Current Affairs Quiz - May 2026

Notes:
The 2nd India Aircraft Leasing and Financing Summit 2.0 was inaugurated at GIFT City, Gujarat. The summit was organised by the Ministry of Civil Aviation along with International Financial Services Centres Authority and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry. India aims to become the world’s third-largest civil aviation market by 2035 with an estimated fleet of nearly 2,250 aircraft.

Notes:
United Nations Human Settlements Programme recently launched the Catalogue of Solutions 2026–2029 to promote sustainable urban development and better housing policies worldwide. UN-Habitat was established in 1977 after the Habitat I Conference and is headquartered in Nairobi. Its primary objective is to promote socially and environmentally sustainable cities and ensure adequate shelter for all. The UN-Habitat Assembly includes all 193 United Nations member states and approves the organisation’s strategic plans.

Notes:
National Technology Day is celebrated every year on 11 May to commemorate the success of the Pokhran-II nuclear tests conducted in 1998. The day recognises India’s achievements in science, technology, and innovation. Pokhran-II was a series of nuclear tests carried out at Pokhran Test Range. The 2026 theme is “Responsible Innovation for Inclusive Growth,” focusing on indigenous technology development and the use of Artificial Intelligence for equitable progress. The observance highlights the role of scientific research and technological self-reliance in national development.

Notes:
Tristan da Cunha was recently in news after British military medics conducted a parachute mission there to assist a suspected hantavirus patient from the cruise ship MV Hondius. Tristan da Cunha is a volcanic archipelago and the largest island in the South Atlantic Ocean, located midway between southern Africa and South America. It is regarded as the world’s most remote inhabited island chain. The islands were discovered in 1506 by Portuguese explorer Tristão da Cunha, after whom the archipelago is named.

Notes:
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu launched a statewide deep-tech skilling initiative in collaboration with IBM SkillsBuild, Andhra Pradesh State Council for Higher Education (APSCHE), Andhra State Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC), and Amaravati Quantum Valley. The programme aims to train 2 lakh learners in 2026–27 and expand to 10 lakh learners over five years through digital learning, industry-linked training, and globally recognised certifications. The initiative focuses on Quantum Technologies, Artificial Intelligence, Data Analytics, Cybersecurity, and Entrepreneurship.

Notes:
India successfully conducted the second flight trial of the Divyastra Missile from Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Island, Odisha. Divyastra is an advanced Agni missile equipped with Multiple Independently Targeted Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology. It was developed by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). MIRV technology enables a single missile to carry multiple nuclear warheads that can strike different targets independently. MIRV technology was first developed by the United States in the 1960s.

Notes:
Supreme Court of India launched the “One Case One Data” initiative to digitally integrate judicial data from the Supreme Court to taluka courts. The initiative aims to strengthen case management through automated data retrieval, online verification, and integrated access to court records. High Courts, district courts, taluka courts, and government departments will have interconnected access to case-related information. The Supreme Court also launched “Su-Sahayak,” an assistive chatbot developed by the National Informatics Centre in collaboration with the Supreme Court Registry.

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 forest department has started preparations for a scientific wildlife census in Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary to study the population and movement of tigers, leopards, bears, deer, and foxes. The sanctuary is situated in the Kumaon Himalayas of Uttarakhand. Zero Point (Jhandi Dhaar), the highest point in the sanctuary, offers views of peaks such as Kedarnath, Chaukhamba, Shivling, Trisul, and Nanda Devi. Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary was established mainly to conserve the broadleaf oak forests of the Central Himalayan region.

Notes:
Botanists have discovered a new plant species named Melanoseris pendryi in the Sikkim Himalayas at elevations above 4,000 metres. It belongs to the genus Melanoseris of the Asteraceae family of flowering plants. The species is characterised by uniquely hairy purple petals and adaptation to harsh alpine conditions through a fleshy branching root system. It grows close to the ground among cushion-like alpine shrubs. Researchers have proposed classifying the species as Critically Endangered due to threats from tourism activities and grazing pressure.