Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president C. Joseph Vijay was sworn-in as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister in Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai on May 10, 2026. As Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath of office and secrecy to the new Chief Minister.
TVK contested in 233 constituencies without any allies and secured around 1.7 crore of the total 4.9 crore votes polled in the April 23 Assembly election. Over the five days after his party secured 108 of the 234 seats in the Assembly on May 4, Mr. Vijay managed to secure the support of the Congress, the Communist Party of India, the Communist Party of India (Marxist),
the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, and the Indian Union Muslim League to form the government. The Governor appointed Mr. Vijay as the Chief Minister with a direction to seek the vote of confidence of the Assembly on or before May 13.
Vijay's government is the first non-DMK, non-AIADMK government in nearly 60 years in Tamil Nadu.
List of Tamil Nadu cabinet ministers
N Anand
Aadhav Arjuna
KG Arunraj
KA Sengottaiyan
P Venkataramanan
R Nirmalkumar
Rajmohan
TK Prabhu
S Keerthana
Jansuraksha schemes like Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana have settled claims of about Rs. 25,160 crore since their launch in 2015, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said.
Jan Suraksha schemes Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), and Atal Pension Yojana (APY) envisioned to extend affordable financial protection to all, particularly the under-served and vulnerable sections of society, were launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 9, 2015.
These flagship schemes, which completed 11 years, aim to broaden the insurance and pension landscape by shielding citizens against life's uncertainties and fostering long-term financial resilience.
Citing data on the 11th anniversaries of the Jan Suraksha Schemes, Sitharaman said that over 270 million, 580 million and 90 million enrolments have been done under PMJJBY, PMSBY and APY, respectively.
On PMJJBY, she said the scheme has settled claims worth more than ₹21,500 crore for over 1.07 million families.
Under PMSBY scheme, Sitharaman said it has settled claims worth nearly ₹3,660 crore for over 184 thousand families.
Bulgaria’s parliament formally approved Rumen Radev as the new prime minister in a bid to end political instability and spur economic development in the EU member country. The chamber voted 124-70 with 36 abstentions to elect Radev, a 62-year-old former president, as prime minister.
Radev resigned from the mostly ceremonial presidency in January, a few months before the end of his second term, to launch a bid to lead the government in the more powerful role as prime minister.
Bulgaria’s previous conservative government collapsed in December after nationwide anti-corruption protests drew hundreds of thousands of mainly young people to the streets.
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Sanjay Malhotra and European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the field of central banking, the RBI said in a statement. The signing took place on the sidelines of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) meetings in Basel.
“The MoU, which updates the previous MoU of 2015, provides a framework for a regular exchange of information, policy dialogue and technical cooperation between the two institutions in areas of mutual interest in the field of central banking,” the statement said.
In a major boost to the diversification of India’s agricultural exports and furthering the One District One Product (ODOP) initiative, the first-ever export consignment of ODOP honey from Baksa, an Aspirational District in Assam, to the USA was flagged off on 09 May 2026 through the initiative of APEDA.
The consignment, comprising 20 Metric Tons of honey, was exported by APEDA-registered exporter from the North Eastern Region, M/s Salt Range Foods Pvt. Ltd., Assam.
Assam holds significant potential for honey production owing to its rich biodiversity, abundant forest resources and long-standing tradition of beekeeping.
Honey collection has been practised for centuries by indigenous communities such as the Karbi, Mishing and Bodo tribes, where honey has traditionally been used as food, medicine and in cultural and religious practices.
The Centre today formally notified the implementation of the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Employment and Livelihood Mission (Rural), or VB–G RAM G Act, that will replace MGNREGA from July 1, 2026, across the country.
This marks a major overhaul of rural employment generation and infrastructure development in the country.
Union Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the legislation would usher in “a new dawn” for rural workers, farmers and villages by expanding livelihood opportunities and strengthening rural infrastructure.
The minister said states would be given up to six months to complete operational preparedness under the new law.
However, from July 1 onward, funding for rural employment works would be routed through the VB–G RAM G framework even if some states are yet to complete preparations.
The Centre has allocated over ₹95,000 crore for the programme in the Union Budget, while states have also made separate budgetary provisions.
Combined annual expenditure under the scheme is expected to exceed Rs. 1.51 trillion, Chouhan said.
The government plans to use the programme not only for wage employment but also for large-scale creation of rural infrastructure.
Chouhan said wages would be transferred directly into workers’ bank or post office accounts through the direct benefit transfer (DBT) mechanism.
The government aims to process payments within three days, though payments must be completed within 15 days.
Workers will be entitled to compensation in case of delayed payments, while unemployment allowance will be payable if employment is not provided on demand, he added.
To strengthen implementation capacity, the administrative expenditure ceiling under the programme has been increased from 6 per cent to 9 per cent, aimed at ensuring timely salaries and adequate support for field staff.
The argan tree (Argania spinosa) is a native species of the sub-Saharan region of Morocco, in the southwest of the country, which grows in arid and semiarid areas. It’s the defining species of a woodland ecosystem, also known as Arganeraie, which is rich in endemic flora. It is resilient to a harsh environment under water scarcity, risk of erosion and poor soils.
In 2021, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 10 May the International Day of Argania. The resolution, submitted by Morocco, was co-sponsored by 113 member states of the United Nations and adopted by consensus.
India is set to host the prestigious 2026 Asian Weightlifting Championships in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, marking the country’s first time hosting the event in 44 years. The championship will conclude on the 17th of this month.
Around 180 athletes from 28 countries will compete in one of Asia’s biggest weightlifting events of the year, which also serves as an important qualification event for the upcoming Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.
India, China, and Sri Lanka will field the largest squads with 16 lifters each, while Chinese Taipei will have 15 participants.
India, China, and Sri Lanka will field the largest squads with 16 lifters each, while Chinese Taipei will have 15 participants. India’s campaign will be led by experienced lifters such as Bindyarani Devi and Ajith Narayana, along with Nirupama Devi, Lovepreet Singh, and Bedabarat Bharali.
In Shooting, Indian pair of Neeru Dhanda and Vivaan Kapoor secured a bronze medal in the trap mixed team event as India concluded its campaign on a positive note at the ISSF World Cup Shotgun in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
It was the first ISSF World Cup podium finish for Neeru and Vivaan in an Olympic event, and India’s second medal overall since the mixed team trap was included in the Olympic programme last year.
The Indian pair hit 24 out of the first 30 targets in the final.
Despite matching the Italian duo of Silvana Stanco and Mauro De Filippis, they missed out on a higher finish after placing behind them in qualification. Chinese Taipei’s Kun-Pi Yang and Wan-Yu Liu clinched the gold medal, setting a world record score of 36 in the final.
In Football, India scripted history by qualifying for the quarterfinals of the AFC Under-17 Women’s Asian Cup for the first time with a commanding 4-nil victory against Lebanon in their final Group B fixture at Suzhou in China.
For India, Pritika Barman in 7th and 85th, Alva Devi Senjam in the 36th, and Joya in 72nd minute scored goals.
Reaching the semifinals of this tournament would guarantee India a spot in the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
