5th JANUARY 2026 ENGLISH TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS PDF TNPSC SHOUTERS
Memorandum of Understanding between UN Women and the Government of Tamil Nadu
- In the presence of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed today (January 5, 2026) at the Secretariat between UN Women and the Government of Tamil Nadu, on behalf of the Planning and Development Department, to further strengthen efforts towards women's welfare, gender equality, and inclusive development in the state.
- Furthermore, a trilateral cooperation was established between the State Planning Commission of the Government of Tamil Nadu and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Observatory of Public Sector Innovation (OPSI), and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF - OoI). He also released the Tamil Nadu State Indicator Framework-2.0 and received four research reports prepared by the State Planning Commission.
- Chief Minister M.K. Stalin launched a scheme to provide laptops to ten lakh college students in Chennai on Monday (January 5). Chief Minister Stalin, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi, state ministers, MLAs, and MPs participated in the event held at the Chennai Nandambakkam Trade Centre.
- At this event, 10 lakh laptops were distributed to students from all disciplines, including government engineering, arts and science, medicine, agriculture, law, polytechnic colleges, and industrial training institutes.
- In a move to strengthen the Indian Coast Guard, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today (Monday) dedicated the indigenously built first Pollution Control Vessel, 'Samudra Pratap', to the nation.
- This ship, built by Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL), has been constructed with more than 60 percent indigenous components. It is capable of detecting and controlling oil spills in the sea using modern technology. Weighing 4,170 tons, this ship is one of the largest vessels of the Coast Guard.
- It can travel at a speed of 22 nautical miles per hour. With a single refueling, it can travel up to 6,000 miles. It is equipped with firefighting equipment, a helicopter deck, and state-of-the-art surveillance cameras.
- In 2022, an examination was conducted to fill 2,756 vacant positions in the Rajasthan High Court. While a lower cut-off mark was set for the general category compared to the reserved categories, candidates from the reserved categories who scored lower marks filed a petition in the state High Court seeking appointment in the general category.
- The High Court, after hearing the case, ordered the appointment of candidates from the reserved categories to general category posts.
- The Registrar of the Rajasthan High Court appealed against this decision in the Supreme Court. A bench of Supreme Court judges, comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and Augustine Masih, observed that the general category posts are not reserved for any particular group.
- Therefore, the judges ruled that Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, and Economically Weaker Sections can also be appointed to general category posts if they meet the qualifying cut-off marks.
