Daily Current Affairs 17th May 2026
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
India and Netherlands elevate ties with strategic agreements on semiconductors, defence and renewables under a 2026-30 roadmap ahead of continued high-level engagements.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a five-nation tour including UAE, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy to strengthen trade, technology and defence partnerships.
WHO declares the Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
ECONOMY & POLICY
The RBI held the repo rate steady at 5.25% in the April policy review; next MPC meeting is scheduled for 4–6 June 2026.
India and Japan signed a semiconductor supply chain Memorandum of Understanding in Tokyo to boost chip manufacturing cooperation.
Delhi Government announces collateral-free loans up to ₹10 crore for women-led startups and self-help groups to enhance entrepreneurship.
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & INFRASTRUCTURE
ISRO announces SPADEX-2 and SPADEX-3 docking experiments for Chandrayaan-4 and the Bharatiya Space Station.
Delhi–Mumbai Expressway is targeted for full completion by November 2026, reducing travel time to about 12 hours.
First made-in-India Airbus C-295 military transport aircraft is ready for flight testing at the Vadodara facility.
SOCIAL ISSUES & EDUCATION
India’s Government e-Marketplace (GeM) celebrates its incorporation day; the GeM SPV was incorporated on 17 May 2017 to digitize public procurement.
ENVIRONMENT & WEATHER
IMD predicts monsoon onset over the Andaman region around 20 May 2026 amid unusually cool weather patterns observed in May.
SPORTS & EVENTS
IPL 2026 playoff race intensifies with the final scheduled in Ahmedabad on 31 May 2026.