Daily Current Affairs

Rajnath Singh (MoD) approved Miniratna Category-I status to 3 Defence PSUs: Munitions India Limited (MIL, Pune), Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (AVNL, Chennai), and India Optel Limited (IOL, Dehradun).

• All three originated from the restructured Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), split into 7 entities on October 1, 2021
• MIL and AVNL are Schedule ‘A’ DPSUs; IOL is Schedule ‘B’ — all under Department of Defence Production (DDP), MoD

Department of Posts (MoC) launched two web platforms aligned with the National Geospatial Policy 2022.

• DIGIPIN (Digital Postal Index Number): open-source, interoperable, geo-coded, grid-based digital address system; developed in collaboration with IIT Hyderabad and NRSC (ISRO), Hyderabad
• ‘Know Your PIN Code’: modernises the conventional 6-digit PIN Code system launched in 1972
• DoP Secretary: Vandita Kaul | HQ: New Delhi

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan inaugurated VKSA-2025 at ICAR-CIFA, Bhubaneswar, Odisha on May 29, 2025 — a 15-day nationwide campaign (May 29 – June 12, 2025).

• Goal: transform Indian agriculture by promoting advanced technologies among 1.5 crore+ farmers
• 2,170 scientific teams comprising 16,000 agricultural scientists covering 700+ districts; each team covers 2 villages daily
• Connects farmers with innovations from 731 KVKs and 113 ICAR institutes; promotes climate-resilient and natural farming
• ‘CIFA Argu VAX–I’: novel vaccine introduced by ICAR-CIFA against parasitic infections in fish to reduce aquaculture losses

Army Postal Service Corps (APSC) and DoP inaugurated ‘Meghdoot Millennium’ — secure, real-time postal software for defence personnel — at CEPT, Mysuru, Karnataka. Launched by DoP Secretary Vandita Kaul and Lt Gen V.M.B. Krishnan (Quarter Master General).

• Enables real-time tracking and secure communication for defence personnel in remote and operationally sensitive areas
• Aligns with Indian Army’s ‘Year of Tech Absorption’ (2024) and ‘Decade of Transformation’ initiative

UP Government signed MoU with Monash University (Melbourne) on May 29, 2025 in presence of CM Yogi Adityanath, Lucknow — aligned with NEP 2020. Gautam Buddha University, Noida will be the central hub for implementing the partnership.

WHA 78 held May 19–27, 2025, Geneva; theme: ‘One World for Health’. Presided by Teodoro J. Herbosa (Health Secretary, Philippines). PM Modi addressed via video-conferencing.

• India received WHO Certification of Elimination of Trachoma as a Public Health Problem (presented by WHO DG Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus)
• WHO member states approved new budget with 20% hike in assessed contributions — additional USD 90 million annually
• Global leaders pledged additional USD 210 million for 2025–28 Investment Round; total funds: ~USD 1.7 billion
• WHO unveiled new comprehensive guideline on balanced national policies for controlled medicines

India AI Mission (MeitY) selected 10 Indian AI startups on May 29, 2025 under the India AI Startups Global Initiative — in partnership with Station F and HEC Paris, France.

• Programme: 4-month acceleration at Station F (world’s largest startup campus, Paris) — 1-month virtual + 3-month immersive residency; mentorship and investor network access
• Selected startups include: PrivaSapien Technologies, CoRover.ai, Staqu Technologies/Jarvis, SatSure Analytics, Storyvord, VolarAlta, Smartail, Secure Blink, NeuroPixel.AI, Voicing AI

Worldline ePayments India (Mumbai) and PayPal India (Chennai) received RBI in-principle approval on May 27, 2025 to operate as Payment Aggregator for Cross-Border Export & Import (PA-CB E&I) under PSS Act, 2007.

• Enables both companies to facilitate online international transactions for import and export of goods and services
• Worldline also operates as PA and BBPOU (Bharat Bill Payment Operating Unit) for domestic merchants
• In October 2024, RBI mandated cross-border payment aggregators to secure separate approval; earlier operated with OPGSP (Online Payment Gateway Service Provider) licence

CCI approved three combinations on May 27, 2025:

• Combination involving JTPL, SCRTIPL, Solv-India, SCV-Master and Artal Asia
• Acquisition of 100% shareholding of Dowlais Group plc by American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc.
• Merger/demerger involving RPAL, MPPL, JKMPTL, and JKMGAL

MoPPG&P declared winners of National Anubhav Awards Scheme 2025 on May 28, 2025.

• 5 Anubhav Awardees and 10 Jury Certificate winners selected through a two-tier evaluation process
• First time (2025 edition): scheme includes employees from CPSEs and Public Sector Banks (PSBs), in addition to Central Government officials
• Awards to be conferred on August 18, 2025 by MoS Dr. Jitendra Singh

Prashant Tripathy announced early retirement from Axis Max Life Insurance, effective September 30, 2025 (original tenure till December 2028). Joined in 2007; appointed MD & CEO in January 2019. Axis Max Life Insurance: JV between Max Financial Services and Axis Bank.

InterGlobe Aviation (IndiGo), Gurgaon appointed Vikram Singh Mehta as Board Chairman; replaced Venkataramani Sumantran (completed 5-year tenure).

• IAS officer (1978 batch); former Shell Group of Companies India Chairman (1994–2012)
• Awards: ‘Businessman of the Year’ (Asia House, 2010); ‘Best Independent Director in India’ (Asia Centre for Corporate Governance, 2016)

Finance Industry Development Council (FIDC), Mumbai appointed Raman Aggarwal as CEO. FIDC: apex body for NBFCs; registered with RBI; established 2004.

China launched Shijian-26 from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (JSLC) on May 29, 2025 — China’s 33rd rocket launch in 2025 and 579th Long March mission.

• Purpose: land monitoring, environmental protection, and economic planning; entered sun-synchronous orbit
• Long March-4B (CZ-4B): three-stage medium-lift vehicle; capacity 2.5 MT to 700 km SSO; introduced 1999; built by SAST, Shanghai

New damselfly species Caliphaea sinuofurcata discovered in Upper Siang and Lower Dibang Valley districts, Arunachal Pradesh; published in Zootaxa.

• Only the 2nd species of genus Caliphaea recorded in India; first (Caliphaea confusa) documented over 165 years ago
• Name: ‘sinuofurcata’ — Latin ‘sinuosus’ (wavy) + ‘furcatus’ (forked); metallic copper-green body with slender brown-tinted wings and yellow/olive markings
• Common name ‘Bearded Bronzeback’ — both sexes have dense black bristles around mouthparts resembling a beard
• Habitat: small, rocky, seasonal streams in broadleaf evergreen forests at 1,200–1,300 m elevation

Veteran Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa passed away at age 89 in Mohali, Punjab (born April 9, 1936, Ubhawal village, Sangrur).

• Served as Union Cabinet Minister for Sports, Chemicals & Fertilisers in Atal Bihari Vajpayee government (2000–2004)
• MLA in 1977, 1980, 1985; Rajya Sabha in 1999, 2010, 2016; Lok Sabha from Sangrur in 2004
• Conferred Padma Bhushan in 2019 (Public Affairs); returned the honour in 2020 in solidarity with the Kisan Andolan

Theme 2025: ‘Shaping history, feeding the future’. May 30, 2025 marks the 2nd observance; coincides with FAO’s 80th anniversary year.

• UNGA Resolution A/RES/78/123 (December 8, 2023) designated May 30 as International Day of Potato; championed by Peru (potato’s ancestral home)
• First ever International Day of Potato: May 30, 2024

Theme 2025: ’20 years of Facts — Vaping Works!’ — marking 20th anniversary of modern vaping. Observed ahead of World No Tobacco Day (May 31).

• Initiated by World Vapers’ Alliance (WVA), USA — non-profit championing vapers’ rights
• E-cigarette invented by Chinese pharmacist Hon Lik in 2003; gained popularity in Europe and USA by 2005
• UK’s Public Health England: vaping is 95% less harmful than smoking