Daily Current Affairs – 24-05-2026

Personalities, Awards and Events

Senthamizh Pathippuc Chemmal Award

Researcher Pa. Saravanan has been announced as the recipient of the ‘Senthamizh Pathippuc Chemmal’ Award instituted by Thiruvaduthurai Adheenam in the name of U. V. Swaminatha Iyer (U.Ve.Sa.). He has edited and republished long out-of-print works of classical Tamil publishers U. V. Swaminatha Iyer and C. W. Damodaram Pillai. His notable works include ‘Vallalarum Navalarum – Arutpa-Marutpa Poratta Varalaru’ and simplified commentaries on Silappatikaram and Thiruvasagam. He also brought out definitive editions of ‘Sri Meenachisundaram Pillaiyavargal Sarithiram’ and ‘Saminatham’. The award will be presented on June 8 during the birth-star celebration of the 24th Gurumaha Sannidhanam, Srila Sri Ambalavana Desika Paramachariya Swamigal, at Kuthalam, Mayiladuthurai district.

National News

19th Rojgar Mela

The 19th ‘Rojgar Mela’ was conducted at 47 locations across India, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi distributed appointment letters to 51,000 candidates through video conferencing. At the event held at Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai, Union Minister of State L. Murugan distributed appointment orders to 65 candidates from Tamil Nadu for services including Integral Coach Factory, Southern Railway, India Post Payments Bank, Department of Posts, and Ministry of Defence. The Central Government stated that against the target of 10 lakh jobs in one year, appointment orders have been issued to 12 lakh people so far. The Mumbai–Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project is scheduled to become operational in 2027, and the Chennai–Bengaluru High-Speed Rail Project is to be implemented.

Rajya Sabha Committee on Petitions

Raghav Chadha has been appointed as the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha Committee on Petitions after the committee was reconstituted by Rajya Sabha Chairman C. P. Radhakrishnan. The reconstituted committee includes Harsh Mahajan, Gulam Ali, Shambhu Sharan Patel, Mayankumar Nayak, Mastan Rao Yadav Beeda, Jebi Mather Hisham, Subhasish Khuntia, Rungwra Narzary, and Santosh Kumar P as members. The committee appointments came into effect from May 20. In a separate announcement, Rajya Sabha member Dr. Menaka Guruswamy was recommended by the Rajya Sabha Chairman as a member of the Joint Committee on the Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2026 on May 20, 2026.

Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team – 30 Years

The Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT) of the Indian Air Force (IAF) completed 30 years since its establishment in 1996 at Air Force Station Bidar, Karnataka, and recently completed its 800th aerial display at Wings India, Hyderabad. It is among the few nine-aircraft aerobatic formations in the world and the only such team in Asia. The team operates the Hawk Mk-132 advanced jet trainer, licence-produced by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The squadron is led by Group Captain Ajay Dasarathi, with Wing Commander Tejeshwar Singh as deputy leader, and includes 13 pilots. The team has performed in countries including UAE, Thailand, Laos, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and China. In March 2026, it conducted its first aerobatic display over the Himalayas. The squadron was formally designated 52 Squadron “Sharks” in May 2006, inherited the legacy of a MiG-21 FL unit, initially operated the HAL Kiran Mk-II trainer aircraft, and was revived in 2015 with the Hawk Mk-132 platform.

BHAVYA Industrial Parks Scheme

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal released the guidelines for the ₹33,660 crore BHAVYA (Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojana) scheme, under which 100 industrial parks will be developed across India with the participation of state governments and private players to promote manufacturing and investment. The scheme, approved by the Union Cabinet in March, aims to establish plug-and-play industrial zones with ready infrastructure. Under the first phase, the Centre has invited proposals from States and Union Territories, seeking proposals for 20 industrial parks in the first two months and 30 additional parks in the next two months, targeting 50 proposals in four months. The industrial parks will cover 100 to 1,000 acres. For infrastructure development, the Centre will provide financial support of up to ₹1 crore per acre or the market value of land, whichever is lower, while states will provide land.

Hyderabad Police Launches AI-CopWriter App

The Hyderabad City Police launched AI-CopWriter, an AI-powered mobile application that enables police officers to record, transcribe and translate complaints in 10 major Indian languages in real time across police stations. The application allows citizens to submit complaints in their mother tongue and converts spoken complaints into FIRs (First Information Reports) within seconds. The Hyderabad Police is already using AI through the C-Mitra platform for drafting cyber-crime complaints. An AI-based system has also been introduced for duty allocation of City Armed Reserve (CAR) personnel to ensure transparent posting procedures. The police department additionally uses the SO-CEYE social media surveillance platform to monitor online content, track cyber offenders and identify content affecting public order and women’s safety. Hyderabad Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar launched the AI-CopWriter initiative.

Suryastra Rocket Launchers Inducted into Indian Army

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh flagged off the first batch of India-made Suryastra Universal Rocket Launchers from Nibe Ltd’s facility at Shirdi, Maharashtra, for induction into the Indian Army under a ₹293-crore emergency procurement order issued in January. A modern artillery shell manufacturing factory with an annual production capacity of 5 lakh shells and a missile complex linked to the Universal Rocket Launching System were also launched. Nibe Group’s ₹3,000-crore defence manufacturing complex was inaugurated in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Anil Chauhan, and DRDO Chairman Samir V. Kamat. Developed using technology from Israel’s Elbit Systems and in-house R&D, the Suryastra system successfully completed trials on May 18 and 19 at the Integrated Test Range. The system has “shoot-and-scoot” capability and can launch precision-guided rockets with ranges between 150 km and 300 km, and loitering munitions up to 100 km. Nibe Group also announced plans to invest ₹10,000 crore, generate about 5,000 jobs, and develop an indigenous drone with a 1,000 km range.

Sports News

French Open 2026

The French Open, the second Grand Slam tournament of the year, began in Paris and will be held on clay courts until June 7. World No.1 Jannik Sinner of Italy entered the tournament after winning 29 consecutive matches this season, while Carlos Alcaraz of Spain withdrew due to injury. Novak Djokovic of Serbia is competing for his 25th Grand Slam title. Alexander Zverev of Germany is placed in the same draw as Djokovic. In the women’s category, World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus is aiming for another Grand Slam title after winning the Australian Open, while defending champion Coco Gauff of the USA and Iga Swiatek, a four-time French Open champion, are key participants. The tournament’s total prize money is approximately ₹550 crore, with the men’s and women’s singles champions receiving ₹25 crore each, and runners-up receiving ₹12.06 crore each.

Delhi High Court Order on Vinesh Phogat

Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat filed an appeal in the Delhi High Court seeking permission to participate in the Asian Games Selection Trials scheduled on 30 and 31 May after withdrawing her retirement decision. A bench comprising Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia directed that she be allowed to participate in the selection trials. The court also ordered the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) to video-record all her bouts during the trials, with mandatory presence of independent observers from the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the Sports Authority of India (SAI).

National Athletics Meet – New Records by Vishal, Gurindervir and Tejaswin

At the National Senior Athletics Competition held at Birsa Munda Stadium, Ranchi, Vishal TK became the first Indian to run the 400m race in under 45 seconds, recording 44.98 seconds in the men's 400m final. Tejaswin Shankar crossed the 8000-point mark in men's decathlon, setting a national record of 8057 points and surpassing the qualification standard for the Commonwealth Games. In the men's 100m event, Gurindervir Singh created a new record with a timing of 10.09 seconds, while Animesh Kujur finished with 10.20 seconds; both athletes crossed the Commonwealth Games qualification mark of 10.16 seconds for Glasgow. In the women’s shot put event, Chennai’s Krishna Jayasankar achieved a personal best of 17.35 m, missing the Commonwealth Games qualification standard by 30 cm.

- Vishal TK became the first Indian to run the men’s 400m race in under 45 seconds.

-Tejaswin Shankar set a national record in men’s decathlon with 8057 points.

-Gurindervir Singh recorded 10.09 seconds in the men’s 100m event.

ens Wins First Coupe de France Title

Lens won the Coupe de France football title for the first time by defeating Nice 3–1 in the final held at Stade de France, Paris. With this victory, Lens secured its maiden French Cup championship. In Ligue 1, Lens had earlier finished in second place behind defending champion PSG. In Italy’s Serie A, the match between Frosinone and Salernitana ended in a 1–1 draw, while Monza defeated Fiorentina 1–0.

Naegohyang FC Wins AFC Women’s Champions League

North Korea’s Naegohyang FC won the AFC Women’s Champions League title by defeating Japan’s Tokyo Beleza 1–0 in the final held at Suwon, South Korea. The final match of the Asian Women’s Champions League football tournament took place on Saturday.

India Wins 5 Medals in U23 Asian Wrestling Championship

At the U23 Asian Wrestling Championship held in Da Nang, Vietnam, India won 2 silver medals and 3 bronze medals in the Greco-Roman category on the opening day. Suraj Singh won silver in the 60 kg category after losing to Kazakhstan’s Aibek Atabekov, while Sagar Singh secured silver in the 67 kg category after losing to Uzbekistan’s Kanmaknov in the final. Kumar Sachin in the 70 kg category, Rohit in the 97 kg category and Hardeep in the 130 kg category won bronze medals. Earlier, India had won 1 gold and 2 bronze medals in the U23 and U17 Asian Championships.

International News

Marco Rubio – PM Modi Meeting

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi during his visit to India. Before arriving in Delhi, he visited Kolkata and the ‘Mother House’, headquarters of Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity. The meeting was attended by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. Discussions covered India–US bilateral relations, energy security, education, defence and trade cooperation, regional and international security, people-to-people ties, and the West Asia situation. During the meeting, Marco Rubio extended an invitation on behalf of US President Donald Trump for Prime Minister Modi to visit the United States.

Marco Rubio’s India Visit and QUAD Meeting

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Kolkata as the first phase of his India tour and visited Mother House, the headquarters of Missionaries of Charity founded by Mother Teresa. This marked the first visit by a US Secretary of State to Kolkata in 14 years, after Hillary Clinton’s visit in 2012. During his India visit, Rubio met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi and extended an invitation on behalf of US President Donald Trump for an official visit to the United States. The discussions covered India–US cooperation in trade, security, key and advanced technologies, and the Middle East situation. Rubio is also scheduled to participate in the QUAD Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Delhi, involving India, the US, Japan, and Australia, under the leadership of External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, with participation from Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong.

New USCIS Rule on Green Card Applications

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a new policy note stating that immigrants in the United States seeking Permanent Residency (Green Card) must apply from their home country, except under extraordinary circumstances. The rule affects temporary visa holders including H-1B, L-1, F-1 OPT and STEM OPT categories. USCIS spokesperson Zach Kahler stated that temporary visa categories are intended for short-term and specific purposes. Applicants providing economic benefit or serving the national interest may be allowed to complete processing within the United States. The policy indicates stricter scrutiny for dual-intent visas such as H-1B and L-1, while Section 245 of the Immigration and Nationality Act continues to permit Adjustment of Status (AOS) in the US at USCIS discretion. According to FY27 USCIS data, H-1B registrations declined by 38.5%, falling from 343,981 in FY2026 to 211,600 in FY2027.

Reports and Indices

Tamil Nadu Infant Mortality Rate

According to the Sample Registration System (SRS) Bulletin 2024 released by the Union Government, Tamil Nadu’s Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) declined from 12 to 11 per 1,000 live births between 2023 and 2024. Among large states, Kerala recorded the lowest IMR at 8, followed by Tamil Nadu at 11. In Tamil Nadu, the 2024 IMR was 12 in rural areas and 10 in urban areas, compared to 13 rural and 11 urban in 2023. The state’s death rate decreased from 6.9 in 2023 to 6.8 in 2024. Tamil Nadu is the only state where qualified medical doctors are included in Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) teams, with around 800 RBSK teams functioning across the state. The state has also made antenatal scans for detecting foetal anomalies mandatory. Village Health Nurses (VHN) monitor preterm and low-birth-weight babies after discharge, and Comprehensive Emergency and Newborn Care (CEmONC) Centres in Tamil Nadu provide services with obstetricians, paediatricians and anaesthetists.