This is the current affairs 5 May 2026. Here are questions and answers of daily current affairs for better preparation of competitive exams for government jobs.
1. Which political party secured a majority in the 2026 West Bengal Legislative Assembly elections?
a. TMC
b. BJP
c. CPI(M)
d. Congress
Answer: b. BJP (BJP 206, TMC 81, Congress 2)
West Bengal (Total seats: 294, Majority: 148)
– BJP: 206
– TMC: 81
– Congress: 2
– CPI(M): 1
– AJUP: 2
– AISF: 1
Note – Re-election on one seat
– For the first time in Bengal’s history, a BJP government is set to be formed.
– BJP came to power for the first time by defeating TMC.
– The party has grown from 3 seats to 206 seats in ten years.
– TMC leader and then Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee lost the election.
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2. Which party won the most seats in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections?
a. DMK
b. AIADMK
c. TVK
d. Congress
Answer: c. TVK (Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar’s party TVK 108, other parties: AIADMK 47, BJP 1, DMK 59, Congress 5)
Tamil Nadu (Total seats: 234, Majority: 118)
– TVK: 108
– NDA: 53 (AIADMK 47, BJP 1, PMK 4, AMMK 1)
– SPA: 73 (DMK 59, Congress 5, VKC 2, CPI 2, CPI(M) 2, IUML 2, DMDK 1)
– SPA: Secular Progressive Alliance
– A major political upset occurred in Tamil Nadu, where actor Vijay’s two-year-old party TVK emerged as the largest party.
– However, TVK is short of the majority mark.
For the first time in 59 years, the state will have a government without DMK or AIADMK.
– DMK leader and then Chief Minister M.K. Stalin lost the assembly election.
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3. Which alliance won the most seats in the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections?
a. UDF
b. LDF
c. NDA
d. ADF
Answer: a. UDF (Total: 94 — Congress 63, IUML 22, KC 7, RSP 3, RMPI 1, KC(J) 1)
Kerala (Total seats: 140, Majority: 71)
– UDF: 94 (Congress 63, IUML 22, KC 7, RSP 3, RMPI 1, KC(J) 1)
– LDF: 35 (CPIM 26, CPI 8, RJD 1)
– NDA: 3 (BJP 3)
– UDF: United Democratic Front
– LDF: Left Democratic Front
– Congress returned to power in Kerala after 10 years.
With this, there is now no Left government anywhere in the country.
– This has happened for the first time in five decades.
Although then CM Pinarayi Vijayan won his seat from Dharmadam, LDF suffered a heavy defeat in the state.
– 13 out of 21 ministers in the LDF government lost the election.
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4. Which alliance won the most seats in the 2026 Puducherry Assembly elections?
a. UDF
b. SPA
c. TVK
d. NDA
Answer: d. NDA (Total 17: AINRC 12, BJP 4, LJK 1)
Puducherry (Total seats: 30, Majority: 16)
– NDA: 17 (AINRC 12, BJP 4, LJK 1)
– SPA: 6 (DMK 5, Congress 1)
– TVK: 2
– Others: 5
– SPA: Secular Progressive Alliance
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5. Which party secured a majority in the 2026 Assam Legislative Assembly elections?
a. Congress
b. AGP
c. BJP
d. AIUDF
Answer: c. BJP (NDA 102: BJP 82, AGP 10, BPF 10)
Assam (Total seats: 126, Majority: 64)
– NDA: 102 (BJP 82, AGP 10, BPF 10)
– Congress+: 21 (Congress 19, RD 2)
– AIUDF: 2
– Others: 11
– Himanta Biswa Sarma’s government returned to power in Assam.
– BJP is forming the government for the third consecutive time.
– BJP alone won 82 seats, which is 18 more than the majority mark.
– Not a single minister from the current BJP government lost the election.
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6. When is International Firefighters Day celebrated?
a. 1 May
b. 2 May
c. 3 May
d. 4 May
Answer: d. 4 May
– This day is observed to honor firefighters who lost their lives in the line of duty.
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7. In which state did a 34-meter portion of the Vikramshila Setu collapse into the Ganges River in May 2026, affecting connectivity across 16 districts?
a. West Bengal
b. Jharkhand
c. Bihar
d. Uttar Pradesh
Answer: c. Bihar
– The 4.7 km long bridge in Bhagalpur, Bihar was constructed by UP Bridge Corporation.
– It has been repaired three times in the past 10 years.
– Repair work was also carried out in March 2026.
– Initially, a 10-inch joint suspension sank.
– After that, on May 3, 2026, a slab fell into the Ganges.
– At that time, there was a long queue of vehicles on the bridge.
– After closure of the bridge, crowd increased at Barari Ghat.
– Passengers traveling towards Naugachia, Bihpur, Katihar, and Purnia are crossing the river using boats.
– Around one lakh people travel daily on Vikramshila Setu.
– More than 50,000 small and large vehicles pass through this bridge daily.
– It was constructed during the tenure of then Chief Minister Rabri Devi.
– Questions had earlier been raised about joint and expansion gap issues in the bridge.
Protection wall damaged in March
– 30 days earlier, protection walls of pillars 17, 18, and 19 were damaged due to strong current.
– One pillar’s protection wall was completely destroyed.
– Engineers stated that strong river currents, large ships, and heavy boats continuously exert pressure on pillars.
– This damage affects the pillars, and the pressure increases during floods, raising risks significantly.
– Earlier also, expansion joint gaps between spans increased from 1–2 inches to about 6 inches.
Vikramshila Setu
– Length: 4.7 km
– Cost: ₹680 crore
Repairs done in:
– 2016
– 2020
– March 2026
Connectivity:
– NH 80 to NH 31
Daily traffic:
– 1 lakh people
– 50,000 vehicles
Bridge accidents in Bihar in 5 years:
– 2022: Aguwani bridge in Sultanganj collapsed
– 2023: Under-construction bridge in Bhagalpur collapsed
– 2024: Crack in Darbhanga bridge
– 2025: Small bridge collapsed in Siwan-Chhapra
– 2026: Part of Vikramshila Setu collapsed
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8. The Department of Posts issued a special postage stamp on May 2, 2026, to mark the 100th birth centenary of renowned cartoonist Mario Miranda; what were the highest honors he received?
a. Padma Shri
b. Padma Bhushan
c. Padma Vibhushan
d. All of the above
Answer: d. All of the above
– The Department of Posts released a special stamp collection in Goa to honor Mario Miranda.
– It includes a commemorative stamp and four postcards featuring his artwork.
– He would have turned 100 on May 2, 2026.
Mario Miranda
– A renowned cartoonist and painter, Mario João Carlos do Rosario de Brito e Miranda.
– Known for his illustrations and satirical drawings.
– Born in 1926 in Daman (then a Portuguese territory on India’s west coast).
– Raised in Goa.
– Passed away on December 11, 2011, in Loutolim, Goa at age 85.
– Goa has a rich tradition of cartooning and art linked to his work.
Honors received:
– Padma Shri (1998)
– Padma Bhushan (2002)
– Padma Vibhushan (posthumously, 2012)
– Spain’s “Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic” (2009)
Knighthood (2009)
– Lifetime Achievement Award by All India Cartoonists Association, Bangalore (2001)
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9. In which ocean did three people die from a rare hantavirus infection on a cruise ship, as confirmed by WHO?
a. Pacific Ocean
b. Atlantic Ocean
c. Indian Ocean
d. Southern Ocean
Answer: b. Atlantic Ocean
– Three people died on May 4, 2026, on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean.
– Some passengers are still ill.
– The cruise ship MV Hondius has been halted at Praia, capital of Cape Verde.
– Passengers are not allowed to disembark to control infection spread.
– WHO reported symptoms in six individuals; one case confirmed in a lab.
– One patient is in ICU in South Africa; two are being evacuated.
– Investigation is ongoing to confirm all infections.
– The Netherlands-flagged ship departed from Ushuaia, Argentina on March 20, 2026.
– It traveled near Antarctica and then headed toward Europe via the Atlantic.
– It was scheduled to reach Spain’s Canary Islands.
– There are 170 passengers and 71 crew members onboard, including a doctor.
Deaths record:
– First victim: 70-year-old man died onboard.
– Body was offloaded at Saint Helena (South Atlantic).
– His wife later died in South Africa after collapsing at the airport.
– Third body remains onboard at Cape Verde.
Hantavirus transmission:
– According to CDC, spreads through contact with rodents like rats/squirrels.
– Does not harm rodents but can be fatal to humans.
– First identified in 1993 in the USA.
– Causes Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS).
More dangerous than COVID-19:
– Not airborne but still more dangerous.
– No specific treatment; only symptomatic care.
– Severe cases need ventilators.
– Higher risk for elderly and immunocompromised.
– Fatality rate ~38%.
– No vaccine available yet.
Notable case (2025):
– Actor Gene Hackman’s wife Betsy Arakawa died of hantavirus.
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10. When is the Raising Day of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) celebrated?
a. 7 May
b. 6 May
c. 5 May
d. 4 May
Answer: a. 7 May
– Established on May 7, 1960.
– Functions under the Ministry of Defence.
– May 7, 2026 marks its 67th Raising Day.
Functions of BRO:
– Construction of roads and permanent bridges along India’s borders (including Afghanistan, Bhutan, Myanmar, Tajikistan).
– Construction and development of tunnels and airfields.
– Maintenance of infrastructure in remote and difficult terrains.
– Supporting military operations during war or emergencies.
– Builds infrastructure at altitudes ranging from 9,000 to 19,000 feet.
– Achieved a Guinness World Record in 2021 for the highest road.
– Motto: Shramen Sarvam Sadhyam (Everything is achievable through hard work)
Headquarters: New Delhi
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