Daily Current Affairs

Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) launched the PAI 2.0 portal at the National Writeshop on PAI 2.0 (FY24), Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi. Presided by MoPR Secretary Vivek Bharadwaj.

• Also released: Local Indicator Framework (LIF) Booklet for FY24 and Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
• PAI: multidimensional assessment framework to track performance of 2.5 lakh+ Gram Panchayats across 9 themes aligned with Localisation of SDGs (LSDGs)
• PAI 2.0 streamlined: indicators reduced 516 → 147; data points reduced 794 → 227

NITI Aayog released the report ‘Designing a Policy for Medium Enterprises’; launched by Vice Chairman Suman Bery, also attended by Members Dr. V.K. Saraswat and Dr. Arvind Virmani.

• Report offers roadmap to transform medium enterprises into future growth engines of India’s economy

Union MoS Dr. Jitendra Singh (MoES) unveiled the Bharat Forecast System (BFS) on May 26, 2025 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. Developed by IITM (Pune); handed over to IMD (New Delhi) for operational use.

• Under experimental testing since 2022; improved forecast accuracy by up to 64%
• Powered by Supercomputer ‘Arka’ (11.77 petaflops, 33 petabytes storage); runs in 3–4 hrs (vs 12–13 hrs on old supercomputer ‘Pratyush’)
• Resolution: 6 km (tropics), 7–8 km (poles); enables village-level forecasts vs earlier 4-village/12 km area
• Uses data from 40 Doppler Weather Radars (DWRs) nationwide; covers 30°S–30°N tropical zone (India: 8.4°N–37.6°N)
• Applications: agriculture, disaster management, aviation, public safety

Ministry of Finance approved 8.25% interest rate on EPF deposits for FY25 — second consecutive year at this rate; initially proposed at 237th CBT meeting (February 2025, chaired by Mansukh Mandaviya).

• Both employer and employee contribute 12% each of basic salary + DA | Interest tax-free up to ₹5 lakh/annum
• 3 schemes under EPFO: EPF Scheme 1952, EPS 1995, EDLI Scheme 1976
• EPFO CPFC: Ramesh Krishnamurthi | HQ: New Delhi | Est: 1952

Central Apprenticeship Council (CAC) 38th meeting (chaired by MoS Jayant Chaudhary, MSDE) at Vigyan Bhawan recommended a 36% stipend hike under NAPS and NATS.

• Stipend range to rise from ₹5,000–₹9,000 (5 bands) to ₹6,800–₹12,300
• CAC also recommends: automatic CPI-linked stipend revision every 2 years (aligned with July salary increment cycle)
• Proposed replacing 1987 industry code list with NIC Code 2008; major reforms to Apprenticeship Rules, 1992

NIBE Limited (formerly Kavita Fabrics), Pune secured a USD 17.52 million (~₹1.5 billion) export order from an Israeli firm for Universal Rocket Launchers; contract execution until November 2027.

• Universal Rocket Launchers with max range of 300 km — being produced in India for the 1st time for the international market
• Comparable to Israel’s PULS (Precise & Universal Launching System by Elbit Systems); can integrate SkyStriker loitering munitions (100 km+ strike range)

UGC (Chairman: Vineet Joshi) approved establishment of 5 foreign university campuses under UGC Regulations, 2023; LoIs handed by Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Lt Gen Anindya Sengupta (GOC-in-C, Central Command) inaugurated ‘Panchshul Pulse’ on 88.4 FM, Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand under Operation Sadbhavana.

• Named after Panchshul mountain range; tagline: ‘Hill Se Dil Tak (From Hills to Heart)’
• Broadcasts from Army Public School of ‘Panchshul Brigade’; covers 12 km radius reaching remote Himalayan villages
• Programming: local dialects, history, culture, agriculture, horticulture, weather alerts, disaster management, government welfare schemes
• Operation Sadbhavana launched 1998 — fosters goodwill and development in remote/border areas

Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu (MoCA) inaugurated the curtain raiser at Hotel Taj Palace, New Delhi; organised with FICCI.

• Wings India 2026: Asia’s largest civil aviation event; January 28–31, 2026 at Begumpet Airport, Hyderabad
• Theme: ‘Indian Aviation: Paving the Future – from Design to Deployment, Manufacturing to Maintenance, Inclusivity to Innovation and Safety to Sustainability’

Kerala Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran announced Kozhikode as Kerala’s first district to officially declare emblematic species across 8 biodiversity categories; initiative led by Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB). Announced on International Day for Biological Diversity, May 22, 2025.

The 9th BRICS Industry Ministers’ Meeting was held at Itamaraty Palace, Brasilia, Brazil under Brazil’s chairship; theme: ‘Strengthening Global South Cooperation for More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance’.

• Member countries adopted Joint Declaration, reaffirming commitment to open, fair, and resilient multilateral system
• Formal presentation of BRICS Startup Knowledge Hub (launched January 31, 2025 under BRICS Start-Up Forum) — 1st-of-its-kind cross-border startup collaboration platform

Kotak Mahindra Bank (KMBL), Mumbai upgraded its flagship digital banking platform Kotak811.

• Users can open a zero-balance savings account fully digitally in under 5 minutes
• Services: UPI payments, FDs, Mutual Fund investments, and cashback rewards

AM Green (Hyderabad, formerly Greenko ZeroC) signed an MoU with Port of Rotterdam Authority (Netherlands) on May 26, 2025 for a green energy supply chain.

• Target: annual trade of 1 million tonnes of green fuels — green ammonia and SAFs (Sustainable Aviation Fuels) — valued at USD 1 billion
• AM Green’s green ammonia facility in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh (cost ₹12,500 crore) to begin production in 2nd half of 2026; Phase 1: 1 million tonnes targeting European export markets
• Port of Rotterdam is Europe’s largest energy port; deal links India’s green hydrogen hubs with European markets

78th Cannes Film Festival held May 13–24, 2025 in Cannes, France. Jury chaired by French actress Juliette Binoche; 9-member jury included Indian director Payal Kapadia.

Fiji-born, Mumbai-based singer and humanitarian Sumeet Tappoo was conferred with Fiji’s highest civilian honour (equivalent to India’s Bharat Ratna) by Fiji President Ratu Naiqama Tawake at State House, Suva.

• Award also given to Dr. Krupali Tappoo (Director, Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Children’s Hospital, Fiji) and Sri Madhusudan Sai (Founder, One World, One Family Global Humanitarian Mission)
• Sumeet Tappoo: Chairman of Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Children’s Hospital (South Pacific’s 1st super-specialty pediatric cardiac hospital); free-of-cost surgeries
• Past awards: 2021 Pravasi Bharatiya Samman (President of India); 3 CLEF Music Awards (2023)

Announced by JSW Sports (Mumbai) on May 26, 2025: Neeraj Chopra appointed as Brand Ambassador of Audi India. He is already a brand ambassador of JSW Sports.

• KSDL (Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Ltd — maker of Mysore Sandal Soap) appointed Tamannaah Bhatia as brand ambassador for 2 years (contract worth ₹6.2 crore)
• Audi India Head of Operations: Balbir Singh Dhillon | HQ: Mumbai | Founded: 2004

Alpha Design Technologies (ADTL), Bengaluru (part of Adani Defence Systems) delivered the first of 6 indigenous Surya VHF radar systems to IAF under a ₹200 crore contract (delivered March 2025).

• Surya: mobile, solid-state 3D radar; detects stealth aircraft and low-observable threats
• Detection range: 360 km (for 2 sq.m radar cross-section) | Altitude coverage: up to 15 km
• Operational band: VHF (30–300 MHz) — longer wavelengths neutralize radar-absorbing coatings on stealth platforms
• Mobility: mounted on two 6×6 trucks; 10 rotations/minute for 360° coverage
• Integrates with India’s C4ISR framework and Akash missiles, Ashwini LLTR
• ADTL CEO: Hari Prasad HS | HQ: Bengaluru | Est: 2003

Indrajaal (Hyderabad) launched ‘Indrajaal Infra’ (on SkyOS platform) to protect India’s critical infrastructure from drone threats.

• Covers airspace up to 4,000 sq km; uses AI-driven threat detection with sensors, spoofers, and jammers
• Designed to protect: nuclear power plants, power grids, oil refineries, ports, and airports
• First operational at a naval port in Gujarat during India-Pakistan cross-border escalation; now being deployed at India’s largest naval port in Karnataka
• Refinery disruption from drone strikes: estimated ₹400–800 crore per day loss

Perodua Malaysia Masters 2025 (16th edition) held May 20–25 at Axiata Arena, Kuala Lumpur; part of BWF World Tour Super 500 series; prize pool USD 475,000.

Neeraj Chopra won silver in men’s javelin throw at the 71st Janusz Kusocinski Memorial, Chorzow, Poland — his 22nd consecutive top-two finish in international competitions since June 2021.

• Neeraj’s throw: 84.14 m (6th/final attempt, wet conditions)
• Janusz Kusocinski Memorial: Silver-level event on World Athletics Continental Tour

Australian Cricket Captain Patrick Cummins launched ‘Tested: The Remarkable Power of Resolve’, published by HarperCollins Publishers.

• Explores leadership and decision-making through conversations with 11 experts, including former Australian PM Julia Gillard and cricket legend Dennis Lillee
• Reflects on becoming Australia’s 47th Test captain at age 28
• Career highlights: led Australia to 2023 ICC ODI World Cup, 2023 Ashes, and 2025 Border-Gavaskar Trophy; named ICC Cricketer of the Year 2024