Current Affairs Quiz 29 May 2026

FACT: The NSO’s revamped GDP series uses 2022-23 as the new base year, replacing 2011-12. ANALYSIS: The revision captures the post-pandemic recovery, digital economy expansion (fintech, gig work, quick-commerce) and incorporates new data sources — GSTN returns, MCA-21 corporate filings, PLFS quarterly labour data, and ASI 2022-23.

FACT: UNGA Resolution 57/129 of December 11, 2002 established the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, first observed in 2003. ANALYSIS: May 29 was chosen because UNTSO — the first UN peacekeeping mission — was launched in Palestine on May 29, 1948.

FACT: Dag Hammarskjöld was the second Secretary-General of the United Nations (1953-1961), succeeding Trygve Lie. He died in a plane crash in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) in September 1961 while on a UN mission during the Congo crisis.
ANALYSIS: The medal in his name honours UN personnel who die in peacekeeping service.

FACT: The MoU brings advanced semiconductor substrate manufacturing — specifically glass substrates for advanced packaging — to India. ANALYSIS: Substrates are the thin board (organic/glass/ceramic) that holds chip dies and routes signals; they are critical for 3D Heterogeneous Integration (3DHI).
India had no domestic substrate capability before this.

FACT: The contracts cover the Sukhoi Su-30 MKI fleet — IAF’s largest with ~260+ aircraft, inducted from September 27, 2002. ANALYSIS: The three contracts implement predictive, prognostic and prescriptive maintenance using AI/ML on sensor data — shifting from Time-Between-Overhaul (TBO) to Condition-Based Maintenance Plus (CBM+).

FACT: The Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) designation flows from Executive Order 13224 signed by President George W. Bush on September 23, 2001 after the 9/11 attacks. ANALYSIS: SDGT is immediately effective; the separate Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) designation under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act takes effect after 7-day Congressional notification — in this case June 5, 2026.

FACT: IMD declared the onset of the SW Monsoon over Kerala on May 24, 2026 — 8 days earlier than the normal date of June 1, and the earliest onset since 2009. ANALYSIS: Despite the early onset, IMD’s 2026 seasonal forecast places rainfall at 92% of LPA — Below Normal — the first below-normal forecast since 2023.
Early onset and seasonal totals are independent metrics.

FACT: Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the summit at 11:30 AM IST on May 29, 1953 via the South Col on the Nepal side, as part of the British expedition led by Col. John Hunt. ANALYSIS: The route is: Khumbu Icefall → Western Cwm → Lhotse Face → South Col → Southeast Ridge → Summit.
The Tibet-side North Col / North Ridge route was the original 1920s British attempt route.

FACT: Services account for ~55% of India’s GVA in FY26 — Trade/hotels/transport/communication (~18%), Financial/real estate/professional services (~24%), Public administration and defence (~13%). ANALYSIS: Manufacturing share is stable at ~17%; agriculture has steadily declined to ~14%.

FACT: The Eight Core Industries are — Refinery products, Electricity, Steel, Coal, Crude oil, Natural gas, Cement, Fertilisers. Automobiles are NOT in the ICI. ANALYSIS: The ICI has a combined weight of 40.27% in the IIP (Index of Industrial Production), making it the most-watched lead indicator for industrial output.

FACT: The Centre for UN Peacekeeping (CUNPK) was established in 2000 at the United Service Institution of India (USI), New Delhi. ANALYSIS: It is one of the leading peacekeeping training centres globally and trains personnel from India and partner countries.

FACT: Sir George Everest was Surveyor General of India from 1830 to 1843, leading the Great Trigonometrical Survey (GTS) of India. ANALYSIS: The peak was first measured at 29,002 ft in 1856 by his successor Andrew Waugh, who proposed naming it after Everest.
The peak was previously known as Peak XV in survey records.

FACT: ISM was approved by the Union Cabinet on December 15, 2021 with a total outlay of ₹76,000 crore. ANALYSIS: It is implemented by the India Semiconductor Mission, an independent business division of Digital India Corporation under MeitY. As of late 2025, ISM has approved 10+ projects with ~₹1.6 lakh crore investment.

FACT: 92% of LPA falls into the Below Normal category. ANALYSIS: IMD’s five categories are — Deficient (<90% of LPA), Below Normal (90-95%), Normal (96-104%), Above Normal (105-110%), Excess (>110%).
The 2026 forecast at 92% is the first below-normal forecast since 2023.