Daily Current Affairs

Maharashtra led all Indian states in GST collection for FY25 at ₹3,18,497 crore and topped in April 2025 with ₹41,645 crore (growth slowed from 13% in April 2024 to 11% in April 2025). Gujarat ranked 2nd (₹1,74,938 crore) and Karnataka 3rd (₹1,43,023 crore).

• Total GST revenue in 2024 – ₹21.36 lakh crore (highest since GST introduction in 2017); up 8.86% YoY
• April 2025 total GST collection – ₹2,36,716 crore (+12.6% annual growth)
• GST Council – Constitutional body under Article 279-A; introduced via 101st Amendment Act, 2016
• Chairperson – Nirmala Sitharaman; Established – 2016

The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) (under MoPSW) established a new office at Transport Bhawan, Srinagar, J&K — operational since 13 May 2025. The office will monitor river navigation infrastructure development across 3 National Waterways in J&K:

• NW-26 – Chenab River
• NW-49 – Jhelum River
• NW-84 – Ravi River

Development is part of an MoU signed with J&K government in March 2025.

The District Magistrate of Indore, Madhya Pradesh declared Indore as India’s first beggar-free city — the result of an anti-begging campaign launched in February 2024. Earlier, the city had 5,000 beggars (including 500 children); all were rehabilitated — adults helped into employment and children enrolled in schools.

• Recognised by MoSJE (Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment) and a World Bank team as a model project
• Indore is one of 10 cities under MoSJE’s pilot project to eliminate begging
• Dedicated helpline set up for citizens to report beggars (reward: ₹1,000 per tip)
• Beggars from other states had FIRs registered against them

Chicago-based Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois Tech) became the first American university to receive UGC approval to set up an independent, degree-granting campus in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Campus to open in 2026.

• Will offer UG and PG degrees in Computer Science, Engineering, and Business
• Same curriculum as the Chicago campus, including the ‘Elevate’ programme (hands-on research, internships, career acceleration)

Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA) Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood launched the Report on India’s Priority Corridors for Zero Emission Trucking in New Delhi. Presented by Akshima Ghate (MD, Rocky Mountain Institute, USA). Developed with support of CoEZET-IIT Madras (Centre of Excellence for Zero Emission Trucking).

• Identifies 10 critical highway segments with the highest ZET adoption potential — shortlisted from 230 corridors via 3-phase assessment
• Long-distance trucks account for ~40% of India’s fuel consumption and transport emissions
• Serves as reference for the PM E-DRIVE scheme (MHI, 2024; ₹500 crore outlay) for promoting zero-emission transport
• Knowledge partners: RMI and pManifold Business Pvt Ltd (Nagpur)

Assam Cabinet (CM Himanta Biswa Sarma) approved two key decisions:

• ‘Eti Koli Duti Paat’ scheme — one-time financial assistance of ₹5,000 to each permanent and temporary tea garden worker in Assam, announced on the occasion of the 200th celebration of Assam Tea
• Renaming Dibrugarh Airport after Bhupen Hazarika — legendary singer and cultural icon of Assam — to mark his 100th birth anniversary

Also approved: Assam Electronics Components Manufacturing Top-Up Scheme 2025 and CM’s ‘Jibon Prerna Scheme’ for graduates and scholars (to be rolled out from October 2025).

Karnataka Minister N.S. Boseraju (Science & Technology) launched ‘Petologist’ — an innovative veterinary app developed by Bengaluru-based Transduceideas Technologies LLP. Supported under RKVY-RAFTAAR Agribusiness Incubation (R-ABI) Scheme (MoA&FW). Incubated at IVRI (Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, UP; est. 1889).

• Features: digital health records, vaccination tracking, medication reminders, farm animal monitoring, telemedicine consultations
• Currently in soft launch phase (select vets + clinics in Karnataka)
• Connects pet owners and farmers with licensed veterinarians, clinics, and hospitals

Per Ethnologue 2025 (world’s most authoritative language source), 5 Indian languages rank in the global top 20 by number of speakers.

The Global Report on Internal Displacement (GRID) 2025 — released by IDMC (Geneva) and NRC (Oslo) on 13 May 2025 — reported a record 83.4 million IDPs worldwide by end-2024 — the highest ever and double since 2018.

• Sudan topped with 11.6 million IDPs (civil war; highest ever in a single country)
• DRC, Afghanistan, and Myanmar each had 3+ million IDPs
• India — 5.4 million displacements in 2024 — highest in 12 years; floods accounted for 66% of displacements
• 2.5 million from Assam (most severe floods in over a decade)
• Globally, disasters caused 45.8 million displacements in 2024 — highest since IDMC began tracking in 2008

Brussels-based IFJ (International Federation of Journalists) released the 23rd Annual South Asia Press Freedom Report (SAPFR 24-25) — titled ‘Frontline Democracy: Media and Political Churn’ — launched at UNESCO’s World Press Freedom Day 2025 in Kathmandu, Nepal. Covers 8 South Asian countries: India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and Maldives.

• 250 media rights violations in 2024-25
• 20 journalists/media workers killed (up from 8 in 2023-24)
• India described as part of a ‘wider trend of eroding press freedom’
• Concerns: increasing trust deficit in media, choking of independent websites, and precarity of gig media workers amid AI challenges

SBI (State Bank of India) became the 3rd Indian company to enter the world’s top 100 most profitable companies — after ONGC (2009) and RIL (2021). With a net profit of USD 9.2 billion (₹77,561 crore) in FY25, SBI ranks 98th globally (Bloomberg data). SBI’s net profit grew at a 31% CAGR over the last 5 years.

Mumbai-based JSW One Platforms Limited (B2B e-commerce arm of JSW Group) raised USD 40 million (~₹340 crore) — achieving a USD 1 billion valuation and entering India’s unicorn club on 13 May 2025. Led by Principal Asset Management, OneUp, and JSW Steel. This marks a 3× valuation increase since April 2023 (when Mitsui & Co., Japan, invested ₹205 crore).

Funds to be used for:

• National supply chain leadership in steel + cement
• Distribution and logistics network expansion
• Scaling fintech and NBFC arms
• Credit access for MSMEs

CCI (Competition Commission of India) (under MCA) approved 4 deals on 13 May 2025:

• Indorama Netherlands (Rotterdam) acquires 24.9% equity in EPL Limited (Mumbai) from Blackstone for ~₹1,908 crore (USD 220 million)
• AIPCF VIII A-TE Funding LP acquires 13% of limited partnership interests in Perseus Parent LP
• Knowledge Realty Trust (KRT) acquires entities controlled jointly by Blackstone Group and Sattva Group
• Demerger of MDO business from Thriveni Earthmovers Pvt Ltd (TEPL) into TEIPL; followed by Lloyds Metals and Energy Ltd (LMEL) acquiring 79.82% equity in TEIPL

• Harvansh P. Chawla (Founder & Managing Partner, K.R. Chawla & Co. Advocates, New Delhi) appointed Chairman of BRICS Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BRICS CCI); aligned with the upcoming 17th BRICS Summit (6–7 July 2025, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). Under his tenure, intra-BRICS trade surged to USD 162 billion in 2022-23. BRICS CCI: HQ – New Delhi; Est. – 2012.
• Santosh Kumar Sarangi (1994-batch IAS, Odisha cadre; currently Secretary, MNRE) given additional charge as CMD of SECI — succeeds R.P. Gupta (1987-batch IAS, Gujarat cadre) whose service was terminated by ACC on 10 May 2025 ahead of his June 2025 tenure completion. SECI: Navratna PSU under MNRE; HQ – New Delhi; Founded – 2011.

• Edward Thomas Smith (Ed Smith) — former England cricket selector (2018–2021) — appointed next President of MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club), London; assumes office 1 October 2025; appointed by current MCC President Lord King of Lothbury at the MCC AGM at Lord’s Cricket Ground. During his tenure as Chief Selector, England won the ICC Men’s World Cup 2019 (first time). He scored ~13,000 runs in 13 seasons and wrote 5 books.
• Ajoy Chawla (currently CEO, Jewellery Division, Titan) appointed as next MD of Titan Company Limited; assumes role 1 January 2026, succeeding C.K. Venkataraman (retiring 31 December 2025). Chawla joined Tata Administrative Services (TAS) in 1990; joined Titan Finance in 1991; was Chief Strategy Officer (2013–2019); as Jewellery CEO since 2019, grew Tanishq’s sales + profits by 2.5×.

On 12 May 2025, Taiwan conducted its first live-fire test of HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) — supplied by the USA — at Jiupeng military base, Pingtung County. 33 rockets were fired by 11 launch vehicles (3 rounds each) by the Taiwan Army’s 58th Artillery Command. Part of Taiwan’s annual missile drills for asymmetric defense.

• HIMARS can be equipped with: one pod of 6 × 227mm rockets, or 1 ATACMS (range up to 300 km); also launches 70-km-range rockets and Guided MLRS (GMLRS) + Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM)
• Manufactured by Lockheed Martin (Bethesda, Maryland; President – James Taiclet; Founded – 1995)
• Taiwan bought 29 HIMARS total — 11 delivered in 2024; 18 more due in 2027

The 8th UN Global Road Safety Week (UNGRSW) is being observed 12–18 May 2025.

• Theme 2025 – #MakeWalkingSafe and #MakeCyclingSafe — focusing on safer infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists
• Organised by WHO (biennial campaign)
• UNGA Resolution 60/5 (2005) mandated WHO + UN Regional Commissions to organise periodic road safety weeks
• First UNGRSW – 23–29 April 2007; observed every 2 years since 2013

José Alberto Mujica Cordano (b. 20 May 1935, Montevideo; nickname: ‘Pepe’) — 40th President of Uruguay (2010–2015) — passed away on 13 May 2025 at age 89 in Montevideo. Joined the Marxist Tupamaros guerrilla movement in the late 1960s; imprisoned for 14 years during Uruguay’s military dictatorship (1970s–80s). Post-democracy: served as Minister of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries (2005–08).

Presidential legacy: legalised abortion, same-sex marriage, and marijuana sales regulation; promoted renewable energy + poverty reduction.

• Premio ALBA de los Pueblos (2016)
• Order of the Aztec Eagle (2014, Mexico’s highest honour for foreigners)
• Spanish Foundation Manuel Broseta Prize for Political Thought (2020)

Nirmala Lakshman (Publisher + Chairperson, The Hindu Group of Publications; formerly Joint Editor, The Hindu; founder of ‘The Hindu Literary Review’ + creator of ‘Young World’ — India’s only children’s newspaper supplement) released ‘The Tamils: A Portrait of Community’, published by Aleph Book Company, New Delhi. Reviewed in The Book Review journal by FM Nirmala Sitharaman — who commended the book for its exploration of justice and fairness as central Tamil cultural themes.

VP Jagdeep Dhankhar released ‘Janta Ki Kahani-in Meri Aatamkatha’ — autobiography of Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatraya (b. 12 June 1947, Hyderabad) — at Maharashtra Sadan, New Delhi.

• Dattatraya has served as Haryana Governor since July 2021
• Was MoS Labour (1999–2004) under PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee
• A 4-time Lok Sabha MP from Secunderabad (Telangana); senior BJP leader