Current Affairs 30 May 2026

India’s 3rd Advance Estimates Peg Foodgrain Production at a Record 376.56 Million Tonnes.

Record Foodgrain Production: Estimated at 376.56 million tonnes, up 5.3% (18.8 million tonnes) from 2024–25.
Rice: 154.02 million tonnes (record).
Wheat: 120.66 million tonnes.
Maize: 55.09 million tonnes (record).
Oilseeds: 43.06 million tonnes (record outputs in rapeseed & mustard and groundnut).
Sugarcane: 500.06 million tonnes (record).
ICAR released 339 crop varieties in 2025–26.
Breeder seed production: 109,370 quintals.

Odisha signed an MoU with Intel and 3DGS to introduce semiconductor substrate manufacturing technology in India.
₹2,000 crore investment for a facility in Bhubaneswar.
Will establish India’s first advanced 3D chip packaging unit.
Focuses on Heterogeneous Integration Packaging Solutions.
Marks the development of India’s first 3D glass substrate packaging facility.
Implemented under the Semicon India Programme.

India’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) declined to 1.9, below the replacement level of 2.1.
Rural TFR: 2.1; Urban TFR: 1.5.
Highest TFR: Bihar (2.9), followed by Uttar Pradesh (2.6).
Lowest TFR: Delhi (1.2); Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and West Bengal (1.3 each).
National TFR declined from 5.2 (1971) to 1.9 (2024).
95.4% of deliveries in 2024 were institutional deliveries.
Total Fertility Rate (TFR): Average number of children born to a woman during her reproductive years (15–49 years).

Russia and Kazakhstan signed a $16.5 billion agreement to build Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power plant.
Rosatom will be the lead builder of the project.
The plant will be located in Ulken, on the shores of Lake Balkhash.
It will feature two VVER-1200 reactors.
Construction will begin in 2027, with the first reactor expected by 2034.
Russia will provide export credit financing for the project.
Kazakhstan also plans a second nuclear power plant, with CNNC (China) selected as the lead builder.

IIT Madras developed a patented injectable hydrogel for treating fibrosis.
Made from silk cocoons and seaweed.
Biodegradable and biocompatible, converts from liquid to gel at body temperature.
Aims to reduce treatment cost from USD 2,000–3,000 to around USD 300.
Targets fibrosis-related diseases in lungs, liver, kidney, and muscles.
Also shows potential for treating sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss).
Research led by IIT Madras scientists in collaboration with UC San Diego Health.
Addresses diseases linked to nearly 45% of global deaths.