Daily Current Affairs 23 May 2026

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), under the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT)), has launched an AI-based helpbot named ‘ABHAY’ (AI-Based Helpbot for Authentication of Your Notice).

The initiative aims to authenticate official CBI notices and safeguard citizens against cyber fraud and digital arrest scams.

The National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) has launched a strategic initiative to re-enroll approximately 2 crore out-of-school children (OOSC). This drive aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and aims to address the dropout rate in India, where only 62 out of 100 students reach Class 12.

The initiative targets adolescents aged 14-18 who dropped out due to financial constraints, domestic responsibilities, or early entry into the workforce. The long-term goal is to achieve 100% Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) from pre-school to secondary level by 2030.

According to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoC&I), the European Union (EU) has emerged as the third-largest seafood export market for India in FY26, after the USA and China. India’s seafood exports to the EU stood at $1.593 billion, contributing 18.94% of the total seafood export value and showing robust growth in both value and quantity.

According to the Mid-Year Outlook report released by Morgan Stanley, India’s real GDP growth forecast for FY27 has been revised upward by 50 basis points (bps) to 6.7%. The report projects the GDP growth for FY28 at 7%. Additionally, India’s inflation is expected to average 4.7% for FY27.

The Ministry of Finance has approved a proposal by the UAE-based Emirates NBD to acquire a 49%–74% stake in RBL Bank. The transaction is valued at $3 billion (₹26,850 crore) and will be executed through a preferential allotment and a mandatory open offer. This is one of the largest Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) transactions in the banking and financial services sector of India.

Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) has signed an MoU with DBS Bank to launch the first sustainability-linked dealer financing scheme in the automotive sector in India. Under this scheme, authorized dealers of Mahindra will receive preferential interest rates on vehicle loans, linked to their environmental performance.

PM Narendra Modi has visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and held a meeting with President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi. UAE has committed to invest $5 billion in India through various entities.

During the visit, the Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Ltd (ISPRL) signed an MoU with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) to enhance the energy security of India. Additionally, the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) signed a strategic collaboration agreement with ADNOC for the long-term supply of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG).

The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has signed an MoU with the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI) to leverage the expertise of the latter in geotechnical engineering and natural hazard mitigation.

The collaboration aims to strengthen engineering capabilities, particularly in geologically sensitive and challenging terrains.

The National Institute of Securities Markets (NISM), established by the SEBI, has signed an MoU with the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs to advance Corporate Governance, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards, and capital markets in India.

The collaboration will focus on knowledge exchange, research, policy support, and cooperation in financial and corporate regulation.

Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) has signed an MoU with the Management Development Institute (MDI), Gurgaon, to collaborate on Executive Education Programmes. The partnership aims to develop future-ready leadership within SAIL by integrating academic knowledge with real-world applications.

India hosted the Kimberley Process (KP) Intersessional Meeting 2026 in Mumbai, under its 2026 Chairship. Suchindra Misra, Special Secretary, Department of Commerce (DOC), Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoC&I), served as the official KP Chair for 2026.

The KP currently comprises 60 participants representing 86 countries, with the European Union (EU) participating as a single bloc. The deliberations focused on the “3Cs” framework: Credibility, Compliance, and Consumer Confidence, aimed at promoting responsibly sourced natural diamonds.

It is to be noted that the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) was established in 2000 to prevent conflict or “blood” diamonds from entering the legitimate global diamond trade.

India has successfully test-fired the Agni-1 missile from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur, Odisha. The test was conducted under the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) to validate all operational and technical parameters of the system.

Agni-1 is an indigenous, single-stage, surface-to-surface Short Range Ballistic Missile (SRBM) powered by solid propellants. Designed for rapid deployment via road or rail mobile launchers, the missile has an operational strike range of 700-900 km and is capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear warheads.

Google and Blackstone, the world’s largest alternative asset manager, have announced a joint venture (JV) to establish an AI cloud infrastructure company. Blackstone has committed an initial equity investment of $5 billion for the venture. Benjamin Sloss has been appointed as the CEO of the newly formed company.

The USA-based Liberty Mutual Insurance Company (LMIC) has increased its stake in Liberty General Insurance (LGI) from 55.4% to 74%. LGI is a joint venture (JV) between the Liberty Mutual Group (LMG) and Enam Securities, with the latter holding the remaining 26% stake.

This expansion strengthens the presence of the company in the insurance sector of India, facilitated by the approval of 100% Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the industry by the Government of India (GoI).

Union Minister Jyotiraditya M Scindia has attended the 51st Statehood Day celebrations of Sikkim at Manan Kendra in Gangtok. During the event, he launched the ‘Mission Sikkim Organics’ with an outlay of ₹360 crore to strengthen organic farming and sustainable agricultural practices in the state. It is to be noted that Sikkim celebrates May 16 as its Statehood Day, marking its integration with the Union of India in 1975.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has extended the tenure of Anurag Garg as the Director General (DG) of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) until July 2027.

Professor Momoko Kitada has been conferred with the 2026 International Maritime Organization (IMO) Gender Equality Award. The award, established in 2022, recognises individuals who have made significant contributions toward empowering women and promoting diversity within the maritime sector.

The Dogri-Punjabi Dictionary, authored by the late Chandan Negi, was released by the Governor of Himachal Pradesh, Kavinder Gupta. The ceremony was jointly organized by the Punjabi Lekhak Sabha and the Jammu & Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages (JKAACL).