Current Affairs One - Liner: 28th & 29th May 2026

National:

• On May 25, 2026, IBE Group signed a Joint Venture with Israel’s Elbit Systems. The JV will establish advanced energetic materials and propellant manufacturing facilities in India. Products include Nitro Cellulose, Nitro Glycerine, and Single/Double/Triple Base Propellants.

Banking:

• On May 27, 2026, LIC introduced two new joint life savings plans, available from June 1, 2026. The products are New Jeevan Sathi – Single Premium (Plan 888) and New Jeevan Sathi – Limited Premium (Plan 889). These are non‑par, non‑linked joint life endowment plans designed for married couples.
• SEBI, via letters dated May 25, 2026, approved the appointment of two Executive Directors at CDSL. Shri Amit Mahajan (DIN: 06984769) will lead Critical Operations (Vertical 1), while Smt. Nayana Ovalekar (DIN: 02195513) will head Regulatory, Compliance, Risk Management & Investor Grievances (Vertical 2).

MoUs:

• On May 25, 2026, in Gandhinagar, CM Bhupendra Patel witnessed the signing of an MoU between Gujarat Govt & Meta. It integrates with Sugam Digital Gujarat, offering ~20 services via a bilingual WhatsApp chatbot. The initiative aims to reduce office visits, improve last‑mile delivery, and make governance faster & citizen‑centric.

Science & Technology:

• On March 24, 2026, during NASA’s “Ignition” event, Administrator Jared Isaacman announced a $20 billion, three‑phase plan for a permanent lunar base under the Artemis program. The base will be established at the Moon’s South Pole, leveraging water ice in shadowed craters, near‑constant sunlight on peaks for solar power, and high scientific value.

Apps & Portals:

• May 26, 2026, the India Semiconductor Mission under MeitY launched the “Investors Support” Portal. It serves as a single‑window digital platform for semiconductor investors. The portal provides regulatory guidance, grievance redressal, and information on schemes, approved projects, and policies.
• On May 25, 2026, the ICMR launched the Medical Innovations Patent Mitra: Innovators‑to‑Industry (I2I) Connect platform. It is India’s largest biomedical technology transfer platform. 41 public health technologies were transferred, including vaccines for Typhoid & Paratyphoid and diagnostics for TB, JE, Mpox.

Important Days:

• On May 25, 2026, the world observed International Missing Children’s Day. The 2026 theme was “Strengthening Parental and Community Care to Prevent Child Disappearance”. It raised awareness on child abductions, shared safety protocols, and honored law enforcement & community groups.
• On May 25, 2026, World Thyroid Day was observed globally. Established by the European Thyroid Association and supported by Thyroid Federation International. It highlights the prevalence of thyroid disorders and stresses the need for early detection.

Appointments:

• On May 25, 2026, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye appointed economist Ahmadou Al Aminou Lo as the new Prime Minister. He replaced Ousmane Sonko, who was dismissed days earlier amid reported tensions. The formal handover of office took place around May 29, 2026.
• Around May 25–26, 2026, senior IAS officer P. Jawahar (AGMUT cadre, 2007 batch) officially assumed charge as Chairman of MPEDA. The ceremony took place at the MPEDA headquarters in Kochi, Kerala. He brings wide experience in government administration, environmental sciences, agriculture, and aquaculture.
• On May 29, 2026, Major Prabhat Mishra (22 Kumaon, Indian Army) graduated from the US Army CGSC, Fort Leavenworth. He won the Birrer‑Brookes Award for his MMAS thesis “India’s Pursuit of Military Strategic Autonomy in a Multipolar World” → first Indian since 1948. He also received the General Douglas MacArthur Military Leadership Writing Award → first Indian officer ever at CGSC.

Awards & Honours:

• On May 29, 2026, Major Abhilasha Barak received the 2025 UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award from UN Secretary‑General António Guterres. She serves with UNIFIL (Lebanon) as Commander of the Female Engagement Team (FET) in the Indian Battalion.
• The United Nations will posthumously honour two Indian peacekeepers with the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal on the International Day of UN Peacekeepers (observed on May 29, with the main ceremony at UN Headquarters in New York on June 5, 2026).

Books:

• On May 29, 2026, in New Delhi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh released a commemorative book on Operation Sindoor. The book compiles first‑hand accounts of ~100 Army, Navy, and Air Force personnel. It goes beyond official history, highlighting soldiers’ resilience, experiences, and human side of the mission.

Obituaries:

• On May 28, 2026, celebrated Urdu poet Bashir Badr, a Padma Shri awardee, passed away at his home in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, aged 91. He was renowned for his romantic ghazals, weaving simplicity with profound human emotions.
• On May 28–29, 2026, retired IAS officer Dhanendra Kumar, the founding Chairman of the Competition Commission of India (CCI), passed away. He died in a tragic fire accident at his residence in Hauz Khas, South Delhi.

Questions: 

Q1. P. Jawahar assumed charge as Chairman of:
a) NABARD
b) APEDA
c) MPEDA
d)  FCI

Answer: c)  Senior IAS officer P. Jawahar took charge as Chairman of the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) headquartered in Kochi

Q2. Which ministry launched the “Investors Support” Portal under the India Semiconductor Mission?
a) Ministry of Commerce and Industry
b) Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
c) Ministry of Science and Technology
d) Ministry of Heavy Industries

Answer: b) The portal was launched by the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) under MeitY to support semiconductor investors.