29th May 2026

1. India-US Signs Bilateral Framework to strengthen Critical Minerals & Rare Earth Elements Supply Chains
2. MoD Issues RFP For AMCA Fifth-Generation Stealth Fighter Programme
3. NSDC and FVCC Partner to Enhance Indian Talent Mobility in Japan
4. One Mobikwik Systems Secures RBI Approval for offline PA Licence Expansion
5. RBI approves 3-month extension for Ketan Merchant as interim CEO of Fino Payments Bank
6. Five-time Olympian shooter and Arjuna Awardee Raja Randhir Singh Passed Away
7. PT Usha, Dilip Tirkey Release Book on India’s First Olympic Hockey Gold
8. World Hunger Day 2026 – May 28
9. International Day of Action for Womens Health 2026 – May 28
10. World Menstrual Hygiene Day 2026 – May 28
11. AP Govt Partners with SIDBI to Launch Angel Fund for Deep-Tech Startups
12. Chhattisgarh Government Launched Rs. 200 Crore ‘Adarsh Shahar Samriddhi Yojana’
13. United Nations Adds Israel to Conflict-Related Sexual Violence Watchlist
14. UN to Honour Two Fallen Indian Peacekeepers on International Day of UN Peacekeepers
15. Sikkim Police Awarded Prestigious President’s Police Colour by President Droupadi Murmu
16. Veteran Urdu Poet Bashir Badr Passes Away at the Age of 91
17. Siddaramaiah Resigns as Karnataka Chief Minister, DK Shivakumar Likely to Take Over
18. Kolkata Selected as Host City for International Day of Yoga 2026 Celebrations
19. Supreme Court Collegium Recommends Five New Judges Including Senior Advocate V Mohana
20. PM Modi Reviews ₹30,000 Crore Infrastructure Projects in 51st PRAGATI Meeting
21. India to host 2027 Asian Relays and 2028 Asian Indoor Championships
22. India’s Esha Singh Wins Gold with World Record Score at ISSF World Cup Munich
23. IPL 2026 Purple Cap List: Most Wickets Taken This Season
24. IPL 2026 Orange Cap List: Most Runs Scored This Season
25. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Hits Record 65 Sixes in IPL 2026, Surpasses Chris Gayle

National News

India and United States Sign Critical Minerals Framework

• What: India and the United States (U.S.) signed a bilateral India-U.S. Critical Minerals Framework in New Delhi to secure the supply, mining, processing, recycling, and related investments of critical minerals and rare earth elements.
• Tell me more:
  • India possesses little processing capacity and remains 100% import-dependent for key minerals like cobalt, lithium, nickel, rare earth elements, and silicon.
  • The Indian government released a list of 30 critical minerals in July 2023, including copper, graphite, phosphorous, and titanium, to reduce import dependence and strengthen supply chains.
  • India currently produces only four critical minerals due to limited exploration and a lack of proper infrastructure and processing technology.
  • The Indian national budget for 2026-2027 introduced a policy to create “rare earth corridors” in Odisha, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.
    • These new corridors will serve as hubs for mining, processing, research, and manufacturing high-performance rare earth magnets.
  • India previously became a signatory to the U.S.-led Pax Silica initiative on 20 February 2026 to secure semiconductor and artificial intelligence (AI) supply chains.
  • Both nations also partner under the Forum on Resource Geostrategic Engagement (FORGE) initiative and the Mineral Security Partnership.
  • The two countries launched the Strategic Mineral Recovery initiative to recover critical minerals from heavy industries like aluminium, coal mining, and oil and gas.
  • The Ministry of External Affairs separately announced a multilateral critical minerals framework among the Quad security forum countries.
    • Quad governments and private companies intend to mobilise up to $20bn through loans, guarantees, subsidies, and long-term purchase agreements for supply chain resilience.
  • To attract strategic investments, the government revised the FDI policy, enabling faster approval of investment proposals from land-bordering countries in specified sectors within 60 days.
• Knowledge Nuggets:
  • China currently controls 60% of rare earth deposits and processes 90% of the global critical mineral supply.

Supreme Court Collegium Recommends Five New Judges

• What: The Supreme Court Collegium recommended the elevation of five individuals as Judges of the Supreme Court to address future vacancies and expand judicial strength.
• Tell me more:
  • The Union Cabinet, approved the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026 to amend the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956 and increase the Supreme Court’s sanctioned strength from 34 to 38 judges, including CJI.
  • The top court currently functions with an actual active working strength of 32 judges.
  • If Parliament clears the Bill, the selection panel headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, whose tenure runs until February 2027, will need to recommend at least nine judges this year to fill the expanded Supreme Court strength.
  • Recommended Supreme Court judge names:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Chairs 51st Pragati Meeting

• What: Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the 51st meeting of the Information and Communication Technology-enabled multi-modal platform aimed at fostering Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation (PRAGATI) to review infrastructure projects.
• Tell me more:
  • The high-level meeting took place at Seva Teerth to integrate development efforts of the Central and State governments.
  • These strategic infrastructure projects cover nine states and carry a combined financial value of around ₹30,000 crore.

State News

Andhra Pradesh Announces Angel Fund For Startups

• What: The Andhra Pradesh government announced the creation of an angel fund and a dedicated seed fund to support emerging deep-tech startups in sectors like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and advanced manufacturing.
• Tell me more:
  • The state government will launch the dedicated financial resource in collaboration with the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI).
  • The administration will channel this capital through the newly established Ratan Tata Innovation Hub (RTIH) in Andhra Pradesh.
  • The innovation centre will help technology firms scale globally, focusing on electronics manufacturing, AI, clean energy, and quantum technologies aligned with the state’s economic strategy.

Chhattisgarh Government Launches Adarsh Shahar Samriddhi Yojana

• What: The Chhattisgarh government announced a new civic scheme titled Adarsh Shahar Samriddhi Yojana to equip emerging towns and urban centres with modern civic infrastructure and public facilities.
• Tell me more:
  • The state government allocated Rs 200 crore in the 2026–27 state budget for the project’s first phase, covering 32 urban local bodies to improve civic infrastructure, e-governance, green infrastructure, renewable energy, employment generation, and smart public services.
  • Chief Minister – Vishnu Deo Sai

International News

United Nations Adds Israel And Russia to Blacklist

• What: The United Nations (UN) added Israeli and Russian security forces to its annual blacklist on sexual violence in conflict due to documented systematic violations in Ukraine and occupied Palestinian territories.
• Tell me more:
  • UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned both countries last August about their potential inclusion on the global list.

Banking and Economy

Reserve Bank of India Approves Mobikwik Licence

• What: One Mobikwik Systems received in-principle approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for a Payment Aggregator-Physical (PA-P) licence to expand its offline merchant payment operations across the country.
• Tell me more:
  • After receiving RBI approval for a Payment Aggregator–Physical (PA-P) licence and an NBFC licence, MobiKwik plans to expand merchant payments, targeting 10x growth by FY28 in a $1.8–2 trillion market.
  • The PA-P licence allows the company to process offline face-to-face transactions directly for merchants instead of acting only as a technology helper for banking partners.
  • Co-founder and Chief Executive – Bipin Preet Singh

Defence News

Ministry of Defence Issues Tender for AMCA

• What: The Ministry of Defence (MoD) issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to three shortlisted bidders for the indigenous fifth-generation stealth Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme for the Indian Air Force.
• Tell me more:
  • The MoD issued the official tender to Tata Advanced Systems Limited, a consortium of Bharat Forge-Bharat Earth Movers Limited-Data Patterns, and Larsen & Toubro-Bharat Electronics Limited.
  • Larsen & Toubro-Bharat Electronics Limited will work alongside Dynamatic Technologies as an exclusive partner for the domestic stealth aircraft programme.
  • The selected government partner will work with the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
  • The combat aircraft programme is estimated to cost around ₹15,000 crore, with the first prototype expected to fly by 2032 and the Indian Air Force scheduled to receive the first aircraft from 2035.

Awards

United Nations To Honour Three Indian Peacekeepers

• What: The United Nations (UN) will posthumously honour two Indian peacekeepers with the Dag Hammarskjold Medal and present the 2025 Military Gender Advocate of the Year award to Major Abhilasha Barak.
• Tell me more:
  • UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres will present the awards on the International Day of UN Peacekeepers (May 29).

• India is the second largest contributor to the UN peacekeeping force — currently serving UN peace operations across missions in Abyei, Cyprus, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lebanon, Somalia, South Sudan and Western Sahara.

President Murmu Presents Special Honour to Sikkim Police

• President Droupadi Murmu presented the prestigious President of India’s Police Colour to the Sikkim Police at a special ceremony held in Gangtok to recognise the force’s distinguished service.

Important Days

World Hunger Day 2026 – May 28

International Day of Action for Womens Health 2026 – May 28

• Theme: Essential, Not Optional: Strengthening Health Systems to Uphold Health Rights and SRHRJ in Times of Polycrisis
• SRHRJ – sexual and reproductive health and rights and justice

World Menstrual Hygiene Day 2026 – May 28

• Theme: “Together for a #PeriodFriendlyWorld”

International Yoga Day 2026 – June 21

• What: Kolkata will host the main national flagship event for International Yoga Day 2026 on June 21, marking the first time West Bengal will stage the central government’s mega celeb rations.
• Tell me more:
  • Thousands participated in a mass yoga session at Khajuraho, where the government launched the Yoga Sangam and Yoga Park portals, and unveiled the International Yoga Day T-shirt.
  • The Ministry of AYUSH finalised “Yoga for Healthy Ageing” as the official theme for this year’s global celebration.
  • PM Narendra Modi proposed International Yoga Day at the UNGA on 27 September 2014. The UN adopted the resolution on 11 December 2014 with 177 co-sponsors, and the first celebration was held on 21 June 2015 at Kartavya Path, New Delhi.

Sports

India to host 2027 Asian Relays and 2028 Asian Indoor Championships

• What: The Asian Athletics Association (AAA) awarded the hosting rights of the 2027 Asian Relays to Chandigarh and the 2028 Asian Indoor Championships to Bhubaneswar during its executive council meeting in Hong Kong.
• Tell me more:
  • Chandigarh will host the third edition of the Asian Relays, following the inaugural edition in Bangkok (2024) and the second edition in Shaoxing, China (20–21 June 2026).
  • The Kalinga Stadium Indoor Athletics Centre, Bhubaneswar, will host both the 2028 Asian Indoor Championships and the 2028 World Indoor Championships (3–5 March 2028).
  • India has also expressed interest in hosting the 2028 World Under-20 Championships and either the 2029 or 2031 World Athletics Championships.

Indian Shooter Esha Singh Wins World Gold

• What: India’s 21-year-old Asian champion Esha Singh clinched the gold medal in the women’s 25m pistol event at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup in Munich, Germany with a stunning world record score.
• Tell me more:

IPL Orange and Purple Caps Race

• The Orange Cap is awarded to the IPL season’s highest run-scorer, while the Purple Cap is awarded to the highest wicket-taker. These awards recognise the tournament’s best batter and bowler respectively.
• Bhuvneshwar Kumar of RCB and Kagiso Rabada of Gujarat Titans led the IPL 2026 Purple Cap race with 26 wickets each, while Jofra Archer remained in contention with 21 wickets before the final matches.
• Vaibhav Sooryavanshi of Rajasthan Royals led the IPL 2026 Orange Cap standings with 680 runs in 15 matches.
  • Vaibhav Sooryavanshi scored 97 runs off 29 balls for Rajasthan Royals and broke Chris Gayle’s IPL record by hitting 65 sixes in a single season, the most in tournament history.

Memorandum of Understanding

National Skill Development Corporation Partners With Japanese Firm

• What: The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) signed a strategic partnership with Tokyo-based Fourth Valley Concierge Corporation (FVCC) to strengthen workforce mobility and verification systems for skilled Indian professionals entering the Japanese labour market.
• Tell me more:
  • The bilateral action plan sets a broader vision to facilitate the movement of at least 50,000 skilled Indian professionals to Japan over the next five years.
  • Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NSDC – Arunkumar Pillai
  • Founder and CEO of FVCC – Yohei Shibasaki

Appointments

Reserve Bank of India Extends Interim CEO Tenure

• RBI approved a three-month tenure extension for Ketan Merchant as the interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Fino Payments Bank starting from 27 May 2026.

Siddaramaiah Resigns as Karnataka Chief Minister, DK Shivakumar Likely to Take Over

• He submitted his resignation to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot.

Miscellaneous

Renowned Sports Administrator Raja Randhir Singh Passes Away

• What: Renowned shooter, five-time Olympian, and former Honorary Secretary General of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Raja Randhir Singh passed away.
• Tell me more:
  • Raja Randhir Singh was an Asian Games gold-medallist shooter and an Arjuna Award recipient, making him one of India’s distinguished sport shooters.

Book on India First Olympic Gold Released

• What: Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President P.T. Usha released a commemorative book titled “India’s First Olympic Gold” written by hockey historian K. Arumugam to document the nation’s historic sporting triumph.
• Tell me more:
  • The book traces the Indian hockey team’s competitive journey during the 1928 global tournament.
  • Hockey India President – Dilip Tirkey

Veteran Urdu Poet Bashir Badr Passes Away at the Age of 91

• Bashir Badr was one of India’s most celebrated Urdu poets and ghazal writers.

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