Daily Current Affairs 18 May 2026

CJI Surya Kant has launched the 'One Case One Data' initiative to improve data integration and transparency across all levels of the judiciary. He also introduced 'Su Sahay', an AI powered judicial assistance chatbot designed to enhance efficiency in the management of court cases.

PM Narendra Modi has participated in the 45th anniversary celebrations of The Art of Living and the 70th birthday celebrations of Gurudev Ravi Shankar in Bengaluru. During the visit, the PM inaugurated the newly constructed “Dhyan Mandir” at the Art of Living International Centre.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved an increase in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for 14 Kharif crops for the 2026-27 marketing season. The highest absolute increases in MSP compared to the previous year were for sunflower seeds (₹622 per quintal), cotton (₹557 per quintal), and sesamum (₹500 per quintal).

Among major food grains, the MSP for common paddy has been raised to ₹2,441 per quintal (an increase of ₹72), while the rate for Grade A paddy is set at ₹2,461 per quintal.

CTBC Bank Co Ltd has inaugurated a new branch at the GIFT City in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, becoming the first Taiwanese bank to establish a presence in the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) of India.

It is to be noted that the bank has been operating in India for 30 years and has existing branches in New Delhi and Chennai.

The Department of Financial Services (DFS) under the Ministry of Finance (MoF) has launched the “Bharat Maritime Insurance Pool” (BMIP) in New Delhi. The BMIP is established with a total value of $1.5 billion, which includes a sovereign guarantee of $1.4 billion (₹12,980 crore).

The initiative aims to reduce the heavy reliance of Indian vessels on foreign International Group (IG) Protection and Indemnity (P&I) Clubs for third-party liability coverage.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has partnered with Airtel Payments Bank to launch co-branded RuPay ‘On-The-Go’ National Common Mobility Cards (NCMC) to facilitate seamless digital payments and integrated metro travel across various transit systems in India.

The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has signed an MoU with the Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH) to enhance the detection of mule accounts and to mitigate cyber financial frauds using AI based technologies. It is to be noted that the RBIH is a subsidiary of the RBI.

According to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) Quarterly Bulletin for Q4 FY26 (January to March 2026) released by the National Statistical Office (NSO), the urban unemployment rate (UR) for persons aged 15 and above decreased to 6.6%, compared to 6.7% in the previous quarter.

The aggregate Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) for persons aged 15 and above is estimated at 55.5%. In rural regions, the LFPR for the 15+ age group stood at 58.2%, compared to 58.4% in the October-December 2025 period. The urban LFPR for the same demographic was reported at 50.2% in Q4 FY26, representing a decrease from the 50.4% observed in the prior quarter.

Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has signed an agreement with the Andhra Pradesh government to implement the Amended BharatNet Programme (ABP) through a state-led model.

The Government of India has allocated ₹2,432 crore for the implementation of the programme in the state, which will be managed by the AP State Fibernet Ltd (APBIL). The objective of the ABP is to upgrade and expand the BharatNet infrastructure to provide reliable, future-ready broadband connectivity to all Gram Panchayats (GPs) and villages on a demand basis.

The Karnataka government has implemented an “Alcohol-in-Beverage” (AIB)-based excise duty structure and revised the liquor rates. It is the first instance of such a taxation model being implemented in India, following the 2026-27 Budget announcement. The State Excise Department aims to rationalize liquor pricing to make beverages more affordable for consumers.

The Punjab government has launched the ‘Meri Rasoi Yojna’ (My Kitchen Scheme) in Sangrur district to provide free food kits to 40 lakh economically weaker families. The initiative is implemented as per the provisions of the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013.

Each food kit contains 2 kg of moong-chana dal, 2 kg of sugar, 1 kg of iodised salt, 200 g of turmeric, and 1 litre of mustard oil. The beneficiary families will receive these kits on a quarterly basis (once every three months).

Dr Harvansh Chawla has been appointed as the Chairman of the BRISEC Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BRISEC CCI). He previously served as the Chairman of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BRICS CCI).

It is to be noted that the BRISEC CCI was established in 2026 and is recognized by NITI Aayog.

R Mukundan has been elected as the President of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for the 2026-27 term. He succeeds Rajiv Memani.

It is to be noted that the newly constituted National Council of the CII has also appointed Suchitra Ella as the President-Designate and Shashwat Goenka as the Vice President for the same term.