Current Affairs Quiz - May 2026

Notes:
Scientists recently discovered a new species of freshwater crab named Indopotamon alipurduarense in the sub-Himalayan Dooars region of West Bengal. The discovery marks only the second species recorded under the Indopotamon genus. With this finding, the total number of known freshwater crab species in India has increased to 183. These crabs are highly secretive and spend most of the year hidden underground. They emerge mainly during the heavy rainy season and are usually visible between May and August. The species name “alipurduarense” honours the Alipurduar district of West Bengal, where the crab was discovered.

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Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme is a flagship scheme of the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises implemented through the Khadi and Village Industries Commission to promote entrepreneurship and self-employment. The scheme provides Margin Money subsidy on bank loans for setting up new micro-enterprises in the non-farm sector, especially in rural areas. During the 15th Finance Commission cycle from 2021–22 to 2025–26, PMEGP helped establish more than 4 lakh micro-enterprises and generated employment for about 36.33 lakh people.

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Yildirimhan Missile is a prototype intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) unveiled by Turkey to strengthen defence self-reliance and expand its strategic military capabilities. The missile is capable of targeting regions across Europe, Africa, and Asia if launched from Turkey. Yildirimhan can reportedly travel at speeds up to Mach 25, which is nearly 25 times the speed of sound and falls under hypersonic speed range. It uses four rocket propulsion engines and is powered by liquid nitrogen tetroxide fuel, which improves range and payload capacity.

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Tactical Advanced Range Augmentation (TARA) was developed by DRDO’s Research Centre Imarat along with other laboratories of the Defence Research and Development Organisation and Indian industry partners. DRDO and the Indian Air Force successfully carried out the maiden flight-trial of TARA off the coast of Odisha on 7 May 2026. TARA is India’s first indigenous glide weapon system designed to convert unguided warheads into precision-guided weapons. It is a modular range extension kit developed to improve the accuracy, range, and lethality of low-cost weapons against ground-based targets.

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The Insurance Division of the Department of Financial Services secured the top position in the Group A category of the Grievance Redressal Assessment and Index (GRAI) ranking for March 2026. The Banking Division retained the fifth position in the rankings for the second consecutive month. GRAI was developed by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG). The ranking measures the effectiveness and timeliness of grievance redressal through the Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS). CPGRAMS is a 24×7 online platform that allows citizens to register complaints related to government service delivery.

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“Su Sahay” is an Artificial Intelligence-powered chatbot launched by the Supreme Court of India to improve access to justice and court-related services. It is integrated with the Supreme Court website to assist litigants with legal and procedural information. The chatbot was developed by the National Informatics Centre in collaboration with the Supreme Court Registry. Its main objective is to provide guidance on filing procedures, court services, and general court-related queries in a user-friendly manner.

Notes:
Valley fever recently came into news after a 37-year-old Indian tech professional in California died due to severe lung complications and respiratory failure caused by the infection. Also known as acute coccidioidomycosis, it is a fungal disease caused by Coccidioides fungi found in dry, dusty soil of the southwestern United States, Mexico, and parts of Central and South America. Infection occurs by inhaling airborne fungal spores disturbed through farming, construction, or wind; it does not spread from person to person. Treatment involves antifungal medicines, while no vaccine is currently available.

Notes:
The Ministry of Heavy Industries organised a National Conference on “Enabling Nationwide EV Charging Infrastructure under PM E-DRIVE Scheme” in Bengaluru. The conference focused on expanding Electric Vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure and strengthening India’s clean mobility ecosystem. Under the PM E-DRIVE Scheme, ₹10,900 crore has been allocated for promoting electric mobility and EV infrastructure development. Around ₹2,000 crore has been earmarked specifically for EV Public Charging Infrastructure across India. Karnataka received approval for 1,243 EV chargers with an outlay of ₹123.26 crore.

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The exhibition “From Shunya to Ananta” was inaugurated by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar at the United Nations headquarters in New York. The exhibition highlights India’s historic contributions to mathematics, especially the concept of “Shunya” (zero), and their impact on global scientific thought. It showcases the evolution of mathematical ideas from ancient India and their diffusion across civilizations. The initiative is part of India’s efforts to promote its civilisational heritage and intellectual contributions on global platforms.

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Habshan Gas Complex is one of the world’s largest gas-processing facilities located in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The facility was damaged during the West Asia conflict due to drone and missile attacks. Full restoration of the gas complex is expected by 2027. The complex plays a major role in natural gas processing and energy infrastructure in the Gulf region.