NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Akashvani Organises Marathon in New Delhi to Celebrate 90th Anniversary: Akashvani organised a 5-km marathon in New Delhi to celebrate its 90th anniversary, with the run starting and ending at Akashvani Bhavan. Employees of Doordarshan and Prasar Bharati, along with their family members, participated in the marathon in the presence of Gaurav Dwivedi and Rajeev Kumar Jain. Established in 1936, Akashvani remains one of India’s most trusted broadcasting platforms and used the marathon to promote fitness, unity, and public outreach.
2. NITI Aayog Launches Central Prabhari Officer Portal to Boost Real-Time Governance: NITI Aayog launched the Central Prabhari Officer Portal to strengthen real-time governance and improve coordination under the Aspirational Districts and Blocks Programme (ADP/ABP). The Central Prabhari Officer Portal enables Central Prabhari Officers (CPOs) to submit field observations and recommendations in real time through mobile devices, helping policymakers take faster administrative action. The portal will create a transparent and responsive governance ecosystem by connecting field-level insights directly with policy implementation and monitoring.
3. Health Ministry Launches JANANI Digital Platform to Strengthen Maternal and Child Healthcare Services in India: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched JANANI (Journey of Antenatal, Natal and Neonatal Integrated Care), a QR-enabled digital platform designed to track maternal and child healthcare services across India. The platform will maintain comprehensive digital health records of women, covering antenatal care, delivery, postnatal care, newborn care, and family planning, ensuring continuity of care throughout the reproductive cycle. JANANI is an upgraded version of the existing RCH portal and enables integration with national platforms like U-WIN and POSHAN, allowing seamless data sharing and better monitoring of beneficiaries across programmes. The system supports beneficiary registration using ABHA ID, Aadhaar (OTP/biometric), and mobile numbers, and has already recorded 1.34 crore registrations, over 30 lakh pregnant women registrations, and more than 1 lakh biometric verifications.
4. India Achieves Zero Primary Dropout Rate in Jharkhand: Jharkhand recorded a primary dropout rate of 0% in 2024-25, compared with 6.41% in 2014-15, in education data linked to the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) 2024-25 and a NITI Aayog report released on 8 May 2026. The state also reported a decline in upper primary dropout rate from 7.42% to 1.7% and in secondary dropout rate from 23.2% to 3.5% between 2014-15 and 2024-25. Dropout rate is the proportion of students who leave a school stage before completion of that level. In India, primary education generally covers Classes I to V, while upper primary covers Classes VI to VIII and secondary covers Classes IX to X. UDISE+ is the national school education database used for school-level indicators such as enrolment, teachers, infrastructure, and dropout rates. The 2024-25 data placed Jharkhand at zero primary dropout for both boys and girls, after a rate of more than 11% in 2022-23.
5. Odisha Leads PMAY-U 2.0 Housing Completions: Odisha has emerged as the top-performing state in India for house completion under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U 2.0) as of 8 May 2026. The state has held the first position in house completion performance from March 2025 to March 2026. PMAY-U 2.0 was launched in September 2024 as the urban housing phase of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. PMAY-U 2.0 is a Central sector housing scheme for urban areas. It is linked to the objective of providing pucca houses to eligible urban poor and middle-income families. The scheme uses geo-tagging, foundation tracking, and completion monitoring for implementation at the field level.
6. India Launches QR-Code Verification for Census Enumerators: India has issued identity cards with QR codes to Census enumerators for the Census 2027 exercise. The QR code allows residents to verify the authenticity of enumerators by scanning the card through a mobile device. The first phase of the Census began on 1 April 2026 and is scheduled to end on 30 September 2026. Around 30 lakh enumerators are involved in the nationwide exercise, which uses mobile applications and a centralised portal for data management. The Census of India Self-Enumeration Portal allows citizens to submit their details directly. In some areas, including Noida and Ghaziabad, the self-enumeration window remained open from 7 May to 21 May 2026, and the administration also provided a QR code that generated a unique self-enumeration ID.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. India Tops Global Remittance Inflows in 2024 with Record $137.67 Billion Received: India remained the world’s top recipient of remittances in 2024, receiving over 137.67 billion US dollars from Indians living abroad. The data was revealed in the World Migration Report 2026, released by the International Organisation for Migration. United States remained the world’s largest source of remittances in 2024, sending more than 100 billion US dollars abroad. Saudi Arabia ranked second in global remittance outflows with over 46 billion US dollars sent overseas.
Switzerland and Germany also recorded major remittance outflows of around 40 billion US dollars and nearly 24 billion US dollars, respectively.
2. IOC Lifts Restrictions on Belarusian Athletes: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has lifted all restrictions on Belarusian athletes, allowing them to return to international competitions, including qualifiers for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. Earlier, since 2022, the IOC had recommended banning athletes and officials from Russia and Belarus due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with Belarus acting as a supporting base for the operation. The latest decision marks a major shift in IOC policy, enabling Belarusian athletes to once again compete on the global sporting stage under international events.
3. 10 May – World Lupus Day: World Lupus Day is observed every year on May 10 to raise global awareness about Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), a chronic autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues and organs. The day aims to educate people about the symptoms, early diagnosis, and treatment options of lupus, as it can affect multiple organs including the skin, joints, kidneys, and brain.
4. 10 May 2026 – Mother’s Day: Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May every year, and in 2026 it falls on May 10, to honour the love, care, and sacrifices of mothers worldwide. The day is dedicated to expressing gratitude and respect towards mothers and maternal figures for their role in nurturing families and society.
5. Jaishankar Reinforces India-Suriname Development Partnership: India and Suriname maintain diplomatic and development cooperation through joint commissions, training programmes, and project-based assistance. India has extended soft loans under its Lines of Credit framework for infrastructure and strategic sector development in Suriname. The Agro Passion Fruit processing facility in Paramaribo was funded under a USD 1 million Small and Medium Enterprises grant announced in 2025. The facility is linked with value addition in agriculture and with local processing capacity in Suriname.
OTHER UPDATES:
DEFENCE
1. Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan Appointed as Next Chief of the Indian Navy: Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan has been appointed as the next Chief of the Naval Staff and will succeed Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, who is set to retire on May 31, 2026. Currently serving as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command, Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan will become the 26th Chief of the Naval Staff and the 34th head of the Indian Navy since Independence.
2. Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani Appointed as Next Chief of Defence Staff of India: Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani has been appointed as the next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and Secretary, Department of Military Affairs by the Government of India. Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani will succeed General Anil Chauhan after the completion of his tenure on May 30, 2026.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. Skyroot Aerospace Becomes India’s First Space-Tech Unicorn with $1.1 Billion Valuation: Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace has become India’s first space-tech unicorn after raising nearly USD 60 million in a new funding round, taking its valuation to USD 1.1 billion. The funding round saw participation from major investors including Sherpalo Ventures, Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC Private Limited, Greenko Group founders, and Arkam Ventures, supporting the company’s mission to build low-cost orbital launch capabilities.
2. IndiaAI and ICMR Sign MoU to Boost Responsible AI Adoption in Healthcare Sector: IndiaAI and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in New Delhi to promote responsible and scalable adoption of Artificial Intelligence in healthcare. The partnership aims to improve healthcare outcomes by combining IndiaAI’s technology infrastructure, computer systems, dataset platforms, and AI skilling initiatives with ICMR’s expertise in biomedical research and public health systems. Under this collaboration, both institutions will also utilize the MIDAS (Medical Information Data for AI Solutions) framework to build a structured ecosystem for AI-driven medical research and innovation.
3. James Webb Telescope studies rocky exoplanet LHS 3844 b: The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) directly studied the rocky exoplanet LHS 3844 b, also called Kuaꞌkua, on 4 May 2026. LHS 3844 b is a super-Earth located about 49 to 50 light-years away and is around 30% larger than Earth. The James Webb Space Telescope is a space observatory developed by NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency. It operates in the infrared region and carries instruments such as the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), which studies heat and molecular signatures from distant objects. LHS 3844 b is a tidally locked exoplanet, which means one hemisphere permanently faces its host star. The planet reaches temperatures of about 1,340 degrees Fahrenheit, or 725 degrees Celsius, on the star-facing side. Observations from MIRI in 2023 and 2024 found that the planet is dark, hot, barren, and without an atmosphere.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. RBI Approves Kotak Mahindra Bank to Raise Stake in AU SFB and Federal Bank: The Reserve Bank of India has approved Kotak Mahindra Bank to raise its stake up to 9.99% each in AU Small Finance Bank and Federal Bank. The approval will allow Kotak Mahindra Bank to strengthen its strategic investments in both private sector lenders while remaining within the regulatory limit.
2. Jio Payments Bank Partners with Ezeepay to Expand Rural Banking Services in India: Jio Payments Bank has partnered with Ezeepay to expand essential banking services across more than 12,000 semi-urban and underserved PIN codes in India. Under the partnership, Ezeepay will use its merchant network as Business Correspondents to provide accessible banking facilities in rural and remote areas.
4. Bihar Cabinet Approves $500 Million World Bank Loan for Urban Economic Development: The Bihar Cabinet has approved a loan of 500 million U.S. dollars from the World Bank to develop integrated urban economic regions across the state. The initiative aims to support planned urbanisation, infrastructure expansion, and the development of city-based economic growth hubs to strengthen Bihar’s urban development framework.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. Archibald Prize 2026 awarded to Richard Lewer: The Archibald Prize 2026 was awarded on 8 May 2026 to Melbourne-based artist Richard Lewer for a portrait of Pitjantjatjara Elder Iluwanti Ken. The prize carried a cash award of $100,000 and the winning work was selected from 1,034 entries. The Archibald Prize is an Australian portraiture award established in 1921 and administered by the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney. It is one of Australia’s best-known art prizes and is awarded annually for portrait painting. Richard Lewer is a six-time Archibald finalist, with nominations in 2017, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2025 and 2026. His 2026 portrait depicts Iluwanti Ken, who is identified as a Pitjantjatjara Elder, senior artist and ngangkari, a term used for a traditional healer in Central Australia.
No comments:
Post a Comment