Daily current affairs 21 May 2026

SHAHEED VEER GUNDADHUR AND THE 1910 BHUMKAL REBELLION

Shaheed Veer Gunda Dhur was a tribal leader from Bastar, Chhattisgarh. He spearheaded the 1910 Bhumkal Rebellion against British forest laws. Masterminding guerrilla warfare, he united local tribes to defend their land rights before mysteriously disappearing into the forests.

.

SHUKRAYAAN-1: OBJECTIVES, PAYLOADS & GLOBAL COLLABORATIONS

ISRO's Shukrayaan-1, set for a March 2028 launch, is India's first dedicated Venus Orbiter Mission. Budgeted at ₹1,236 crore, it utilizes international payloads like Sweden’s VNA to study Venusian atmospheric chemistry, geological hotspots, and solar wind interactions for planetary science.

CHANDRAYAAN-3 HOP EXPERIMENT REVEALS HIDDEN LUNAR SECRETS

The Chandrayaan-3 'hop' maneuver blew away the top layer of lunar dust, allowing the ChaSTE instrument to reveal a complex two-layer regolith structure. These discoveries about the Moon's thermophysical properties will guide future lunar habitat construction.

TRACHISCHIUM LALREMSANGAI: NEW SNAKE SPECIES DISCOVERED

Scientists discovered Trachischium lalremsangai, a new worm-eating snake species, in Mizoram's Murlen National Park and Myanmar. Named after herpetologist H.T. Lalremsanga, this underground snake highlights the rich, unexplored herpetofauna of the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot.

WESTERN HOOLOCK GIBBON: HABITAT, FEATURES, DIET, IUCN STATUS

The Western Hoolock Gibbon is an endangered, tailless ape native to Northeast India. Known for loud, melodic duet calls, they live in tropical rainforest canopies. Males are completely black, while females change color to a distinct honey-buff coat.

MULTILATERAL MILITARY EXERCISE PRAGATI: SIGNIFICANCE FOR INDIA

Exercise PRAGATI 2026 is an inaugural thirteen-nation land military drill hosted by India in Meghalaya. Focused on counter-terrorism, disaster relief, and interoperability, it signifies a strategic shift in regional defense diplomacy while actively promoting India's indigenous key military equipment exports.

PM MODI AWARDED 2026 FAO AGRICOLA MEDAL

PM Narendra Modi received the 2026 Agricola Medal from the FAO in Rome, honoring his leadership in global food security and sustainable agriculture. He highlighted India’s tech-driven, climate-resilient farming and nutrition initiatives.

AYUSH ANUDAN PORTAL: FEATURES, OBJECTIVES

The Ministry of Ayush launched the paperless Ayush Anudan Portal under the Ayush Grid initiative to digitally manage funding grants for Central Sector Schemes. This platform ensures 100% transparency, operational efficiency, and real-time tracking for applicants.