May 2025

 

National

• India's 107th National Park - Odisha's Simlipal National Park, formerly known as the Simlipal Tiger Reserve, has now officially become India's 107th national park. It is Odisha's second and India's 107th national park. 

• Bulbul-V2 - Bulbul-V2 is a text-to-speech (TTS) model created by Sarvam AI. Bulbul-V2 is specifically designed for Indian languages ​​and accents, and provides natural-sounding speech with human-like voice and accent. It can be used for real-time voice generation. The model   can convert text to voice in 11 Indian languages ​​including Hindi, Marathi, Punjabi, Oriya, Tamil, Bengali, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Gujarati.

• Central government gives approval to Starlink to provide satellite internet services in India- Elon Musk's company SpaceX has received the license from the Telecom Department to operate Starlink satellite internet service in India. Starlink is the third company to receive a license to operate satellite internet services in India, following the earlier approvals of OneWeb and Reliance Jio.

• PM lays foundation stone and inaugurates infrastructure projects in Andhra Pradesh - Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated, laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation several development projects worth over ₹58,000 crore in Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh. The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone and inaugurated 94 projects. This also includes restarting the construction of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu's 'dream project', the greenfield capital Amaravati. 

• Vizhinjam International Port – On May 2, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi  dedicated the Vizhinjam International Deepwater Multipurpose Port to the nation in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala on  the birth anniversary of Adi Shankaracharya. This port is the country's first dedicated container transshipment port. The construction cost of this port is ₹8,800 crore. Its natural draft is approximately 20 meters.

• SAHAJOG Initiative – The Odisha  government launched a unique initiative called SAHAJOG  on May 1, 2025.  Home and Urban Development Minister Krishna Chandra Mohapatra  formally launched the program in Bhubaneswar. The Sahajog initiative aims to promote inclusive growth and social welfare in urban areas. The initiative is aligned with the "Develop Odisha" and "Develop India" missions and aims to directly connect beneficiaries with schemes in urban areas.

• Kozhikode gets WHO recognition as age-friendly city -  Kozhikode city in Kerala has joined the World Health Organization's (WHO) "Global Network for Age-Friendly Cities and Communities" (GNAFCC).   It is the second Indian city to join the network after Kochi. This recognition is a result of the efforts made by the Kozhikode Municipal Corporation for the health, safety and social inclusion of senior citizens. An age-friendly city ensures that the urban environment, infrastructure and services are accessible and inclusive for older adults.

• Operation Sindoor – Operation Sindoor is the codename of a military air operation conducted by  the Indian Armed Forces in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on the night of 6–7 May. Its objective was to target terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. In total, nine (9) targets were struck. India also struck Nur Khan Air Base in Rawalpindi and Shorkot Air Base in Punjab province. 100 terrorists were confirmed killed in the attack. The Indian attacks were in response to the Pahalgam massacre in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir on 22 April 2025. The Pahalgam attack  was claimed by a terrorist organization called the Resistance Front.

• 20th India-Iran Joint Commission Meeting, 2025 – The 20th India-Iran Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) was held in New Delhi  on May 8, 2025. The meeting was co-chaired by Dr. S. Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister of India and Dr. Abbas Araghchi, Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

• Inauguration of world's first energy transmission park - Telangana Governor Jishnu Dev Varma   inaugurated Babuji Vanam, the world's first energy transmission park,  at Kanha Shanti Vanam near Hyderabad. Developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, the garden has been created to commemorate the 125th birth anniversary of Babuji Maharaj and is the culmination of a year-long national celebration. This themed garden is the first of its kind in the world, featuring forty species of trees that absorb and transmit prana ahuti, a yogic transmission that nourishes the soul. The garden features a central water body that depicts the origin of creation. 

• Mumbai Airport unveils digital-first Airport Operations Control Centre –  A state-of-the-art, digital-first Airport Operations Control Centre (AOCC) has been commissioned at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai on May 5, 2025.  A digital-first Airport Operations Control Centre (AOCC) is a centre that manages airport operations digitally. 

• Adishakti Abhiyan – Adishakti Abhiyan  is a campaign launched by the Maharashtra Government aimed at empowering women at the grassroots level. The announcement was made during a special cabinet meeting held at Chaundi, the birthplace of Ahilyabai Holkar, to mark her 300th birth anniversary. Its main objective is to address social issues like malnutrition, maternal health, child marriage and gender-based violence. It will also promote increased participation of women in the Panchayati Raj system.

• Expansion of five new IITs approved – The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the expansion of academic and infrastructure facilities in five new Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). These IITs  are located in  Andhra Pradesh (IIT Tirupati), Kerala (IIT Palakkad), Chhattisgarh (IIT Bhilai),  Jammu and Kashmir  (IIT Jammu) and Karnataka (IIT Dharwad). The total cost of this expansion will be ₹11,828.79 crore and it will be spent over four years from 2025-26 to 2028-29.

• State Visit of President of Angola to India - At the invitation of President Smt. Draupadi Murmu, President of the Republic of Angola, João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço,  paid a State Visit to India from May 1-4, 2025. This is President Lourenço's first bilateral state visit to India. This   is the first official state visit by an Angola president in 38 years. The visit comes as India and Angola are set to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their diplomatic relations this year.

• India first country in the world to develop genome-edited rice varieties- Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched two genome-edited rice varieties by ICAR in New Delhi on May 4. Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced that India has become the first country in the world to develop rice varieties using genome editing technology. 

A team of researchers from various institutes under the guidance of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has developed two varieties – DRR Dhan 100 ,  also known as Kamala, developed from the popular high-yielding green rice Samba Mahsuri, and  Pusa DST Rice 1, developed from the Maruteru 1010 (MTU 1010) variety. These varieties have been developed for Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh.

• Pahalgam terror attack – On 22 April 2025, a terrorist attack took place in the Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir,  killing 26 tourists.The victims were Hindu tourists, including 26 Indian citizens and one Nepali citizen. The attackers  asked the victims' names and religions before shooting them,  and forced them to recite the Kalma. India accused Pakistan of supporting the attackers. 

• Coastal States Fisheries Meet, 2025 –“Coastal States Fisheries Meet: 2025” was organised  in Mumbai on  28th April 2025  under the Chairmanship of Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lallan Singh, Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying and Panchayati Raj.     

• Commencement of construction of 4th Offshore Patrol Vessel – The commencement ceremony of construction of 4th Next Generation (ex-GRSE) Offshore Patrol Vessel (NGOPV) Yard 3040 was held at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE) in Kolkata on April 24, 2025. A contract was signed with Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL), Goa and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata for indigenous design and construction of 11 Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels (NGOPVs). Of these, seven ships will be built by the lead shipyard GSL and four ships by the follow shipyard GRSE.

• National Mission for Clean Ganga gets tax exemption - The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has  notified the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) as an authority under clause (46A) of section 10 of the Income Tax Act, 1961  , thereby exempting it from taxes on income. NMCG implements the ambitious Namami Gange scheme of the Central Government.

• Ayushman Vaya Vandana Yojana – On April 28, 2025, the Delhi government launched the 'Ayushman Vaya Vandana Yojana' for senior citizens. Under this scheme,  senior citizens aged 70 years and above will be provided  comprehensive health insurance cover of up to Rs 10 lakh annually. This includes a cover of Rs 5 lakh from the Central Government's 'Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY)' and an additional cover of Rs 5 lakh from the Delhi Government. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri inaugurated the scheme at Thyagaraj Stadium. 

• World's first capital to run on renewable energy – Andhra Pradesh's upcoming capital Amaravati will be the world's first capital city to run entirely on renewable energy.This ambitious project aims to harness 2,700 MW of green energy through solar, wind and hydroelectric power.

• Bhagavad Gita and Natyashastra included in UNESCO's Memory of the World Register - UNESCO  has included Bhagavad Gita and Bharat Muni's Natyashastra in the Memory of the World Register. UNESCO's Memory of the World Register is an effort to preserve and make available forever the world's important documentary heritage. Inclusion in this list will help in preserving these heritage texts.India now has 14 entries in UNESCO's Memory of the World Register. The Bhagavad Gita is placed within the Bhishma Parva of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. Written in Sanskrit, it is presented as a dialogue between Lord Krishna and Arjuna. Natyashastra was written by Bharatmuni in the 2nd century BC.

• Panchayat Advancement Index, 2022-23 - According to the Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) 2022-23, out of over 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats in India, 699 (0.3%) Panchayats emerged as “Front Runners”, 77,298 (35.8%) were “Performers”, 1,32,392 (61.2%) were “Aspirants”, and 5,896 (2.7%) were “ Beginners”. No Panchayat was found to be a "full achiever". The Panchayat Advancement Index aims to measure the performance of Gram Panchayats and promote localization of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  

The PAI measures the performance of panchayats on nine key themes aligned to the Local Self-Determined Development Goals (LSDGs) including poverty alleviation, health, child welfare, water adequacy, environmental sustainability, infrastructure, social justice, good governance and women's empowerment. Gujarat and Telangana topped the list with the highest number of "leading" panchayats, followed by Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

• 9th Global Technology Summit, 2025 – 9th Global Technology Summit-GTS, 2025 was held in New Delhi. The theme of this year's summit is 'Possibility' and will explore how emerging technologies can promote inclusive growth, strengthen digital systems and strengthen cross-border partnerships.

• India's first semiconductor plant to be set up in Chhattisgarh- The country's first gallium nitride (GaN)-based semiconductor plant is being established in Naya Raipur, Chhattisgarh. State Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai laid the foundation stone for the project. This state-of-the-art plant, built with an investment of about Rs 1,143 crore, is being set up by Chennai-based Polymatech Electronics.The company aims to produce 10 billion chips annually by 2030. This will reduce India's dependence on semiconductor imports.

These chips can revolutionize areas like 5G, 6G, high-performance computing, defense technology and data analytics. Gallium nitride (GaN)-based chips are faster and more energy-efficient than traditional silicon chips. They are also highly durable and ideal for high-frequency applications.

• Madhya Pradesh State Self-Reliant Cow Shelters Establishment Policy, 2025 - The Madhya Pradesh State Self-Reliant Cow Shelters Establishment Policy, 2025 was approved. Under this policy, cow shelters will receive ₹40 per cow per day, up from the previous ₹20. This move was stated to address the problem of stray cattle and encourage cow shelters.

• Visit of the Vice President of the United States to India- Vice President of the United States, J.D. Vance, arrived in India on an official visit from April 21 to 24, 2025. He was received by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnav. He was given a guard of honor at the airport. He was accompanied by his wife, Usha Chilukuri, their three children, and a delegation of US government officials. They also visited the Akshardham Temple in Delhi. This is JD Vance's first official visit to India after becoming Vice President.

• SUFLAM, 2025 – National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM)  hosted the 2nd edition of SUFLAM (Start-up Forum for Aspiring Leaders and Mentors) 2025  on 25th and 26th April 2025 at its campus located at Kundli, Sonipat, (Haryana). The Suflam Conference aims to strengthen India's food processing sector through innovation, entrepreneurship and collaboration. Union Minister for Food Processing Industries Chirag Paswan inaugurated the second edition of Suflam 2025 on 25 April 2025. The first edition of Sufalam was held on 13–14 February 2024 in New Delhi.

• State Visit of Prime Minister to Saudi Arabia – At the invitation of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi paid a State Visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 22-23 April 2025. This was the third visit of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to Saudi Arabia. 

• 7th “Shaping the Energy Future: Challenges and Opportunities” (SEFCO-2025) International Conference, 2025 – The 7th “Shaping the Energy Future: Challenges and Opportunities” International Conference, 2025 was held in Dehradun. The conference was organised by CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum (CSIR-IIP). The theme of the current 7th edition is “Promoting a sustainable future with affordable energy and chemicals”. 

• World Health Summit Regional Meeting, 2025 - The World Health Summit (WHS) Regional Meeting was held in New Delhi from  April 25-27 , 2025.  This is the first time this global forum has been hosted in India. The main focus of this meeting was on integration and expansion of traditional medical systems. Under the overarching theme “Increasing Access to Ensure Health Equity”, the event aims to explore innovative, inclusive and sustainable pathways to achieve health for all. One of the highlights of the summit is the session titled – “Restoring Balance:   Increasing Access   to Traditional Medicine for Health  and Well-Being ”.      

• India's largest cruise terminal - Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal   flagged off cruise operations from the Mumbai International Cruise Terminal (MICT) in Mumbai. MICT is India's largest world-class cruise terminal. The newly built MICT is designed to handle 1 million passengers annually, approximately 10,000 passengers daily. It can also handle up to five ships simultaneously. Spread over a built-up area of ​​over 4,15,000 sq ft, MICT has been developed at Ballard Pier. The Union Minister   also inaugurated  the renovated Fire Memorial at Victoria Docks as well as  two heritage buildings in Colaba – Fort House Ballard Estate and Evelyn House.

• Buffer Zone Development Plan for 9 Tiger Reserves of Madhya Pradesh – The Madhya Pradesh Government has approved the 'Tiger Reserve Buffer Zone Development Plan' for the overall development of the buffer zones of all its tiger reserves. This new plan will construct chain-link fencing in sensitive areas within the buffer zone. Necessary steps will be taken to protect wildlife and ensure fire safety. Grazing grounds and water sources will be developed. Wildlife will be treated and health-checked. 

• DPS Wetland declared as Flamingo Conservation Reserve – The Maharashtra State Wildlife Board  has officially approved the declaration of DPS Flamingo Lake in Navi Mumbai as a conservation reserve, making it the first wetland attached to the Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary (TCFS) to receive such protection. It was approved in the board meeting chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The 30-acre lake serves as an important resting and feeding ground for flamingos, which migrate through the TCFS during high tide.

• 24th India-UK Defence Consultative Group Meeting, 2025 -  Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh  co-chaired the 24th India-UK Defence Consultative Group Meeting with his British counterpart David Williams in London. The meeting focused on strengthening military cooperation and advancing defence capability cooperation between India and the UK.

• State Visit of President Draupadi Murmu to Portugal and Slovakia - Her Excellency Smt. Draupadi Murmu, President of India, paid a State Visit to Portugal and Slovakia from 7 to 10 April, 2025. President Murmu visited Portugal from April 7-8, 2025 at the invitation of His Excellency Mr. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, President of Portugal. The visit is taking place after a gap of 27 years at a time when India and Portugal are celebrating 50 years of the re-establishment of their diplomatic relations. 

The previous   state visit to Portugal was in 1998 by President K. R. Narayanan. At the invitation of His Excellency Mr. Peter Pellegrini, President of Slovakia, the Honourable President of India, Smt. Draupadi Murmu also visited the Slovak Republic from 9 to 10 April, 2025. This was the first visit by an Indian President to Slovakia in 29 years. 

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi lays foundation stone and inaugurates development works in Varanasi- Prime Minister Narendra Modi   inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of 44 projects worth over Rs 3,880 crore in Mehdiganj, Varanasi. These projects include development in the areas of road infrastructure, power, education and tourism, aimed at promoting the overall development of the region. The Prime Minister also handed over Ayushman cards and three Geographical Indication (GI) certificates to three elderly people above 70 years of age and transferred a bonus of Rs 106 crore to dairy farmers of the state associated with Banas Dairy (Amul).

• Aviation Career Guidance Programme Launched - Union Civil Aviation Minister Shri Ram Mohan Naidu launched the 'Career Guidance Programme in Aviation' for school students. The inaugural session was held at  the Indian Aviation Academy, New Delhi. The initiative aims to inspire and educate students of Class 11 and 12 about diverse career fields in the aviation sector.

• Official visit of New Zealand Prime Minister to India– New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon arrived on a five-day visit to India to strengthen bilateral trade and economic ties. He was welcomed by Union Minister SP Singh Baghel at Delhi airport. This is his first visit to India as Prime Minister. Christopher Luxon attended the inaugural session of the 'Raisina Dialogue' as the chief guest . Luxon also visited Mumbai from 19 to 20 March. It has been decided to celebrate 100 years of sports relations between the two countries in the year 2026. 

• 8th India-Germany Joint Working Group (JWG) Meeting on Agriculture, 2025 - The 8th meeting of the India-Germany Joint Working Group (JWG) on Agriculture was held at the National Agricultural Science Complex, Pusa, New Delhi. The meeting discussed in detail cooperation in the areas of digital agriculture, the seed sector, mechanization and technology, horticulture, animal husbandry, and fisheries.  

• Electrolyzers for Green Hydrogen Plant at Kandla – Indigenously manufactured electrolyzers by Larsen & Toubro (L&T)   were dispatched for installation at the upcoming 1 MW Green Hydrogen Plant at Deendayal Port Authority (DPA) in  Kandla, Gujarat. The project will become India's first port-based green hydrogen facility to use locally manufactured electrolyzers. Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal virtually flagged off the electrolyser.

The electrolyzers were shipped from L&T's Hazira manufacturing unit. The Deendayal Port Authority's (DPA) green hydrogen plant at Kandla will be operational by July 2025, producing 18 kg of hydrogen per hour, making it India's first port-based plant to use indigenous electrolysers. The DPA aims to expand green ammonia production as part of India's net zero ambitions. The initial 1 MW green hydrogen plant is to be scaled up to 10 MW in the future, promoting sustainable port operations.

• India's first PPP (Public-Private Partnership) model based green waste processing plant –  India's first green waste processing plant will be set up through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model under Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban in Indore , Madhya Pradesh. The plant will be built on 55,000 square feet of land in Bicholi Hapsi area of ​​Indore. Its aim is to transform green waste into valuable resources. The plant will recycle wood and branches into environmentally friendly wood pellets, which will be used as an alternative to coal.

• Inauguration of Digital Flight Data Recorder Lab –  Union Civil Aviation Minister Shri Ram Mohan Naidu  inaugurated the state-of-the-art Digital Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder (DFDR & CVR) Laboratory at the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) at Udan Bhawan, New Delhi. Widely  known as the “Black Box Lab”, this state-of-the-art facility has been set up with an investment of ₹ nine crore.

• Doubling of Tirupati-Pakala-Katpadi railway line approved - The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the doubling of Tirupati-Pakala-Katpadi single railway line. The 104-km stretch passing through Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu will be renovated at an estimated cost of ₹1,332 crore. The project will expand rail connectivity across three districts in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, spanning 113 kilometers. It is expected to benefit approximately 400 villages and approximately 1.4 million people, contributing to the region's socio-economic upliftment.

The elevated rail corridor will improve access to several religious and heritage sites, including Tirumala Venkateswara Temple, Sri Kalahasti Shiva Temple, Kanipakam Vinayaka Temple and the historic Chandragiri Fort, thereby boosting pilgrimage tourism. The route is an important corridor for the transportation of coal, cement, agricultural produce, and minerals. The freight capacity is projected to increase by 4 million tonnes per annum (MTPA). Additionally, the project  is expected to save 40 million liters of oil and reduce CO₂ emissions by 200 million kilograms.

• Two Harappan sites in Haryana declared protected archaeological sites– The Haryana government  has declared  two Harappan sites, Mitathal and Tighrana, located in Bhiwani district, as protected archaeological sites. These sites are approximately 4,400 years old and have great historical and cultural significance. These sites will be protected under the "Haryana Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1964". Under this, fencing will be done to protect these sites and a watchman will also be appointed there. 

• First state to provide reservation and jobs to Agniveers - Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has   announced to provide 20 percent reservation to Agniveers in the recruitment of state police. Haryana has become the first state in the country to provide reservation and jobs to Agniveers in police recruitment after their service period in the army. A provision of 10 percent reservation has also been made for Agniveers in the jobs of Forest Guard, Jail Warder and Mining Guard in the Forest Department.

• Dubai-India Business Forum 2025– The Dubai-India Business Forum 2025 was held in Mumbai. The event was powered by Eventify Entertainment. Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal addressed the Dubai-India Business Forum organised by Dubai Chambers. The main objective of the Dubai-India Business Forum 2025 was to strengthen trade and investment relations between the two countries. 

• 35th State/UT to implement Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana - Delhi Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Central Government, under which Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) will now be implemented in Delhi also. Delhi is the 35th  State/Union Territory  in the country  where Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya  Health Insurance Scheme is being implemented. Now only West Bengal  is the state where this scheme has not been implemented yet.

• Drugs and Cosmetics (Compounding of Offences) Rules, 2025 - The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has notified the Drugs and Cosmetics (Compounding of Offences) Rules, 2025, which came into force from April 25, 2025. It provided a framework for resolving specific offences under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 through compounding, allowing offenders to settle cases without lengthy prosecution processes.  Its objective is to provide quick resolution of minor offences through fines, without getting entangled in the legal process, for pharmaceutical companies and individuals involved in related activities.

• Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fee Determination and Regulation) Bill, 2025 - To curb the arbitrary fee hike by private schools in Delhi,  the Delhi Government has brought the Delhi School Education Transparency in Fee Determination and Regulation-2025 Bill. Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood said that 'The Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Ordinance, 2025' was approved in the eighth meeting of the Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. The ordinance provides for strict action against schools that engage in arbitrary behavior. Such schools can be fined between 1 and 10 lakh rupees. If schools still fail to comply, their recognition can be revoked, and if necessary, the government can even take over the school. This ordinance will apply to all 1,677 private schools in Delhi.

• Cyber ​​Crime Centre I4C brought under PMLA - The government has authorised the Indian Cyber ​​Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) to receive and share information with the Enforcement Directorate under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Its purpose is to trace money trails and combat cyber fraud. The Department of Revenue, under the Ministry of Finance, has incorporated I4C under Section 66 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. This will help I4C share and receive information from the Enforcement Directorate and other law enforcement agencies.

• Himachal Pradesh Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act, 1985 - The Himachal Pradesh Government has decided to strictly enforce the provisions of the Himachal Pradesh Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act, 1985 in the newly constituted Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), violation of which is a punishable offence punishable with imprisonment and fine. This Act basically aims to prevent unauthorized display of advertisements in public places. Its purpose is to regulate the display of posters, notices, pictures, various broadcasting signals etc. on buildings, walls, trees and other public properties so that the aura of the area is not adversely affected. Under the provisions of the Act, no such advertisement can be displayed without prior written permission from the concerned local authority.

The Act was implemented in the Shimla Municipal Corporation area in the year 1985. Subsequently, through a notification issued in May, 1991, its scope was extended to various Nagar Palikas, Notified Area Committees and other Municipal Corporations across the state. However, the newly formed urban local bodies that came into existence after 1991 due to administrative upgradation and expansion were not included in the scope of the notification.

• Ayurveda Day to be celebrated every year on 23rd September– The Central Government has decided to celebrate Ayurveda Day every year on 23rd September. Till now Ayurveda Day was celebrated on Dhanteras. Since Ayurveda was based on the Hindu calendar, its date on the English calendar kept changing every year.

The Ministry of AYUSH noted that the date of Dhanteras will vary widely between October 15 and November 12 over the next decade, creating logistical challenges in organising events at the national and international level. The date of September 23 has been chosen because it coincides with the Autumnal Equinox, when day and night are equal, symbolising natural balance and harmony, which is in line with the principles of Ayurveda.

• World Migratory Bird Day, 2025 – In 2025, World Migratory Bird Day will be celebrated on May 10 and October 11. This year's theme is Shared Spaces: Creating Bird-Friendly Cities and Communities. It is noteworthy that World Migratory Bird Day is celebrated every year on the second Saturday of May and the second Saturday of October.

• World's longest banana fruit – A wild banana species from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands has been recorded to have a fruit measuring about 4.2 metres, the longest fruit recorded for bananas worldwide. Details of the discovery were published earlier this year in Botany Letters, an international peer-reviewed science journal. The fruit was recorded in Musa indamanensis, an endemic species of wild banana,  which was first recorded in 2012 in a remote tropical forest near the Krishna Nala Reserve Forest in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and was mentioned in a science journal in 2014.

• New office of Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) in Srinagar – The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), working under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, has   set up a new office in Srinagar as part of its efforts to boost inland water transport infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir. Located in the Transport Bhawan in Srinagar, this office has been provided by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir and has become operational from May 13, 2025.

The Srinagar office will serve as the central hub for IWAI's activities in the Union Territory, overseeing the development of river navigation infrastructure across the region. For this purpose, the Inland Waterways Authority of India has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Jammu and Kashmir administration to take up projects on three declared National Waterways –  NW-26 (River Chenab),  NW-49 (River Jhelum) and  NW-84 (River Ravi).

• Bharat Bodh Kendra –  Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal  inaugurated the 'Bharat Bodh Kendra' at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi on May 10, 2025. 'Bharat Bodh Kendra' is a new addition to the Habitat Library and Resource Centre of India Habitat Centre. This is a dedicated section aimed at promoting awareness and appreciation of India's rich cultural and civilisational heritage.This new complex will house a collection of books and resources on Indian art, music, spirituality, history, philosophy and other related fields.

• Launch of 'Ageing with Dignity' programme for senior citizens - President Draupadi Murmu attended the  programme 'Ageing with Dignity' - an initiative for the welfare of senior citizens, at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre in New Delhi on May 2, 2025. Organized by the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, the event saw the launch of the Senior Citizens Welfare Portal, virtual inauguration of Senior Citizens Homes, distribution of assistive devices and signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment and the Brahma Kumaris Institute. The aim of this programme is to promote an inclusive society for senior citizens.

•Dream League of India – Servotech Sports  organised the grand launch of Dream League of India, a tennis cricket ball league on May 1, 2025 at  Hotel Shangri La, New Delhi. This league  has been created to promote  tennis ball cricket in India and encourage talent at the grassroots level. In this, the top performers will get a chance to represent Tennis Cricket Ball Team India at the international level in tennis cricket. 

The Dream League of India will be for both juniors (13-18) and seniors (18+), with six franchises participating across both categories. Bollywood actor Sonu Sood has been appointed as the league commissioner for the Dream League of India. To play in the Dream League of India, players can register themselves for the open fair trials on the official website or Starzpit app. 

These trials will be conducted in various districts and centres across India under the supervision of over 1,500 certified coaches. From these fair trials, 860 junior and 860 senior players will be selected for the DLI auction, where six franchises in each category will select their teams. The players selected from the trials will participate in the Dream League of India auction.

• India's first AI Data Centre Park - The foundation stone of the country's first Artificial Intelligence based Data Centre Park   was laid by Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Dev Sai in Sector-22 of Nava Raipur, Chhattisgarh. This data centre park is being developed in an area of ​​13.5 acres, out of which 2.7 hectares will be developed as a Special Economic Zone (SEZ). Run by Rack Bank Data Centers Pvt Ltd, the project will be entirely dedicated to AI services. 

Starting with 5 MW capacity in the first phase, it will be expanded to 150 MW. Additional investment of about Rs 2000 crore is possible in this project in future. Keeping environmental protection in mind, this data centre has been designed as per green and energy efficient technology.

• Announcement to set up “Space Labs” in Eklavya Model Residential Schools – The Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL)  have announced to set up Space Labs in 75 Eklavya Model Residential Schools in 19 states of the country. Its objective is to prepare children from tribal communities to become future scientists, technologists and innovators by introducing them to space science from an early age. UEye Space Labs will be installed in Eklavya Model Residential Schools in 19 states of India, including Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Mizoram  , Odisha, Rajasthan, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal.         

More than 50,000 tribal students will benefit from this initiative. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India has established Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) to provide quality education to the children of Scheduled Tribe community so that they can be educated through higher and vocational educational courses and enable them to get better employment opportunities in various sectors. Currently 470  Ekalavya Model Residential Schools are running across the country.

• Adarsh ​​Sanskrit Village Programme – The Uttarakhand Cabinet has approved the Adarsh ​​Sanskrit Village Programme, which aims to teach Sanskrit language in one village in each district of the hill state. The move is aimed at promoting Sanskrit, the second official language of the state , and revitalising and popularising the language. The Uttarakhand government has declared 13 model Sanskrit villages in 13 districts of the state. If successful, this initiative can be extended to the block level.

All work and information in these villages will be in Sanskrit. The villages selected include Bhogpur in Dehradun, Mukhem in Tehri, Kotgaon in Uttarkashi, Baiji in Rudraprayag, Dimmar in Chamoli, Goda in Pauri, Urg in Pithoragarh, Pandekota in Almora, Seri in Bageshwar, Khark Karki in Champawat, Noorpur in Haridwar, Pandgaon in Nainital and Nagla Tarai in Udham Singh Nagar. This scheme is being funded by the Central Sanskrit University, Delhi.

The government will recruit 13 trainers, who will be paid a monthly salary of ₹20,000. Eligibility will be determined through a two-stage selection process involving a written exam and an interview. Those selected   will receive specialized training at the Sanskrit Academy in Haridwar. A structured curriculum has been developed, incorporating shlokas, moral stories, and teachings from Indian epics like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Key spiritual texts like the Vedas and the Durga Saptashati will also be included, giving learners a comprehensive understanding of classical Sanskrit literature.

The program promotes social inclusion by encouraging participation from Muslims, Dalits, and tribal communities. It also aims to introduce Sanskrit as an optional subject in madrasas, increasing access to the language for people from diverse backgrounds. Sanskrit Education Minister Dr Dham Singh Rawat said, "Devvani (language of the gods) Sanskrit is the second official language of the state and to preserve and promote it, the government has declared one model Sanskrit village in each district. 

• Inauguration of Garbage Transfer Station in Gorakhpur- Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the new Garbage Transfer Station located at Chargawan in Gorakhpur. It has the capacity to dispose of 200 tons of garbage daily. A plan has been developed to dispose of garbage from 40 wards of the metropolis at this GTS.

• Maharashtra government buys famous 'Raghuji Sword' - The Maharashtra government has  bought  the famous 'Raghuji Sword'  of 18th century Maratha general Raghuji Bhonsle for Rs 47.15 lakh at an auction in London. Sotheby's, the auction's organizer, announced on its website that the buckshot-hilt sword sold for £38,100. The pre-auction estimate was between £6,000 and £8,000.

The Chief Minister said that the sword was not purchased directly but through a middleman due to some technical issues. Raje Raghuji Bhonsle, founder of the Bhonsle dynasty of Nagpur, led the fight against the Nawab of Bengal in 1745. The global auction house described the sword as, "Slightly curved, European style single-edged blade with two fullers and imitation maker's mark on the forte side, gold engraved Devanagari script on the spine, set in a traditional `basket` ​​style hilt with fully worked gold plating, grip covered in green woven wool."

• Revive Our Ocean Initiative – “Revive Our Ocean” is a global initiative aimed at  promoting marine protected areas, especially those led by local communities. It is based on successful models from around the world and will initially focus on seven countries: the UK, Portugal, Greece, Turkey, the Philippines, Indonesia and Mexico. Its main goal is to eliminate destructive fishing practices, such as bottom trawling. The initiative was launched on April 24, 2025 and aims to restore the oceans by 2030.

• Aahar Mitra Mobile App- 'Aahar Mitra' Mobile App has been launched by the Labour Department of Haryana Government. This app will provide users with features like location of nearest  Atal-Shramik-Kisan canteen, service availability, information about schemes and giving feedback. This will make it easier for workers, farmers and laborers to get nutritious food. Haryana Labour Department will act as the nodal agency for implementation, grant and monitoring of this scheme. It is noteworthy that the Haryana Government has started operating a total of 196 Atal-Shramik-Kisan canteens across the state. Clean, balanced and nutritious food is available at Atal Canteen for just Rs 10.

• India's first inter-state cheetah corridor – India's first inter-state cheetah corridor  is being built between Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The corridor will cover an area of ​​approximately 17,000 square kilometres, including 10,500 square kilometres in Madhya Pradesh and 6,500 square kilometres in Rajasthan.

This corridor will connect Palpur Kuno National Park and Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh with Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan. The project will cover Sheopur, Shivpuri, Gwalior, Morena, Guna, Ashoknagar, Mandsaur and Neemuch districts of Madhya Pradesh.

It will include seven districts of Rajasthan – Kota, Bundi, Baran, Jhalawar, Sawai Madhopur, Karauli and Chittorgarh. There is also discussion on including some parts of Uttar Pradesh, especially the forest areas of Jhansi and Lalitpur, in this corridor. The Cheetah Corridor will start from Kuno National Park (Madhya Pradesh) and extend through Mukundra Hills (Rajasthan) to Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary (MP). 

• 20th India-Iran Joint Commission Meeting, 2025-  The 20th India-Iran Joint Commission Meeting  was held in New Delhi on May 8, 2025.  The meeting was co-chaired by Dr. S. Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister of India and Dr. Bas Araghchi, Foreign Minister of Iran.

• Gold Melting ATM – India's first AI enabled gold melting machine (Gold ATM)   has been launched by  fintech company GoldCoin in Hyderabad, the capital of Telangana. With the help of this machine, people will get the facility to buy, sell, exchange, lease and digitize gold. According to the company, the new machine automatically evaluates and monetizes gold through AI. It also offers its users an artificial reality experience, allowing customers to virtually try on a piece of jewelry before purchasing it. GoldCoin, which launched India's first real-time gold ATM in 2022, is introducing the next-generation ATM that includes advanced features that redefine gold transactions.

• Translocation of turtles to Haiderpur Wetland – 20 turtles were carefully translocated from the Garhaita Turtle Conservation Centre, located within and under the supervision of the National Chambal Sanctuary, Uttar Pradesh, and released in the Haiderpur Wetland area of ​​the River Ganga, Meerut Forest Division. The red-crowned roofed turtle or Batagur Kachuga, which was considered almost extinct,   has returned to the Ganga river after 30 years.

This species survives only in small numbers in the Chambal River, and even there it is estimated that only 500 female turtles remain. These turtles were tagged with sonic devices to monitor their safety and migration. This is believed to be the first sonic tracking rehabilitation of turtles in the Ganges River in India. For the rehabilitation process, the turtles were divided into two groups—one group was released above the barrage at the Haiderpur Wetland, while the other group was released into the main Ganges. The goal of this approach was to determine which method was most effective for rehabilitating turtles.

• Exhibition of the sacred relics of Lord Buddha kept at Sarnath to be held in Vietnam - The Ministry of Culture, Government of India, in collaboration with the International Buddhist Confederation, New Delhi, will organize the first-ever exhibition of the sacred Buddha relics of Sarnath in Vietnam during the grand celebrations of the United Nations Day of Vesak 2025. 

The sacred relic  will be formally brought to Delhi from the Mulagandha Kuti Vihar (monastery) in Sarnath to the Varanasi airport with prayers and worship. The monastery houses the sacred relics of Shakyamuni Buddha. It was built by Anagarika Dharmapala, the founder of the Mahabodhi Society, and is still maintained and operated by the Mahabodhi Society.

• Pigs die due to African swine fever outbreak in Mizoram - More than 3,050 pigs have died in four districts of Mizoram due to the outbreak of African swine fever, officials of the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department of Mizoram said. So far, the department has declared 46 areas in four districts of the northeastern state - Siaha, Lawngtlai, Lunglei and Mamit - as containment zones. Of the four infected areas, Siaha district is the worst affected, where a total of 1,651 pigs have died.

• Critically endangered vultures translocated from Haryana to Maharashtra – On the occasion of Earth Day,   34 vultures   were translocated from the Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre (JCBC) in Pinjore, Haryana to three major sites in Maharashtra – Melghat, Pench and Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserves. These vultures include 20 long-billed and 14 white-tailed vultures. The relocation is part of the vulture rehabilitation programme, which aims to save and increase the population of these endangered species. In Maharashtra, these vultures will be kept in natural environment in these reserve areas.

• Gyan Post – The Department of Posts has launched  a dedicated postal service ‘Gyan Post’ for affordable delivery of educational, cultural, social and religious books. The 'Gyan Post' service became operational from May 1, 2025, in all departmental post offices across India. It aims to bridge the educational gap by making printed educational materials more accessible and affordable across India, including remote and rural areas.  'Gyan Post' is operated through all post offices, with a minimum rate of Rs 20 for packets up to 300 grams and a maximum rate of Rs 100 for packets up to 5 kg, excluding taxes. Tracking facility will be available to ensure transparency and reliability. 

• 7th Edition of Nutrition Fortnight, 2025 – Ministry of Women and Child Development celebrated the 7th Edition of Nutrition Fortnight, 2025 to combat malnutrition. This year's Nutrition Fortnight focused on four key themes : a focus on the first thousand days of life, popularization of the beneficiary module of the Nutrition Tracker, and a healthy lifestyle to manage malnutrition and address childhood obesity. The Poshan Abhiyaan aims to promote healthy and nutritious diet among children, women by blending technology and tradition.

• Inauguration of S. N. Bose Bhawan – International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi  inaugurated the S. N. Bose Bhawan at the Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership (GCNEP) at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan in New Delhi. He also launched a certificate course on nuclear engineering on this occasion.

The newly constructed SN Bose Bhawan, named in honour of the eminent Indian  physicist Dr. Satyendra Nath Bose  , will serve as an advanced centre for research and training in nuclear science and technology.  Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy and Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission, Dr. Ajit Kumar Mohanty  reiterated India's commitment to advance nuclear technology and global cooperation for social and economic development using nuclear energy.

•National Seminar cum Exhibition on Organic Farming, 2025 – National Centre for Organic and Natural Farming, Ghaziabad  under the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare   organized a two-day National Seminar cum Exhibition on Organic Farming. The objective of this symposium   was to bring together all the stakeholders and discuss sustainable agricultural practices which will help in motivating the farmers towards organic farming by providing them basic and latest technical information. 

• 8th Bankers' Awareness Programme, 2025 - The 8th  Bankers' Awareness Programme, 2025, was held in Jaipur, attended by CPPC officers handling pension related work at Punjab National Bank. A pensioner awareness programme was also held in Jaipur.

• 7th Adi Rang Mahotsav, 2025 – 7th Adi Rang Mahotsav, 2025,  was organised at the National School of Drama (NSD) in New Delhi. The main objective of organizing it  was to showcase the cultural, artistic and spiritual heritage preserved by the tribal societies over the centuries, in which more than 300 tribal artists participated. The festival featured 15 dance and music programmes from 13 states, as well as displays of tribal handicrafts from 11 states. Highlights from the theatrical world  include "Bir Birsa " from Jharkhand, a tribute to tribal leader Birsa Munda, and "Bana Guda" from Odisha  , a tale of valour and folklore. 

Folk dance groups from various states presented their traditional dances - Rabha dance from Assam, Gusadi dance from Andhra Pradesh, Juju Jaja and Rikam Pada dance from Arunachal Pradesh, Siddi Dhammal and Padhar dance from Gujarat, Kinnauri Nat dance from Himachal Pradesh, Paika, Mardani and Jhomar dance from Jharkhand, Gudum Baja from Madhya Pradesh, Songi Mukhavate dance from Maharashtra, Chakri dance from Rajasthan. Adi Rang Mahotsav was organised for the first time in 2014 in Mumbai.

• Amravati Airport inaugurated –  Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis  inaugurated the Amravati Airport in Belora, Vidarbha in the presence of Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar. CM Fadnavis said that a large pilot training institute will soon be built in Amravati, which will be the largest in Southeast Asia and will train approximately 180 pilots annually. It will also have 34 training aircraft available. Union Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, who was also present, said that the number of air passengers has increased by 40% in the last five years and announced that India will have 74 airports in 2014, which will increase to 159 by 2025.

•Government extends validity of tobacco grower registration and barn licence by 3 years – The Government of India has   extended the validity period of registration certificate as a Virginia tobacco grower and licence for operating a barn from one year to three years to ease doing business. This decision will eliminate the need for mandatory annual renewals. Farmers will now only need to renew their registrations and licenses once every three years.

To facilitate the growers to renew this registration/license once in 3 years, the Government of India has amended sub-rules (5), (6) and (7) of Rule 33 and sub-rules (2) and (3) of Rule 34N of the Tobacco Board Rules, 1976. This will be effective from the 2025-26 crop season in Andhra Pradesh. This extension of registration and license validity period is expected to greatly benefit about 83,500 farmers managing about 91,000 barns in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana and Odisha. 

Virginia tobacco in India is regulated by an Act of Parliament, namely the Tobacco Board Act, 1975 and the rules notified thereunder. India is the second largest producer and fourth largest exporter of non-manufactured tobacco in the world (in terms of value during the year 2023). During FY 2024-25, tobacco exports contributed US$1979 million (Rs 16,728 crore) to the Indian exchequer. 

• India Inaugurates Capacity Building Programme to Combat Terrorism Financing - The Department of Revenue, in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs and the National Security Council Secretariat, successfully organised the first-ever Capacity Building Programme on 'Combating Terrorism Financing (CFT) through Cryptocurrencies, Crowdfunding and Non-Profit Organisations' for the Central Asian Republics. The two-day event was held in New Delhi. Bringing together senior experts from five Central Asian countries – Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan – the event provided a platform for knowledge exchange and regional cooperation in combating terrorist financing.

• 38th Meeting of the Central Advisory Board of Archaeology –  Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)  organised the 38th Meeting of the Central Advisory Board of Archaeology (CABA) at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.  The event is being organized under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture. The meeting was chaired by Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister of Culture and Tourism, Government of India, and held under the auspices of the Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). In this meeting, the commitment of the Government towards heritage conservation was strengthened under the guiding motto of 'Vikas Bhi Virasat Bhi'.

• Aerobatic Air Show, 2025 – Aerobatic Air Show-2025 held in Patna, Bihar in April, 2025. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Union Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth formally inaugurated the air show. This program was organized to pay tribute to Babu Kunwar Singh, the great freedom fighter of the 1857 revolution, on the occasion of his bravery day Vijayotsav in Bhojpur, Bihar. In this show, the famous Surya Kiran team of the Indian Air Force performed amazing aerobatics in the sky with its nine Hawk-132 jet aircraft. 

Surya Kiran team paid aerial tribute to the heroes of the 1857 revolution. 9 fighter planes performed stunts at a height of 1500 feet on JP Ganga Path. The Air Force paragliding team performed stunts while waving the picture of Babu Veer Kunwar Singh in the sky. In view of the air show, the area of ​​JP Ganga Path was declared a no-flying zone for 3 hours.

• Ayodhya Parv, 2025- 'Ayodhya Parv 2025'  was organised at  Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, New Delhi.  On this occasion, an exhibition of artworks based on 'Maryada Purushottam' (Lord Rama) by renowned painter Padmashree Vasudev Kamath was unveiled.  Along with this, two special exhibitions were also organised 'Sundarkand', a collection of Pahari miniature paintings based on the 'Valmiki Ramayana', and  'Badi Hai Ayodhya', a pictorial representation of the pilgrimage tradition of Chaurasi Kos Parikrama (84 Kos Circuit) around Ayodhya.

• Inauguration of the world's 17th Athlete Passport Management Unit - Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya  inaugurated the world's 17th Athlete Passport Management Unit at the National Dope Testing Laboratory in New Delhi . This will be a special body to monitor and manage the biological passports of athletes. Its aim is to make sports free from unethical activities like doping and to monitor athletes so that they participate in competition in a clean and honest manner. This new technology will allow long-term monitoring of athletes' physiological profiles through the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) system, which will help determine whether an athlete is doping. Through this, the blood and steroid levels of the players will be monitored so that any unethical method can be detected before it is adopted. 

• Mahila Samvad Programme -  Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar launched 'Mahila Samvad' through video conferencing at 'Sankalp' located at Ek Aney Marg.  40 vehicles were flagged off and sent to various blocks. This is a program of the Rural Development Department of Bihar. This program will run for approximately two months throughout Bihar. During this period, information about government schemes will be given to women by the government in every district. The "Women's Dialogue Program" will be held at 70,000 locations across the state for two months. The programs will be held in the mornings and evenings. The Nitish Kumar government is trying to reach approximately 20 million women through the "Women's Dialogue Program." The largest number of participants in this program will be Jeevika Didi. The government aims to empower women socially and economically through this program.

 

 

 

International

• Times Higher Education: Asia University Rankings 2025- The UK magazine Times Higher Education has released the list of Asia's top research universities in the Asia University Rankings 2025. This year, 853 universities from 35 countries and regions  have been ranked. This is the 13th edition of this ranking. A total of 18 performance indicators have been used to prepare this ranking. This year, four countries – Uzbekistan, Bahrain, Mongolia and Syria have been included in this ranking for the first time.

Japan has  the highest number of  universities in the overall ranking, with 119. In this, India ranks second with 107 universities. It is noteworthy that a total of 91 universities of India were ranked in the rankings of the year 2024. China ranks third with a total of 94 universities.

Tsinghua University, China, has been ranked first in the Asia University Rankings 2025.   This is the seventh consecutive year that the university has topped the rankings. China (mainland) has the highest number of universities in the top 10 in the latest rankings, with 5 from China.

Asia University Rankings 2025: Top 5 Universities

1. Tsinghua University, China, 93.02

2. Peking University, China, 92.9

3. National University of Singapore, Singapore, 91.3

4. Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Singapore 85.4

5. The University of Tokyo, Japan, 84.8

Only one Indian institution  has found a place in the list of top 100 universities  in Asia in the Asia University Rankings, 2025. Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore  is the only Indian institute included in the list of top 100 universities. The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru  has been ranked 38th  (65.2) in the Asia Rankings 2025. Other Indian institutions in the list include  Anna University ,  Chennai  at  111th  (52.3),  Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Indore  at  131st  (49.4) and  Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala  at 140th  (48.6).

• 20th Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF-20) – The 20th Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF-20)   was held from 5 to 9 May 2025 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. India reaffirmed its commitment to achieve Voluntary National Contributions (VNCs) under the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests 2017-2030.

India reported a steady increase in forest and tree cover, which now covers 25.17% of its geographical area as per the latest India State of Forest Report  , a result of major national initiatives such as land restoration under the Aravalli Green Wall, 7.86% increase in mangrove cover in the last decade, afforestation of over 1.55 lakh hectares under the Green India Mission and planting of 1.4 billion saplings under the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam (Plant4Mother) campaign. India had invited all UN member states to join the International Big Cat Alliance – a global platform launched by India to support the conservation of seven big cat species.

• 14th GISEC Global, 2025 - The 14th GISEC Global 2025, the third largest cybersecurity event in the world and the largest in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region,  was held from May 6 to 8, 2025 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, (UAE). The main theme of GISEC Global 2025 is “Securing an AI-powered future”. India's presence is led by the Data Security Council of India (DSCI).

• Quad Countries Meeting for Tabletop Exercise, 2025 – From April 28 to May 2, 2025, a tabletop exercise (TTX) was held in Honolulu, Hawaii by the Quad countries (India, Australia, Japan and the United States) to promote humanitarian logistics in the Indo-Pacific region.  

• Columbia India Energy Dialogue 2025 - The Columbia India Energy Dialogue 2025  was held in New Delhi on May 6, 2025.  Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal addressed the India Energy Dialogue.

• International Maritime Defence Exhibition (IMDEX), 2025 - International Maritime Defence Exhibition (IMDEX) Asia, 2025  was held on May 6-8, 2025 at Changi Exhibition Centre, Singapore. It is the premier biennial naval and maritime defence event in the Asia Pacific region. IMDEX Asia 2025 focused on promoting maritime security, defence and cooperation. Indian Naval Ship INS Kiltan arrived in Singapore to participate in IMDEX Asia 2025 at  Changi Exhibition Centre.

• Alcatraz Prison - Alcatraz Prison, also known as "The Rock," is a former federal prison located in San Francisco Bay. From 1934 to 1963, it was considered America's most secure and notorious prison, housing notorious criminals. In 1963, Alcatraz was closed due to it being too expensive to run. On May 4, 2025, US President Donald Trump has directed the reopening and expansion of Alcatraz, a former prison located on an island off the coast of California. America's most brutal and violent criminals will be kept in this prison.

• U.S. 2025 Special 301 Report – The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has released its 2025 Special 301 Report. It is an annual review of intellectual property (IP) protection, enforcement, and related market access issues among US trading partners. Mandated by Section 182 of the Trade Act of 1974, the report identifies countries with inadequate IP protection or enforcement practices that harm American innovators and creators, classifying them on a Priority Watch List or Monitoring List based on the severity of these issues. This report is based on a review of more than 100 countries around the world.

Priority Watch List : It  lists eight countries: Argentina, Chile, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia, and Venezuela due to persistent challenges, including widespread counterfeiting, high levels of online piracy, inadequate enforcement mechanisms, and policies that undermine IP rights. 

Watch List  :  18 countries have been added to the Watch List. These 18 countries include Vietnam, Brazil, Algeria, Barbados, Belarus, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, Guatemala, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, and Turkey. The USTR removed Turkmenistan from the watchlist this year due to its efforts to align its IP laws with international standards. Stakeholders have not raised any significant concerns about IP protection or enforcement during the Special 301 review over the past several years.

The USTR moved Mexico from the Watch List to the Priority Watch List due to the unresolved long-standing and significant IP concerns, many of which relate to Mexico's implementation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). 

• 123rd Member of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) - Angola signed the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Framework Agreement on  May 3, 2025. Angola became the ISA's 123rd member country. This historic step was taken during the visit of Angolan President  Joao Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço to India. India has been re-elected as the Chair of the International Solar Alliance for a two-year term from 2024 to 2026.

The International Solar Alliance is a joint initiative between India and France. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President François Hollande introduced the concept of the institution during their meeting in Paris 2015. The International Solar Alliance was founded in 2017, and the first founding conference was held on March 11. 2018 was held in New Delhi. The headquarters of ISA  is in Gurugram, Haryana, India.

• World Military Expenditure Trends Report, 2024 - The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released a report on global military spending titled 'World Military Expenditure Trends, 2024'. According to the 2024 World Military Expenditure Trends report, global military expenditure reached US $ 2.7 trillion ($2718 billion), a 9.4% increase compared to 2023. This growth is the fastest since the Cold War. Total military expenditure in 2024 was 2.5 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP).

The five biggest spenders in 2024 were:  (1) United States (2) China (3) Russia (4) Germany (5) India

The top five military spenders– the United States, China, Russia, Germany, and India – account for 60 percent of the global total, with a combined expenditure of $1635 billion.

The USA's military expenditure is $997 billion , which is 3.4 percent of its GDP.

China  's military expenditure  is $314 billion, which is 1.7 percent of its GDP. 

India's military expenditure is $86.1 billion, which is 2.3 percent of its GDP.

Military expenditure in Europe 

Military spending in  Europe (including Russia) increased by 17 percent to $693 billion.

All European countries except Malta increased their military spending in 2024. 

Russia 's military expenditure is projected  to reach $149 billion in 2024, a 38 percent increase from 2023 and double the level of 2015. This represents 7.1 percent of Russia's GDP and 19 percent of total Russian government expenditure.

Ukraine's total military expenditure increased by 2.9 percent  to $64.7 billion,  representing 43 percent of Russia's expenditure. At 34 percent of GDP, Ukraine had the largest military burden of any country in 2024.

Germany 's military expenditure rose 28 percent  to $88.5 billion, making it the biggest spender in Central and Western Europe and the fourth-biggest in the world.  

The United Kingdom  is set to increase its military expenditure by 2.8 percent  to $81.8 billion in 2024, making it the sixth-largest spender worldwide. 

France's military expenditure rose 6.1 percent  to $64.7 billion, making it the ninth-largest spender.

Sweden has increased its military expenditure by 34 percent  to $12.0 billion in 2024. In its first year of NATO membership, Sweden's military burden reached 2.0 percent of GDP. 

Expenditures of NATO members 

Total military expenditure by NATO members in 2024 was $1506 billion , or 55 percent of global military expenditure. 

Of the 32 NATO members, 18 spent at least 2.0 percent of GDP on their militaries.

Military spending by the United States increased by 5.7 percent to reach $997 billion, accounting for 66 percent of total NATO spending and 37 percent of world military spending in 2024.

European NATO members spent a total of $454 billion, representing 30 percent of total spending in the alliance.

Massive increase in military spending in the Middle East

Military spending in the Middle East is projected to reach $243 billion in 2024, up 15 percent from 2023 and 19 percent from 2015. 

Israeli military spending is set to rise 65 percent to  $46.5 billion in 2024 , the highest annual increase since the Six-Day War in 1967, as it continues the war in Gaza and escalates the conflict with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Its military burden has risen to 8.8 percent of GDP, the second highest in the world.   

Lebanon   's military spending is set to rise 58 percent to $635 million in 2024. 

Iran 's military spending is projected to decrease by 10 percent in real terms to $7.9 billion in 2024. The impact of sanctions on Iran has severely limited its ability to increase spending. 

Saudi Arabia was the largest military spender in the Middle East and the seventh-largest worldwide in 2024. Its military spending saw a modest increase of 1.5 percent, reaching an estimated $80.3 billion.

China and its neighboring countries

China, the world's second-largest military spender,  increased its military spending by 7.0 percent to an estimated $314 billion . 

Japan's military spending rose 21 percent to $55.3 billion in 2024, the largest annual increase since 1952. Its military burden reached 1.4 percent of GDP, the highest since 1958. 

India's military spending, the fifth-largest globally, rose 1.6 percent to $86.1 billion. 

Taiwan 's spending is projected to rise 1.8 percent to $16.5 billion in 2024.

other countries

Myanmar 's military spending will increase by 66 percent to an estimated $5.0 billion in 2024.

Military expenditure in Africa will total $52.1 billion in 2024, a 3.0 percent increase from 2023 and 11 percent higher than in 2015.

• UNESCO announces the names of 16 new Global Geoparks – On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of UNESCO Global Geoparks (UGGP) in April 2025, a total of 16 new sites from 11 countries were officially added to the Global Geoparks Network (GGN). North Korea and Saudi Arabia have entered it for the first time. UNESCO has recognised 16 new Global Geoparks, bringing the total to 229 geoparks in 50 countries. The network now covers an area of ​​approximately 855,000 square kilometres, equivalent to the size of the country of Namibia.

 Of  these  16 new geoparks, 11 are from countries including  China  (Kanbula and Yunyang),  North Korea (Mount Paektu),  Ecuador  (Napo Sumaco and Tungurahua volcanoes),  Indonesia  (Kebumen and Meratus),  Italy  (Murgeopark),  Norway  (Fjord Coast),  South Korea  (Danyang and Gyeongbuk Dongheon),  Saudi Arabia (North Riyadh and Salma),  Spain  (Costa Quebrada),  United Kingdom  (Iran) and  Vietnam  (Lạng Sơn).

These geoparks are recognized for their unique geological heritage, which includes volcanic chains, ancient rocks, mountain ranges, fossil sites and desert landscapes.The Global Geoparks Network (GGN) is an international non-profit organization created in collaboration with UNESCO.

• Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) Snow Update Report, 2025 –  The HKH Snow Update Report, 2025 has been presented by the Kathmandu  -based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). The report said that the snow cover or snow level in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region between November and March this year was 23.6 percent below normal, the lowest in the last 23 years. This decline is particularly concerning in the Mekong and Salween basins, where ice stability has decreased by 51.9% and 48.3%, respectively. 

The report shows that the Mekong (-51.9%) and Salween (-48.3%) basins have experienced the greatest decline in ice shelf life, followed by the Tibetan Plateau (-29.1%), Brahmaputra (-27.9%), Yangtze (-26.3%), and Ganges (-24.1%) basins. The report states that snow that remains on the ground during winter is either melting faster or not falling in the expected amounts. The water from melting snow is what forms rivers. ICIMOD Director General Pema Gyamtsho said carbon emissions are the reason for the snow loss in the HKH region.

• Gitex Africa 2025 - Africa's largest technology and startup event, Gitex Africa 2025, was held in Marrakesh, Morocco. The three-day summit was led by Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

• International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) – The first meeting of the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) was held on June 16, 2025  in New Delhi. Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri Bhupender Yadav chaired the meeting. The meeting  was attended by ministerial delegations from nine countries: Bhutan, Cambodia,  Eswatini, Republic of Guinea, Republic of India,  Republic of Liberia, Republic of Suriname, Federal Republic of Somalia and Republic of Kazakhstan.      

The meeting unanimously approved Mr. Bhupendra Yadav as the President of IBCA. The meeting also approved Shri SP Yadav as Director General of IBCA. Created by the Government of India, the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) is a coalition of 95 range countries. It aims to conserve the seven big cats namely tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, cheetah, jaguar and puma.

So far, 27 countries, including India, have agreed to join the IBCA. The Government of India, through the National Tiger Conservation Authority under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, established the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) in March, 2024.

• Visit of Crown Prince of Dubai and Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister of UAE to India- Recently, on the invitation of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister of UAE (United Arab Emirates) Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum arrived in the capital of India, New Delhi on his two-day official visit  where he was welcomed by Union Minister of State Suresh Gopi. This is His Highness's first official visit to India as Crown Prince of Dubai. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince also visited Mumbai.

• Game Developers Conference, 2025-  Recently, Game Developers Conference (GDC) was held in San Francisco, USA. The Game Developers Conference (GDC) is the world's largest and most influential event for game developers and industry professionals, featuring lectures, panels, and exhibitions on game design, technology, and business trends. The pavilion was inaugurated by Dr. K. Sreekar Reddy, Consul General of India in San Francisco. The main objective of the India Pavilion is to promote the upcoming World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES), which is scheduled to be held in Mumbai in May 2025.

• Third US state to officially recognize Holi –  The Texas legislature passed a resolution regarding the major Hindu festival Holi officially recognizing Holi as an important cultural festival.With this move, Texas has become the third US state to formally recognize Holi after Georgia and New York. The resolution was introduced by Senator Sarah Eckhart.

• State of emergency declared in Lima - Recently,  Peruvian  President Dina Boluarte   declared a state of emergency for 30 days in  the capital Lima. The decision comes in the wake of the brutal murder of a popular singer, Paul Flores, and the rising crime rate. 

• Hungary withdraws from the International Criminal Court - Hungary recently withdrew from the International Criminal Court. This was announced by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. According to the Hungarian Prime Minister, his country decided to withdraw from the ICC because the court has now become a political tool. The decision to withdraw from the ICC was announced in the presence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was on an official visit to Hungary.

The ICC has issued an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes in Gaza. Hungary, as a member of the ICC, was obligated to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. After withdrawing from the ICC, Hungary is no longer obligated to arrest Benjamin Netanyahu. Hungary is considered one of Israel's strongest European allies. Hungary has become the first European country to announce plans to leave the International Criminal Court (ICC).

•150th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), 2025 -  The 150th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) was recently  held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla led the Indian parliamentary delegation in this. Its headquarters is in Geneva (Switzerland). The Inter-Parliamentary Union, established in 1889, is a global organization of national parliaments promoting  peace through parliamentary diplomacy  .

It has 182 Members of Parliament and 15 Associate Members (as of 2025). Funded primarily by contributions from members, its slogan is: "For Democracy for Everyone. Its objective is to promote democratic governance, dialogue and capacity building by empowering parliaments to fulfil public aspirations.

• Economic Freedom Index, 2025- Economic Freedom Index-2021 was released by American think tank 'The Heritage Foundation'. It is a multidimensional index for comparative study of economic freedoms provided in different countries of the world. The index is constructed based on 12 metrics across  four pillars – rule of law, limited government, regulatory efficiency and open markets.

Singapore topped the index, followed by Switzerland in second place, Ireland in third, Taiwan in fourth, and Luxembourg in fifth. The bottom five countries in this index are  North Korea  (176), Cuba (175), Venezuela (174), Zimbabwe (173) and Sudan (172). India ranks 128th out of 184 countries on the Index of Economic Freedom 2025, with a score of 53.0. In the 2025 Index, India is classified as a  "mostly unfree" economy.  Among India's neighboring countries, Bhutan has got 102nd position, China 151st, Nepal 131st, Sri Lanka 148th, Bangladesh 122nd and Pakistan 150th position.

• Global Terrorism Index, 2025 – Global Terrorism Index, 2025 released by Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP). This is the 12th edition of this index. This index was released for the first time in the year 2012. It covers 163 countries, representing 99.7% of the world's population.The index ranks 163 countries on a score from zero to 10. The index score is zero (0) for the least affected by terrorism and ten (10) for the most affected.

The 10 countries most affected by terrorism are-

1. Burkina Fas (8.581), 2. Pakistan (8.374), 3. Syria (8.006), 4. Mali (7.907) 5. Niger (7.776), 6. Nigeria (7.658) 7. Somalia (7.614), 8. Israel (7.463), 9. Afghanistan (7.262), 10. Cameroon (6.944)

India has secured 14th position (score 6.411) in this index.

Among India's neighbouring countries,  Pakistan has been ranked  second,  Sri Lanka  20th,  Nepal  68th,  

Bangladesh  35th,  China  49th and  Bhutan  and  Sri Lanka  100th in the index.

Among other countries of the world,  USA has got  34th position,  UK  41st,  France  40th and  Russia  16th.

Islamic State (IS) has been described as the most dangerous terrorist organization in the world.

This year's index   has described the Sahel region as a hub of terrorism.

• Third Meeting of BIMSTEC Agriculture Ministers, 2025-  Third Meeting of BIMSTEC Agriculture Ministers, 2025  was held in Kathmandu, Nepal. Agriculture ministers from India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand participated in it. Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan  led the Indian delegation in this meeting.  The meeting was chaired by His Excellency Shri Ram Nath Adkikri, Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Development of Nepal.

The objective of this important meeting is to further strengthen the ongoing agricultural cooperation among BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) countries. Its first meeting was held in Myanmar in 2019 and the second meeting was held in India in 2022.

• Largest deposit of rare earth metals discovered in Kazakhstan– The largest deposit of rare earth metals has been discovered in the Central Asian country Kazakhstan, located at the Kuirektykol site in the Karaganda region. The reserves are estimated to contain about 1 million tonnes of rare earth metals, such as cerium, lanthanum, neodymium and yttrium, which are important for green technologies and electronics. The average concentration of rare earth elements in this deposit is 700 grams per tonne, making it one of the most important discoveries in the world. Rare earth metals are used in a variety of high-tech products, such as smartphones, electric vehicle batteries, and wind turbines.

 

 

Economic

• UP AGRIZ and AI Pragya – On May 9, 2025, the Uttar Pradesh government and the World Bank launched the 'UP AGRIZ' (Uttar Pradesh Agriculture Growth and Rural Enterprise Ecosystem Strengthening) and 'AI Pragya' initiatives. The initiative was inaugurated by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and World Bank President Ajay Banga in Lucknow. These initiatives aim to make the state a leader in the fields of agriculture and Artificial Intelligence (AI), thereby achieving the target of a 'one trillion dollar' economy.

This ₹4,000 crore project   will promote modern technology-based farming in 28 districts of  Purvanchal and Bundelkhand. The World Bank will provide a loan of ₹2,737 crore for the project at an interest rate of 1.23% for a period of 35 years, while the state government will contribute ₹1,166 crore. This scheme will directly benefit 10 lakh farmers, out of which 30% will be women.  10,000 women producer groups will be linked and 500 farmers will be given overseas training.  Under the 'AI Pragya' programme initiative, 10 lakh youth of the state will be trained in areas like AI, machine learning, data analytics and cyber security. 

• Sample Registration System (SRS) Report, 2021– The Sample Registration System (SRS) 2021 report was released by the Registrar General of India (RGI) on May 7, 2025. The report covers the period from 2019 to 2021, and   shows significant improvements in maternal and child health indicators in India.  According to the Special Bulletin on Maternal Mortality in India 2019-21, based on the Sample Registration System (SRS)  , the country's maternal mortality ratio (MMR) has declined significantly, falling by 37 points from 130 per lakh live births in 2014-16  to 93 in 2019-21. The countryn's Ifant Mortality Rate (IMR) has declined from 39 per 1000 births in 2014  to 27 per 1000 births in 2021.

Neonatal Mortality Rate  (NMR) has declined from 26 per 1000 births in 2014  to 19 per 1000 births in 2021. The under-five mortality rate  (U5MR) has declined from 45 per 1000 births in 2014  to 31 per 1000 births in 2021. The sex ratio at birth  has improved from 899 in 2014  to 913 in 2021. The total fertility rate  is stable at 2.0 in 2021, a  significant improvement from 2.3 in 2014.     

Achievements of the States

Eight states have already achieved the SDG target of MMR ( <=70 by 2030): Kerala (20), Maharashtra (38), Telangana (45), Andhra Pradesh (46), Tamil Nadu (49),  Jharkhand (51), Gujarat (53), Karnataka (63).       

Twelve States/UTs have already achieved the SDG target of  U5MR ( <=25 by 2030): Kerala (8), Delhi (14), Tamil Nadu (14), Jammu & Kashmir (16), Maharashtra (16), West Bengal (20), Karnataka (21), Punjab (22), Telangana (22),  Himachal Pradesh (23), Andhra Pradesh (24) and Gujarat (24).           

Six States/UTs  have already achieved the SDG target of NMR ( <=12 by 2030 ): Kerala (4), Delhi (8), Tamil Nadu (9),  Maharashtra (11), Jammu & Kashmir (12) and Himachal Pradesh (12).      

The SRS Report 2021 also highlights that southern states are witnessing a faster decline in birth rates and fertility rates, while northern and eastern states continue to have higher fertility rates and a slower decline in birth rates.

Urbanization, female literacy and access to health facilities are the main reasons for falling fertility levels in South and West India.

• 10th International Trade Fair, 2025 – The 10th International Trade Fair, 2025  was held from 9-13 May at Bhrikutimandap,  Nepal. This fair was inaugurated by Nepal's Commerce Minister Damodar Bhandari.It had 120 pavilions, including participants from Nepal, China, Ukraine, Bangladesh and Turkey. The main objective of this fair was to provide a platform for business-to-business interaction for the international market.

• India's total exports to rise in FY 2024-25 - According to the latest services trade data for March 2025 released by the Reserve Bank of India, India's total exports are expected to reach  an all-time high of US$ 824.9 billion in FY 2024-25. This is 778.1 billion rupees more than the previous year's export figure. 6.01 against the US dollar Shows the percentage increase.

Services exports maintained this growth momentum and  reached a historic high of US$ 387.5 billion in 2024-25 ,  up 13.6 per cent  from US$ 341.1 billion in the previous year. Services exports stood at US$ 35.6 billion in March 2025, as compared to US$ 30 billion in March 2024, showing an annual growth of 18.6 percent.       

In 2024-25, merchandise exports excluding petroleum products are expected  to reach a record level of US$ 374.1 billion, up from US  $ 352.9 billion  in 2023-24. This is an increase of 6.0 percent against the US dollar. This is the highest annual non-petroleum commodity exports ever.

• Approval of an Annual Plan for River Cities Alliance (RCA) – National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG)  has approved an Annual Plan 2025 Action Plan under River Cities Alliance (RCA). In this, a roadmap has been made to clean the rivers. Launched in the year 2021, River City Alliance is an initiative of the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Ministry of Urban Affairs. The River City Alliance promotes a comprehensive approach to river management in 145 cities.

• Maharashtra Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy, 2025 – The Maharashtra government has approved the new Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy, 2025 to be implemented from April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2030. The main objective of this policy is to make the state a hub for electric mobility, and aims to achieve 30% adoption of electric vehicles by 2030.Under the policy, the government is claiming that it will reduce  325 tonnes of PM 2.5 and 1,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the transport sector by 2030.  To promote electric vehicles, the government will provide subsidy of up to ₹2 lakh to electric four-wheeler transport vehicles and up to ₹20 lakh to electric buses. 

• Union Cabinet approves caste-wise enumeration in the upcoming Census - The Political Affairs Committee of the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has decided to include caste-wise enumeration in the upcoming Census. According to Article 246 of the Indian Constitution, Census is a Union subject, listed at 69th place in the Union List of the Seventh Schedule. Caste has been excluded from all censuses conducted since the country's independence. 

• Cabinet approves Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of sugarcane payable by sugar mills to sugarcane farmers for 2025-26 season - The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, keeping in view the interests of sugarcane farmers,  has approved  the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of sugarcane at Rs 355 per quintal for the season 2025-26 (October-September).   

Its basic recovery rate will be 10.25 percent  in which a premium of Rs 3.46 per quintal will be provided for every 0.1 percent increase in recovery above 10.25 percent and  for every 0.1 percent decrease in recovery, the FRP will be reduced by Rs 3.46 per quintal. However, in order to protect the interests of sugarcane farmers, the government has also decided that  no deduction will be made for sugar mills whose recovery is less than 9.5 percent. Such farmers  will receive Rs 329.05 per quintal for sugarcane in the upcoming 2025-26 season.  

Shillong-Silchar Highway Project Approved (NH-6) – The Union Cabinet  approved the development of a 166.80-km long Greenfield high-speed corridor from Mawlyngkhung (near Shillong) in Meghalaya to Panchgram (near Silchar)  in Assam, also known as NH-6. Its total cost will be Rs 22,864 crore. The length of the project is 166.80 km, out of which 144.80 km is in Meghalaya and 22 km is in Assam. It will be a four-lane access-controlled highway, passing through hilly terrain.

• 32nd Arabian Travel Market, 2025 – The 32nd Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2025  was held from April 28 to May 1  at the Dubai World Trade Centre. Its  theme  was "Global Travel: Developing Future Tourism through Better Connectivity".

• Human Development Report, 2025 –  Human Development Report, 2025 was released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on May 6, 2025. The report is titled "A Matter of Choice: People and Possibilities in the Age of AI". A total  list of 193 countries was released in this.

These countries have been divided into 4 categories based on their Human Development Index (HDI) value-

0.800 and above (very high human development countries)

0.700 to 0.799 (countries with high human development)

0.550 to 0.699 (countries with medium human development)

Less than 0.550 (countries with low human development)

The top five countries in the index are Iceland (0.972), Norway and Switzerland (0.970), Denmark (0.962), Germany and Sweden (0.959), Australia (0.958).

The lowest ranked countries are South Sudan (193rd  place) (0.388), Somalia, Central African Republic, Chad. 

India ranks 130th (0.685) among 193 countries.

India has been placed in the medium human development category.

Among India's neighbors,  China (78th), Sri Lanka (89th), and  Bhutan (125th) are ranked higher than India.  Bangladesh (130th) is ranked on par with India. Nepal (145th), Myanmar (150th), and Pakistan (168th) are ranked lower than India.

Life expectancy in India   increased from 58.6 years in 1990 to 72 years in 2023.

The average years of schooling in India has increased, with children now expected to attend 13 years of school, up from 8.2 years in 1990.

India's  per capita gross national income  (GNI) in 2021 based on purchasing power parity (PPP) increased fourfold from US$2,167 in  1990 to US$9,046  in 2023.

• Indian Institute of Foreign Trade gets approval to set up off-campus centre at GIFT City, Gujarat – The Ministry of Education, Government of India  has approved the establishment of an off-campus centre of the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), New Delhi at GIFT City, Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The centre will be established in accordance with the UGC (Institutions Deemed to be Universities) Regulations, 2023, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said in a statement. It will offer IIFT's flagship MBA International Business programme as well as specialised short-term training courses and research in international business and related areas. 

• Greenfield airports in Rajasthan and Odisha approved - The Ministry of Civil Aviation has given in-principle approval for the development of greenfield airports in Kota (Rajasthan) and Puri (Odisha). This was announced by Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu.   

• 58th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), 2025 - The 58th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) was held from May 4 to 7, 2025 in Milan, Italy. Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman represented India at the 58th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

• Report on “Enhancing Competitiveness of MSMEs in India” – NITI Aayog released the report on ‘Enhancing Competitiveness of MSMEs in India’, prepared by NITI Aayog in collaboration with the Institute for Competitiveness (IFC). The report identified challenges in financing, skills, innovation and market access. It focuses on four key sectors – textile manufacturing and apparel, chemical products, automotive and food processing. According to the report, MSMEs have seen significant improvements in access to formal credit. Between 2020 and 2024, the share of micro and small enterprises receiving credit through scheduled banks increased from 14% to 20%, while medium enterprises saw an increase from 4% to 9%.  

• Special Fixed Deposit (FD) Scheme 'Amrit Vrishti' - State Bank of India (SBI),  the country's largest public sector bank,  has reduced the interest rates on its special fixed deposit plan "Amrit Vrishti." The new rates are effective from June 15, 2025. This means that investors will get less interest on deposits under this scheme than before. However, the bank has not made any changes in the interest rates of its other regular FD schemes. Earlier, most banks including ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank and Canara Bank had reduced interest rates on FDs. 

Under the "Amrit Varsha" scheme, general customers will now receive 6.60% annual interest on 444-day FDs, down from 6.85% previously. SBI has decided to reduce the interest rate on its Amrit Varsha deposit scheme by 25 basis points (0.25%). Senior citizens (investors over 60) and super senior citizens (investors over 80) will benefit from additional interest. Senior citizens are offered an interest rate of 7.10% per annum on this special FD scheme.  This cut has been made after the Reserve Bank of India cut the repo rate by 50 basis points.

Prematurely breaking an FD under this scheme is subject to a penalty. Retail FDs up to ₹5 lakh are subject to a 0.50% penalty for prematurely breaking them. Prematurely breaking FDs between ₹5 lakh and ₹3 crore is subject to a 1% penalty. FDs maturing in less than 7 days will not earn any interest.

• Record growth in cargo movement on inland waterways in India in FY 2024-25 – For FY 2024-25, the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has successfully achieved a record cargo movement of 145.5 million tonnes, the highest ever in the IWT sector. With this, the total number of waterways operational during the year has increased from 24 to 29. Cargo traffic on National Waterways is expected to grow from 18.10 MMT to 145.5 MMT between FY 2014 and FY 2025, showing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.86%. Traffic activity in FY2025 registered a year-on-year growth of 9.34 per cent compared to FY2024. 

Five commodities, namely, coal, iron ore, iron ore fines, sand and fly ash, contributed more than 68 per cent of the total freight traffic on the North Western Highways during the year. At the same time, passenger traffic reached 1.61 crore in the financial year 2024.

• IISR Surya – Indian Institute of Spices Research (IISR), Kozhikode  (Kerala) has developed a new light coloured variety of turmeric especially for the spice industry. The new variety, IISR Surya, has a light coloured rhizome that meets the specific requirements of the modern powder industry.This new variety with pleasant aroma is high yielding, giving 20% ​​to 30% more yield than the existing light coloured local varieties. According to researchers, it can yield up to 41 tonnes per hectare. 

It has a curcumin content of 2% to 3%, which is comparable to other light-colored turmeric varieties. IISR Surya has been developed through clonal selection from accessions maintained in the Turmeric Germplasm Conservatory of the Institute.  This variety is recommended for cultivation in Kerala, Telangana, Odisha, Jharkhand and Arunachal Pradesh.IISR Surya is the result of a decade-long research effort by IISR scientists D. Prasad, S. Aarthi, N.K. Leela, S. Mukesh Shankar and B. Sasikumar.

• China's first Gold ATM – A Gold ATM has been installed in a mall in Shanghai, China that melts gold, evaluates its purity and weight, and then transfers the value to a bank account within 30 minutes. This process does not require any paperwork. The machine is operated by Kinghood Group of China. This ATM melts gold at 1,200 degrees Celsius and displays the purity of the gold along with its live price. It is designed to accept gold articles weighing more than three grams with at least 50 percent purity.

• Bharat Project – Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has launched YourStory's national initiative, The Bharat Project, which aims to empower 1 million (10 lakh) entrepreneurs from Tier 2, Tier 3 and rural India. The initiative connects governments, ecosystem enablers, creators, and communities to unleash grassroots potential and facilitate access to entrepreneurial tools, education, and financing for all.

Built on five key pillars, Project India will provide support to entrepreneurs through the following means – 

Co-Pilot for Entrepreneurs – An AI-powered mobile-first platform that provides startup guidance, learning resources, access to mentorship, and success stories in both Hindi and English.

Education and Skill Development – ​​which will promote state-level and district-level activations and WhatsApp-based learning to help youth learn how to start and grow their own businesses.

Bharat Ideathon – A nationwide challenge that will find the best business ideas from over 1,000 districts and help provide mentorship and visibility to top founders.

Bharat Sparks – A launchpad where selected entrepreneurs from small towns will get a chance to talk to investors, win grants and build long-term support.

Start-up – A 7-part web documentary series that will showcase real startup stories from various sectors, featuring innovators, investors and policymakers.

• India's first BSE Internet Economy Index Fund –  India's first BSE Internet Economy Index Fund has been launched by Edelweiss Mutual Fund. This fund tracks the BSE Internet Economy Total Return Index, providing a new opportunity to invest in India's digital economy. It is India's first index fund that exclusively tracks the BSE Internet Economy Index. The fund offers investors an opportunity to invest in sectors such as e-commerce, digital payments, online services and technology platforms. 

India's digital economy is expected to reach $1 trillion by 2030, and this fund is a way to take advantage of this growth. The new fund offer (NFO) of the fund opened on April 25 and closes on May 9, 2025. The minimum SIP investment in this is ₹100.

• Safeguard duty on steel imports by Central Government – ​​The Central Government has imposed a temporary safeguard duty of  12% on five major steel product categories to provide relief to the domestic steel industry from cheap foreign imports. This duty will be in effect for 200 days and will only apply to imports that are brought in at a rate below the minimum CIF value set by the government. This is expected to provide significant relief to small and medium-sized enterprises.The notification issued by the Steel Ministry said that this decision has been taken on the basis of the report of the Director General (Trade Remedies).

The government has set import price limits for five categories of steel products, ranging from US$675 per tonne to US$964 per tonne. If these products are imported at prices lower than these prices, they will be subject to this safeguard duty. However, if imports are made at prices equal to or higher than these set rates on a CIF (cost, insurance, and freight) basis, they will not be subject to this duty.

The product categories to which this safeguard duty will apply include: hot rolled coils, sheets and plates; hot rolled plate mill plates; cold rolled coils and sheets; metallic coated steel coils and sheets; and colour coated coils and sheets (whether or not profiled).

• Historic addition to India's renewable energy capacity in FY 2024-25 - The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) released a report on India's progress in the clean energy sector for FY 2024-25. According to the report, the total installed renewable energy (RE) capacity in the country is projected to reach 220.10 GW by March 31, 2025. This was 198.75 GW in the previous fiscal year. This performance reflects India's continued progress towards its target of achieving 500 GW of non-fossil fuel-based capacity by 2030 as part of its commitments under the 'Panchamrit' targets set by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

Solar power contributed the most, with 23.83 GW added in FY 2024-25, a significant increase from the 15.03 GW added in the previous year. Total installed solar capacity now stands at 105.65 GW. Wind power also saw steady progress during the year , with 4.15 GW of new capacity added, compared to 3.25 GW in FY 2023-24. The total cumulative installed wind capacity now stands at 50.04 GW. The total capacity of bioenergy plants has reached 11.58 GW, including 0.53 GW from off-grid and waste-to-energy projects. Small hydropower projects have achieved a capacity of 5.10 GW.

Renewable energy is energy obtained from natural sources that are constantly and naturally renewed, such as solar energy, wind energy, hydroelectric energy, bioenergy, and geothermal energy. It is also known as 'renewable energy'.

• World Economic Outlook Update, 2025 – In April 2025, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) released the "World Economic Outlook Update", projecting global growth at 2.8% for  2025, down from 3.3% in 2024, and 3.0% for 2026. According to the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) April 2025 World Economic Outlook (WEO) report, India will become the fourth largest economy by 2025, surpassing Japan.The world's largest economy, the United States (USA), is projected to grow only 1.8% in 2025, significantly lower than last year's expectations. This is largely due to policy uncertainty and trade tensions.

 Economic growth is expected to slow in emerging markets and developing economies. Growth in these regions is projected to be 3.7% by 2025, higher than the global average (2.8%).In this report, India 's growth rate has been estimated at 6.5 percent in the year 2024, which is expected to be 6.2 percent in the year 2025   and 6.3 percent in the year 2026 . The IMF estimates that India's nominal gross domestic product (GDP) will reach US$4.187 trillion in 2025, surpassing Japan's estimated US$4.186 trillion. China 's 2025 gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast has been lowered from 4.6% to 4.0%.

• Tamil Nadu Industrial Space Policies, 2025 – Tamil Nadu has approved its Industrial Space Policy for 2025, aimed at establishing the state as a hub for investment and employment in the space sector. The policy aims to attract investment of Rs 10,000 crore and create 10,000 direct and indirect jobs in the next 5 years.

'Space bays' will be set up in the southern districts of the state , attracting players in the space-technology value chain. Its blueprint has been prepared in accordance with the Indian National Space Policy 2023. The policy has been formulated taking inspiration from the successful examples of Karnataka (where Bengaluru is the hub of ISRO and private startups) and Gujarat (where space-related infrastructure has been developed).

• 8th Meeting of the Joint Committee on the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement, 2025 – India hosted the 8th Meeting of its Joint Committee to Review the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA)  from April 7 to 11, 2025 at Vanijya Bhavan, New Delhi. The event was held in a hybrid format. The meeting was co-chaired by Shri Rajesh Agarwal, Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India and Vice Co-chaired by Dr. Sugumari S. Shanmugam, Senior Director, Ministry of Investment, Trade & Industry, Government of Malaysia. 

The meeting was attended by representatives from ASEAN countries including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The primaryobjective of the Committee was to advance the ongoing review of AITIGA, aimed at modernizing the Agreement to make it more effective, user-friendly and business-friendly. 

ASEAN remains an important trading partner for India, accounting for about 11 percent of India's global trade. Bilateral trade between India and ASEAN to reach US$ 121 billion in FY 2023-24. The next AITIGA Joint Committee meeting  will be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in June 2025.

• Ayushman Vaya Vandana Yojana launched in Odisha - Recently, Union Health Minister Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda and Odisha Chief Minister Shri Mohan Charan Majhi distributed co-branded cards of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana and Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana in Cuttack. Ayushman Vaya Vandana Yojana was also launched on this occasion. Under the Ayushman Vaya Vandana Yojana in Odisha, all citizens above 70 years of age, irrespective of their financial status, will get free healthcare.

• Agreement between RBI and Bank of Mauritius on use of local currencies for bilateral transactions – The Reserve Bank of India and the Bank of Mauritius have signed an agreement to promote the use of Indian Rupee and Mauritian Rupee for cross-border transactions. Under this, local currency will be promoted  for cross-border transactions.

This will facilitate payments in their respective currencies for all citizens. This will also increase trade and financial parity between India and Mauritius. Historical, cultural, and economic ties between the two countries will also be strengthened. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra and BoM Governor Rama Krishna Sitanan GCSK. The MoU documents were exchanged in Port Louis, Mauritius in the presence of Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Mauritius Navinchandra Ramgoolam.

• Implementation of Revised Rashtriya Gokul Mission approved – The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the Revised Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM) to promote development in the livestock sector. The Revised Rashtriya Gokul Mission has been approved with an allocation of Rs 3400 crore during the 15th Finance Commission (2021-22 to 2025-26) .

The Central Government has also added two new activities to the Gokul Mission. These include one-time assistance of 35% of the capital cost for setting up heifer rearing centres to the implementing agencies for construction of 30 residential facilities for a total of 15,000 heifers and to encourage farmers to purchase high genetic merit (HGM) IVF heifers by providing 3% interest subsidy on loans taken by farmers from milk unions/financial institutions/banks for such purchases.

This scheme is to continue the ongoing activities of Rashtriya Gokul Mission such as strengthening of semen stations, artificial insemination network, implementation of bull breeding programme, accelerated breed improvement programme using sex-specific semen, skill development, farmer awareness, establishment of Centres of Excellence, strengthening of Central Cattle Breeding Farms. The implementation of the Rashtriya Gokul Mission and other government efforts have led to a 63.55 percent increase in milk production over the past ten years, and per capita milk availability has increased from 307 grams per day in 2013-14 to 471 grams per day in 2023-24 . Productivity has also increased by 26.34 percent over the past ten years.

• Revised version of National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD) approved - The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the revised National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD). The Central Government has approved an additional budget of Rs 1,000 crore for this programme, increasing its total cost to Rs 2,790 crore. This budget has been fixed for the period 2021-22 to 2025-26. The scheme aims to modernise and expand the dairy sector in the country, thereby improving milk procurement, processing capacity and quality control. 

Through this, farmers will get better market access and fair prices, which will promote rural development. The program consists of two major components. Component A will strengthen dairy infrastructure, including the creation of milk chilling plants, advanced milk testing laboratories, and certification systems. New village-level dairy cooperatives will also be formed in the Northeast, hilly areas, and Union Territories. Additionally, this component will create two Milk Producer Companies (MPCs), which will be funded by the government.

Component B, named “Dairy Through Cooperatives (DTC),” will be implemented in collaboration with the Government of Japan and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Its objective is to develop dairy cooperatives and strengthen milk production, processing, and procurement infrastructure in nine states (Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal).

Under the revised NPDD, 10,000 new dairy cooperatives will be formed across the country and milk processing facilities will be expanded in the North-East. This will create approximately 3.2 lakh direct and indirect employment opportunities, with 70% of the beneficiaries being women, who constitute the main workforce of the dairy sector. So far, 18.74 lakh farmers have benefited from this programme. This has created more than 30,000 direct and indirect jobs and increased milk procurement capacity by 100.95 lakh litres per day.

• IFE London, 2025 – Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) participated in the International Food & Beverage Exhibition (IFE) London (UK), 2025 showcasing India's agricultural presentation, processed foods and alcoholic beverage products. A delegation of 16 leading Indian exporters from states including Gujarat, Punjab, Telangana, Haryana, Maharashtra, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu along with 27 participants showcased a wide range of premium products at the Indian Pavilion.

Notable highlights of the exhibition include fresh fruits like mango, pomegranate and guava, a premium range of processed foods as well as a splendid collection of Indian liquors like Rampur, Sula, Godavan, Old Monk Coffee Rum, Jamun Gin and Jaisalmer.  A wide display of ready-to-cook (RTC) dishes like basmati rice, honey, namkeen, peanut butter, makhana, sauces, millet, soya chaap, baby corn, masala soda, dry petha, rajma rice, samosas, dal rice, mustard greens, chana rice and coconut was seen. Special emphasis is being laid on promoting organic products, millets and Indian fruits like mango and pomegranate. 

• Acquisition of Uprising Science Private Limited – The Competition Commission of India has approved the acquisition of Uprising Science Private Limited by Hindustan Unilever Limited. The proposed transaction involves acquisition of 90.5% shareholding of Uprising Science Private Limited (Target) by Hindustan Unilever Limited (Acquirer/HUL). Under this, the remaining 9.5% shareholding of Target will be acquired within approximately two years from the closing date, as per the terms and conditions set out in the share purchase and subscription agreement executed between HUL and Target.

• Merger of 26 Regional Rural Banks in the fourth phase – The principle of one Centre, one State, one Regional Rural Bank came into effect from May 1. The merger of 26 Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) from various states became effective on May 1, reducing the number of RRBs from 43 to 28 across 26 states and two union territories . They will have over 22,000 branches in 700 districts.  According to the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, the decision to merge 26 RRBs has been taken with the aim of better administration, credit flow and increasing the scope of financial inclusion. This is the fourth phase of merger of RRBs. In the last 3 phases i.e. Phase-I (FY 2006 to FY 2010) the number of RRBs was reduced from 196 to 82, Phase-II (FY 2013-FY 2015) the number of RRBs was reduced from 82 to 56 and Phase-III (FY 2019 to FY 2021) the number of RRBs was reduced from 56 to 43.

• Agreement to launch the second phase of “Investor Didi” – Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA) and India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) have signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA)  to launch the second phase of “Investor Didi” initiative. The main objective of this initiative is to financially empower women in rural and semi-urban areas and promote financial literacy. The 'Investor Didi' initiative is a unique initiative in which women postal employees and community leaders are trained as financial educators.

These women provide information to people in their areas about the intricacies of investment, saving methods, ways to avoid fraud and digital banking. The aim of this campaign is to enable rural women to take responsible financial decisions. In its first phase, Investor Didi's initiative was a resounding success, with over 55,000 people attending financial literacy camps across the country. Nearly 60% of these were women, mostly from rural areas. The second phase will see over 4,000 camps being organised, led by 40,000 trained 'Investor Didis'.

• Project Sprint – “Project Sprint” has been launched by Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL). It is an initiative aimed at streamlining operations, increasing efficiency and preparing the company for changes in the energy sector.  Through “Project Sprint”, IOCL aims to be future-ready and remain relevant and profitable by preparing businesses to suit the changing global energy landscape. 

• Monetary Policy Statement, 2024-25 – In April 2025, the Monetary Policy Committee, Reserve Bank of India, headed by Governor Sanjay Malhotra, released the Monetary Policy Statement, 2024-25. RBI has reduced the repo rate by 25 basis points. Now the repo rate has come down from 6.25 percent to 6.00 percent.

The Standing Deposit Facility (SDF) rate is 5.75 per cent and the Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rateis 6.25 percent

Other rates are as follows:

Reverse Repo Rate – 3.35 percent

CRR – 4 percent

SLR – 18 percent

According to this, real GDP growth for the year 2025-26 is estimated at 6.5 percent.

Retail inflation is expected to be 4 per cent in 2025-26.

• Women and Men in India 2024: Trending Indicators and Data – Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), Government of India has released a report titled “Women and Men in India 2024: Trending Indicators and Data”.  released the 26th edition of its publication from. This publication provides a comprehensive overview of the gender situation in India. It presents trending indicators and data in key areas such as population, education, health, economic participation and decision-making. 

These indicators and data are all sourced from various ministries/departments/organisations. It presents data by urban-rural divide and gender-segregated across geographical areas using official statistics. This provides a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing women and men. It reflects gender equality and persistent inequalities.  By analysing socio-economic indicators and highlighting trends, it helps policymakers, researchers and other stakeholders formulate gender-sensitive policies that promote sustainable and inclusive development.

Some of the highlights of the publication are as follows:

The GPI has consistently been higher at the primary and upper secondary levels, reflecting higher female enrolment. The upper primary and elementary levels have seen fluctuations, but remain close to parity.

The ALPFR in usual condition for age 15 years and above has been increased from 49.8% (2017-18) to 60.1% (2023-24).

Women hold 39.2% of all bank accounts and contribute 39.7% of total deposits. Their participation is highest in rural areas, where they account for 42.2% of account holders.

The number of demat accounts has increased over the past few years , reflecting growing participation in the stock market. The total number of demat accounts increased from 33.26 million to 143.02 million from March 31, 2021, to November 30, 2024, representing a more than four-fold increase.

While the number of male account holders has consistently exceeded that of female account holders, female participation has also seen an increase. The number of male accounts has increased from 26.59 million in 2021 to 115.31 million in 2024, while the number of female accounts has increased from 6.67 million to 27.71 million during the same period.

The percentage of women-owned establishments in manufacturing, trading and other services sectors has increased during the years 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24.

The total number of voters increased from 173.2 million in 1952 to 978 million in 2024 with a significant increase in female voter registration. 

Voter turnout by women voters has varied over the years, reaching 67.2% in 2019 but declining slightly to 65.8% in 2024. 

The gender gap in voting has narrowed. In 2024, female voter turnout exceeded male voter turnout.

Over the past few years, the number of startups recognized by DPIIT that have at least one female director has increased, reflecting a positive trend in women entrepreneurship. The total number of such startups is expected to increase from 1,943 in 2017 to 17,405 in 2024.

 

 

Scientist

• India's first 3-nanometer chip design centre – On May 13, 2025, Union Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnav inaugurated two state-of-the-art design centres in Noida and Bengaluru. Japanese semiconductor company Renesas Electronics Corporation has launched its Advanced Chip Design Centre in  Noida (Uttar Pradesh). These centres are the first design centres in India that will work on 3 nanometre chip design. Earlier, India has achieved success in 7nm and 5nm chip design, but 3nm design is considered the next generation technology. The technology of three nanometer chip design is available only to selected companies in the world. 

• Inauguration of BrahMos Integration and Test Facility – On May 11, 2025, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh virtually inaugurated the BrahMos Integration and Test Facility Centre in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. It has been set up in the Bhatgaon area of ​​Sarojini Nagar under the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor (UPDIC). The cost of this project is Rs 300 crore. It is spread over 80 hectares (about 200 acres) of land, provided free of cost by the Uttar Pradesh government.

80 to 100 BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles will be produced here every year. In future, 100 to 150 next generation BrahMos-NG missiles will also be manufactured here. The BrahMos missile has a speed of Mach 2.8 (about three times the speed of sound) and a range of 290 to 400 kilometres. The missile is launchable from land, sea and air.

• Arnala, the first of the eight Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Vessels (ASWWs), was delivered to the Indian Navy on 8 May  2025 at M/s L&T Shipyard, Kattupalli. It  has been indigenously designed and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE),  Kolkata  . The 77-metre-long warship, with a gross weight of over 1,490 tonnes, is the largest Indian naval warship to be powered by a diesel engine-waterjet combination. The vessel is designed for underwater surveillance, search and rescue operations, and low intensity maritime operations (LIMO).

The vessel is capable of carrying out anti-submarine warfare operations in coastal waters as well as advanced mine laying capabilities.The warship has been designed and built as per the classification rules of the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) between GRSE and M/s L&T Shipyard.  Arnala  is named after the historic fort 'Arnala' located near Vasai in Maharashtra, which reflects India's rich maritime heritage. 

• World's smallest pacemaker - Scientists at Northwestern University in the US have developed the world's smallest pacemaker that can be fitted inside the tip of a syringe and injected into the body without causing any injury. Measuring just 1.8 millimeters wide, 3.5 millimeters long, and one millimeter thick, this tiny device is smaller than a grain of rice yet provides the same amount of stimulation as a full-sized pacemaker. This device can work with hearts of all sizes, but it is especially suitable for the small, delicate hearts of newborns with congenital heart defects.

John A. Rogers, a Northwestern bioelectronics pioneer , led the development of the device. This pacemaker is wireless and designed to dissolve into the body when it's no longer needed. All of the pacemaker's components are biocompatible, so they dissolve naturally in the body's biofluids, eliminating the need for surgical extraction. This pacemaker is charged by the body's fluids. Pacemakers are designed for patients who only need temporary pacing. A pacemaker is a small device that is implanted in the body to help the heart beat at a regular pace and rhythm.

• INS Kochi arrives in Maldives - Indian Navy's frontline guided missile destroyer, INS Kochi , along with Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) CGS Huravee arrived in Maldives capital Male after undergoing general repairs at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai from December last year to April 2025.

• Two new fish species discovered in the Western Ghats – Researchers from the Peninsular Aquatic Genetic Resources Centre, Kochi, National Bureau of Fisheries Genetic Resources have discovered two new species of freshwater rohu fish – Labeo uru and Labeo chekida – from the Western Ghats. These fishes have been discovered in the rivers of Karnataka and Kerala.

The Labeo uru fish was discovered in the Chandragiri River in Karnataka . Its long dorsal fin resembles the sail of a traditional wooden boat, the Uru, giving it its name. The Labeo chekida fish has been found in the Chalakkudy River in Kerala . It is a small, dark-colored fish that locals call "kaka chekida." This discovery has revealed the taxonomic identity of Labeo nigrescens, a species that was first described in 1870 but remained in confusion for over a century.

• First geothermal production well in Northeast India – Centre for Earth Sciences and Himalayan Studies (CESHS) has drilled the first geothermal production well in Northeast India at Dirang in West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh. The project aims to make Dirang a city completely powered by geothermal energy. The well will draw energy from a reservoir with a temperature of 115°C, which will be used for drying fruits, nuts and meat, heating the area, and controlled atmosphere storage systems. The project also involves international collaboration, including the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), Oslo, Iceland-based geothermal firm Geotropy EHF, and the drilling team from Guwahati Boring Service.

• Ultra-thin solar panels – Recently, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed ultra-thin solar panels in collaboration with Japan, which is an important achievement in the field of solar energy production. Ultrathin solar panels are much thinner, lighter, and more flexible than conventional solar panels. They weigh less than paper and can be easily mounted on a variety of surfaces without requiring rigid structures. 

• India-France deal for Rafale-M –  On April 28, 2025,  India  signed a key defence deal with France to purchase  26  Rafale-M fighter jets. These fighter jets cost approximately ₹63,000 crore. They include 22 single-seat jets and 4 twin-seater jets. This deal is India's first acquisition of the naval version of Rafale. The agreement also covers pilot training, flight simulators, weapons, essential equipment and long-term maintenance support.

The Rafale-Marine (Rafale-M) is a powerful, advanced fighter aircraft designed to operate from aircraft carriers at sea. Rafale-M will be deployed on INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya . It is built by France's Dassault Aviation and is already in use by the French Navy. India had earlier purchased 36 Rafale jets for the Air Force in 2016.

• Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services launches submarine cable project – The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has launched a submarine cable project for long-term observation of the Indian Ocean. Under this project, INCOIS will lay a 150-km long cable west of  Wandoor in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands . The cable will be equipped with advanced sensors for oceanographic and geophysical data collection. The project will help INCOIS strengthen maritime surveillance and tsunami preparedness. 

• New method for identifying cancerous cells developed - Scientists at Tokyo Metropolitan University have developed a new method for distinguishing healthy and cancerous cells. This study has been published in the prestigious journal PLOS One . This method, called "phase-contrast microscopy ," uses their motility to distinguish between healthy and cancerous cells. With this new method, researchers found that cancer cells move differently than healthy cells, with their movements being more twisted. This discovery is a significant step forward in the early detection and treatment of cancer.

• First flight test of Stratospheric Airship Platform – India successfully conducted the first flight test of Stratospheric Airship Platform on 3 May 2025, from Sheopur test site in Madhya Pradesh . This airship has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It aims to enhance the surveillance capabilities of the Indian Army. The airship was launched to an altitude of about 17 kilometres and remained in the air for about 62 minutes. 

During this time, data was collected from sensors on the airship, which will be used to develop simulation models for future high-altitude aircraft. This airship has been developed by the Agra-based Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment. It is a "lighter-than-air" (LTA) vehicle, specifically designed to operate in the stratosphere, the region 15–25 km above the Earth's surface. 

• Jyvaskylavirus – Finnish scientists have identified a giant virus called Jyvaskylavirus  for the first time. The discovery was made at the Nanoscience Centre at the University of Jyväskylä. These viruses are much larger in size than normal viruses and sometimes they can even be as big as bacteria. The size of this virus is about 200 nanometers, which is almost twice the size of the common flu or corona virus.

These usually infect microorganisms like amoeba rather than humans. These contain many genes that are not found in normal viruses.

• Nano sulphur developed by TERI scientists – Scientists at TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute: TERI) have developed  nano sulphur. It helps in increasing the yield of mustard by 30-40%. This is a potential solution to increase India's oilseed productivity. The nano sulphur developed by TERI is also better for the environment than conventional sulphur. 

• Project Kuiper – Amazon successfully launched the first 27 satellites of Project Kuiper using an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral, USA . Project Kuiper is a satellite-based broadband  internet initiative by Amazon , which aims to provide high-speed internet to the entire world.These have been installed in an orbit about 500 kilometers above the earth. All these satellites will be placed in Lower Earth Orbit (LEO). Amazon plans to launch 3,000 Kuiper satellites.

• World's first 10G broadband network – China has launched its first 10G broadband network in Sunan County, Hebei Province. This network has been developed in collaboration with Huawei and China Unicom. It aims to offer download speeds of up to 9,834 Mbps, upload speeds of 1,008 Mbps, and latency as low as 3 milliseconds.

• Shenzhou-20 Mission - Shenzhou-20  is China 's 20th manned space mission, launched on April 24, 2025, aboard a Long March-2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. It is China's 15th crewed spaceflight mission and the 20th flight overall of the Shenzhou program. In this mission, three astronauts Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, Wang Jie have been sent to   China's Tiangong space station.

China sends three astronauts to the Tiangong space station every six months. China is the only country with its own space station. This space station is named Tiangong. The ISS (International Space Station) is a joint project between several countries, including Russia, the United States, France, Britain, Germany, Japan, and India.

• Successful test of non-nuclear hydrogen bomb in China - China successfully tested a non-nuclear hydrogen bomb based on magnesium hydride. It is developed by China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC). It does not use nuclear materials and is based on magnesium hydride, a solid hydrogen storage material.

This 2 kilogram (4.4 lb) bomb produced a fireball of temperatures exceeding 1,000 °C (1,832 °F) for more than two seconds – 15 times greater than equivalent TNT explosions – and did not use any nuclear material. Under confined detonation, the maximum pressure reached 428.43 kilopascals at a distance of two metres (6 ft 7 in) from the bomb – about 40 percent of the blast force of TNT, but the heat projection range was far greater.

• Gujarat Government Releases Space Tech Policy 2025-2030 - The Gujarat government has launched the 'Space Tech Policy 2025-2030.' Gujarat has become the first state in the country to do so. The policy aims to establish Gujarat as India's leading spacetech hub and encourage private companies to undertake research, manufacturing and launch activities in the sector. This includes the construction of satellite payloads and components (such as communication and propulsion systems), ground stations, satellite control centers, and space-based application design. Space manufacturing parks and centres of excellence will also be set up in collaboration with ISRO and IN-SPACe.

• India's most powerful quantum computer – India's most powerful quantum computer,  QpiAI-Indus , is a 25-qubit superconducting quantum computer developed by  Bengaluru -based QpiAI . It has been developed under the National Quantum Mission of India. QPIAI-Indus is the country's first full-stack quantum computing system.

• Defence Literature Festival 'Kalam Aur Kavach 2.0' - Centre for Joint Warfare Studies (CENJOWS) under the aegis of Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS), Ministry of Defence in collaboration with Pentagon Press successfully organised the second edition of Defence Literature Festival 'Kalam Aur Kavach 2.0' at Manekshaw Centre,  New Delhi. This year's theme was 'Securing India's Rise through Defence Reforms'. The event focused on defence technology and future warfare, with particular reference to defence manufacturing. 

• Six women created history by flying to the upper limit of the Earth's atmosphere - Six women, including America 's famous singer Katy Perry, created history by flying to the upper limit of the Earth's atmosphere using a Blue Origin rocket. Carrying these women, the New Shepard-NS-31 spacecraft of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' space company Blue Origin took off from West Texas, USA at 7 pm Indian time and returned safely with everyone after a journey of about ten minutes. During the flight, the women passengers were taken more than 100 kilometers above the Earth's surface, crossing the Kármán line, an imaginary line marking the boundary between the Earth's atmosphere and space.

The Blue Origin trip includes pop singer Katy Perry , journalist Gayle King , civil rights lawyer Amanda Inguine , former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe and filmmaker Karyn Flynn. They were joined by a sixth woman , Lauren Sanchez , who led the group and is a friend of Jeff Bezos. This is the first time since 1963 that an all-women team has traveled to space. Earlier, Russian astronaut Valentina Tereshkova had travelled to space in the year 1963.

• Glide Bomb 'Gaurav' - Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)  successfully test fired Long Range Glide Bomb (LRGB) 'Gaurav' from  Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter aircraft. In this, the bomb was dropped accurately on a target located 100 kilometers away. The Defence Ministry said that this 1,000 kg class glide bomb is completely indigenous.

It has been jointly designed and developed by Research Centre Imarat, Armament Research and Development Establishment and Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, located in Chandipur, Odisha.The Secretary of the Department of Defence Research and Development and Chairman of DRDO is Dr. Samir V. Kamat .

• Vikram 3201 and Kalpana 3201 – Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Chandigarh-based Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL) have jointly developed two state-of-the-art 32-bit microprocessors , Vikram 3201 and Kalpana 3201 , specially designed for space applications. Vikram 3201 is India's first fully indigenous 32-bit microprocessor capable of being used in the harsh conditions of launch vehicles. The Imagination 3201 is also a 32-bit SPARC V8 RISC microprocessor based on the IEEE 1754 instruction set architecture. It is designed to be compatible with open-source software toolsets and has been tested with flight software.

• Security Belt 2025 - Security Belt 2025  was a joint naval exercise conducted by China, Iran , and Russia in the Gulf of Oman. The exercise took place near the Iranian port of Chabahar . Its main objective was to focus on maritime security operations such as anti-piracy, search and rescue, damage control and live-fire exercises. These exercises also aim to strengthen military cooperation, operational capabilities and mutual trust among the participating countries. Security Belt-2025 will be the fifth joint naval exercise between China, Iran and Russia since 2019.

 

 

 

Celebrity (National)

• Harvansh Chawla – BRICS Chamber of Commerce and Industry has appointed advocate and international trade law expert Harvansh Chawla as its new chairman.

• Dr. Ajay Kumar - Former Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Dr. Ajay Kumar took the oath of office and secrecy as Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Dr. Ajay Kumar is a 1985 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Kerala cadre.

• Justice Bhushan Ramakrishna Gavai – Justice Bhushan Ramakrishna Gavai assumed office as  the 52nd Chief Justice of India (CJI) on May 14, 2025. He was administered the oath of office by President Draupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Justice BR Gavai replaced Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna. BR Gavai will serve as the Chief Justice for the next six months and will retire on November 30 this year.

He became the country's first Buddhist and second Dalit Chief Justice (CJI). Before Justice Gavai, Justice KG Balakrishnan became the first Dalit Chief Justice in 2007. BR Gavai was part of the five-judge Constitution bench that upheld Article 370 (2023).

• Payal Kapadia – Indian film director Payal Kapadia has been awarded  the prestigious French civilian honour, Officier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, for her contribution to cinema. Kapadia's directorial debut "All We Imagine as Light", an Indo-French co-production, won the prestigious Grand Prix award at the Cannes Film Festival last year. This award was given to him in a function in Mumbai. 

• Alok Joshi – Former Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief Alok Joshi was appointed the new chairman of the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB). After the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, the Central Government decided to reconstitute the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB). 

• Rakesh Verma – Rakesh Verma assumed the charge of Director General of the Indian Institute for International Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM), New Delhi on 1 May 2025. Rakesh Verma is a 1993 batch IAS officer of the Punjab cadre.

• Baijayant Panda – Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has appointed BJP MP Baijayant Panda as the Chairman of the Public Undertakings Committee for the year 2025-26.

• Sanjay Jaiswal – Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has appointed BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal as the Chairman of the Estimates Committee for 2025-26.

• Ashutosh Dixit - On May 1, 2025, Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, a senior Air Force fighter pilot, assumed charge as Chief of the Integrated Defence Staff (CISC) at the Integrated Defence Staff Headquarters in New Delhi. He succeeded Lieutenant General JP Mathew. 

• Sujata Chaturvedi – On 1 May 2025, Ms. Sujata Chaturvedi, a 1989 batch IAS officer of Bihar cadre, assumed charge as Member of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). 

• Anuradha Prasad – On 1 May 2025, Anuradha Prasad, a 1986 batch officer of the Indian Defence Accounts Service (IDAS), assumed charge as Member, Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). 

• Gyaneshwar Kumar Singh - Gyaneshwar Kumar Singh, a 1992 batch officer of the Indian Postal and Telecommunication Accounts and Finance Service, assumed charge as Director General and Chief Executive Officer (DG & CEO) of the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) on May 1, 2025. IICA functions as a think tank under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India.

• Narmadeshwar Tiwari - Air Marshal Narmadeshwar Tiwari became the new Vice Chief of the Indian Air Force. He will replace Air Marshal Sujit Pushpakar Dharkar who currently holds the post. He is a native of Srikalpur village in Guthni block of Siwan district in Bihar.

• Kriti Sanon - Bollywood actress Kriti Sanon has been appointed as the first Indian brand ambassador by Chinese home and personal appliances maker Dream Technology. Founded in 2017, Dream Technologies manufactures a range of devices, including robotic vacuums, wet and dry vacuums, cordless stick vacuums, and grooming tools. In 2023, the company began operations in India.

• Dr. Mangi Lal Jat - Eminent agricultural scientist Dr. Mangi Lal Jat has been appointed as Director General of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Secretary of Department of Agricultural Research and Education ( DARE) .

• Dinesh Maheshwari – Former Supreme Court Judge Justice (Retd.) Dinesh Maheshwari has been appointed as the Chairman of the 23rd Law Commission of India.

• Justice Arun Palli - Justice Arun Palli, a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, has been appointed Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court . Justice Arun Palli will replace Justice Tashi Rabstan.

• Nidhi Tiwari - Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer Nidhi Tiwari has been appointed as the Private Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

• Virat Kohli – On 12 May 2025, Indian cricket legend Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket. India won 40 of the 68 Tests played under Kohli's leadership, losing 17 and drawing 11. He scored 9,230 runs in 210 innings of 123 Test matches, including 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries, and averaged 46.85. He is India's fourth-highest Test run-scorer, behind only Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sunil Gavaskar.

Virat Kohli made his debut for India at the age of 22 on June 20, 2011, in the first Test match against West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica, under the captaincy of MS Dhoni. Last Test match played against Australia in Sydney in January 2025. Virat Kohli is the only captain in the world to have scored seven double centuries in Test cricket.

Kohli holds the record for scoring the most double centuries in Test cricket, seven. Kohli also has the most Test centuries by an Indian captain, while Gavaskar (11 centuries) is far behind him with 20 centuries. Virat Kohli scored his highest Test score of 254 not out against South Africa in Pune in 2019. Virat Kohli has scored Test centuries in every country and against every country except Bangladesh. 

Under the leadership of Virat Kohli, India remained at the number 1 position in the ICC Test Team Rankings for five consecutive years from 2016 to 2021. Virat Kohli is the only Indian to score seven Test centuries in Australia. Virat Kohli has scored double centuries in four consecutive Test series.

• Rohit Sharma – On May 7, 2025, Indian cricket team captain and legendary batsman Rohit Sharma has announced his retirement from Test cricket. Rohit made his Test debut in November 2013 against West Indies at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. He scored 177 runs on his debut match, the second-highest score by an Indian on debut after Shikhar Dhawan (187).

His last Test match was against Australia in Melbourne in December 2024. Rohit scored 4301 runs in 67 Test matches at an average of 40.57. He has 12 centuries and 18 half-centuries to his name in Test cricket.

• Vaibhav Suryavanshi – On April 28, 2025, Vaibhav Suryavanshi became the youngest cricketer to score a century in the IPL (achieved this feat at the age of 14 years and 32 days). He achieved this feat while playing for Rajasthan Royals against Gujarat Titans. Suryavanshi completed his century in  35 balls in the match against Gujarat Titans, in which he hit 11 sixes and seven fours.

The record for scoring the youngest century in IPL was held by Manish Pandey, who scored a century for RCB against Deccan Chargers in 2009 at the age of 19 years and 253 days. He has also become the fastest Indian player to score a century in the IPL. By scoring 101 runs in 35 balls, he broke Yusuf Pathan's record of scoring a century in 37 balls. Suryavanshi has also become the second player overall to score the fastest century in IPL. 

The record for the fastest century in the IPL is held by West Indies' Chris Gayle, who scored a century in 30 balls for Bengaluru against Pune Warriors in April 2013. Vaibhav hit 11 sixes while batting against Gujarat, which is the most number of sixes hit by a batsman in an innings in IPL 2025. Vaibhav surpassed Sunrisers Hyderabad's Abhishek Sharma, who hit 10 sixes against Punjab Kings. In his debut match, Vaibhav created history by hitting a six on the first ball.

 

 

Celebrity (International)

• Sussan Ley - Sussan Ley has been elected leader of the Liberal Party in Australia. She becomes the first woman to lead the Liberal Party in Australia 's 80-year history . She will also be Australia's first female opposition leader . She defeated her opponent, Angus Taylor.

• Anita Anand - Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has appointed Indian-origin Anita Anand as Foreign Minister . Following the Liberal Party's recent victory in the Canadian general election, Mark Carney became Prime Minister. Anita Anand took the oath of office and secrecy with her hand on the holy Hindu scripture, the Gita.

PM Carney, while appointing Anita Anand as Foreign Minister, said, "Her mission will be to restore the nearly broken relationship with India. She will also strengthen ties with the United States by building better coordination with President Donald Trump."

Anita Anand's father is from Tamil Nadu, while her mother is from Punjab. Anita was born in Nova Scotia in 1967. She has also served as a law professor at the University of Toronto. Anita has also been a cabinet minister in the government of former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. 

• Mahmudullah – Bangladesh batsman Mahmudullah announced his retirement from international cricket. Mahmudullah, 39, had retired from Tests in 2021 and T20Is in 2024 and also retired from ODI cricket after the Champions Trophy. Mahmudullah is the fourth highest run-scorer for Bangladesh after Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal.

• Mike Waltz – On May 1, 2025, President Donald Trump nominated Mike Waltz to be the next United States Ambassador to the United Nations . Waltz was previously the National Security Advisor. 

• Robert Francis Prevost – On May 8, 2025, American cleric Robert Francis Prevost was elected the new Pope. He is the first American to become Pope in the history of the Catholic Church. He would be known as Pope Leo XIV . He has replaced Pope Francis.

• Kamla Prasad Bissessar – Kamla Prasad Bissessar has become  the new Prime Minister of the Caribbean country Trinidad and Tobago. Kamla Persad Bissessar's United National Congress (UNC) party won a majority by winning 26 of the 41 seats. Kamla Prasad Bissessar took office for the second time as the country's Prime Minister. Previously, she served from 2010 to 2015. She is the first woman to lead the country. 73-year-old Kamla Persad-Bissessar was contesting against Prime Minister Stuart Young. The capital of Trinidad and Tobago is Port-of-Spain. Bhelupur village of Buxar district of Bihar is the ancestral village of Kamala Prasad Biseswar.

• Friedrich Merz – Friedrich Merz, leader of Germany's conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, was elected  Chancellor of Germany. Conservative leader Friedrich Merz was elected by lawmakers as Germany's 10th chancellor since World War II.

• Daniel Noboa – Current President of Ecuador Daniel Noboa has been re-elected for a second term of four years.

• Ashish Khanna - The seventh session of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) was held in New Delhi . Ashish Khanna of India was elected as the third Director-General of the International Solar Alliance . He replaced the outgoing Director-General, Dr. Ajay Mathur. Other candidates included Wisdom Ahiataku-Togobo from Ghana and Gosai Mengisti Abayneh from Ethiopia.

 

 

demise

• Dr. Girija Vyas – Veteran Congress leader of Rajasthan and former Union Minister Dr. Girija Vyas passed away on May 1, 2025. 79-year-old Girija Vyas was burnt in a fire during Gangaur puja at her home in Udaipur. After first aid at a hospital in Udaipur, he was admitted to Zydus Hospital in Ahmedabad, where he breathed his last during treatment. She served as the Chairperson of the National Commission for Women from 2005–11.

• Shaji N. Karun - Renowned Malayalam filmmaker and cinematographer Shaji N. Karun passed away in Thiruvananthapuram. He was 73 and had been battling health issues. His first film, Piravi (1988), was screened at around 70 international film festivals.

• Baba Shivanand - Padmashree awardee 128 year old Yogacharya Swami Shivanand passed away. In the year 2022, the then President Ram Nath Kovind honored this yoga guru of Kashi with Padma Shri for his contribution in the field of yoga and social service. He is the oldest person to be awarded the Padma Shri. He was born in a Brahmin monk Goswami family of the famous Thakurwadi family in Hariganj district of Srihata, Bangladesh. 

• M.G.S. Narayanan - Eminent historian and former chairman of the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR), Muttayil Govinda Menon Sankaranarayanan, popularly known as MGS Narayanan or simply MGS, passed away at the age of 92 at his residence in Malaparamba near Kozhikode. He was proficient in Vattezhuthu, the alphabet of South India and Sri Lanka, and Kolezhuthu, the Kerala alphabet used to write Malayalam, and also had a deep knowledge of Sanskrit. In 1996, he published a research thesis titled "The Perumals of Kerala", exploring the complex political and social dynamics of Kerala from 800 to 1124.

• Dr. K. Kasturirangan - Dr. K. Kasturirangan was a renowned Indian scientist and educationist who passed away recently. Dr. Kasturirangan was the Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) from 1994 to 2003. He was the chairman of the committee that formulated the National Education Policy 2020 .

He was awarded the Padma Shri (1982), Padma Bhushan (1992), and Padma Vibhushan (2000) by the Government of India. He was honoured with civilian awards like. He was also a member of the Rajya Sabha from 2003 to 2009.

• Pope Francis – Catholic Christian cleric Pope Francis has died at the age of 88. Pope Francis had been battling health problems for some time. Pope Francis was the first Latin American and Jesuit to lead the Roman Catholic Church. The real name of Pope Francis was Jorge Mario Bergoglio. Born on December 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, Pope Francis's parents came to Argentina as immigrants from Italy and settled here.

• Abdullah Ahmad Badawi - Former Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, a liberal figure, has died of heart disease. He was 85. He was the fifth Prime Minister of Malaysia from 2003 to 2009. Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, also affectionately known as "Pak Lah" or Uncle Lah.

• Mario Vargas Llosa – Mario Vargas Llosa, winner of the 2010 Nobel Prize for Literature, died at the age of 89 in his home country of Peru.

• Daripalli Ramaiah - Daripalli Ramaiah, popularly known as the Tree Man of Telangana, died of a heart attack at the age of 87 in Reddypally village of Khammam district of Telangana. He planted over 10 million trees in his lifetime. In 2017, he was awarded the Padma Shri.

• Kumudini Lakhia - Renowned Gujarat-based Kathak dancer and choreographer Kumudini Lakhia passed away in Ahmedabad at the age of 94. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1987 and the Padma Bhushan in 2010. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan for the year 2025 for his contribution in the field of art. He founded the Kadamba School of Dance and Music, an institute of Indian dance and music, in 1967. 

• Ram Sahay Pandey - Rai folk dance legend Padmashree Ram Sahay Pandey passed away at the age of 92 in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh after a prolonged illness. She was awarded the Padma Shri in 2022 for her work in preserving and promoting the Rai dance. He also received the title of 'Nritya Shiromani'.

• Luis Galván – On May 5, 2025, Argentine footballer Luis Galván died at the age of 77.

•Bob Cooper – Former Australian cricketer and the first batsman to score a triple century in Test cricket on Australian soil, Bob Cooper died on May 10, 2025 at the age of 84. The crowning moment of his 27-Test career was his 307 against England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in 1966. In the year 2023, he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia.

 

 

Awards/Honors 

• UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Award, 2025 – The UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Award for the year 2025  has been given to  the Nicaraguan newspaper La Prensa. According to UNESCO, La Prensa has made courageous efforts to tell the truth to the Nicaraguan people, and despite facing severe repression, it has maintained independent journalism.

The award was established in 1997 and honours individuals or organisations that have made outstanding contributions to the defence and/or promotion of press freedom anywhere in the world, especially when this achievement has been achieved in the face of danger. The award is named in honor of Colombian journalist Guillermo Cano Isaza, who was assassinated in 1986.

• 30th Devishankar Awasthi Smriti Samman, 2024 - The Devishankar Awasthi Samman for the year 2024 has been awarded to young critic Dalpat Singh Rajpurohit for his critical book 'Sundar's Dreams: Early Modernity, Dadupanth and Sundardas's Poetry'.

• Pulitzer Prizes, 2025 – The 2025 Pulitzer Prizes of the United States , awarded in the fields of arts and journalism , have been announced. 

List of winners for the year 2025: 

class winner 

Public Service – Kavita Suvarna, Lizzie Presser, Cassandra Jaramillo and Stacy Kranitz (for their reporting on obscure abortion law exceptions that cause pregnant women to die).

Journalism  – The New York Times has been awarded four Pulitzer Prizesfor their swift reporting on the Trump assassination attempt , The New Yorker three, and the Washington Post has also been awarded for their reporting on major political and social issues.

Investigative Reporting  - Reuters Staff (Supply chain expose on fentanyl crisis).  

Fiction  -  Percival Everett was awarded this prize for his novel ' James ', which tells the story of 'Huckleberry Finn' from the perspective of a slave.  

Drama – Branden Jacobs-Jenkins was honored for his film “ Purpose ,” which delves into the inner complexities of a wealthy Black family.

Explanation  – Azam Ahmed, Christina Goldbaum and Matthew Aikins (The New Yorker).  

Local reporting  – Alyssa Zhu, Nick Thieme and Jessica Gallagher (Baltimore fentanyl crisis).  

National Reporting  - Wall Street Journal Staff (reporting on Elon Musk).  

International Reporting  – Declan Walsh and NYT staff (reporting on the Sudan conflict).  

Featured Writing  - Mark Warren (Esquire) 

Commentary  - Mosab Abu Toha (The New Yorker) 

Criticism  : Alexandra Lange (Bloomberg CityLab)

Editorial Writing  – Raj Mankad, Sharon Steinman, Lisa Falkenberg, Leah Binkowitz (Houston Chronicle) 

Special Reporting and Commentary  - Ann Telnaes (Washington Post) 

Breaking News Photography  - Doug Mills (The New Yorker) 

Exclusive Photography  – Moises Salaman (The New Yorker) 

Audio Reporting  - The New Yorker Staff 

Established in 1917 under the provisions of the will of Hungarian-American newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer, the awards are administered by Columbia University in New York City.

• 4th Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Award, 2025 - The 4th Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Award-2025 was given to  Kumar Mangalam Birla , Chairman of Aditya Birla Group. Aditya Birla Group Chairman and Padma Bhushan awardee Kumar Mangalam Birla received the Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Award from RSS chief Shri Mohan Bhagwat in Mumbai. Kumar Mangalam Birla has been honoured with this award for his visionary leadership and his significant contribution to India's growth story. The first Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Award was presented to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

• Laureus World Sports Awards 2025 – The winners of the Laureus World Sports Awards 2025, the most prestigious honour in sport, were announced in Madrid.

 List of winners:

World Sportsman of the Year – Mondo Duplantis (Sweden)

World Sportswoman of the Year - Simone Biles (USA)

World Team of the Year – Real Madrid (Spain) 

Breakthrough of the Year – Lamin Yamal (Spain) 

Comeback of the Year – Rebecca Andrade (Brazil)

Sportsperson with a Disability – Jiang Yuyan (China) 

Action Sportsperson of the Year – Tom Pidcock (United Kingdom)

Sport for Good Award – Kick4Life (Lesotho)

Sporting Icon Award – Rafael Nadal (Spain) 

Lifetime Achievement Award – Kelly Slater (USA)

• Goldman Environmental Prize, 2025 – 7 environmental activists were awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize for the year 2025. No Indian received this award this year. The Goldman Prize, known as the 'Green Nobel Prize', was awarded in San Francisco. 

The 2025 winners include:

Semia Gharabi (Tunisia) – a scientist and educator who fought against the illegal smuggling of Italian household waste into Tunisia. Her campaign led to the return of 6,000 metric tons of illegally exported waste to Italy.

Batmunkh Luvsandash (Mongolia) – an electrical engineer whose activism resulted in the creation of a 26,700-hectare (66,000-acre) protected area in Dornogovi Province.

Besjana Guri and Olsi Nika (Albania) – Besjana Guri is a social activist and Olsi Nika is a biologist and aquatic ecologist. They campaigned to protect the Vjosa River and its tributaries from hydroelectric projects after learning about plans to build 45 dams in Albania. 

Carlos Mallo Molina (Spain) – a former civil engineer who campaigned to save a marine protected area in the Canary Islands from port construction.

Lauren Allen (United States) – Pressured a polluting plastics company to shut down.

Mary Luz Canaquiri Murayari (Peru) – sued for legal recognition of the personhood of the Marañón River and won legal personhood for Peru's Marañón River in a landmark court case.

• Stockholm Water Prize, 2025 – Renowned Austrian hydrologist Günter Blöschl  has been named the recipient of the Stockholm Water Prize for the year 2025. He has been awarded this prize for his pioneering research on flood risk and the impacts of climate change. He will be officially presented the award by His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden during the World Water Week celebrated annually in the month of August at Stockholm City Hall, Sweden.   

• Pritzker Architecture Prize, 2025 – Chinese architect Liu Jiakun has been named the winner of the 2025 Pritzker Architecture Prize. His buildings "celebrate the everyday lives of people". Liu was selected based on how he has served people and communities in a leading role over his four-decade career. Liu is from Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China. He is the 54th Pritzker Prize winner since the award began in 1979. This award is also called the 'Nobel Prize of Architecture'. The award is given annually for significant achievement by a living architect.

• Maharashtra Bhushan Award, 2025 – 100-year-old senior sculptor Ram Sutar has been selected for the Maharashtra Government's highest civilian award 'Maharashtra Bhushan' 2025. He is the creator of the world's tallest statue, the Statue of Unity (182 metres high). The Maharashtra Bhushan Award carries a cash prize of ₹25 lakh and a memento. Ram Sutar has been awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2018 and the Padma Shri in 1999.

 

 

Scheme/Project

• Extension of Credit Guarantee Scheme (CGSS) for Startups – The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry has notified the extension of CGSS, thereby increasing the limit for availing loan without any guarantee from Rs 10 crore to Rs 20 crore. The scheme helps startups to get loans without any collateral and provides 85% guarantee for loans up to Rs 10 crore and 75% guarantee for loans above Rs 10 crore

• Cashless Treatment Scheme for Road Accident Victims, 2025- The Government of India has launched a cashless treatment scheme for road accident victims across the country. It aims to provide free, cashless treatment to road accident victims up to a maximum of Rs 1.5 lakh per person per accident. According to the gazette notification issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, this scheme has come into effect from May 5, 2025.

This facility will be available in designated hospitals for 7 days after the accident. People injured in road accidents, whether they have insurance or not, are entitled to benefits under this scheme. The scheme will help in providing prompt medical assistance during the “golden hour” in road accidents, thereby saving lives and reducing injuries.

• Jyoti Programme – On May 7, 2025, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched  the 'Jyothi Programme' to ensure education of children of migrant labourers. Under the 'Jyoti' scheme, all migrant children aged three to six years will be brought to Anganwadis (government-run child care centres) and children aged six years and above will be enrolled in government schools.

• Pandit Lakhmichand Artist Social Honor Scheme – Haryana Government has started Pandit Lakhmichand Artist Social Honor Scheme for artists. The approval to launch this scheme was given in the cabinet meeting chaired by Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Saini. Under this, artists working in the art field for 20 years will now get pension. Artists with annual income up to Rs 1.80 lakh will be given an honorarium of Rs 10,000 per month and artists with income up to Rs 3 lakh will be given an honorarium of Rs 7,000.

It aims to improve the financial and socio-economic condition of senior artistes and folk artistes. The age of the applicant should not be less than 60 years. Only artists residing in Haryana will be eligible to avail the benefits of the scheme.

• Green Hydrogen Certification Scheme – Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Prahlad Joshi launched the Green Hydrogen Certification Scheme (GHCI) in New Delhi. To boost India's green hydrogen exports and encourage energy-intensive sectors to adopt the emerging fuel, the Centre has launched a certification scheme under the National Green Hydrogen Mission and notified rules for claiming emission offsets under the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS).

• Pink E-Rickshaw Scheme - The Maharashtra government, in collaboration with Kinetic Green, has launched the "Pink E-Rickshaw" scheme. Its aim is to empower and empower women. The scheme was officially launched by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in Pune. Under this scheme run by the Women and Child Development Department, 10,000 electric three-wheeler rickshaws will be given to women in eight districts of the state - Pune, Nashik, Nagpur, Ahmednagar, Solapur, Kolhapur, Amravati and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. 

Under this scheme, the state government will provide a 20% subsidy on each e-rickshaw, while beneficiaries will only need to make a 10% down payment. The remaining 70% will be provided as a loan through banks at a flexible interest rate. This scheme has been designed for women between the age of 20 to 50 years, in which priority is being given to widows, divorced women and those living below the poverty line. 

• Jharkhand Grass Roots Innovation Internship Scheme– Jharkhand Government has launched 'Grassroots Innovation Internship Scheme' to promote rural development and student experience. Under this scheme, every year 17,380 students studying in colleges will have to go to the villages of Jharkhand and do internship. Under this scheme, a total amount of Rs 10 thousand will be given to the selected students in two installments. During this internship, they will be introduced to rural life, problems and solutions.

• Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister's Animal Husbandry Development Scheme Name Changed - Recently, the Madhya Pradesh Cabinet decided to change the name of the Chief Minister's Animal Husbandry Development Scheme to the "Dr. Ambedkar Animal Husbandry Development Scheme ." The duration of this scheme is 2024-25 and 2025-26.

 

 

Operation/Campaign

• Flypast and Landing Practice on Ganga Expressway – Indian Air Force (IAF) conducted flypast and landing practice on  Ganga Expressway near Piru village in Jalalabad sub-division of Shahjahanpur district in Uttar Pradesh. The exercise was conducted at a 3.5 km long airstrip in Shahjahanpur. The exercise involved aircraft like Rafale, MiG-29, Sukhoi-30 MKI, Jaguar, Mirage-2000, C-130J Super Hercules, AN-32 transport aircraft and Mi-17 V5 helicopters.

The aircraft carried out both take-off and landing exercises to check day and night operations. The Ganga Expressway is not only the first expressway in Uttar Pradesh to offer night landing facility, but also the first of its kind in the entire India. The purpose of this strategic operation was to assess the expressway's potential as an alternative runway during war or national emergencies.

• IOS Sagar - Defence Minister Rajnath Singh flagged off Indian Navy patrol vessel INS Sunayna as Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) ' Sagar ' from Karwar Naval Base in Karnataka. Indian Naval Ship IOS Sagar, with 44 personnel from navies and coast guards of nine friendly countries from Asia and Africa, entered Port Louis Harbour, Mauritius on 26 April on completion of the first phase of surveillance in the South-West Indian Ocean. The ship's deployment with navies from Madagascar, Maldives, Comoros, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Sri Lanka and Tanzania is aimed at regional maritime security and international cooperation.

• Dr. Ambedkar Comprehensive Service Campaign - On the birth anniversary of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar launched 'Dr. Ambedkar Comprehensive Service Campaign' from the Convention Hall in Patna. He launched the campaign by flagging off IEC publicity vans, which will publicise the government schemes in all 38 districts of the state. Its objective is to provide the benefits of government schemes to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities in their own locality.

The government's goal is to ensure that no one in need will have to visit government offices. Government employees will personally go to villages to provide services. Under this, special camps will be set up in more than 60,000 SC/ST hamlets of Bihar, where people will get the benefits of many other schemes including 22 major government schemes at one place.

• Africa India Major Maritime Cooperation (AIKEYME), 2025 – Africa India Major Maritime Cooperation, 2025 was inaugurated in Dar-es-Salaam,Tanzania , a six-day multinational naval exercise. Tanzanian Defence Minister Stergomena Lawrence Tax and Indian Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth jointly inaugurated AIKEYME (Africa-India Major Maritime Engagement) in the presence of Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi. The exercise was co-hosted by the Indian Navy and the Tanzania People's Defence Force (TPDF). 

The main objective of the AIKEYME exercise was to enhance inter-operability to address common challenges in the maritime domain. This highlights the strong and friendly relations between India and African countries. Eleven countries participated in this naval exercise. Apart from India, it included ten Indian Ocean littoral countries of Africa, including Tanzania, Mozambique, Kenya, South Africa, Mauritius, Seychelles, Comoros, Madagascar, Djibouti and Eritrea. 

The exercise was planned in two phases – harbour and sea. In the harbour phase, the focus was on counter-piracy training and table top exercises. The sea phase included search and rescue missions, helicopter operations, among other things. It was attended by  Indian Navy ships INS Chennai (Destroyer) and INS Kesari

• AMAN 2025- AMAN 2025 is a multinational naval exercise hosted by Pakistan in Karachi. Military ships from countries like China, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia and America participated in it. In addition, observers sent by 32 other countries also participated in the exercise. The aim of the AMAN exercise is to promote regional cooperation and stability, as well as demonstrate united resolve to combat piracy, terrorism and crimes in the maritime domain.

• 'Scam Se Bachao' Campaign - "Scam Se Bachao" is an awareness campaign launched by the Government of India and Meta (parent company of Facebook) to combat online scams and cyber frauds. Its aim is to educate people about online scams and teach them how to stay safe. This campaign is a joint effort to promote digital safety and vigilance. 

 

 

Commission/Committee

• Inter-Ministerial Committee set up to formulate National Manufacturing Mission – The Central Government has set up an Inter-Ministerial Committee to formulate the National Manufacturing Mission , a major initiative aimed at significantly increasing the share of manufacturing in the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The committee will be headed by NITI Aayog CEO BVR Subrahmanyam. The National Manufacturing Mission, first announced in the Union Budget 2025, is designed to raise India's manufacturing contribution from the current level of 16-17 per cent of GDP. 

 

 Conferences/Festivals 

• 'India 6G 2025' 3rd International Conference and Exhibition - 'India 6G 2025' 3rd International Conference and Exhibition was held in New Delhi on May 14, 2025. Dr. Chandrashekhar Pemmasani, Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development inaugurated the event. The event brought together global technology leaders, researchers and policymakers on India's roadmap to become a leader in sixth generation (6G) communications technology.

• 28th National Conference on e-Governance, 2025 – The 28th National Conference on e-Governance will be held on June 9 and 10, 2025 at Novotel , Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. The event is being jointly organised by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in collaboration with the Government of Andhra Pradesh. The theme of this two-day conference is “Developing India: Civil Services and Digital Transformation” .

There will be six plenary sessions and six breakout sessions (short but in-depth sessions on a specific topic).The objective of this conference is to provide a platform to policy makers, practitioners, industry leaders and academicians to deliberate, discuss and recommend actionable strategies to enhance the quality of public services delivered by the governments, so as to set new benchmarks in good governance and realise the policy of “Minimum Government, Maximum Governance” for a developed India .              

The conference will also be attended by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Shri N. Chandrababu Naidu, who will inaugurate the conference.

• 4th Meeting of the India-Egypt Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism, 2025 – The 4th Meeting of the India-Egypt Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism was held  on 30 April 2025 in Cairo (Egypt). The meeting, led by Indian Ambassador KD Deval and Egyptian Ambassador Walid al-Fiky, was attended by representatives from various agencies of both countries.

• National Ayush Mission (NAM) Conclave, 2025 – Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India, organized the National Ayush Mission (NAM) Conclave 2025 at Kaivalyadhama , Lonavala, Maharashtra on 1-2 May 2025. This two-day event will serve as a national platform to shape the future of AYUSH-based healthcare in India. The conference was inaugurated by Shri Prataprao Jadhav, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of AYUSH.

• 11th Seatrade Maritime Logistics Middle East Conference, 2025 – The 11th Seatrade Maritime Logistics Middle East (SMLME) Conference 2025 was held in  Dubai. The conference was held at the Dubai World Trade Centre from May 6 to May 8, 2025. Key leaders and policymakers from the maritime and logistics industries attended the conference. The conference is a leading platform for promoting maritime security, sustainability and innovation. 

At the conference, the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) also announced the opening of a new office in  Dammam , Saudi Arabia. The conference is a key event for the maritime and logistics industry in the Middle East region. 

• MRSAM India Eco-System Summit 2.0 – MRSAM India Eco-System Summit 2.0 was held on May 7, 2025 at Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi. The conference was organised by the Centre for Joint Warfare Studies (CENJOWS), in collaboration with Aerospace Services India (ASI) and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). The main objective of the conference was to strengthen indigenous missile defence capabilities. The conference discussed enhancing the country's air and missile defence capabilities under the "Atmanirbhar Bharat" and "Make in India" initiatives.

• World Bank Land Conference, 2025 – The World Bank Land Conference was held from May 5 to 8, 2025 in Washington DC (USA). The theme of the World Bank Land Conference 2025 is ' Securing Land Ownership and Access for Climate Action '. India participated in the conference as the “Country Champion” under the leadership of Shri Vivek Bhardwaj, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj and showcased its initiatives like  “Swamitva Yojana” and “Gram Manch” . The World Bank has organized the Land Conference for more than 20 years, with the aim of bringing together governments, development partners, civil society, academia, and the private sector to discuss technical issues and good practices in the field.

• 22nd India Telecom, 2025 – 22nd India Telecom, 2025 was held in New Delhi on May 6-7, 2025. Union Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region Jyotiraditya M. Scindia inaugurated the event. It is organised by Telecom Equipment and Services Export Promotion Council (TEPC) in collaboration with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). More than 130 foreign delegates from over 35 countries participated in the event.

• Global Space Exploration Conference (GLEX), 2025 – The 12th Global Space Exploration Conference, 2025 was held in New Delhi from May 7-9, 2025. The theme of this summit is "Reaching New Worlds: Space Exploration Renaissance". Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed this conference through video conferencing on May 7.

The Global Conference on Space Exploration (GLEX) 2025 aims to encourage the sharing of programmatic, technical and policy information, as well as collaborative solutions, challenges, lessons learned and ways forward, among all countries interested in space exploration. The first Global Space Exploration Conference was held in 2010 in Beijing, China.

• 6th International Saiva Siddhanta Conference, 2025 - The 6th International Saiva Siddhanta Conference 2025 was held from May 3 to 5, 2025 at SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST), Kattankulathur Campus,  Chennai , Tamil Nadu. The aim of this conference was to promote and deepen the understanding of Saiva Siddhanta, one of the spiritual philosophies rooted in Tamil culture and tradition. The conference was organised as a joint effort of the International Saiva Siddhanta Research Institute of the Tirukayilaya Paramparai Dharmapuram Adheenam and SRMIST.

•Madhya Pradesh Tech Growth Conclave 2025 - The Madhya Pradesh government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav, successfully organized the "Madhya Pradesh Tech Growth Conclave 2025" in Indore . It was organized under the aegis of the Department of Science and Technology. Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav said that Madhya Pradesh has received investment proposals worth 20,000 crore rupees at this conclave. This will provide employment to 75,000 people. An electronic park will be built in Bhopal and an IT tower in Indore.

• 11th BRICS Labour and Employment Ministers' Meeting 2025 - The 11th BRICS Labour and Employment Ministers' Meeting, 2025 was held in Brasilia (Brazil). Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Ms. Shobha Karandlaje led the Indian delegation at the BRICS Labour and Employment Ministers' Meeting held under the Brazilian Chairmanship. It was held under the slogan “Strengthening cooperation with the Global South for more inclusive and sustainable governance” .

The meeting concluded with the adoption of a visionary declaration addressing two important themes: (i) “Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Future of Work” and (ii) “The Impacts of Climate Change on the World of Work and a Just Transition”. Regarding climate action, India emphasized its Just Transition framework, which ensures that green growth translates into equitable job creation.

• Yuga Innovation Conclave 2025 - Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Yuga Innovation Conclave 2025, held at Bharat Mandapam in  New Delhi . It aims to increase investment in the country's innovation ecosystem. Yugam (meaning “confluence” in Sanskrit) is the first-of-its-kind major policy conference  bringing together eminent personalities from government, academia, industry and the innovation ecosystem. 

•TieCon 2025– The world's leading technology and entrepreneurship conference, TiecCon 2025, was held from April 30 to May 2, 2025, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in California, USA. The theme of this conference was "AIverse". In this, emphasis was laid on artificial intelligence. The aim of this event is to make entrepreneurship more accessible and impactful, where innovators, investors, mentors and industry leaders will come together to shape the future.

Shri Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and Minister of State of the Ministry of Education addressed the conference through a recorded message. At the conference, India emphasized on bringing together “Skills India” and “AI Literacy” to make the youth of the country future-ready.

• Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) Conferences, 2025 – The seventeenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention (BC COP-17), the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention (RC COP-12) and the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention (SC COP-12) were held in Geneva (Switzerland) from 28 April to 9 May 2025. The theme of this year's high-level segment is "Making the invisible visible: Good management of chemicals and waste."

An inter-ministerial delegation from India led by Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri Bhupender Yadav participated in it. India is a party to all three conventions. The Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions are three major international environmental agreements aimed at protecting human health and the environment from hazardous chemicals and wastes. Since 2010, joint meetings (COPs) have been held to enhance cooperation.

• 15th Plenary Meeting of the Technical Committee of the International Organization for Standardization and the International Electrotechnical Commission – The 15th Plenary Meeting of the Technical Committee of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), organised by the Bureau of Indian Standards to develop International Standards on Artificial Intelligence, was held in New Delhi.

• Asia Business Council Spring Forum, 2025- Asia Business Council Spring Forum, 2025 was held in New Delhi. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar participated in the Asia Business Council Spring Forum 2025. He spoke about the profound changes being made in the international order, the implications for the Global South, and India's role in amplifying its voice.

• 4th Meeting of the Joint Working Group on Cooperation in Tourism between India and Japan, 2025 - The 4th Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting on Tourism Cooperation between India and Japan was held in New Delhi. The meeting focused on enhancing tourism ties between the two countries and finding new ways to work together.

Key issues discussed to enhance bilateral tourism between India and Japan included promoting Buddhist sites in India for Japanese tourists, encouraging Japanese students to visit the country and improving air connectivity between the two countries. The meeting also discussed strategies to increase private sector participation and involvement of media and influential people to increase tourist flow.

• 8th Session of India-Russia Working Group – The 8th Session of the India-Russia Working Group (IRWG-PIP) was held in New Delhi . The objective of the session was to strengthen economic ties between India and Russia by identifying and taking forward collaborative projects in areas of mutual interest. India and Russia agreed on 6 new strategic projects on priority investment projects. The meeting was co-chaired by Amardeep Singh Bhatia from the Indian side and Vladimir Ilyichev from the Russian side.

• 13th Ministerial Meeting of India-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue – The 13th Ministerial Meeting of the India-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue (13th EFD) was held in  London . The Indian delegation led by Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman held high-level discussions with the UK delegation led by the Rt. Hon. Rachel Reeves, Finance Minister. India and the UK reiterated their commitment to continue cooperation in financial services, fintech and the digital economy, and also agreed to continue negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA) and a bilateral investment treaty.

• 3rd International Quantum Communication Conference, 2025 – Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia inaugurated the 3rd International Quantum Communication Conference in New Delhi . The conference brought together national and international experts, researchers and policymakers to deliberate on the future of quantum communications, with a special focus on standardization, research and secure digital transformation.

• Save Earth Conference, 2025 – Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the Save Earth Conference at the National Agricultural Science Complex (Pusa),  New Delhi . It aims to explore the potential of bamboo to mitigate climate change and drive economic development. The theme  of Earth Day 2025 is  "Our Power, Our Planet" which calls on everyone to unite around renewable energy so that we can triple clean electricity by 2030.

• International Conference on Buddhism and Culture of North-East India, 2025 – A two-day international conference titled “Buddhaism and Culture of North-East India” concluded in Namsai , Arunachal Pradesh. This conference, organised under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, was organised by the International Buddhist Confederation in collaboration with Mahabodhi Maitri Mandal. The event was attended by many Buddhist monks and scholars from India as well as countries like Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, Bhutan and Sri Lanka.

Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein inaugurated the conference. The aim of this conference was to provide an opportunity to scholars from across the world to see and appreciate the rich Buddhist heritage of Arunachal Pradesh. The current Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh is Shri Pema Khandu.

• 15th BRICS Agriculture Ministers' Meeting, 2025 - Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan led the Indian delegation at the 15th BRICS Agriculture Ministers' Meeting held in Brasilia , Brazil . The main theme of the meeting was "Promoting inclusive and sustainable agriculture through cooperation, innovation and equitable trade among BRICS countries".

 

 

Treaty/Agreement

• First round of negotiations for India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement – ​​The first round of negotiations for the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and New Zealand concluded successfully in New Delhi . Its objective is to promote bilateral trade and investment. The two countries had announced the resumption of negotiations for an FTA on March 16, 2025, after a gap of nearly 10 years. The total merchandise trade between the two countries is expected to reach US$1.3 billion in 2024-25, an increase of over 48 per cent over the previous fiscal year.

• State Bank of India signs MoU with Land Ports Authority of India for banking services - State Bank of India (SBI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI) to strengthen banking services infrastructure at 26 ports bordering neighbouring countries. SBI, in collaboration with the Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI), will provide banking services, including forex, insurance and digital banking, at 26 land ports. The Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI) currently operates 15 land ports in 8 border states adjoining Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Myanmar.

Apart from this, 11 more ports have been approved in various states including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Mizoram, Uttarakhand and West Bengal. These land ports are handling trade worth Rs 70,952 crore and the total passenger traffic through these transit points was 30.46 lakh by 2023-24. In a decade, the ports witnessed a 15-fold increase in trade and 18-fold increase in passenger traffic

Under this agreement, SBI will provide foreign exchange transactions, insurance and digital banking services to both individuals and businesses. The agreement is part of a plan to expand the trade from Rs 80,000 crore to Rs 2 lakh crore by 2030.

• MoU signed between India and Denmark to enhance cooperation in the energy sector - India and Denmark have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to enhance cooperation in the energy sector. Its aim is to completely eliminate carbon emissions by  2070. The agreement aims to promote knowledge exchange and technical cooperation between the two countries, especially in the area of ​​clean and sustainable energy solutions. This agreement follows five years of successful cooperation under the original MoU signed on June 5, 2020, and was scheduled to expire on June 5, 2025.

• Agreement on hydropower projects between Adani Group and Druk Green Power Corporation – On May 8, 2025, Adani Group and Bhutan's state-owned Druk Green Power Corporation (DGPC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly develop  5,000 MW of hydropower and pumped storage projects in Bhutan. This agreement will promote clean energy cooperation between the two countries. The agreement is also in line with Bhutan's 2040 renewable energy roadmap. The agreement is based on the already operational 570/900 MW Wangchu Hydropower Project, in which DGPC has a 51 per cent stake and Adani a 49 per cent stake.

• India's First Mortgage Backed Pass-Through Certificate - Shri M. Nagaraju, Secretary, Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, listed India's first Mortgage Backed Pass-Through Certificate (PTC)  structured by RMBS Development Company Limited on the National Stock Exchange on May 5, 2025. The listing ceremony was held in Mumbai by ringing the bell of Mr. M. Nagaraju. The fully subscribed PTC of ₹1,000 crore is backed by a pool of housing loans originated by LIC Housing Finance Limited. A total of 1,00,000 certificates with face value ₹1,00,000 were issued.

This is the first issue of PTC where the coupon was found on the "Electronic Book Provider (EBP)" platform of the National Stock Exchange. The final maturity of this PTC issuance will be approximately twenty years and the coupon is 7.26 percent per annum. The instrument is rated AAA(SO) by CRISIL and CARE Ratings. These PTCs are issued in demat form and are transferable. Since PTC is listed on the stock exchange, they can be traded in the secondary market.

• India's first sovereign large language model - The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has selected  Bengaluru-based AI startup Sarvam to build India's first sovereign large language model . This is an important step towards strengthening India's AI capabilities. The initiative aims to create an indigenous AI model capable of reasoning, voice interaction and fluency in multiple Indian languages, thereby ensuring secure and scalable applications for citizens, enterprises and the government.

• Agreement between Power Grid Corporation of India Limited and Nepal Electricity Authority - An agreement has been reached between Power Grid Corporation of India Limited and Nepal Electricity Authority to establish two joint venture companies between the two countries: one in Nepal and one in India. These companies will develop high-capacity cross-border power transmission infrastructure.

The agreement outlines the construction of two major 400 kV double-circuit transmission lines – from Inaruwa in Nepal to New Purnia in India and from Dododhara in Nepal to Bareilly in India. This Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in Kathmandu, Nepal. The objective of this agreement is to enhance power exchange capabilities between India and Nepal.

• MoU with 8 leading organizations to promote Digital India initiative – To further the Digital India mission, National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with eight visionary organizations at Electronics Niketan, New Delhi.

The organisations with which NIELIT has signed MoUs are Semi-Conductor Laboratory (SCL), ERNET India, National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE), Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Skyroot Aerospace, Institute of Financial Management & Research (IFMR) and Kyndrill India. These partnerships are designed to enhance education, skills, research and innovation in the field of electronics and information technology.

• Bangladesh joins NASA's Artemis Accords - Bangladesh has become the second South Asian country after India and  the 54th country in the world to sign the Artemis Accords of the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). India  signed the Artemis Accords on 21  June 2023 and was the 27th country  in the world to join the agreement  .   

Artemis is a NASA-led collaborative effort to conduct research and exploration on the Moon, establish human settlements on the Moon, and explore Mars and beyond. NASA established the Artemis Accords on October 13, 2020, in coordination with the United States Government's Department of State. The seven founding countries of the Artemis Accords were Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States.  

• MoU for setting up Indian Institute of Creative Technology in Mumbai – The Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Maharashtra and Maharashtra Film, Stage and Cultural Development Corporation Limited for setting up Indian Institute of Creative Technology (IICT) in  Mumbai. The Indian Institute of Creative Technology (IICT) is a world-class institute dedicated to animation, visual effects, gaming, comics and extended reality (AVGC-XR).

The Indian Institute of Creative Technology (IICT) will be located at  the Dadasaheb Phalke Film City, Goregaon. The Indian Institute of Creative Technology (IICT) is set up as a not-for-profit Section 8 company with a total government equity participation of 48% , comprising 34% from the Government of India and  14%  from the Government of Maharashtra ( through MFSCDCL). The remaining 52% stake is held by leading industry bodies, with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) each holding 26%.     

• Manufacturing Contract between Airbus and Mahindra Aerostructures – Civil Aviation Minister Shri Ram Mohan Naidu presided over the signing ceremony for the H130 Helicopter Fuselage Manufacturing Contract between Airbus and Mahindra Aerostructures Private Limited. Mahindra & Mahindra's unit Mahindra Aerostructures has received an order from Airbus Helicopters to manufacture the fuselage for its H130 light single-engine helicopter. 

Under the agreement between the two, Mahindra Aerostructures will manufacture and assemble the main fuselage of the H130 at its plant in India, which will then be shipped to Airbus Helicopters' plant in Europe. The H130 is an intermediate single-engine helicopter designed for passenger transport, tourism, and private and business aviation, as well as medical airlift and surveillance missions.

• Agreement between Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and Sarvam AI -  Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has partnered with  Bengaluru-based GenAI startup, Sarvam AI to enable voice and fraud detection in Aadhaar services.

• MoU to launch 'Sansad Bhashini' - A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Lok Sabha Secretariat and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in the presence of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw to launch “Sansad Bhashini” for AI-powered multilingual parliamentary operations.Sansad Bhashini aims to provide a comprehensive in-house AI solution to facilitate multilingual transactions and streamline the processes involved in the conduct of Parliamentary work.

• Coal Ministry signs agreement for two more commercial coal mines - The Ministry of Coal has signed Coal Mine Development and Production Agreements (CMDPAs) with the successful bidders for two coal mines – Marvatola-II and Namchik West – under the 11th round of commercial coal mining auction. One of these mines is Marvatola-II, acquired by Singhal Business Private Limited, and the other is Namchik West, acquired by PRA Nuravi Coal Mining Private Limited. These agreements are a significant initiative to promote India's self-reliance in the energy sector and strengthen economic growth. Of these two coal mines, one has been fully explored and the other has been partially explored. 

The combined maximum capacity of these two mines is 0.34 million tonnes per annum and they are expected to generate an estimated annual revenue of Rs 106.14 crore. A capital investment of about Rs 55 crore will be required to operationalise these mines. With these agreements, the total number of mines auctioned under the commercial coal mining framework has reached 120.

• Contract between Ministry of Defence and Bharat Electronics Limited – Ministry of Defence signed a contract worth Rs 2,385.36 crore with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Bengaluru. This contract falls under the “Buy (Indian - IDDM)” category, which aims to promote indigenous defence technology. Under this contract, BEL will manufacture Electronic Warfare (EW) suites for the Mi-17V5 helicopters of the Indian Air Force.

 

 

 

Book author

• Ramanujan: Journey of a Great Mathematician – Arun Singhal and Devendra Kumar Sharma.

• I Like Challenges – Vinay Joshi, Ashok Desai and Pankaj Jani (The book is based on the life of Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel. It was released by Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar in Lucknow.)

 

 

Year/Day/Week

• May 1 – International Workers' Day/Labour Day

• May 3 – World Press Freedom Day. The theme for the year 2025 is – “Reporting in the Brave New World-The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Press Freedom and the

 Media)

• May 8 – World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day (2025 theme – “Keeping Humanity Alive”).

• May 11 – National Technology Day ( Theme for 2025 – “Yantar – A Yuga for Advancing New Technology, Research and Acceleration”).

• May 15 – International Day of Families (2025 theme is “Family-oriented policies for sustainable development: towards the Second World Summit for Social Development”).

• May 17 – World Telecommunication Day (2025 theme “Why gender equality matters in digital transformation”)

• May 21 – Anti-Terrorism Day

• 24 May – Commonwealth Day

• 30 May – Hindi Journalism Day

• May 31 – World No Tobacco Day (2025 theme “Exposing the Appeal: Exposing Industry Tactics on Tobacco and Nicotine Products”).

 

 

Game 

Cricket

• Sri Lanka Women's Tri-Nation Series, 2025 – The Sri Lanka Women's Tri-Nation Series, 2025 was a cricket series that took place in  Sri Lanka in April and May 2025. It was a tri-nation series involving the Indian, South African and  Sri Lankan cricket teams, with matches played in the One Day International (ODI) format. This was the first women's triangular international series hosted by Sri Lanka. All matches were played in a double round-robin format at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

India defeated Sri Lanka by 97 runs in the final to win the series. India's vice-captain Smriti Mandhana scored 116 runs in the final and was declared the player of the match. Indian bowler Sneh Rana was named "Player of the Series". In the final, India's Kranti Goud made her international ODI debut. In this ODI tournament, India's Smriti Mandhana scored the highest 264 runs. India's Sneh Rana took the maximum 15 wickets. The captain of the Indian women's cricket team was Harmanpreet Kaur .

• Wisden Cricketers' Almanack 2025 – In April 2025, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack announced the winners of the Wisden Cricketer of the Year 2024 awards. The awardees have been selected on the basis of their performance for the year 2024.

India's Jasprit Bumrah has been named the world's leading cricketer (male). India's Smriti Mandhana has been named the world's leading cricketer (women). West Indies wicketkeeper Nicholas Pooran has been selected as the world's leading T20 cricketer .

The Wisden Trophy was awarded to Mitchell Santner of New Zealand.

The five Wisden Cricketers of the Year are Gus Atkinson, Jamie Smith, Dan Worrall, Liam Dawson and Sophie Ecclestone . Smriti Mandhana was previously named the world's leading woman cricketer in 2018, while Jasprit Bumrah has been nominated for the first time. Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, commonly known as Wisden , is an annual cricket magazine published in Britain . It is the world's most prestigious sports magazine and is considered the Bible of Cricket.

The awards began in 1889 with the naming of the "Six Greatest Bowlers of the Year". 

• First Indian to score 13,000 runs in T20 cricket - Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and India batsman Virat Kohli has become the first Indian batsman to score 13,000 runs in T20 cricket. He achieved this feat during the IPL 2025 match against Mumbai Indians. Before Kohli, only Chris Gayle, Alex Hales, Shoaib Malik, and Kieron Pollard have scored 13,000 runs in T20Is. Virat Kohli is the fifth batsman in the world to do so. Kohli is the second fastest batsman to achieve this feat. Kohli reached 13,000 runs in his 386th T20 innings. He is followed by West Indies batsman Chris Gayle, who reached 13,000 runs in 381 innings.

• BCCI releases men's cricketers' contract list for 2024-25 season - BCCI has released the men's cricketers' contract list for the 2024-25 season, with 34 players divided into four grades (A+, A, B, and C).

The A+ grade includes Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and Ravindra Jadeja.

A Grade : Mohammed Siraj, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya, Mohammed Shami, Rishabh Pant.

B Grade : Suryakumar Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Akshar Patel, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer.

C Grade : Rinku Singh, Tilak Verma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dubey, Ravi Bishnoi, Washington Sundar, Mukesh Kumar, Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Rajat Patidar, Dhruv Jurel, Sarfaraz Khan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Abhishek Sharma, Akash Deep, Varun Chakravarthy, Harshit Rana.

Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan were left out of the list last year but this time they have been included in the B and C grades respectively.

Rishabh Pant has been promoted to A grade after the retirement of Ravichandran Ashwin.

Grade A+ players will receive an annual remuneration of Rs 7 crore, Grade A players will receive Rs 5 crore, Grade B players will receive Rs 3 crore, and Grade C players will receive Rs 1 crore.

 

 

Football

• FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2025 - The 2025 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup was held in Victoria, Mahé Island, Seychelles , from May 1 to 11, 2025. Each match was played at the Paradise Arena. Sixteen teams (from six associations) participated. Brazil won the title after defeating Belarus 4–3  in the final. Portugal defeated Senegal to finish third.

The major awards given are:

Adidas Golden Ball – Rodrigo (Brazil)

Adidas Silver Ball – Ihar Bristol (Belarus)

Adidas Bronze Ball – Bey Martins (Portugal)

• AFC Champions League Elite Final, 2025 – The AFC Champions League Elite Final, 2025 was the 43rd season of Asia's premier club football tournament, organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). It was played on 3 May 2025 at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah  , Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal won the title after defeating Kawasaki Frontale of Japan 2–0 in the final.

• All India Football Federation (AIFF) Awards, 2025 – On May 2, 2025, the award ceremony of All India Football Federation (AIFF) Awards, 2024-25 was held in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

Subhashish Bose wasnamed the best male player of the year.

Soumya Guguloth received the Best Women's Player of the Year award.

Khalid Jameel was awarded the Best Male Coach and Sujata Kar wasawarded the Best Female Coach.

Vishal Kaith and Elangbam Panthoi Chanu were adjudged  the best goalkeepers in the men's and women's categories respectively

Rising stars Bryson Fernandes and Toijam Thoibisana Chanu received the Most Promising Player of the Year awards.

Kalinga Super Cup 2025 - The Kalinga Super Cup 2025 was held in Bhubaneswar , Odisha , from April 20 to May 3. FC Goa won the tournament by defeating Jamshedpur FC 3–0.

• Copa del Rey, 2024–25 – The football competition Copa del Rey, 2024–25 is held in Spain. The Copa del Rey is an annual knockout football competition in Spanish football. Barcelona won the title after defeating Real Madrid 3–2 in the final .

• English Premier League, 2024–25 – The 2024–25 Premier League was the 33rd season of the Premier League and  the 126th season of  top-tier English football overall. Liverpool won the English Premier League, 2024–25 title.

 

 

Hockey 

• Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh Memorial Hockey Tournament, 2025 – The sixth edition of the Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh Memorial Hockey Tournament was held from 29 April to 6 May 2025 at the Raghbir Singh Bhola Hockey Stadium,  Air Force, Chandigarh. Twelve teams participated in the competition, including Air Force hockey teams from two other countries. The final was played between Indian Railways and Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala. Indian Railways won the match by 2 goals (3-1 in tie-breaker). Atuldeep and Amritpal Singh were declared Man of the Match and Player of the Tournament respectively. 

 

 

Lawn Tennis

• BMW Open 2025 – The BMW Open 2025 was a men's tennis tournament held in  Munich, Germany.

Men's Singles Winner - Alexander Zverev (Germany). Men's Singles Runner-up - Ben Shelton (United States)

Men's Doubles Winners: Andre Göransson (Sweden) and Sem Verbeek (Netherlands). Men's Doubles Runners-up: Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz (both Germany)

• Barcelona Open, 2025 – The Barcelona Open, 2025 was a men's tennis tournament  played in Barcelona , ​​Spain.  

Men's Singles Winner - Holger Rune (Denmark). Men's Singles Runner-up - Carlos Alcaraz (Spain).

Men's Doubles winners: Sander Arends (Netherlands) and Luke Johnson (Britain). Men's Doubles runners-up: Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski (both Britain).

•Charleston Open, 2025- The Charleston Open, 2025 was a professional women's tennis tournament played onDaniel Island in Charleston, South Carolina in  the United States .

Women's Singles winner - Jessica Pegula (United States). Women's Singles runner-up - Sofia Kenin (United States)

Women's doubles winners: Jelena Ostapenko (Latvia) and Erin Ratliffe (New Zealand). Women's doubles runners-up: Caroline Dolehide and Desirée Krawczyk (both United States).

• ITF Asia 14 & Under Development Championships, 2025 – India secured the second position in the ITF Asia 14 & Under Development Championships, 2025 held at the R.K. Khanna Tennis Stadium in New Delhi. South Korea remained at the top of the points table. The highlight of India's campaign was the brilliant performance of Gujarat's Jency, who remained undefeated in the tough competition that lasted for two weeks. Jensi won the Week 2 singles title with a thrilling 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 final victory over Tsai-Jung Chiang of Chinese Taipei.

 

 

Badminton

• State Denmark Challenge, 2025 – Badminton competition State Denmark Challenge, 2025 was held in Kampala (Uganda) from May 8-11, 2025.

Men's Singles Winner – Arnaud Merkle (France). Runner-up – Ting Yen-chen (Taiwan).

Women's Singles Winner - Tanvi Sharma (India). Runner-up - Nikdech Dhinda Amartya Pratiwi (Indonesia).

• Yonex Taipei Open, 2025 – Badminton tournament Yonex Taipei Open, 2025 held in Taipei (Taiwan) from May 6–11, 2025.

Men's Singles Winner – Loh Kean Yeow (Singapore). Runner-up – Chou Tien Chen (Taiwan). 

 Women's Singles winner - Tomoka Miyazaki (Japan). Runner-up - Pichamon Optaniput (Thailand).

• BWF Sudirman Cup, 2025- The BWF Sudirman Cup 2025 was held in  Xiamen , China from April 27 to May 4. The tournament featured 16 badminton teams from around the world.

China won their fourth consecutive title, defeating South Korea 3–1 in the final.

 

 

chess

• Grenke Chess Freestyle Open 2025 - The Grenke Chess Freestyle Open 2025  was held in Karlsruhe , Germany . The tournament was won by Norwegian Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen , who produced an excellent performance, winning 9 out of 9 games.

• 5th Stage of the Women's FIDE Grand Prix Series 2024-2025 – The 5th Stage of the Women's FIDE Grand Prix Series 2024-2025 was held in  Pune , India. Indian Grandmaster Koneru Humpy defeated International Master Nurgyul Salimova of Bulgaria to win the Pune FIDE Women's Grand Prix title.

• 44th National Open Team Chess Championship and 22nd National Women's Team Chess Championship, 2025 - The 44th National Open Team Chess Championship and 22nd National Women's Team Chess Championship, 2025 was held in Ahmedabad (Gujarat). The Railway Sports Promotion Board B (RSPB-B) team won the 44th National Open Team Chess Championship . The Airports Authority of India (AAI) team finished second. 

 

 

boxing

•1st Asian Under-15 and Under-17 Boxing Championships, 2025 - 1st Asian Under-15 and Under-17 Boxing Championships, 2025 to be held in Amman (Jordan). The young Indian boxing contingent finished third in the medal tally at the first Asian Under-15 and Under-17 Boxing Championships, 2025, winning a total of 43 medals (15 gold, 6 silver and 22 bronze). Indian boxers topped the Under-15 Championships with 11 gold medals. Out of the 11 gold medals won by India, 10 were won by Indian girls.

In the Under-15 Championships, the Indian contingent won a total of 25 medals (11 gold, 3 silver and 11 bronze). In the Under-17 Championship, the Indian contingent won 18 medals (4 gold, 3 silver and 11 bronze).

Kazakhstan topped the medal table ,a total of 44 medals (16 gold, 15 silver and 13 bronze). Uzbekistan finished second in the medal table, winning 42 medals (15 gold, 15 silver and 12 bronze).

• World Boxing Cup Brazil, 2025 – World Boxing Cup Brazil, 2025 held in Foz do Iguaçu , Brazil. The competition was in both men's and women's categories, but India participated only in the men's category. The Indian contingent at the World Boxing Cup Brazil, 2025 won a total of 6 medals , including 1 gold, 1 silver and 4 bronze medals.

Hitesh Gulia of India won the gold medal in the men's 70 kg weight category. He has become the first Indian boxer to win gold in the World Boxing Cup. His opponent in the final, Odell Kamara (England), was unable to enter the ring due to injury, giving Hitesh a walkover. Apart from this, he has also become the first Indian boxer to reach the final of this tournament.

India's Abhinash Jamwal won the silver medal in the 65 kg category. Four Indian boxers – Jadumani Singh Mandengbam (50kg), Manish Rathore (55kg), Sachin (60kg) and Vishal (90kg) – won bronze medals.

 

Billiards/Snooker/Squash

• NSCI Bowline 4.0 All India Snooker Tournament, 2025 – NSCI Bowline 4.0 All India Snooker Tournament 2025  was held in  Mumbai, Maharashtra. In the final, Ishpreet Singh Chadha defeated Pankaj Advani 10–7.

• CCI Billiards Classic, 2025 – The tournament was held at the Cricket Club of India (CCI),  Mumbai. Pankaj Advani won the CCI Billiards Classic 2025 for the third consecutive time, defeating Dhruv Sitwala 5-2 in the final. 

• World Snooker Championship, 2025 Final – The World Snooker Championship, 2025 Final was held at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. China 's Zhao Xintong won the title, defeating three-time winner Mark Williams 18–12 in the World Championship final.

• IBSF World Billiards Championship, 2025 – The IBSF World Billiards Championship, 2025 was held at the SBI Academy in Carlow, Ireland. Indian billiards player Sourav Kothari won the title, defeating Pankaj Advani in the final. Kothari became the champion by defeating Advani 725-480 points. With this win, Kothari has now become the third Indian to win the IBSF and WBL World Billiards titles. It is noteworthy that 35 years ago, Sourav Kothari's father and billiards legend Manoj Kothari had won this title in Bangalore in the year 1990.

 

 

Golf

Black Desert Championship, 2025 - The 2025 Black Desert Championship golf tournament was held in Ivins, United States between May 1–4, 2025.

South Korean golfer Heron Ryu won the title of this golf tournament.

Kapil Dev-Grant Thornton Invitational, 2025 - The Kapil Dev-Grant Thornton Invitational, 2025 is a golf tournamentheld in  Bengaluru (Karnataka).

Indian golfer Angad Cheema won the title of this tournament.

India's Khalin Joshi finished second, while Abhinav Lohan, also from India, took third place.

Pranavi Urs wasrecognised as the Best Female Professional and was presented with the Purple Jacket by Malcolm Gomersall, CEO of Grant Thornton UK.

• Chevron Championship, 2025 – The golf tournament Chevron Championship, 2025 was held in Texas , United States. Japanese golfer Mao Saigo won the title of this golf tournament.

• RBC Heritage, 2025 – Golf tournament RBC Heritage, 2025 was held in South Carolina (USA). The title of this golf tournament was won by American golfer Justin Thomas .

• PGTI Players Championship, 2025- PGTI Players Championship, 2025 was held in Gurugram , Haryana. Indian golfer Viraj Madappa won the title. Trishul Chinnappa of India finished second.

 

 

Formula One

Miami Grand Prix 2025 - The Miami Grand Prix 2025 was a Formula One motor race heldon May 4, 2025, at the Miami International Autodrome in Miami Gardens, Florida. The title of this Formula One car race was won by McLaren-Mercedes driver Oscar Jack Piastri (Australia).

• Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2025 - The 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held in  Jeddah , Saudi Arabia . It was the fifth round of the 2025 Formula One World Championship. The title of this Formula One car race was won by McLaren-Mercedes driver Oscar Piastri (Australia).

• Japanese Grand Prix, 2025 – The third car race of the Formula One World Championship, the Japanese Grand Prix, 2025, took place at the Suzuka Circuit, Japan. The title of this car race has been won by Honda RBPT driver Max Verstappen (Netherlands).

 

 

Athletics

• World Athletics Relays 2025 – The World Athletics Relays 2025 will be held on May 10 and 11, 2025 at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium in Guangzhou, China. It was the 7th edition of the World Athletics Relays and the first time the event was held in China. More than 734 athletes from 43 countries participated in the event.The competition was a qualifying event for the World Athletics Championships to be held in Tokyo in September 2025.

This edition saw the inclusion of a mixed 4 × 100 metres relay event for the first time.

In the men's 4 × 100 metres relay, the gold medal was won by South Africa, the silver medal by the United States and the bronze medal by Canada.

The women's 4 × 100 metres relay went to the United Kingdom for gold, Spain for silver and Jamaica for bronze.

In the men's 4 × 400 metres relay, South Africa won the gold medal, Belgium won the silver medal and Botswana won the bronze medal.

In the women's 4 × 400 metres relay, the gold medal was won by Spain, the silver medal by the United States and the bronze medal by South Africa.

In the mixed 4 × 100 metres relay, Canada won the gold medal, Jamaica won the silver medal and the United Kingdom won the bronze medal.

In the mixed 4 × 400 metres relay, the gold medal was won by the United States, the silver medal by Australia and the bronze medal by Kenya.

• Asian Under-18 Athletics Championships, 2025 – Asian Under-18 Athletics Championships 2025 held in Dammam ,  Saudi Arabia. At the Asian Under-18 Athletics Championships 2025, India won 11 medals, including 1 gold, 5 silver and 5 bronze medals. 

Himanshu Jakhar won the gold medal in the men's javelin throw, India's first at the Asian Under-18 Championships. He achieved this feat with a throw of 67.57 metres. 

Nischay won silver in shot put and bronze in discus throw.

Aarti won bronze medals in 100m and 200m races

Devak Bhushan won  the silver medal in men's high jump

Chiranth P, Syed Sabir, Saketh Minj and Qadir Khan won the silver medal in the boys' medley relay race. 

With a total of 11 medals at the championship , India finished   8th in the medal tally.

China topped the medal table by winning a total of 36 medals including 19 gold, 12 silver and 5 bronze.

Uzbekistan finished second in the medal table, winning a total of 12 medals, including 3 gold, 5 silver and 4 bronze.

•New National Record in 4x100m Relay Race - The new national record in 4x100m relay race is 38.69 seconds, which was set by the team of Gurindervir Singh, Animesh Kujur, Manikant Hoblidhar and Amlan Borgohain at the National Relay Carnival 2025 held in Chandigarh. The team broke the previous record of 38.89 seconds set at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

• London Marathon, 2025 – The London Marathon, 2025 was the 45th running of the London Marathon. The winner in  the elite men's category was Sebastian Sawe (Kenya), who completed the race to Buckingham Palace in 2:02:25.

The winner in  the elite women's category was Tigst Assefa (Ethiopia), who finished the race in 2:15:50, a new marathon record for women only.

The wheelchair races were both won by Swiss athletes, with Marcel Hug winning his seventh title and Catherine Debrunner winning for the third time.

This 45th edition of the London Marathon saw 56,640 finishers cross the finishing line on The Mall, breaking the record of 55,646 finishers at the TCS New York Marathon 2024, the latest Guinness World Record for the largest number of finishers in a single marathon. 

• TCS World 10K Bengaluru, 2025 – TCS World 10K Bengaluru, 2025 was held in  Bengaluru, Karnataka. This was the 17th edition, with over 35,000 runners participating. International Elite category winners : Men : Joshua Cheptegei (Uganda). Women : Sarah Chelangat (Uganda). Indian Elite category winners : Men : Abhishek Pal . Women : Sanjivani Jadhav.

• Vienna City Marathon, 2025- Vienna City Marathon, 2025 was held in Vienna, Austria.

The winner of the men's elite category was Haftamu Abadi of Ethiopia (2:08:28 seconds).

The women's elite category winner was Betty Chepkemoi   of Kenya (2:24:14 seconds).

Haftamu Abadi (Ethiopia) has become the youngest winner in the history of the Vienna Marathon.

 

 

Shooting 

• ISSF World Cup (Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun), 2025 – ISSF World Cup (Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun), 2025 to be held in   Lima, Peru. In this, Indian shooters won 7 medals (two gold, four silver, one bronze). India finished  third in the medal tally after China and the United States. China topped the medal table with 13 medals (four gold, three silver and six bronze). India sent a 42-member contingent to the Lima World Cup, the second largest after China's 46-member team.

gold medalist:

Suruchi Singh - Won gold medal in the women's 10m air pistol event. 

Saurabh Chaudhary/Suruchi Singh – Won gold in the 10m air pistol mixed team event

Silver Medal Winner:

Manu Bhaker – Women's 10m Air Pistol

Arjun Babuta - Men's 10m Air Rifle event 

Simranpreet Kaur Brar - Women's 25m Pistol event

Rudrank Patil/Arya Borse - 10m air rifle mixed team event 

Bronze Medalist:

Saurabh Chaudhary won  the bronze medal in the men's 10m air pistol event

 

 

Archery

• Hyundai Archery World Cup, 2025 (2nd Stage) – The 2nd Stage of the Hyundai Archery World Cup, 2025  was held in  Shanghai , China from 6 to 11 May. In this stage, Indian archers won  a total of 7 medals including 2 gold, 1 silver and 4 bronze. India finished second in the medal tally behind South Korea. South Korea also won seven medals but topped the medal tableas it won five gold medals while India won two.

India's Dhura Dhamangaonkar won the gold medal in the women's individual compound event .

Ojas Devtale, Abhishek Verma and Rishabh Yadav won the gold medal in the men's team compound event.

Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Madhura Dhamangaonkar, and Chikitha Taniparthi won the silver medal in the women's team compound event

Indian bronze medallists - Deepika Kumari (Women's Individual Recurve), Parth Salunkhe (Men's Individual Recurve),  Madhura Dhamangaonkar and Abhishek Verma (Mixed Team Compound).

 

 

Kabaddi 

• Youth All Stars Championship, 2025 - The 2025 Youth All Stars Championship, a kabaddi competition, was held at the Vandana Kataria Indoor Stadium in Haridwar , Uttarakhand . This was the first edition of the tournament. A total of 12 teams participated in this Kabaddi tournament, with 112 matches played.

Jaipur Pink Cubs, the junior team of Jaipur Pink Panthers, won the title by defeating UP Falcons in the final.

Star Raider of the Tournament was selected as Shivam Chaudhary (UP Falcons).

Star Defender of the Tournament was Sandeep Saini (Chandigarh Chargers).

 

 

Sports Miscellaneous

• Special Olympics World Winter Games 2025 - The 2025 Special Olympics World Winter Games were the 12th Special Olympics World Winter Games. They   were held in  Turin, Piedmont,  Italy. This was the first time Italy hosted the Special Olympics World Games. The Indian contingent won a total of 33 medals (8 gold, 18 silver and 7 bronze) at the Special Olympics World Winter Games, 2025. The next Special Olympics World Winter Games will be held in Switzerland in March 2029. Players with intellectual disabilities participate in it. 

• Potchefstroom Invitational Tournament, 2025 – Potchefstroom Invitational Tournament, 2025 was held in South Africa. Neeraj Chopra (India) won the gold medal in the men's javelin throw event with a throw of 84.52 metres. In this tournament, Neeraj defeated his nearest rival, Dou Smit of South Africa, who threw 82.44 metres. Neeraj won the silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics with a throw of 89.45m, while Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem won the gold medal with a new Olympic record of 92.97m.

• 2nd Asian Yogasana Sports Championship, 2025- 2nd Asian Yogasana Sports Championship, 2025 was held at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, New Delhi. More than 21 countries participated in this championship including Japan, Mongolia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan and others. “Sinvha” was the official mascot of the 2nd Asian Yogasana Sports Championship. India topped the medal table with a record 83 gold medals . India  won a total of 87 medals, including 83 gold, three silver, and one bronze . Japan finished second in the medal table, winning 3 gold, 3 silver and 4 bronze. Mongolia won 1 gold, 11 silver, 6 bronze andfinished third in the medal table.

• Khelo India Multipurpose Hall inaugurated in Arunachal Pradesh – To boost sports infrastructure in the Northeast, Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurated the Khelo India Multipurpose Hall in Kamle district of Arunachal Pradesh on May 3, 2025. The hall will feature a range of indoor sports including boxing, badminton, judo, wushu, karate, taekwondo, weightlifting, table tennis and volleyball. Fully funded by the Central Government, the construction cost of this Khelo India Multipurpose Hall is Rs 8 crore.

• India's only international level ice skating rink - On May 5, 2025, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurated the renovation work of the country's only international level ice skating rink at Maharana Pratap Sports College, Raipur (Dehradun). Built in the year 2011, this ice skating rink hosted the South-East Asian Winter Games, in which players from countries like Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka participated along with India.

• IIHF Women's World Championship, 2025 - The IIHF Women's World Championship, 2025 is an international ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) , held at the Budvar Arena in České Budějovice, Czech Republic. It was the 24th edition of the IIHF Women's World Championship. The United States won the title, defeating Canada 4–3 in the final.

 

 

                                                                                                           Important facts for upcoming exams

• Simlipal National Park of Odisha has become the 107th national park of India. 

•The World Health Organization (WHO) recognized Kozhikode city of Kerala as an age-friendly city.

• Operation Sindoor  is the codename of a military air operation conducted by the Indian Armed Forces in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on the night of 6–7 May 2025 . 

• Babuji Vanam, the world's first energy transmission garden , was inaugurated at Kanha Shanti Vanam near Hyderabad (Telangana).

•India has become the first country in the world to develop genome-enhanced rice varieties.

•On 22 April 2025, 26 tourists were killed in a terrorist attack at Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir.   

•Andhra Pradesh's upcoming capital Amaravati will be the world's first capital city to run entirely on renewable energy.

•UNESCO has included  the Bhagavad Gita and Bharata Muni's Natyashastra in the "Memory of the World" register.

• The country's first Gallium Nitride (GaN) based semiconductor plant is being set up in Naya Raipur , Chhattisgarh .

• Mumbai International Cruise Terminal (MICT) is the largest cruise terminal in India.

• India's first PPP (Public-Private Partnership) model based green waste processing plant will be set up in Indore , Madhya Pradesh .

•The Haryana government has declared  two Harappan sites,  Mitathal and Tighrana  , as protected archaeological sites.

• Haryana has become the first state in the country to provide reservation and jobs to fire fighters in police recruitment .

• Delhi has become the 35th state/union territory in the country to implement Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana .

•The Central Government has decided to celebrate Ayurveda Day every year on 23rd September.

•India's first Artificial Intelligence (AI) based data centre park will be set up in Nava Raipur , Chhattisgarh .

•The Maharashtra government has purchased Raghuji Bhosale's famous 'Raghuji Talwar' at an auction in London.

•India's first inter-state cheetah corridor is being built between   Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan .

•India's first AI enabled gold melting machine (Gold ATM) has been launched by fintech company GoldCoin in Hyderabad (Telangana).

•An exhibition of the sacred relics of Lord Buddha kept in Sarnath will be organised in Vietnam .

•'Ayodhya Parv 2025' was organised in  New Delhi .

• Tsinghua University (China) has been ranked  first in the 'Asia University Rankings, 2025' released by the UK magazine 'Times Higher Education' .

• Tabletop Exercise 2025 was held in  Honolulu, Hawaii by the Quad countries (India, Australia, Japan and the United States) to promote humanitarian logistics in the Indo-Pacific region .

•International Maritime Security Exhibition (IMDEX) Asia, 2025 was held in Singapore .

•On May 3, 2025, Angola became the 123rd member country of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) .

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the five largest military spenders in the world in 2024 were: (1) United States (2) China   (3) Russia (4) Germany   (5) India

•The first meeting of the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) will be held on June 16, 2025 in New Delhi .

• Texas has become the third US state to formally recognize Holi after Georgia and New York .

• Hungary is the first European country to announce its withdrawal from the International Criminal Court.

•The 150th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), 2025 was held in Tashkent , Uzbekistan.

Burkina Faso is the most affected country by terrorism, according to the Global Terrorism Index 2025, released by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP). India is ranked 14th on this index .

•The 3rd BIMSTEC Agriculture Ministers' Meeting, 2025 was held in Kathmandu , Nepal.

• The largest reserves of rare earth metals have been discovered in Kazakhstan , a country in Central Asia .

•10th International Trade Fair, 2025 held at Bhrikutimandap , Nepal.

•32nd Arabian Travel Market, 2025  held at  Dubai World Trade Centre .

• In the Human Development Report 2025 released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the top countries are Iceland (0.972), Norway and Switzerland (0.970),   Denmark (0.962) respectively. The lowest ranked countries are South Sudan (193rd place) (0.388), Somalia , Central African Republic respectively . India is ranked  130th (0.685) among 193 countries .

•Approval given by the Ministry of Civil Aviation for development of Greenfield airports at  Kota (Rajasthan) and Puri (Odisha).

•The 58th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), 2025 was held in Milan , Italy .

•Indian Institute of Spices Research (IISR), Kozhikode (Kerala) has developed  a new light coloured variety of turmeric, IISR Surya .

•China's first gold ATM is installed in Shanghai .

•An agreement was reached between the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Bank of Mauritius on the use of local currencies for bilateral transactions.

•Union Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnav inaugurated India's first 3-nanometer (3nm) chip design centers in Noida and Bengaluru .

• Northeast India's first geothermal production well has been drilled at Dirang in West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh .

•Scientists at TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute) have developed  nano sulphur .

• Project Kuiper – Amazon successfully launched the first 27 Project Kuiper satellites aboard an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral, USA. Project Kuiper is a satellite-based broadband  internet initiative that aims to provide high-speed internet access to the entire world .      

• China has launched its first 10G broadband network in Sunan County, Hebei Province .

• Shenzhou-20  is China 's 20th manned space mission, which took off on a Long March-2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China.

• China successfully tested a magnesium hydride based non-nuclear hydrogen bomb .

•Bengaluru-based Indian startup company QpiAI  has launched a quantum computer with 25 superconducting qubits named   QpiAI-Indus .

•DRDO successfully test-fired long-range glide bomb 'Gaurav' from Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter aircraft.

• Security Belt 2025 was a joint naval exercise conducted by China, Iran, and Russia in the Gulf of Oman. The exercise took place near the Iranian port of Chabahar.

• Dr. Ajay Kumar was appointed Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

• Justice Bhushan Ramakrishna Gavai became the 52nd Chief Justice of India (CJI).

• Baijayant Panda appointed Chairman of the Public Undertakings Committee for the year 2025-26.

• Sanjay Jaiswal appointed Chairman of the Estimates Committee for 2025-26.

•Former Supreme Court judge Justice (Retd.) Dinesh Maheshwari has been appointed as the Chairman of the 23rd Law Commission of India.

• Justice Arun Palli has been appointed as the Chief Justice of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court.

•Indian cricketer Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket.

•Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma has announced his retirement from Test cricket.

• Vaibhav Suryavanshi became the youngest cricketer to score a century in IPL.

•Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has appointed  Indian-origin Anita Anand as Foreign Minister.

•Indian-origin Kamla Prasad Bissessar has become the new Prime Minister of the Caribbean country Trinidad and Tobago. 

• Friedrich Mertz was elected the new Chancellor of Germany. 

•The UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Award for the year 2025 was given to the Nicaraguan newspaper La Prensa .

•The 4th Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Award, 2025 was given to  Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman of Aditya Birla Group.

• Laureus World Sports Awards 2025 - World Sportsman of the Year - Mondo Duplantis (Sweden). World Sportswoman of the Year - Simone Biles (USA)

•Austrian hydrologist Günter Blöschl  has been nominated  for the Stockholm Water Prize 2025 .

•Pritzker Architecture Prize, 2025 awarded to Chinese architect Liu Jiakun .

•Maharashtra Bhushan Award, 2025 was given to senior sculptor Ram Sutar .

•Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar launched 'Dr. Ambedkar Samagra Seva Abhiyan' from the Convention Hall in Patna

•Africa India Major Maritime Interactions (AIKEYME), 2025 , a multinational naval exercise, was inaugurated in Dar-es-Salaam  (Tanzania).

• Aman 2025  is a multinational naval exercise hosted by Pakistan in Karachi.

•The 28th National Conference on e-Governance, 2025 will be held at Novotel , Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh .

•World Bank Land Conference, 2025 was held in Washington DC (USA).

•The 12th Global Space Exploration Conference, 2025 was held in New Delhi . Theme - "Reaching New Worlds: The Space Exploration Renaissance" .

•6th International Saiva Siddhanta Conference, 2025 was held in Chennai (Tamil Nadu). 

•11th BRICS Labour and Employment Ministers' Meeting, 2025 held in Brasilia (Brazil).

Save the Earth Summit 2025 held in New Delhi . Theme -  "Our Power, Our Planet" .

•A two-day international conference titled “Buddha, Dhamma and Culture of North-East India” concluded in Namsai , Arunachal Pradesh.

•15th Meeting of BRICS Agriculture Ministers, 2025 held in Brasilia (Brazil).

• Bangladesh has become the second South Asian country after India and the 54th country in the world to join NASA's Artemis Accords.

• The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has partnered with  Bengaluru-based GenAI startup, Sarvam AI (AI) to enable voice and fraud detection in Aadhaar services .

•Sri Lanka Women's Tri-Nation Cricket Series, 2025 India won the series by defeating Sri Lanka in the final. 

•FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2025 held in Seychelles. Brazil won the title after defeating Belarus in the final.

•The All India Football Federation (AIFF) Awards 2024-25 were held in Bhubaneswar , Odisha. Subhasish Bose was named the Men's Player of the Year. Soumya Guguloth was named the Women's Player of the Year.

•The first Asian Under-15 and Under-17 Boxing Championships, 2025, were held in Amman , Jordan. India won a total of 43 medals (15 gold, 6 silver, and 22 bronze) to finish third in the medal tally. Kazakhstan topped the medal tally with a total of 44 medals (16 gold, 15 silver, and 13 bronze) .

•World Snooker Championship, 2025 final held in England. Zhao Xintong of China won the title, defeating Mark Williams.

•The IBSF World Billiards Championship, 2025 was held at the SBI Academy in Carlow, Ireland. Indian billiards player Sourav Kothari won the title by defeating Pankaj Advani in the final. 

•Asian Under-18 Athletics Championships 2025 held in Dammam , Saudi Arabia. India won 11 medals (1 gold, 5 silver and 5 bronze). Indiafinished   8th in the medal tally. China topped the medal table with 36 medals (19 gold, 12 silver and 5 bronze). Sebastian Sawe (Kenya)  won the elite men's event at the 2025 London Marathon . Tigst Assefa (Ethiopia) won the elite women's event.

•ISSF World Cup (Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun), 2025 held in Lima , Peru. Indian shooters won seven medals (two gold, four silver, and one bronze). China topped the medal tally with 13 medals (four gold, three silver, and six bronze) . India finished  third in the medal tally behind China and the United States .

The Hyundai Archery World Cup 2025 (Stage 2) was held in Shanghai, China. Indian archers won a total of 7 medals (2 gold, 1 silver, and 4 bronze) at this stage.  India finished second in the medal tally, behind South Korea .

•The 2025 Special Olympics World Winter Games were held in Turin, Piedmont,  Italy  . The Indian contingent won a total of 33 medals (8 gold, 18 silver, and 7 bronze). The next Special Olympics World Winter Games will be held in Switzerland in 2029 .

• Khelo India Multipurpose Hall inaugurated in Kamle district of Arunachal Pradesh .

• The 2025 IIHF Women's World Championship is an international ice hockey tournament held at the Budvar Arena in České Budějovice, Czech Republic. The United States won the title, defeating Canada in the final.