Daily Current Affairs

In May 2026, the National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) Quarterly Bulletin: January–March 2026 — the 4th in the Q4 FY2025-26 series of PLFS Quarterly Bulletins covering both rural and urban areas.

• Urban Unemployment Rate – Declined to 6.6% in January–March 2026, down from 6.7% in the previous quarter.
• Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) – Overall LFPR among persons aged 15+ years estimated at 55.5% in Q4 FY26 (vs 55.8% previous quarter).
• Rural & Urban LFPR – Rural LFPR at 58.2%; Urban LFPR at 50.2% in Q4 FY26.

On 12 May 2026, American rating agency Moody’s Ratings released its latest ‘Global Macro Outlook – May 2026 Update’, revising India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth forecast for Calendar Year 2026 (CY26) downward by 80 basis points (bps) to 6.0% (from 6.8%).

• Key drivers – Weak private consumption, slower capital formation, and subdued industrial activity amid higher energy costs.
• Energy supply risk – Prolonged US-Iran confrontation and shipping blockades in West Asia could threaten supply of crude oil and LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas).
• LPG dependency – India imports ~60% of its Liquefied Petroleum Gas usage; 90% of which passes through the Strait of Hormuz.
• Energy mix – Coal powers about 70% of India’s electricity generation; non-fossil sources (solar, wind, hydro) continue to expand.

Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi visited Gujarat on 10–11 May 2026 to participate in the Somnath Amrut Mahotsav at Somnath Temple, Prabhas Patan, Gir Somnath district. He performed Vishesh Maha Puja, Kumbhabhishek consecration rituals, and Dhvajarohan (ceremonial flag hoisting).

• Commemorative release – Released a commemorative postage stamp and a Rs 75 coin marking 1,000 years of Somnath’s enduring faith and 75 years of the temple’s post-Independence reconstruction.
• Sardardham Hostel – Inaugurated the Sardardham Hostel in Vadodara, Gujarat, developed at a cost of Rs 150 crore.
• Other initiatives – Inaugurated the Dr Dushyant and Daksha Patel Complex; launched the Sardar Dham Education Support Yojana with an outlay of Rs 500 crore for financial assistance, mentorship, and academic guidance to economically weaker students.
• Foundation stone – Virtually laid the foundation stone for the Dharamshi Harji Mordiya Girls Chhatralaya Phase-2 project.

On 10 May 2026, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), launched Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY-IV) on the occasion of the silver jubilee (25 years) celebration of PMGSY at Bhairunda, Sehore district of Madhya Pradesh (MP).

• MP allocation – Madhya Pradesh received approval under PMGSY-IV for 973 roads spanning a total length of 5,051 km for rural connectivity.
• PMAY-G – Handed over a mother sanction worth Rs 2,055 crore to CM Mohan Yadav under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G).
• Vidisha region – Government of India (GoI) separately approved 259 roads covering 600.393 km for the Vidisha parliamentary constituency.
• PM-JANMAN – Road approval projects worth Rs 261.81 crore handed over under the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan, covering 384.34 km.

In May 2026, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Ministry of Education (MoE), led the groundbreaking and inauguration ceremony of the Bhimmandali Eco Heritage Site under the Naktideul Block of Sambalpur district in Odisha. GoI has sanctioned more than Rs 8.30 crore for development of the site.

• Bhima Bhoi Medical College – Inaugurated and laid foundation stones for 304 projects including a new Nursing College at Bhima Bhoi Medical College and Hospital with an investment of Rs 580 crore.
• Panchayati Raj Samikshya Portal – Launched to improve transparency in rural governance.
• Antyodaya Gruha Yojana (AGY) – Odisha’s CM distributed work orders to over 50,000 beneficiaries under AGY.
• PMAY for Odisha – Odisha will receive 10 lakh additional houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).

On 11 May 2026, Union Minister Jagat Prakash (JP) Nadda, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and Chemicals and Fertilisers, and Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (MoA&FW) and Rural Development, jointly launched the ‘SEHAT Mission’ (Science Excellence for Health through Agricultural Transformation) in New Delhi.

• Joint launch – Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) under MoA&FW; framework for ‘Healthy Food, Healthy Farms and a Healthy India’.
• Objective – Improve nutrition, reduce lifestyle diseases, support farmer health, and promote sustainable food systems through science-based policies.
• Significance – Shifts healthcare from a treatment-based to a preventive approach focused on nutrition, early detection, and continuous care.
• ICMR remark – ICMR DG Dr Rajiv Bahl flagged India’s dual burden of undernutrition and overnutrition.

In May 2026, Surya Kant, Chief Justice of India (CJI), announced the launch of the ‘One Case One Data’ initiative along with an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered judicial assistance chatbot named ‘Su Sahay’ to strengthen data integration, transparency, and efficiency in court case management across all levels of the judiciary.

• One Case One Data – Integrates multi-level information from all High Courts, district, and taluka courts into a unified system; each case assigned a single unique digital ID consolidating orders, arguments, and judgments into one continuous digital case file.
• Su Sahay Chatbot – AI-powered assistance chatbot integrated with the Supreme Court (SC) website to facilitate easier access to justice and court-related services for litigants.
• Developed by – National Informatics Centre (NIC) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in collaboration with the SC Registry.

In May 2026, Bhagwant Mann, Chief Minister (CM) of Punjab, launched ‘Meri Rasoi Yojana’ (My Kitchen Scheme) in Bhalwan village, Sangrur district in Punjab, to provide free food kits to around 40 lakh economically weaker families across the state, under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013.

• Objective – Reduce kitchen expenses of poor families, improve nutrition, strengthen food security, and support underprivileged households through access to essential food items.
• Kitchen kit contents – Each kit will contain 2 kg pulses, 2 kg sugar, 1 kg salt, 1 kg refined oil, 1 kg ghee, and other essentials; distributed every other month.
• Priority beneficiaries – Families with differently-abled members, senior citizens, and single-parent households.
• Implementation – Kits assembled by Punjab State Cooperative Supply and Marketing Federation Limited (MARKFED); distributed by Department of Food and Civil Supplies, Punjab.

On 11 May 2026, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) released a consultation paper proposing the ‘Green-Channel: Alternative Investment Funds (AIF) Rollout Upon Document Acknowledgement (GARUDA)’ mechanism to accelerate the launch and approval process of AIF schemes in India. SEBI sought public comments on the proposal until 1 June 2026.

• Purpose – Streamline the processing of Placement Memorandums (PPMs) filed with SEBI and further ease fundraising by AIFs.
• Waiting period reduced – Non-Accredited Investor schemes to be rolled out in 10 working days of filing their placement memorandums (from the current 30 days).
• Angel & AI-only Funds – Allowed to begin fundraising almost immediately after filing documents — no merchant banker requirement; PPM can be filed directly with SEBI along with an undertaking from CEO and Compliance Officer.
• AIF industry growth – Registered AIFs rose to 1,849 (as of 31 March 2026) from 732 five years ago; cumulative commitments Rs 15.74 lakh crore; net investments Rs 6.45 lakh crore (as of 31 December 2025); Accredited Investors grew to 2,773 (April 2026) from 649 (May 2025).

In May 2026, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the National University of Singapore Institute of Systems Science (NUS-ISS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen Artificial Intelligence (AI) governance and digital leadership capabilities among Indian enterprises. The MoU was exchanged at the CII Annual Business Summit 2026 held in New Delhi.

• Key dignitaries – Exchange held in the presence of N Chandrababu Naidu, CM of Andhra Pradesh, and Dr Suchitra Ella, Vice-President of CII.
• Objective – Equip board members, Chief Experience Officers (CXOs), and senior decision-makers with strategic and practical expertise in AI, digital governance, cybersecurity, innovation leadership, and emerging technologies.
• Programme – CII and NUS-ISS will jointly offer the ‘Leadership Programme on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Governance’ — a specialised certification programme for industry leaders.

In May 2026, D Y Patil International University (DYPIU), Pune (Maharashtra), signed an MoU with Dassault Systèmes, a French multinational software corporation, to establish an advanced Digital Engineering and Digital Manufacturing Experience Centre at its campus in Akurdi, Pune. It is one of the first of its kind in Maharashtra and supports ‘Make in India’, Industry 4.0, and industry-academia collaboration in manufacturing innovation.

• Infrastructure – Centre will host a NextGen Product Innovation Lab, Intelligent Production System Lab, and Virtual Twin and Simulation Lab with Virtual Reality (VR) capabilities incorporating virtual twin technology, generative design, multi-physics simulation, digital manufacturing workflows, and the 3DEXPERIENCE platform (3DX).
• Training – Live projects, internships, certifications, and industry exposure for students; also supports faculty training, curriculum enhancement, and a three-year Training of Trainers (ToT) programme.

In May 2026, Dhash Defence Systems Private Limited (DDS) and IIT Ropar’s Defence Research and Innovation Foundation (DRIF), Punjab, signed an MoU to jointly develop advanced indigenous defence mobility systems aimed at strengthening ‘Make in India’ defence manufacturing.

• Key focus areas – Autonomous platforms, indigenous defence solutions, AI-driven mobility systems, and multi-domain operational capabilities across diverse terrains.
• Planned systems – All-terrain mobility platforms, Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs), Robotic Combat Vehicles (RCVs), and specialised mobility systems under the Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured (IDDM) category.

In May 2026, legal expert Dr Harvansh Chawla was appointed as the Chairman of the BRISEC Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BRISEC CCI), after stepping down as Chairman of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BRICS CCI), where he had served since May 2025.

• About BRISEC-CCI – Established in May 2026 and recognised by the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog); focuses on promoting global trade, investment, innovation, and wider economic cooperation beyond the BRICS framework.
• About Dr Chawla – Founder and Managing Partner of K R Chawla & Co Advocates (since 1994); expertise in infrastructure and privatisation including port privatisation.
• Memberships – International Bar Association (IBA), Inter-Pacific Bar Association (IPBA), and Indo-USA Business Council.

In May 2026, the Indian Army (IA) inducted two indigenous combat systems — the UAV-Launched Precision Guided Munition (ULPGM) and the AGNIKAA VTOL-1 (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) First-Person View (FPV) Kamikaze Drone — under Emergency Procurement-6 (EP-6) from Adani Defence & Aerospace Limited in Hyderabad, Telangana.

• ULPGM Development – Co-developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Ministry of Defence (MoD), and Adani Defence & Aerospace.
• ULPGM Capability – India’s first indigenous loitering munition in its category; equipped with an Imaging Infrared (IIR) seeker; can be launched from UAVs to strike stationary and moving targets.
• AGNIKAA VTOL-1 – India’s first FPV kamikaze drone in its category; designed for anti-personnel precision-strike in urban warfare, confined spaces, and open battlefields.

National Technology Day is celebrated annually across India on 11 May to promote India’s innovation ecosystem through deep-tech, precision engineering, and advanced Research & Development (R&D). 11 May 2026 marked the 28th National Technology Day.

• Historic achievement – Marks 11 May 1998 — Operation Shakti (Pokhran-II) nuclear tests and the maiden flight of the indigenous Hansa-3 aircraft.
• National declaration – Former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee declared 11 May as National Technology Day in 1999; the first National Technology Day was observed on 11 May 1999.
• Organiser – Technology Development Board (TDB) under the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Ministry of Science & Technology (MoS&T).

The United Nations (UN) International Day of Plant Health (IDPH) is observed globally on 12 May to raise awareness about the importance of protecting plant health for food security, conserving biodiversity, reducing poverty, and promoting sustainable economic development.

• Adoption – UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution A/RES/76/256 in March 2022; co-sponsored by Bolivia, Finland, Pakistan, Philippines, Tanzania, and Zambia.
• Inauguration – First IDPH observed on 12 May 2022.
• Organisation – Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) jointly organise global events.