Niti Aayog Award for Virudhunagar district  : The Virudhunagar district has received an award and a prize amount of 3 crore rupees from the Indian government's Niti Aayog for excellent performance in health and nutrition improvement among aspiring districts at the national level.

Chief Minister Mr. M.K. Stalin released the book titled ’தேசிய கல்விக் கொள்கை-2020 எனும் மதயானை’ written by School Education Minister Mr. Anbil Mahesh on 17.5.2025.

Memorandum of Understanding with leading banks to provide free banking benefits including life and accident insurance for government employees:

• The Tamil Nadu Finance Minister had announced during the presentation of the 2025-26 budget that banks would provide 1 crore rupees as personal accident insurance if government employees die unexpectedly in accidents or suffer permanent disability due to accidents. Additionally, financial assistance of 5 lakh rupees each (up to 10 lakh rupees for two daughters) would be provided for marriage expenses of daughters of government employees who died in accidents. Up to 10 lakh rupees would be provided as scholarship for higher education of daughters who have completed school education and are pursuing college education in families of government employees who died in accidents. For government employees who die naturally during their service period, 10 lakh rupees would be provided as life insurance.

• Seven leading banks - State Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank, Indian Bank, Canara Bank, Axis Bank, Bank of Baroda, and Union Bank of India - have come forward to provide these benefits without any charges if government employees maintain their salary accounts with them.

• The Memorandum of Understanding for this was signed on 19.5.2025 in the presence of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister.

Chief Minister's AdiDravidar and Tribal Socio-Economic Development Scheme (CM ARISE):

• The Chief Minister's AdiDravidar and Tribal Socio-Economic Development Scheme (CM ARISE) was launched in December 2023. Under this scheme, subsidized loans are being provided to start businesses for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes aged between 18 and 55 years with annual family income within Rs.3.00 lakhs.

• Applicants can choose their own business. 35 percent of the total project cost or Rs.3.50 lakhs, whichever is less, will be provided as subsidy. The remaining amount will be provided as a bank loan along with the applicant's contribution.

• Under this scheme, beneficiaries who repay installments on time are provided with a 6% interest subsidy.

• To apply and benefit from this scheme, one can register under the CM ARISE scheme on the Tamil Nadu Adi Dravidar Housing and Development Corporation (TAHDCO) website http://newscheme.tahdco.com.

Tamil Nadu Development Model: Agriculture Department.

• Agricultural growth, which averaged 1.36 percent from 2012-2013 to 2020-2021, has increased to an average of 5.66 percent from 2021 to 2024.

• Tamil Nadu has achieved first place in India in the productivity of finger millet and guava due to the agricultural development programs of the Tamil Nadu government.

• Tamil Nadu has achieved second place in India in the productivity of corn, sugarcane, tamarind, cassava, jasmine, and oil seeds.

• Tamil Nadu has achieved third place in India in the productivity of groundnut and coconut.

• The irrigated land area has increased from 36.07 lakh hectares in 2020-2021 to 38.33 lakh hectares in 2023-2024.

Tamil Nadu Growth Model  - Environment 

The Tamil Nadu government has  developed the Tamil Nadu State Action Plan on Climate Change for 2023-30 and set up a *1,000 crore Green Fund to support projects mitigating climate change impacts. In NITI Aayog's SDG 13 (Climate Action) Index for 2023-24, Tamil Nadu secured the top rank with a score of 81, well above the national average of 67.

Source: ECONOMIC SURVEY OF TAMIL NADU 2024-25

Tamil Nadu Growth Model - Health 

In the National Family Health Survey-5. Tamil Nadu ranks third in life expectancy among major Indian states. The state is also a prominent hub for medical tourism. 

In 2023-24, Tamil Nadu's healthcare infrastructure includes 8,713 health sub-centers, 2,336 primary health centers, 372 government hospitals, and 36 government medical college hospitals. 

Source: ECONOMIC SURVEY OF TAMIL NADU 2024-25

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Mr. M.K. Stalin met with ISRO Chairman and Space Department Secretary Dr. Narayanan on 20.5.2025.

India (Unit III) 

‘Secretariat Reforms’ report is a monthly report released by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions. The report provides an extensive analysis of the ongoing initiatives aimed at transforming governance and administration.

Union  Minister  Amit Shah, launched the new Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Portal on 19.5.2025. The new portal will provide enhanced functionality, advanced security, and a user-friendly experience for the existing over 5 million OCI cardholders and new users. The new OCI portal is available at the existing URL: https://ociservices.gov.in.

Parliamentary Awards 2025 - 17 MPs selected: 17 MPs including DMK MP C.N. Annadurai from Tiruvannamalai constituency were selected for the 'Sansad Ratna 2025' awards for their outstanding performance in Parliament.

• A selection committee headed by National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) Chairman Hansraj Ahir selected eligible MPs for this award established by Prime Point Foundation.

• Four MPs - Mahtab and Supriya Sule (Nationalist Congress Sharad Pawar faction), N.K. Premachandran (Revolutionary Socialist Party), Shrirang Barne (Shiv Sena Shinde faction) - have performed excellently in the 16th, 17th, and current 18th Lok Sabha. Therefore, these four will be awarded the 'Outstanding and Continuous Contribution to Parliamentary Democracy' award. Besides them, Smita Wagh (BJP), Arvind Sawant (Shiv Sena Uddhav faction), Naresh Ganpat (Shiv Sena Shinde faction), Varsha Gaikwad (Congress), Medha Kulkarni (BJP), Praveen Patel (BJP), Ravi Kishan (BJP), Nishikant Dubey (BJP), Vidyut Baran Mahato (BJP), P.P. Chaudhary (BJP), Madan Rathore (BJP), C.N. Annadurai (DMK), and Dilip Saikia (BJP) have also been selected for the Sansad Ratna awards.

Former Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and former Secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy, Dr. M.R. Srinivasan (age 95) passed away in Ooty.

• Dr. Srinivasan joined the Department of Atomic Energy in September 1955.

• He began his career working with Dr. Homi Bhabha in the construction of Apsara, India's first nuclear research reactor.

• In August 1959, he was appointed as the Chief Project Engineer for the construction of India's first nuclear power plant.

• In 1967, he took charge as the Chief Project Engineer of the Madras Atomic Power Station.

• In 1974, he became the Director of the Nuclear Power Project Engineering Division, and in 1984, he became the Chairman of the Atomic Energy Board.

• In 1987, he was appointed as the Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy. The same year, he became the founding Chairman of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India.

The central government ordered on 20.5.2025 to extend the tenure of Intelligence Bureau (IB) chief Tapan Kumar Deka for another year.

New e-Zero FIR initiative : Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah has said that MHA's Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) has introduced the new e-Zero FIR initiative to nab any criminal with unprecedented speed. It is  launched as a pilot project for Delhi. The new system will automatically convert cyber financial crimes filed at NCRP or 1930 to FIRs, initially above the threshold limit of ₹10 lakh. The new system, which will drive investigations swiftly cracking down on cybercriminals, will soon be extended to the entire nation. 

Major Government-Led Coordination Efforts Among the Armed Forces

1. Creation of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS)

On 24 December 2019, the Union Cabinet approved the creation of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), a four-star General who heads the Department of Military Affairs (DMA) and acts as the principal military adviser to the Defence Minister on tri-Service matters.

Key roles of the CDS include:

• Overseeing the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Territorial Army.

• Promoting jointness in procurement, training, staffing, and command restructuring.

• Leading tri-service organizations, including cyber and space commands.

• Advising the Nuclear Command Authority and participating in defence planning bodies.

• Driving reforms to optimize resources, enhance combat capabilities, and reduce waste.

• Implementing multi-year defence acquisition plans and prioritizing inter-Service needs.

• The CDS strengthens unified leadership and fosters integration for a more coordinated and modern Indian military.

2. Integrated Theatre Commands (ITCs)

To modernize the Armed Forces, efforts are underway to restructure forces through the establishment of Integrated Theatre Commands (ITCs) and Integrated Battle Groups (IBGs). These reforms aim to optimize operational preparedness by unifying the Army, Navy, and Air Force capabilities based on geography and function. Studies at the Service Headquarters level are actively exploring Theatre Commands for Land Borders, Maritime, and Joint/Integrated Air Defence to enhance synergy and combat effectiveness.  

3. Creation of the Department of Military Affairs (DMA)

Department of Military Affairs (DMA) with Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) as Secretary was created in 2020 to facilitate optimal utilization of resources and promote jointness among the three Services. The subjects allocated to DMA include:

• The Armed Forces of the Union, namely, Army, Navy and Air Force.

• Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence comprising of Army Headquarters, Naval Headquarters, Air Headquarters and Defence Staff Headquarters.

• Works relating to Army, Navy and Air Force.

• Promoting jointness in procurement, training and staffing for the Services through joint planning and integration of their requirements.

• Facilitation of restructuring of Military Commands for optimal utilisation of resources by bringing about jointness in operations, including through establishment of joint / theatre commands. 

4. Inter-Services Organisations (Command, Control & Discipline) Act, 2023

The Inter-Services Organisations (Command, Control & Discipline) Act, 2023 promotes jointness in the Indian Armed Forces by empowering commanders of tri-service formations with authority over personnel from all three Services. This unifies the disciplinary chain, speeds up decision-making, and fosters operational and cultural integration. By streamlining command without affecting individual Service identities, the Act lays the legal foundation for future integrated theatre commands. Key implications of this Act are:

• Unified command: Inter-Services Organisations commanders can discipline all personnel under one authority.

• Faster processes: Reduces delays from inter-Service coordination.

• Joint culture: Encourages cross-Service cohesion and shared responsibility.

• Legal base for theatre commands: Supports future integrated operations.

• Service identity retained: Each Service’s unique norms remain intact. 

5. Joint Logistics Nodes (JLNs)

Three Joint Logistic Nodes (JLNs) have been established and are operational since 2021 at Mumbai, Guwahati and Port Blair for Logistics Integration between the three services. These JLNs will provide integrated logistics cover to the Armed Forces for their small arms ammunition, rations, fuel, general stores, civil hired transport, aviation clothing, spares and also engineering support in an effort to synergize their operational efforts. This initiative would accrue advantages in terms of saving of manpower, economize utilisation of resources, besides financial savings.

6. Joint Training Courses, Seminars & Exercises

Tri-services Future Warfare Course:A pioneering initiative by Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, this is a rank agnostic course for Major Generals to Majors and their equivalent level officers from other services. The course intends to acquaint the officers with the operational and technological aspects of modern warfare.  

Joint Exercises:

Exercise Prachand Prahar 2025: The Indian Armed Forces conducted a tri-service integrated multi-domain exercise, Prachand Prahar, in the high-altitude terrain of the Himalayas along the Northern Borders in Arunachal Pradesh. The three-day exercise, held from March 25 to 27, 2025, focused on coordinated operations involving the Army, Air Force, and Navy. 

Exercise Poorvi Prahar : Prachand Prahar follows Exercise Poorvi Prahar, last exercise was conducted in November 2024, which focused on the integrated application of aviation assets. The exercise validated integrated planning, command and control, and seamless execution of surveillance and firepower platforms across the three services, covering the full spectrum of conflict.

Exercise Desert Hunt 2025: An integrated Tri-Service Special Forces exercise named Exercise Desert Hunt 2025 was conducted by the Indian Air Force at Air Force Station Jodhpur from 24 to 28 February 2025. The exercise involved elite Para (Special Forces) from the Indian Army, the Marine Commandos from the Indian Navy along with the Garud (Special Forces) from the Indian Air Force, participating together in a simulated combat environment. This high-intensity drill was aimed at enhancing interoperability, coordination and synergy among the three Special Forces units to ensure swift and effective response towards emerging security challenges.

7. Technology Integration & Network-Centric Warfare

Defence Communication Network (DCN): The DCN is a strategic, exclusive, secure and state-of-the-art communication network. Implementation of DCN is a proof of strength of the Indian industry and has reaffirmed the emphasis of the Government on Make in India program. The DCN is a major step towards ensuring Network Centricity across the three Services, Integrated Defence Staff and Strategic Forces Command. The network provides converged voice, data and video services to the three Services based on secured system with adequate redundancy.

Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS): The Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) of the Indian Air Force provides the backbone for real-time coordination, enabling synchronized responses across multiple units of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. This system proved its mettle recently during the tensions between India and Pakistan post Operation SINDOOR.

8. ‘Year of Defence Reforms’ – 2025

Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh, with all the Secretaries of the Ministry of Defence unanimously decided to observe 2025 as the ‘Year of Reforms’ in the MoD. This would aim at transforming the Armed Forces into a technologically-advanced combat-ready force capable of multi-domain integrated operations. 

Minister of State for Defence  Shri Sanjay Seth will lead an Indian delegation at the 17th edition of Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA 2025), being held at Langkawi, Malaysia from May 20 to 24, 2025

BRICS Energy Ministers’ Meeting held on 19.5.2025 at Brazil  was participated by Union Minister of Power and Housing & Urban Affairs, Shri Manohar Lal. 

 

Seven committees  of all-party delegation will visit key countries to provide explanations regarding Operation Sindhur. One of the committees  is led by DMK MP Kanimozhi from Tamil Nadu. The group also includes Samajwadi Party MP Rajeev Rai, National Conference MP Mian Altaf Ahmad, BJP MP Brijesh Chowdhary, RJD party member Prem Chand Gupta, Aam Aadmi Party's Ashok Kumar Mittal, and envoys Manjeev S. Puri and Javed Ashraf. This delegation will visit countries including Spain, Greece, Slovenia, Latvia, and Russia to brief them about Operation Sindhur.

The total number of Aadhaar authentication transactions has crossed 150 billion mark, making it a milestone moment in the journey of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and for the broader Aadhaar ecosystem. The landmark highlights the extensive usage and utility of Aadhaar, and the growth of digital economy in the country. Ministry of Electronics and IT in a statement said that the cumulative number was achieved by the end of April 2025, since its inception.

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addressed the 78th Session of the World Health Assembly in Geneva on 20.5.2025 via videoconferencing. The theme of the World Health Assembly this year is ‘One World for Health’. 

 

The Ministry of Ayush’s vibrant and impactful participation at the ongoing World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, is receiving widespread appreciation for showcasing India’s holistic approach to health and wellbeing. Among various thematic offerings, Yoga has emerged as a major global attraction, drawing participants to daily sessions being held at the iconic India Pavilion -Bharat.

 

Mizoram a fully literate state :  Chief Minister of Mizoram, Shri Lalduhoma on  20th May 2025, officially declared Mizoram a fully literate state, marking a historic milestone in the state’s educational journey. With this achievement, Mizoram becomes the first state in India to attain full literacy.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) on 20.5.2025 extended the services of Tapan Kumar Deka as Director of the Intelligence Bureau for another year. Mr. Deka was appointed IB chief in 2022. This is the second time his tenure has been extended by a year. He will  remain in office at least until June 30, 2026.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday restored a minimum three years of legal practice as a mandatory condition to apply for entry-level judicial service. According to the judgement given by the Bench headed by Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai, all the High Courts and the State governments in the country shall amend the relevant service rules to the effect that candidates desirous of appearing in the examination for the post of Civil Judge (Junior Division) must have practised for a minimum period of three years to be eligible for the said examination”.

Manipur Commission got extension :  A three-member Commission of Inquiry formed on June 3, 2023, to investigate the series of violence in Manipur has been now given time till November 20, 2025, to submit its report, according to a latest notification issued by the Union home ministry on 20.5.2025.  The Commission of Inquiry, headed by former chief justice of the Gauhati high court, Ajai Lamba, was mandated to make inquiry with respect of the causes and spread of the violence and riots targeting members of different communities, which took place in Manipur since May 3, 2023.

Jayant Narlikar, one of India’s most distinguished astrophysicists who challenged the Big Bang theory, passes away. He first gained international recognition when, alongside the British astronomer Fred Hoyle, he proposed the ‘steady state’ model of the universe. 

• Dr. Narlikar was also widely admired for his literary contributions. His science-fiction story Dhoomaketu (The Comet) was adapted into a film, while his autobiography Chaar Nagarantale Maze Vishwa (My Tale of Four Cities) was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Prize.

• Dr. Narlikar was a friend of Stephen Hawking, they were both students at the University of Cambridge.

M.R. Srinivasan, former Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy, passed away in Udhagamandalam on Tuesday. He was 95.

• Dr. Srinivasan joined the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) in September 1955 and began his distinguished career working alongside Dr. Homi J. Bhabha on the construction of India’s first nuclear research reactor, Apsara, which achieved criticality in August 1956.

• In August 1959, he was appointed Principal Project Engineer for the construction of India’s first atomic power station. His leadership continued to shape the nation’s nuclear programme when, in 1967, he took charge as Chief Project Engineer of the Madras Atomic Power Station.

• Dr. Srinivasan held several key positions of national importance. In 1974, he became Director of the Power Projects Engineering Division, DAE, and in 1984, Chairman of the Nuclear Power Board. In these roles, he oversaw the planning, execution, and operation of all nuclear power projects across the country.

• In 1987, he was appointed Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy. That same year, he became the Founder-Chairman of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. (NPCIL). Under his leadership, 18 nuclear power units were developed — seven of which were operational, seven under construction, and four in the planning stage.

• Dr. Srinivasan was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 2015.

Diplomatic outreach on Operation Sindoor :  The government had constituted seven groups consisting of 51 MPs from various political parties to project a united national front before the world community while briefing them about Operation Sindoor that targeted nine terror hubs in Pakistan in response to Pahalgam attack. The delegation led by DMK MP Kanimozhi is set to visit Russia, Spain, Greece, Slovenia and Latvia.

Bihar government  approved a proposal to rename Gaya city as ‘Gaya Jee’.

The United Nations (U.N.) has lowered its growth projections for India for 2025-26 financial year and the next, to 6.3% and 6.4% respectively or 0.3 percentage points lower than earlier projections.The forecast is in line with slower growth forecast for global economy on heightened trade tensions and policy uncertainty.

The U.N.’s mid-year update of its World Economic Situation and Prospects 2025 report forecast global growth to slow to 2.4% in calendar year 2025 and to 2.5% in 2026 both lower by 0.4 percentage points than January projections.

 ‘Gyan Bharatam Mission’  : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on June 9 launch the revamped National Manuscripts Mission (NMM), announced in the Union Budget for 2025-26. The Gyan Bharatam Mission, which is expected to cover more than one crore manuscripts, will be responsible for the survey, documentation, and conservation of India’s manuscript heritage. To accommodate this new initiative, the Union Budget had hiked the budgetary allocation for the existing NMM from ₹3.5 crore to ₹60 crore. 

The NMM is a part of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts. It was set up in 2003. The NMM has till date, prepared a metadata of 52 lakh manuscripts and roughly over three lakh titles have been digitised.

- Source : The Hindu

Gautam Adani’s Adani Defence & Aerospace has signed a deal with a U.S. undersea warfare company Sparton (DeLeon Springs LLC)  to develop electronic sensors and navigation systems that could be used for anti-submarine warfare, and to assemble anti-submarine warfare (ASW) solutions for the Indian Navy. The partnership aims to localise the assembly of sonobuoys and other anti-submarine warfare systems in India under the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative.

Saroj Ghose, the founding Director-General of the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) and the father of India’s science museum movement, passed away at 89.

INSV Kaundinya :  The Indian Navy formally inducted and named the Ancient Stitched ship as INSV Kaundinya on 21.5.2025 at a ceremonial event held at Naval Base, Karwar. 

• INSV Kaundinya is a stitched sail ship, based on a 5th century CE ship depicted in the paintings of Ajanta Caves. The project was initiated through a tripartite agreement signed in Jul 2023 between the Ministry of Culture, the Indian Navy, and M/s Hodi Innovations, with funding from the Ministry of Culture. 

• Following the keel laying in September 2023, the vessel’s construction was undertaken using a traditional method of stitching by a team of skilled artisans from Kerala, led by master shipwright Shri Babu Sankaran. Over several months, the team painstakingly stitched wooden planks on the ship’s hull using coir rope, coconut fibre and natural resin. The ship was launched in Feb 2025 at Goa.

• The newly inducted vessel incorporates several culturally significant features. Her sails display motifs of the Gandabherunda and the Sun, her bow bears a sculpted Simha Yali , and a symbolic Harappan style stone anchor adorns her deck, each element evoking the rich maritime traditions of ancient India. Named after Kaundinya, the legendary Indian mariner who sailed across the Indian Ocean to Southeast Asia, the ship serves as a tangible symbol of India’s long-standing traditions of maritime exploration, trade, and cultural exchange.

• Inducted as an Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV), Kaundinya will be based at Karwar. The ship will now embark on her next historic phase, involving preparations for a transoceanic voyage along the ancient trade route from Gujarat to Oman, scheduled for later this year.

 “Second Blue Talks” : The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Government of India, in collaboration with the Embassy of France and the Embassy of Costa Rica in India, hosted the “Second Blue Talks” on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at Prithvi Bhawan, Lodhi Road, New Delhi. This event aimed to serve as a milestone in the lead-up to the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3), which will be held in Nice, France, from June 09-13, 2025. 

The 'Secretariat Reforms' report is a monthly report published by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions. This report provides a detailed study of ongoing efforts to transform administration and governance.

 

Economy (Unit V)

Government e Marketplace (GeM), India’s national public procurement portal, marked its 8th Incorporation Day : The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has appreciated  the GeM platform by saying the government's push for transparent governance gets a digital boost. The Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal was launched on August 9, 2016 by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, as an online platform to facilitate transparent and efficient public procurement of goods and services by government buyers. It is an online platform for public procurement in India, facilitating the purchase of goods and services by various government entities. 

Nationwide ‘Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan’ will be observed  during May 29, to 12 June 2025. The “Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan” will unify efforts from various agricultural bodies, including ICAR’s 113 research institutes, agriculture universities, state government departments, innovative farmers, and farmer-producer organizations (FPOs). This collaborative approach aims to align scientific research with real-time farming needs. 

As part of the initiative, 2,170 expert teams each comprising at least four scientists will visit over 65,000 villages across 723 districts between May 29 - June 12. These teams will include personnel from agricultural universities, research institutions, government departments, innovative farmers, and FPOs. They will conduct daily sessions morning, afternoon, and evening engaging directly with farmers. The teams will assess local agro-climatic conditions, soil nutrient profiles, water availability, and rainfall patterns. Using Soil Health Cards, they will recommend appropriate crops, high-yield seed varieties, ideal sowing techniques, and balanced fertilizer use, emphasizing scientific farming to lower costs and improve soil health.

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has begun sharing non-personal, anonymized data from the Aadhaar Dashboard on the open government data platform, data.gov.in.

• By making these non-personal and anonymized datasets accessible, UIDAI aims to support academic research, innovation in digital services, and collaborative developments.

• This initiative opens new avenues for evidence-based policy-making and technological innovation, furthering UIDAI’s commitment to transparency, public good, and secure data governance.

• It also aligns with the broader government vision of fostering evidence-based policy making and maximizing the value of open data for the public good. It is expected to further boost digital inclusion and governance efficiency.

India continues to be fastest growing major economy in 2025 -  United Nations Report :  According to the UN’s mid-year update of World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP),   India will remain the fastest-growing major economy in the world this year. While the growth figure has been slightly revised from the 6.6 percent forecast in January, India is still ahead of other big economies like China, US, and European Union. Next year, India’s economy is expected to grow by 6.4 percent, although that is a small step down from earlier expectations.  The UN said, the world economy is at a precarious moment, pointing to rising trade tensions and policy uncertainty. Many countries are now expected to grow slower than previously thought. India’s numbers look impressive when compared with other major economies.

China is expected to grow at 4.6%, the US at 1.6%, Japan at 0.7%, and the EU at just 1%. Germany may even see negative growth of -0.1%. The report also shared some good news on inflation and jobs in India. Inflation is likely to ease from 4.9% in 2024 to 4.3% in 2025, well within the central bank’s comfort zone.

 

Science  & Technology (Unit I)

‘Operation Olivia’ : In a major boost to marine conservation, the Indian Coast Guard’s (ICG) annual mission ‘Operation Olivia’ helped protect a record of over 6.98 lakh Olive Ridley turtles nested at the Rushikulya river mouth in Odisha during February 2025. Conducted annually from November to May, Operation Olivia is an important initiative of the ICG aimed at ensuring safe nesting grounds for Olive Ridley turtles particularly at Gahirmatha Beach and surrounding coastal areas of Odisha, which see the arrival of over eight lakh turtles each year. 

India’s Scientists design fast-charging & long-lasting sodium-ion battery : 

• A research team at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST)  led by Prof. Premkumar Senguttuvan  has developed a super-fast charging sodium-ion battery (SIB) based on a NASICON-type cathode and anode material, that can charge up to 80% in just six minutes and last over 3000 charge cycles.

• Unlike conventional SIBs that suffer from sluggish charging and short lifespan, this new battery uses a clever mix of chemistry and nanotechnology. The scientists led by Prof. Premkumar Senguttuvan and Ph.D. scholar Biplab Patra, engineered a novel material for the anode—Na₁.₀V₀.₂₅Al₀.₂₅Nb₁.₅(PO₄)₃—and optimized it in three critical ways --shrinking the particles to nanoscale, wrapping them in a thin carbon coat, and improving the anode material by adding a small amount of aluminium.  These tweaks made sodium ions move faster and more safely, enabling both speed and durability.

PSLV rocket failed to place the Earth observation satellite, EOS-09 : Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched Earth Observation Satellite, EOS-09, aboard the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C61) from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh on 18.5.2025. It was the 101st mission of ISRO’s  space programme. However,the mission ended with failure, as  the EOS-09  could not be accomplished as it encountered some technical problem during the third stage. The mission was planned to place  the EOS-09 into a Sun Synchronous Polar Orbit. The EOS-09 was  designed to provide continuous and reliable remote sensing data for operational applications across various sectors. The mission carried a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payload capable of providing images for various earth observation applications under all-weather conditions.

A team of surgeons from Southern California, US has performed the world’s first in-human bladder transplant, introducing a new, potentially life-changing procedure for people with debilitating bladder conditions.

World