Current Affairs 18 May 2026

Prime Minister of Iraq – Ali al-Zaidi

Ali al-Zaidi officially assumed office as the Prime Minister of Iraq on May 16 after being formally confirmed and sworn in by the Iraqi Parliament.

The Prime Minister’s Visit to the Netherlands

During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Netherlands, India and the Netherlands expanded cooperation in semiconductors, water management, heritage restoration, and floriculture.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten witnessed the signing of an agreement between Tata Electronics and ASML (ASML supplies advanced lithography machines).
• This agreement creates India’s first front-end semiconductor fabrication (Fab) facility at Dholera.
• The Leiden University Library returned the historic 11th-century Chola Copper Plates to India.
  • The copper plates are royal charters issued by Chola kings.
  • They document the donation of Anaimangalam village to a Buddhist vihara in Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu.
  • The inscriptions are written in Tamil and Sanskrit.
• Prime Minister Modi and Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten visited the Afsluitdijk dam.
  • The Afsluitdijk is a 32-km-long dam and flood-control structure in the Netherlands.
  • India and the Netherlands also signed a Letter of Intent for technical cooperation on the Kalpasar Project in Gujarat.
• Both countries also announced the establishment of an Indo-Dutch Centre of Excellence for Flowers in West Tripura.

Madhya Pradesh High Court Declares Bhojshala Complex a Temple

The Madhya Pradesh High Court ruled that the disputed Bhojshala-Kamal Maula complex in Dhar district is a temple dedicated to goddess Saraswati (Vagdevi).

A Division Bench comprising Justices Vinay Kumar Shukla and Alok Awasthi delivered the 242-page judgment, dismissing petitions filed by the Muslim and Jain communities regarding claims over the site.

Highlights of the Verdict

• The court declared the religious character of the site as a Bhojshala temple dedicated to the goddess Saraswati.
• The court quashed a 2003 order of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) that permitted Muslims to offer Friday prayers at the site.
• The site remains a protected monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958

Important Directions by the Court

• The Union Government was directed to make efforts to bring back the idol of goddess Saraswati from a museum in London.
• ASI was granted supervisory control over:
  • Preservation
  • Conservation
  • Religious access management

Scientific Survey Findings

The court accepted the ASI’s scientific survey report, which used:

• Carbon dating
• Palaeography
• XRF spot analysis
• Material composition testing

Operation RAGEPILL

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) launched Operation RAGEPILL and busted a major international drug trafficking network involved in the smuggling of Captagon, a psychotropic drug widely abused in the Middle East. This marks India’s first-ever seizure of Captagon.

What is Captagon?

• Captagon mainly contains Fenetylline and Amphetamine. These are psychotropic substances under the NDPS Act. Captagon is often referred to as the “Jihadi Drug” due to its reported misuse in conflict zones in the Middle East.

Andhra Pradesh Launches ‘ACCHA’ Project to Improve Anganwadi Education

The Andhra Pradesh government launched the Andhralo Chinnarula Chaduvulu (ACCHA) project to improve the quality of early childhood education and strengthen the functioning of Anganwadi centres across the State.

Key Highlights

• The ACCHA project focuses on:
  • Early childhood education
  • Play-based learning methods
  • Skill enhancement of Anganwadi workers
  • Improving enrolment in Anganwadi centres
• The project was first launched as a pilot initiative in Kuppam.
• Andhra Pradesh currently has 55,746 Anganwadi centres, and around 8.5 lakh children were enrolled.

Historical and Maritime Heritage of Visakhapatnam

Thotlakonda Buddhist Complex

• The Thotlakonda Buddhist Complex flourished between the 2nd century BCE and the 3rd century CE atop a hill overlooking the sea.

Bheemunipatnam and Dutch Settlement

Bheemunipatnam became a Dutch trading settlement during the 17th century under the Dutch East India Company.

• The Dutch cemetery at Kummaripalem, dating back to 1661, is among the oldest surviving European burial grounds on India’s eastern coast.

Early Sepoy Uprising in Visakhapatnam

The Visakhapatnam uprising of October 3, 1780, led by Shaik Mohammad Khan, is regarded as one of India’s earliest recorded sepoy rebellions against the East India Company.

• The revolt occurred 77 years before the Revolt of 1857.
• Rebels briefly captured the town and seized the Company treasury before the uprising was suppressed.

Origins of Hindustan Shipyard

India’s first greenfield shipyard was established in Visakhapatnam in 1941 by industrialist Walchand Hirachand as the Scindia Shipyard.

• Rajendra Prasad laid the Foundation stone on June 21, 1941.
• The shipyard later became Hindustan Shipyard Limited.
• The vessel Jal Usha was launched by Jawaharlal Nehru in 1948.

Visakhapatnam’s World War II Heritage

Visakhapatnam has once again drawn historical attention for its significant role during World War II, particularly after the Japanese air raids on April 6, 1942.

Japanese Air Raid on Visakhapatnam

• On April 6, 1942, Japanese warplanes launched from the aircraft carrier Ryujo and attacked Visakhapatnam harbour and strategic installations.
• The attack occurred in multiple waves and caused casualties and panic among residents.
• The bombing came shortly after Japanese advances across Southeast Asia during World War II.

India’s First Satellite-Tagged Ganges Soft-Shell Turtle Released in Kaziranga National Park

India’s first satellite-tagged Ganges soft-shell turtle was released in Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve on the occasion of Endangered Species Day.

The endangered freshwater turtle was released along the northern bank of the Brahmaputra River as part of a conservation initiative led by the Wildlife Institute of India in collaboration with the Assam Forest Department and Kaziranga National Park authorities. The project received funding from the National Geographic Society.

Key Highlights

• Species: Ganges soft-shell turtle (Nilssonia gangetica)
• Conservation status:
  • Listed as Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List
  • Protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972
• The turtle is recognised for its distinctive arrowhead-shaped markings on its head.
• It inhabits large rivers, lakes, and reservoirs in India.

Importance of Satellite Tagging

The satellite-tagging project aims to study:

• Seasonal movement patterns
• Home range
• Nesting and breeding habitats

This information will aid in the active conservation and management of soft-shell turtles in the Brahmaputra River Basin.

CBI Launches AI-Powered Verification System ‘Abhay’ to Combat Digital Arrest Scams

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has launched an AI-powered helpbot named ‘Abhay’ to help citizens verify the authenticity of CBI notices and protect them from rising digital arrest scams.

What is a Digital Arrest Scam?

In a digital arrest scam:

• Fraudsters send fake legal notices or impersonate law enforcement officials.
• Victims are falsely told they are under investigation or “digital arrest.”
• Scammers keep victims under constant surveillance through video calls and force them to transfer money or share confidential information.

The CBI clarified that the concept of “digital arrest” has no legal existence in Indian law.

Significance of ‘Abhay’

• Uses Artificial Intelligence for verification
• Helps citizens identify fake CBI notices
• Aims to reduce cyber fraud and online financial scams
• Promotes public awareness against cybercrime

Q1. What is the scientific name of the Ganges soft-shell turtle?
A. Batagur baska
B. Nilssonia gangetica
C. Lissemys punctata
D. Geoclemys hamiltonii

Q2. What is the name of the AI-powered helpbot launched by the CBI to verify notices and prevent digital arrest scams?
A. Rakshak
B. Suraksha
C. Abhay
D. Kavach

Q3. The Bhojshala-Kamal Maula disputed complex, recently in the news, is located in which state?
A. Rajasthan
B. Uttar Pradesh
C. Madhya Pradesh
D. Gujarat

Q4. The recently launched ‘ACCHA’ project in Andhra Pradesh is related to which of the following?
A. Agricultural mechanisation
B. Early childhood education and Anganwadi services
C. Artificial Intelligence training
D. Rural road development

Q5. The Thotlakonda Buddhist Complex, recently in the news, is located in which state?
A. Odisha
B. Tamil Nadu
C. Andhra Pradesh
D. Karnataka

Q6. On which date did Japanese warplanes attack Visakhapatnam during World War II?
A. August 15, 1942
B. April 6, 1942
C. January 26, 1943
D. September 1, 1939

Q7. Who recently assumed office as the Prime Minister of Iraq after confirmation by the Iraqi Parliament?
A. Mustafa Al-Kadhimi
B. Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani
C. Ali al-Zaidi
D. Barham Salih

Q8. ‘Operation RAGEPILL’, recently seen in the news, is associated with the seizure of which psychotropic drug in India for the first time?
A. Heroin
B. Methamphetamine
C. Captagon
D. Cocaine

Q9. The Afsluitdijk, a 32-km-long dam and flood-control structure, is located in which country?
A. Denmark
B. Germany
C. Netherlands
D. Belgium

Q10. The 11th-century Chola Copper Plates were recently returned to India by which country?
A. France
B. United Kingdom
C. Netherlands
D. Germany