Daily and monthly current affairs mapped to syllabus topics and related PYQs.
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 Third India–Nordic Summit was hosted by Norway with India's Prime Minister joining Nordic leaders. The PM's press statement said bilateral trade with the Nordics rose nearly fourfold over the past ten years. Since October 2025 India has implemented TEPA with Norway, Iceland and other EFTA countries, and recently concluded the India–EU FTA covering Denmark, Finland and Sweden.
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
The Ayush Vertical under DGHS, with the Ministry of Ayush, issued a Public Health Advisory on Extreme Heat/Heatwave. It guides the public, workers and event organisers on hydration, avoiding peak sun, light cotton clothes and electrolyte-rich fluids. Infants, elderly, pregnant women, outdoor workers and people with chronic illness need extra care. Heatstroke is a medical emergency—call 108/102.
18 May 2026
On 18 May 2026 the Ministry of External Affairs said India is deeply concerned at the attack targeting the Barakah nuclear facility in the UAE. It called the actions unacceptable and a dangerous escalation, and urged restraint plus a return to dialogue and diplomacy. The short statement gives no further operational detail.
18 May 2026
Field operations for the Houselisting and Housing Census under Phase I of Census 2027 began in Rajasthan, Meghalaya, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and the MCD area of Delhi. Self-Enumeration opened in Gujarat, J&K, Ladakh and Puducherry till 31 May 2026. More than 1.44 crore households across 25 States/UTs have completed Self-Enumeration on se.census.gov.in. Uttar Pradesh Self-Enumeration continues till 21 May 2026.
17 May 2026
At the India–Sweden Summit in Gothenburg on 17 May 2026, the two Prime Ministers elevated bilateral relations to a Strategic Partnership. It rests on four pillars: strategic dialogue; next-generation economic partnership; emerging technologies and trusted connectivity; and people, planet and resilience. They endorsed a Joint Action Plan 2026–2030 and aim to double bilateral economic exchange within five years.
17 May 2026