch: It was launched on November 5, 2013, from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, using the PSLV-C25 rocket.
  • Orbit Entry: The spacecraft successfully entered Mars' orbit on September 24, 2014.
  • India became the first country in the world to reach Mars on its very first attempt.
  • India became the first Asian country and the fourth space agency globally (after NASA, the Soviet Union, and the European Space Agency) to reach Mars' orbit.
  • Upcoming Mission: Mangalyaan-2: Potential Launch Year: According to the ISRO Chairman, the target is to launch this mission in the year 2030.

Reports and Indices

Expansion of the Middle Class

  • Globally, the middle class has expanded over the last two decades.

Related Facts:

  • Between 2009 and 2017, the global middle-class population grew from 1.8 billion to 3.5 billion, with Asia accounting for approximately 40% of this share.
  • India has played a significant role in this shift.
  • India's per capita GDP increased by 53% between 2011 and 2019, while the country's middle class grew at an annual rate of 6.3% between 1995 and 2021.
  • The middle class constitutes approximately 31% of India's population.
  • According to OECD projections, India will surpass China in total middle-class population between 2030 and 2035.
  • The World Economic Forum (WEF) estimates that by 2036, India's middle-class and wealthy consumers will account for 93% of total consumer spending, up from 80% in 2026.
  • The WEF also estimates that approximately 500 new "consumer cities" will emerge, and 93% of urban consumption growth is expected to originate from locations outside the country's five largest metropolitan areas.

What defines the middle class? :

  • The income classification of countries for the financial year 2026 is as follows:
  • Low income: $1,135 or less
  • Lower-middle income: $1,136 to $4,495
  • Upper-middle income: $4,496 to $13,935
  • High income: Above $13,935
  • This classification provides a framework for determining income groups, including the middle class, within the global economy.

Awards and Honors

National e-Governance Awards 2026

  • The National e-Governance Awards (NeGA) 2026 have been announced to encourage outstanding contributions and innovation in the field of e-governance.
  • A total of 17 projects and initiatives have been selected across seven categories this year. These include 10 Gold Awards, 6 Silver Awards, and 1 Jury Award.

Related Facts:

Major Awards:

  • AgriStack: Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
  • e-Jagriti: Ministry of Consumer Affairs
  • Mahakumbh 2025: Prayagraj Mela Authority, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh
  • District Court Case Management System (DCMS): High Court of Kerala

Jury Award:

  • Real-time precise positioning services via CORS network: Survey of India
  • Nodal Ministry: These awards are presented annually by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.
  • Inception: These awards were instituted in the year 2003.

 

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