Monthly current affairs for May 2026

The Union Cabinet has approved the ‘Mission for Cotton Productivity’ (Kapas Kanti) with a total outlay of ₹5,659.22 crore. The mission will be implemented for a period of 5 years from FY27 to FY31.

The initiative aims to increase lint productivity from 440 kg/hectare to 755 kg/hectare by 2031, targeting a total production of 498 lakh bales (1 bale = 170 kg) by 2030-31. It is expected to benefit 32 lakh cotton farmers and will initially focus on 140 districts across 14 states to enhance national cotton production.

The Ministry of Power has revised the “Make in India” procurement norms for High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) substations of the Line Commutated Converter (LCC) type.

The updated guidelines introduce a phased roadmap to achieve a minimum local content (MLC) of 60% by 2035, replacing the previous uniform 60% requirement. The MLC targets for HVDC LCC type substations under EPC or turnkey projects are set at 30% by FY28 and 40% by FY30. The targets will subsequently increase to 50% by FY32 and reach the final 60% by FY35.

Nagaland government has launched the ‘100 Days Ayushman Student Coverage Mission’ to expand health insurance and healthcare access for students in the state. The mission is an extension of the Ayushman Bharat PM Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) and the Chief Minister’s Health Insurance Scheme (CMHIS).

The NITI Aayog has released a policy report titled “School Education System in India: Temporal Analysis and Policy Roadmap for Quality Enhancement” in New Delhi. The report highlights that the school education system in India comprises 14.71 lakh schools and over 24.69 crore students.

The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) at the higher secondary level is recorded at 58.4%. Jharkhand has achieved a 0% primary school dropout rate during 2024-25. Around 8,000 schools across the nation reported zero student enrolment, with West Bengal recording the highest number of 3,812 such institutions.

Pixxel, a space technology enterprise, has secured a contract from the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) of the USA under the Commercial Systems Program Office (CSPO).

The agreement focuses on the development of advanced hyperspectral remote sensing capabilities, a technology used to identify materials and chemical processes, utilizing the Firefly satellite constellation.

According to a report by the SBI Research, the real GDP growth of India for FY27 is estimated at 6.6%. The report projects growth rates of 6.8% for Q1 and 6.6% for Q2, while the growth for the second half (H2) of the fiscal year is projected at 6.5%.

The SEBI has constituted a specialized task force named ‘Cyber suraksha.ai’ to assess cybersecurity risks associated with advanced AI tools and enhance cyber resilience.

The task force consists of representatives from Market Infrastructure Institutions (MIIs), Qualified Registrar and Transfer Agents (QRTAs), and Regulated Entities (REs), along with other relevant stakeholders.

Shashi Shekhar Vempati has been appointed as the Chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for a period of 3 years. He succeeds Prasoon Joshi.

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has signed a 5-year MoU with the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) to strengthen the cybersecurity and digital forensic capabilities of the Aadhaar infrastructure.

The Union Cabinet has approved the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, to increase the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court (SC). The bill proposes to expand the total number of judges to 38 from 34 (including the Chief Justice of India (CJI)), adding 4 more judges to the existing 33.

This marks the first increase in the judicial strength of the SC in 6 years, since the last expansion in 2019. The bill aims to amend the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956. It is to be noted that Article 124(1) of the Constitution of India empowers the Parliament to determine the number of judges in the apex court.

The Bihar government has approved a $500 million (around ₹4,750 crore) loan from the World Bank (WB) for the ‘Bihar Urban Transformation Programme’. The state cabinet has also sanctioned the transfer of 1.85 acres of land and authorized enhanced subsidy support under the PM Electric (e)-Bus Sewa for the operation of 400 electric AC buses.

Furthermore, ₹15,967.03 crore was sanctioned for the monitoring and maintenance of roads using AI based technologies.

C Joseph Vijay, the president of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), has sworn in as the 13th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. The oath of office was administered by Governor Rajendra Arlekar at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai.

It is to be noted that TVK emerged as the single largest party by winning 108 seats. To surpass the majority mark of 118 seats, a coalition was formed with the Indian National Congress, bringing the total support to 120 MLAs.

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has commissioned the Indian Coast Guard Ship 'Achal', a new-generation “Adamya-class” Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV), at the Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) in Vasco, Goa. The vessel will be stationed at Vadinar, Gujarat.

It is to be noted that the ship is the 5th of the eight FPVs being indigenously built by the GSL for the ICG. The 51 metre long vessel, featuring over 50% indigenous content, is powered by two 3,000 kW diesel engines. It has a maximum speed of 27 knots and an operational endurance of 1,500 nautical miles.

India has successfully conducted the second flight trial of the Agni-5 missile, integrated with Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology.

The test, designated as “Mission Divyastra”, was carried out from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast. It is to be noted that Agni-5 is a nuclear-capable ballistic missile with a strike range exceeding 5,000 km.

Jio Payments Bank Ltd (JPBL) has partnered with the Ezeepay to serve as a Business Correspondent (BC). The collaboration aims to strengthen last-mile digital banking in rural and semi-urban India by providing access to basic banking facilities through local merchant outlets.

The Karnataka government has inaugurated the Centre of Excellence for Space Technology (CoE SpaceTech Foundation) in Bengaluru, marking the first state-led center in India dedicated to the space sector.

The foundation was established by the Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society (KITS) in collaboration with the SatCom Industry Association of India (SIA-India). It aims to bridge the gap between academic research and the commercialisation of space technologies to enhance industrial development.

Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani (Retd) has been appointed as the 3rd Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of India. He succeeds General Anil Chauhan, whose extended tenure ends on 30 May 2026. Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan is appointed as the next Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) and will assume command on 31 May 2026. He succeeds Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has released the “Guidance Document on Diabetes Mellitus in Children” during the National Summit on Best Practices in Public Healthcare Service Delivery held in Chandigarh.

This is the first structured and standardized national framework in India for the screening, diagnosis, treatment, and long-term management of diabetes in children. The framework introduces the “4Ts awareness framework” (Toilet, Thirsty, Tired, and Thinner) to promote the early detection of Type 1 Diabetes among children.

NLC India Ltd (NLCIL) has signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) with the France-based Electricite de France (EDF) to explore the development of nuclear power projects in India.

The collaboration focuses on the use of European Pressurised Reactor (EPR) and Small Modular Reactor (SMR) technologies. The EPR is a third-generation Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) developed by Framatome and EDF, featuring advanced safety and efficiency. It is to be noted that NLCIL aims to achieve a total power generation capacity of 20 GW by 2030.

The National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) has launched the Electronic Gold Receipts (EGR) segment after receiving regulatory approval from the SEBI.

The initiative aims to create a transparent and efficient gold trading ecosystem by enhancing price discovery and broadening market participation. It also aims to strengthen investor confidence through a modernized and regulated trading framework.