Tamil Nadu (Unit V)  

"Tamil Week Festival" - Celebrated by the Tamil Nadu Government from April 29 to May 5 in honor of Bharathidasan's 135th birth anniversary.   Bharathidasan ( Kanaka Subburathinam ) was born on 29 April 1891 at Pondicherry, French India. 

"Tamil Nadu Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme" aimed at promoting the production of electronic components in the state was launched by  Honourable Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Thiru.M.K.Stalin on  30.04.2025.

• Tamil Nadu already holds a leading position at the national level in electronics manufacturing and exports. To further encourage value-added manufacturing and attract large-scale investments in semiconductor sub-sectors, the Government of Tamil Nadu introduced the Tamil Nadu Semiconductor and Advanced Electronics Policy 2024. 

• This policy has paved the way for Tamil Nadu to emerge as a frontrunner in the production of electronic goods. In continuation of these efforts to strengthen the electronics manufacturing ecosystem, the Tamil Nadu Government has now launched this special scheme focused on electronic component manufacturing.
  To attract companies that benefit under the Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme of the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the Government of Tamil Nadu, through this scheme, will offer incentives that match the subsidies announced under the Union Government's scheme.
  Through this initiative, Tamil Nadu is expected to attract investments worth 30,000 crore and generate employment opportunities for 60,000 individuals. 

Union Government  sanctions about ₹2,999 crore to Tamil Nadu under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) 

• The previous year’s total arrears is around ₹3,170 crore. Of the ₹2,851 crore sanctioned, beneficiaries belonging to the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and others will get approximately ₹740 crore, ₹43 crore and ₹2,068 crore respectively.
• In Tamil Nadu, nearly 91 lakh workers belonging to 76 lakh households are actively participating in the MGNREGS. As much as 86% of employment is provided to women workers, and nearly 29% of the workers are from SC/ST households. About 1 lakh differently abled workers are covered each year. (Source : The Hindu)

The Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam inducted 24-year-old Duddu Satya Venkata Surya Subrahmanya Ganesha Sharma Dravid as the 71st acharya of the Peetam. He was anointed by the current seer Vijayendra Saraswathi Shankaracharya at a function held in Kancheepuram on Akshaya Tritiya day.

India (Unit III) 

Caste enumeration included in upcoming census, approved by Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs under PM Narendra Modi on 30th April 2025. 

• Census is a Union subject (Article 246, Union List 69, Seventh Schedule).

• Caste excluded from census since 1947.

• 2010: PM Manmohan Singh promised caste census consideration; Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) conducted instead.

Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of sugarcane for sugar season 2025-26 (October - September) at Rs.355/qtl for a basic recovery rate of 10.25%

WAVES (World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit) 2025  is conducted at Mumbai from May 1st to 4th. Hosted by the Government of India, this first-of-its-kind global event brings the spotlight to India’s vibrant Media & Entertainment sector.  

The 28th National Conference on e-Governance (NCeG) is set to take place on the 9th and 10th of June, 2025 at Novotel, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. 

• The event is being jointly organized by, the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG),Govt of India, and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, in collaboration with the Government of Andhra Pradesh.

• The theme of the two-day conference, is “Viksit Bharat: Civil Service and Digital Transformation,” 

Shri Gyaneshwar Kumar Singh has assumed charge as the new Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA), which is a think tank under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India.  

 "Babuji Vanam"  - The Governor of Telangana inaugurated "Babuji Vanam," the world's first energy transmission garden, in Hyderabad, as a legacy project to commemorate the 125th birth anniversary of Pujya Babuji Maharaj, founder of Shri Ram Chandra Mission. Supported by the Ministry of Culture, the event at Kanha Shanti Vanam highlighted spiritual awakening and Babuji’s teachings.

The government of India reconstituted the National Security Advisory Board and appointed former R&AW chief Alok Joshi as its chairman. 

• Other members include former Western Air Commander Air Marshal PM Sinha, former Southern Army Commander Lt Gen AK Singh and Rear Admiral Monty Khanna are the retired officers from the military services. 
• The NSAB is a multi-disciplinary body comprising persons of eminence form outside government with the principal function of providing long-term analysis to the National Security Council and recommending solutions and policy options to the issues raised by them.

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is set to attend Russia's Victory Day celebrations instead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.  This Victory Day is celebrated to commemorate Russia's defeat of Germany in the Second World War.  As a key event, Russian President Vladimir Putin invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and others to witness the parade ceremony taking place at Moscow's Red Square on May 9th. Invitations have been extended to the leaders of a total of 20 countries.

Science  & Technology (Unit I)

GenomeIndia, funded by DBT, completed Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) of 10,000+ individuals from diverse Indian populations. Aims to accelerate biological research, improve health outcomes, and promote sustainable development.

• Indian Biological Data Center (IBDC) established in March 2020. 

• Biotech-PRIDE Guidelines (2021) and FeED Protocols ensure responsible data sharing.

• PM Narendra Modi dedicated GenomeIndia Data to researchers on January 9, 2025, at Genomics Data Conclave.