Daily current affairs 18 May 2026

ATMANIRBHAR BHARAT IN DEFENCE: ACHIEVEMENTS, CHALLENGES, AND REFORMS

India’s ‘Make in India’ defence initiative promotes self-reliance through indigenous production, achieving record outputs of ₹1.54 lakh crore in FY 2024-25. Despite soaring exports, overcoming critical technology dependencies and boosting R&D investments remain key challenges.

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NETHERLANDS RETURNED THE 11TH-CENTURY CHOLA-ERA COPPER PLATES

The repatriation of the 11th-century Chola copper plates from the Netherlands highlights India's rich maritime and cultural heritage. Ancient epigraphic records like the Uttaramerur inscriptions, these artifacts offer profound insights into early Indian administration and scripts.

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BHOJSHALA DISPUTE: HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND HIGH COURT VERDICT

The Bhojshala complex in Madhya Pradesh, originally an 11th-century Sanskrit learning centre built by Raja Bhoja, was recently declared a Hindu temple by the High Court based on ASI surveys, quashing the 2003 order permitting Muslim prayers.

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PRIME MINISTER VISITS AFSLUITDIJK DAM

The Afsluitdijk is a 32-kilometre Dutch causeway built between 1927 and 1932. It dams the Zuiderzee bay, converting it into the freshwater IJsselmeer lake. This mega-structure provides vital flood protection and connects North Holland with Friesland provinces.

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EUBLEPHARIS JHUMA DISCOVERY: NEW LEOPARD GECKO IN BIHAR

Scientists from the Zoological Survey of India recently discovered a new leopard gecko species, Eublepharis jhuma, in Bihar’s Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary. Protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, this finding highlights India's rich, yet threatened, herpetofaunal biodiversity.

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DISCOVERY OF OXYTATE INDOSINICA: NEW CRAB SPIDER IN INDIA

Researchers discovered a new crab spider, Oxytate indosinica, in Manipur and China, highlighting the Indo-Burma hotspot's rich biodiversity. This corrects past misidentifications and underscores the ecological importance of spiders as pest regulators and environmental bioindicators.

 

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MELANOSERIS PENDRYI: THE NEW HIMALAYAN PLANT SPECIES EXPLAINED

Botanists discovered Melanoseris pendryi, a rare flowering plant in the Sikkim Himalayas above 4,000m. Proposed as Critically Endangered due to climate change and tourism, this discovery highlights the fragile alpine ecosystem's rich biodiversity and its vulnerability to warming.

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OPERATION RAGEPILL: CRACKDOWN ON NARCO-TERRORISM

 The Narcotics Control Bureau's "Operation RAGEPILL" dismantled an international drug syndicate, marking India's first seizure of Captagon pills, valued at ₹182 crore.  

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