26 May 2026 — Daily Current Affairs Quiz
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Gender & Development
International Day to End Obstetric Fistula — 23 May
Observed annually on 23 May; established by UNGA Resolution A/RES/67/147 (20 December 2012); first observance in 2013. 2026 theme: “Her Health Is a Right: Invest to End Fistula and Childbirth Injuries.” Obstetric fistula is a preventable and treatable childbirth injury; key risk factors include poverty, malnutrition, limited healthcare access, early childbirth, child marriage, and gender inequality. 2026 marks the 13th year of observance.
Economy
BHAVYA Scheme — Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojana
Full form: Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojana (Bharat Industrial Development Scheme). Approved by Union Cabinet on 18 March 2026; DPIIT operational guidelines released May 2026. Outlay: Rs 33,660 crore (Central Sector Scheme — 100% Central funding). Aims to develop 100 plug-and-play industrial parks of 100–1,000 acres; implemented by NICDC (National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation). Aligned with Make in India and PM Gati Shakti.
International
India–Ethiopia WTO Bilateral Accession Protocol
Signed in Geneva on 22 May 2026 related to Ethiopia’s accession to the WTO. Signatories: Dr. Senthil Pandian C. (India’s Ambassador & PR to WTO) and Tsegab Kebebew Daka (Ethiopia’s Ambassador). Fast-tracked under Piyush Goyal (MoCI). Ethiopia’s WTO Working Party met for its 7th time in April 2026. Reflects India’s South-South cooperation policy supporting LDC accessions.
Business & Economy
Sandeep Bakhshi Reappointment — ICICI Bank
RBI approved Sandeep Bakhshi‘s reappointment as MD & CEO of ICICI Bank for a further two-year term: October 4, 2026 to October 3, 2028 (subject to shareholders’ approval). Bakhshi has led ICICI Bank since October 15, 2018. ICICI Bank: India’s second-largest private sector bank; established 1994; HQ: Mumbai. Board approved extension on January 17, 2026.
Defence
Suryastra — India’s First 300-km Rocket Launching System
“Suryastra” — India’s first 300-km Universal Rocket Launching System — flagged off from NIBE Group’s defence complex in Shirdi, Ahilya Nagar, Maharashtra, by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on 23 May 2026. Indigenously developed under emergency procurement framework; tested at Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur, Odisha. NIBE complex: investment over Rs 5,000 crore; expected to generate ~4,000 jobs. Maharashtra CM Fadnavis announced 4 defence corridors in Pune, Nashik, Ahmednagar, Nagpur.
Science & Technology
DoS — Common Technical Facilities (CTFs) for Space
Department of Space approved two Common Technical Facilities (CTFs): (1) Gujarat — Khoraj near Ahmedabad (spacecraft & payload systems); (2) Tamil Nadu — Thoothukudi near Kulasekarapatnam (Rs 100 crore; launch vehicle manufacturing & testing). Implementing agency: IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre). IN-SPACe Chairman: Dr. Pawan Kumar Goenka. About 10 other states have expressed interest.
Arts & Culture
79th Cannes Film Festival 2026 — Palme d’Or & Key Winners
79th Cannes Film Festival held 12–23 May 2026, Palais des Festivals, France. Palme d’Or: Cristian Mungiu (Romania) for “Fjord” (his 2nd Palme — first was in 2007 for “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days”). Grand Prix: Andrey Zvyagintsev for “Minotaur”. Best Director (ex-aequo): Javier Calvo & Javier Ambrossi, Pawel Pawlikowski. Jury Prize: Valeska Grisebach for “The Dreamed Adventure”. NEON: 7 consecutive Palme d’Or winning editions.
International Finance
AIIB — EFSERF Facility (USD 10 billion)
AIIB launched EFSERF (Energy, Food Security and Economic Resilience Facility) on 20 May 2026 — USD 10 billion over 2 years to support Middle East conflict-impacted nations. Provides budgetary assistance, critical import funding, liquidity support, and refinancing. Seven MDBs issued a joint statement on 18 May 2026. AIIB: HQ Beijing; established 2015; India is second-largest shareholder after China; President: Zou Jiayi.
Digital Governance
DoP–Flipkart Agreement — India Post Last-Mile Delivery
Department of Posts (DoP) signed agreement with Flipkart India in May 2026. Signed by Neeraj Kumar Jha (GM, Parcel Directorate, DoP) and Harvinder Kapur (Director-Commercial, Flipkart). India Post to facilitate last mile delivery — prepaid & COD parcels, OTP-based delivery authentication, real-time tracking. Coverage: urban, semi-urban, rural and remote regions. Ministry of Communications oversees DoP.
Environment
India’s First Geothermal Power Project — Puga Valley, Ladakh
LG of UT Ladakh Vinod Saxena approved 5-year MoU extension with ONGC in May 2026. Project: 1 MWe pilot geothermal plant at Puga Valley, eastern Ladakh, above 14,000 feet altitude. ONGC Energy Centre will drill to 1,000 m in 2026 season; deepest well drilled so far: 405 m (2025). Also preparing DPR for large-scale commercial geothermal exploitation. India’s first geothermal energy project.
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On which date is International Day to End Obstetric Fistula observed, and what is the 2026 theme?
23 May — “Her Health Is a Right: Invest to End Fistula and Childbirth Injuries”
Established by UNGA Resolution A/RES/67/147; first observed 2013
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What is the full form of BHAVYA and what is its total financial outlay?
Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojana — Rs 33,660 crore
100 plug-and-play industrial parks; implemented by NICDC; approved 18 March 2026
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Who won the Palme d’Or at the 79th Cannes 2026 and for which film?
Cristian Mungiu (Romania) — “Fjord”
His 2nd Palme d’Or; first was in 2007 for “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days”
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What is EFSERF and how much funding does AIIB provide through it?
Energy, Food Security and Economic Resilience Facility — USD 10 billion over 2 years
Launched 20 May 2026; supports Middle East conflict-impacted nations; AIIB President: Zou Jiayi
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Where is India’s first geothermal power project located, and at what altitude?
Puga Valley, eastern Ladakh — above 14,000 feet
1 MWe pilot plant; ONGC to drill to 1,000 m; LG Vinod Saxena approved 5-year MoU extension
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What is “Suryastra” and where was it unveiled?
India’s first 300-km Universal Rocket Launching System — NIBE Defence Complex, Shirdi, Maharashtra
Flagged off by Rajnath Singh on 23 May 2026; tested at ITR, Chandipur, Odisha
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IN-SPACe approved CTFs in which two states, and who is IN-SPACe Chairman?
Gujarat (Khoraj, Ahmedabad) & Tamil Nadu (Thoothukudi) — Dr. Pawan Kumar Goenka
Tamil Nadu CTF: Rs 100 crore; near Kulasekarapatnam Small Launch Vehicle complex
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For what tenure was Sandeep Bakhshi reappointed as MD & CEO of ICICI Bank?
October 4, 2026 to October 3, 2028 (two-year term)
RBI approved; has led ICICI Bank since October 15, 2018; India’s 2nd largest private sector bank
Think & Discuss
India’s Space & Defence Ambitions: Can Private Sector Manufacturing Close the Gap with Global Powers?
Context from today’s quiz: Two significant milestones marked India’s defence and space sectors in May 2026: the inauguration of the NIBE Group’s private defence manufacturing complex in Shirdi (with the Suryastra 300-km rocket system), and the Department of Space approving Common Technical Facilities in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu through IN-SPACe. Both reflect a deliberate policy shift — opening critical defence and space manufacturing to the private sector, moving beyond the PSU-dominated model.
🤔 Your Perspective Matters
India’s defence exports have grown dramatically, and the government is actively courting private firms into sectors once exclusively run by DRDO, ISRO, and defence PSUs. The NIBE complex and IN-SPACe’s CTFs signal a structural transformation — but questions of speed, quality, technology transfer, and strategic autonomy remain.
Can India’s private sector realistically lead the next generation of defence and space manufacturing — or will legacy PSU infrastructure and bureaucratic procurement systems limit the potential of initiatives like BHAVYA, Suryastra, and IN-SPACe CTFs?
Can India’s private sector realistically lead the next generation of defence and space manufacturing — or will legacy PSU infrastructure and bureaucratic procurement systems limit the potential of initiatives like BHAVYA, Suryastra, and IN-SPACe CTFs?
- The Suryastra was developed under an “emergency procurement framework.” Does the normalisation of emergency procurement signal a systemic failure in India’s regular defence acquisition process — and what reforms are needed to make conventional procurement agile enough for modern warfare requirements?
- IN-SPACe is creating Common Technical Facilities to enable startups and private firms to test and integrate space systems. Given that India has over 300 recognised space startups, what policy mechanisms — beyond physical infrastructure — would best accelerate their translation from prototype to operational deployment?
- India’s BHAVYA scheme targets 100 industrial parks while Suryastra was built at a single private complex. Is there a risk that dispersed industrial geography (parks across many states) dilutes the specialisation and clustering advantages seen in China’s defence-industrial ecosystem — and how should India balance geographic spread with industrial depth?
We’d love to hear your thoughts! Share your perspective in the comments.
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