20th May 2026 Current Affairs MCQ — 10 Questions & Answers

The 3rd India-Nordic Summit was held on 20 May 2026 in Oslo, Norway, co-chaired by PM Modi alongside the heads of government of all five Nordic nations — Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. The summit history follows a clear pattern: the 1st was in Stockholm (2018) and the 2nd in Copenhagen (2022). Key outcomes of the Oslo summit included cooperation on CCUS, green hydrogen, offshore wind, AI governance, and maritime security, along with momentum for implementing the India-EFTA TEPA ($100 billion investment commitment).

The Sleipner project, operational since 1996 in Norway, is the world's first commercial-scale offshore carbon capture project — making it a landmark in Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) technology. Norway's expertise in CCUS is directly relevant to India, whose coal-dominated power sector needs this technology to meet net-zero goals. The India-Nordic Summit highlighted CCUS as a key area of bilateral cooperation, with Norway offering both technical expertise and decades of operational experience from Sleipner.

ULPGM stands for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Launched Precision Guided Missile — an indigenously developed air-to-ground missile designed to be launched from Indian armed drones. The V3 designation indicates it is the third generation of this system, with significantly improved guidance combining INS + GPS + terminal imaging seeker for precision strikes on armoured and hardened targets. DRDO completed the final development trials on 19–20 May 2026, and the system can be launched from platforms like the TAPAS-BH 201 drone — enabling persistent surveillance-to-strike capability without exposing Indian aircrew to enemy air defences.

Shukrayaan-1 is India's planned Venus Orbiter Mission, carrying 19 payloads developed in collaboration with Sweden, with a proposed launch in 2028. The mission will study Venus's dense CO₂ atmosphere, surface (using Synthetic Aperture Radar to penetrate thick cloud cover), subsurface geology, and solar wind interaction. Venus is often called Earth's "evil twin" — similar in size and mass but with a runaway greenhouse effect that pushed surface temperatures to ~465°C — making it a scientifically crucial target for understanding climate change on Earth.

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) issued the gazette notification for E30 petrol standards on 18 May 2026 — clearing the regulatory path for 30% ethanol blending in petrol. BIS operates under the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016, under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, and is India's national body for setting technical standards. E30 is the next step in India's ethanol blending journey: E5 (2013) → E10 (2022) → E20 (substantially achieved by 2025-26) → E30 standards now notified. Each step reduces petrol import dependence and improves farm incomes through higher ethanol demand.

Non-fossil sources — solar (~190 GW), wind (~55 GW), large hydro (~47 GW), nuclear (~8 GW), and biomass — crossed 50% of India's total installed power capacity for the first time by mid-2026, fulfilling India's 2030 NDC target of 50% non-fossil electricity capacity ahead of schedule. Solar alone at ~190 GW is the single largest contributor. India also managed a record peak demand of 242.49 GW. However, the separate target of 500 GW of non-fossil capacity by 2030 (in absolute terms) is still being worked toward.

Maharashtra signed MoUs with four companies on 19 May 2026 for nuclear energy projects with a combined capacity of 25,400 MW — which would more than triple India's current nuclear capacity of ~7,480 MW. This is significant because the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 currently prohibits private sector nuclear ownership, so these MoUs signal a likely upcoming amendment to allow private participation — a historic policy shift. India's long-term nuclear target is 100 GW by 2047, and NPCIL alone cannot deliver at that scale.

The nationwide strike — which saw over 15 lakh pharmacies shut across India — was called by the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD), the apex body representing brick-and-mortar chemists. Key grievances included the government's push for mandatory e-prescriptions, competition from unregulated online pharmacies (1mg, PharmEasy, Netmeds), GST on medicines, and drug price capping under the NPPA's Drug Price Control Order (DPCO). India's pharmacy sector is governed by the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and the Pharmacy Act, 1948.

Arsenal won the 2025-26 Premier League title — their first in 22 years, since their famous 2003-04 "Invincibles" season when they went the entire 38-game league campaign unbeaten under Arsène Wenger. The 2026 title came under Spanish manager Mikel Arteta, with the title confirmed after defeating Burnley. Arsenal play at the Emirates Stadium in North London and this was their 14th Premier League title overall. The Premier League was founded in 1992 with 20 clubs competing in a 38-game home-and-away season.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi plays for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026 and became the first Indian batter to hit 50 sixes in a single IPL season, scoring a stunning 93 off 38 balls against Lucknow Super Giants. Rajasthan Royals are one of the original 8 IPL franchises, founded in 2008 — the same year they won the inaugural IPL title under legendary captain Shane Warne. Their home ground is the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. The IPL was founded by BCCI in 2008 under Lalit Modi, and Mumbai Indians hold the record for most IPL titles (5).