National Affairs

India’s First SkyCast Aviation Weather System Launched Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh inaugurated India’s first SkyCast System at Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi. Developed under Mission Mausam, the system provides real-time weather monitoring and fog alerts up to three hours in advance. It uses an array of technologies including radar wind profilers, lidar-based sensors, and automated weather stations to monitor wind activity up to 3 km altitude. With this, India becomes the 19th country globally to deploy an integrated aviation weather monitoring system.

NITI Aayog Unveils 10-Year Semiconductor Roadmap NITI Aayog’s Frontier Tech Hub released a comprehensive roadmap titled Future of India’s Semiconductor Industry, targeting a USD 120–150 billion semiconductor value chain by 2035. The report projects India could capture 10–13% of the global semiconductor market by that year. Unveiled jointly by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, the roadmap advocates a “More-than-Moore” strategy focused on mature logic nodes, advanced packaging, and next-generation compound materials.

MCA Expands CSR Rules to Include Social Stock Exchange Instruments The Ministry of Corporate Affairs amended Schedule VII of the Companies Act, 2013, allowing companies to fulfill CSR obligations by subscribing to Zero Coupon Zero Principal (ZCZP) instruments listed on Social Stock Exchanges. The amendment, effective May 27, 2026, caps such CSR spending at 10% of a company’s total annual CSR expenditure.

DFS Launches Portal for Unclaimed Financial Assets The Department of Financial Services launched a Common Landing Portal to help citizens locate unclaimed financial assets including bank deposits, insurance claims, shares, dividends, and mutual fund investments. The initiative, developed with the PSB Alliance, supports the nationwide campaign Aapki Poonji, Aapka Adhikaar (Your Money, Your Right) and aligns with the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.

Odisha Signs USD 3.3 Billion Semiconductor Deal with Intel and 3DGS Odisha signed an MoU with Intel Corporation and 3D Glass Solutions Inc. (USA) to set up an advanced packaging glass core substrate manufacturing facility in the Bhubaneswar–Khurda region. The project, to be implemented over 5–6 years, aims to position Odisha as a global semiconductor hub and is one of India’s largest high-technology manufacturing investments to date.

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Banking & Finance

NISM and Galgotias University Partner on Financial Education SEBI’s National Institute of Securities Markets (NISM) entered a strategic partnership with Galgotias University, UP, to expand access to certifications and learning in securities markets, fintech, derivatives, and risk management. Students will gain access to NISM certifications, e-learning modules, and simulation-based training through the university’s SMART Lab.

Bajaj Finserv and IIT Bombay Launch AI Research Initiative Bajaj Finserv announced Bajaj Finserv Intelligence, a joint initiative with IIT Bombay focused on AI and deep-tech research. The initiative plans to invest Rs 1,500–2,000 crore over five years in AI innovation startups, with research spanning cybersecurity, quantum technologies, digital financial inclusion, health tech, and climate solutions.

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Awards & Recognitions

Tamil Nadu Farmer Named FAO Soil Farmer Hero Valluvan, a coconut farmer from Pollachi, Tamil Nadu, was honored as an FAO Soil Farmer Hero for transforming his 11-hectare farm into a highly productive multi-crop enterprise. Guided by Isha Foundation’s Save Soil–Cauvery Calling programme, he expanded cultivation from 3 to over 14 crop varieties, achieving returns of Rs 2.5–3 lakh per acre.

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Appointments

Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh Gets Additional DRDO Charge Rajesh Kumar Singh, Defence Secretary and a 1989-batch IAS officer of the Kerala cadre, was assigned additional charge as Chairman of DRDO and Secretary of the Department of Defence R&D, effective May 31, 2026, following the end of Dr. Samir V. Kamat’s tenure.

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Obituary

Former Kerala MP K. P. Dhanapalan Passes Away Senior Congress leader and former Lok Sabha MP K. P. Dhanapalan passed away on May 30, 2026, at the age of 76 in Paravur, Kerala. Elected to the 15th Lok Sabha from Chalakudy in 2009, he had a long career in Congress politics spanning student unions, district committees, and the AICC.

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Books & Authors

Rajnath Singh Releases Commemorative Volume on Operation Sindoor Defence Minister Rajnath Singh released a volume titled Operation Sindoor, compiling first-hand testimonies from 100 Armed Forces personnel who participated in the operation. Compiled under the guidance of CDS General Anil Chauhan and published with support from the United Service Institution of India, the book documents India’s integrated multi-domain warfare capabilities during the operation launched on May 7, 2025.

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Important Days

International Week of Solidarity with Non-Self-Governing Territories — May 25–31 The UN observes this week annually to reaffirm the right to self-determination for peoples of non-self-governing territories. First observed in 2000, it was established through UNGA Resolution A/RES/54/91, adopted in December 1999.