Current Affairs 18 May 2026

National Affairs

Cabinet Approves Ahmedabad–Dholera Rail Project; Nagpur International Airport Modernisation

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, approved the ₹20,667 crore Ahmedabad (Sarkhej)–Dholera Semi High-Speed Double-Line railway project of 134 km in Gujarat — the first Indian Railways (IR) project using indigenous semi high-speed technology up to 220 kmph.

The Union Cabinet also approved extension of Airports Authority of India (AAI) land lease to MIHAN India Limited (MIL) beyond August 2039, enabling GMR Nagpur International Airport Limited (GNIAL) to operate and modernise Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport, Nagpur, Maharashtra.

India Assumes Chairmanship of Global IT Security Standards Body CCDB

India assumed the chairmanship of the Common Criteria Development Board (CCDB) for two years (April 2026 – April 2028), confirmed during the 1st Quarter Meeting of the Common Criteria Recognition Arrangement (CCRA) held from April 14–16, 2026, in Tokyo, Japan.

Framework: Under the CCRA, member countries accept each other's IT security certificates without re-certification, enabling seamless global trade in secure IT products.

India's Role in CCRA: Member since 16 September 2013 as a Certificate Authorizing Nation, represented by MeitY and the Standardisation Testing and Quality Certification (STQC) Directorate as the official body for IT security certification in India.

Tripura Becomes First State to Complete All Priority Areas Under Deregulation Phase–I and II

The Government of Tripura became the first state in India to complete all priority areas identified under Deregulation Phase–I and Phase–II reforms aimed at improving ease of doing business and reducing regulatory burden.

Governance Push: Strengthens Tripura's position in regulatory reforms, Ease of Doing Business, and technology-driven governance.

Indian Army & Indian Navy Sign MoA on Affiliation to Strengthen Inter-Service Cooperation

The Indian Army (IA) and Indian Navy (IN) signed a Memorandum of Association (MoA) on Affiliation in New Delhi, Delhi, to strengthen inter-service cooperation, operational cohesion, and jointness among the armed forces.

Signed by Lt Gen VPS Kaushik, Adjutant General of IA, and Vice Admiral Gurcharan Singh, Chief of Personnel of IN.

Objective: Institutionalise structured professional exchanges, operational familiarisation, joint activities, and coordinated multi-domain operations between the two services.

Operations: Supports future-ready multi-domain operations, rapid decision-making, cross-domain coordination, and enhanced protection of territorial and maritime interests.

Significance: Will facilitate future inter-service affiliations and establish broad guidelines for affiliation activities between the IA and IN.

India Hosts Kimberley Process Intersessional Meeting 2026 in Mumbai, Maharashtra

India hosted the Kimberley Process (KP) Intersessional Meeting 2026 from 11–14 May 2026 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, under its 2026 Chairship, with Suchindra Misra, Special Secretary, Department of Commerce (DOC), MoC&I, serving as the official KP Chair for 2026.

Membership: KP comprises 60 Participants representing 86 countries, with the EU participating as a single bloc; the meeting brought together member countries, the World Diamond Council (WDC), and civil society groups.

Framework: Deliberations based on the "3Cs" framework: Credibility, Compliance, and Consumer Confidence — promoting responsibly sourced natural diamonds through international cooperation and dialogue.

Artisanal: Members discussed socio-economic welfare, formalisation and regularisation of artisanal and alluvial diamond miners in producing nations.

Establishment: KPCS was established under UNGA Resolution 55/56 in 2000 to prevent conflict or "blood" diamonds from entering the legitimate global diamond trade.

Ministry of AYUSH Signs MoU with DIBD to Strengthen Multilingual Digital Healthcare Services

The Ministry of AYUSH signed an MoU with Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD) under MeitY to strengthen multilingual access to Ayush digital services through AI-powered language technologies.

Signed by Dr. Subodh Kumar, Director, Ministry of AYUSH, and Amitabh Nag, CEO, DIBD, in New Delhi, Delhi.

Initiative: Under the 'BHASHINI Rajyam – A BHASHINI Sahayogi Program', the BHASHINI platform will be integrated with Ayush Grid portals, apps, and AI-enabled services to provide digital outreach in all 22 scheduled languages of India.

Language & AI Development: Support for domain-specific multilingual terminology systems, Ayush language datasets, and contextual AI models for healthcare and wellness communication across Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, Yoga & Naturopathy, Sowa-Rigpa, and Homoeopathy.

About BHASHINI: A flagship GoI initiative launched under the Digital India Programme in July 2022 to provide seamless access to internet and digital services in Indian languages.

India's First AI-Powered Combat Aircraft 'Kaal Bhairava' to be Manufactured in Portugal

Flying Wedge Defence & Aerospace (FWDA), a deep tech defence company, announced that its flagship AI-powered Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) 'Kaal Bhairava' will be manufactured at its first international production facility in Portugal.

Operation 777: The initiative is part of "Operation 777," aiming to establish 7 global headquarters across 77 countries.

Collaboration: Developed in collaboration with SKETCHPIXEL, a European company known for advanced fighter jet simulation systems (including F-16).

Capabilities: Indigenous IDDM platform engineered as a Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance (MALE) autonomous combat aircraft with a range of 3,000 km and over 30 hours of endurance.

MoC&I: EU Emerges as India's Third Largest Seafood Export Market in FY26

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoC&I) announced that the European Union (EU) became India's third-largest seafood export market during FY26, after the USA and China.

India's seafood exports to the EU reached USD 1.593 billion in FY26, contributing 18.94% of total seafood export value.

EU Compliance & Regulatory Measures:

• EU retained India in its revised draft list for continued aquaculture exports beyond September 2026
• Included under Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2598 after demonstrating compliance with European Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/905 on antimicrobial use
• India strengthened the National Residue Control Programme (NRCP), post-harvest testing systems, surveillance mechanisms for banned antibiotics, traceability systems, and quality assurance frameworks

International Affairs

UN's GFG Report 2026: Fuelwood Demand Emerges as Major Driver of Global Forest Loss

The United Nations (UN) released its latest assessment on the state of the world's forests, titled "the Global Forest Goals (GFG) Report 2026", during the 21st session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) at UN headquarters in New York, USA.

The report highlighted that rising demand for fuelwood (including woodfuel and charcoal) emerged as a key driver of global forest loss, particularly across sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia. Agricultural expansion was identified as the biggest cause of deforestation globally.

Prepared By: UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) and the UNFF Secretariat.

Decrease in Global Forest Cover:

Regional Declines:

• South America: Lost 4.1 million ha annually — steepest decline
• Africa: Lost nearly 3 million ha annually

Loss in Primary Forests: 16 million ha of primary forests lost globally during 2015–2025, with South America accounting for the largest share.

Banking & Finance

IDFC FIRST Bank Launches Business Multiplier Metal Credit Card for Founders & Entrepreneurs

IDFC FIRST Bank launched the 'FD-backed Business Multiplier Metal Credit Card' for founders, entrepreneurs, startups, and business owners in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

The premium metal card displays both the business name and cardholder's name and is available against FDs starting from ₹50,000.

Objective: Supports business expense management, cash flow optimisation, credit profile building, and separation of personal and business spending for startup founders, entrepreneurs, MSMEs, and self-employed professionals.

Features: Dedicated limit for operational expenses; supports SaaS subscriptions, UPI payments, real-time spending visibility, and employee cards with spending controls.

Benefits:

ICICI Bank & Visa Launch India's First USD-Denominated Debit Card for NRIs at GIFT City

ICICI Bank Limited, in partnership with Visa, launched India's 1st USD-denominated debit card designed specifically for Non-Resident Indian (NRI) customers through its IFSC Banking Unit (IBU) at GIFT City in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

Access: Linked to ICICI Bank's USD Global Savings Account, enabling NRI customers to retain earnings in USD and avoid exposure to INR volatility.

Economy & Business

Morgan Stanley Raises India's GDP Growth Forecast to 6.7% for FY27

American brokerage firm Morgan Stanley released its latest Mid-Year Outlook for India, revising India's real GDP growth forecast for FY27 upward by 50 basis points (bps) to 6.7%, compared to its earlier estimate of 6.2% (April 2026).

L&T Partners with France's Exail to Develop Unmanned Mine Countermeasure Systems

Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T) entered into a strategic partnership with France-based Exail Technologies to deliver advanced Unmanned Mine Countermeasure (MCM) systems for the Indian Navy (IN).

Unmanned MCM Suite: Features autonomous and remotely operated systems for safe detection, identification, and neutralisation of naval mines.

Science & Technology

Russia Successfully Tests RS-28 Sarmat Intercontinental Ballistic Missile

Russia successfully conducted the test of the RS-28 Sarmat Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in northern Russia.

President Vladimir Putin described the Sarmat as the "world's most powerful missile system".

Obituary

Veteran CPI(M) Leader and Former MP Sudhanshu Sil Passes Away

Veteran Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] leader and former Member of Parliament (MP) Sudhanshu Sil (Seal) passed away at the age of 81 in Kolkata, West Bengal (WB). He was born on March 27, 1945, in Calcutta, Bengal Province, British India (now Kolkata).

Important Days at a Glance

State News

Karnataka Launches India's First Integrated Portal for Monitoring NSQ Medicines and NDPS Drug Sales

Dinesh Gundu Rao, Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Karnataka, launched India's first Integrated Technology-Driven Monitoring Portal to track Not of Standard Quality (NSQ) medicines and regulate Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) drugs, to strengthen drug surveillance, transparency, and public safety.

Developed by the Food Safety and Drug Administration (FDA) Department, under the Ministry for Health and Family Welfare, Karnataka.

Objective: Strengthen drug surveillance, transparency, accountability, regulatory efficiency, and public health safety through integrated monitoring and mandatory recall of NSQ medicines.

Tracking: Real-time tracking and automatic freezing of NSQ drug batches; prevents further sale of substandard medicines; supports faster recalls and regulatory action.

Integration: Integrates nearly 15,000 wholesalers and stockists initially, with plans to expand to around 45,000 retailers and pharmacists across the supply chain.

Monitoring: Pharmacies dealing in NDPS medicines must upload patient, doctor, and prescription details — enabling detection of excessive prescriptions, suspicious sales patterns, and misuse of narcotic medicines.

Current Affairs 18 May 2026