Current Affairs - May 31, 2025 Current Affairs

India will host the IATA Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2025 and World Air Transport Summit (WATS) in New Delhi from June 1 to 3, marking its return as the host after a 42-year gap—the last being in 1983. This prestigious event will gather over 1,700 global aviation leaders, CEOs, regulators, and media representatives. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to deliver the keynote address, emphasizing India's growing importance in the global aviation sector. With IndiGo as the host airline and recent growth in infrastructure and air travel, the event highlights India's transformation into a major aviation hub on the world stage.

Goa was declared fully literate under the ULLAS – Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram (New India Literacy Programme) on its 39th Statehood Day, celebrated on May 30, 2025. This achievement made Goa the second Indian state to surpass the nationally prescribed 95% literacy benchmark. The success was driven by a Whole-of-Government approach, involving various state departments working collaboratively to identify and educate non-literate individuals. The official declaration was made by Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant in the presence of top officials and citizens at a grand event in Panaji, marking a significant milestone in India’s literacy movement.

The launch of the first cherry cargo train from Katra to Mumbai marks a transformative development in Kashmir’s agricultural logistics. With cherries being a highly perishable crop, timely and affordable transportation is crucial. Earlier, only large growers could afford the high costs of air cargo, excluding many small-scale farmers from lucrative markets. This new train service, covering the journey in just over 30 hours in refrigerated vans, provides an economical and efficient solution. Transporting 24 tonnes of cherries in one trip, opens up major market access for growers during the May–June harvest season, promoting agricultural growth and income stability in the region.

Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) has collaborated with Amul and Richplus by signing a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at promoting organic farming in India. As part of this initiative, IOB introduced a co-branded Organic Farming Card specifically for its account holders involved in organic farming. Additionally, IOB launched a dedicated credit scheme called “Harit Kranti” to support this cause, while Richplus provides technical expertise, demonstrating a combined effort to boost sustainable agricultural practices.

Operation Chakra-V is a specific initiative by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) aimed at targeting sophisticated cybercrime syndicates involved in transnational tech support scams, digital arrests, and various financial frauds. This operation led to the arrest of six members of a cybercrime syndicate, highlighting the active efforts by Indian authorities to combat cybercrime through coordinated measures including Operation Chakra-V, along with supporting institutions like the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), CERT-In, and Cyber Swachhta Kendra.

Neeraj Chopra, India's celebrated Olympic gold medalist in javelin, has been appointed as the brand ambassador for Audi India. This partnership reflects a strong alignment between the core values of both parties—performance, speed, innovation, and excellence. Neeraj's continued success on the global stage, including his historic Olympic gold and the 90-meter mark at the Doha Diamond League, has made him an icon of Indian athletics. Audi’s collaboration with Chopra, facilitated by JSW Sports, is a strategic move to resonate with a new generation of Indians who are ambitious, high-performing, and inspired by homegrown heroes making a global impact.

World No Tobacco Day is observed every year on May 31, as designated by the World Health Organization (WHO) and its Member States. It was established in 1987 to raise global awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco use and to advocate for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption. In 1988, the WHO passed Resolution WHA42.19, formally calling for the annual observance of this day. The day serves to highlight the dangers of tobacco and promote actions to reduce its use. For 2025, the theme is ‘Bright products. Dark intentions. Unmasking the Appeal’.

Opal Suchata Chuangsri from Thailand was crowned Miss World 2025 during the 72nd edition of the Miss World pageant held at the HITEX Exhibition Centre in Hyderabad, Telangana. This prestigious event marked the conclusion of a month-long celebration that included cultural showcases, heritage tours, and global advocacy efforts. Opal was crowned by the outgoing titleholder, Miss World 2024 Krystyna Pyszkova. Her victory represents Thailand's growing influence in international beauty pageants and highlights the importance of cultural diplomacy and personal empowerment on a global stage.

Microsoft partnered with Yotta Data Services to drive AI adoption across India by integrating Azure AI services with Yotta’s Shakti Cloud platform. This collaboration supports the IndiaAI Mission, a national initiative under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) aimed at building a robust AI ecosystem. The partnership emphasizes innovation, data sovereignty, and scalability of AI services across various sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, education, and finance. By combining Microsoft’s AI capabilities with Yotta’s high-performance computing infrastructure, the initiative aims to deliver low-latency, real-time AI solutions to public and private institutions, startups, and research organizations across India.

India successfully met its fiscal deficit target of 4.8% of GDP for the financial year 2024–25, as reported by the Controller General of Accounts (CGA). This is a significant fiscal achievement, especially in light of shortfalls in revenue collections due to underperformance in miscellaneous capital receipts and a slight dip in income tax revenue. Despite these challenges, the government kept revenue expenditure under control and exceeded capital expenditure estimates. The fiscal deficit, amounting to ₹15.77 lakh crore, aligns with the revised budget target and reflects the government's commitment to fiscal discipline and long-term consolidation as outlined in the Union Budget 2024–25.