22nd May 2026

1. Multinational Military Exercise ‘PRAGATI 2026’ Begins in Meghalaya
2. Tonbo Imaging Secures Indian Navy Contract for High Power Microwave System under ADITI 3.0
3. India’s ICAR-CRRI Develops World’s First AI-Designed Gene Editor for Crops ‘Plant-OpenCRISPR1’
4. Bajaj General Insurance Launches MHCP EDGE+ Health Indemnity Plan with Coverage upto Rs 5 Crore
5. NCDEX Launches India’s First Weather Derivatives Contract “RAINMUMBAI”
6. UNDESA Lowers India’s GDP Forecast to 6.4% for FY27
7. Tata Power–Druk Green Ink Pact with Bhutan for Clean Energy Framework
8. Taiwanese Yáng Shuāng-zǐ and Lin King Wins International Booker Prize 2026 for ‘Taiwan Travelogue’
9. India’s BWSSB Ranked Among Top Five Global Water Utilities at Global Water Summit 2026 in Madrid
10. HAL’s K.K. Venugopal Becomes First Indian Test Pilot Elected Fellow of SETP, USA
11. GRSE Launches Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel ‘INS Sanghmitra’ for Indian Navy at Kolkata, WB
12. India Successfully Tests ‘Suryastra’ Rockets with 300 km Strike Capability off Odisha
13. World Fair Play Day 2026- May 19
14. International Day for Biological Diversity 2026
15. Kerala Launches India’s First Dedicated Cabinet-Level AI Portfolio Under New UDF Government
16. AI to Power Simhastha 2028 as Madhya Pradesh Partners with Google Cloud India
17. Anti-Terrorism Day 2026: Why India Observes May 21 and Its Message Against Violence
18. India Celebrates World Metrology Day with Major Push for Digital Compliance and Precision Standards
19. New Delhi Hosts 68th APO Governing Body Meeting with Asia-Pacific Delegates
20. India Takes Over Chairmanship of Regional Cooperative Agreement (RCA) for 2026 Under IAEA
21. Overview of PM Narendra Modi’s Visit to Sweden on May 17 to May 18, 2026

National News

68th Asian Productivity Organization Governing Body Meeting Begins in India

• What: The three-day 68th Session of the Governing Body Meeting (GBM) of the Asian Productivity Organization (APO) commenced successfully at Bharat Mandapam.
• Tell me more:
  • The National Productivity Council (NPC) hosted this event under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India.
  • The NPC – premier intergovernmental organization – was established in 1961 and currently consists of 21 member economies.
  • Director General of NPC India – Smt. Neerja Sekhar
  • Secretary of DPIIT Shri Amardeep Singh Bhatia stated that APO Vision 2030 would strengthen institutional cooperation and governance.
  • Shri Amardeep Singh Bhatia also transferred his position as the outgoing APO Chair to the APO Director for Indonesia, Prof. Anwar Sanusi, for 2026–27.
  • The Acting APO Director for Iran and the Acting APO Director for Japan became the First Vice Chair and Second Vice Chair, respectively.
  • Dr. V. K. Saraswat, Chair of the APO National Award Search-cum-Selection Committee, led the APO National Award Conferment Ceremony.

India Assumes Chair of Regional Cooperative Agreement

• What: India formally assumed the Chair of the Regional Cooperative Agreement (RCA) for 2026 as the four-day 48th Meeting of National Representatives (NRM) commenced in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, to promote peaceful applications of nuclear science and technology.
• Tell me more:
  • The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Government of India, is hosting this event.
  • The Regional Cooperative Agreement for Research, Development and Training Related to Nuclear Science and Technology (RCA) is an intergovernmental framework under the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
  • The RCA framework came into force in 1972 and currently comprises 22 government parties from the Asia-Pacific region.
  • India played a foundational role since the origin of RCA traces back to discussions at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai, in 1964.
  • The inaugural session witnessed 29 delegates from 17 Asia-Pacific nations and three delegates from three African countries as part of the African Regional Cooperative Agreement (AFRA) delegation.
  • The deliberations will also contribute towards discussions during the upcoming 70th General Conference of the IAEA in Vienna later this year.
  • India will guide its tenure as Chair using the spirit of Vishwa-Bandhu Bharat and the theme India By Your Side.

India and Sweden Elevate Bilateral Relationship

• What: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson held extensive talks in Gothenburg to elevate the India-Sweden bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership, focusing on trade, technology, and defence.
• Tell me more:
  • The bilateral trade between the two countries reached $7.75 billion in 2025.
  • Sweden awarded Prime Minister Narendra Modi the Royal Order of the Polar Star, Degree Commander Grand Cross. The award is the highest distinction given to a Head of Government by Sweden.
  • The bilateral trade between India and the Netherlands touched $27.8 billion in 2024-25.
  • The Netherlands is the fourth largest investor in India with cumulative foreign direct investment of $55.6 billion.
  • India and the Netherlands signed 17 agreements to boost cooperation in defence and critical minerals.

State News

Kerala Creates First Dedicated Artificial Intelligence Portfolio

• The Kerala state government formally created a dedicated portfolio for Artificial Intelligence (AI) at the cabinet level for the first time through an official gazette notification.

Madhya Pradesh Cooperates With Google For Simhastha 2028

• What: The Madhya Pradesh government is set to establish a strategic partnership with Google Cloud India to manage the Simhastha Kumbh event through artificial intelligence-based technological support in Ujjain in 2028.
• Tell me more:
  • The state government plans an AI partnership to establish a Centre of Excellence in Indore, train developers, improve crowd management, and develop AI solutions for governance, safety, and human-wildlife conflict.
  • Simhastha Kumbh is a major Hindu pilgrimage festival held every 12 years in Ujjain, where millions of devotees gather to take holy dips in the sacred Shipra River.

Banking and Economy

Bajaj General Insurance Launches Comprehensive Health Product

• What: Private general insurer Bajaj General Insurance Limited announced the launch of a comprehensive health indemnity solution named My Health Care Plan Edge+ (MHCP EDGE+) to address rising healthcare costs.
• Tell me more:
  • The newly launched insurance plan offers multiple sum insured options ranging from INR 5 Lakhs up to INR 5 Crores.
  • The insurer, a subsidiary of Bajaj Finserv Limited, started operations in 2001 and holds an AAA rating from ICRA Limited.
  • MD and CEO of Bajaj General Insurance – Dr. Tapan Singhel

National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange Launches First Weather Derivative

• What: Agricultural commodity exchange National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX) launched India’s first exchange-traded weather derivative contract, called RAINMUMBAI, based on rainfall data in Mumbai sourced from the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
• Tell me more:
  • The contract helps traders reduce losses from unpredictable monsoon rainfall by tracking deviations from the city’s long-period average rainfall during June, July, August, and September.
  • A scientifically structured Cumulative Deviation Rainfall (CDR) model forms the basis of these seasonal contracts.
  • The exchange developed this new product together with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay.
  • MD and CEO of NCDEX – Arun Raste

GDP Forecasts

World Economic Situation and Prospects Report by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA)

• What: The United Nations (UN) decreased India’s economic growth prediction for 2026 to 6.4% from 6.6% due to global uncertainties and economic shocks caused by the ongoing West Asia crisis.
• Tell me more:
  • The report forecasts global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth at 2.5% in 2026.
  • The national current account deficit will widen to 2.3% of GDP in the financial year 2027 from 0.9% in the financial year 2026.

Defence News

India Commences Multinational Military Exercise PRAGATI 2026

• What: The Indian Army launched a two-week multinational military exercise named Partnership of Regional Armies for Growth and Transformation in the Indian Ocean Region (PRAGATI) 2026 at Umroi Military Station in Meghalaya.
• Tell me more:
  • The intensive joint warfare drill brings together troops from India and 12 friendly partner nations.
  • The participating countries include Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam.
  • The multinational field training exercise largely involves countries belonging to South Asia and Southeast Asia.

Indian Navy Awards Critical Defense Microwave Contract

• What: Defense technology company Tonbo Imaging India Limited secured an official contract from the Indian Navy under the Advanced Defense Technology Incubation (ADITI) 3.0 innovation framework to integrate and commission a High Power Microwave (HPM) system.
• Tell me more:
  • The specialized naval programme receives support from the iDEX initiative and the Defense Innovation Organisation (DIO) under the Ministry of Defense.
  • The government-led ADITI initiative matures and validates critical defense technologies before final military induction.
  • MD and CEO of Tonbo Imaging – Arvind Lakshmikumar
• Knowledge Nuggets:
  • The ADITI framework is a flagship Defence Ministry initiative to fast-track the development and testing of advanced military technologies before their induction into the Indian Arme Forces.
  • Managed by DIO under the iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence) ecosystem, ADITI bridges the gap between prototype development and production-ready defence systems.

Garden Reach Shipbuilders Launches Naval Vessel ‘Sanghamitra’

• What: Defence Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd, Kolkata launched ‘Sanghamitra’, which is the first of four next-generation offshore patrol vessels (NGOPVs) for the Indian Navy.
• Tell me more:
  • Next-generation offshore patrol vessels (NGOPVs) are large, high-endurance warships built for the Indian Navy. They protect offshore assets, secure coastal waters, and conduct surveillance, maritime interdiction, and mine warfare missions.

NIBE Limited Successfully Tests Suryastra Rocket System

• What: Indian private company NIBE Limited successfully carried out the firing demonstration of the EXTRA and Predator Hawk “Suryastra” rockets from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur, Odisha.
• Tell me more:
  • The rocket system conducts highly accurate long-range strikes against enemy targets, bridges the gap between artillery and ballistic missiles, and provides the armed forces with a rapid, mobile, cost-effective precision attack capability.

Science and Technology

Indian Scientists Develop First Plant AI Genome Tool

• What: Scientists at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research’s Central Rice Research Institute (ICAR-CRRI) developed and experimentally validated the world’s first artificial intelligence (AI)-designed genome-editing tool for plants using rice as a model.
• Tell me more:
  • Gene editing works like a molecular scalpel to cut and rewrite sections of plant Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA).
  • The newly developed system allows researchers to precisely develop crop traits like higher yield, climate resilience, or disease resistance.
  • Existing Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) systems depend on naturally occurring microbial proteins borrowed from bacteria.
  • The new platform carries the official name Plant-OpenCRISPR1 (POC1).

Awards

Taiwan Travelogue Wins International Booker Prize 2026

• What: Author Yáng Shuāng-zǐ accepted the 2026 International Booker Prize (IBP) at the Tate Modern for her novel Taiwan Travelogue, which became the first book originally written in Mandarin to win the award.
• Tell me more:
  • Translator Lin King shared the £50,000 literary prize equally with the author.
  • The book also won the National Book Award (NBA) for translated literature in the US in 2024.

Bangalore Water Supply Board Achieves Global Recognition

• What: The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) emerged as one of the top five global utilities at the Global Water Summit (GWS) 2026 held in Madrid, Spain.
• Tell me more:
  • The board received recognition for its contribution towards achieving United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG-6).
  • The SDG-6 framework focuses on ensuring clean water and sanitation for all people.
  • The utility featured in this category alongside Aguas Nuevas of Chile, Indah Water Konsortium of Malaysia, SANASA of Brazil, and Sanepar of Paraná.
  • The organization also ranked among the top five globally in the prestigious utility of the year category.
  • BWSSB Chairman – Ram Prasath Manohar

First Indian Test Pilot Elected SETP Fellow

• What: Group Captain K.K. Venugopal became the first Indian test pilot elected as a Fellow of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots (SETP), USA.
• Tell me more:
  • The professional pilot currently works as the Executive Director and Chief Test Pilot (Fixed Wing) at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
  • The international organization represents an elite global group of aerospace professionals who actively improve flight testing methods.

Important Days

World Fair Play Day 2026 – May 19

• UN Focus: Embrace the Spirit of Fair Play
• Fair play means following rules, respecting opponents, avoiding violence and doping, and promoting equality, inclusion, friendship, and honesty in sports to build mutual respect and stronger communities.

International Day for Biological Diversity – May 22

• Theme – “Acting locally for global impact”
• In December 2022, Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework was adopted to protect nature by restoring 30% of damaged ecosystems, conserving 30% of land and water, reducing invasive species, and raising $200 billion yearly by 2030.

National Anti-Terrorism Day (India) – May 21

• What: Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by terrorists on this day in 1991.
• Tell me more:
  • The United Nations (UN) scheduled the Fourth Counter-Terrorism Week (CT Week) from 26 June to 2 July 2026 at its headquarters in New York to review global counter-terrorism strategies.
  • The agenda includes the Fourth United Nations High-level Conference of Heads of Counter-Terrorism Agencies of Member States.
  • This meeting will handle the ninth review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy (GCTS) on 1 July and 2 July 2026.
• Knowledge Nuggets:
  • Adopted by consensus in 2006, the UN-GCTS is a unique, universally accepted operational framework to fight terrorism. Reviewed biennially by the General Assembly, it coordinates national, regional, and international efforts across four core pillars:
    • Pillar I: Addressing conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism.
    • Pillar II: Preventing and combating terrorism directly.
    • Pillar III: Building state capacity and strengthening the UN’s role.
    • Pillar IV: Ensuring human rights and the rule of law as the fundamental basis of the fight.

World Metrology Day 2026 – May 20

• What: Theme: “Metrology: Building Trust in Policy Making”.
• Tell me more:
  • World Metrology Day marks the signing of the Metre Convention on 20 May 1875 by 17 nations to promote global cooperation and uniform measurement standards in science, industry, trade, and society.
  • The International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) and the International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML) jointly coordinate the annual celebrations of this day.
  • India’s Legal Metrology Act, 2009 is supported by national measurement standards maintained by National Physical Laboratory, established in 1947.

Memorandum of Understanding

Tata Power Partners with Druk Green Power

• What: Tata Power signed an initial pact with Druk Green Power Corporation (DGPC) to build a training framework for developing 5,000 MW clean energy capacity in Bhutan through the Tata Power Skill Development Institute (TPSDI).
• Tell me more:
  • The MoU aims to strengthen green energy workforce skills through industry-focused training, certifications, and hands-on education across thermal, hydel, renewable energy, and green hydrogen technologies.
  • CEO and MD of Tata Power – Praveer Sinha
  • MD of DGPC – Dasho Chhewang Rinzin

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