4.5/5
Current Affairs 22nd May 2026
IMPORTANT FACTS
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The pH value of an alkaline solution is more than 7.
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Graphite is used to make the "lead" of a pencil.
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The structure of benzene is ring-shaped.
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The fuel used in rockets is called propellant.
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An electric bulb is made of crown glass.
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The common type of coal is bituminous.
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Among halogens, iodine has the largest atom.
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When iron rusts, its weight increases.
1. Kantha Artist Tripti Mukherjee Honored with Padma Shri
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Massive Grassroots Women's Empowerment: Over her 40-year career, Mukherjee has traveled to nearly every village in West Bengal's Birbhum district, establishing a specialized training center in Suri.
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Global Promotion of Cultural Heritage: Sponsored by the Government of India and the Ministry of Textiles, she has conducted high-profile exhibitions and live craft demonstrations internationally, including major showcases in Birmingham, UK (2017) and Tokyo, Japan (2025).
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A Highly Decorated Master Artisan: Her unique creations—which vividly depict rural life, historical figures like Mahatma Gandhi, and mythological themespreviously earned her the National Award, the West Bengal government's Bangashree Award, and the coveted Shilp Guru Award, the highest honor for craftspersons in India.
2. Kerala Forms India's First AI Ministry, PK Kunhalikutty Gets Charge
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India's First Dedicated AI Portfolio: Kerala has become the first state in India to establish a cabinet-level portfolio for Artificial Intelligence (AI). The department has been strategically structured under the broader umbrella of the Industries and Commerce department to reshape state administration and technology governance.
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Key Leadership Charge: Senior IUML leader P. K. Kunhalikutty has been given formal charge of the newly formed AI ministry. His portfolio forms a massive technology and trade cluster that also includes Information Technology, Industries, Start-ups, and Mining & Geology.
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Political Context & Vision: The allocation was part of an official gazette notification following the formation of the new Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government under Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan.
Footnotes: Kerala's Governor: Rajendra Arlekar, CM: V.D. Satheesan, Capital: Thiruvananthapuram
3. ShramMitra App Launched in Haryana to Replace Traditional Labour Chowk System
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Digital Replacement for "Labour Chowks": Launched by Haryana Labour Minister Anil Vij, the app functions as a free, multilingual (Hindi, English, and Punjabi) "Electronic Employment Exchange.”
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Geo-Mapping and Direct Negotiation: Developed by the Haryana Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board, the app features built-in geo-mapping technology that gives workers and employers live data regarding each other's location, distance, and travel time.
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Mass Worker Onboarding & On-Ground Support: Data for nearly 75,000 registered workers (including masons, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, and barbers) has already been pre-loaded onto the platform.
4. Dr Ajay Kumar appointed as High Commissioner of India to Republic of Uganda
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Transition from the Washington Embassy: Dr. Ajay Kumar was serving at the Embassy of India in Washington, D.C., prior to this assignment. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) officially announced his transfer and new leadership role in Kampala.
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Strengthening Strategic and Economic Ties: This includes India's strong presence at the 19th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit in Kampala and celebrating over 60 years of formal India-Uganda diplomatic relations, with a core focus on expansion in bilateral trade, infrastructure investment, and public-private business collaboration.
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Managing a Deeply Rooted Diaspora: As High Commissioner, a primary responsibility for Dr. Kumar will be engaging and supporting the substantial Indian-origin community in Uganda, which numbers nearly 35,000 people.
5. Madhya Pradesh partnered with Google Cloud India for Simhastha Kumbh 2028
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AI-Driven Smart Event Management: The collaboration focuses heavily on deploying Google Cloud’s advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) for large-scale security and analytics during the Ujjain Kumbh. This includes real-time crowd density monitoring, predictive traffic routing, and automated emergency response coordination to handle millions of incoming devotees safely.
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Multilingual "Sahayak" Pilgrim App: Operating in multiple local regional languages, it will provide pilgrims with real-time updates regarding crowd congestion, step-by-step route guidance, and dynamic safety alerts.
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Indore AI Center of Excellence: A key component of the upcoming Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is the creation of a specialized tech hub in Indore.
Footnotes: MP's Governor: Mangubhai C. Patel, CM: Mohan Yadav, Capital: Bhopal
6. Manipur Police Chief Rajiv Singh appointed as Secretary in Cabinet Secretariat
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New National Security Role: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) officially appointed senior IPS officer Rajiv Singh as the Secretary (Security) in the Cabinet Secretariat in New Delhi. He takes over the crucial post that was previously being handled as an additional charge by R&AW chief Parag Jain.
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Administrative Head of the SPG: In this elite role, Singh will function as the administrative head of the Special Protection Group (SPG). He will directly oversee the specialized security arrangements, protocols, and VIP protection frameworks tasked with safeguarding the Prime Minister of India and their immediate family.
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Transition from Manipur Command: A 1993-batch IPS officer of the Tripura cadre, Singh moves to the Centre after serving as the Director General of Police (DGP) of Manipur since June 2023.
Footnotes: Manipur's Governor: Ajay Kumar Bhalla, CM: Y. Khemchand Singh, Capital: Imphal
7. Bank of Maharashtra Wins APY Annual Award of Excellence FY 2025-26
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Recognition for Target Excellence: The award acknowledges the bank's exceptional performance in significantly exceeding its enrollment targets under the central government's flagship pension program.
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Top Leadership Presentation: The award was officially presented at a national felicitation ceremony by M. Nagaraju (Secretary, Department of Financial Services) and Sivasubramanian Ramann (Chairperson, Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority).
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Focus on the Unorganized Sector: The milestone highlights the bank’s aggressive grassroots financial inclusion initiatives. Through proactive outreach and awareness campaigns, BoM successfully expanded retirement safety nets, specifically onboarding underserved and unorganized sector workers into the social security scheme.
Footnotes: BOM's MD & CEO: Nidhu Saxena, HQ: Pune, Estd: 1935
8. Former England Captain MJK Smith passed away
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Passing of a Cricket Legend: The bespectacled batsman represented England in 50 Test matches between 1958 and 1972, leading the national side as captain in exactly half of them.
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A Rare Double International: Smith achieved the highly uncommon feat of being a "double international" athlete. Beyond his elite cricket career, he was an accomplished rugby union player who represented England as a fly-half/outside centre in a match against Wales in 1956, making him England's most recent male double international in major sports.
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Warwickshire Giant & Post-Retirement Roles: He spent 19 years as a prolific run-scorer for Warwickshire County Cricket Club, amassing 39,832 first-class runs and setting a club record of 2,417 runs in a single season in 1959.
WHAT HAPPENED TODAY
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International Day for Biological Diversity: May 22
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Theme for 2026 is "Acting locally for global impact."
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Purpose: To spread awareness about conserving natural resources and maintaining ecological balance.
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