Daily Current Affairs – 12-05-2026

National News

SIR of Voter Lists in 22 States and UTs

The Election Commission of India will soon begin the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in 22 States and Union Territories. In the first phase, SIR was conducted in Bihar before the Assembly elections. In the second phase, SIR was completed in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and the Union Territories of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry. The number of voters in these regions decreased from 50.99 crore to 45.81 crore after the revision, and about 5.18 crore voters were removed from the electoral rolls. In the third phase, SIR will be conducted in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Punjab, Sikkim, Tripura, Telangana, Uttarakhand and the Union Territories of Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, and Delhi. The Election Commission had issued the notification for this process on February 19. More than 40 crore voters are currently registered in these 22 States and Union Territories.

Prime Minister Modi’s Visit to Five Countries

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will undertake an official visit from May 15 to May 20 to United Arab Emirates, Germany, Denmark, Norway, and France, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. During the visit to the United Arab Emirates, he will meet President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. In Germany, he will hold talks with the German Prime Minister. Prime Minister Modi will also visit Norway to participate in the 3rd India-Nordic Summit. He will become the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Norway in 43 years. The final phase of the visit includes France. The visit is aimed at strengthening India’s partnerships with European countries in various sectors.

Indian Company Secures Railway Contract in Croatia

Afcons Infrastructure Limited has secured a major railway corridor construction contract in Croatia, a European country. The company was selected as the preferred bidder based on its technical and management capabilities in the international tender process. The project is valued at about 67.71 crore US dollars and includes renovation of existing railway tracks, construction of a second railway line, railway electrification, signaling, and telecommunication works. The company has previously completed major infrastructure projects in India, including the Chennai Railway Bridge and metro railway tunnel projects.

Suvendu Adhikari Orders Implementation of Central Schemes in West Bengal

Suvendu Adhikari chaired his first cabinet meeting after assuming office as the Chief Minister of West Bengal and approved the implementation of major Central government schemes, including Ayushman Bharat and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. The government also decided to begin the population census in the state and approved land transfer to the Border Security Force (BSF) for border fencing along the Bangladesh border. Portfolios were allocated to ministers including Dilip Ghosh, who was given charge of Panchayat and Rural Development, Animal Husbandry, and Agricultural Marketing. Agnimitra Paul was assigned Women and Child Welfare, Social Welfare, and Municipal Administration departments. The state government announced that women in the state would receive Rs. 3,000 monthly financial assistance from June 1.

VB-G RAM G Scheme to Replace MGNREGA from July 1

The Central Government has announced that all rules, notifications, schemes, orders, and guidelines issued under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005 will cease from July 1, and the new Viksit Bharat – Rozgar and Jeevika Mission (Grameen) [VB-G RAM G] scheme will come into effect. Shivraj Singh Chouhan stated that the new scheme will be implemented in consultation with State governments. Under the new scheme, the employment guarantee period in each financial year will be increased from 100 days to 125 days. The expenditure under the scheme will be shared between the Centre and States in the ratio of 60:40, whereas under MGNREGA, the Central Government paid 100% of wages. Existing job cards will be converted into e-KYC verified Grameen Rozgar Guarantee Cards. According to a recent survey, 11.58 crore registered workers had completed e-KYC verification by May 7, 2026. The scheme also provides for a maximum 60-day blackout period during harvesting and sowing seasons if notified by State governments.

Supreme Court Launches Digital Initiatives

Supreme Court of India launched two major digital initiatives named “One Case One Data” and “Su Sahay”. Surya Kant announced that the “One Case One Data” system aims to integrate judicial administration from taluk courts to the Supreme Court into a unified digital platform and create an interconnected judicial database across courts. The “Su Sahay” chatbot is an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered assistance system integrated with the Supreme Court website to help litigants access justice and court-related services more easily.

Two Cheetahs Released in Kuno National Park

Two female cheetahs brought from Botswana were released into the open forest area of Kuno National Park after completing their quarantine period. Mohan Yadav carried out the release process in Madhya Pradesh. Under Project Cheetah, cheetahs have been brought from countries including Namibia, South Africa, and Botswana for reintroduction in India. The project aims to restore endangered wildlife species, increase their population, and prepare them for free movement and hunting in forests.

Bajaj Group Completes 100 Years

Bajaj Group, one of India’s largest business conglomerates, is celebrating its 100th year after being founded in 1926 by Jamnalal Bajaj in Bombay. The group operates in sectors including automobiles, financial services, consumer appliances, and engineering, and has more than 100 companies. Bajaj Auto motorcycles are sold in more than 100 countries. Rajiv Bajaj stated that Bajaj Auto is among the world’s top three two-wheeler manufacturers. Sanjiv Bajaj highlighted the role of technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in financial inclusion and India’s future growth. Nirav Bajaj stated that the group’s next 100 years will focus on building ecosystems.

NCERT Launches AI-Based Digital Companion

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has launched an AI-based digital companion application named ‘e-Jadui Pitara’ for parents and teachers to help explain lessons to children below 8 years of age. The application includes three AI-powered chatbots named ‘Teacher Tara’, ‘Parent Tara’, and ‘Katha Sakhi’, which provide instant responses in the user’s preferred language. The digital initiative is based on the earlier ‘Jadui Pitara’ learning kit developed during 2022-23, which contained 56 educational materials including maps, flash cards, games, and activity tools. NCERT stated that the AI-based platform can generate stories and educational guidance for children and teachers. NCERT also announced that the revised Class 8 Social Science textbook will be released within a week after the earlier version released on February 24 was withdrawn from sale following controversy and a subsequent order of the Supreme Court.

Multi-Lane Toll-Free System Introduced in Delhi

The Multi-Lane Toll-Free Collection System was inaugurated at the Mundka–Bakkarwala Toll Plaza on the Delhi Integrated Toll Road-2 by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari. The system enables vehicles to pass through National Highways without stopping or speed restrictions and was earlier fully implemented at the Burch Toll Plaza in Gujarat. The technology automatically collects toll charges through the FASTag-based system and can also help impose fines for traffic violations such as not wearing seat belts and using mobile phones while driving. National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) Chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav stated that the Government plans to implement this technology in nearly 1,300 toll plazas across the country by December 2026.

Sports News

Asian Weightlifting Championship 2026

India’s Komal Somaki won a bronze medal in the Asian Weightlifting Championship held at Gazabihakar on May 11. She competed in the women’s 48 kg category and lifted 78 kg in snatch and 99 kg in clean and jerk, recording a total of 177 kg to secure the bronze medal. In the boys’ category, an athlete won the gold medal by lifting 193 kg (81+112), while Gorit Siam Wang secured the silver medal with 192 kg (84+108). In the 60 kg category, North Korea’s Koon Komali won the gold medal with 304 kg (130+174). China’s Launchin created an Asian record in the event. Malaysia’s Bin Kanithasan won a medal with 277 kg (122+155), while Vietnam’s Tin Tan Son lifted 267 kg (121+146).

Asian U-15 & U-17 Boxing Championship

In the Asian U-15 and U-17 Boxing Championship held at Tashkent, 8 Indian U-17 girls qualified for the final round, while 4 players won bronze medals after losing in the semi-finals. In the 46 kg category, Rakhi Shaloon qualified for the final. In the 48 kg category, Khushi Singh competed, while Sneha Yadav lost in the 52 kg category. In the 54 kg category, India’s Mamta lost to an opponent from Uzbekistan. Naina qualified for the final in the 57 kg category, and Diya qualified in the 63 kg category. Imshika was eliminated in the 60 kg category. In the higher weight divisions, Jenny in the 75 kg category, Varshika in the 80 kg category, and Gurusarak in the 80+ kg category qualified for the finals.

Barcelona Wins 29th La Liga Title

FC Barcelona won the La Liga title in Spain for the 29th time by defeating Real Madrid 2-0 in the “El Clasico” match held on May 11. With this victory in the 35th round, Barcelona secured the top position with 91 points. Real Madrid remained in second place with 77 points, and could not overtake Barcelona even by winning the remaining three matches. In the match, Raphinha scored a goal for Barcelona. The victory helped Barcelona retain the championship trophy this season.

Sadhana Ravi Selected for Indian U20 Athletics Team

Sadhana Ravi secured first place in the women’s triple jump event at the Indian Athletics Series 6 competitions organized by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) at the Nehru Stadium, Chennai. Following her performance, she was selected for the Indian U20 Athletics Team. She will represent India in the Asian U20 Athletics Championship scheduled to be held on May 28 in Gaborone, Botswana.

International News

US President Trump’s China Visit

US President Donald Trump will undertake a three-day official visit to China beginning on May 13 at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. This will be the first visit by a US President to China in nine years. During the visit, meetings will be held in Beijing between the leaders of the two countries. Discussions are expected to focus on important issues such as trade, human rights, Iran oil issues, and Central American countries.

International Big Cat Alliance and China

The International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), launched by India, focuses on the conservation of big cats including the tiger, lion, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, puma, and snow leopard. Officials from the Environment Ministry stated that China is unlikely to join the alliance despite receiving an invitation. Saudi Arabia has joined as a member of the alliance. The first IBCA meeting with representatives from 95 countries is scheduled to be held from June 1 to 3 in India. At present, the alliance has 24 member countries and 3 observer countries. Scientific estimates indicate that China has around 50–70 wild tigers, mainly Amur (Siberian) tigers living near the Russian border. According to the 2022 tiger census, India had 3,167 wild tigers, mostly Bengal tigers.

Hormuz Strait Crisis and Fertiliser Shortage

The blocking of the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted the domestic production of key fertiliser inputs such as urea, DAP, ammonia, sulphur, and LNG since February 2026. Due to this disruption, import costs increased sharply, with urea prices rising from $510 per tonne at the beginning of 2026 to $950 per tonne in April. Domestic fertiliser production was also affected because of a shortage of nearly 1.5 million tonnes of LNG per month. For the Kharif season, India requires 19.4 million tonnes of urea, while the available stock is 76.65 lakh metric tonnes. The total stock of all fertilisers stands at 199.65 lakh tonnes, which meets only 51% of the estimated Kharif fertiliser demand of 390.54 lakh tonnes projected by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. India imports nearly 50% of DAP, 100% of MOP (Muriate of Potash), and around 85% of the natural gas used for urea production, of which about 60% passes through the Strait of Hormuz. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chaired the fifth meeting of the Informal Group of Ministers (IGOM) to review energy flow and maritime trade security in West Asia. The Government also arranged emergency import of 2.5 million tonnes of urea through Indian Potash Limited.

States’ News

N. Rangasamy to Take Oath as Puducherry Chief Minister

N. Rangasamy will take oath as the Chief Minister of Puducherry on May 13. Along with him, five ministers will also assume office, including three members from the N.R. Congress and two members from the BJP. In the election to the 30-member Puducherry Legislative Assembly, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured victory by winning 18 seats, including 12 seats won by the N.R. Congress. The swearing-in ceremony will be held at the Puducherry Legislative Assembly complex. This will be the third time that N. Rangasamy assumes office as Chief Minister. L. Murugan and other political leaders are expected to participate in the ceremony.

Reports and Indices

Decline in Foreign Spending by Indian Tourists

Official data and analysis by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) show that foreign spending by Indian tourists has declined over the past two years. The data indicate that the increase in dollar outflow mainly came from investments made by High-Net-Worth Individuals (HNIs) in movable and immovable foreign assets rather than spending on foreign tourism or destination weddings. Under the Liberalized Remittance Scheme (LRS), Indians spent a total of 26.4 billion US dollars during the first 11 months of 2025-26.

Important Days

International Nurses Day - May 12

International Nurses Day is observed every year on May 12 to mark the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, known as the “Lady with the Lamp” and the founder of modern nursing. The day highlights the contribution of nurses to healthcare services across the world.

International Day of Plant Health

The International Day of Plant Health is observed on May 12 to create awareness about protecting plant health for food security, biodiversity, and economic development. The day was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).