Current Affairs 22 May 2026

📰 Current Affairs Post — May 2026

National Affairs

Union Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia Launches Mission on "Arunachal Kiwi: The USP of Arunachal Pradesh"

Union Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER), launched Mission "Arunachal Kiwi: The USP of Arunachal Pradesh", a cluster-based Kiwi cultivation and value chain Development Mission, designed specifically for Arunachal Pradesh (AR).

Budget & Approach: MDoNER-led mission with a total budget outlay of ₹167 crore, designed under a whole-of-government, convergence-led approach.

Combines Various Central Schemes: Union Ministries — Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW), Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), and various supporting organisations.

Cluster-Based Approach — Six Integrated Cluster-Level Post-Harvest Management Hubs:

Key Targets:

• Extending shelf life of Kiwi
• Creating 2,000 Metric Tonne (MT) cold-chain capacity
• Enhancing processing and value-addition facilities

Pilot Project: Also launched the ₹49.48 crore pilot project 'Cluster-Based Kiwi Value Chain Development in Arunachal Pradesh' to create an end-to-end coffee value chain from cultivation to marketing.

Multinational Military Exercise PRAGATI 2026 Begins in Meghalaya

The first edition of Multilateral Military Exercise 'Partnership of Regional Armies for Growth and Transformation in the Indian Ocean Region' (PRAGATI 2026) began at the Foreign Training Node (FTN), Umroi Military Station in Meghalaya on 20 May 2026.

The two-week exercise, organised by the Indian Army (IA), is being conducted from May 18 to 31, 2026 with participation from 12 friendly nations across the Indian Ocean Region and Southeast Asia.

Strategic Framework: Conducted under India's SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) Doctrine and the Neighbourhood First & Act East Policies.

Focus: Counter-terrorism operations in jungle and semi-mountainous terrain.

Participating Nations (12 + India):

Tonbo Imaging Secures Indian Navy Contract for High Power Microwave System under ADITI 3.0

Defence technology company Tonbo Imaging secured a contract from the Indian Navy under the ADITI 3.0 innovation framework to integrate and commission a High Power Microwave (HPM) system for naval platforms.

Project Objective: Develop and integrate HPM-based directed-energy capabilities for maritime warfare to counter electronic and unmanned threats.

Defence Support: Supported by Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) and the Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO) under the Ministry of Defence.

HPM Technology: A directed-energy weapon using electromagnetic energy to disable enemy electronics, sensors, drone swarms, and unmanned systems.

India's ICAR-CRRI Develops World's First AI-Designed Gene Editor for Crops 'Plant-OpenCRISPR1'

Scientists at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)'s Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI), led by Dr. Kutubuddin Ali Molla, developed and validated Plant-OpenCRISPR1 (POC1) — the world's first Artificial Intelligence (AI)-designed genome-editing platform for plants, using rice as a model crop in Cuttack, Odisha.

Objective: Develop climate-resilient, disease-resistant, high-yield, and nutritionally enhanced crop varieties by enabling precise genome editing without introducing foreign genes.

Technology: POC1 uses AI-designed enzymes instead of naturally occurring microbial proteins used in traditional CRISPR systems; based on OpenCRISPR-1 (OC1), an AI-generated nuclease originally designed for human cells in the USA.

AI-Driven Protein Design: Uses large language models trained on vast protein databases to engineer advanced enzymes, accelerating next-generation genome editing and customised biotechnology solutions.

Publication: Research accepted for publication in the international journal New Phytologist.

International Affairs

Overview of PM Narendra Modi's Visit to Sweden on May 17–18, 2026

Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi was on a two-day official visit to Sweden from May 17–18, 2026, at the invitation of Ulf Kristersson, PM of Sweden — part of the 2nd leg of PM Modi's 5-nation tour (UAE, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, and Italy). Previously, he visited the Nordic country in 2018 for the inaugural India-Nordic Summit.

Key Engagements: PM Modi held bilateral talks with Swedish PM Ulf Kristersson in Gothenburg and participated in the European Round Table for Industry co-hosted by Kristersson and Ursula von der Leyen.

Sweden's Royal Order: PM Modi honoured with the "Royal Order of Polar Star", Degree Commander Grand Cross — one of the highest civilian honours of the Swedish Government. This marked his 31st international honour.

Key Outcomes:

• Elevation of India-Sweden bilateral relations and adoption of Joint Action Plan (2026–2030)
• Launch of India-Sweden Joint Innovation Partnership 2.0
• Joint Development of SITAC
• Joint Development of India-Sweden SME and Startup Platform
• Doubling of bilateral trade and investment (next 5 years)
• Announcement of "Tagore-Sweden" Lecture under the theme Vikas Bhi Virasat Bhi
• ISRO signed an MoU with Swedish National Space Agency (SNSA) to collaborate on India's interplanetary mission — Shukrayaan Mission to planet Venus

Banking & Finance

Bajaj General Insurance Launches MHCP EDGE+ Health Indemnity Plan with Coverage up to ₹5 Crore

Bajaj General Insurance Limited (BGIL) launched 'My Health Care Plan Edge+' (MHCP EDGE+), a next-generation health indemnity insurance plan offering coverage from ₹5 lakh to ₹5 crore, unlimited reinstatement benefits, modular add-ons, global treatment coverage, and wellness-linked healthcare services.

Coverage: Unlimited reinstatement within the same policy year; hospitalisation, surgeries, ICU charges, AYUSH treatments, organ donor and global treatments, and preventive healthcare services.

Eligibility: Available from 3 months of age; policy tenure up to 5 years; lifetime renewability; flexible waiting period options.

Add-Ons:

Riders:

NCDEX Launches India's First Weather Derivatives Contract "RAINMUMBAI"

The National Commodities and Derivatives Exchange Limited (NCDEX) launched India's first exchange-traded weather derivatives contract, 'RAINMUMBAI', marking the country's entry into a regulated weather-risk trading market.

Purpose: Scheduled for implementation on June 1, 2026; designed to hedge the financial exposure of rainfall extremes and variability in Mumbai (Maharashtra) and its surrounding area.

Developed By: In collaboration with IIT Bombay and anchored in official rainfall data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Diversified Users: Farmers, construction firms, power utilities, logistics operators, and banks dealing with agricultural loan portfolios.

Economy & Business

UNDESA Lowers India's GDP Forecast to 6.4% for FY27

The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) released the report 'World Economic Situation and Prospects 2026', revising down India's GDP forecast for FY27 to 6.4% from its earlier projection of 6.6%.

Prepared By: The Global Economic Monitoring Branch in the Economic Analysis and Policy Division of UNDESA. Updates the report released on 8 January 2026.

Reason: Global uncertainties and economic shocks from the ongoing West Asia crisis.

ICRA Lowers India's GDP Growth Forecast by 30 bps to 6.2% in FY27

India's credit rating agency ICRA Limited revised down India's GDP forecast by 30 basis points (bps) to 6.2% in FY27, compared to its previous estimate of 6.5%, citing elevated crude oil prices due to the ongoing West Asia conflict.

Tata Power–Bhutan's Druk Green Ink Pact for Clean Energy Framework

Tata Power Company Limited (TPCL) and Bhutan's state-owned utility Druk Green Power Corporation Limited (DGPC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a clean energy cooperation framework aimed at developing 5,000 Megawatt (MW) clean energy capacity in Bhutan.

Signatories: Dr. Praveer Sinha, CEO & MD, TPCL, and Dasho Chhewang Rinzin, MD, DGPC.

Bilateral Approvals: Tata Power will obtain approvals from the GoI; DGPC will handle trainee mobilization and secure clearances from the Royal Government of Bhutan.

Initiative: Training programmes through the Tata Power Skill Development Institute (TPSDI) to build a skilled workforce for Bhutan's clean energy and renewable power sector.

Implementation Support: TPCL provides technical expertise, training infrastructure, course material, and accreditation support; DGPC oversees trainee mobilisation and deployment.

Awards & Recognitions

Taiwanese Yáng Shuāng-zǐ & Lin King Win International Booker Prize 2026 for 'Taiwan Travelogue'

Taiwanese author Yáng Shuāng-zǐ and Taiwanese-American translator Lin King won the 2026 International Booker Prize for 'Taiwan Travelogue' — the first Mandarin Chinese novel to receive the award — at a ceremony at Tate Modern in London, UK.

Yáng Shuāng-zǐ became the first Taiwanese author, and Lin King the first Taiwanese-American translator, to receive the award.

About the Novel: Historical fiction originally published in Mandarin Chinese in 2020 by Springhill Publishing; translated into English by Lin King in 2024, published by Graywolf Press.

Other Awards Won:

Cash Prize: £50,000 GBP shared equally between author and translator; each shortlisted pair received £5,000 GBP.

India's BWSSB Ranked Among Top Five Global Water Utilities at Global Water Summit 2026 in Madrid

The Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), Bengaluru, Karnataka, secured a place among the top five global water utilities across three major award categories at the 2026 Global Water Awards during the Global Water Summit 2026 in Madrid, Spain (May 18–20, 2026).

BWSSB became the only Indian water utility to receive top-five global recognition in 3 categories:

HAL's K.K. Venugopal Becomes First Indian Test Pilot Elected Fellow of SETP, USA

Group Captain Kolal Krishnamurthy (K.K.) Venugopal (Retd), Executive Director of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), became the first Indian test pilot to be elected as a Fellow of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots (SETP), USA.

SETP: An international organisation promoting air safety and contributing to aeronautical advancements.

Science & Technology

GRSE Launches Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel 'INS Sanghmitra' for Indian Navy at Kolkata, WB

Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Limited launched 'INS Sanghmitra (Yard 3039)', the first of four Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels (NGOPVs) for the Indian Navy (IN), at its yard in Kolkata, West Bengal (WB), on 20 May 2026.

Overview: A Shachi-class NGOPV built under the Buy (Indian-IDDM) category, supporting Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives.

Heritage: Named after Sanghmitra, daughter of Emperor Ashoka, who spread the teachings of Lord Buddha in Sri Lanka. Ship's crest depicts the constellation Ursa Major and a red-and-white lighthouse.

Specifications:

India Successfully Tests 'Suryastra' Rockets with 300 km Strike Capability off Odisha

India successfully carried out consecutive trials of the 'Suryastra' Universal Rocket Launcher system, achieving precise strikes on targets up to 300 km and meeting all mission objectives.

The high-precision trials were carried out by NIBE Limited from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur, Balasore, off the coast of Odisha.

Overview: A long-range guided rocket artillery system developed to carry out precision strikes on enemy command centres, radar installations, logistics hubs, and strategic targets deep inside hostile territory. Developed by Pune (Maharashtra)-based NIBE Limited in collaboration with Elbit Systems, Israel.

Background: Conducted as part of a ₹293 crore Indian Army (IA) procurement order placed in January 2026 under the Emergency Procurement window.

Variants:

Suryastra is placed among the world's most accurate long-range rocket artillery systems.

Important Days at a Glance

Current Affairs 22 May 2026