CLAT Express Monthly GK Magazine - May 2026

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering international relations, national issues, legal developments, and economic reports based on the May 2026 lecture notes.

Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited (ISPRL)

An entity that signed an MoU with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) for strategic collaboration, including storing up to $30\,Million\,Barrels$ of crude oil in India.

I2U2

A multilateral cooperation group consisting of India, Israel, UAE, and the USA.

BAPS Hindu Temple

The first traditional Hindu stone temple in the UAE, located in Abu Dhabi, which was visited by PM Modi.

Kafala System

A sponsorship system in Gulf countries that regulates the relationship between employers and migrant workers, requiring foreign workers to have an in-country sponsor who controls their visa status.

Himadri Station

India's Arctic research station located in Svalbard, Norway, established in 2008.

India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC)

An initiative aimed at improving trade connectivity, logistics, energy, and digital links between Asia and Europe, supported by both India and Italy.

Agricola Medal

A prestigious honor conferred upon PM Modi by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for his contributions to food security.

Colosseum

The largest standing amphitheater in the world, located in Rome, Italy, originally called the Flavian Amphitheatre and built under Emperor Vespasian.

Afsluitdijk Dam

A $32\,km$ long barrier dam and causeway in the Netherlands that protects low-lying areas from flooding and transformed the saline Zuiderzee into the freshwater IJsselmeer Lake.

Anaimangalam Copper Plates

Also known as Leiden Plates, these $11^{th}$ Century royal charters commissioned by Rajaraja Chola I record land grants to a Buddhist monastery and were returned to India by the Netherlands.

LeadIT (Leadership Group for Industry Transition)

An initiative launched by India and Sweden in 2019 to promote high-carbon industrial transition and sustainable manufacturing.

Peak Oil Theory

Proposed by M. King Hubbert, this theory suggests that oil production follows a bell-shaped curve, reaching a maximum level before entering an irreversible decline.

Habshan-Fujairah Pipeline

A crude oil pipeline in the UAE that connects inland fields to the port of Fujairah on the Gulf of Oman, allowing oil exports to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.

OPEC+

An alliance formed in 2016 between the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and major non-OPEC producers like Russia and Kazakhstan.

National Testing Agency (NTA)

An autonomous body established in 2017 under the Department of Higher Education, responsible for conducting major exams such as NEET-UG, JEE Main, and CUET.

Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act 2024

A law introduced to curb paper leaks and organized cheating in examinations, providing for imprisonment up to $10\,years$ and fines up to $\text{Rs}\,1\,Crore$.

PM SHRI Schools

A centrally sponsored scheme launched in 2022 to upgrade over 14,500 schools into model institutions aligned with the National Education Policy 2020.

NIPUN Bharat Mission

An initiative launched in 2021 to ensure every child attains foundational literacy and numeracy by the end of Grade 3 by the year $2026-27$.

Bhojshala

An ASI-protected medieval monument in Dhar, MP, built by Raja Bhoj in 1034 AD, believed to be a temple dedicated to Goddess Vagdevi (Saraswati).

Places of Worship Act, 1991

Legislation passed to prohibit the conversion of any place of worship and to maintain its religious character as it existed on August 15, 1947.

Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill 2026

A bill approved to expand the strength of the Supreme Court of India from 34 to 38 judges (CJI + 37 judges).

Ad-Hoc Judge

A judge of a High Court appointed by the CJI to the Supreme Court for a temporary period when there is a lack of quorum of permanent judges, as per Article 127.

Anti-Defection Law

Enshrined in the $10^{th}$ Schedule of the Constitution via the $52^{nd}$ Amendment Act 1985, it specifies grounds for disqualifying legislators who switch political parties.

91st Constitutional Amendment Act 2003

An amendment that strengthened the Anti-Defection Law by removing the split provision and requiring $2/3^{rd}$ of members to agree for a valid party merger.

Current Account Deficit (CAD)

A measurement of a country's trade where the value of goods and services it imports exceeds the value of goods and services it exports.

World Press Freedom Index

An annual report published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) that ranks 180 countries based on media freedom and the safety of journalists.

LEADS (Logistics Ease Across Different States)

A national index benchmarking logistics performance across Indian states and UTs, prepared by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade.

National Technology Day

Observed on May 11 to commemorate the Pokhran-II nuclear tests (Operation Shakti) and the flight of the Hansa-3 aircraft in 1998.

International Labour Organization (ILO)

A specialized UN agency founded in 1919 and headquartered in Geneva, dedicated to promoting social justice and international labor standards.

Thucydides Trap

A concept in international relations referring to the heightened risk of war when an emerging power challenges a dominant established power.

Mission for Cotton Productivity

Also known as Kapas Kanti, an initiative Aligned with the 5F Vision (Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion to Foreign) to make India self-sufficient in cotton.

Economic Capital Framework (ECF)

The methodology governing how the RBI provisions for financial risks and determines the amount of surplus to be transferred to the Government of India.

Ecocide

The commission of unlawful or reckless acts with the knowledge that they are likely to cause severe, widespread, or long-term environmental damage.

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS)

The highest-ranking military officer in the Indian Armed Forces who acts as the principal military adviser to the Defence Minister and heads the Department of Military Affairs.

International Booker Prize

An annual award for a work of fiction originally written in a language other than English, translated into English, and published in the UK or Ireland.