NATIONAL NEWS

Maharashtra Unveils ‘Adishakti Abhiyan’

To honor the 300th birth anniversary of Ahilyabai Holkar, the Maharashtra government has launched the Adishakti Abhiyan, a Rs 10.50 crore campaign aimed at strengthening delivery of women’s and children’s welfare schemes.

The initiative targets key social challenges at the grassroots level and seeks to boost women’s participation in local governance.

It focuses on reducing child malnutrition, maternal and infant mortality through improved scheme outreach.

It aims to prevent child marriage and tackle gender-based violence via village-to-state-level committees.

It encourages female representation in Panchayati Raj Institutions, with mandatory Panchayat Samiti involvement.

Introduces awards to honor outstanding Gram Panchayats for effective implementation—evaluated annually from January to December.

It also establishes committees at village, taluka, district, divisional, and state levels, collaborating with Anganwadi workers and Taluka Protection Officers.

Kerala Launches ‘Jyothi’ Scheme

Kerala has introduced the ‘Jyothi’ scheme to enrol children of migrant workers in public schools and anganwadis, ensuring educational continuity, healthcare access, and social inclusion despite frequent relocations.

Children 3–6 years to join anganwadis, while those 6+ years will be admitted into public schools.

A month-long outreach led by local self-governments, Kudumbashree workers, teachers, and PTAs to map and register migrant settlements.

SCERT will develop language-bridging and culturally sensitive modules for smoother classroom adaptation.

It provides regular health check-ups, medical camps, and hygiene awareness sessions to safeguard children’s well-being.

Creation of public activity spaces for arts, sports, and cultural exchange to foster social integration.

It is designed to maintain academic progression across seasonal migrations, reducing drop-out risks and promoting inclusive development.

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

India and Chile Sign Terms of Reference

The Indian government signed a Terms of Reference for the proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with Chile in New Delhi on May 9, 2025.

The agreements will kickstart the negotiation between the two countries on CEPA, which will broaden and deepen their trade and investments.

The agreement was signed after India and Chile agreed to launch negotiations on CEPA during Chilean President Gabriel Boric Font's visit to India from 1 to 6 April 2025.

Preferential Trade Agreements (PTA) and comprehensive economic partnership agreements (CEPA) are agreements between two countries or blocs that promote trade and investment by reducing or eliminating tariffs on selected goods and services.

India and Chile signed a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) in March 2006. Later, more goods were added to the PTA, which was expanded and implemented on 16 May 2017.

Both countries want to expand their trade and investment ties and upgrade the PTA to CEPA.

The CEPA will cover critical minerals, MSME (Micro Small and Medium Enterprises), digital services, cross-border investment, and other areas.

Both countries will hold the first round of discussions on CEPA in New Delhi from 26 to 30 May 2025.

 

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Starlink Receives Telecom Department’s Approval Letter to Launch Satellite Communication Services

The Indian government granted approval for Starlink, a satellite internet service by SpaceX, to provide satellite communication services in India.

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) issued a Letter of Intent (LoI) to Starlink.

Starlink uses a constellation of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, with around 7,000 satellites currently in orbit, expected to expand to over 40,000.

This enables high-speed, low-latency broadband internet services globally, including for streaming, gaming, and video calls.

Starlink agreed to the security terms specified by the Indian government.

The approval comes alongside the Indian government's heightened security measures for satcom services.

The Indian government issued licences to other satellite players, such as Eutelsat One Web and Jio Satellite Communications.

These companies can start their services after receiving radio wave frequency allocations.

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is finalizing recommendations for allocating satellite communication spectrum on an administrative basis.

The government has implemented stringent security rules for satellite communication providers.

India’s Gaganyaan Mission Reaches Final Phase, Crewed Launch Scheduled for 2027

India's first human space mission, Gaganyaan, has entered its final phase, with the first human spaceflight scheduled for the first quarter of 2027.

The mission will enable India to demonstrate its capability in human space exploration and bolster the nation's standing in the global space community.

TheTV-D1 mission and the first uncrewed Test Vehicle Abort Mission were successfully completed, laying a solid foundation for upcoming missions.

The second Test Vehicle mission (TV-D2) is scheduled for later in 2025, followed by uncrewed orbital flights of Gaganyaan.

The crewed mission is expected in 2026, where Indian astronauts will be launched into orbit aboard an Indian rocket, marking a significant milestone for India's space program.

India aims to join an elite group of nations with the capability to independently develop human spaceflight.

The total funding for the Gaganyaan Programme has been enhanced to ₹20,193 crore, with an additional net funding of ₹11,170 crore.

 

BANKING

Finance Ministry Releases Draft 'Climate Taxonomy' Framework

The Finance Ministry has released the draft ‘Framework of India’s Climate Finance Taxonomy’ to direct investment towards clean energy projects and infrastructure that can withstand climate change-related weather threats.

The taxonomy aims to guide investments in climate-friendly technologies and activities to help India achieve Net Zero by 2070.

It will also ensure long-term access to reliable and affordable energy while preventing green-washing and aligning with the Viksit Bharat vision for 2047.

A climate finance taxonomy classifies which parts of the economy are consistent with sustainable investments and guides investors and banks in directing funds to impactful projects.

Developed countries pledged $300 billion annually by 2035 as the New Collective Quantified Goal for climate finance, but the actual requirement is $1.35 trillion, with disagreement over the definition of climate finance.

 

DEFENCE

INS Kiltan Reaches Singapore for IMDEX Asia 2025

INS Kiltan arrived in Singapore to participate in IMDEX Asia 2025, held at the Changi Exhibition Centre.

The visit is part of the Indian Navy’s operational deployment and highlights the strong maritime partnership between India and Singapore.

The crew of INS Kiltan will take part in bilateral and multilateral activities, including professional exchanges with the Republic of Singapore Navy and other navies.

Activities include guided tours for school children, cross-deck visits with other navies, and curated visits for defence industries to promote maritime security and India’s naval heritage.

 

SPORTS

Chair of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Coordination Commission

Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski has been appointed as the Chair of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Coordination Commission for the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane, Australia.

Cojuangco-Jaworski is a former equestrian athlete who represented the Philippines

She has been a member of the IOC Executive Board (EB) since 2020.

The previous chair, Kirsty Coventry, became the first female IOC President and will take over from Thomas Bach in late June.

She was previously an evaluation committee member for the Paris 2024 Olympics and will serve the same role for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

As Chair of the Coordination Commission, she will oversee the planning and delivery of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games.

She trained in Australia for two decades during her competitive equestrian career, which included gold and silver medals at the 2002 Asian Games.

 

IMPORTANT DAYS

Victory Day

Victory Day is celebrated every year on May 9.

Victory Day is celebrated as one of the biggest holidays in Russia commemorating the history of the surrender of Nazi Germany during the second world war in 1945.

Victory Day is celebrated as one of the grand celebrations in Russia as this day commemorates the holiday.

This day was first inaugurated in the 15 republics of the Soviet Union and then followed by the German Instrument of Surrender.

After the signing ceremony in Berlin, the Soviet government announced the victory day as a holiday.

The Russian government officially announced May 9 as a holiday in 1991.

Some of the countries in Western Europe mark 8th May as Victory Day.