13th May 2026

1. Overview of PM Narendra Modi’s Visit to Gujarat on May 10-11, 2026
2. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Inaugurates Bhimmandali Eco Heritage Site in Sambalpur, Odisha
3. CII & NUS-ISS Sign MoU to Strengthen AI Governance and Digital Leadership in India
4. DYPIU and Dassault Systèmes Sign MoU to Establish Experience Centre in Pune
5. Dhash Defence & IIT Ropar-DRIF Sign MoU for Indigenous Defence Mobility Platforms
6. Moody’s Lowers India’s GDP Growth Forecast to 6% for CY26
7. Dr. Harvansh Chawla Appointed as Chairman of BRISEC CCI
8. Indian Army Inducts Indigenous ULPGM and AGNIKAA VTOL-1 Kamikaze Drone from Adani
9. International Day of Vesak or Buddha Purnima 2026 – May 1
10. Former Mohun Bagan President Swapan Sadhan Bose Passes Away at 79
11. Puducherry Gets New Leadership as Rangasamy Takes Charge as CM
12. Why India’s Inflation Is Creeping Up Again in April 2026
13. India Celebrates Healthcare Heroes with Florence Nightingale Awards 2026

State News

PM Modi Celebrates 75 Years of Somnath Temple

• What: Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the Somnath Amrut Mahotsav on May 11, 2026, to commemorate 75 years since the inauguration of the restored shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva in Gujarat.
• Tell me more:
  • The Somnath Amrut Mahotsav marks the anniversary of the temple’s restoration by the first President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, in 1951.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Inaugurates Bhimmandali Eco Heritage Site

• What: Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan led the groundbreaking and inauguration of the Bhimmandali Eco Heritage Site (BEHS) in Odisha to preserve prehistoric legacy and boost local eco-tourism.
• Tell me more:
  • Located within the Naktideul Forest Range, 92 km from Sambalpur town and 15 km from Naktideul, BEHS contains over 20,000-year-old rock paintings and stone inscriptions, while its caves served as shelters for early humans from the Old Stone Age to the Neolithic period.
  • The Odisha government launched the Panchayati Raj Samikshya Portal (PRSP) to increase transparency in rural governance.
  • Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced a new Sugar Mill and a Textile Park in Balangir to transform the regional economy.
  • Odisha aims to provide piped water to every household by March 2027 through a massive Rs 54,000 crore investment.
  • Over 50,000 beneficiaries received work orders under the Antyodaya Gruha Yojana (AGY) for rural housing.
  • Odisha will receive 10 lakh additional houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).

DYPIU and Dassault Systèmes Establish Advanced Experience Centre in Pune

• What: D Y Patil International University (DYPIU) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Dassault Systèmes to establish an advanced Digital Engineering and Digital Manufacturing Experience Centre on its campus in Akurdi, Pune.
• Tell me more:
  • This programme is among the first of its kind in Maharashtra and integrates advanced digital technologies into the Smart Manufacturing curriculum of DYPIU.
  • The centre features dedicated facilities including a NextGen Product Innovation Lab, an Intelligent Production System Lab, and a Virtual Twin and Simulation Lab.
  • Dassault Systèmes will deliver a three-year Training of Trainers (ToT) programme to equip faculty with expertise in advanced digital manufacturing workflows.
  • Access to the Dassault Systèmes’s 3DEXPERIENCE platform enables students to engage in solving real-world industry problem statements while facilitating technology transfer.

Banking and Economy

West Asia Conflict Has Limited Impact on Inflation

• What: A State Bank of India (SBI) report states that the West Asia conflict has not yet significantly affected the retail inflation of India, although future trends remain dependent on fuel and food costs.
• Tell me more:
  • Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation rose marginally to 3.48% in April 2026 from 3.40% in March.
  • SBI retained its CPI inflation forecast for the Financial Year 2027 (FY27) at 4.5% despite ongoing global geopolitical uncertainty.
  • RBI projected CPI inflation for 2026-27 at 4.6% due to potential energy price risks and El Niño conditions.

GDP Forecasts

Moody’s Ratings Slashes India’s Growth Forecast for 2026

• What: Moody’s Ratings reduced the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth forecast for India for the year 2026 by 0.8 percentage points to 6% due to subdued private consumption and industrial activity.
• Tell me more:
  • India is vulnerable to high oil prices because the country imports about 90% of its energy requirements.
  • Moody’s also slashed the GDP growth estimate for the calendar year 2027 by 0.5 percentage points to 6%.

Defence News

Indian Army Receives Indigenous Combat Drone Systems

• What: The Indian Army received two indigenous combat systems, the UAV-Launched Precision Guided Munition (ULPGM) and AGNIKAA VTOL-1 First-Person View (FPV) Kamikaze Drone, from Adani Defence & Aerospace under emergency procurement (EP-6).
• Tell me more:
  • Adani Defence & Aerospace handed over these systems to the Western Command of the Indian Army after successful validation through high-altitude and electronic warfare trials.
  • The UAV-Launched Precision Guided Munition (ULPGM) is a loitering munition developed in collaboration with the DRDO for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) integration.
  • The AGNIKAA VTOL-1 is an FPV kamikaze drone engineered for both urban and open battlefields.

Awards

President Murmu Presents National Florence Nightingale Awards

• What: The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, presented the National Florence Nightingale Awards (NFNA) for the year 2026 to 15 nursing personnel during a special function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on International Nurses Day (May 12).
• Tell me more:
  • The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) instituted these prestigious awards in 1973 to recognize meritorious services rendered by nursing personnel to society.
  • Registered Nurses, Midwives, Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANM), and Lady Health Visitors (LHV) across various government and voluntary organisations are eligible for this recognition.
  • Each awardee receives a Certificate of Merit, a medal symbolising the gratitude of the nation, and a cash prize of Rs 1,00,000.

Important Days

International Day of Vesak or Buddha Purnima 2026 – May 1

Memorandum of Understanding

CII and NUS-ISS Partner for Digital Leadership

• What: The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and NUS-ISS of the National University of Singapore signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the CII Annual Business Summit 2026 to advance digital leadership and AI governance.
• Tell me more:
  • The agreement focuses on delivering a specialized “Leadership Programme on Artificial Intelligence and Governance” for board members and senior decision-makers in Indian enterprises.
  • The initiative targets training more than 100 executives by the end of 2026 to help them navigate the global technology landscape.
  • The collaboration supports the ‘Digitalisation’ and ‘Skilling’ pillars under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) between India and Singapore.
  • The CII Global Leadership Centre (CGLC) in Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh, will serve as the anchor for these joint programmes on leadership.

DDS and IIT Ropar Sign MoU for Defence

• What: Dhash Defense Systems (DDS) and the Indian Institute of Technology Ropar, Defence Research and Innovation Foundation (DRIF) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop indigenous ground mobility platforms.
• Tell me more:
  • The partnership focuses on Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured (IDDM) solutions including all-terrain platforms, Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs), and Robotic Combat Vehicles (RCVs).
  • The collaborative programme aims to transition defence mobility from manned to autonomous systems and from imported to indigenous technologies.

Appointments

Dr. Harvansh Chawla Appointed Chairman of BRISEC

• What: Dr. Harvansh Chawla, a legal and international trade expert, has been appointed as the Chairman of the BRISEC Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BCCI) to lead global economic collaboration and trade.
• Tell me more:
  • Dr. Chawla stepped down as the Chairman of the BRICS Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BRICS CCI) to take on this expanded responsibility.
  • BCCI is an organization recognized by NITI Aayog that focuses on promoting trade and investment across a wide spectrum of global markets.

N. Rangasamy Takes Oath as Puducherry CM

• What: All India N.R. Congress (AINRC) leader N. Rangasamy was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Puducherry for the fifth time, leading the AINRC-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.
• Tell me more:
  • Puducherry UT comprises four former French establishments: Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe, and Yanam.

Miscellaneous

Former Mohun Bagan President Swapan Sadhan Bose Dies

• What: Former Mohun Bagan president Swapan Sadhan Bose, known as “Tutu Babu”, passed away at the age of 79 following a cardiac arrest, leading to a state-wide tribute by the West Bengal government.
• Tell me more:
  • Mohun Bagan Super Giant, commonly referred to as Mohun Bagan, is an Indian professional football club based in Kolkata, West Bengal.

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