Daily Current Affairs- 12th May 2026

Daily Current Affairs- 12th May 2026

What Is ‘Annapurna Bhandaar’ Scheme – Why is it Important for Women of West Bengal?

In the News: The newly formed BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) government in West Bengal, led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, held its first cabinet meeting at the state secretariat, Nabanna, and announced the launch of the "Annapurna Bhandaar" scheme along with free bus travel for women and the implementation of Ayushman Bharat in the state, all set to commence from June 1, 2026.

Key Points:

• Annapurna Bhandaar Scheme: Under the "Annapurna Bhandaar" scheme, financial assistance of 3,000 rupees per month will be directly credited to eligible women's bank accounts starting June 1, 2026. The scheme was a key electoral promise made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the West Bengal assembly election campaign.
• Ayushman Bharat Implementation: The Central Government's flagship health insurance scheme, Ayushman Bharat, will be officially implemented in West Bengal from June 1, 2026, bringing the state under the ambit of one of the largest public health initiatives in the country. Ayushman Bharat provides health insurance coverage to eligible families and is expected to significantly increase access to healthcare benefits for people across the state. The state government has also clarified that existing welfare schemes currently running in West Bengal will continue alongside Ayushman Bharat without any disruption.
• Free Bus Travel for Women: Starting June 1, 2026, women in West Bengal will be able to travel free of charge on all government buses across the state. This initiative is expected to benefit a large number of daily commuters, including working women and students who rely heavily on public transport for their livelihoods and education.
• Continuity of Existing Welfare Schemes: Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has clearly stated that no existing public welfare schemes in West Bengal will be discontinued under the new government. Instead, the administration has committed to improving and strengthening the ongoing programmes to make them more effective and accessible.

India’s Latest Mission Could Change Rural Jobs Forever Under VB-G RAM G Act From July 1, 2026

In the News: The Union Government notified that the Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025, popularly known as the VB-G RAM G Act, will come into force across the country from July 1, 2026, replacing the two-decade-old Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005.

Key Points:

• MGNREGA Repealed and Enhanced Guarantee: From July 1, 2026, all rules, notifications, schemes, orders and guidelines made under MGNREGA will stand repealed. The VB-G RAM G Act increases the statutory employment guarantee for rural households from 100 days to 125 days annually, with workers continuing to receive unemployment allowance if jobs are not provided within the prescribed timeframe. Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan described the move as the dawn of a "new era in the lives of labourers."
• Record Budget Allocation and Development Themes: The Central Government has allocated 95,692.31 crore rupees for FY 2026-27, described as the highest-ever Budget Estimate allocation for any rural employment programme, with total outlay expected to cross 1.51 lakh crore rupees including state contributions. The programme's works have been grouped into four thematic areas, namely Water Security covering groundwater recharge and watershed development, Core Rural Infrastructure including rural roads and sanitation systems, Livelihood Infrastructure encompassing storage units and rural markets, and Climate and Disaster Resilience covering flood management and post-disaster restoration
• Worker Protections and Technology-Driven Governance: Wages will be directly transferred into workers' bank or post office accounts through the DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer) system, with payments to be made weekly or within 15 days of closure of muster rolls. If wages are delayed, workers will receive compensation at the rate of 0.05 per cent of unpaid wages for every day of delay after the 16th day, and worksite facilities such as drinking water, shaded rest areas and first-aid kits have been given statutory backing. Attendance will be captured through NMMS-enabled (National Mobile Monitoring System) systems and face authentication, while all works will be integrated into the VB-NRIS (Viksit Bharat-National Rural Infrastructure Stack) linked with PM Gati Shakti and spatial planning systems.

NEET-UG cancelled: Why this is a first, what happened in past paper leak cases

In the News: The National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled the NEET-UG 2026 examination, which was conducted on May 3 for approximately 23 lakh candidates, after investigations found that several questions similar to those in the actual exam paper had been circulated before the test. This marks the first time since NTA took over NEET-UG conduct in 2019 that the medical entrance examination has been completely scrapped. The case has been handed over to the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) for a comprehensive probe.

Key Points:

• Cancellation Decision and Paper Leak Trail: The NTA announced the cancellation with the approval of the Government of India after investigative findings established that the examination process "could not be allowed to stand." A PDF containing around 410 questions was found circulating, out of which 120 of chemistry and  biology  sections of the examination. The leaked material was reportedly in circulation about 45 hours before the examination, with a verification exercise confirming the PDF was present on a few mobile phones on May 1 and May 2. NTA Director General Abhishek Singh stated that even a single matching question violates the agency's commitment to zero tolerance and zero error.
• Arrests and Investigation Network: Rajasthan SOG (Special Operations Group) arrested at least 15 people in connection with the alleged leak, with key accused including Manish Yadav and Rakesh Mandwaria, who is suspected of links to a consultancy centre in Sikar. The leak network is suspected to have been traced from a printing agency in Jaipur, spreading across Rajasthan, Haryana, Maharashtra, Bihar, Kerala and Uttarakhand, with the leaked material allegedly sold at rates ranging from 25,000 rupees to 40 lakh rupees. The CBI registered an FIR (First Information Report) invoking sections of criminal conspiracy, cheating and criminal breach of trust under BNS (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita), besides the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Public Examination Prevention of Unfair Means Act, 2024, and conducted raids at 12 places across the country.
• Re-examination Arrangements: The NTA clarified that the exam will be re-conducted on revised dates to be notified within 7-10 days, with candidates not required to re-register or pay any additional fee. All applications, candidature details and exam centre preferences from the May 2026 cycle will remain valid, and fees already paid would be refunded. Conducting NEET costs approximately 200 crore rupees while the agency earns about 300 crore rupees from application fees, and the re-test will be conducted using NTA's internal resources.
• Past Paper Leak Precedents: In 2024, NEET-UG faced similar allegations of paper leaks, with the CBI inquiry revealing that candidates paid to receive solved papers hours before the exam in Jharkhand, though the Supreme Court refused demands for a full retest noting the evidence was not indicative of a "systemic leak." In 2015, the AIPMT (All India Pre-Medical/Pre-Dental Test) conducted by CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) was cancelled by the Supreme Court after electronic devices were used by candidates to access answer keys. The current cancellation is the first time the exam has been scrapped in its entirety since NTA took over conduct in 2019.
• Post-2024 Reforms and Their Failure: After the 2024 controversy, a seven-member committee headed by former ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) chief K. Radhakrishnan recommended sealing testing centres in the presence of district administration and police, computer-based testing in multiple shifts, and collaboration between NTA and state administrations. For the 2026 exam, measures such as biometric verification of candidates, transport of exam material in GPS-enabled vehicles with police escort and CCTV surveillance at centres with centralised monitoring at NTA headquarters were implemented. Despite these enhanced security measures, the paper leak still occurred, raising serious questions about the credibility of the national examination system.

How India's UAE gold trade deal may have made its import bill concerns worse

In the News: Amid the ongoing West Asia crisis, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 11, 2026 urged citizens to reduce consumption of petroleum products, avoid non-essential foreign travel and gold purchases for a year to conserve foreign exchange reserves. Experts have pointed out that concessions given to the UAE (United Arab Emirates) for gold imports under a bilateral trade deal have inadvertently inflated India's import bill, worsening macroeconomic vulnerabilities at a time of rising crude oil prices and a weakening rupee.

Key Points:

• PM's Austerity Appeal and Rupee Pressure: Prime Minister Modi asked citizens to adopt measures such as reviving COVID-era work-from-home arrangements and voluntarily stopping gold purchases for a year to conserve foreign exchange reserves. The Indian rupee slipped to a record low of 95.63 against the US dollar as crude oil prices remained above 100 dollars a barrel due to a standstill in traffic via the Strait of Hormuz. Oil prices have surged nearly 50 per cent since before the Iran war, and a similar appeal was made in 2013 by then Finance Minister P. Chidambaram during the rupee turmoil following the "taper tantrum."
• Rising Gold Import Bill and Structural Dependency: India's gold imports in FY26 jumped by nearly 25 per cent to 71.97 billion dollars compared to 58 billion dollars in FY25, according to data released by the Commerce and Industry Ministry. In volume terms, gold imports actually fell to 721.04 tonnes from 757.09 tonnes, indicating the surge was driven by a more than 40 per cent rise in gold prices.
• UAE Trade Deal and Refining Concerns: The IIM Ahmedabad paper noted that the India-UAE trade deal inadvertently incentivised bullion imports over dore (semi-pure alloy of gold and silver created at mine sites) by creating a more favourable tariff structure for finished bullion, inverting the intended duty differential. A NITI Aayog report found that India has only one LBMA (London Bullion Market Association) accredited refinery compared to Japan's 11, and while the number of Indian refineries increased from fewer than five in 2013 to about 33, most remain small operations under 50 tonnes annually. Countries like Switzerland refine an estimated 70 per cent of the world's gold, leveraging refining infrastructure to generate approximately 40 per cent value addition and neutralise trade deficit concerns.
• Alternative Sources and Macroeconomic Impact: Certain countries such as Argentina, Peru and the Dominican Republic supply gold at below-average import costs, but they collectively represent only 15 per cent of India's total gold imports, while imports of gold ores and concentrates are increasing primarily from Colombia. India's heavy reliance on imported gold, close to 750 tonnes every year with negligible export offsets, has repeatedly emerged as a macroeconomic concern during external shocks.

Trump-Xi Summit: Iran War, Trade, Taiwan and AI on the Agenda, Why China Has the Upper Hand

In the News: United States President Donald Trump arrived in China for a three-day state visit spanning May 13-15, marking the first visit to China by a sitting American president since Trump's own 2017 trip during his previous term. The summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping carries a broad agenda covering the Iran conflict, trade relations, Taiwan and artificial intelligence cooperation.

Key Points:

• Summit Significance: This is the seventh in-person meeting between President Trump and President Xi Jinping, originally scheduled for April but delayed by a month. The visit includes bilateral talks, a state banquet and a visit to the Temple of Heaven. Trump is accompanied by over a dozen American CEOs including Apple's Tim Cook, Boeing chief Kelly Ortberg, Tesla's Elon Musk.
• Iran War and China's Mediating Role: The ongoing conflict in Iran and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz have become central to the summit, with China alongside Pakistan wading in as a mediator. China accounted for over 85 per cent of Iran's oil exports before the conflict, importing over one million barrels per day. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited Beijing ahead of the summit, signalling the diplomatic clout China wields in West Asia.
• Trade and AI Agenda: Beijing could indicate willingness to purchase Boeing aircraft and American soybeans, while the establishment of a proposed "Board of Trade" and a parallel "Board of Investment" has reportedly been discussed in previous official-level talks. Competition in AI (Artificial Intelligence) is also a key agenda item, with both sides reportedly considering an AI safety dialogue. Nvidia's H200 chips, not yet sold to China, remain a contentious issue between the two sides.
• Taiwan and China's Strategic Position: Rising tensions across the Taiwan Strait remain a flashpoint after the United States announced an 11-billion-dollar arms deal with Taiwan in December 2025, though Trump has since downplayed Washington's willingness to defend Taiwan. Experts note that China has an upper hand heading into the summit, feeling confident enough to stand up to Trump on sanctions, technology controls and critical minerals.
• Implications for India: From the perspective of Indian policymakers, any bilateral deal between the United States and China, especially involving concessional tariffs, could serve as a baseline scenario for the revised trade deal currently under negotiation between Washington and New Delhi. The outcome of the summit is being closely watched as it could set benchmarks influencing the terms of India's own trade engagement with the United States.

India Celebrates Healthcare Heroes with Florence Nightingale Awards 2026

In the News: President Droupadi Murmu conferred the National Florence Nightingale Awards 2026 on fifteen nursing professionals at a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on the occasion of International Nurses Day. The awards recognized outstanding contributions in the field of nursing and healthcare services across the country.

Key Points:

• Award Ceremony: President Droupadi Murmu presented the National Florence Nightingale Awards 2026 at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi. The ceremony was attended by Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda and Ministers of State for Health Prataprao Jadhav along with other senior officials.
• About the Award: The National Florence Nightingale Award was instituted in 1973 by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) as a mark of recognition for meritorious services rendered by nursing personnel to society. Each award includes a Certificate of Merit, a cash prize of one lakh rupees and a medal.
• Eligibility: The awards are presented to Registered Nurses, Midwives, Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) and Lady Health Visitors (LHVs) serving across Central and State Governments, Union Territories and voluntary organisations.
• Notable Awardees: Among the fifteen recipients were Kulwinder Parhi (Leh), Ujwala Mahadev Soyam (Maharashtra), Lalenthangi Hnamte (Mizoram), Madhu Mala Gurung (Sikkim), Gita Karmakar (West Bengal), Poonam Verma (Chandigarh), Kabitha Jagannath (Karnataka), Aysha Beebu K. (Lakshadweep), Dr. R Shankar Shanumugam (Tamil Nadu) and Maj Gen Lissamma PV (Indian Army).
• International Nurses Day 2026: The ceremony coincided with International Nurses Day, celebrated every year on May 12 to mark the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale. The theme for 2026 is "Our Nurses. Our Future. Empowered Nurses Save Lives," emphasizing better working conditions, fair salaries, leadership opportunities and access to quality education and training for nurses.