Best 100 May Current Affairs (2026) | With Free PDF

May is one of the most exam-critical months of the year and 2026 has made that truer than ever. ITBP’s first all-women team scaling Mount Everest, India’s first barrier-less tolling system going live in Gujarat, Sikkim becoming the country’s first paperless judiciary state, Gurindervir Singh smashing India’s 100m national record, the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi, the Padma Awards ceremony, and a dense run of policy, defense, and science milestones. We can say that May 2026 has handed exam setters an embarrassment of riches.

Data from past UPSC, SSC, and Banking papers shows that May current affairs contribute disproportionately to June–September exam papers. This is particularly true for things like appointments, defense events, and flagship scheme launches. With UPSC Mains 2026 scheduled for August 21, aspirants who master May events now are building the strongest possible foundation.

May Current Affairs Questions 2026

Topic 1: BRICS & International Affairs

1. India hosted the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi on which dates in May 2026?
a) May 5–6
b) May 10–11
c) May 14–15 ✅
d) May 20–21

2. The BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting 2026 was held at which venue in New Delhi?
a) Vigyan Bhawan
b) India International Centre
c) Hyderabad House
d) Bharat Mandapam ✅

3. The BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting 2026 was chaired by which Indian minister?
a) Rajnath Singh
b) Nirmala Sitharaman
c) S. Jaishankar ✅
d) Amit Shah

4. What is the full expansion of India’s BRICS 2026 chairship theme?
a) Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability ✅
b) Building Relations, Integration, Cooperation and Stability
c) Broad-based Resilience, Inclusion, Cooperation and Security
d) Bridging Resources, Innovation, Connectivity and Sustainability

5. India’s BRICS 2026 chairship theme is notable because its initials spell out which word?
a) FORCE
b) BRIMS
c) INDIA
d) BRICS ✅

6. The BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting 2026 was the first major ministerial engagement ahead of which upcoming event?
a) G20 Summit
b) SCO Summit
c) QUAD Leaders’ Summit
d) 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit ✅

7. Which Russian foreign minister attended the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi in May 2026?
a) Dmitry Medvedev
b) Sergey Lavrov ✅
c) Igor Ivanov
d) Andrei Gromyko

8. The 11th Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting was held at which venue in New Delhi on 26 May 2026?
a) Bharat Mandapam
b) Vigyan Bhawan
c) Hyderabad House ✅
d) Rashtrapati Bhavan

9. On the sidelines of the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on May 26, 2026, India signed a bilateral framework on critical minerals and rare earths with which country?
a) Japan
b) Australia
c) United Kingdom
d) United States ✅

10. During Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides’ State Visit to India in May 2026, bilateral ties were elevated from Comprehensive Partnership to which level?
a) Enhanced Partnership
b) Special Relationship
c) Strategic Partnership ✅
d) Global Partnership

11. The India-Cyprus bilateral ties were elevated on which specific date during the State Visit?
a) May 20, 2026
b) May 22, 2026 ✅
c) May 25, 2026
d) May 27, 2026

12. The 1st BRICS 2026 Tourism Working Group (TWG) Meeting was held on which date?
a) May 14, 2026
b) May 20, 2026
c) May 25, 2026 ✅
d) May 27, 2026

13. In what mode was the 1st BRICS 2026 Tourism Working Group Meeting held?
a) Physical meeting in Mumbai
b) Physical meeting in New Delhi
c) Hybrid mode
d) Virtual mode ✅

Topic 2: Defense & Security

14. Mahendragiri, the sixth ship of Project 17A (Nilgiri-class), was delivered to the Indian Navy on which date?
a) March 15, 2026
b) April 10, 2026
c) April 30, 2026 ✅
d) May 15, 2026

15. Mahendragiri was the fourth and final Project 17A ship built by which shipyard?
a) Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers
b) Goa Shipyard Limited
c) Hindustan Shipyard Limited
d) Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) ✅

16. Project 17A includes a total of how many frigates built across MDL and GRSE?
a) Five
b) Six
c) Seven ✅
d) Eight

17. Mahendragiri is named after a mountain peak in the Eastern Ghats located in which state?
a) Andhra Pradesh
b) Tamil Nadu
c) Odisha ✅
d) Telangana

18. Which body designed all Project 17A frigates including Mahendragiri?
a) DRDO
b) Warship Design Bureau ✅
c) BrahMos Aerospace
d) Hindustan Aeronautics Limited

19. Project 17A frigates have what percentage of indigenous content?
a) 50%
b) 60%
c) 75% ✅
d) 90%

20. INS Udaygiri, the second ship of Project 17A, was simultaneously commissioned alongside which other ship in August 2025 which marks the first time two major surface combatants from two Indian shipyards were commissioned together?
a) INS Nilgiri
b) INS Taragiri
c) INS Himgiri ✅
d) INS Mahendragiri

Topic 3: Sports

21. Sprinter Gurindervir Singh set a new 100m national record at the 29th National Federation Cup on which date?
a) May 15, 2026
b) May 20, 2026
c) May 23, 2026 ✅
d) May 27, 2026

22. What was Gurindervir Singh’s record-breaking 100m timing at the 2026 Federation Cup in Ranchi?
a) 10.15 seconds
b) 10.12 seconds
c) 10.09 seconds ✅
d) 10.05 seconds

23. Gurindervir Singh became the first Indian sprinter to run below which barrier in the 100m?
a) 10.20 seconds
b) 10.15 seconds
c) 10.10 seconds ✅
d) 10.00 seconds

24. Gurindervir Singh serves as Petty Officer in which service?
a) Indian Army
b) Indian Air Force
c) Indian Coast Guard
d) Indian Navy ✅

25. Who held the 100m national record going into the final of the 2026 Federation Cup, immediately before Gurindervir broke it?
a) Amlan Borgohain
b) Manikanta Hoblidhar
c) Animesh Kujur ✅
d) Pranav Gurav

26. What timing did Animesh Kujur hold as the 100m national record going into the 2026 Federation Cup final?
a) 10.18 seconds
b) 10.15 seconds ✅
c) 10.12 seconds
d) 10.10 seconds

27. Vishal TK became the first Indian to run 400m in under 45 seconds at the same 2026 Federation Cup. What was his record timing?
a) 44.78 seconds
b) 44.98 seconds ✅
c) 45.01 seconds
d) 45.12 seconds

28. ITBP’s first-ever all-women international Mount Everest expedition summited on which date?
a) May 15, 2026
b) May 18, 2026
c) May 21, 2026 ✅
d) May 25, 2026

29. The ITBP all-women Everest team summited via which route?
a) North Col Route
b) Northeast Ridge
c) West Ridge
d) South Col Route ✅

30. How many women climbers (not counting support staff) were part of the ITBP all-women Everest expedition 2026?
a) 8
b) 9
c) 11 ✅
d) 14

31. The total size of the ITBP all-women Everest expedition 2026, including support members, was:
a) 10
b) 12
c) 14 ✅
d) 18

32. With the May 2026 Everest summit, ITBP has now completed how many mountaineering expeditions in total?
a) 180
b) 210
c) 232 ✅
d) 250

33. The ITBP all-women Everest expedition was flagged off from New Delhi on which date?
a) March 10, 2026
b) April 1, 2026
c) April 19, 2026 ✅
d) May 1, 2026

34. Under which campaign did the ITBP Everest team also collect non-biodegradable waste from the Everest region?
a) Clean Mountain India
b) Green Himalaya Mission
c) Clean Himalaya — Save Glacier ✅
d) Save Everest Drive

35. In chess, Indian player Divya Deshmukh defeated which player in an Armageddon tiebreak at Norway Chess 2026 on May 26?
a) Harika Dronavalli
b) Tania Sachdev
c) Koneru Humpy ✅
d) R. Praggnanandhaa

36. Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated Gujarat Titans in IPL 2026 Qualifier 1 by how many runs?
a) 54 runs
b) 72 runs
c) 92 runs ✅
d) 110 runs

37. Rajat Patidar scored an unbeaten 93 off 33 balls in IPL 2026 Qualifier 1 for which team?
a) Mumbai Indians
b) Gujarat Titans
c) Rajasthan Royals
d) Royal Challengers Bengaluru ✅

38. What score did RCB post in their IPL 2026 Qualifier 1 innings against Gujarat Titans?
a) 220/4
b) 231/6
c) 240/7
d) 254/5 ✅

Topic 4: Padma Awards 2026

39. The first Civil Investiture Ceremony for Padma Awards 2026 was held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on which date?
a) May 15, 2026
b) May 20, 2026
c) May 25, 2026 ✅
d) May 30, 2026

40. How many Padma Awards in total were approved by the Government of India for 2026?
a) 100
b) 115
c) 131 ✅
d) 150

41. How many Padma Vibhushan awards were approved for 2026?
a) 3
b) 5 ✅
c) 7
d) 9

42. How many Padma Bhushan awards were approved for 2026?
a) 9
b) 11
c) 13 ✅
d) 15

43. How many Padma Shri awards were approved for 2026?
a) 100
b) 113 ✅
c) 120
d) 130

44. How many awards in the 2026 Padma list were conferred posthumously?
a) 8
b) 12
c) 16 ✅
d) 20

45. How many women were among the 2026 Padma awardees?
a) 12
b) 15
c) 19 ✅
d) 25

46. How many awards were conferred at the first investiture ceremony on May 25, 2026?
a) 50
b) 60
c) 66 ✅
d) 80

47. Veteran Bollywood actor Dharmendra was conferred which posthumous Padma Award in 2026?
a) Padma Shri
b) Padma Bhushan
c) Padma Vibhushan ✅
d) Bharat Ratna

48. Former Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan received which posthumous Padma Award in 2026?
a) Padma Shri
b) Padma Bhushan
c) Padma Vibhushan ✅
d) Bharat Ratna

49. Cricketer Rohit Sharma was conferred which Padma Award at the 2026 ceremony?
a) Padma Vibhushan
b) Padma Bhushan
c) Padma Shri ✅
d) Bharat Ratna

50. Harmanpreet Kaur received which Padma Award in 2026?
a) Padma Vibhushan
b) Padma Bhushan
c) Padma Shri ✅
d) Arjuna Award

51. Singer Alka Yagnik received which Padma Award in 2026?
a) Padma Vibhushan
b) Padma Bhushan ✅
c) Padma Shri
d) Sangeet Natak Akademi Award

52. Malayalam superstar Mammootty received which Padma Award in 2026?
a) Padma Vibhushan
b) Padma Bhushan ✅
c) Padma Shri
d) Kerala Ratna

53. Advertising veteran Piyush Pandey was conferred which posthumous Padma Award in 2026?
a) Padma Vibhushan
b) Padma Bhushan ✅
c) Padma Shri
d) Sahitya Akademi Award

54. Industrialist Uday Kotak received which Padma Award in 2026?
a) Padma Vibhushan
b) Padma Bhushan ✅
c) Padma Shri
d) Bharat Ratna

55. Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren was conferred which posthumous Padma Award in 2026?
a) Padma Vibhushan
b) Padma Bhushan ✅
c) Padma Shri
d) Bharat Ratna

56. Classical violinist N. Rajam received which Padma Award in 2026?
a) Padma Shri
b) Padma Bhushan
c) Padma Vibhushan ✅
d) Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship

Topic 5: Infrastructure & Governance

57. India’s first Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) barrier-less tolling system was launched at which toll plaza?
a) Surat Ring Road Toll
b) Bharuch Main Toll
c) Ahmedabad West Toll
d) Chorayasi Toll Plaza ✅

58. The Chorayasi MLFF toll system is on which National Highway?
a) NH-44
b) NH-48 ✅
c) NH-66
d) NH-52

59. The Chorayasi MLFF system is on the highway connecting which two cities?
a) Ahmedabad and Vadodara
b) Surat and Bharuch ✅
c) Surat and Ahmedabad
d) Bharuch and Vadodara

60. Which two technologies power India’s first MLFF barrier-less tolling system?
a) GPS and Bluetooth
b) Satellite mapping and QR codes
c) ANPR and FASTag ✅
d) NFC and CCTV

61. Which state became India’s first fully paperless judiciary state in May 2026?
a) Kerala
b) Goa
c) Manipur
d) Sikkim ✅

62. The declaration of Sikkim as India’s first paperless judiciary was made on which date?
a) April 15, 2026
b) May 1, 2026 ✅
c) May 10, 2026
d) May 15, 2026

63. CJI Surya Kant declared Sikkim as India’s first paperless judiciary at a conclave held in which city?
a) Imphal
b) Shillong
c) Gangtok ✅
d) Itanagar

64. The conclave at which Sikkim’s paperless judiciary was announced was themed around which subject?
a) Access to Justice for Rural India
b) Technology and Judicial Education ✅
c) e-Courts and Digital India
d) Judicial Reform and Constitutional Values

65. Sikkim’s Chief Minister who welcomed the paperless judiciary achievement is:
a) Bhaichung Bhutia
b) Nar Bahadur Bhandari
c) Chamling Pawan Kumar
d) Prem Singh Tamang (P.S. Golay) ✅

66. DPIIT released operational guidelines for the BHAVYA Scheme on which date in May 2026?
a) May 10, 2026
b) May 15, 2026
c) May 20, 2026
d) May 23, 2026 ✅

67. BHAVYA stands for:
a) Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojana ✅
b) Bharat Aarthik Vikas Yojana
c) Bharat Audyogik Vistar Yojana
d) Bharat Abhiyan Vikas Yojana

68. BHAVYA Scheme aims to develop how many industrial parks between 2026–27 and 2031–32?
a) 50
b) 75
c) 100 ✅
d) 150

69. What is the total financial outlay of the BHAVYA Scheme?
a) Rs. 10,000 crore
b) Rs. 20,000 crore
c) Rs. 33,660 crore ✅
d) Rs. 50,000 crore

70. Which body has been designated as the Project Management Agency (PMA) for the BHAVYA Scheme?
a) DPIIT directly
b) SIDBI
c) National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC) ✅
d) NITI Aayog

71. Kerala launched ‘Project Zero’ on May 26, 2026 — an initiative covering bribery, cyber crimes, vigilance procedures and complaint handling. This is classified as:
a) Digital governance and e-literacy
b) Police modernisation
c) Anti-corruption initiative for state administration ✅
d) Youth employment scheme

72. PM Narendra Modi held meetings in New Delhi on May 26, 2026 with foreign ministers of which two countries?
a) USA and UK
b) France and Germany
c) Australia and Japan ✅
d) China and Russia

Topic 6: Science, Technology & Environment

73. The C-ART (Coastal Atmospheric Research Testbed) Observatory was inaugurated on May 1, 2026, at which institution?
a) University of Hyderabad
b) Jadavpur University
c) Andhra University, Visakhapatnam ✅
d) Calcutta University

74. The C-ART observatory was established by which institute under Mission Mausam?
a) India Meteorological Department
b) National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting
c) Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) ✅
d) National Institute of Ocean Technology

75. The C-ART observatory is the first such testbed on India’s which coast?
a) West coast
b) South coast
c) East coast ✅
d) Southwest coast

76. IIT Madras Global Research Foundation announced its first US centre in May 2026. Where is it located?
a) New York
b) Boston
c) Austin, Texas
d) Menlo Park, California ✅

77. The IIT Madras US centre was announced at which summit?
a) US-India Innovation Forum
b) Indo-US Technology Congress
c) SelectUSA Investment Summit ✅
d) Global Deep-Tech Conference

78. What is the total planned investment for the IIT Madras Menlo Park centre?
a) USD 3 million
b) USD 5 million
c) USD 7.5 million ✅
d) USD 12 million

79. Vaccinium piliferum — a rare wild relative of blueberry — was rediscovered in May 2026 after how many years?
a) 88 years
b) 150 years
c) 188 years ✅
d) 210 years

80. Vaccinium piliferum was rediscovered in Vijoynagar, in which district of Arunachal Pradesh?
a) West Kameng
b) Lower Dibang Valley
c) Tirap
d) Changlang ✅

Topic 7: Governance & Law

81. The National Sports Governance (National Sports Board) Rules, 2026 were notified under which Act?
a) National Sports Development Act 2024
b) National Sports Governance Act 2025 ✅
c) Sports Authority of India Act 2022
d) National Sports Promotion Act 2023

82. The National Sports Board (NSB) consists of how many members?
a) One Chairperson only
b) One Chairperson and one member
c) One Chairperson and two members ✅
d) Three members and one Chairperson

83. The tenure of NSB members is up to how many years, or until what age — whichever is earlier?
a) 2 years or age 60
b) 3 years or age 65 ✅
c) 5 years or age 67
d) 5 years or age 70

84. The National Sports Tribunal (NST) Chairperson must be which of the following?
a) A retired IAS officer of Secretary rank
b) A sitting or former Supreme Court judge or Chief Justice of a High Court ✅
c) An Olympic medallist nominated by the government
d) A former Sports Minister

85. The tenure of the National Sports Tribunal Chairperson is:
a) 3 years or until age 65
b) 4 years or until age 68
c) 5 years or until age 70 ✅
d) 5 years or until age 67

86. Appeals against National Sports Tribunal orders lie with which court, and must be filed within how many days?
a) High Court within 60 days
b) High Court within 30 days
c) Supreme Court within 60 days
d) Supreme Court within 30 days ✅

Topic 8: Fisheries

87. According to CMFRI data released in April 2026, which state emerged as India’s top marine fish-producing state in 2025?
a) Kerala
b) Andhra Pradesh
c) Tamil Nadu ✅
d) West Bengal

88. What was Tamil Nadu’s total marine fish production in 2025 (in lakh tonnes)?
a) 5.43
b) 6.22
c) 6.85 ✅
d) 7.10

89. What was India’s total marine fish production in 2025 (in lakh tonnes)?
a) 30.5
b) 33.2
c) 35.7 ✅
d) 38.0

90. By what percentage did India’s total marine fish production rise in 2025 compared to 2024?
a) 1%
b) 3% ✅
c) 7%
d) 10%

91. Which was the most landed marine resource in India in 2025, according to CMFRI?
a) Indian oil sardine
b) Cephalopods
c) Threadfin breams
d) Indian mackerel ✅

92. Gujarat’s marine fish production in 2025 declined by approximately what percentage?
a) 5%
b) 10%
c) 15% ✅
d) 20%

Topic 9: Important Days & History

93. Barabar Caves — India’s oldest surviving rock-cut structures — are located in which state?
a) Madhya Pradesh
b) Odisha
c) Rajasthan
d) Bihar ✅

94. Barabar Caves were carved during which empire in the 3rd century BCE?
a) Gupta Empire
b) Kushan Empire
c) Mauryan Empire ✅
d) Satavahana Empire

95. The Barabar Caves were primarily built for ascetics of which sect?
a) Buddhist
b) Jain
c) Shaiva
d) Ajivika ✅

96. The Barabar site comprises four Barabar caves and three Nagarjuni caves, collectively known as:
a) Saptarishi Caves
b) Sapta Guha
c) Satghar ✅
d) Maurya Garbha

97. The dedicatory Brahmi inscriptions in the Barabar Caves refer to Emperor Ashoka by which name?
a) Ashoka the Great
b) Devanampiya
c) King Piyadasi ✅
d) Dharmaraja

98. International Workers’ Day is observed every year on which date?
a) March 8
b) April 22
c) May 1 ✅
d) June 5

99. India’s first May Day celebration in 1923 was held in which city?
a) Bombay
b) Calcutta
c) Delhi
d) Madras (now Chennai) ✅

100. Which leader organised India’s first May Day celebration in 1923?
a) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
b) Bhimrao Ambedkar
c) Jawaharlal Nehru
d) Malayapuram Singaravelu Chettiar ✅

Download Your Free May 2026 Current Affairs PDF (200 MCQs with Explanation)

Supplementary Resources

April 2026 Current Affairs

March 2026 Current Affairs

Common Preparation Mistakes

Mistake 1: Getting Padma Award categories wrong.

Dharmendra and V.S. Achuthanandan — Padma Vibhushan. Rohit Sharma and Harmanpreet Kaur — Padma Shri. Alka Yagnik, Mammootty, Piyush Pandey, Shibu Soren, Uday Kotak — Padma Bhushan. N. Rajam — Padma Vibhushan. Know the exact category for every notable name and what is the difference between the awards.

Mistake 2: Getting the BRICS theme wrong.

“BRICS at 20” belonged to South Africa’s 2022 chairship. India’s 2026 theme is “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability” — which itself spells BRICS. That second layer is itself an exam question.

Mistake 3: Confusing Mahendragiri’s position.

It is the sixth ship of Project 17A (Nilgiri-class) overall, but the fourth and final ship built specifically by MDL. GRSE builds three of the seven. INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri were simultaneously commissioned in August 2025. This is the first time two major surface combatants from two different shipyards were commissioned together.

Mistake 4: Mixing up ITBP and BSF Everest expeditions.

Both ITBP and BSF had all-women Everest expeditions in May 2026. For ITBP specifically: 11 climbers, 14 total, summited May 21, South Col route, ITBP’s 232nd expedition overall.

Mistake 5: Assuming Gurindervir broke the record from 10.18s in the final.

In the final, he broke Animesh Kujur’s record of 10.15s (set in the semis that day). The original record before the meet was 10.18s. Questions can be set on either figure so know both.

Closing Thoughts

You opened this page because an exam is coming. Maybe it is weeks away, maybe it is months. Either way, you are here, reading this, when you could be doing something easier. That choice is not nothing, it is the difference between aspirants who make it and those who almost did.

May 2026 gave you a lot to work with. A sprinter who became the fastest Indian in history. Eleven women from ITBP who stood on top of the world. A frigate named after an Odishan mountain, representing six years of shipbuilding and the quiet pride of two thousand engineers. A decade-old fish production record broken by Tamil Nadu. Sikkim which is a state of half a million people showing the rest of the country what a paperless court system looks like. These are not just exam facts. They are the story of a country moving.

Learn them well enough that you can answer questions about them. Learn them well enough that you remember why they matter. Both things are possible at the same time.

The exam is not the end. It is a door. You have been working to reach it, and May 2026 is one more brick in that foundation. Lay it carefully.

Come back next month. We will have June 2026 ready before the question setters do.

All the best. You have earned the right to say that to yourself. 💪

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