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Current Affairs 15th May 2026
The World's Highest Mountains
Trick →“Every Kind Kid Likes Mangoes”
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E → Mount Everest
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K → K2 (Godwin Austen)
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K → Kangchenjunga
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L → Lhotse
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M → Makalu
1. V. D. Satheesan Named Kerala’s Chief Minister
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UDF’s Resounding Victory: Satheesan led the UDF to an unprecedented win, securing 102 out of 140 seats in the Kerala Assembly. This victory ended a decade of rule by the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF).
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Leadership Consensus: After 10 days of intense internal discussions, the Congress high command chose Satheesan over senior leaders KC Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala. His appointment was strongly backed by grassroots workers and key allies like the IUML.
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A "Nayakan" (Hero) Emerges: Previously the Leader of Opposition, Satheesan was credited with rebuilding the party after its 2021 defeat. He is a six-time MLA from the Paravur constituency and is viewed as the "people’s candidate" for his aggressive stance against the previous government.
Footnotes: Kerala’s Previous CM: Pinarayi Vijayan, Governor: Rajendra Arlekar, Capital: Thiruvananthapuram
2. India’s first privately manufactured military aircraft Airbus C-295
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Historical First for Indian Private Sector: It marks the first time a complete military aircraft is being manufactured and assembled in India by a private company—Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL)—breaking the long-standing monopoly of state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
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Production Split & Facility: Out of the 56 aircraft ordered under the ₹21,935-crore deal, 16 are delivered directly from Spain in a "fly-away" condition, while the remaining 40 aircraft are being fully manufactured at the newly established Tata-Airbus Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Vadodara, Gujarat.
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Role & Indigenization: The C-295 is a new-generation tactical transport aircraft with a 9.5-tonne payload capacity introduced to replace the Indian Air Force's ageing Avro HS-748 fleet. It significantly boosts the Make in India initiative, featuring an indigenous Electronic Warfare Suite and sourcing up to 75% of its structural components locally.
3. Yoweri Museveni Sworn In for Seventh Term as Uganda President
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Four Decades of Power: The 81-year-old leader, who first took office in 1986, extended his 40-year rule by another five-year term. He remains one of Africa’s longest-serving non-royal heads of state, having previously removed constitutional age and term limits to stay in office.
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Controversial Landslide Victory: Museveni was declared the winner of the January 2026 elections with 71.65% of the vote. His main challenger, Bobi Wine (Robert Kyagulanyi), secured 24.72% but disputed the results, alleging widespread fraud, intimidation, and an internet blackout during the polls.
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Focus on Regional Integration: In his inaugural address, Museveni pledged to prioritize economic transformation and regional stability. He called for stronger African cooperation through the East African Community (EAC) and urged the continent to focus on "value addition" for raw materials rather than simple exports.
Footnotes: Uganda's Previous President: Tito Okello, PM: Robinah Nabbanja, Capital: Kampala
4. RBI Cancels Sarvodaya Co-operative Bank Licence
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Financial Insolvency: The RBI revoked the license because the bank lacked adequate capital and viable earning prospects. The regulator stated that the bank’s current financial position made it impossible for it to repay its depositors in full, and continuing operations would have been prejudicial to public interest.
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Cessation of Operations: With the cancellation, the bank is strictly prohibited from conducting any "banking" business. This includes the immediate halt of accepting fresh deposits and the processing of withdrawals or repayments. A liquidator has been requested to oversee the winding-up process.
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Depositor Protection (DICGC): Approximately 98.36% of depositors are entitled to receive the full amount of their deposits from the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC). Under current laws, each depositor is eligible for a reimbursement of their holdings up to a ceiling of ₹5 lakh.
Footnotes: RBI's Governor: Sanjay Malhotra, HQ: Mumbai, Estd: 1935
5. India’s Ajith clinches double bronze at Asian Senior Weightlifting Championships
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Double Bronze Finish: Competing in the men's 71kg category, Ajith secured a bronze medal in the Clean & Jerk section and another bronze in the Overall standings. Separate medals are awarded for Snatch, Clean & Jerk, and the total combined lift in continental championships.
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Performance Metrics: He registered a total lift of 314kg, which included a 140kg Snatch and a strong 174kg in the Clean & Jerk. He narrowly edged out Uzbekistan’s Matrasulov Khusinboy by a single kilogram to claim his spot on the overall podium.
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Performance Metrics: He registered a total lift of 314kg, which included a 140kg Snatch and a strong 174kg in the Clean & Jerk. He narrowly edged out Uzbekistan’s Matrasulov Khusinboy by a single kilogram to claim his spot on the overall podium.
6. Aparna Dahiya secures Gold medal at the 11th Sanda World Cup
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Dominant Performance: Aparna clinched the gold medal in the women's 52kg category. She defeated the reigning world champion, Thi Phuong Nga Ngo of Vietnam, in a decisive straight-sets victory during the final.
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A Historic "First": This was India's first gold medal at the 11th edition of the Sanda World Cup. The tournament, which began on May 12, features only the top-ranked fighters from the previous World Wushu Championships, making it one of the most elite competitions in the sport.
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Redemption Victory: The win served as personal redemption for Aparna; she had previously lost to the same Vietnamese opponent in the finals of the 2025 World Wushu Championships in Brazil, where she had settled for silver.
7. Rahul Dravid Becomes Owner of Dublin Franchise in ETPL
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Completion of ETPL Structure: Dravid’s acquisition of the Dublin-based team marks the completion of the league's six-team franchise structure for its inaugural 2026 season. The ETPL is Europe’s first ICC-sanctioned multi-country T20 league, featuring teams from Ireland, Scotland, and the Netherlands.
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Star-Studded Ownership & Captaincy: The Dublin Guardians have appointed veteran Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin as their captain and mentor. Dravid joins other high-profile figures associated with the league, including co-founder Abhishek Bachchan and fellow franchise stakeholders like Steve Waugh, Chris Gayle, and Jonty Rhodes.
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Focus on European Grassroots: Dravid emphasized that he was drawn to the ETPL because of its "larger vision" to grow cricket in non-traditional markets. He stated his role would focus on franchise-level development and creating pathways for emerging talent across Ireland and broader Europe, rather than day-to-day coaching.
8. Uber Partners with Adani Group for First Data Centre in India
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Strategic Tech Expansion: The facility is designed to serve as a hub for Uber to test and deploy its proprietary technology at scale. Khosrowshahi stated that the investment will allow Uber to build and innovate "from India, for the world," leveraging the country’s growing role as a global innovation hub.
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Operational Timeline: Following a meeting between Khosrowshahi and Gautam Adani in Ahmedabad, it was confirmed that the data centre is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2026. This facility will strengthen Uber’sdigital backbone, supporting its massive engineering and product development teams already based in Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
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Adani’s Digital Infrastructure Push: The partnership aligns with the Adani Group’s aggressive expansion into the digital and AI infrastructure space. It follows their $15 billion joint venture with Google (AdaniConneX) to build a massive AI data centre campus in Visakhapatnam, marking the group’s transition into a major player in India’s cloud and data storage ecosystem.
Footnotes: Adani Group Chairman: Gautam Adani, HQ: Ahmedabad, Estd: 1988
WHAT HAPPENED TODAY
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International Day of Families is observed every year on 15 May
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Theme (2026): “Families, Inequalities and Child Wellbeing”
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The aim is to raise awareness about social, economic, and demographic issues affecting families worldwide.
Download Daily GK PDF of 16th May 2026
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