Current Affairs May 2025

Here's a summary of current affairs for May 2025, covering key developments in India and around the globe:

India-Specific Current Affairs 🇮🇳

Economic and Policy Highlights

• Robust Economic Growth: India continued to demonstrate strong economic growth, with real GDP growing at an impressive 6.5% in 2024-25, making it the fastest-growing major economy globally. Nominal GDP also tripled from ₹106.57 lakh crore in 2014-15 to an estimated ₹331.03 lakh crore in 2024-25.

• Inflation Under Control: Retail inflation eased significantly, reaching a low of 2.82% in May 2025, the lowest since February 2019. This was also reflected in the Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI), which recorded an inflation rate of just 0.99%.

• Export Surge: India's total exports saw remarkable growth, reaching US$ 825 billion in 2024-25, a 76% increase over the last decade. This was largely driven by strong performance in engineering goods, electronics, and pharmaceuticals.

• FDI Inflows: India remained a highly attractive destination for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), with the government aiming to raise annual FDI inflows to US$ 100 billion. The services sector led the inflow of equity investments, attracting 19% of total FDI in FY 2024-25.

• Infrastructure Boost: Significant progress was made in infrastructure development, with national highways increasing to 1,46,204 km by March 2025 and 160 operational airports across the country.

• Digital India & Financial Inclusion: The Aadhaar Governance Portal was launched to streamline Aadhaar authentication. The Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system continued to prove highly efficient, saving ₹3.48 Lakh Crore.

• MSME Sector Support: Government initiatives continued to support the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector, which plays a vital role in employment generation.

• RBI Dividend Transfer: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced a ₹2.69 lakh crore dividend transfer to the central government for FY 2024-25, exceeding budget estimates and impacting fiscal deficit calculations.

Defence and Technology

• Defence Acquisitions: The Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed major contracts, including one with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the supply of 156 Light Combat Helicopters (LCH) Prachand, valued at over ₹62,700 crores.

• DRDO Achievements: The Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully flight-tested the indigenous Vertically-Launched Short-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (VL-SRSAM) and achieved a breakthrough in Scramjet Engine Testing.

• Space Sector Milestones: India achieved its second satellite docking in the SpaDEX Mission, becoming the fourth country to achieve this complex maneuver. There were ongoing discussions regarding ISRO's plans for an Indian space station by 2035 and a human moon landing by 2040. China also launched its Tianwen-2 asteroid sample return and comet exploration mission.

• AI Development: Plans progressed for India's first AI University in Maharashtra.

Social and Cultural Developments

• Welfare Efficiency Index (WEI): This index highlighted the impact of the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system on improving welfare efficiency.

• "One Nation-One Port" Initiative: A significant step towards streamlining port operations.

• Religious and Cultural Observances:

  • Vesak Day (Buddha Purnima): Celebrated on May 21st, commemorating the birth, enlightenment, and passing of Gautama Buddha.

  • Eid al-Fitr: Celebrated at the beginning of May (following Ramadan in March), marking the end of the fasting month.

  • Mother's Day: Celebrated on the second Sunday of May.

  • International Labour Day (May Day): Observed globally on May 1st.

Sports

• IPL 2025: The Indian Premier League (IPL) season continued through May, with intense matches leading towards the playoffs.

• ICC Champions Trophy 2025: The semifinals and finals of the Champions Trophy were held in the first half of March, with discussions about its impact on teams and players carrying into May.

• FIFA Club World Cup 2025: A revamped 32-elite club format tournament with global giants like FC Barcelona and Real Madrid was set to begin in the USA.

Global Current Affairs 🌍

International Relations and Politics

• India-Pakistan Conflict (May 7-10, 2025): A significant near-war escalated between India and Pakistan following an April 22 terrorist attack. India launched punitive strikes on May 7, leading to retaliatory strikes and a four-day conflict. This involved the use of cruise missiles by India (BrahMos, SCALP-EG) and conventionally armed short-range ballistic missiles by Pakistan (Fatah-I and Fatah-II). The conflict also saw the first instance of drone warfare between the two nations. A ceasefire was mediated by the U.S., with subsequent reports of violations.

• Gaza War: The humanitarian crisis in Gaza continued to be a major global concern, with reports of Israeli airstrikes and ongoing calls for humanitarian aid distribution. The Vatican announced the conversion of a Popemobile into a mobile health clinic for wounded children in Gaza.

• Red Sea Crisis: Israeli military carried out airstrikes on Hudaydah Port in Hodeidah, Houthi-controlled Yemen, in response to an attack on Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv.

• Sudanese Civil War: The conflict in Sudan continued, with the International Court of Justice dismissing Sudan's case against the UAE regarding weapon supplies to the Rapid Support Forces.

• US-China Relations: China continued to raise tariffs on U.S. goods, and the U.S. implemented new tariff policies, reflecting ongoing trade tensions. China was also expanding its soft power globally as the U.S. pulled back from certain global commitments.

• Myanmar Earthquake & Operation Brahma: Myanmar experienced a catastrophic earthquake, prompting India to launch 'Operation Brahma' for humanitarian assistance.

Science, Technology, and Environment

• AI Advancements: OpenAI launched new AI models, o3 and o4-mini. Google DeepMind also announced Veo 3, a new state-of-the-art video generation model, and boosted the performance of Gemini 2.5 Pro.

• Space Discoveries: MoM-z14 was confirmed as the most distant galaxy ever detected using the James Webb Space Telescope. Two additional moons of Jupiter were announced, bringing the planet's total moon count to 97.

• Medical Breakthroughs: The world's first gonorrhea vaccine was launched by NHS England. Scientists also reported progress in using cell movement to detect cancer and developed an eco-friendly optical sensor for early cholesterol detection. Research continued on gene therapy for drug-resistant epilepsy and new therapeutic compounds for lung and liver fibrosis.

• Renewable Energy: The Global Wind Report highlighted unprecedented growth in wind energy capacity in 2024. Advancements were made in catalyst research for green hydrogen production.

• Environmental Concerns: A review by Murdoch University found that agricultural soils now hold around 23 times more microplastics than the oceans. Global discussions continued on Arctic amplification and its implications.

Other Significant Global Events

• Australian Federal Election: The incumbent Australian Labor Party reportedly overtook the Liberal–National Coalition as the largest plurality in the Senate, indicating a shift in the political landscape.

• World Snooker Championship: Zhao Xintong of China won his first championship, becoming the first amateur player and the first Chinese player to do so.

• Skype Shutdown: After over twenty years, Microsoft's telecommunications application Skype was shut down in favor of Teams.