1 India tops medal tally at 2025 ISSF Junior World Cup held in Suhl
India finished its campaign at the ISSF Junior World Cup 2025 held in Suhl, Germany, by topping China to top the medal table . India’s junior shooters won 11 medals – three gold, four silver, four bronze, while China won four medals in the event . The ISSF Junior World Cup Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun 2025 was organized by the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) in Suhl, Germany from 19-27 May 2025. 638 shooters from 59 countries participated in the Junior World Cup in Suhl. India sent the largest contingent of 57 shooters to the World Cup. Shooters from Russia and Belarus competed under the AIN (Individual Neutral Athletes) flag. The ISSF has banned the Russian and Belarusian Shooting Federations due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and Belarus supporting Russia.
2 Defense Minister Rajnath Singh approves implementation model of Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft program
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft – AMCA program execution model . The model aims to enhance India’s indigenous defence capabilities and develop a strong domestic aerospace industrial ecosystem. The Defence Ministry said the execution model provides equal opportunities to the private and public sectors on a competitive basis. It said the entity or bidder should be an Indian company complying with the laws and regulations of the country. The ministry said this is an important step towards harnessing indigenous expertise, capability and its use to develop the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft prototype, which will be a major milestone towards self-reliance in the aerospace sector.
3 DRDO inaugurates Quantum Technology Research Centre to further strengthen indigenous quantum capabilities for strategic and defence applications
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) inaugurated the Quantum Technology Research Centre (QTRC) at Metcalfe House, Delhi on May 27, 2025. The facility was inaugurated by Dr. Sameer V Kamat, Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman, DRDO , with an aim to further strengthen indigenous quantum capabilities for strategic and defence applications . The QRTC is equipped with state-of-the-art experimental set-up designed to promote research and development in critical quantum domains. The key capabilities of the centre include characterisation of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers and distributed feedback lasers; test-bed for evaluation of single-photon sources; set-up for characterisation of micro fabricated alkali vapour cells; and experimental platforms for developing and validating quantum key distribution technologies to enable ultra-secure connectivity in the post-quantum era and safeguard national security, which is led by the Scientific Analysis Group (SAG) of DRDO.
4 Launch of ‘Know your Digipin’ and ‘Know your PIN code’ web portals
Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications launched two transformational digital platforms : ‘ Know Your DigiPIN ’ and ‘ Know Your Pin Code ’, a significant step towards modernization of India’s address system and geospatial governance. These platforms were launched in line with the National Geospatial Policy 2022, which envisages development of an advanced geospatial infrastructure to support digital governance and public service delivery.
DigiPIN (Digital Postal Index Number) is an open-source, interoperable, geo-coded, grid-based digital address system developed by the Department of Posts in collaboration with IIT Hyderabad and NRSC, ISRO . It forms the basis of the Department of Posts’ vision to introduce Address-as-a-Service (AAaS) – a suite of services offered to the public related to address data management to support secure and efficient interactions between users, government entities and private sector organizations. This initiative simplifies location mapping, enhances logistics and emergency response, and ensures last-mile delivery, especially in rural and underprivileged areas. The six-digit PIN code system, introduced
in 1972 , has served as the backbone of India’s postal delivery. However, recognising the need to modernise and refine its geographic accuracy, the Department carried out a national geofencing exercise across all postal zones to geo-reference all PIN code boundaries in the country. Based on this, the Department of Posts has now launched the ‘Know Your Pin Code’ web application which uses GNSS location features to allow users to:
5 Union Minister Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia unveils the theme of the 9th edition of India Mobile Congress 2025: ‘Transformation through Innovation’
Union Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia unveiled ‘ Innovate to Transform ’ as the theme for the 9th edition of India Mobile Congress 2025. This year’s edition will be held from 8th to 11th October 2025 at Yashobhoomi Convention Centre, New Delhi . The conference aims to build on its legacy by addressing the challenges and opportunities of the rapidly evolving digital landscape while showcasing cutting-edge advancements while fostering collaboration. This year’s theme of IMC 2025 underlines the critical role of innovation in shaping the future and enabling real, transformational change across all sectors, from industry and infrastructure to society and sustainability.
6 India participates in 9th BRICS Industry Ministers Meeting in Brasilia
India participated in the 9th BRICS Industry Ministers Meeting held under the Chairmanship of Brazil at Itamarati Palace, Brasilia – Federal District on 21 May 2025. The theme of the meeting was “ Strengthening Global South Cooperation for More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance ”. Industry Ministers and representatives from all BRICS Member States including Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa , as well as newly added members Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates were present at the meeting. The Joint Declaration adopted at the meeting reaffirmed the collective commitment to promote an open, fair and resilient global environment, strengthen the multilateral system and enhance economic and social resilience amid rapid global changes. As a significant initiative, India launched the BRICS Startup Knowledge Hub under the aegis of the BRICS Start-up Forum on 31 January 2025. It is the first of its kind dedicated platform for BRICS countries, aimed at enhancing cross-border cooperation and strengthening the startup ecosystem in member countries.
7 Gujarat is the 24th state/UT to achieve 100% rail electrification
Gujarat has become the 24th State/UT in the country to achieve 100% electrification of rail tracks . PM Narendra Modi announced the achievements of Gujarat during the inauguration of Dahod Electric Locomotive Factory in Dahod, Gujarat . Dahod Electric Locomotive Factory has been set up by Indian Railways in collaboration with Siemens to manufacture India’s first 9000 HP locomotive engines for freight trains. The first electric train in India ran from Mumbai to Thane in 1925. In the First Five Year Plan (1951-1956) , the central government set a target to electrify 141 km of railway routes in the country.
8 Government extends RoDTEP duty exemption scheme to EOU, AA and SEZ units
The Central Government has extended the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) scheme to Advance Authorisation (AA) holders , Export Oriented Units (EOUs) and units operating in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) . The RoDTEP benefits available to AAs, EOUs and SEZs expired on 6 February 2025. The RoDTEP benefits will be available to AA holders, EOUs and SEZ units from 1 June 2025. Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) is one of the several tax incentive schemes of the Government of India to promote exports from India. The RoDTEP scheme is being implemented by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC). It was launched on 1 January 2021 and replaced the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS).
9 Dr Shah and his team from SKUAST, Kashmir created India’s first gene edited sheep
A team of experts led by Dr Riaz Ahmad Shah, Professor of Animal Biotechnology at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST) , Kashmir, has achieved a significant breakthrough by creating India’s first gene-edited sheep . Dr Riaz was also the head of the team that created India’s first cloned pashmina goat ‘Noori’ in 2012. Noori passed away in 2023. DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is a molecule that contains all the information required for an organism to develop and function. It is mainly located in the nucleus of the organism’s cells. Genetic information is passed on from one generation to the next by parents to their offspring through DNA. Gene-editing refers to deliberate changes made to the DNA of an organism to achieve desired changes in that organism.
10 Asian Athletics Championships: Gulveer Singh won gold in running and Servin Sebastian won bronze in race walk
India’s Gulveer Singh has won the gold medal in the men’s 10,000 meter race at the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea . Gulveer topped the race with a timing of 28 minutes 38.63 seconds . Earlier, Servin Sebastian opened India’s account in the medal tally by winning a bronze medal in the championship . Servin won the bronze medal in the men’s 20 km walk event with a timing of 1 hour 21 minutes and 13.6 seconds. China’s Wang Zhaozhao won the gold medal, while Japan’s Kento Yoshikawa got the silver medal.
11 Kush Maini became the first Indian to win a Formula 2 race
In a historic achievement for Indian motorsport , Kush Maini made history by becoming the first Indian driver to win a Formula 2 race . He won the Monaco Grand Prix Sprint Race on 24 May 2025 with a brilliant performance. Driving for the Dams Lucas Oil team , Maini maintained his lead throughout the 30-lap race, and won on the complex street circuit of Monaco. Kush Maini (24 years) is the reserve driver of the BWT Alpine F1 Team . He is the younger brother of Arjun Maini and hails from Bengaluru.
12 Arsenal beat Barcelona to win the 2025 Women’s Champions League
Arsenal won their second UEFA Women’s Champions League (UWCL) title by defeating defending champions FC Barcelona 1-0 in a historic match played on 24 May 2025 at the Estadio Jose Alvalade Stadium in Lisbon , Portugal . The decisive moment of the match came in the 75th minute when substitute Stina Blackstenius scored a goal on Beth Mead’s brilliant assist. This victory was historic because this is the first time since 2007 that Arsenal has won this trophy and also the first time an English women’s club has won the title after so many years. Arsenal shattered Barcelona’s dream of winning the UWCL for the third time in a row.
13 India will host Khelo India Northeast Games every year
Union Sports Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya has announced that Khelo India Northeast Games will now be held every year and will be held in a rotating manner across the eight northeastern states of India . The initiative aims to develop the region’s immense sporting talent and promote traditional sports, thereby better integrating the Northeast into the national sports landscape. Union Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya made this announcement at the Rising Northeast 2025 Investors Summit in New Delhi.
14 The United Nations declared 25 May as World Football Day
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has declared 25 May as ‘ World Football Day ‘. The decision was passed unanimously on 7 May 2024 , which marks 100 years of football ‘s global participation at the 1924 Paris Summer Olympics . The proposal was introduced by Libyan ambassador Taher El-Soni, recognizing the cultural, social and unifying impact of football.
15 International Week of Solidarity with the Peoples of Non-Self-Governing Territories 2025: May 25 to 31
The ‘ International Week of Solidarity with the Peoples of Non-Self-Governing Territories ‘ is observed by the United Nations every year from 25 to 31 May . It aims to promote decolonisation and the right to self-determination. The initiative highlights the situation of peoples who have still not achieved full self-governance, and mobilises international support for their political, economic and social development. The week promotes dialogue, cooperation and solidarity to ensure that the principles contained in the UN Charter are applicable to all. The week was established by General Assembly resolution A/RES/54/91 on 6 December 1999.