🇮🇳 National News
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the inaugural WAVES 2025 (World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit) at the Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai on 1 May 2025, coinciding with Maharashtra Diwas.
The four-day event (May 1–4) was organised by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting under the tagline ‘Connecting Creators, Connecting Countries’, with participation from over 90 countries and 10,000+ delegates.
PM Modi introduced the concept of India’s ‘Orange Economy’ — built on Content, Creativity, and Culture — and urged Indian youth to share their ‘one billion untold stories’ with the world.
- Sectors Covered – Film, Broadcasting, Digital Media, Animation, VFX, Gaming, Music, and AI-driven content creation
- Sessions – 42 plenary sessions, 39 breakout sessions, and 32 masterclasses
- WAVES Declaration – Adopted by 77 nations via a Global Media Dialogue; focused on bridging the digital divide and promoting responsible journalism
- Create in India Challenges – Over 1 lakh entries across 32 competitions from 60 countries; 800 finalists showcased at the Creatosphere Zone
Mukesh Ambani projected India’s media & entertainment sector — currently valued at ~USD 28 billion — could grow to USD 100 billion within a decade. India aims for a USD 50 billion creative economy by 2029 through institutes like the Indian Institute of Creative Technology (IICT).
The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA), chaired by PM Modi, approved the inclusion of caste enumeration in the upcoming Population Census on 30 April 2025, reversing its 2021 stance.
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated the move replaces politically motivated, ad hoc surveys with a transparent, structured process grounded in Article 246 of the Constitution (Census: Union List, Entry 69).
Independent India had collected caste data only for SCs and STs since 1951. The last comprehensive caste exercise was by British India (1881–1931). The 2011 SECC collected caste data but never published the findings.
The decision is expected to reshape OBC reservation policy and carries significant political resonance ahead of the Bihar elections. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi credited Congress pressure for the reversal.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) hiked the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of sugarcane to ₹355 per quintal for the 2025–26 sugar season (effective October 2025), up by ₹15 from ₹340 in 2024–25.
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| New FRP | ₹355 per quintal |
| Previous FRP (2024–25) | ₹340 per quintal |
| Basic Recovery Rate | 10.25% |
| Return over Production Cost | ~105.2% (cost: ₹173/quintal) |
| Recommended by | CACP (Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices) |
The sugar sector supports ~5 crore farmers and ~5 lakh mill workers. Mills must pay within 14 days of cane delivery under the Sugarcane Control Order, 1966; delays attract interest penalties and risk licence cancellation.
The Union Government reconstituted the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB), appointing former R&AW Chief Alok Joshi as Chairman amid heightened security concerns following the Pahalgam terror attack.
The seven-member board includes:
- Air Marshal P.M. Sinha – Former Western Air Commander
- Lt. Gen. A.K. Singh – Former Southern Army Commander
- Rear Admiral Monty Khanna
- Rajiv Ranjan Verma & Manmohan Singh – IPS Officers
- B. Venkatesh Varma – Diplomat
Established in December 1998, the NSAB functions under the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS). Its recommendations are advisory and non-binding, offering long-term strategic analysis to the NSC.
A 166.80 km, four-lane greenfield NH-06 connecting Mawlyngkhung (Shillong, Meghalaya) to Panchgram (Silchar, Assam) was cleared at ₹22,864 crore under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM).
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total Length | 166.80 km |
| In Meghalaya | 144.80 km |
| In Assam | 22 km |
| Project Cost | ₹22,864 crore |
| Mode | Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) |
The highway will drastically reduce Guwahati–Silchar travel time and enhance connectivity to Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur, and the Barak Valley, while boosting Meghalaya’s cement and coal industries.
Three key leadership changes took effect in the Indian Armed Forces on 1 May 2025:
| Officer | New Role | Predecessor |
|---|---|---|
| Air Marshal Narmadeshwar Tiwari | 49th Vice Chief of Air Staff (VCAS), IAF | Air Marshal Sujeet Pushpakar Dharkar (retired after 40 years) |
| Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit | Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (CISC) | Lt. Gen. Johnson P. Matthew (retired 30 April) |
| Lt. Gen. Pratik Sharma | GOC-in-C, Northern Command, Udhampur (J&K) | Lt. Gen. M.V. Suchendra Kumar |
Air Marshal Tiwari previously commanded the South Western Air Command (SWAC), Gandhinagar. Air Marshal Dixit commanded the Central Air Command, Prayagraj. Lt. Gen. Sharma previously served as DGMO (Director General of Military Operations).
👔 Appointments
Key appointments effective 1 May 2025:
- Alok Joshi (Former R&AW Chief) – Chairman, National Security Advisory Board (NSAB)
- Air Marshal Narmadeshwar Tiwari – 49th Vice Chief of Air Staff (VCAS), IAF
- Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit – Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (CISC)
- Lt. Gen. Pratik Sharma – GOC-in-C, Northern Command, Udhampur, J&K
📅 Important Days
International Workers’ Day (May Day) is observed every 1 May to celebrate the global labour movement. It traces its origins to the 1886 Haymarket affair in Chicago, USA, where workers demanded an eight-hour workday.
The Second International formally designated May 1 as Workers’ Day in 1889. The 2025 focus was on bonded labour survivors across various Indian states.
Article 23 of the Indian Constitution prohibits forced labour and begar (unpaid compulsory labour).
Both Maharashtra and Gujarat celebrate their 65th Foundation Day on 1 May 2025. They were carved from the former Bombay State on 1 May 1960 under the States Reorganisation Act.
- Reason for Bifurcation – The Samyukta Maharashtra Movement and Gujarati-speaking communities’ demand for a separate state
- Maharashtra Capital – Mumbai
- Gujarat Capital – Gandhinagar
Ayushman Bharat Diwas is observed annually on 30 April under the Gram Swaraj Abhiyan. It promotes PM-JAY (Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana) and the Health & Wellness Centre (HWC) component of the Ayushman Bharat scheme.
PM Modi launched Ayushman Bharat on 23 September 2018 in Ranchi, Jharkhand, as recommended by the National Health Policy 2017, targeting Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
UNESCO’s International Jazz Day is marked every 30 April, proclaimed at the UNESCO General Conference in November 2011 (inaugural celebration: 30 April 2012).
The 2025 Global Host City was Abu Dhabi, UAE — a UNESCO Creative City of Music — with events in 190+ countries, co-organised with the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz.
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