Current Affairs 15 May 2026

India assumes Chair of Common Criteria Development Board (CCDB)

India has assumed the Chairmanship of the Common Criteria Development Board (CCDB) for the period from April 2026 to April 2028. The leadership role was confirmed during the first quarter meeting of the Common Criteria Recognition Arrangement (CCRA) held in Tokyo.

Key Highlights

• The CCDB is the technical core body responsible for managing:
  • Common Criteria (CC)
  • Common Methodology for Information Technology Security Evaluation (CEM)
• India has been a member of the CCRA since 16 September 2013 as a Certificate Authorizing Nation.
• In India, the STQC Directorate under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology acts as the official certification body for IT security evaluations.
• The CCRA enables mutual recognition of IT security certificates among member countries without re-certification.

Visakhapatnam Port retains top position in seafood exports

Visakhapatnam Port retained its position as India’s leading marine export hub during the financial year 2025–26.

According to data released by the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), the port handled 5.12 lakh metric tonnes of seafood exports, accounting for more than 26% of India’s total marine export volume of 19.32 lakh metric tonnes.

Key Highlights

• Visakhapatnam Port remained India’s top seafood export port in FY 2025–26.
• The port handled 5.12 lakh metric tonnes of seafood shipments.
• India’s total seafood export volume during the year stood at 19.32 lakh metric tonnes.
• The implementation of the National Traceability Framework (2025) helped improve compliance for exports to major markets such as the European Union and China.
• The port’s strong logistics and traceability systems provided a competitive advantage in high-value marine exports.

India’s first block-level monsoon forecast system

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has launched a new block-level monsoon forecast system ahead of the 2026 southwest monsoon season. For the first time, the system will generate monsoon onset forecasts at the block level instead of only at the State or district level.

The new forecasting system currently covers 15 States and one Union Territory, including around 3,196 blocks, which account for nearly half of India’s total blocks.

Key Highlights

• The system aims to provide block-level monsoon forecasts to help farmers make better sowing decisions.
• It uses:
  • AI-based analysis
  • Nearly a century of meteorological data
  • Global weather models
  • Blended forecasting techniques
• The framework was developed by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
• The covered States belong to the monsoon core zone, which is highly dependent on rainfall for agriculture.
• The forecasting model provides probabilistic forecasts for four weeks.

Uttar Pradesh-specific initiative

The IMD also launched a separate 10-day high-resolution monsoon forecast model for Uttar Pradesh with a resolution of 1 kilometre, enabled by the State’s extensive network of automatic weather stations.

International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Council 2026 Conference

India participated actively in the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Council 2026 meeting held in Geneva from April 28 to May 8, 2026. The Indian delegation was led by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).

Key Highlights

• India proposed hosting the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference (PP-2030).
• The ITU Council accepted India’s proposal to host the PP-2030 conference.
• Final approval is expected during the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2026 to be held in Doha.

About the ITU Council

The ITU Council is the governing body of the International Telecommunication Union and consists of 48 elected Member States. India has been a member of the ITU Council since 1952.

Q1. Consider the following statements regarding the new monsoon forecast system launched by the India Meteorological Department (IMD):
1. The IMD has launched India’s first block-level monsoon forecast system.
2. The forecasting model provides probabilistic forecasts for two weeks.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?

Q2. Which port retained its position as India’s leading marine export hub in the financial year 2025–26?
A. Chennai Port
B. Paradip Port
C. Visakhapatnam Port
D. Kochi Port

Q3. India has recently assumed the Chairmanship of which international body related to IT security standards?
A. Internet Governance Forum (IGF)
B. Common Criteria Development Board (CCDB)
C. International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
D. World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)

Q4. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Council 2026 meeting, in which India participated actively, was held in which of the following cities?
A. Paris
B. Geneva
C. Vienna
D. New York

Q5. The National Traceability Framework (2025), recently seen in news, is primarily associated with which sector?
A. Space technology exports
B. Marine and seafood exports
C. Defence manufacturing
D. Renewable energy equipment