TODAY NEWS ON May 15, 2026

News Headlines for CAT, CLAT and IPM aspirants
Source: The Hindu , Indian Express and others

V.D. Satheesan to be next Chief Minister of Kerala as Congress leadership ends suspense

V.D. Satheesan will be the next Chief Minister of Kerala. The Congress leadership on Thursday (May 14, 2026) picked Mr. Satheesan as the leader of the Congress Legislature Party, putting an end to the high drama and suspense that lasted all of ten days after the declaration of the State Assembly election results on May 4.

ECI announces schedule for Phase 3 of Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls

The Election Commission of India (ECI), on Thursday (May 14, 2026), announced the schedule for Phase III of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in 16 States, 3 Union Territories. It stated that once Phase 3 of SIR is completed, the entire country will be covered except for Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. “The schedule for Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh will be announced later, taking into account the weather conditions,” said the ECI.

Work from home advisory, ‘Metro Day’, online classes: Delhi announces austerity measures

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday (May 14, 2026) announced several austerity measures for government officials and the general public .Ms. Gupta said that the government staff can work from home two days every week. She also said an advisory will be issued to private companies to implement work from home for two days a week. “For all big companies, we’ll request them personally,” the Delhi Chief Minister added.

U.S. to drop graft charges against Gautam Adani: NY Times

U.S. prosecutors are set to drop charges against billionaire Gautam Adani, who was accused of paying hundreds of millions of dollars of bribes and hiding the payments, The New York Times reported Thursday (May 14, 2026). With a business empire spanning coal, airports, cement and media, the chairman of Adani Group has been rocked in recent years by corporate fraud allegations and a stock crash.

NEET-UG 2026 paper leak: CBI arrests two more accused

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested two more accused persons in connection with the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case and conducted searches at 14 locations to track down the suspects. The agency has not yet ruled out the role of any public servant. The arrested accused have been identified as ayurveda practitioner Dhananjay Lokhande from Ahilyanagar and beauty salon owner Manisha Waghmare from Pune in Maharashtra. The State police had detained the two accused and handed them over to the CBI.

NTA casually ignored Supreme Court order to overhaul system after 2024 leak: FAIMA petition

The Federation of Indian Medical Associations (FAIMA) has flagged the “recurring, systemic, and catastrophic” failure of the National Testing Agency (NTA) in conducting the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) and has urged the Supreme Court to take a “stricter approach”. The NTA “casually” ignored recommendations of the Radhakrishnan Committee and the top court’s directions after the 2024 leak. “Mechanism should be in place to ensure that any non-compliances will lead to exemplary penalties,” FAIMA said in a petition.

Talks continue to free 44 hostages in Manipur; church leader killings ‘unprecedented’: Deputy CM

Manipur Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho said on Thursday (May 14, 2026) that negotiations are on to secure the release of at least 44 civilians who have been held hostage by Kuki and Naga groups in the Kangpokpi and Senapati districts. Those abducted include an infant and two Naga Catholic trainee priests, said Mr. Dikho, who is leading the negotiations on behalf of the State government. The civilians were abducted following the killing of three Thadou church leaders in the Kangpokpi district on May 13. Speaking with The Hindu, the Deputy Chief Minister said that the killing of church leaders who were returning from a religious convention in Churachandpur was “unprecedented” as such attacks did not occur even at the height of previous conflicts. A section of the Thadous say they are distinct from the Kuki group of tribes.

EAM Jaishankar hits out at ‘unilateral’ sanctions days before expiry of U.S.’ Russian oil waiver

As India awaits the United States’ decision on extending its waiver on sanctions against the import of Russian oil, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Thursday (May 14, 2026) hit out at unilateral non-United Nations sanctions, calling them “unjustified”. Delivering the national statement at the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ meeting chaired by India, Mr. Jaishankar called on the grouping of emerging economies to address the problem of such sanctions. Significantly, the meeting was attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, representing two of the U.S.’s most heavily sanctioned countries.

BRICS Foreign Ministers’ summit: Conflict in West Asia merits particular attention, says Jaishankar

Ongoing conflicts, economic uncertainties and challenges in trade, technology are shaping global landscape, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar said in his opening remarks at the BRICS Foreign Ministers Summit that began on Thursday (May 14, 2026). India is hosting the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on May 14 and 15, 2026, which will be chaired by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.

Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrives in India, to attend BRICS FM meet

Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday (May 14, 2026) arrived in India to attend the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ meeting in New Delhi. Mr. Araghchi indicated that UAE will be “held to account” for colluding with Israel, after Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu office disclosed secret visit to Abu Dhabi during war.

P. Kumaran takes charge as India’s High Commissioner in London

India’s new High Commissioner to the U.K., Periasamy Kumaran, formally stepped into his role on Thursday (May 14, 2026), presenting his credentials to Vice-Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps, Scott Furssedonn-Wood. The new High Commissioner paid tributes to the statues of Mahatma Gandhi in Tavistock Square and Parliament Square and to Babasaheb B.R. Ambedkar at Ambedkar House in London upon assuming charge.Red Fort bomb blast case: NIA files 7,500-page charge sheet against 10 accused

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a 7,500-page charge sheet against 10 accused persons in the Red Fort area car bomb explosion case. “All 10 accused, including the main perpetrator, Dr. Umer Un Nabi (deceased), were linked to the organisation Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH) – an offshoot of the al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), as per the charges filed before the NIA special court at Patiala House Courts in New Delhi,” said the agency.

U.S.-China summit: Taiwan issue could lead to ‘conflict’, Xi warns Trump

Chinese President Xi Jinping warned his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, that the issue of Taiwan could push their two countries into “conflict” if mishandled. The talks, which lasted more than two hours on Thursday (May 14, 2026), saw the pair tackle thorny issues including Taiwan, the self-ruled democratic island claimed by Beijing.

Sinner reaches Italian Open semis, breaks Masters 1000 winning streak record

Jannik Sinner reached the semifinals of the Italian Open on Thursday (May 14, 2026) after seeing off Andrey Rublev and establishing a new record of consecutive wins in Masters 1000 tournaments. Another straight-sets victory, this time 6-2, 6-4 over Rublev, moved Sinner up to 32 straight wins in the ATP’s top-ranked events, one more than the previous record established by Novak Djokovic in 2011.