Current Affairs 14 May 2026

MoEFCC to organise thematic events on India’s Big Cat conservation

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) announced that it will organise five thematic events across the country dedicated to each of India’s major wild big cat species as a precursor to the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) Summit 2026.

The events aim to showcase India’s achievements in big cat conservation, highlight conservation challenges, and promote collaborative actions by the Central and State Governments.

Thematic Events and Locations

Key Highlights

• India is home to over 70% of the world’s wild tiger population.
• The Asiatic Lion survives exclusively in India.
• India launched the world’s first intercontinental large carnivore translocation project under Project Cheetah.
• The Snow Leopard programme focuses on Himalayan ecosystem conservation and climate resilience.
• Leopard conservation efforts focus on coexistence in human-dominated landscapes.

MoU signed for India’s first Mega Greenfield Shipyard at Thoothukudi

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways announced the signing of a landmark tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the development of India’s first Mega Greenfield Shipyard at Thoothukudi.

The agreement was signed between:

• HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE)
• National Shipbuilding & Heavy Industries Park Tamil Nadu Limited (NSHIP-TN)
• Sagarmala Finance Corporation Limited (SMFCL)

The project is part of the India–Republic of Korea maritime cooperation framework called “VOYAGES” (Shared Vision for Operation of Yard Assisted Growth with Efficiency and Scale).

Key Highlights

• The proposed shipyard will have an annual capacity of 2.5 Million Gross Tonnage (GT).
• The shipyard will become the anchor facility of the Thoothukudi Shipbuilding Cluster.

Minimum Support Prices for Kharif Crops for Marketing Season 2026–27

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), approved an increase in the Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for 14 Kharif crops for the Marketing Season 2026–27. The decision aims to ensure remunerative prices for farmers and encourage crop diversification toward pulses, oilseeds, and nutri-cereals (Shree Anna).

Major MSP increases announced

• Sunflower Seed: Highest increase of ₹622 per quintal

Key MSP figures for 2026–27

• Paddy (Common): ₹2441 per quintal
• Bajra: ₹2900 per quintal
• Ragi: ₹5205 per quintal
• Tur/Arhar: ₹8450 per quintal
• Moong: ₹8780 per quintal
• Groundnut: ₹7517 per quintal
• Sunflower Seed: ₹8343 per quintal
• Cotton (Medium Staple): ₹8267 per quintal

The Government stated that MSPs have been fixed at at least 1.5 times the all-India weighted average cost of production, in line with the Union Budget 2018–19 announcement.

Read More About Minimum Support Prices

Scheme for Promotion of Surface Coal/Lignite Gasification Projects

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, approved a Scheme for Promotion of Surface Coal/Lignite Gasification Projects with a total financial outlay of ₹37,500 crore.

The scheme aims to accelerate India’s coal gasification programme and support the national target of gasifying 100 Million Tonnes (MT) of coal by 2030. It is intended to strengthen energy security and reduce dependence on imports of products such as LNG, urea, ammonia, methanol, and coking coal.

Under the scheme:

• Financial incentives will be provided for new surface coal/lignite gasification projects producing syngas and downstream products.
• The incentive will be capped at a maximum of 20% of the cost of plant and machinery.
• Incentives will be disbursed in four instalments linked to project milestones.
• The scheme targets gasification of approximately 75 Million Tonnes of coal/lignite.

The Government has also extended the coal linkage tenure to up to 30 years under the “Production of Syngas leading to Coal Gasification” sub-sector in the Non-Regulated Sector (NRS) linkage auction framework, providing long-term policy certainty.

Q1. The Union Cabinet recently approved a scheme for Promotion of Surface Coal/Lignite Gasification Projects with a financial outlay of:
A. ₹8,500 crore
B. ₹15,000 crore
C. ₹25,000 crore
D. ₹37,500 crore

Q2. Which Kharif crop received the highest absolute increase in Minimum Support Price (MSP) for the Marketing Season 2026–27?
A. Cotton
B. Nigerseed
C. Sesamum
D. Sunflower Seed

Q3. The Snow Leopard Conservation Programme event organised by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change will be held in which of the following cities?
A. Bhubaneswar
B. Bhopal
C. Gangtok
D. Chandrapur

Q4. Which of the following big cat species survives exclusively in India?
A. Snow Leopard
B. Cheetah
C. Leopard
D. Asiatic Lion

Q5. India’s first Mega Greenfield Shipyard, recently approved under the India–Republic of Korea maritime cooperation framework, will be developed at which of the following places?
A. Visakhapatnam
B. Kochi
C. Thoothukudi
D. Mumbai