Daily Current Affairs

The Union Cabinet, chaired by PM Narendra Modi, approved two semiconductor manufacturing projects under ISM 1.0 (India Semiconductor Mission), under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), with a combined investment of approximately Rs 3,936 crore, expected to generate 2,230 skilled jobs.

• ISM 1.0 (India Semiconductor Mission) — Specialised division under Digital India Corporation, under MeitY; launched December 2021; total outlay: Rs 76,000 crore; objective: build a self-reliant semiconductor and display manufacturing ecosystem in India.
• Significance: These two approvals mark the final projects under ISM 1.0.
• GaN Technology: Gallium Nitride — a wide-bandgap semiconductor used in high-efficiency power electronics and advanced displays.

The Union Cabinet, chaired by PM Narendra Modi, approved the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) 5.0 with an outlay of Rs 18,100 crore to help MSMEs mitigate short-term liquidity stress arising from the West Asia crisis. The guarantee is administered by National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company Limited (NCGTC).

• Eligible borrowers: MSMEs and non-MSMEs with existing working capital limits, and scheduled passenger airlines with outstanding credit facilities as of 31 March 2026 (accounts must be standard).
• Administered by: NCGTC (National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company Limited) to Member Lending Institutions (MLIs).
• ECLGS background: Originally launched during COVID-19; ECLGS 1.0 through 4.0 addressed pandemic-era MSME distress; ECLGS 5.0 targets West Asia conflict-impacted businesses.
• Ministry: Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MoMSME).

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by PM Narendra Modi, on 5 May 2026 approved several major infrastructure and institutional proposals: a Rs 1,570 crore ship repair facility at Vadinar, Gujarat, Rs 23,437 crore worth of railway multi-tracking projects across six states, and expansion of Supreme Court judge strength from 33 to 37.

• Ship Repair Facility: Jointly developed by Deendayal Port Authority (DPA) and Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL); brownfield facility with a 650-metre jetty and two large floating dry docks.
• Railway Projects: Cover 19 districts across 6 states (MP, Rajasthan, UP, Karnataka, AP, Telangana).
• Supreme Court Expansion: Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026; increases judge strength from 33 to 37, excluding the Chief Justice of India (CJI).

According to Ministry of Finance (MoF) data released in May 2026, Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs) recorded 15.9% year-on-year (YoY) growth in non-food credit during FY2025–26 (FY26) — an increase of 497 basis points over the 10.9% recorded in the corresponding period of FY25.

• Services Sector: Recorded the highest growth at 19% (up from 12% in FY25); accounts for approximately 28% of total credit.
• Industrial Sector: Growth nearly doubled YoY — from 8.2% (FY25) to ~15.0% (FY26).
• Source: Ministry of Finance (MoF) credit data report.

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI), issued a revised Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) in May 2026 identifying 40 sub-sectors — including rare earth magnets and Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) — for expedited 60-day FDI clearance from countries sharing land borders with India (China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Afghanistan).

• Objective: Expedite FDI clearance in strategic manufacturing sectors while maintaining security review for land-border nations.
• Reporting framework: Under Foreign Exchange Management (Mode of Payment and Reporting of Non-debt Instruments) Regulations, 2019; accessible by RBI.
• Land-border countries covered: China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Afghanistan.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) in May 2026 launched the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) 2.0 Guidelines under the National Health Mission (NHM) at the 10th National Summit on Good Practices and Innovations in Public Healthcare Service Delivery, held in Chandigarh.

• RBSK — Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram; national child health screening and early intervention programme under NHM.
• 4Ds: Screening for Defects at Birth, Diseases, Deficiencies, and Developmental Delays — RBSK 2.0 now includes mental health and NCDs.
• Digitalisation: Introduces digital health cards, real-time data systems, and integrated platforms for improved tracking and service delivery.
• Summit location: Chandigarh (10th National Summit on Good Practices and Innovations in Public Healthcare Service Delivery).

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) in May 2026 signed a Rs 1,476 crore contract with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) for procurement of five Ground-Based Mobile Electronic Systems (GBMES) for the Indian Army (IA). The contract was signed at Kartavya Bhawan-2, New Delhi in the presence of Rajesh Kumar Singh, Secretary, MoD.

• Category: Buy Indian-IDDM (Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured) — with at least 72% indigenous content.
• Designed by: Defence Electronics Research Laboratory (DLRL), a wing of DRDO.
• Manufactured by: BEL (Bharat Electronics Limited).
• Capability: Provides ELINT (Electronic Intelligence) and COMINT (Communications Intelligence) platforms for deployment in active tactical zones.
• BEL: Central PSU under MoD; established 1954; HQ: Bengaluru.

In May 2026, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), under MeitY, signed a 5-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) to bolster cybersecurity and digital forensic capabilities of India’s Aadhaar infrastructure. The MoU was signed in New Delhi between Vivek Chandra Verma (CEO, UIDAI) and Dr. S.O. Junare (Director, NFSU Gujarat Campus).

• UIDAI: Statutory authority under Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery) Act, 2016; under MeitY; established 2009; HQ: New Delhi. CEO: Vivek Chandra Verma.
• NFSU: National Forensic Sciences University; Gujarat Campus Director: Dr. S.O. Junare.
• Key technologies: AI-based anomaly detection, deepfake detection, blockchain, and cryptographic technologies.

NLC India Limited (NLCIL), a Central Public Sector Undertaking (CPSU), signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) with Electricité de France (EDF) in Chennai, Tamil Nadu in April 2026, to explore potential development of nuclear power projects in India using European Pressurised Reactor (EPR) and Small Modular Reactor (SMR) technologies.

• NLC India’s target: 20 GW total power capacity by 2030; aligns with India’s 100 GW nuclear target by 2047 under Viksit Bharat and Net Zero goals.
• Key legislation: SHANTI Bill (Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India) 2025, passed December 2025; enables private and international participation in nuclear energy.
• EDF (Electricité de France): France’s state-owned utility; a leading global nuclear energy company.

In May 2026, Nidhi Chhibber, interim CEO of NITI Aayog, launched the Central Prabhari Officer (CPO) Portal in New Delhi to strengthen real-time governance and improve last-mile service delivery under the Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP) and Aspirational Blocks Programme (ABP).

• CPOs (Central Prabhari Officers): Senior Central Government officials who provide ground-level insights, monitor programme implementation, and strengthen Centre–State–District coordination.
• Portal function: CPOs upload real-time field observations and implementation issues via mobile devices.
• Objective: Structured monitoring, accountability, faster administrative response, and technology-driven inclusive governance.
• Programmes covered: Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP) and Aspirational Blocks Programme (ABP) — both NITI Aayog initiatives targeting backward regions.

External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr. S. Jaishankar undertook a 2-day visit to Jamaica from 2–4 May 2026 — marking the first-ever bilateral visit by an Indian EAM to the Caribbean nation.

• Meetings held with: PM Andrew Michael Holness and Kamina Elizabeth Johnson Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Jamaica.
• MoUs signed: Three MoUs covering health cooperation, solarisation of the Hugh Lawson Shearer Building, and broadcasting.
• Significance: Strengthened India–Jamaica bilateral ties; expanded Caribbean cooperation; reinforced India’s commitment to South–South partnership and diaspora engagement.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) released the World Migration Report 2026 (13th edition) during the International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) week in New York, USA in May 2026. India retained its position as the world’s top remittance recipient with over USD 137 billion in 2024 — the only country to surpass the USD 100 billion mark.

• IOM: International Organisation for Migration; leading UN-related agency for migration; HQ: Geneva.
• India’s remittance milestone: World’s top remittance recipient since 2010; only country to surpass USD 100 billion.
• Report edition: 13th edition of World Migration Report; released during IMRF in New York.

In May 2026, Jio Payments Bank Limited (JBPL), a subsidiary of Jio Financial Services Limited (JFSL), announced a partnership with fintech platform Ezeepay as a Business Correspondent (BC) to strengthen last-mile digital banking services across rural and semi-urban India.

• Objective: Expand access to basic banking services through local merchant outlets in rural and semi-urban areas.
• Services provided: Cash withdrawal and deposit via AEPS (Aadhaar Enabled Payment System) and UPI-based cash withdrawal per RBI guidelines.
• Model: Business Correspondent (BC) model — Ezeepay’s existing merchant network acts as banking touchpoints.
• Parent companies: JBPL is a subsidiary of JFSL (Jio Financial Services Limited).

The International Day of the Midwife (IDM) is observed annually on 5 May to recognise the vital role of midwives in maternal and newborn healthcare and raise awareness about the global shortage of midwives. The celebration is led by the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM).

• 2026 Theme: ‘One Million More Midwives’
• Established: Proposed at the 1987 ICM conference in the Netherlands; first observed on 5 May 1991.
• Lead organisation: International Confederation of Midwives (ICM).

World Hand Hygiene Day (WHHD) is observed annually on 5 May by the World Health Organization (WHO) to promote awareness of proper hand hygiene practices and their critical role in preventing infectious diseases.

• 2026 Theme: ‘Action saves lives — Safer care starts with clean hands.’
• Background: Aligns with the ‘SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands’ campaign (2009); originated under WHO’s First Global Patient Safety Challenge: ‘Clean Care is Safer Care.’
• 2026 Milestone: Marks the 18th anniversary of the campaign.
• Lead organisation: WHO (World Health Organization).

World Cartoonist Day (also known as National Cartoonists Day) is observed annually on 5 May to honour cartoonists and their creative contributions in shaping society through art, humour, entertainment, and social commentary.

• Origin: Commemorates the debut of Richard Felton Outcault’s ‘Hogan’s Alley’ in the New York World newspaper on 5 May 1895, which introduced ‘The Yellow Kid’ — the first commercially successful full-colour cartoon character.
• National Cartoonists Society (NCS): Established 1946 in Winter Park, Florida, USA; officially initiated National Cartoonists Day in 1999.
• 2026 milestone: 131st anniversary of ‘Hogan’s Alley’ (1895–2026).

International Thalassaemia Day (ITD) is observed every year on 8 May to raise global awareness, promote prevention, early diagnosis, and equitable access to care for thalassaemia patients. The 2026 theme focuses on the millions globally who remain undiagnosed.

• 2026 Theme: ‘Hidden No More: Finding the Undiagnosed. Supporting the Unseen.’
• Founded by: Thalassaemia International Federation (TIF); established 1994 by Panos Englezos in memory of his son George.
• Disease profile: Autosomal recessive inherited blood disorder; caused by mutations in alpha/beta-globin genes; leads to chronic anaemia.
• India’s burden: Approximately 10,000–15,000 thalassaemia major births per year in India.

In May 2026, the Government of Nagaland launched the ‘100 Days Ayushman Student Coverage Mission’ to expand health insurance coverage among students and strengthen youth healthcare access in the state.

• Extension of: Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) and the state’s own Chief Minister’s Health Insurance Scheme (CMHIS).
• Implementing body: Nagaland Health Protection Society (NHPS) in collaboration with district administrations.
• Period: May to August 2026 (100 days).
• Implementation: On-campus registration and card generation camps set up in schools and colleges through NHPS and education department coordination.