Current affairs relevant to GS2.
India and Singapore held the 16th Defence Policy Dialogue in Singapore on 28 May 2026. The two sides reviewed ongoing defence engagements and discussed military cooperation, defence industry collaboration, capacity building and regional security. Newer areas named include cyber security, artificial intelligence, maritime security, unmanned systems and advanced defence technologies.
28 May 2026
DARPG launched the portal for the National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA) 2025 in a meeting with nodal officers of Central Ministries and States/UTs on 25 May 2026. NeSDA is DARPG's biennial framework to measure e-governance service delivery from the citizen's perspective, based on the UN e-Government Survey's Online Service Index and customised for India.
28 May 2026
The CCEA approved continuation of SARTHAK-PDS as an umbrella scheme with ₹25,530 crore as Central share for the 16th Finance Commission cycle. It merges assistance for intra-State foodgrain movement and FPS dealers' margins under NFSA with SMART PDS. The merged scheme runs to 31 March 2031 and serves about 81.35 crore NFSA beneficiaries.
27 May 2026
The Health Ministry released National Health Accounts estimates for 2022-23 on 27 May 2026, the tenth NHA report. Out-of-pocket expenditure fell from 64.2% of Total Health Expenditure in 2013-14 to 43.4% in 2022-23. Government Health Expenditure rose from 1.15% of GDP to 1.43% (1.48% on the new GDP series with base 2022-23).
27 May 2026
Women form nearly 41% of the 2024 IAS batch, among the highest gender shares in the service's history, the Personnel Ministry said on 27 May 2026. Under the Assistant Secretary Programme, 184 officers of the batch are attached to 49 Central ministries and departments for eight weeks (4 May to 25 June 2026).
27 May 2026
Quad Foreign Ministers met in New Delhi on 26 May 2026, hosted by India. They issued a Joint Statement on a free and open Indo-Pacific and a Quad Statement on Indo-Pacific Energy Security. It stresses stable energy markets, diversified supply chains and unimpeded navigation, including in the Strait of Hormuz.
26 May 2026
A PIB backgrounder on 26 May 2026 set out India's partnerships with the five Nordic countries ahead of the Third India–Nordic Summit. Bilateral goods trade includes Denmark about USD 2.05 billion (2025), Norway USD 1.05 billion (2024-25), Iceland USD 77.06 million (2024-25), with Indian professionals and students a strong people-to-people link especially in Finland.
26 May 2026
The Centre formed a High-Level Committee to study demographic changes from illegal immigration and other abnormal reasons and to suggest measures. Announced on 15 August 2025 and Cabinet-approved on 11 September 2025, it is chaired by Justice Prakash Prabhakar Navlekar (Retd). It must report within one year, extendable by up to six months.
26 May 2026
In Ottawa on 25 May 2026, India and Canada reaffirmed they aim to conclude a balanced Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement by the end of 2026. Bilateral trade is about USD 8.5 billion; both sides target USD 50 billion by 2030. Terms of Reference were signed in March; a second negotiating round ended on 8 May 2026.
26 May 2026
On 17 May 2026 WHO determined the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern under the IHR 2005. Africa CDC declared a continental emergency. On 24 May India advised citizens to avoid non-essential travel to DRC, Uganda and South Sudan. India has reported no Bundibugyo cases.
24 May 2026