253 exam-relevant headlines, written simply. Read the bold fact in each — that's what exams ask.
World Laughter Day was celebrated on the first Sunday of May 2025. The day was started by Dr Madan Kataria, founder of the Laughter Yoga movement.
The government's 'One State One Regional Rural Bank' reform took effect from May 1, 2025, amalgamating 43 Regional Rural Banks into 28.
Japan's Ministry of Finance reported that Germany had overtaken Japan as the world's largest creditor nation, with Japan's foreign net assets second for the first time in 34 years.
Bangladesh's central bank introduced new banknotes of Tk 20, 50 and 1,000 that do not carry the portrait of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Botswana was awarded the WHO's Gold Tier status in recognition of its progress against HIV, becoming one of the few countries so honoured.
Lieutenant Commander Yashasvi Solanki became the first woman naval officer appointed as Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to the President of India.
A 20 MW/40 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) at Kilokari in Delhi became South Asia's largest grid-connected battery storage system.
The Ayush ministry launched the Ayush Nivesh Saarthi portal, a single-window digital guide to attract and facilitate investment in the Ayush sector.
The 78th World Health Assembly (May 19-27, 2025) adopted the world's first WHO Pandemic Agreement, aimed at better global preparedness for future pandemics.
Luis Montenegro was reappointed Prime Minister of Portugal after his centre-right alliance won the May 2025 general election.
The World Anti-Doping Agency re-elected Witold Banka as its President and appointed Chinese former Olympic champion Yang Yang as Vice-President.
DRDO inaugurated a Quantum Technology Research Centre at Metcalfe House, Delhi, to push research in quantum communication, sensing and computing for defence use.
International Workers' Day was observed on May 1, 2025. The day remembers the 1886 Haymarket affair in Chicago and honour the contributions of workers. In India, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi launched the 'Odisha Shramik Sathi' app for the state's workers on the occasion.
A major reshuffle at the top of the Indian Armed Forces came into effect on May 1, 2025. Air Marshal Narmadeshwar Tiwari took over as the 49th Vice Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit became the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff, and Lt Gen Pratik Sharma took charge as GOC-in-C of the Northern Command.
Angola President Joao Lourenco paid a state visit to India from May 1-4, 2025, the first visit by an Angolan President in 38 years. India announced a 200 million dollar Line of Credit for modernisation of Angola's armed forces, and three MoUs were signed. Angola also became the 123rd member of the International Solar Alliance.
The World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025 was held from May 1-4, 2025 at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai, inaugurated by PM Modi. With the theme 'Connecting Creators, Connecting Countries', the summit saw industry deals worth about Rs 1,328 crore and representatives of 77 countries endorsed the WAVES Declaration on artificial intelligence. The Indian Institute of Creative Technology (IICT) was also launched.
India and the United Kingdom signed a Programme of Cultural Cooperation in New Delhi. It was signed by Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat with UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, who was on a visit to India from May 1-3, 2025.
World Tuna Day was observed on May 2, 2025 to raise awareness about the importance of sustainably managed tuna stocks. The day was designated by the United Nations.
Meghalaya hosted its Strawberry Festival on May 2-3, 2025. The state had produced about 1,220 metric tonnes of strawberries in 2024, making it one of the leading strawberry producers in the country.
The 74th FIFA Congress in Bangkok voted 119-78 to award the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup to Brazil, rejecting the joint bid of Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. Brazil became the first South American host of the tournament, which will feature 32 teams.
International Leopard Day was observed on May 3, 2025. As per the NTCA's 'Status of Leopards 2022' report, India has 13,874 leopards, with Madhya Pradesh home to the largest population.
FC Goa won the Kalinga Super Cup title, beating Jamshedpur FC 3-0 in the final at Bhubaneswar. Goa became the first club to win the Super Cup twice.
Anthony Albanese's Labor Party won Australia's federal election held on May 3, 2025, winning about 70 seats. Albanese became the first Australian Prime Minister in about two decades to win a second consecutive term.
Renowned yoga guru Swami Sivananda Saraswati passed away at the age of 128. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2022 and was known for teaching yoga for nearly a century.
McLaren's Oscar Piastri won the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix on May 4, 2025. It was his third straight win of the 2025 season.
Yemen appointed Salem Saleh Bin Braik as its new Prime Minister on May 4, 2025, replacing Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak.
The first High Level Joint Defence Cooperation exercise between India and the Maldives was followed by the first India-Maldives HADR exercise held from May 4-10, 2025 at Maafilaafushi, with INS Sharda participating. It aligned with India's MAHASAGAR vision for the Indian Ocean region.
The Asian Development Bank's 58th Annual Meeting was held in Milan, Italy from May 4-7, 2025 with the theme 'Sharing Experience, Building Tomorrow'. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman led the Indian delegation, and ADB President Masato Kanda attended. ADB had committed about USD 5 billion to India in 2024.
China won the Sudirman Cup mixed team badminton championship for a record 14th time, beating South Korea 3-1 in the final at Xiamen. India finished ninth.
Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched India's first genome-edited rice varieties, 'DRR Dhan 100 (Kamla)' and 'Pusa DST Rice 1', developed by ICAR using CRISPR-Cas gene editing. The varieties follow the 'Minus 5 Plus 10' strategy of reducing inputs and raising yields.
Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh announced India's first inter-state cheetah corridor covering about 17,000 sq km across 27 districts. The corridor links the Kuno, Gandhi Sagar and Mukundara Hills landscapes.
Dr Sanjay Jaiswal was appointed chair of the Estimates Committee for 2025-26, while Baijayant 'Jay' Panda was reappointed chair of the Committee on Public Undertakings.
The United States Trade Representative released its annual Special 301 Report, which again placed India on the Priority Watch List over concerns related to intellectual property protection.
The RBI imposed monetary penalties on five banks, together amounting to Rs 2.52 crore. ICICI Bank was fined Rs 97.80 lakh, Bank of Baroda Rs 61.40 lakh, Bank of Maharashtra and IDBI Bank Rs 31.80 lakh each, and Axis Bank Rs 29.60 lakh.
DRDO carried out the maiden trial of its stratospheric airship from Sheopur in Madhya Pradesh. The airship reached an altitude of about 17 km and flew for 62 minutes; it was developed by ADRDE.
Prakash Magdum was appointed Managing Director of the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) in early May 2025.
The Union Cabinet approved greenfield airport projects at Kota in Rajasthan, costing about Rs 1,507 crore, and at Puri in Odisha, costing about Rs 5,631 crore.
The Cashless Treatment of Road Accident Victims Scheme came into effect on May 5, 2025, providing cashless treatment of up to Rs 1.5 lakh per victim. The scheme is implemented by the National Health Authority.
At the World Bank Land Conference held from May 5-8, 2025, India was named a Country Champion. India's SVAMITVA scheme for rural property mapping was showcased at the event.
TCS and IBM announced the Quantum Valley Tech Park at Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh, housing IBM's Quantum System Two computer with the 156-qubit Heron processor.
The UNDP's Human Development Report 2025 placed India 130th out of 193 countries with an HDI score of 0.685, in the medium human development category. Iceland topped the index with a score of 0.972. The report's analysis focused on the digital transformation driven by artificial intelligence.
Friedrich Merz was elected Germany's 10th post-war Chancellor, winning 325 of 630 votes in a second-round ballot in the Bundestag after losing the first round.
India's retail inflation (CPI) for March 2025 stood at 3.34 percent, the lowest in 67 months, as per a State Bank of India report.
On May 7, 2025, the Indian armed forces launched Operation Sindoor, striking nine terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. The strikes targeted camps of LeT and JeM using Rafale, Mirage 2000 and Su-30 MKI aircraft launched from Indian airspace. The tri-service briefing was given by Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.
Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from Test cricket on May 7, 2025. He finished with 9,230 runs and 30 centuries in 123 Tests, having captained India in 24 Tests with 12 wins. He continued to be available for ODIs.
The Union Cabinet approved the National Scheme for ITI Upgradation with an outlay of Rs 60,000 crore, along with five National Centres of Excellence for skilling. The scheme aims to skill 20 lakh youth over five years.
The Union Cabinet approved development of five new IITs at Tirupati, Palakkad, Bhilai, Jammu and Dharwad at a total cost of Rs 11,828 crore.
India rolled out chip-based e-passports across the country. The passports carry an embedded RFID chip storing the holder's data, building on the PSP-V2.0 system piloted from April 1, 2024.
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) observed its Raising Day on May 7, 2025. The BRO, raised in 1960, builds and maintains strategic roads and tunnels along India's borders.
Maharashtra launched the 'Adishakti Abhiyan' campaign with an allocation of Rs 10.50 crore to mark the 300th birth anniversary of Ahilyabai Holkar, the 18th-century queen of Malwa.
Nicaragua announced it would leave UNESCO effective December 31, 2026. The decision came after UNESCO awarded its 2025 Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize to the Nicaraguan newspaper La Prensa.
The 12th Global Space Exploration Conference (GLEX 2025) was held in New Delhi from May 7-9, 2025. ISRO reiterated its plan to build the Bharatiya Antariksh Station, India's own space station, by 2035.
The government extended the tenure of CBI Director Praveen Sood by one year, keeping him in office till May 2026.
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of the United States was elected as Pope Leo XIV on May 8, 2025, on the fourth ballot of the conclave of 133 cardinals. He is the 267th Pope and the first Pope from the United States, succeeding Pope Francis who died on April 21, 2025.
India and the United Kingdom concluded negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement, along with a Double Contribution Convention Agreement on social security. About 99 percent of Indian exports will get zero-duty access, and bilateral trade is targeted to double from around USD 60 billion by 2030.
World Red Cross Day was observed on May 8, 2025, the birth anniversary of Henry Dunant, founder of the Red Cross. The 2025 theme was 'Keeping Humanity Alive'. World Thalassaemia Day was also observed on May 8.
Paras Defence and Space Technologies announced a joint venture with Israel's HevenDrones, described as India's first hydrogen drone joint venture.
The expanded Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS) came into effect from May 8, 2025. The guarantee ceiling was doubled from Rs 10 crore to Rs 20 crore, with 85 percent cover for loans up to Rs 10 crore and 75 percent above it, while the fee for champion sectors was halved from 2 percent to 1 percent.
Agreements were signed on May 8, 2025 with Category-II winners of the coal gasification incentive scheme, including Jindal Steel and Power, New Era Cleantech and Greta Energy. The total financial incentive under the scheme is Rs 8,500 crore, supporting India's target of 100 million tonnes of coal gasification by 2030.
Adani Green Energy became the world's first water-positive renewable energy independent power producer, certified by Intertek. The company operates about 14 GW of renewable capacity.
India and Chile signed the Terms of Reference for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement on May 8, 2025, with negotiations starting from May 26. The pact covers critical minerals and digital services, among other areas.
The University of York (UK) and the University of Western Australia received approval to set up campuses at Educity in Navi Mumbai, each investing about Rs 1,500 crore.
The central solenoid of the ITER fusion project in France reached a key milestone, with first plasma targeted for 2033. India has supplied ITER's giant cryostat.
The first Arnala-class shallow water attack craft, INS Arnala, was delivered to the Indian Navy. Built by GRSE at L&T's Kattupalli shipyard, the 77.6-metre warship has about 88 percent indigenous content.
Indian AI startup Sarvam AI launched Bulbul v2, an indigenous text-to-speech model supporting 11 Indian languages.
Japan's Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) agreed to acquire a 20 percent stake in YES Bank for about Rs 13,483 crore. As part of the transaction, SBI sold a 13.19 percent stake for Rs 8,889 crore.
The social security schemes PMJJBY, PMSBY and Atal Pension Yojana completed ten years since their launch on May 9, 2015. Cumulative enrolments stood at about 23.6 crore under PMJJBY, 51 crore under PMSBY and 7.6 crore under APY.
The 4th Ministerial Conference of the Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (RIMES) was held in Colombo from May 7-9, 2025 under the theme 'Actionable Early Warnings and Climate Services for All'.
After Pakistan launched Operation Bunyan-al-Marsus on May 10, 2025, India intercepted a Fatah-II missile near Sirsa and struck Pakistani airbases including Nur Khan, Murid and Rafiqui. The two sides then agreed to stop military actions on May 10, 2025.
World Migratory Bird Day was observed on May 10, 2025 with the theme 'Creating Bird-Friendly Cities and Communities'. International Day of Argania was also observed on May 10.
Dr Trilochan Mohapatra's predecessor as ICAR Director General, Subbanna Ayyappan, was found dead at the age of 68. The agricultural scientist was a Padma Shri awardee of 2022.
The Indian Army's Akashteer air defence control and reporting system successfully intercepted Pakistani missiles and drones during Operation Sindoor.
National Technology Day was observed on May 11, 2025, marking the anniversary of the Pokhran-II nuclear tests of 1998. The 2025 theme was 'YANTRA - Yugantar for Advancing New Technology, Research and Acceleration'.
At the Asian Blitz Chess Championships in Al Ain, UAE, Ivan Zemlyanskii won the open section and Alua Nurman won the women's section.
India finished second in the Archery World Cup Stage 2 at Shanghai (May 6-11, 2025) with seven medals including two golds. South Korea topped the table. Deepika Kumari won a bronze, and Madhura Dhamangaonkar won an individual compound gold.
Buddha Purnima, marking the 2,587th birth anniversary of Gautama Buddha, was observed on May 12, 2025. Vietnam hosted the international Vesak celebrations, and the sacred relics of the Buddha from Sarnath were displayed in Vietnam for the first time.
Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket on May 12, 2025, after 123 Tests in which he scored 9,230 runs with 30 centuries. He had debuted in 2011 at Kingston, Jamaica, and captained India in a record 68 Tests. He continued to play ODIs.
Logistics firm Porter raised USD 200 million in a Series F round led by Kedaara Capital and Wellington Management, becoming India's third unicorn of 2025 with a valuation of about USD 1.1-1.2 billion.
Elon Musk's Starlink received a Letter of Intent from the Department of Telecommunications for a GMPCS licence to offer satellite internet in India, subject to 29 security conditions.
Bhutan launched the world's first national-level crypto tourism payment system, allowing visitors to pay for services in cryptocurrency. The system was developed with Binance Pay and DK Bank.
Data released by the Registrar General of India for 2021 (covering 2017-21) put India's life expectancy at 69.8 years. The death rate stood at 7.5 per 1,000 population.
A study published in PLOS ONE estimated 477 snow leopards in Ladakh, about 68 percent of India's total of 709. Hemis National Park showed the highest density at 2.07 cats per 100 sq km.
Uttar Pradesh launched UP-AGREES, a Rs 4,000 crore agro-industrial growth project across 21 districts backed by a World Bank loan of Rs 2,737 crore, and AI Pragya, which aims to train 10 lakh youth in AI skills. World Bank President Ajay Banga was present at the launch.
Adani group signed an MoU with Bhutan's Druk Green Power Corporation to develop 5,000 MW of hydropower projects in Bhutan.
Oscar-winning American filmmaker Robert Benton, director and writer of 'Kramer vs Kramer', passed away at the age of 92.
The Indian Army's Teesta field formation conducted Exercise Teesta Prahar in West Bengal, validating joint operations readiness across terrain.
Olympic champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra was appointed an Honorary Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army, as per a gazette notification of May 13, 2025.
Exercise Raahat, a joint disaster response exercise of the Indian Army and NDRF, was held from May 13-15, 2025 at Dimapur in Nagaland.
Qatar National Bank (QNB) opened a branch at GIFT City, Gujarat, becoming the first Middle East-based bank to set up a presence at India's international financial centre.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the BrahMos Integration and Testing Facility and a Production Unit at the UP Defence Industrial Corridor in Lucknow. He also inaugurated India's largest Titanium and Supralloy Materials Plant, built by PTC Industries (Aerolloy), in the same complex.
Adani group launched India's first hydrogen-powered mining truck at Raipur, Chhattisgarh, deployed for the Gare Pelma III coal block. The 40-tonne truck runs on a PEM fuel cell with a range of about 200 km.
Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra announced the Tapti Basin Mega Recharge Project, billed as the world's largest groundwater recharge project, costing about Rs 19,244 crore with about 90 percent central funding.
The Union Cabinet approved a Rs 3,706 crore display driver semiconductor plant at Jewar, Uttar Pradesh by HCL in partnership with Foxconn. It is the sixth unit approved under the India Semiconductor Mission and the first in Uttar Pradesh.
A SIDBI report on MSMEs said Udyam registrations had crossed 6.2 crore, and MSMEs contributed 45.79 percent of India's exports in FY25.
The RBI imposed penalties of Rs 1.728 crore on State Bank of India and Rs 1 crore on Jana Small Finance Bank, together Rs 2.72 crore, for regulatory non-compliance.
Dr Ajay Kumar, former Defence Secretary, was appointed Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission, succeeding Preeti Sudan whose term ended on April 29, 2025.
Supreme Court judge Justice Surya Kant was appointed Executive Chairman of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) on May 14, 2025.
Kynan Chenai and Sabeera Haris won the trap mixed team bronze at the ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Nicosia, Cyprus, beating Turkey 34-33.
The Department of Science and Technology launched India's first cluster of carbon capture and utilisation testbeds for the cement sector, with five testbeds including a pilot at Ballabgarh.
At the Bharat 6G 2025 conference held on May 14, 2025, it was announced that India ranks among the world's top six countries in 6G patents, with Rs 300 crore approved for 111 test projects.
DRDO's DMSRDE laboratory developed a nanoporous desalination membrane for converting seawater to potable water, an advance for naval and remote applications.
The indigenously developed Bhargavastra counter-drone system, made by Solar Defence Aerospace Ltd, successfully completed trials at Gopalpur, demonstrating its hard-kill capability against drone swarms.
Japan's Renesas Electronics opened India's first 3nm chip design centres at Noida and Bengaluru.
The government announced that Ayurveda Day will be observed on September 23 every year instead of on Dhanteras. September 23 is the date of the autumnal equinox.
OPEC's monthly report projected India's oil demand to rise from 5.55 to 5.74 million barrels per day in 2025, keeping India the world's third-largest oil consumer.
PayU received the RBI's final authorisation to operate as a payment aggregator, becoming one of the few online payment firms with the licence.
India's major ports handled 855 million tonnes of cargo in FY25, up 4.3 percent from the previous year.
The IUCN released the 'Primates in Peril' report listing the world's 25 most endangered primate species, highlighting threats from habitat loss and hunting.
Brazilian microbiologist Mariangela Hungria won the 2025 World Food Prize for her research on soil microbes and biological seed treatments that boosted yields of soybeans and other crops.
The International Day of Families was observed on May 15, 2025, as designated by the United Nations to highlight the importance of families in society.
Uttar Pradesh expanded its One District One Product (ODOP) list from 62 to 74 products, adding new items from various districts.
The Food Corporation of India approved the sale of an additional 2.8 million tonnes of rice for ethanol production, taking the total to 5.2 million tonnes at a reserve price of Rs 2,250 per quintal.
Kantar's BrandZ 2025 ranking placed Apple first with a brand value of about USD 1.3 trillion. Among Indian companies, TCS ranked 45th, HDFC Bank 56th, Airtel 66th and Infosys 73rd.
Under the India-EU Trade and Technology Council, two research initiatives worth Rs 391 crore (about 41 million euro) were launched, focusing on marine plastic litter and waste-to-green-hydrogen technologies.
The UN's World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) mid-2025 update projected India's GDP growth at 6.3 percent for calendar year 2025, making it the fastest-growing major economy.
The Khelo India Youth Games 2025, held from May 4-15 in Bihar (with Delhi hosting cycling), concluded with Maharashtra topping the medal table at 158 medals including 58 gold. Haryana was second with 117 medals and Rajasthan third with 60.
The Archaeological Survey of India, with World Monuments Fund India and the TCS Foundation, completed the restoration of Rajon ki Baoli in Mehrauli, Delhi, a stepwell built around 1506.
Rajasthan's 'Sangri', the pods of the Khejri tree used in Rajasthani cuisine, received the Geographical Indication tag. The application was filed by SKRAU, Bikaner.
Bharat Electronics Ltd said it received orders worth Rs 572 crore since April 7 for the Integrated Drone Detection and Interdiction System (IDDIS).
Coromandel International and Nykaa were included in the MSCI Global Standard Index in its May 2025 review.
Forbes' list of the world's highest-paid athletes was topped by footballer Cristiano Ronaldo with earnings of USD 275 million.
L R Srihari earned his final grandmaster norm to become India's 86th chess grandmaster on May 15, 2025.
Public sector banks reported a record combined net profit of Rs 1,78,364 crore for FY25, up 26 percent year on year. SBI earned the highest profit of Rs 70,901 crore, while PNB's profit jumped 102 percent to Rs 16,630 crore.
Lawyer Bhuwan Ribhu became the first Indian to receive the World Jurist Association's Medal of Honour, presented at the World Law Congress in the Dominican Republic.
President Droupadi Murmu presented the 58th Jnanpith Award for 2023 at Vigyan Bhawan on May 16, 2025. Jagadguru Ramabhadracharya received it for Sanskrit and Gulzar for Urdu.
The Department of Science and Technology and ICGEB launched India's first publicly funded bio-foundry, which will help engineer biological systems for industrial use.
The National Institute of Ocean Technology said the Samudrayaan mission aims to take three crew members in the Matsya 6000 submersible to a depth of 6,000 metres by end-2026, with a 500-metre dive trial planned by end-2025.
India gifted 15 electric vehicles to Nepal on the sidelines of the Sagarmatha Sambaad held in Kathmandu from May 16-18, 2025.
A commemorative postage stamp was released to mark 125 years of the Kodaikanal Solar Observatory, which was established on April 1, 1899 and is India's oldest astronomical observatory.
The statistics ministry released its first monthly bulletin of the Periodic Labour Force Survey, for April 2025. It showed an unemployment rate of 5.1 percent, with LFPR at 55.6 percent and WPR at 52.8 percent (current weekly status).
Iran's Bardiya Daneshvar won the open section and China's Song Yuxin the women's section of the Asian Chess Championship at Al Ain (May 6-16, 2025). India's Nihal Sarin finished second in the open event on tiebreak.
China's Zhu Jiner won the overall FIDE Women's Grand Prix 2024-25 title, while India's Koneru Humpy finished fourth overall.
Neeraj Chopra threw a personal best 90.23 metres to finish second at the Doha Diamond League on May 16, 2025. Germany's Julian Weber won with 91.06 metres. Parul Chaudhary set a national record of 9:13.39 in the women's 3000m steeplechase.
Sikkim celebrated its 50th Statehood Day, marking five decades since it became India's 22nd state in 1975. PM Modi attended the golden jubilee celebrations.
World Telecommunication and Information Society Day was observed on May 17, 2025, coinciding with the 160th anniversary of the International Telecommunication Union. The theme was 'Gender Equality in Digital Transformation'.
Carlos Alcaraz beat Jannik Sinner to win his first Italian Open title, while Jasmine Paolini won the women's singles and also the women's doubles at Rome.
Home Minister Amit Shah launched the revamped Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) portal, streamlining registration and services for about 5 million OCI cardholders.
Government e-Marketplace (GeM) launched GeMAI, India's first AI-powered chatbot in the public sector, on its 8th Incorporation Day (May 19, 2025).
Nepal's Yala Glacier was declared dead at a ceremony organised with ICIMOD, described as Asia's first glacier 'funeral'. The glacier lost 66 percent of its ice volume and retreated 784 metres since the 1970s, joining a small group of world glaciers formally mourned after Iceland's Okjokull (2019) and Mexico's Ayoloco (2021).
The world's first commercial-scale e-methanol plant began operations at Kasso, Denmark, built by European Energy with Mitsui, with an annual capacity of 42,000 tonnes.
SEBI made it mandatory for debt issues of Rs 20 crore and above to use the Electronic Book Provider (EBP) platform, lowering the threshold from Rs 50 crore.
Reliance Power signed a joint venture with Bhutan's Druk Holding and Investments for a 500 MW solar project worth about Rs 2,000 crore, set to be Bhutan's largest solar venture.
The Sansad Ratna Awards 2025 were presented to 17 MPs and two parliamentary committees for outstanding performance. MPs from Maharashtra won the largest share with seven awards.
The government appointed Dinesh Pant and Ratnakar Patnaik as Managing Directors of LIC with effect from June 1, 2025.
The BRICS Energy Ministers' Meeting was held in Brasilia on May 19, 2025, with India's delegation led by Manohar Lal Khattar. India noted an installed electricity capacity of about 475 GW and a 900 GW target by 2032, and will host the BRICS energy ministers' meeting in 2026.
Sudan appointed Kamil Idris, a former Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organisation, as its 16th Prime Minister.
Bihar held its first international buyer-seller meet on May 19-20, 2025, where a UAE-based Lulu Group signed an MoU, with focus on GI-tagged Makhana and litchi.
India assumed the chairmanship of the Asian Productivity Organisation (APO) for 2025-26 at its 67th Governing Body Meeting in Jakarta.
On its Annual Day (May 20, 2025), the Competition Commission of India announced the creation of a Digital Markets Division to oversee competition in digital ecosystems.
The Ministry of Skill Development launched a North East Region apprenticeship pilot at Aizawl with Mizoram CM Lalduhoma. The Rs 43.93 crore scheme targets 26,000 youth and adds an extra Rs 1,500 per month to stipends.
Mizoram was declared India's first fully literate state on May 20, 2025, with a literacy rate of 98.2 percent as per PLFS 2023-24. The achievement came through the ULLAS (New India Literacy Programme).
Writer Banu Mushtaq and translator Deepa Bhasthi won the International Booker Prize 2025 for 'Heart Lamp', a collection of Kannada short stories. It became the first Kannada work and the first short-story collection to win the prize, and Banu Mushtaq is the first Indian Muslim woman author to be honoured. The two share the GBP 50,000 prize.
The Competition Commission of India approved the Bajaj group's acquisition of Allianz's stakes in their insurance JVs for about Rs 24,180 crore, and Temasek's purchase of a stake in Haldiram Snacks.
Pankaj Advani won the CCI Billiards Classic for the third consecutive year, beating Dhruv Sitwala 5-2 in the final.
Two eminent scientists passed away on May 20, 2025. M R Srinivasan, former Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and a key architect of India's nuclear power programme, died at 95 (Padma Vibhushan, 2015). Astrophysicist Jayant Vishnu Narlikar, founder-director of IUCAA, died at 87 (Padma Vibhushan, 2004).
World Bee Day was observed on May 20, 2025, and World Metrology Day marked 150 years of the Metre Convention signed in 1875.
Intelligence Bureau Director Tapan Kumar Deka was given a one-year extension, keeping him in office till June 2026.
Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase became the first crypto company to join the S&P 500 index, replacing Discover Financial Services.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju inaugurated Sagar Bhavan and Polar Bhavan at the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research in Goa on May 20, 2025, during NCPOR's Silver Jubilee. Polar Bhavan, built at Rs 55 crore, houses India's first Polar and Ocean Museum.
At the 24th IORA Council of Ministers' meeting in Colombo (May 21, 2025), Sri Lanka took over as Chair and India was appointed Vice-Chair, set to chair the Indian Ocean Rim Association for 2025-27. The meeting adopted the Colombo Communique.
The Department of Telecommunications launched the Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI) under its Digital Intelligence Platform to flag mobile numbers linked to financial fraud. Payment firm PhonePe became the first to integrate it.
Airports Council International data showed Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport was the world's ninth busiest airport in 2024 with 77.8 million passengers, with Atlanta topping the list.
Per energy data firm Vortexa, the United States became India's fourth-largest crude oil supplier, shipping about 0.33 million barrels per day in April 2025. Russia remained the top supplier with a 37.8 percent share.
The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) announced its first offshore campus at Dubai, expanding the footprint of Indian institutes abroad.
International Tea Day was observed on May 21, 2025, the sixth time since the UN designation. National Anti-Terrorism Day was also observed on May 21, marking the assassination anniversary of former PM Rajiv Gandhi in 1991. The Global Terrorism Index 2025 ranked India 14th.
INSV Kaundinya, a stitched wooden sail ship rebuilt using ancient Indian shipbuilding techniques and inspired by a ship depicted in Ajanta cave paintings, was inducted into the Indian Navy at Karwar on May 21, 2025 by Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
The I4C wing of the Home Ministry launched e-Zero FIR as a pilot in Delhi. Cyber financial fraud complaints above Rs 10 lakh are automatically converted into zero FIRs for swift police action.
The 16th Asiatic Lion Census (May 10-13, 2025) counted 891 lions in Gujarat, up 32.2 percent from 674 in 2020. Amreli district recorded the highest count of 339 lions. The results were announced by CM Bhupendra Patel.
US President Donald Trump announced the 'Golden Dome' missile defence programme, a USD 175 billion shield targeted for completion by 2029, to be led by General Michael Guetlein.
The International Day for Biological Diversity was observed on May 22, 2025 with the theme 'Harmony with Nature and Sustainable Development'.
On a visit to Bikaner on May 22, 2025, PM Modi dedicated development projects worth about Rs 26,000 crore, including 103 Amrit Bharat railway stations worth Rs 1,100 crore, and laid the foundation of the 100 MW Nawa solar project.
The Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry notified 4 percent reservation for persons with benchmark disabilities in allotment of General Pool Residential Accommodation (GPRA).
The New Development Bank announced that Algeria had joined as a member, with NDB President Dilma Rousseff making the announcement.
Adani Defence and Aerospace signed a collaboration with Sparton, part of Israel's Elbit Systems, to make anti-submarine warfare sonobuoys in India.
TIME magazine's first TIME100 Philanthropy list included Mukesh and Nita Ambani, Azim Premji and Nikhil Kamath among the world's leading philanthropists.
Henley and Partners' ranking of the world's wealthiest cities placed Mumbai 27th, with over 51,000 millionaires. New York topped the list.
Global Forest Watch data showed India lost 18,200 hectares of primary tropical forest in 2024.
Fitch Ratings raised its estimate of India's medium-term growth potential to 6.4 percent, citing strong fundamentals.
North East Small Finance Bank (NESFB) was renamed Slice Small Finance Bank following Slice's acquisition of a majority stake.
CSIR-NAL carried out flight trials of its High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) from May 8-13, 2025 at Challakere, with the subscale vehicle flying up to about 24,000 feet.
Researchers at JNCASR, Bengaluru developed a sodium-ion battery that charges to 80 percent in six minutes and retains capacity over 3,000 cycles, offering a costlier-metal-free alternative to lithium batteries.
The Zoological Survey of India discovered a new species of marine nematode worm, named Pheronous jairajpurii, off the Tamil Nadu coast.
An integrated aquapark is being developed in Tripura under the PM Matsya Sampada Yojana with an investment of Rs 42.4 crore.
The government extended the deadline for completion of houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban to December 31, 2025.
Food Minister Pralhad Joshi launched the Depot Darpan portal along with Anna Mitra and Anna Sahayata apps to improve foodgrain storage management and grievance redressal in the public distribution system.
The International Day to End Obstetric Fistula was observed on May 23, 2025 with the theme 'Her Health, Her Right', and World Turtle Day was also observed on May 23.
Madhya Pradesh enhanced the reward under its Rah-Veer initiative from Rs 5,000 to Rs 25,000, and approved a Rs 2,100 crore project for developing sites linked with Adi Shankaracharya at Omkareshwar.
Assam became the first Indian state to introduce an artificial intelligence news anchor, named ANKITA, for its broadcasts.
Maharashtra announced its first policy on manufactured sand (M-Sand) to reduce dependence on river sand in construction.
The 78th Cannes Film Festival (May 13-24, 2025) awarded the Palme d'Or to Iranian director Jafar Panahi's 'It Was Just an Accident'. The jury was headed by Juliette Binoche and included India's Payal Kapadia. Joachim Trier's 'Sentimental Value' won the Grand Prix, Hasan Hadi's 'The President's Cake' won the Camera d'Or (a first for Iraq), and Neeraj Ghaywan's 'Homebound' screened in Un Certain Regard.
Justice K Somashekar was appointed Chief Justice of the Manipur High Court.
Uttarakhand's first cycad garden came up in Haldwani, with support from JICA, housing 31 species of the ancient plant group.
Kerala became the first state to make robotics mandatory for Class 10 students from the 2025-26 academic session. The module was developed by KITE and will reach about 4.3 lakh students.
China's Li Shifeng defeated India's Kidambi Srikanth 21-11, 21-9 in the men's singles final of the Malaysia Masters badminton tournament.
Neeraj Chopra won the javelin silver with an 84.14 m throw at the Janusz Kusocinski Memorial in Chorzow, Poland, where Julian Weber won with 86.12 m.
The Bihar government renamed Gaya district as 'Gaya Jee'.
India launched the Bharat Forecast System (BFS) on May 26, 2025, the world's first global weather forecast model with a 6-km grid resolution, developed by IITM Pune. It runs on the supercomputer 'Arka' and was unveiled by Science Minister Dr Jitendra Singh.
The EPFO's central board decided to retain the interest rate on Employees' Provident Fund deposits at 8.25 percent for FY25.
The 38th Central Apprenticeship Council approved a 36 percent hike in apprenticeship stipends, raising them to a range of Rs 6,800-12,300 per month.
AM Green signed an agreement with the Port of Rotterdam worth about USD 1 billion for green fuel supply chains. Green ammonia production at Kakinada is planned from the second half of 2026 with an initial capacity of 1 million tonnes.
The Panchayati Raj Ministry launched the Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) 2.0 portal, rationalising panchayat assessment indicators from 516 to 147.
A NITI Aayog report titled 'Designing a Policy for Medium Enterprises' noted that medium enterprises make up only about 0.3 percent of India's enterprises and called for targeted support to help them scale.
Nicusor Dan, an independent mathematician and former Bucharest mayor, was sworn in as Romania's President after winning 53.6 percent of the vote against George Simion.
The Appointments Committee approved a second one-year extension for DRDO Chairman Dr Samir V Kamat, until May 31, 2026.
The Andhra Pradesh government renamed YSR district back to 'YSR Kadapa' through a government order issued on May 26, 2025, restoring the district headquarters' name in official usage.
At a consultative committee meeting in Mumbai, Ports and Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said 76 National Waterways would be operational by 2027, including 47 new ones, with inland waterway cargo projected at 156 MTPA by FY26. The network is set to expand from 11 states to 23 states and 4 UTs by FY27.
UGC approved five new foreign university campuses in India: Illinois Institute of Technology (the first American university), University of Liverpool, Victoria University, Western Sydney University and Istituto Europeo di Design.
The Indian Army launched 'Panchshul Pulse' (88.4 FM) at Pithoragarh, its first community radio station, under Operation Sadbhavana.
A curtain raiser event for Wings India 2026 was held, announcing that the civil aviation show will take place from January 28-31, 2026 at Begumpet Airport, Hyderabad.
Pune-based NIBE Limited received an export order worth USD 17.52 million from Israel for universal rocket launcher systems with a 300 km range.
Astra Microwave Products Ltd delivered the first Surya VHF radar to the Indian Air Force under a Rs 200 crore contract for six systems.
An autonomous wide-area anti-drone system called Indrajaal Infra was unveiled, capable of protecting areas up to 4,000 sq km.
Australia's World Cup-winning captain Pat Cummins released his memoir 'Tested'.
Kozhikode became the first district in Kerala to declare eight official biodiversity symbols, covering a bird, butterfly, fish, tree, flower, and other categories.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approved the execution model for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme, India's indigenous fifth-generation stealth fighter. The Aeronautical Development Agency will implement it with industry, and Indian companies may bid independently, as joint ventures or as consortia.
On a May 26-27 visit to Gujarat, PM Modi inaugurated the Dahod Locomotive Manufacturing Plant and flagged off the first 9,000 HP electric locomotives for domestic use and export, flagged off the Sabarmati-Veraval Vande Bharat Express, and dedicated projects worth about Rs 53,400 crore at Bhuj. He also launched Urban Development Year 2025 in Gandhinagar.
Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia unveiled 'Innovate to Transform' as the theme of the 9th India Mobile Congress, to be held from October 8-11, 2025 at Yashobhoomi, New Delhi. He also launched the revamped Sanchar Mitra Scheme for student volunteers.
A joint report by the ILO and Poland's NASK research institute said generative AI could transform about 25 percent of jobs worldwide rather than replace them. About 34 percent of exposed jobs are in high-income countries versus 11 percent in low-income countries, and 4.7 percent of women's jobs face the highest risk against 2.4 percent of men's.
The Allianz Global Insurance Report 2025 projected India's life insurance premiums to grow 10.5 percent annually over the next decade, against a 5 percent global average, making India Asia's second-largest life market, surpassing Japan. India's total premium income stood at about USD 145 billion in 2024.
Pet food maker Drools, based in Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh, became India's fourth unicorn of 2025 with Nestle buying a minority stake, the Swiss giant's first-ever investment in an Indian brand. The valuation crossed USD 1 billion.
India's gross foreign direct investment inflows in FY25 stood at USD 81.04 billion, up 14 percent from USD 71.28 billion in FY24. Services drew the most FDI (19 percent), Maharashtra led states with 39 percent, and Singapore was the top source at 30 percent.
DARPG announced the National Awards for e-Governance 2025, the 22nd edition, with 19 initiatives (10 gold, 6 silver, 3 jury) and a new category for Gram Panchayats. The awards will be presented at the 28th National Conference on e-Governance in Visakhapatnam on June 9-10, 2025.
Adille Sumariwalla, World Athletics Vice-President and former AFI president, received the Asian Athletics Leadership Gold Pin at the Asian Athletics Association Congress in Gumi, South Korea.
Prashant Thakker was appointed head of Citigroup's corporate bank for South and Southeast Asia, based in Singapore.
IN-SPACe approved US-based Intelsat to offer direct satellite broadcast services to Indian media organisations using four of its GEO satellites (IS-17, IS-20, IS-36 and IS-39), making it among the first foreign operators so approved.
Researchers discovered a new cave fish species, Schistura densiclava, in Krem Mawjymbuin cave in Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills. Found 60 m inside the cave, the fish retains functional eyesight and pigmentation, unlike most cave species.
India topped the medal tally at the ISSF Junior World Cup in Suhl, Germany (May 19-27, 2025) with 11 medals: 3 gold, 4 silver and 4 bronze. Tejaswani Sawant, Kanak Budhwar and Shambhavi Kshirsagar won the golds.
British cricket writer Tim Wigmore released 'Test Cricket: A History', published ahead of Test cricket's 150th anniversary in March 2026, featuring interviews with stars including Sachin Tendulkar and Pat Cummins.
Former cricketer Anil Kumble was appointed brand ambassador of the Karnataka Forest and Wildlife Department.
At its I/O 2025 developers conference, Google showcased Gemini 2.5 AI models, the Ironwood seventh-generation TPU delivering 5 exaFLOPS of performance, and media models Imagen 4, Veo 3 and Lyria 2.
World Hunger Day (theme 'Sowing Resilience') and World Menstrual Hygiene Day (theme 'Together for a #PeriodFriendlyWorld') were observed on May 28, 2025. The International Day of Action for Women's Health was also marked the same day.
The Union Cabinet approved continuation of the 1.5 percent interest subvention under the Modified Interest Subvention Scheme for FY26 and approved two railway multitracking projects in MP and Maharashtra. The CCEA also approved an increase in MSP for 14 kharif crops for the 2025-26 marketing season.
RackBank Data Centers will develop India's first Artificial Intelligence Special Economic Zone in Nava Raipur, Chhattisgarh, investing Rs 1,000 crore on six acres with a planned capacity of 80 MW across four high-density data centres.
Tata Advanced Systems and Airbus announced India's first privately-led helicopter final assembly line at Kolar in Karnataka to build the Airbus H125, with operations from 2026. It will be the fourth such line globally, with an initial output of 10 helicopters a year.
The RBI released draft guidelines for gold loans, capping the loan-to-value ratio at 75 percent and requiring proof of gold ownership, with uniform rules for banks and NBFCs.
SBI Life Insurance and Vidyaniti LLP jointly acquired a 4.25 percent stake in National Highways Infra Trust for Rs 1,100.61 crore from NHAI.
SEBI barred former IndusInd Bank CEO Sumant Kathpalia and four others, including former deputy CEO Arun Khurana, in an insider trading case related to unpublished price-sensitive information. Separately, Jio BlackRock AMC received SEBI's final approval for its mutual fund business.
India's coal imports fell 7.9 percent to 243.62 MT in FY25, saving about USD 7.93 billion in foreign exchange, while domestic coal output rose 5 percent.
Isha Foundation founder Sadhguru (Jagadish Vasudev) received the 'Global Indian of the Year 2025' honour from the Canada India Foundation in Toronto, with a CAD 50,000 prize dedicated to the Cauvery Calling initiative.
PepsiCo signed a global partnership with Formula 1 running until 2030, with Sting Energy as official energy drink and Gatorade as official partner of F1 Sprint races.
Ahmedabad will host the 2026 Asian Weightlifting Championships from April 1-10, 2026, the first time India hosts the event in 44 years (previously New Delhi, 1982).
ADB President Masato Kanda visited India from May 28-31, 2025, during which the Asian Development Bank pledged USD 10 billion in support for India's urban sector over the coming years.
China launched its Tianwen-2 probe on May 28, 2025 to collect samples from the near-Earth asteroid 2016 HO3, one of the world's most stable quasi-satellites.
International Day of UN Peacekeepers was observed on May 29, 2025 with the theme 'The Future of the Peacekeeping', marking 77 years since the first mission (UNTSO) in 1948; India is among the largest troop contributors with over 5,300 personnel. World Digestive Health Day and International Everest Day, marking 72 years since the first ascent by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953, were also observed.
The RBI's Annual Report for FY25 showed its balance sheet expanded to Rs 76.25 lakh crore for the year ended March 2025.
The Ministry of Ayush launched the AyushSuraksha portal to strengthen monitoring of adverse events and safety across Ayush systems of medicine.
The National Florence Nightingale Awards 2025 were presented to 15 nursing professionals in recognition of their service.
Historian Srinath Raghavan released the book 'Indira Gandhi and the Years That Transformed India', covering the period from 1966 to 1984.
Goa declared itself fully functionally literate on May 30, 2025, becoming the second state to achieve the status after Mizoram, which was declared earlier in the month.
The National Statistics Office estimated India's GDP growth for FY25 at 6.5 percent, a four-year low, though the January-March quarter grew a strong 7.4 percent.
Opal Suchata Chuangsri of Thailand won the 72nd Miss World pageant held at HITEX, Hyderabad on May 31, 2025, becoming the first Thai winner.
Paris Saint-Germain won their first UEFA Champions League title, beating Inter Milan 5-0 in the final at Munich.
The 17th edition of the India-Mongolia joint military exercise Nomadic Elephant began on May 31, 2025, continuing bilateral defence cooperation.
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