Current Affairs 11 May 2026

National Affairs

3 Jan Suraksha Schemes: PMSBY, PMJJBY & APY Complete 11 Years

On May 9, 2026, three 'Jan Suraksha' flagship schemes of the Government of India (GoI), designed to provide affordable financial protection to all — particularly the underserved and vulnerable sections — completed 11 years since their official launch by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi on May 9, 2015 in Kolkata, West Bengal (WB).

Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel Inaugurates IALFS 2.0 in GIFT City, Gandhinagar

Bhupendrabhai Rajnikant Patel, Chief Minister (CM) of Gujarat, inaugurated the second edition of the India Aircraft Leasing and Financing Summit (IALFS 2.0) at Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

The summit was organised by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), in partnership with IFSCA and FICCI, and presided by Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, MoCA.

Key Target: India is set to emerge as the world's 3rd-largest civil aviation market by 2035, with an estimated fleet of nearly 2,250 aircraft. Seaplane operations will soon start in UT Lakshadweep.

Report Release: KPMG, in partnership with MoCA and FICCI, released its latest report titled "Advancing the Aircraft Leasing Ecosystem in India – From Reforms to Powering Future Growth".

MoUs Signed: Among IFSCA, FICCI, Air India, IndiGo, Star Air, Bank of India (BoI), and Akasa Air.

MoHFW Launches JANANI Platform to Strengthen Maternal and Child Healthcare Digital Monitoring

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) launched the JANANI platform (Journey of Antenatal, Natal and Neonatal Integrated Care) during the 10th edition of the National Summit on Innovation and Inclusivity in Chandigarh.

Introduced as an upgraded version of the Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) portal, the platform aims to create a Longitudinal Digital Record System (LDRS) for women across reproductive stages.

Coverage: End-to-end tracking of antenatal care, institutional deliveries, postnatal and newborn care, family planning services, and home-based child healthcare.

Features:

• QR-enabled digital Mother and Child Health (MCH) cards
• Automated alerts for high-risk pregnancies
• Due-list generation & real-time dashboards
• Self-registration through web and mobile platforms
• Pan-India search for migratory populations
• Aadhaar-based OTP and biometric authentication

Integration: Integrated with U-WIN (Universal Immunisation Web-enabled Network), POSHAN (PM's Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nourishment), and Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) platforms.

Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya Launches Nationwide Health Check-Up Initiative

Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Ministry of Labour & Employment (MoL&E) and Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (MYAS), launched the Nationwide Annual Health Check-Up Initiative at ESIC Medical College & Hospital, Basaidarapur, New Delhi, Delhi.

Free Health Screening: Free annual health check-ups for workers aged above 40 years at ESIC hospitals across India.

Framework: Launched under the four New Labour Codes to strengthen workers' welfare and social security coverage.

Focus: Early disease detection, preventive healthcare, and timely medical support for workers.

Support: Treatment and medicines identified during health camps will be provided through ESIC facilities.

CSIR-CRRI & BPCL Develop India's 1st Plastic Waste Geocell 'Phoenix'

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research–Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI), in collaboration with Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), developed and demonstrated 'Phoenix Geocell' — India's first technical textile geocell made entirely from end-of-life mixed plastic waste.

The innovation received recognition from the India Book of Records and Asia Book of Records.

Technology: A three-dimensional honeycomb-like structure made entirely from processed mixed plastic waste.

Working Mechanism: Filled with soil, gravel, or sand to improve structural integrity, road durability, and soil stability.

Applications: Road construction, weak soil stabilisation, and slope protection.

Pilot Project: Demonstration conducted on July 11, 2025, at the DND–Faridabad–KMP Expressway (NH-148NA) near Delhi with support from the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).

IndiaAI & ICMR Sign MoU to Promote Responsible Use of AI in Healthcare

IndiaAI, under MeitY, and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to accelerate the responsible use of AI in healthcare and strengthen AI-driven public health innovation in India.

Objective: Build a unified and interoperable AI ecosystem for healthcare by combining IndiaAI's technological infrastructure with ICMR's biomedical expertise and health datasets.

AIKosh Platform: Will share anonymised and ethics-approved health datasets, AI models, and toolkits to support researchers, startups, and innovators.

NIScPR Signs MoU with RIS to Strengthen STI Policy & Diplomacy

CSIR-National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research (CSIR-NIScPR), under the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoS&T), signed an MoU with Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), under the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), in New Delhi, Delhi.

Focus Areas: Global South working groups, science policy, communication, diplomacy, traditional knowledge, joint projects, publications, policy dialogues, workshops, and outreach for inclusive and sustainable development.

Global Engagement: Seeks to enhance India's presence in global science & technology governance and South-South cooperation.

MoF Empowers Principal Bench of GSTAT as NAAAR Effective from April 01, 2026

The Ministry of Finance (MoF) through official notification empowered the Principal Bench of Goods and Services Tax (GST) Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT), New Delhi, to act as the National Appellate Authority for Advance Rulings (NAAAR).

The notification comes into force on April 01, 2026, and the President of the GSTAT will act as the Presiding Officer of the NAAAR.

Notified Under: Sub-section (1A) of Section 101A of the Central GST (CGST) Act, 2017, on the recommendations of the GST Council.

Mandate: Resolve disputes involving divergent advance rulings across various States and UTs under Section 101B of the CGST Act, 2017.

Principal Bench: Constituted under sub-section (3) of Section 109 of the CGST Act, 2017; comprises the President, a judicial member, and two technical members (one each from the central and state government).

BIS Hosts Global Meet on Space Systems Standards in Delhi

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the National Standards Body of India, under the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA), organised the 35th Plenary and Working Groups meetings of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Technical Committee (TC) 20 / Subcommittee (SC) 14 'Space Systems and Operations' — for the first time — at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, Delhi, from May 4–8, 2026.

Participation: 131 international delegates from 13 countries representing National Standards Bodies, experts from international space agencies (including ISRO), space industry, and academia.

ISO/TC 20/SC 14: Develops international standards for space systems covering design, production, launch, operations, and space-based services to ensure safety, compatibility, and sustainability.

Objective: Highlights India's growing role in the global space sector, supported by ISRO's achievements and increasing private sector participation through reforms under IN-SPACe.

Banking & Finance

RBI Imposes Penalties on YES Bank & Hinduja Housing Finance

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed monetary penalties on YES Bank Limited and Hinduja Housing Finance Limited for lapses in regulatory compliance.

Appointments & Resignations

GoI Appoints Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani as Next CDS; Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan as CNS

The Government of India (GoI) appointed Lieutenant General (Retd.) NS Raja Subramani as the 3rd Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and Secretary, Department of Military Affairs (DMA), under the Ministry of Defence (MoD), effective May 30, 2026, succeeding Anil Chauhan.

Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan was appointed as the 27th Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) of the Indian Navy (IN), assuming charge on May 31, 2026, succeeding Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi.

Bulgaria Parliament Approves Rumen Radev as New Prime Minister

The National Assembly of Bulgaria formally elected and swore in former President Rumen Radev from the Progressive Bulgaria party as Prime Minister of Bulgaria, with a majority of 124 out of 240 in Sofia, Bulgaria.

It marks the country's eighth parliamentary election in five years, following the collapse of former PM Rosen Zhelyazkov's government in December 2025.

Laura Virginia Fernández Delgado Sworn in as President of Costa Rica

Laura Virginia Fernández Delgado (39) was sworn in as the 50th President of Costa Rica at the National Stadium in San José, Costa Rica, on 8 May 2026, for a four-year term (2026–2030), succeeding former President Rodrigo Chaves Robles.

Her right-wing Sovereign People's Party (PPSO) secured an absolute majority by winning 31 of 57 seats in the unicameral legislature during the February 2026 election.

Significance: Became the second woman to hold the office after Laura Chinchilla Miranda (2010–2014).

Key Roles: Served as Minister of National Planning and Economic Policy (2022–2025) and Minister of the Presidency (2024–2025). Worked as consultant for the State Reform Program under the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GIZ) (2008–2010).

Important Days at a Glance

Current Affairs 11 May 2026