State-level Achievement Survey 2025 (SLAS)

Students of Classes 3 and 5 have achieved better learning outcomes in Tamil with an average of 67% and 76% respectively, according to the State-level Achievement Survey 2025 (SLAS), which was released on 10.5.2025.

• In a first for the State, the survey was conducted by Samagra Shiksha, State Council of Educational Research and Training, Directorates of School Education and Elementary Education and supervised by the State Planning Commission to assess the learning outcomes of Classes 3, 5, and 8 students in government and aided schools.

• A total of 9,80,341 students from 45,924 schools took part in the survey. They were given a questionnaire containing 35-50 questions, which they had to answer in 90 minutes. As many as 38,670 final-year students from arts and engineering colleges served as field invigilators.

• Class 3 students achieved 67% in Tamil, 54% in Mathematics, and 76% in Environmental Science. The scores of Tamil, English and Environmental Science, are higher than the national averages, based on the 2021 National Achievement Survey results. The trend is similar with Class 5, which recorded 76% in Tamil, 51% in English, 57% in Environmental Science, and 57% in Mathematics.

• The report noted that the improvement in Class 3 and 5 was the effective implementation of Ennum Ezhuthum which enhanced student learning outcomes. However, as noticed in the National Achievement Survey of 2021, the scores in Mathematics and Science take a dip in Class 8, with the students scoring 38% and 37% respectively. 

• Across the classes, there was a progressive decline in English too with class 3 at 69%, class 5 at 51% and class 8 at 38%. 

Image Source : The Hindu 

The book titled “100 Years of Tiruppur” written by senior journalist Mr. R. Subramanian was released by the Honorable Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

9th World Islamic Tamil Literature Conference was held at M.I.E.T. Engineering College in Tiruchirappalli.

The Muthamizh Arignar Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi Integrated Bus Terminus, constructed at a cost of 408.36 crore rupees in Panchapur, Tiruchirappalli city, and the Perarignar Anna Heavy Goods Vehicle Terminus, built at a cost of 128.94 crore rupees, were inaugurated by the Honorable Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Mr. M.K. Stalin, on 9.5.2025.

‘Suvadugal’ : The Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department of Government of Tamil Nadu has initiated steps for an ambitious project to create a digital repository titled ‘Suvadugal’ to document and preserve the traditional performing arts of Adi Dravidar and tribal communities across Tamil Nadu. Several art forms practised by the Adi Dravidar and tribal communities are now on the verge of extinction. More than 560 art forms are still performed by these communities across the State. Some notable examples include Singari Melam from Dindigul, Radha Kavadi from Nagapattinam, Kaniyan Koothu from Tirunelveli, Periya Melam from Tiruvannamalai, Perum Parai from Anthiyur, and Malai Koothu from Dharmapuri. Bootha Kabala Aatam is a unique ritualistic performance seen only at specific temples in Dharmapuri district. 

Tamil Nadu Cabinet  reshuffle on 8th May 2025 :  Minister Duraimurugan  was allotted the law portfolio and his erstwhile minerals and mines portfolio was allotted to his Cabinet colleague S. Regupathy. Mr. Regupathy previously held the law portfolio; he has been designated as the Minister for Natural Resources.  

"Innuyir Kaappom scheme will operate independently in Tamil Nadu. If the central government relaxes conditions, we will coordinate with them," said Health Minister Subramanian.

• In Tamil Nadu, the 'Innuyir Kaappom - Nammai Kaakkum 48' scheme has been operational since 2021.

• Under this scheme, road accident victims are immediately rescued and admitted to nearby government and private hospitals, with the Tamil Nadu government covering medical expenses for the first 48 hours up to a maximum of 2 lakh rupees.

• Over the past three years, 3.57 lakh people have received free accident injury treatment through this scheme. The government has spent 318.89 crore rupees for this purpose.

• Meanwhile, the central government has announced that "across the country, medical expenses up to 1.50 lakh rupees will be covered for those involved in road accidents to ensure immediate treatment."

• However, the central scheme has imposed seven types of restrictions, including case registration within the first 3 hours of the accident. The Tamil Nadu scheme has no such restrictions.

• Under the state scheme, victims from any state or country receive immediate treatment without any documentation, and most lives are saved. The state government provides 2 lakh rupees for this purpose. If implemented with the central government's conditions, the number of beneficiaries would decrease.

• Meanwhile, a request will be made to relax the central government's conditions. If the central government relaxes these conditions, which add pressure to those involved in unexpected accidents, the Innuyir Kaappom scheme will coordinate with that program. Until then, it will operate independently.

Quaid-e-Millat  library : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has announced that the new library to be constructed in Tirunelveli will be named after Quaid-e-Millat (Muhammed Ismail). 

Industrial Growth in Tamil Nadu  : 

• A total of 897 Memoranda of Understanding signed for investment proposals to the tune of ₹10,27,547 crore, and creating employment for 32.23 lakh people, have made Tamil Nadu numero uno in the country in terms of industrial growth.

• An official release listed the sectors in which Tamil Nadu has excelled, the aggregate of which made the State achieve an economic growth of 9.69%. The exports from Tamil Nadu, which stood at 26.16 billion USD in 2020-21, increased to 52.07 billion USD in 2024-25, it said.

• By exporting electronic goods worth 14.65 billion USD, Tamil Nadu stood number one in the country, surpassing Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Karnataka. As for employment opportunities created both in the public and private sectors, the government said that the number of workers increased from 2.9 crore in 2020-21 to 3.87 crore by 2024-25.

• While the crime rate against women was 66.4 per lakh population nationally, it was 24 [per lakh population] in Tamil Nadu, it added. As for the global skill centres, Chennai, with a growth rate of 24.5% and 94,121 skill centres, has surpassed Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and other cities, in the country, it said.

India (Unit III) 

Sample Registration System (SRS) 2021 Report:

• Total Fertility Rate (TFR) in 2021 stayed at 2.0, unchanged from 2020 (SRS report by Registrar-General of India, May 7).

• Bihar recorded highest TFR (3.0); Delhi and West Bengal lowest (1.4).

• Population aged 0-14 dropped from 41.2% (1971) to 24.8% (2021); 15-59 years rose from 53.4% to 66.2%.

• Elderly population: 65+ grew from 5.3% to 5.9%; 60+ from 6% to 9% by 2021.

• 2024 Interim Budget: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a committee for population growth and demographic challenges.

• Census (last in 2011) pending since 2021; SRS surveys 84 lakh people across 8,842 units.

• Elderly population highest in Kerala (14.4%), Tamil Nadu (12.9%), Himachal Pradesh (12.3%); lowest in Bihar (6.9%), Assam (7%), Delhi (7.1%).

• Mean female marriage age rose from 19.3 years (1990) to 22.5 years (2021).

• Replacement TFR (2.1) achieved nationally; states below 2.1: Delhi (1.4), West Bengal (1.4), Tamil Nadu (1.5), Andhra Pradesh (1.5), Jammu and Kashmir (1.5), Kerala (1.5), Maharashtra (1.5), Punjab (1.5), Himachal Pradesh (1.6), Telangana (1.6), Karnataka (1.6), Odisha (1.8), Uttarakhand (1.8), Gujarat (2.0), Haryana (2.0), Assam (2.1). Buddha Purnima 2025:

National Technology Day  - May 11

• National Technology Day is celebrated on May 11 in India to commemorate the country’s landmark achievements in science and technology, most notably the successful nuclear tests conducted at Pokhran in 1998, known as Operation Shakti. 
• The date also marks other significant technological milestones from May 11, 1998, including the successful test flight of Hansa-3, India’s first indigenous aircraft, and the successful test launch of the Trishul missile by DRDO. The day was officially designated as National Technology Day by then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1999 to honor these achievements and to inspire further innovation and self-reliance in technology. 
• Official theme for National Technology Day 2025 — “YANTRA – Yugantar for Advancing New Technology, Research & Acceleration 
• This theme, announced by the Technology Development Board (TDB) under the Department of Science and Technology, highlights India's transition from technology adaptation to global technology leadership. "YANTRA" symbolizes both mechanical ingenuity and the power of systems and scalable solutions, while "Yugantar" signifies an epochal shift in India's technological journey.
• India's first nuclear test (Pokhran-I) was conducted on May 18, 1974, in the Pokhran desert, Rajasthan (codenamed "Smiling Buddha").
• The Pokhran-II tests (codenamed "Operation Shakti") were carried out on May 11 and 13, 1998, at the same location.

The Sixth Meeting of the Group of Friends of Traditional Medicine (GFTM) was successfully held on May 9, 2025, at the Permanent Mission of India (PMI) in Geneva. The meeting brought together ambassador’s representatives from various countries committed to strengthening the role of traditional medicine in global healthcare systems.

Building on the Gujarat Declaration and the success of past meetings, this gathering supports key global initiatives—particularly the WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034 and the upcoming Second WHO Global Traditional Medicine Summit, to be held in India from 2–4 December 2025.

India witnesses a steady downward trend in maternal and child mortality towards achievement of SDG 2030 targets

• As per the Sample Registration System (SRS) Report 2021 released by the Registrar General of India (RGI), on 07th May, 2025, India has continued to witness a significant improvement in key maternal and child health indicators.
• As per the Special Bulletin on Maternal Mortality in India, 2019-21 based on the Sample Registration System (SRS), the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) of the country has shown a marked reduction, declining by 37 points from 130 per lakh live births in 2014–16 to 93 in 2019–21.
• Similarly, as per the Sample Registration System Statistical Report 2021, the downward trend of child mortality indicators continued. The Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) of the country has declined from 39 per 1000 live births in 2014 to 27 per 1000 live births in 2021. Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR) has declined from 26 per 1000 live births in 2014 to 19 per 1000 live births in 2021. Under-Five Mortality Rate (U5MR) has declined from 45 per 1000 live births in 2014 to 31 per 1000 live births in 2021. The Sex Ratio at Birth improves from 899 in 2014 to 913 in 2021. Total Fertility Rate is consistent at 2.0 in 2021, which is a significant improvement from 2.3 in 2014.

As per SRS 2021 Report,

• Eight (8) States have already attained SDG target of MMR (<=70 by 2030): Kerala (20), Maharashtra (38), Telangana (45), Andhra Pradesh (46), Tamil Nadu (49), Jharkhand (51), Gujarat (53), Karnataka (63).

• Twelve (12) States/UT have already attained SDG target of U5MR (<=25 by 2030): Kerala (8), Delhi (14), Tamil Nadu (14), Jammu & Kashmir (16), Maharashtra (16), West Bengal (20), Karnataka (21), Punjab (22), Telangana (22), Himachal Pradesh (23), Andhra Pradesh (24) and Gujarat (24).

• Six (6) States/ UT have already attained SDG target of NMR (<=12 by 2030): Kerala (4), Delhi (8), Tamil Nadu (9), Maharashtra (11), Jammu & Kashmir (12) and Himachal Pradesh (12).

• Further, India's Progress in reduction of Maternal and Child mortality indicators outpaces Global Averages.
• As per the current United Nation Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-agency Group (UN-MMEIG) Report 2000-2023, published on 07 April 2025, India’s MMR has reduced by 23 points from 2020 to 2023.  By this achievement, MMR of India has now declined by 86% compared to global reduction of 48% over the past 33 years from 1990 to 2023. 

Significant achievement has been highlighted in reduction of Child Mortality in India in the United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME) Report 2024, published on 24 March, 2025. India is among the top performer countries with reduction in Child Mortality Rates. As per the Report, India achieved a 78% decline in the Under-Five Mortality Rate (U5MR) surpassing the global reduction of 61%; 70% decline in the Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR) compared to 54% globally, and 71% decline in the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) compared to 58% globally, over the past 33 years from 1990 to 2023.

• Maternal Mortality Ratio drops significantly from 130 to 93 per lakh live births
• Infant Mortality Rate declined from 39 per 1000 live births in 2014 to 27 per 1000 live births in 2021
• Neonatal Mortality Rate falls from 26 per 1000 live births in 2014 to 19 per 1000 live births in 2021
• Under-Five Mortality Rate has dropped from 45 per 1000 live births in 2014 to 31 per 1000 live births in 2021
• Fertility Rate is consistent at 2.0 in 2021
• Sex Ratio at Birth improves from 899 to 913

India strongly opposed this $1 billion bailout package for Pakistan by abstaining from the vote and raising serious concerns. India criticized Pakistan’s poor track record with IMF programs, noting Pakistan’s chronic reliance on IMF bailouts-28 programs in 35 years-and failure to implement sustained reforms

 International Monetary Fund (IMF) has completed the first review of Pakistan's Extended Fund Facility (EFF) lending program, releasing $1 billion, and has also approved a new Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) lending program worth about $1.3 to $1.4 billion to Pakistan. These funds are part of a broader $7 billion IMF program aimed at supporting Pakistan’s economic reforms and climate resilience efforts.

The three Jansuraksha schemes have completed 10 years of providing social security cover. The three schemes-  Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) and Atal Pension Yojana (APY) were launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 9th May 2015. All three schemes were envisioned to extend affordable financial protection to all, particularly the underserved and vulnerable sections of society. These flagship schemes aim to broaden the insurance and pension landscape by shielding citizens against life’s uncertainties and fostering long-term financial resilience.

1. Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY)

Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) is designed to provide Life Insurance cover for death due to any reason at premium of less than Rs. 2/- per day.

Key feature of the scheme:  PMJJBY is a one-year cover, renewable from year to year. The scheme is offered / administered through LIC and other Life Insurance companies willing to offer the product on similar terms with necessary approvals and tie ups with Banks / Post office for this purpose. Participating banks/ Post office are free to engage any such life insurance company for implementing the scheme for their subscribers.

Eligibility Conditions: All Individual bank/ Post office account holders of the participating banks/ Post office in the age group of 18 to 50 years, who give their consent to join / enable auto-debit, are entitled to join the scheme. In case of multiple bank / Post office accounts held by an individual in one or different banks/ Post office, the person is eligible to join the scheme through one bank/ Post office account only.

Enrolment period: The cover shall be for one-year period stretching from 1st June to 31st May for which option to join / pay by auto-debit from the designated individual bank / Post office account on the prescribed forms will be required to be given by 31st May of every year.

Premium: Rs.436/- per annum per member. The premium will be deducted from the account holder’s bank / Post office account through ‘auto debit’ facility in one instalment, as per the option given, at the time of enrolment under the scheme. 

Benefits: Rs.2 lakh is payable on subscriber’s death due to any cause. Lien period of 30 days shall be applicable from the date of enrolment.

Achievements: As on 23.04.2025, the cumulative enrolments under PMJJBY have been more than 23.63 crore

2. Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY)

Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) is structured to provide accidental death and disability cover for death or disability on account of an accident, up to Rs 2 Lakhs to persons aged between 18-70 years, at a minimal premium of less than Rs. 2/- per month.

Key feature of the scheme:  PMSBY is a one-year cover, renewable from year to year. The scheme is offered / administered through Public Sector General Insurance Companies (PSGICs) and other General Insurance companies willing to offer the product on similar terms with necessary approvals and tie up with Banks / Post office for this purpose. Participating banks / Post office will be free to engage any such insurance company for implementing the scheme for their subscribers.

Eligibility Conditions: All Individual bank/ Post office account holders of the participating banks/ Post office in the age group of 18 to 70 years, who give their consent to join / enable auto-debit, are entitled to join the scheme. In case of multiple bank / Post office accounts held by an individual in one or different banks/ Post office, the person is eligible to join the scheme through one bank/ Post office account only.

Enrolment period: The cover shall be for one-year period stretching from 1st June to 31st May for which option to join / pay by auto-debit from the designated individual bank / Post office account on the prescribed forms will be required to be given by 31st May of every year.

Premium: Rs.20/- per annum per member. The premium will be deducted from the account holder’s bank / Post office account through ‘auto debit’ facility in one instalment, as per the option given, at the time of enrolment under the scheme.

Benefits: As per the following table:

Achievements: As on 23.04.2025, the cumulative enrolments under PMSBY have been more than 51.06 crore 

3. Atal Pension Yojana (APY)

The Atal Pension Yojana (APY) was launched to create a universal social security system for all Indians, especially the poor, the under-privileged and the workers in the unorganised sector. It is an initiative of the Government to provide financial security and cover future exigencies for the people in the unorganised sector. APY is administered by Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) under the overall administrative and institutional architecture of the National Pension System (NPS).

Eligibility: APY is open to all bank account holders in the age group of 18 to 40 years who are not income tax payers and the contributions differ, based on pension amount chosen.

Benefits: Subscribers would receive the guaranteed minimum monthly pension of Rs. 1000 or Rs. 2000 or Rs. 3000 or Rs. 4000 or Rs. 5000 after the age of 60 years, based on the contributions made by the subscriber after joining the scheme.

Disbursement of the Scheme Benefits: The monthly pension is available to the subscriber, and after him to his spouse and after their death, the pension corpus, as accumulated at age 60 of the subscriber, would be returned to the nominee of the subscriber.

In case of premature death of subscriber (death before 60 years of age), spouse of the subscriber can continue contribution to APY account of the subscriber, for the remaining vesting period, till the original subscriber would have attained the age of 60 years.

Payment frequency: Subscribers can make contributions to APY on monthly/ quarterly / half-yearly basis.

Union Government empowers Chief of Army Staff to call personnel of Territorial Army : 

Central Government empowered Chief of the Army Staff to call out every officer and personnel of the Territorial Army to provide for essential guard or for supporting and supplementing the regular army. The powers were given to Army Chief under Territorial Army Rule 1948. In a gazette notification, the Ministry of Defence embodied 14 Infantry Battalions out of the existing 32 Infantry Battalions of Territorial Army in the areas of Southern Command, Eastern Command, Western Command, Central Command, Northern Command, South Western Command, Andaman and Nicobar Command and Army Training Command (ARTRAC). This order will remain in force for three years till 9th of February 2028.

The Jenu Kuruba tribe returned to their ancestral village in the Nagarhole Tiger Reserve. This marks assertion of Indigenous rights in India. After being evicted 40 years ago, over 50 families have begun rebuilding their homes. The Jenu Kuruba is recognized as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG), primarily found in the Kodagu and Mysore districts of Karnataka. The name "Jenu Kuruba" originates from Kannada, where "jenu" means honey.

Jenu Kuruba have made occupation to assert their rights under 

the  Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.

Cashless treatment scheme for road accident victims : 

• The government has notified cashless treatment scheme for road accident victims nationwide, under which they will be entitled to a maximum amount of Rs 1.5 lakh per accident per person.The scheme has come into force with effect from May 5, 2025.
• Any person being a victim of a road accident arising out of the use of a motor vehicle, occurring on any road, shall be entitled to cashless treatment in accordance with the provisions of this scheme.
• The National Health Authority (NHA) shall be the implementing agency for the programme, in coordination with police, hospitals and State Health Agencies etc.
• The victim shall be entitled to cashless treatment at any designated hospital for an amount up to one lakh fifty thousand rupees per victim for a maximum period of seven days from the date of such accident.
• The treatment under this scheme (Cashless Treatment of Road Accident Victims Scheme, 2025) at a hospital other than a designated hospital shall be for stabilisation purposes only and shall be as specified by the guidelines.
• As per the notification, the State Road Safety Council shall be the nodal agency for implementation of the scheme for that state or Union Territory and would be responsible for coordinating with the National Health Authority for adoption and utilisation of the portal for onboarding of designated hospitals, treatment of victims, payment to the designated hospital on treatment and related matters.
• Previously, on March 14, 2024, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) had launched a pilot programme to provide cashless treatment to road accident victims.

University Grants Commission Approves Illinois Institute of Technology's Mumbai Campus : The Illinois Institute of Technology, located in Chicago, USA, has received approval from the University Grants Commission to establish its campus in Mumbai. The Indian campus, which is planned to open between September and November next year, will admit students for undergraduate and postgraduate degree programs in key fields such as computer science, engineering, and business.

‘Arnala’, the first of the eight ASW SWCs (Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft), indigenously designed and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, was delivered to the Indian Navy on 08 May 25 at M/s L&T Shipyard, Kattupalli.

• The warship has been designed and constructed as per the Classification Rules of Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) of GRSE with M/s L&T Shipyard, thus demonstrating the success of collaborative defence manufacturing.

• Arnala is named after the historic fort ‘Arnala’ located off Vasai, Maharashtra, a reflection of India’s rich maritime heritage. The 77 m long warship, is the largest Indian Naval warship propelled by a Diesel Engine-Waterjet combination. The ship has been designed for underwater surveillance, search & rescue operations and Low Intensity Maritime Operations (LIMO). The ship is capable of undertaking ASW operations in coastal waters, along with advanced mine laying capabilities. The induction of ASW SWC ships would significantly boost shallow water Anti-Submarine Warfare capabilities of the Indian Navy.

• Arnala’s delivery is yet another milestone in the Indian Navy’s quest for indigenous shipbuilding and upholding the Government’s vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ with over 80% indigenous content.

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