Current affairs relevant to GS3.
The Union Cabinet approved two more semiconductor units under the India Semiconductor Mission on 5 May 2026, both in Gujarat, worth about ₹3,936 crore. Crystal Matrix will build India's first commercial Mini/Micro-LED display facility, based on Gallium Nitride, at Dholera. Suchi Semicon will set up an OSAT unit at Surat. ISM now has 12 approved projects.
5 May 2026
The Cabinet approved the Mission for Cotton Productivity with ₹5,659.22 crore for 2026-27 to 2030-31. It targets 498 lakh bales of cotton by raising lint yield from 440 to 755 kg per hectare by 2031. It covers better seeds, high-density planting, ELS cotton, ginning upgrades, testing labs and Kasturi Cotton Bharat branding. About 32 lakh farmers will benefit.
5 May 2026
The CCEA approved a ship repair facility at Vadinar, Gujarat, on 5 May 2026, to be built by Deendayal Port Authority and Cochin Shipyard with ₹1,570 crore. It will have a 650-metre jetty and two large floating dry docks. India now lacks capacity to repair ships over 230 m; Vadinar will handle ships up to 300 m.
5 May 2026
CAQM's GRAP sub-committee revoked all Stage-I actions across NCR on 4 May 2026. Delhi's average AQI fell from 175 on 3 May to 88 on 4 May after rain, and IMD/IITM forecast "Satisfactory" to "Moderate" air. Stage-I had been invoked on 16 April 2026. Standing CAQM directions still apply.
4 May 2026
India is building Medical Value Travel (MVT) by pairing modern hospitals with AYUSH wellness. In 2025, 5,07,244 foreigners came for treatment, about 5.5% of 9.15 million foreign tourist arrivals. Key steps are the "Heal in India" brand, the AYUSH Visa, e-Medical visas for 172 countries and five Regional Medical Hubs proposed in Budget 2026-27.
2 May 2026
NHAI launched India's first Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) tolling system at Chorayasi Toll Plaza on the Surat–Bharuch section of NH-48 in Gujarat. Vehicles pay without stopping, through FASTag and number-plate cameras (ANPR). About 41,500 vehicles crossed on the first day. Unpaid users get an E-Notice and must pay within 72 hours.
2 May 2026
India launched a nationwide Cell Broadcast System (CBS) on 2 May 2026. Built by C-DOT under DoT with NDMA and MHA, it sends geo-targeted emergency alerts to every mobile phone in an area within seconds. It is linked to the CAP-based SACHET platform, works on 2G to 5G, and users cannot switch the alerts off.
2 May 2026
The Great Nicobar Project will build a 14.2 million TEU transhipment port at Galathea Bay, a greenfield international airport, a 450 MVA gas-solar power plant and a township on 166.10 sq km of the island, in three phases from 2025, the last in 2042–47. It diverts 1.82% of A&N forest cover and proposes no displacement of the Shompen or Nicobarese.
1 May 2026
TRAI released a consultation paper on the Regulatory Framework for Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) Communication on 30 April 2026. DoT had asked for recommendations on 1 December 2025 under clause 11(1)(a) of the TRAI Act, 1997. Comments are due by 28 May 2026 and counter-comments by 11 June 2026.
30 Apr 2026
UPI, launched by NPCI on 11 April 2016 under RBI oversight, completed ten years in 2026. In FY 2025-26 it handled about 24,162 crore transactions worth about ₹314 lakh crore, up from 2 crore in FY 2016-17. It has 703 banks, carries 85% of India's digital payments and about 49% of the world's real-time payment volume.
30 Apr 2026