09th-11th May 2026

1. Bihar Cabinet Approves USD 500 Million Loan from WB for Strengthening Urban Centres
2. Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel Inaugurated IALFS 2.0 in GIFT City, Gandhinagar
3. CSIR-CRRI & BPCL Develop India’s 1st Plastic Waste Geocell ‘Phoenix’
4. RBI Imposes Penalties on YES Bank, Hinduja Housing Finance
5. BIS hosts global meet on Space Systems Standards in Delhi
6. GoI Appoints Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani as Next CDS; Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan as CNS
7. Indian Armed Forces Set Strategic Goals for 2047
8. Bulgaria parliament approves Rumen Radev as new Prime Minister
9. Laura Virginia Fernández Delgado Sworn in as President of Costa Rica
10. India will host the 4th India-Africa Forum Summit in New Delhi on 31st May, 2026
11. India, Vietnam elevate ties to Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership
12. India to Host Inaugural IBCA summit in New Delhi Next Month
13. Which was the First Fully Digital Banking State in India?
14. DRDO’s Long-Duration Scramjet Combustor Test
15. DRDO and IAF Conduct Maiden TARA Flight Trial Off Odisha Coast
16. DRDO ready with Agni-VI: Why this next-gen ICBM matters for India’s deterrence
17. C. Joseph Vijay Sworn In As the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
18. Maharashtra Approves Compressed Biogas Policy 2026 to Boost Renewable Energy
19. Suvendu Adhikari Takes Oath as West Bengal’s First BJP Chief Minister
20. Supreme Court Proposes Permanent Women-Only Vice-President Post in SCBA
21. India Advances BRICS MSME Cooperation Under Its 2026 Chairship
22. Aizawl Hosts First-Ever Regional Cooperative Reform Conference Under ‘Sahkar se Samriddhi’ Vision
23. Apaar Saxena Earns International Master Title After Strong European Performances
24. IOC Lifts Ban on Belarus Ahead of LA 2028 Olympics, Russia Still Suspended
25. India to Host First International Ophthalmology Research Conference in New Delhi
26. Indore to Host BRICS Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting
27. S&P Global Lowers India’s Growth Forecast to 6.6% for FY27
28. NASA Tests Plasma Engine for Faster Mars Travel
29. India Opens Pavilion at La Biennale di Venezia 2026
30. Rabindranath Tagore Jayanti 2026: Celebrating the Timeless Legacy of India’s Nobel Laureate Poet
31. Soma Mandal wins South Asia award in Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Awards 2026
32. Ted Turner, creator of the world’s first 24-hour news channel, dies at 87

National News

India Hosts Second Aircraft Leasing and Financing Summit

• What: The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA), and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) organised the India Aircraft Leasing and Financing Summit 2.0 (IALFS 2.0) on May 8 at the GIFT City, Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
• Tell me more:
  • Union Civil Aviation Minister Shri Ram Mohan Naidu presided over the summit with Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel as Chief Guest.
  • The Minister projected the commercial aircraft fleet in India to reach 1,100 by 2027 and exceed 2,250 by 2035.
  • Indian carriers currently have outstanding deliveries of 1,640 aircraft, representing a USD 50 billion opportunity for the leasing ecosystem.
  • The government enacted the Protection of Interests in Aircraft Objects (PIAO) Act, 2025, to align legal frameworks with the Cape Town Convention.
  • The Union Government approved a Credit Line Guarantee Scheme with an outlay of ₹5,000 crore to ease liquidity for airlines.
  • IFSCA and FICCI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote the region as an international financial centre for aviation.
  • Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu is the Union Cabinet Minister for Civil Aviation in India as of May 2026.

India Hosts International Meetings on Space Standards at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi

• What: Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) organized the 35th Plenary and Working Groups meetings of the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) subcommittee for ‘Space Systems and Operations’ in New Delhi to discuss global space safety and sustainability.
• Tell me more:
  • The official name of this subcommittee is “ISO/TC 20/SC 14”.
  • About ISO/TC 20/SC 14:
    • ISO/TC 20/SC 14 is a specialized international subcommittee under the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) that is dedicated to set quality standards for “Space systems and operations.”
    • Founded in 1992, its primary mission is to develop standards for the entire lifecycle of space systems from design to launch and operations.
    • To manage such a broad field, SC 14 is divided into several Working Groups (WGs).
    • Its Secretariat is American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (ANSI).
  • Director General of BIS – Sanjay Garg

India Hosts Fourth India-Africa Forum Summit in May

• What: India will host the fourth India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS-IV) on 31 May 2026 in New Delhi under the theme “IA SPIRIT: India Africa Strategic Partnership for Innovation, Resilience, and Inclusive Transformation”.
• Tell me more:
  • The logo of the India–Africa Forum Summit 2026 features merged artistic faces of India and Africa, symbolising unity, partnership, and shared vision.

• Senior Officials will meet on 28 May 2026, followed by the India-Africa Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on 29 May 2026.
• Leaders will adopt a declaration to align the developed nation vision of India for 2047 with the Agenda 2063 of Africa.
• Think tank dialogues and an India-Africa Film Festival will run alongside the summit.
• The inaugural International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) Summit will follow the forum on 1 June 2026, involving several African nations.
• Knowledge Nuggets:
  • Bilateral trade between India and Africa stands at approximately $85 billion, while India has extended over 190 lines of credit worth more than $10 billion to 41 African countries and opened 17 new diplomatic missions since 2018, taking the total number of missions in Africa to 46.
  • The International Solar Alliance (ISA) already includes 39 African nations as members.
  • India contributes around 5,000 peacekeepers to United Nations (UN) missions across the African continent.

India Elevates Strategic Ties with Vietnam

• What: India has elevated bilateral relations with Vietnam to an ‘Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership’ to boost trade, security, and global cooperation.
• Tell me more:
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vietnam President To Lam set a new trade goal of 25 billion dollars by 2030.
  • Both nations signed 11 pacts covering rare earth, digital payments, and urban management.
  • Vietnam officially joined the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) to strengthen maritime cooperation.
  • The leaders emphasized freedom of navigation in the South China Sea according to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
  • Defence cooperation remains a major pillar of India–Vietnam relations, with both countries planning joint research and co-production of new technologies, while new agreements will improve market access for Indian pharmaceuticals in Vietnam and simplify agricultural exports.

Supreme Court Proposes Permanent Vice President Post for Women

• What: The Supreme Court of India urged the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) to create a permanent vice-president post for women from 2027 onwards and reserved the post of secretary for women in the upcoming 2026-27 elections.
• Tell me more:
  • A bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice K V Viswanathan proposed earmarking a second vice-president post exclusively for women starting in 2027-28.
  • The Supreme Court also recently approved 30% reservation for women in bar councils to increase representation in legal institutions.

India Leads BRICS Cooperation for MSME Credit Access

• What: India successfully convened the first Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Working Group Meeting under its Chairship of BRICS to discuss financial access for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) in Delhi.
• Tell me more:
  • The meeting operated under the BRICS Partnership on the New Industrial Revolution (PartNIR).
  • The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises holds the mandate to organize three working group meetings.
  • India will also host the inaugural BRICS MSME Forum during its Chairship in 2026.

First International Ophthalmology Research Conference Held in Delhi

• What: The Ministry of Defence (MoD) organized India’s inaugural international ophthalmology research conference at the Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi to showcase medical advancements and strengthen civil-military cooperation.
• Tell me more:
  • Event title: AIOS-Armed Forces Ophthalmology Update (AIOS-AFOU 2026).
  • The Department of Ophthalmology at Army Hospital (Research & Referral) organized the conference alongside the All India Ophthalmological Society (AIOS).
    • The All India Ophthalmological Society (AIOS) was established in the year 1930. It is a registered society under the societies registration act of 1860.
    • Ophthalmology is the branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the eye.

BRICS Agriculture Ministers to Meet in Indore

• What: India will host a two-day meeting of agriculture ministers from Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) in Indore from June 12 to 13 to discuss global food security and farmer welfare.
• Tell me more:
  • A three-day Agriculture Working Group (AWG) meeting of officials will precede the ministerial meet from June 9 to 11.
  • BRICS nations account for about 42% of the agricultural land and 68% of the farmers in the world. These countries contribute 45% of global grain production.
  • The Madhya Pradesh state government has declared the year 2026 as Agriculture Welfare Year.

State News

Bihar Cabinet Approves World Bank Loan for Cities

• The Bihar Cabinet approved a decision to take a USD 500 million loan from the World Bank to strengthen selected urban centres and develop integrated urban economic zones in the state.

First Fully Digital Banking State in India

• Kerala became India’s first fully digital banking state in 2023 by ensuring digital banking facilities such as UPI, mobile banking, and net banking for all eligible bank account holders.

Maharashtra Approves New Compressed Biogas Policy 2026

• What: The Maharashtra state government officially approved and released the Maharashtra State Compressed Biogas (CBG) Policy 2026, to upscale the bioenergy sector by utilizing organic waste, agricultural residues, and biodegradable materials.
• Tell me more:
  • The framework focuses on a circular economy to reduce landfill burdens and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
  • Maharashtra currently ranks third in India with 24 commissioned CBG plants, following Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.
  • A three-tier committee structure manages implementation, including a State-Level Steering Committee and District Compressed Biogas Coordination Committees (DBCC).
  • The framework aligns with national initiatives like Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) and GOBARdhan.

Second Regional Conference on Cooperative Reforms Held in Aizawl, Mizoram

• What: The Ministry of Cooperation organized a landmark regional conference in Aizawl, Mizoram, to accelerate cooperative-led development and strengthen grassroots institutions across the remote North-Eastern regions of India.
• Tell me more:
  • This event follows the first regional conference previously held in Jaipur.
  • It aligns with the vision of “Sahkar se Samriddhi” to bring economic opportunities to far-flung rural and border areas.
  • The government is promoting “Bharat Organics” to enhance branding and market linkages for farmers.

International News

NASA Achieves Milestone with New Plasma Thruster

• What: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) successfully tested a lithium-fed Magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD) thruster that reached a domestic power output milestone of 120 kilowatts for space travel.
• Tell me more:
  • An MPD thruster helps spacecraft travel faster and carry heavier cargo in deep space by using electromagnetic energy instead of traditional rocket fuel, making long missions like human travel to Mars more efficient.

61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia – in Venice, Italy

• What: The Ministry of Culture opened the Indian national pavilion titled “Geographies of Distance: remembering home” at the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia to explore themes of memory and migration.
• Tell me more:
  • This exhibition marks the return of India to the global art event after its last participation in 2019.
  • The Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) and Serendipity Arts partnered with the government for this presentation.
  • Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat inaugurated the pavilion at the Arsenale venue in Venice.
  • La Biennale di Venezia (The Venice Biennale) is one of the world’s most prestigious and oldest international cultural institutions that showcases cutting-edge global trends in several creative fields.

Banking and Economy

RBI Imposes Monetary Penalties on Two Financial Entities

• What: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed monetary penalties on YES Bank and Hinduja Housing Finance Ltd.
• Tell me more:
  • RBI imposed a penalty of Rs 31.80 lakh on YES Bank because the bank failed to use the KYC Identifier assigned by the Central KYC Records Registry (CKYCR) while opening customer accounts.
  • Hinduja Housing Finance Limited faces a penalty of Rs 1.8 lakh for violating directions relating to ‘governance’.

GDP Forecasts

S&P Global Reduced India’s Growth Forecast for FY27

• What: S&P Global Market Intelligence reduced the economic growth forecast for India for the financial year 2027 to 6.6% from 7.1% due to geopolitical tensions arising from the Iran war.
• Tell me more:
  • S&P Global Market Intelligence expects India’s debt-to-GDP ratio to rise to 57.5% in FY27, delaying the earlier target of reducing it to 49–51% by FY31.
  • The services sector should expand its share in the national GDP to nearly 55% by 2030.
  • The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) updated the base year of GDP calculation to 2022-23.
  • States and Union Territories must adopt the new base year for compiling Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP).
    • The Advisory Committee on National Accounts Statistics (ACNAS) formed a sub-committee chaired by Ravindra H Dholakia to guide this transition.
    • Currently, 34 States and UTs use 2011-12 as the base year, excluding Lakshadweep, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu.
    • The Ministry aims to onboard all regions to ensure complete national coverage and uniformity in Regional Accounts Statistics.

Defence News

Indian Armed Forces Set Strategic Goals for 2047

• What: The Indian Armed Forces have set strategic goals and priorities that they aim to reach by 2047.
• Tell me more:
  • Formulate a National Military Strategy
  • Expand Underwater Domain Awareness (UDA) and space-based Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities
  • Develop robust cyber defence networks to protect critical military infrastructure, communication systems, and digital operations from cyberattacks, espionage, and emerging technological threats.
  • Establish a Defence Geospatial Agency to improve military mapping, satellite imagery analysis, terrain assessment, and location-based intelligence support for better operational planning and coordination among forces.
  • Create a dedicated Drone Force.
  • Form a force for cognitive warfare to counter misinformation, psychological operations, and information-based threats.
  • Set up a full-fledged Space Command and Cyber Command to strengthen defence capabilities in emerging warfare domains such as cyberspace and outer space.
  • Expand missile and air defence systems under Mission Sudarshan Chakra.
• Knowledge Nuggets:
  • In August 2025, Mission Sudarshan Chakra was launched to build an indigenously-developed, multi-layered Integrated Air Defence Weapon System (IADWS) providing complete security cover to strategic and civilian locations across India by 2035.
    • IADWS is an advanced indigenous multi-layered air defence system equipped with Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missiles (QRSAM), Very Short Range Air Defence Systems (VSHORADS), and laser-based Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) to provide rapid and effective protection against aerial threats.
  • The plan includes the induction of the 500-km range Pralay quasi-ballistic missile and the 1,000-km range subsonic long-range land-attack cruise missile.
  • Authorities aim to increase the strike range of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from 450-km to 800-km.
  • The DRDO is developing the indigenous Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LR-SAM) system under Project Kusha.
    • Project Kusha features interceptor missiles designed to hit hostile targets at ranges of 150-km, 250-km, and 350-km. Phase-1 of this air defence system is expected to be ready by the 2028-29 period.

DRDO Successfully Tests Long Duration Scramjet Combustor

• What: The Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted a record-breaking 1,200-second long-duration ground test of an actively cooled full-scale scramjet combustor in Hyderabad.
• Tell me more:
  • The test took place at the state-of-the-art Scramjet Connect Pipe Test (SCPT) facility in Hyderabad, Telangana.
  • The purpose of a full-scale scramjet (Supersonic Combustion Ramjet) combustor is to enable stable and efficient fuel combustion in an airflow that is moving at supersonic speeds (faster than the speed of sound).
  • DRDO Chairman – Samir V Kamat

DRDO Conducts Successful Maiden Flight Trial of TARA Weapon System

• What: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully conducted the first flight trial of the Tactical Advanced Range Augmentation (TARA) indigenous glide weapon system off the coast of Odisha.
• Tell me more:
  • TARA is a modular range extension kit and the first indigenous glide weapon system of India. The primary function of TARA is to convert conventional unguided warheads into precision-guided weapons.
  • The Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad designed and developed this weapon alongside other laboratories.

India Prepares for Next Generation Agni-VI Missile Program

• What: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) announced its readiness to develop the Agni-VI, a next-generation Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) capable of travelling over 10,000 km with Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology.
• Tell me more:
  • An Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) travels more than 5,000 km and moves through space for part of its journey.
  • India recently tested a Long Range Anti-Ship Hypersonic Missile capable of travelling nearly 10 times the speed of sound. Mach speed measures speed compared to sound, which travels around 1,235 km/h on Earth.
  • Mach speed measures speed of sound, which travels around 1,235 km/h on Earth.

Science and Technology

First Road Construction Record Using Plastic Waste

• What: The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI) and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) created a record for constructing the first-of-its-kind roadblock section using technical textile geocells made from end-of-life plastic.
• Tell me more:
  • The India Book of Records and Asia Book of Records recognized this milestone in sustainable road infrastructure development.
  • Dr. (Ms.) N. Kalaiselvi, Director General of CSIR and Secretary of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), attended the felicitation ceremony.

Awards

Indian Teacher Wins South Asia Cambridge Award 2026

• What: The International Education group at Cambridge University Press & Assessment named Indian science teacher Soma Mandal as the regional winner for South Asia in the 2026 Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Awards for her environmental education work.
• Tell me more:
  • Cambridge University Press & Assessment organized these awards to recognize outstanding teachers from across the world.
  • Other regional winners represent countries including Ghana, Turkiye, Colombia, China, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, USA, and Malaysia.
  • Each regional winner receives £500 worth of books for their classroom and a trophy.

Sports

Indian Prodigy Apaar Saxena Achieves International Master Title

• Fourteen-year-old Apaar Saxena from Bengaluru earned the prestigious International Master (IM) title after achieving three required norms across Europe in five weeks, marking a rapid rise in world chess.

International Olympic Committee lifts Ban on Belarusian Athletes

• What: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) lifted the ban on Belarusian athletes competing in the Olympics, allowing them to participate as a national delegation with their flag and medals starting from the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics.
• Tell me more:
  • Belarusian and Russian competitors faced bans following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
  • World Athletics (WA) will maintain its sanctions until there is tangible movement towards peace negotiations.

Source: TOI

Appointments

New Appointments for Chief of Defence Staff and Navy

• What: The Government of India appointed Lieutenant General N S Raja Subramani (Retd) as the third Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and Vice-Admiral Krishna Swaminathan as the next Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) to lead the military forces.
• Tell me more:
  • General Bipin Rawat was India’s first Chief of Defence Staff and General Anil Chauhan was the second person to hold the position.
  • Lieutenant General N S Raja Subramani will also function as Secretary to the Government of India in the Department of Military Affairs (DMA).
  • The new CDS presently serves as the Military Adviser to the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS).
  • Lieutenant General Subramani previously held the positions of Vice Chief of the Army Staff (VCOAS) and General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of the Central Command.
  • Vice-Admiral Krishna Swaminathan will succeed the current CNS, Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi; his tenure ends on December 31, 2028. Swaminathan currently serves as the Western Naval Commander in Mumbai.

Rumen Radev Elected as New Bulgarian Prime Minister

Laura Virginia Fernández Delgado Sworn in as 50th President of Costa Rica

• She is a political scientist.

TVK founder C. Joseph Vijay takes oath as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister

• In Tamil Nadu, the founder of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), C. Joseph Vijay (former actor), was sworn in as the Chief Minister.

Suvendu Adhikari Becomes First BJP Chief Minister of West Bengal

• What: Suvendu Adhikari took the oath as the first Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Chief Minister of West Bengal during a ceremony at the Brigade Parade Grounds in Kolkata.
• Tell me more:
  • Governor RN Ravi administered the oath of office and secrecy to Adhikari.
  • The ceremony took place on Pochishe Boishak to mark the 165th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore.
    • Rabindra Jayanti falls on the 25th day of the Bengali month of Boishakh. The Gregorian calendar records the birth of Rabindranath Tagore as May 7, 1861.
  • The BJP won 207 seats in the 294-member State Assembly elections to secure a decisive victory.

Miscellaneous

Media Pioneer Ted Turner Passes Away at 87

• What: Ted Turner, the founder of Cable News Network (CNN) and the visionary behind the launch of Cartoon Network India, passed away.
• Tell me more:
  • Ted Turner built the first 24-hour English-language news channel in the world.
  • Cartoon Network launched in India on May 1, 1995, as the first dedicated children’s television channel.

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