Monthly current affairs for May 2026

International Firefighters’ Day (St Florian’s Day):

Day – May 04

Observed since – 1999

Commemorating – Death of 5 firefighters who fought a wildfire in

Linton, Australia in 1998

World Hand Hygiene Day:

Day – May 05

Theme 2026 – “Action saves lives – Safer care starts with clean hands”

Observed by – WHO

World Press Freedom Day:

Day – May 03

Theme 2026 – “Shaping a Future at Peace”

Observed since – 1994

The National e-Governance Division (NeGD), under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), has felicitated five states for their outstanding DigiLocker integration initiatives.

The states include Gujarat, Karnataka, Keralam, Nagaland, and Rajasthan. The felicitation took place during the “National Consultative Workshop on Strengthening Cybersecurity Frameworks for State Data” held in New Delhi.

The RBI has cancelled the banking licence of the Mumbai (Maharashtra)-based Sarvodaya Co-operative Bank Ltd, effective from May 12, 2026. It is to be noted that the action was taken under Sections 22(4) and 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has renewed its strategic partnership with the Department of Sports and Youth Services (DSYS) of the Government of Odisha by signing a 5-year MoU.

The agreement builds upon the initial collaboration established in 2023. The partnership aims to expand elite youth football and solidify the position of Odisha as the premier football hub in India.

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) has signed a tripartite MoU with HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co Ltd (HD KSOE), National Shipbuilding & Heavy Industries Park Tamil Nadu Ltd (NSHIP-TN), and Sagarmala Finance Corporation Ltd (SMFCL) to develop the first Mega Greenfield Shipyard in India at Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu.

The project will have an annual shipbuilding capacity of 2.5 million Gross Tonnage (MGT). The agreement was exchanged during the state visit of the President of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Lee Jae Myung. It is part of the India-ROK Comprehensive Framework ‘VOYAGES’ (Shared Vision for Operation of Yard Assisted Growth with Efficiency and Scale).

India and the UAE have signed 6 agreements to enhance cooperation in the energy and defence sectors during the visit of PM Narendra Modi to Abu Dhabi. Entities based in the UAE have committed an investment of $5 billion in India.

The UAE has also announced a plan to double the crude oil export capacity by 2027. This involves the construction of an additional pipeline to the Port of Fujairah to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.

IndiaAI Mission has signed an MoU with the Bengaluru-based Karya, a Nonprofit Organization (NPO), to enhance accessibility within the AI economy. The partnership focuses on data, technology, and capacity building, specifically to strengthen the infrastructure of AIKosh, the national AI data platform of India for research and development (R&D). Both organizations also aim to develop model evaluation frameworks and establish standards for dataset quality, validation, and interoperability.

According to the report by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the total exports of India, including both merchandise and services, are estimated at $80.80 billion for April 2026, reflecting a growth of 13.59% compared to $71.13 billion in April 2025. Merchandise exports rose by 13.78% to $43.56 billion from $38.28 billion in the previous year.

Union Minister Rajnath Singh and Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu have laid the foundation stone for an infrastructure project to develop the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) in Sri Sathya Sai, Andhra Pradesh. They also inaugurated a core integration and flight testing centre at Puttaparthi to accelerate the development of the 5th-generation AMCA and other future indigenous platforms.

Additionally, the foundation stone for a naval systems manufacturing facility to support advanced underwater weapons and naval combat systems was laid. The AMCA facility is being established at an estimated cost of ₹2,000 crore, while the total expenditure for the AMCA development programme is projected at approximately ₹15,000 crore.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has inaugurated the first Integrated Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) field laboratory facility in India at the IIT Bombay.

The facility is established under the ‘Bharat Innovates 2026’ initiative to advance research and development in carbon management. It is to be noted that the CCUS technology used in the laboratory is being promoted by UrjanovaC.

Rajasthan has inaugurated its first semiconductor plant and a new Electronics Manufacturing Cluster (EMC) in Bhiwadi.

Established by Sahasra Semiconductors Pvt. Ltd with an investment of over ₹150 crore, it is the first Small and Medium Enterprise (SME)-led semiconductor plant in India to start commercial production.

Akash Ambani has been appointed as the first MD of Jio Platforms Ltd (JPL), the digital services subsidiary of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), for a period of 5 years.

India has won 2 medals, including 1 gold and 1 bronze, at the 20th edition of the Shanghai Hyundai Archery World Cup Stage 2 held in Shanghai, China.

The women’s recurve team, comprising Deepika Kumari, Ankita Bhakat, and Kumkum Mohod, has won gold. Sahil Jadhav has won bronze in the men’s individual compound category. Turkiye topped the overall medal standings with 6 medals (2 gold), followed by China and South Korea.

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.