Arunachal Pradesh

♦ A rare species of dragonfly known as the Long-tailed Duskhawker, scientifically called 'Gynacantha khasiaca', has been rediscovered in Arunachal Pradesh after 110 years. The rare dragonfly was spotted inside Namdapha National Park and Tiger Reserve during a field survey conducted in October 2024. Researchers identified the species through photographs taken at Deban along the Miao–Vijaynagar road in the presence of forest officials.

♦ It was last recorded in Arunachal Pradesh during the historic Abor Expedition of 1914.

Andhra Pradesh

♦ Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu laid the foundation stones and presided over the grounding ceremonies for a series of strategic aerospace and defence manufacturing projects in the state on 15 May 2026. The event was held at Puttaparthi in Sri Sathya Sai district and included the launch of projects linked to fifth-generation fighter aircraft development, naval systems manufacturing, ammunition production and drone technology.

♦ Among the key projects announced was the Core Integration and Flight Testing Centre for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme at Puttaparthi. The facility, being developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency under DRDO at an estimated cost of around Rs.2,000 crore, is expected to accelerate the development and testing of India’s indigenous fifth-generation stealth fighter aircraft and other future combat platforms.

Tamil Nadu

♦ India’s maritime sector received a major boost with the signing of a landmark tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the development of the country’s first mega greenfield shipyard at Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu. The agreement was signed between HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE), National Shipbuilding & Heavy Industries Park, Tamil Nadu Limited (NSHIP-TN), and Sagarmala Finance Corporation Limited (SMFCL) under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.

♦ The MoU was exchanged in the presence of Union Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal during the state visit of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung to India.

♦ The project has been launched under the India-Republic of Korea maritime cooperation framework ‘VOYAGES’ – Shared Vision for Operation of Yard Assisted Growth with Efficiency and Scale – which was initiated following talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Lee Jae Myung.

♦ The proposed shipyard at Thoothukudi is expected to have an annual shipbuilding capacity of 2.5 million Gross Tonnage (GT), making it one of the largest maritime infrastructure projects in the country. Officials said the project is expected to generate nearly 15,000 direct jobs after operations stabilise, besides creating substantial indirect employment opportunities across Tamil Nadu and neighbouring regions.

Amended BharatNet Programme (ABP)

♦ The Centre on 13 May 2026 approved financial support of Rs.2,432 crore for the rollout of the Amended BharatNet Programme (ABP) in Andhra Pradesh, aimed at expanding broadband connectivity and strengthening rural telecom infrastructure across the state. An agreement for implementation of the programme under the state-led model was signed at Sanchar Bhawan in New Delhi between Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), the Andhra Pradesh government, Andhra Pradesh BharatNet Infrastructure Limited (APBIL), Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited and Andhra Pradesh State FiberNet Limited (APSFL).

♦ The programme will cover 13,426 Gram Panchayats across Andhra Pradesh, including the upgradation of 1,692 Phase-I Gram Panchayats from linear to ring topology to improve network resilience. It will also include coverage of 11,254 Phase-II Gram Panchayats and 480 newly created Gram Panchayats.

♦ In addition, 3,942 villages will receive connectivity on a demand basis to strengthen last-mile broadband access in rural and remote areas.

National Panchayat Awards-2025

♦ Andhra Pradesh has secured five National Panchayat Awards-2025 announced by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, emerging as one of the top-performing states in the country. Along with Odisha, the state stood second after Karnataka in the total number of awards won this year (2026).

♦ In the Nanaji Deshmukh Sarvottam Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar category, Kuppam Block Panchayat in Chittoor district was adjudged the third-best Block Panchayat in the country and received Rs 1.5 crore. Under the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar, four Gram Panchayats from Andhra Pradesh were honoured across key development categories.

♦ Srungavaram Gram Panchayat in Nathavaram mandal of Visakhapatnam district achieved the first rank nationally in the ‘Panchayat with Good Governance’ category and was awarded Rs 1 crore. Bokkasam Palem Gram Panchayat in Srikalahasti mandal of Tirupati district also secured the first rank in the ‘Women-Friendly Panchayat’ category, receiving Rs 1 crore.

♦ Chemmullapalli Panchayat in Khajipet mandal of YSR district secured the second rank in the ‘Poverty-Free and Enhanced Livelihoods Panchayat” category and received Rs 75 lakh.

♦ Gundamala Gram Panchayat in KothaPatnam mandal of Prakasam district won the third rank in the ‘Self-Sufficient Infrastructure in Panchayat’ category, receiving Rs 25 lakh.

Sikkim

Sikkim has been declared the country’s first paperless judiciary state. Chief Justice of India, Surya Kant, declared this in a conclave held at Gangtok on 1May 2026. Chief Minister Golay termed it a historic step towards building a faster, transparent, and technology-driven justice system.