Current Affairs ⟶ May 2026

India launched Project Cheetah to reintroduce cheetahs after the species became extinct in India in 1952. The cheetahs were brought from Namibia and South Africa, while Botswana has also been associated with future cooperation discussions under the project.

After the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025, India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 with Pakistan as a diplomatic and strategic retaliatory measure.

NITI Aayog's May 2026 report 'School Education System in India' flagged approximately 8,000 ghost schools across India with zero student enrolment, highlighting structural inefficiencies in the public education system.

As per the NITI Aayog report released in May 2026, India's school system comprises approximately 14.71 lakh (1.471 million) schools, making it one of the largest school education networks in the world.

Operation Sindoor was launched by India in May 2026 in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, targeting terror camps and infrastructure inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Bihar's Rajya Fasal Sahayata Yojana is a state-funded crop loss compensation scheme managed by the Agriculture Department, Government of Bihar, providing financial support to farmers for crop damage due to natural calamities.

In May 2026, CM Nitish Kumar's son Nishant Kumar was sworn in as a minister in the Bihar cabinet, widely seen as a generational transition and preparation for political succession within the JD(U)-led NDA government.

In May 2026, WHO updated its outbreak response toolbox for Hantavirus, a rodent-borne viral disease, amid rising cases reported in parts of Asia and South America, strengthening global preparedness protocols.

India announced its net-zero carbon emissions target of 2070 at COP26 in Glasgow in November 2021. This target was formally included in India's updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) submitted to the UNFCCC.

According to NCRB's 'Crime in India 2024', Bengaluru recorded a suicide rate of approximately 20 per lakh population, one of the highest among major Indian cities, linked to occupational stress in the IT sector.

O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) became India's first Institute of Eminence to receive DASCA (Data Science Council of America) accreditation in May 2026, recognising its data science and analytics programmes as globally benchmarked.

During the May 2026 summit, India and Vietnam set a bilateral trade target of USD 25 billion by 2030, up from current levels, as part of their Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

In the context of India's IndiaAI Mission launched in 2023, 'AI' stands for Artificial Intelligence. The mission aims to build a robust AI ecosystem including compute infrastructure, datasets, and AI startups across India.

NCRB's 'Crime in India 2024' report released in May 2026 recorded 58.86 lakh cognisable crimes across India, reflecting a 6% decline compared to the previous year.

The ruins of Vikramshila University, founded by Pala king Dharmapala in the 8th century, are located in Antichak village in Bhagalpur district of Bihar. It was one of the greatest centres of Buddhist learning in ancient India.

Border Roads Organisation (BRO) Raising Day is observed on 7 May every year, commemorating its establishment on 7 May 1960. BRO is responsible for construction and maintenance of roads in border and remote areas of India.

PM Awas Yojana (Urban) 2.0, launched in 2024, targets construction of 1 crore (10 million) affordable houses for urban poor, EWS, LIG, and MIG categories over the next five years with an outlay of ₹10 lakh crore.

The Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) officially integrated its first AI-driven news anchor, Smriti, into its public communication channels. Launched specifically to assist candidates tracking the 72nd Integrated Combined Competitive Examination (2026), Smriti's role is to present critical exam notifications, registration timelines (such as the May 7 to May 31 application window), post vacancies, and administrative changes in an engaging, interactive video format. This initiative marks a major step by Bihar towards digitizing state governance and civil services communications.

During Vietnamese President To Lam's state visit to India in May 2026, India and Vietnam elevated their bilateral relationship to an 'Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership', deepening ties across defence, trade, and technology.

NITI Aayog's May 2026 report 'School Education System in India' covered 14.71 lakh schools serving over 24.69 crore students, providing a comprehensive temporal analysis of India's school education from 2014 to 2025.

Union Budget 2025-26 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman raised the capital expenditure outlay to ₹11.21 lakh crore, aimed at boosting infrastructure development and maintaining India's growth momentum.

Exercise Tasman Saber 2025 was a bilateral military exercise conducted between India and Australia, aimed at enhancing interoperability between the two nations' armed forces under the framework of their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The law always states the number of judges excluding the Chief Justice of India (CJI).

Before (2019 Law): The legal count was 33, making the total 34 including the CJI.

Now (2026 Ordinance): The legal count is 37, making the total 38 including the CJI.

Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam. It is located in northern Vietnam and serves as the country's political and administrative centre. Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) is the largest city but not the capital.

As per NCRB's 'Crime in India 2024', Delhi topped the list of cognisable offences among 19 metropolitan cities in India, continuing its trend of recording the highest number of reported crimes among metros.

Chhath Puja is observed on the Shashti (sixth day) of Shukla Paksha in the Hindu month of Kartik (October–November). It involves worship of the Sun God and is Bihar's most widely celebrated folk festival.

In May 2026, the Supreme Court of India reiterated that diversity is India's core strength while hearing petitions related to the Sabarimala temple entry case, reaffirming constitutional values of equality and religious pluralism.

Following MoS&PI's May 2026 notification updating the national base year to 2022-23, Bihar and all states are required to recompile their GSDP/GSVA data using the new 2022-23 base year, replacing the old 2011-12 series.

Sharada Sinha, renowned Bihar folk singer famous for her Chhath Puja songs and Maithili-Bhojpuri music, was awarded the Padma Vibhushan posthumously in 2025, after her demise in November 2024.

India won the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 by defeating New Zealand in the final. The tournament was hosted across Pakistan and a neutral venue, with India remaining unbeaten throughout the competition.

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoS&PI) notified in May 2026 that 2022-23 will be the new base year for calculating State GDP (GSDP/GSVA), replacing the earlier 2011-12 base year.

During Vietnamese President To Lam's visit to India in May 2026, both countries signed 13 MoUs covering areas including defence, digital infrastructure, education, and trade cooperation.

During Vietnamese President To Lam's India visit in May 2026, he visited the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and participated in an India-Vietnam Business Forum in Mumbai, underlining the economic and trade dimension of the bilateral partnership.

Dr. Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister of India (2004–2014) and architect of India's 1991 economic reforms, was awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 2024 after his passing in December 2024.

Nitish Kumar had joined the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) with RJD and Congress in 2022, but broke away and returned to the BJP-led NDA in January 2024 ahead of the general elections.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) fixed the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for paddy (common grade) at ₹2,300 per quintal for Kharif 2025-26, providing price assurance to rice farmers across India.

Egypt, Ethiopia, and the UAE officially became BRICS members effective January 1, 2024, as part of the historic expansion decided at the Johannesburg BRICS Summit in August 2023.

NITI Aayog released the report titled 'School Education System in India: Temporal Analysis and Policy Roadmap for Quality Enhancement' in May 2026, documenting progress and challenges in India's school education system from 2014 to 2025.

The Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act 2023 codified the composition of the ECI as 3 members: 1 Chief Election Commissioner and 2 Election Commissioners.

Delhi held assembly elections in February 2025 in which the BJP won a decisive majority, ending AAP's decade-long rule and retaining power in the capital territory.

Former Indian football player Mohan Singh, who passed away on 7 May 2026, was born in 1948. He was a decorated footballer who represented India in international competitions during the 1960s and 1970s.

World Athletics Day was first celebrated in 1996, initiated by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF, now World Athletics) to promote athletics and encourage youth participation in track and field sports.

TARA (Tactical Advanced Range Augmentation) is India's first indigenous glide weapon and modular range extension kit, developed by DRDO. It converts conventional bombs into precision-guided glide munitions, significantly extending their range.

The Bihar cabinet approved developing Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary as the state's second tiger reserve, after Valmiki Tiger Reserve, to expand tiger conservation efforts in the Vindhya hill range region.

Rajgir Nature Safari is located in Nalanda district of Bihar. Rajgir is a historically significant Buddhist and Jain pilgrimage site, and the nature safari is a key eco-tourism attraction in the region.

The Government of India appointed Shashi Shekhar Vempati, former CEO of Prasar Bharati, as the new chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in May 2026.

The Constitution (106th Amendment) Act 2023, also known as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, provides one-third reservation for women in the Lok Sabha, state legislative assemblies, and the Delhi Legislative Assembly.

UMANG stands for Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance. Launched by the Government of India, it is a single platform providing access to over 2,000 central and state government services on a mobile app.

TARA stands for Tactical Advanced Range Augmentation, DRDO's indigenously developed glide weapon and modular range extension kit that significantly enhances the strike range of conventional air-dropped munitions.

Bengaluru-based space startup Pixxel secured a contract from the US National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) in May 2026 for hyperspectral remote sensing services using its Firefly satellite constellation, marking a significant milestone for Indian commercial space.

As per the UNDP Human Development Report 2024, India ranked 130th out of 193 countries in the Human Development Index (HDI), showing gradual improvement in health, education, and per capita income indicators.