On May 22, 2025, India and the world witnessed significant developments across various sectors. The Supreme Court’s judgement on judicial services has reignited debates on federalism and the autonomy of states in judicial appointments. On the global front, the World Health Organization’s Pandemic Agreement marks a significant step toward coordinated international preparedness and response for future health emergencies. Meanwhile, the culturally significant Kurma Mela, rooted in the legend of Lord Vishnu’s Kurma (tortoise) avatar, drew large pilgrim gatherings, showcasing India’s living spiritual traditions. In the realm of science, renewed interest in the Hoyle–Narlikar Theory has spotlighted alternative cosmological models that challenge the Big Bang narrative, offering insights into continuous matter creation and the nature of the universe.

Awareness regarding daily UPSC current affairs is crucial for cracking the UPSC Prelims, excelling in UPSC Mains. It helps perform well in the UPSC personality test, thus becoming an informed and effective UPSC civil servant.

Below are the current affairs and headlines of the day taken from The Hindu, Indian Express, Press Information Bureau & All India Radio as required for UPSC preparation:

Supreme Court’s Judgement on Judicial Services

Source: The Hindu

Syllabus: GS Paper II (Polity) 

In News:

• 3 judge bench of the Supreme Court of India, led by CJI B.R. Gavai, reinstated the rule mandating three years of legal practice as a minimum qualification to appear for the subordinate judicial services exam.

• The verdict has reversed the earlier stance from the 2002 judgment which had removed this requirement based on recommendations of the Justice Shetty Commission.

What is the Issue?

• The central issue is whether fresh law graduates should be allowed to appear for judicial service exams, or whether a mandatory three-year legal practice should be a prerequisite.
• The court ruled in favor of experience, stating that practical exposure enables better decision-making, courtroom management, and understanding of litigants' concerns.
• Critics argue this rule discourages fresh talent, especially from economically and socially weaker sections, and undermines inclusivity.

Judgment by the Supreme Court

Bench held that:

• Three years’ practice is a mandatory qualification for appearing in the subordinate judiciary exams.
• There was no empirical evidence presented on the incompetency of fresh graduates, but the court gave weight to the opinion of majority High Courts supporting the rule.
• Acknowledged lack of uniformity across states but prioritized the importance of experience over early recruitment.

Criticism: Judgment lacks data-backed reasoning; instead, relies on subjective institutional preferences.

Know more about the Important Supreme Court Judgements!

WHO’s Pandemic Agreement

Source: The Hindu

Syllabus: GS Paper II (International Relations) 

In News:

• The World Health Organization (WHO) member states unanimously adopted the world’s first Pandemic Agreement at the 78th World Health Assembly.

• The adoption came after over three years of negotiations initiated in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• 124 countries voted in favour, with no objections and 11 abstentions.

What is WHO's Pandemic Agreement?

An international legal instrument adopted by WHO Member States to strengthen global collaboration in preparing for, preventing, and responding to future pandemics.

• It aims to build an equitable, resilient, and inclusive global health architecture, addressing the shortcomings revealed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Negotiated by the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) formed in December 2021 during the WHO's second-ever special session.

Kurma Mela

Source: The Hindu

Syllabus: GS Paper III (Environment) 

In News:

• A record-breaking 7 lakh Olive Ridley turtles were observed nesting at Rushikulya beach, Odisha.

• This event, known as an arribada (mass nesting), has sparked ecological, conservation, and ethical debates due to its scale, environmental impact, and human interference.

Hoyle–Narlikar Theory

Source: The Indian Express

Syllabus: GS Paper III (Science & Technology) 

In News:

• Renowned Indian astrophysicist Prof. Jayant Vishnu Narlikar passed away in Pune on May 21, 2025.

• He was best known for his collaborative work with British cosmologist Fred Hoyle in developing the Hoyle–Narlikar theory of gravitation, an extension of the steady-state theory of the universe.

• His work presented an alternative to the Big Bang Theory, influencing theoretical cosmology significantly in the 20th century.

Key Points Related to the Theory

Steady-State Universe Assumption

• The universe is eternal and unchanging in its large-scale appearance.
• Although the universe is expanding, new matter is continuously created to maintain a constant average density.
• This idea supports the Perfect Cosmological Principle, which states that the universe is homogeneous and isotropic in both space and time.

Continuous Matter Creation

• To maintain constant density in an expanding universe, the theory postulates the creation of new matter from "nowhere".
• Without this, the density of the universe would decrease as it expands.
• Jayant Narlikar contributed by introducing mathematical modifications to make this concept compatible with the framework of modern physics.

Modification of Einstein’s General Relativity

• In Einstein's General Relativity, gravity is local, caused by nearby masses warping spacetime.
• The Hoyle–Narlikar theory introduced a non-local theory of gravitation:
  • Gravitational effects at any point are due to the cumulative influence of all matter in the universe.
  • This aligns with Mach’s Principle, which suggests that an object's inertia is influenced by the rest of the universe.
• They introduced a theoretical construct called the Creation Field (C-field), which is responsible for generating new matter continuously.

Cosmological Context

• The theory was proposed as an alternative to the Big Bang Theory, which states:
  • The universe began approximately 13.8 billion years ago from a singular event.
  • All matter and energy originated from this singularity.
• Hoyle and Narlikar rejected the idea of a beginning or singularity and sought a model where matter could be created continuously, avoiding the need for a cosmic beginning.

Analogy by Jayant Narlikar

• Narlikar likened the Steady-State model to compound interest in a bank:
  • Just as capital grows by earning interest, the universe expands while new matter is "added" continuously.
  • This analogy emphasizes how density remains constant even as the universe grows.