# Current Affairs May 2026 for UPSC: Assembly Election Results, SIR Verdict, NEET-UG Cancellation, Kharif MSP and the India-Nordic Summit Source: https://tracknation.in/story/current-affairs-may-2026-for-upsc-assembly-election-results-sir-verdict-neet-ug-cancellation-kharif-msp-and-the-india-nordic-summit (TrackNation — free UPSC notes with PYQs) > Current affairs for 1 to 31 May 2026 for UPSC Prelims 2027: the assembly results in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Assam, the Supreme Court's SIR verdict, the NEET-UG 2026 cancellation, the kharif MSP 2026-27, the monsoon outlook and the Prime Minister's five-nation tour including the India-Nordic Summit, with practice questions. ## May 2026 at a Glance 🎯 **May 2026: 1 to 31 May.** May belongs to the election results: the BJP won West Bengal, the TVK won Tamil Nadu, the UDF won Kerala and the BJP-led alliance held Assam. It also carried a Supreme Court verdict on the voter-roll revision, the cancellation of NEET-UG, the kharif MSP and the Prime Minister's five-nation tour. Everything below comes from news reports and pages that cite the Election Commission, so seat counts may differ by one or two across sources; check the official table before the exam. ## May at a glance | **Date** | **Event** | **Subject** | **Exam angle** | | 4 May | Results: BJP wins West Bengal; TVK, Tamil Nadu; UDF, Kerala | Polity | Majority marks; turnout records | | 9-14 May | Chief Ministers sworn in: Adhikari, Vijay, Satheesan | Polity | Article 164 | | 12 May | NTA cancels NEET-UG 2026 held on 3 May | Governance | Paper leak; CBI probe | | 13 May | CCEA raises kharif MSP for 14 crops | Economy | Paddy Rs 2,441 | | 15-20 May | Five-nation tour: UAE, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Italy | IR | India-Nordic Summit, Oslo | | 21 May | Falta re-poll in West Bengal | Polity | Election Commission powers | | 27 May | Supreme Court upholds SIR of electoral rolls | Polity | Article 324; citizenship | | 28 May | Siddaramaiah resigns as Karnataka CM | Polity | Successor sworn in on 3 June | ## Polity: the 2026 Assembly Results Counting for all five legislatures took place on **4 May**. These seat tables use the totals reported on the day, which sum to the full strength of each House. ## Polity: the 2026 assembly results | **State** | **Result** | **Majority mark** | **Chief Minister** | | West Bengal (294) | BJP 208, TMC 80, others 6 | 148 | Suvendu Adhikari, inaugurated 9 May | | Tamil Nadu (234) | TVK 108; DMK-led alliance 73 (DMK 59); AIADMK-led NDA 53 (AIADMK 47) | 118 | C. Joseph Vijay, sworn in 10 May | | Kerala (140) | UDF 102, LDF 35, NDA 3 | 71 | V.D. Satheesan | | Assam (126) | BJP 82, AGP 10, BPF 10, Congress 19 | 64 | Himanta Biswa Sarma continues | - **West Bengal:** the BJP's Suvendu Adhikari defeated Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at Bhabanipur. The Election Commission scrapped the poll in **Falta** for severe electoral offences and the seat was **re-polled on 21 May**, with the result declared on 24 May. - **Tamil Nadu:** the TVK won 108 seats on its own (some live trackers showed 109), displacing the DMK. Turnout of **85.1 per cent** was the highest in the State's history. Vijay was sworn in on 10 May and won the floor test on 13 May, after M.K. Stalin resigned on 5 May. - **Kerala:** the UDF returned to power with **102 of 140** seats; turnout was 79.53 per cent. The Puducherry result is not verified here. - *Static:* the Chief Minister is appointed by the Governor (Article 164) and the Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Assembly (Article 164(2)); a party needs more than half of the seats, the majority mark, to form a government without support. ## Governance: the SIR Verdict, NEET-UG and Karnataka Three governance items carry the exam angle: the SIR verdict, the NEET-UG cancellation and a change of Chief Minister in Karnataka. ## Polity and governance: SIR, NEET-UG and Karnataka - **SIR upheld (27 May).** A bench of **Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi upheld the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision** of electoral rolls. The Commission has the power under **Article 324 of the Constitution and the Representation of the People Act, 1950**; it may examine citizenship during verification but **cannot finally determine it**, and it must presume in favour of voters already on the rolls. The Court voiced concern about the rushed process and about exclusion. *Static:* Article 326 gives adult suffrage; citizenship is decided under the Citizenship Act, 1955. - **NEET-UG cancelled (12 May).** The National Testing Agency **cancelled NEET-UG 2026, held on 3 May**, after a paper-leak row that surfaced in Rajasthan. The Centre ordered a CBI probe and about 22 lakh candidates were affected. The re-examination was set for **Sunday 21 June 2026** with no fresh registration or fee. *Static:* the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 targets paper leaks in central recruitment and examinations. - **Karnataka (28-30 May).** **Siddaramaiah resigned on 28 May** on the Congress leadership's direction and the legislature party elected D.K. Shivakumar its leader on 30 May; he was sworn in on 3 June. ## Economy and Environment: Kharif MSP and the Monsoon Outlook The kharif MSP is an annual prelims item. Know the method and the headline figure. ## Economy and environment: kharif MSP and the monsoon outlook - **Kharif MSP 2026-27 (CCEA, 13 May).** The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs raised the MSP for **14 kharif crops**. **Common paddy rises by Rs 72 to Rs 2,441 per quintal** (from Rs 2,369) and Grade A paddy is Rs 2,461. The biggest absolute hikes reported were sunflower seed (Rs 622), cotton (Rs 557), nigerseed (Rs 515) and sesamum (Rs 500). *Static:* MSP is set at **not less than 1.5 times the all-India weighted average cost of production** (the Budget 2018-19 principle); the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices recommends and the CCEA approves. - **Monsoon outlook (secondary).** The India Meteorological Department's updated forecast was **90 per cent of the long-period average** (plus or minus 4 per cent), **down from 92 per cent** in April, because of a developing strong El Niño; the core monsoon zone was expected below 94 per cent. The onset over Kerala came on 4 June, three days late. *Static:* a season is 'normal' at 96 to 104 per cent of the LPA and 'deficient' below 90 per cent; the LPA is 87 cm (1971-2020). ## International Relations: the Five-Nation Tour In the middle of May the Prime Minister visited five countries in six days. Each stop produced one phrase worth remembering. ## International relations: the five-nation tour (15-20 May) | **Country** | **Date** | **Headline outcome** | | UAE | 15 May | Framework for a strategic defence partnership; petroleum reserve and LPG pacts; ADNOC storage in India up to 30 million barrels | | Netherlands | 16-17 May | Strategic partnership, roadmap 2026-2030, 17 agreements; Tata Electronics-ASML MoU for Dholera | | Sweden | 17-18 May | Relations upgraded to a Strategic Partnership | | Norway | 19 May | 3rd India-Nordic Summit in Oslo; first Indian PM visit in 43 years | | Italy | 19-20 May | Special Strategic Partnership; EUR 20 billion trade target by 2029 | - The energy pacts with the UAE followed the disruption of Gulf supplies in the Iran war; the Netherlands and India also called for freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz (secondary sources). - *Static:* the earlier India-Nordic Summits were held in Stockholm (2018) and Copenhagen (2022); the Nordic five are Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden; the India-EFTA TEPA, which involves Norway, took effect on 1 October 2025. ## Further Reading - PIB press releases, ministry websites and annual reports, the Gazette of India, MEA and UN documents and the official sources named in each note — the primary sources behind every fact above. ## How UPSC Could Ask This Next Here is how UPSC could turn May into questions. ## How UPSC could ask this next - **Elections:** who appoints the Chief Minister, what a floor test is, the Election Commission's power to countermand a poll, the legal basis of the SIR, the Representation of the People Act provisions. - **Agriculture:** how MSP is set, how many crops are covered, which crops have the highest hikes, the role of CACP and the CCEA. - **IR:** the order of partnership levels (strategic, special strategic), the Nordic five, EFTA members and the TEPA, the location of Fujairah. - **Exams and law:** what the Public Examinations Act, 2024 does, and the difference between the NTA and a statutory board. - **Climate:** monsoon categories, El Niño and its effect on rainfall. ## Test Yourself: Practice Questions Sixteen practice questions on May 2026, each tied to a verified fact. ## Practice Questions **Q1.** In the 2026 West Bengal Assembly election, the BJP won - (a) 208 of 294 seats - (b) 148 of 294 seats - (c) 250 of 294 seats - (d) 162 of 294 seats **Answer: (a)** — The majority mark was 148 seats. **Q2.** In the 2026 West Bengal election, which constituency was re-polled on 21 May? - (a) Nandigram - (b) Jangipur - (c) Falta - (d) Bhabanipur **Answer: (c)** — The Election Commission scrapped the original poll for severe electoral offences. **Q3.** Who was sworn in as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on 10 May 2026? - (a) Edappadi K. Palaniswami - (b) C. Joseph Vijay - (c) O. Panneerselvam - (d) M.K. Stalin **Answer: (b)** — His party, the TVK, won 108 of 234 seats. **Q4.** In the 2026 Tamil Nadu election, the turnout of 85.1 per cent was - (a) lower than in 2021 - (b) the same as in 2021 - (c) the highest in the State's history - (d) the lowest since 1967 **Answer: (c)** — It was up by more than 11 percentage points on 2021. **Q5.** The UDF's seat tally in the 2026 Kerala election was - (a) 91 of 140 - (b) 71 of 140 - (c) 102 of 140 - (d) 120 of 140 **Answer: (c)** — The LDF won 35 and the NDA 3. **Q6.** The Chief Minister of a State is appointed by the - (a) Speaker of the Assembly - (b) Election Commission - (c) Governor - (d) President **Answer: (c)** — Article 164 provides for the appointment. **Q7.** The Supreme Court on 27 May 2026 held that the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls is within its power under - (a) Article 326 alone - (b) the Citizenship Act, 1955 - (c) Article 324 and the Representation of the People Act, 1950 - (d) Article 243K **Answer: (c)** — It also held that citizenship cannot be finally decided by the Commission. **Q8.** According to the Court's ruling on the SIR, the Election Commission - (a) cannot revise rolls between general elections - (b) may decide citizenship finally - (c) can strike names off only after a court order - (d) may examine citizenship during verification but cannot finally determine it **Answer: (d)** — It must presume in favour of voters already on the rolls. **Q9.** NEET-UG 2026, held on 3 May, was cancelled by the - (a) Union Public Service Commission - (b) Central Board of Secondary Education - (c) National Testing Agency - (d) Medical Council of India **Answer: (c)** — The re-examination was set for 21 June 2026. **Q10.** The paper-leak row over NEET-UG 2026 led the Centre to order a probe by the - (a) NIA - (b) CBI - (c) Serious Fraud Investigation Office - (d) Enforcement Directorate **Answer: (b)** — Around 22 lakh candidates had appeared. **Q11.** The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs raised the kharif MSP for 2026-27 for how many crops? - (a) 7 - (b) 22 - (c) 23 - (d) 14 **Answer: (d)** — Rabi MSP is announced separately in October. **Q12.** The MSP of common paddy for 2026-27 is - (a) Rs 2,800 per quintal - (b) Rs 2,183 per quintal - (c) Rs 2,369 per quintal - (d) Rs 2,441 per quintal **Answer: (d)** — The increase over the previous year is Rs 72. **Q13.** MSP is fixed at not less than what multiple of the all-India weighted average cost of production? - (a) 1.2 - (b) 1.0 - (c) 1.5 - (d) 2.0 **Answer: (c)** — The principle was announced in the Budget 2018-19. **Q14.** The 3rd India-Nordic Summit in May 2026 was held at - (a) Stockholm - (b) Helsinki - (c) Copenhagen - (d) Oslo **Answer: (d)** — It was the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Norway in 43 years. **Q15.** India and Italy in May 2026 elevated their relationship to a - (a) Comprehensive Global Partnership - (b) Strategic Partnership - (c) Privileged Partnership - (d) Special Strategic Partnership **Answer: (d)** — The two set a trade target of EUR 20 billion by 2029. **Q16.** The IMD's updated monsoon forecast for 2026 was - (a) 110 per cent of the LPA - (b) 90 per cent of the long-period average - (c) 104 per cent of the LPA - (d) 96 per cent of the LPA **Answer: (b)** — It had been 92 per cent in April, with a strong El Niño developing. ### Mains Practice Questions Use these to frame full-length answers. You don't have to answer one exactly — they show the angles UPSC tests, so let them guide which points you cover. - Examine the legal basis and the limits of the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision in the light of the Supreme Court's 2026 verdict. - Discuss the causes of recurring paper leaks in national examinations and evaluate the effectiveness of the Public Examinations Act, 2024. - Explain how the MSP is determined and critically assess the 1.5 times cost formula. - Assess the strategic importance of India's partnerships with the Nordic countries and the Netherlands.