🇮🇳 National News
Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan (MoA&FW) announced India’s first two genome-edited (GE) rice varieties — ‘DRR Dhan 100 Kamla’ and ‘Pusa DST Rice 1’ — at Bharat Ratna C. Subramaniam Auditorium, NASC, New Delhi.
- Technology – Developed by ICAR using CRISPR-Cas genome-editing, which makes precise changes to an organism’s genetic material without adding foreign DNA
- Base Varieties – Research began in 2018 on Samba Mahsuri (BPT5204) and Maruteru 1010 (MTU 1010) under the National Agricultural Science Fund (NASF)
Union Minister introduced a new formula — reducing rice cultivation area by 5 million hectares while increasing rice production by 10 million tons in the same area, freeing land for pulses and oilseeds cultivation.
DG: Dr. Mangi Lal Jat | HQ: New Delhi | Established: 1929
UK’s Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Lisa Nandy, visited India from 1–3 May 2025 and signed a Cultural Cooperation Agreement with Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat (MoC + MoT) at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), New Delhi.
- Enhance bilateral cultural exchanges through arts and heritage
- Protect South Asian manuscript knowledge
- Combat illicit trafficking of cultural artefacts
- Support heritage conservation, museum management, and digitisation of collections
Implementation partners: British Council in India, Arts Council England, British Library, British Museum, Natural History Museum, Science Museum Group, and V&A Museum. The pact also opens avenues for British museums to launch exhibition partnerships engaging the Indian diaspora in the UK.
PM: Keir Starmer | Capital: London | Currency: Pound Sterling (GBP). Lisa Nandy also held a bilateral meeting with EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar on the sidelines of WAVES 2025, Mumbai.
New Delhi-based The Dialogue and Belgium-based Grayspace Law and Policy Consulting officially launched STRIDE-EUI (Strategic Research, Innovation & Dialogue for EU-India Engagement) — headquartered in New Delhi and Brussels — to strengthen the EU-India strategic partnership.
- Focus – Thematic convenings, expert whitepapers, and collaborative programmes across technology, trade, and security
- Key Platform – Will especially engage with the India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC)
The Dialogue: Founding Director — Kazim Rizvi | HQ: New Delhi | Est.: 2017. Grayspace: Founder & MD — Sagar Singamsetty | HQ: Leuven, Belgium.
Rajasthan is set to join India’s first inter-state cheetah conservation corridor, collaborating with Madhya Pradesh (MP) to create a 17,000 sq km wildlife corridor spanning 27 districts (13 in Rajasthan, 12 in MP + 2 others).
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total Corridor Area | 17,000 sq km |
| Area in MP | 10,500 sq km |
| Area in Rajasthan | 6,500 sq km |
| Rajasthan Districts Included | Kota, Bundi, Baran, Jhalawar, Sawai Madhopur, Karauli, Chittorgarh |
| Key Protected Areas Linked | Palpur Kuno NP + Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary (MP) ↔ Mukundara Hills Tiger Reserve (Rajasthan) |
The NTCA and Wildlife Institute of India (WII) designated the Kuno-Gandhi Sagar landscape as a suitable cheetah habitat. Aims: improved genetic diversity, wildlife movement, and mitigation of habitat fragmentation.
MP CM: Mohan Yadav | Governor: Mangubhai C. Patel. Rajasthan CM: Bhajan Lal Sharma | Governor: Haribhau Bagade.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla appointed two BJP MPs to chair key parliamentary committees for FY26 (1 May 2025 – 30 April 2026):
| Committee | Chair | Composition | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| Committee on Estimates (CoE) | Dr. Sanjay Jaiswal | 30 members — all Lok Sabha | Examines budget estimates; recommends economies in public expenditure; suggests alternative policy for administrative efficiency |
| Committee on Public Undertakings (CoPU) | Baijayant ‘Jay’ Panda (Kendrapara, Odisha) — reappointed | 22 members (15 LS + 7 RS) | Evaluates reports/accounts of PSUs; assesses whether they are managed per sound business and commercial principles |
🌐 International News
The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) released its 2025 Special 301 Report, placing India on the ‘Priority Watch List’ for inadequate protection and enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR). India is described as one of the world’s most challenging major economies on IP.
Concerns highlighted: patent issues including potential revocations, and procedural/discretionary invocation of patentability criteria under the Indian Patents Act, 1970.
| List | Countries (Selected) |
|---|---|
| Priority Watch List | India, Argentina, Chile, China, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia, Venezuela (8 total) |
| Watch List | Brazil, Canada, Pakistan, Thailand, Turkey + 13 others (18 total) |
Head: Jamieson Lee Greer | HQ: Washington DC | Established: 1963
Anthony Norman Albanese (Labor Party) was re-elected as Australia’s PM — becoming the 1st Australian PM to win two consecutive 3-year terms in two decades. His Labor Party won 70 seats vs the conservative opposition’s 24 seats in the 150-seat House of Representatives.
Elected to Parliament: 1996 (Grayndler seat, Sydney); re-elected 9 times. Served as Deputy PM (2013–18) and Leader of Opposition (2019–22). Became 31st PM of Australia in May 2022 — first Labor PM since 2013.
Capital: Canberra | Currency: Australian Dollar (AUD)
On 4 May 2025, Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) appointed Finance Minister Salem Saleh Bin Braik as the new PM of Yemen, replacing Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak who resigned on 3 May 2025 after being unable to reshuffle the government.
His career spans customs, audit, and finance: DG Customs (al-Tuwal/Haradh, 2005), DG Hodeidah Port, DG Aden Free Zone Customs, Head of Customs Authority (2014–18), member of Yemen’s Supreme Economic Committee (2019), and Finance Minister from 2019.
Capital: Sanaa | Currency: Yemeni Rial (YER)
South Korea’s Acting President and PM Han Duck-soo resigned to contest the presidential election scheduled for 3 June 2025. The election follows the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol in December 2024 over his controversial martial law declaration.
After Han Duck-soo’s resignation, Education Minister Lee Ju-ho assumed the role of acting president — marking the 4th leadership change in South Korea since December 2024.
Han Duck-soo served as PM twice — under President Roh Moo-hyun (2007–08) and President Yoon Suk Yeol (2022–25). He is expected to represent the conservative People Power Party (PPP), challenging liberal Democratic Party frontrunner Lee Jae-myung.
💼 Business & Economy
Bengaluru-based Razorpay launched India’s first Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for a payment gateway, enabling AI-driven systems to integrate directly with its payment infrastructure — without traditional dashboards or APIs.
AI tools such as Claude, Zapier, and VS Code can now natively communicate with Razorpay using simple instructions — allowing AI assistants to create payment links, initiate refunds, and manage transactions autonomously, streamlining workflow automation.
The Model Context Protocol (MCP) was developed by Anthropic — an open standard enabling LLMs to interact seamlessly with external tools, systems, and data sources.
Gurugram-based Zaak ePayment Services (Zaakpay), a wholly owned subsidiary of One MobiKwik Systems Limited, received the Certificate of Authorisation (CoA) from RBI to operate as an online Payment Aggregator (PA) under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.
- Payments Enabled – Credit/debit cards, net banking, UPI, wallets, pay-later options, and EMIs
- Sectors Served – Transit, e-commerce, digital lending, healthcare, and utility billing
- In-Principle Approval – Granted by RBI in 2023
Gandhinagar-based International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) and Mumbai-based National Institute of Securities Markets (NISM) signed an MoU to boost capacity building in GIFT-IFSC, Gandhinagar. Signed in the presence of SEBI Chairperson Tuhin Kanta Pandey and IFSCA Chairperson K. Rajaraman.
- NISM will act as training partner for IFSCA, conducting certification examinations per IFSCA regulations
- Will develop customised content, question banks, and e-learning modules aligned to IFSC requirements
A public trust established in 2006 by SEBI. HQ: Mumbai.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed total monetary penalties of ₹2.52 crore on five banks following the Statutory Inspection for Supervisory Evaluation (ISE 2023) for lapses in cybersecurity, KYC norms, customer service, and lending practices:
| Bank | Penalty | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| ICICI Bank | ₹97.80 lakh | Late cybersecurity incident reporting; no effective alert system; charged late payment fees on credit cards without issuing statements |
| Bank of Baroda (BoB) | ₹61.40 lakh | Allowed non-cash insurance incentives to employees; failed to credit interest to inoperative/dormant savings accounts at required intervals |
| Bank of Maharashtra (BoM) | ₹31.80 lakh | Non-compliance with KYC — opened multiple deposit accounts via Aadhaar OTP-based e-KYC in non-face-to-face mode without following prescribed procedures |
| IDBI Bank | ₹31.80 lakh | Charged higher-than-permissible interest on Kisan Credit Card (KCC) accounts under the Interest Subvention Scheme (ISS) for short-term agricultural loans |
| Axis Bank | ₹29.60 lakh | Routed unauthorised/unrelated transactions through internal/office accounts — violating RBI operational norms |
Mumbai-based TCS and New York-based IBM partnered with the Government of Andhra Pradesh to set up India’s largest quantum computer at the Quantum Valley Tech Park, Amaravati — India’s first such park — aligned with India’s National Quantum Mission (NQM).
- Hardware – Anchored by an IBM Quantum System Two featuring a 156-qubit Heron quantum processor — the largest quantum computer in India
- TCS Role – Develop quantum algorithms and sector-specific applications for life sciences, material science, supply chain, energy, cryptography, and sustainable manufacturing
- Architecture – Hybrid computing combining quantum, classical CPU, and GPU systems
- Access – Cloud-based quantum system access for developers, scientists, and technologists across the region
🔬 Science & Technology
In May 2025, DRDO successfully conducted the maiden flight-trials of its Stratospheric Airship Platform from Sheopur Trial Site, Madhya Pradesh, developed by ADRDE (Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment), Agra.
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Altitude Reached | ~17 km |
| Flight Duration | ~62 minutes |
| Classification | High-Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) |
| Operating Altitude | 17–22 km |
| Propulsion | Helium (lift) + Solar-powered (batteries for night) |
| Payload Capability | Imaging sensors, radar, telecom payloads |
| Applications | Border monitoring, disaster response, wide-area ISR |
Unlike drones or satellites, it can hover over a fixed area for days or weeks — filling the critical gap between drones and satellites with lower cost and faster deployment.
Chairman: Dr. Samir Venkatapathy Kamat | HQ: New Delhi | Est.: 1958. MoD: Rajnath Singh | MoS: Sanjay Seth.
🕊️ Obituaries
Renowned Yoga guru and Padma Shri awardee Swami Sivananda Saraswati passed away at the age of 128 in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh on 4 May 2025. Born: 8 August 1897 in Sylhet, Bengal Presidency (present-day Bangladesh).
- Raised by Guru Omkaranand Goswami at his ashram in Nabadwip, WB, after losing his parents at age six
- For ~3 decades, taught yoga on the banks of the Ganga in Varanasi
- In his final 50 years, served 400–600 leprosy-affected beggars at their hutments
Yoga Ratna Award (2019), Bengaluru. Padma Shri (2022) for Yoga — making him the oldest person to receive the Padma Shri. Senior-most participant at the World Yoga Day 2019 demonstration. Was attending the Maha Kumbh Mela for 100 years (revealed January 2025).
📅 Important Days
International Leopard Day is observed every year on 3 May to raise awareness about protecting leopards (Panthera pardus) and promoting human-leopard coexistence. Leopards are listed as ‘Vulnerable’ on the IUCN Red List (criteria A2cd) — due to habitat loss, prey depletion, and exploitation.
As per the ‘Status of Leopards in India, 2022’ report (by NTCA), India’s leopard population is estimated at 13,874 individuals. Madhya Pradesh has the largest population, followed by Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Established: 2006 under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 | Chairperson: Bhupender Yadav (MoEFCC) | HQ: New Delhi.
World Laughter Day (WLD) is observed on the first Sunday of May every year. WLD 2025 falls on 4 May 2025. Theme: ‘Laugh for Health, Peace and Happiness’.
WLD was initiated in 1998 by Mumbai-based physician Dr. Madan Kataria, founder of the Laughter Yoga Movement. First celebration: 11 January 1998, Mumbai (12,000+ participants). The first event outside India — ‘HAPPY-DEMIC’ (9 January 2000, Copenhagen, Denmark) — drew 10,000+ people and entered the Guinness Book of World Records.
International Firefighters’ Day (IFFD) is observed on 4 May every year to honour firefighters who risk their lives for communities and the environment, and to remember those who gave their lives in the line of duty.
- Origin – Initiated following the deaths of 5 firefighters in a wildfire in Lindon, Australia (1998)
- On 4 January 1999, Australian volunteer firefighter J.J. Edmondson proposed the observance; the first IFFD was celebrated on 4 May 1999
- Symbol – Red-Blue ribbons pinned together at the top, representing the main elements in firefighting work
World Portuguese Language Day is observed on 5 May annually to promote the Portuguese language, its cultural diversity, and the shared heritage of Lusophone (Portuguese-speaking) countries.
- The Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP) began marking 5 May from 2005
- Officially established as the Day of Portuguese Language and Culture by CPLP on 20 July 2009
- In 2019, the 40th UNESCO General Conference proclaimed 5 May as World Portuguese Language Day
- First official UNESCO celebration: 5 May 2020
DG: Audrey Azoulay | HQ: Paris | Established: 1945
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