Top Current Affair of the Day for 23 May 2025
- PM Modi on Friday described Northeast as a new epicentre of India’s growth. He termed Northeast as ‘Ashtalakshmi’— the eight Northeastern states — as a model for a developed India (Viksit Bharat). Emphasising the central government’s zero-tolerance stance on terrorism and Naxalism and reinforcing its commitment to national security.
- Madhya Pradesh has initiated the Rahveer Scheme to incentivise good Samaritans who assist accident victims. This decision was made during a special cabinet meeting held at the historic Rajwada Fort in Indore. The scheme offers a reward of Rs 25,000 to individuals who help transport accident victims to medical facilities.
- Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Friday reserved for Presidential assent a Bill seeking to use a higher portion of revenue from rich Hindu temples for a common pool of funds. According to the Bill, 10% of the gross income of temples whose gross annual income exceeds Rs 1 crore will be put in the common pool.
- The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has officially declared 2025 as the “Gaganyaan Year,” marking a pivotal phase in India’s ambitious human spaceflight program. The Gaganyaan Programme, approved in December 2018, is designed to send Indian astronauts to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and to develop the essential technologies for sustained human space exploration by India.
- Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Friday (May 23, 2025) conducted raid at ruling AAP MLA Raman Arora’s house in Jalandhar in connection with a corruption matter.
- Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Thursday hit out at the Centre for deploying a contingent of 296 CISF personnel at Nangal dam, saying that his govt will not pay a single penny as expenditure on it. The Centre has sanctioned the CISF contingent to provide a counter-terrorist security cover to the Nangal dam amid a standoff between Punjab and Haryana over sharing of water from the dam.
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday announced a dividend payout of record Rs 2.69 lakh crore to the government for the accounting year 2024-25.
- The Karnataka government’s decision to appoint Bollywood actress Tamannaah Bhatia as the brand ambassador for the iconic Mysore Sandal Soap has sparked widespread backlash from Kannada activists, cultural figures, and netizens who view the move as a slight to local talent.
- Defending the decision, KSDL Managing Director Dr. Prashanth PKM explained that only 12% of the company’s ₹1,800 crore annual revenue comes from Karnataka, with the rest generated from national and international markets.
- Major Rohit Kadian of the Indian Army has won four medals at the 11th World Masters Games in Taiwan. He won the Gold medal in the 1500m race (40–45 age category). Silver medals in the 800m and 5000m races, and a bronze in the 400m event.
- The Supreme Court on Friday (May 23, 2025) ruled that Group A officers of the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) from batches dating back to 1986 are recognised as “Organised Services” for “all purposes”.
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh released the book “Ready, Relevant and Resurgent: A Blueprint for the Transformation of India’s Military,” authored by Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan, on 22 May 2025, in New Delhi.
- India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed a sophisticated family of air-to-surface missiles known as the Rudram series, representing a significant advancement in the country’s precision strike and suppression of enemy air defences (SEAD) capabilities.
- Germany has put an end to the informal appeal system for Indians applying for visas starting July 1, 2025. The significant procedural change was announced by the German government.
- Tech billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX-owned Starlink has started offering satellite internet service in Bangladesh. Confirming the launch, Starlink said that its services are now available across the entire region of the South Asian nation. With this, Bangladesh became India’s second neighbour after Bhutan to access Starlink’s technology.
- Bangladesh has officially cancelled a ₹180.25 crore ($21 million) defence contract with Kolkata-based Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (GRSE), a public sector company under India’s Ministry of Defence.The contract, signed in July 2024, was for the construction of an advanced ocean-going tug for the Bangladesh Navy—a specialised vessel designed for long-distance towing, salvage operations.
- India has warmly welcomed the United Kingdom’s historic decision to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago, including the strategically important atoll of Diego Garcia, back to Mauritius after more than 50 years of British control.
- Afghanistan shares a narrow strip of territory called Wakhan corridor connecting Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province with China’s volatile Xinjiang province where Beijing has launched a crackdown on the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), which allegedly maintains links with the Islamic State and Al-Qaida.