Current affairs relevant to GS3.
NSO's Quarterly Bulletin on Unincorporated Sector Enterprises for January–March 2026 estimates 9.16 crore unincorporated non-agricultural establishments, up 16.69% year-on-year, and employment at 15.17 crore, past the 15-crore mark for the first time. About 81% of establishments used the internet for business and about 81% used cashless payments. Women were about 29% of the sector workforce.
21 May 2026
The Index of Eight Core Industries rose 1.7% (provisional) in April 2026 versus April 2025. Cement, steel and electricity grew; coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products and fertilizers fell. The eight cores carry 40.27% of IIP weight. March 2026 final growth was 1.2%; cumulative April–March 2025-26 growth was 2.7%.
20 May 2026
The Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region launched Mission on Arunachal Kiwi (about ₹167 crore) and Mission Coffees of Nagaland (₹175 crore). Kiwi work spans six post-harvest hubs and targets 2,000 MT cold-chain capacity; coffee pilots Coffea arabica at Tuophema (Kohima) and Coffea canephora at Ghotovi (Niuland). Both push Brand North East specialty produce.
20 May 2026
Multilateral exercise PRAGATI 2026 began on 20 May 2026 at Umroi Military Station, Meghalaya, with 12 partner nations: Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Seychelles, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. PRAGATI means Partnership of Regional Armies for Growth and Transformation in the Indian Ocean Region. The two-week drill focuses on counter-terrorism in semi-mountainous and jungle terrain.
20 May 2026
The Anusandhan National Research Foundation selected ten institutions to host Convergence Research Centres of Excellence, mixing social sciences and humanities with science and technology. The call drew 945 proposals; Co-PIs span 20 collaborating institutes. The programme cites NEP 2020's multidisciplinary push and Viksit Bharat 2047.
20 May 2026
At a Brahmaputra Board review in Guwahati, the Centre outlined a nearly ₹4,800 crore Northeast inland waterways pipeline over five years. Brahmaputra is NW-2, linking Assam to Kolkata/Haldia via the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route. Assam has about ₹751 crore completed and over ₹1,100 crore ongoing. National waterway cargo rose from 18 MMT in 2014 to over 218 MMT in 2025-26.
19 May 2026
Coal production began at Urtan (Anuppur, MP) on 15 May 2026 and Dhirauli (Singrauli, MP) on 17 May 2026. Urtan (JMS Mining) is the first underground mine to start under commercial coal auctions. Dhirauli is allocated to Mahan Energen Limited. The Ministry frames both as boosts to domestic coal supply.
19 May 2026
DRDO completed final deliverable-configuration development trials of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Launched Precision Guided Missile (ULPGM)-V3 in air-to-ground and air-to-air modes at a DRDO test range near Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh. An integrated Ground Control System commanded the weapon. Production partners are Bharat Dynamics Limited and Adani Defence Systems & Technologies; Research Centre Imarat is the nodal lab.
19 May 2026
A MoEFCC review of Project Cheetah on 19 May 2026 put the population at 53, including 33 India-born. Founders were 20 from Namibia and South Africa, plus 9 from Botswana. Kuno National Park is the primary site; Gandhisagar is prepared for expansion; Banni grasslands in Gujarat are being readied.
19 May 2026
The Fifth Meeting of the Scientific Steering Committee on One Health was held on 18 May 2026 in New Delhi under the Principal Scientific Adviser. The National One Health Mission reported a Model Governance Framework for States/UTs, genomics/metagenomics surveillance networks, and interface surveillance in zoos, bird sanctuaries and slaughterhouses. A framework video and National One Health Assembly proceedings were released.
18 May 2026