Operation Safed Sagar

2 PM Modi inaugurated the loco manufacturing railway workshop

Prime Minister  Narendra Modi  on Monday   inaugurated  the Loco Manufacturing Railway Workshop  in  Dahod, Gujarat . During this, he flagged off the first electric locomotive manufactured at this facility . This is a significant infrastructure milestone for the Indian Railways. The foundation stone of this project  was laid  in 2022  and within just three years, the state-of-the-art production center is ready for operations. This workshop  is designed with  an annual production capacity of 120 electric locomotives , which can be increased to 150 units depending on future requirements  . Under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model, Indian Railways aims to manufacture 1,200 electric locomotives at this facility in the next decade.  In line with Prime Minister Modi’s vision of  ‘Make in India’  and ‘ Atmanirbhar Bharat ‘  , each of these 9,000 HP locomotives will have the tag of ‘ Made in Dahod ‘. These high-powered locomotives are capable of carrying 4,600 tonnes of cargo and are planned for both domestic use and export. For the first time, these engines will include air conditioning and toilet facilities for drivers, which will greatly improve the comfort of the crew. After this, the Prime Minister  laid the foundation stone and inaugurated several development projects worth more than Rs 24 thousand crore in Dahod . These projects include rail projects and various projects of the Gujarat government. He also flagged off the Vande Bharat Express between Veraval and Ahmedabad and the express train between Valsad and Dahod stations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a two-day Gujarat tour on Monday for the first time after ‘Operation Sindoor’. Prime Minister Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of major development projects worth more than Rs 53,400 crore in Bhuj, Gujarat. At the same time, he laid the foundation stone, inaugurated and dedicated various development projects worth more than Rs 24,000 crore in Dahod.

3 Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurates and lays foundation stone of development projects worth over Rs 53,400 crore in Bhuj, Gujarat

Prime Minister  Shri Narendra Modi  inaugurated , laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation several development projects worth over Rs 53,400 crore in Bhuj,  Gujarat   . The power sector projects include transmission projects for evacuation of renewable energy generated at Khavda Renewable Energy Park, expansion of transmission network, Ultra Super Critical Thermal Power Plant unit at Tapi etc. It also includes projects at Kandla Port and several road, water and solar projects of the Gujarat Government.

4 Union Earth Sciences Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh dedicated the world’s first indigenously developed high-resolution ‘India Forecast System’ developed by IITM

Union Minister for Earth Sciences  Dr Jitendra Singh  dedicated   one of the world’s first indigenously developed high-resolution weather forecasting systems –  Bharat Forecasting System (BFS) – at a ceremony held at  Vigyan Bhavan   today  . Powered by  the high-speed supercomputer ‘Arka’  and  developed by  the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, this state-of-the-art system enhances  India’s weather forecast resolution from 12 km to 6 km  , helping every village in India to receive more accurate and location-specific forecasts  . This advancement is a quantum leap in India’s weather services and a significant achievement under the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Make in India’ initiatives.

5 Six African countries sign MoU to eliminate kala-azar

Six East African countries  —  Chad, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan  — have  signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to eliminate  kalaazar (visceral leishmaniasis)  . The MoU was signed during an event in Geneva in May 2025  on the occasion of  the 78th World Health Assembly in collaboration with  the World Health Organization (WHO)  and  the African Union   . The agreement is a significant step in the global initiative to eliminate Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), especially kalaazar. East Africa accounts for more than 70% of global kalaazar cases, making it the region most affected by the disease. The MoU represents a joint effort to increase investment, improve surveillance and promote cross-border cooperation. Kalaazar is a fatal disease   caused by  the Leishmania parasite . The parasite  is transmitted by the bite of the sandfly .

In a major step towards strengthening  India’s  polar and ocean research capabilities  , Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh  inaugurated  two world-class complexes —  Sagar Bhawan  and  Polar Bhawan — at the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR)  in  Goa   . The initiative is expected to elevate India’s scientific role in the context of changing climate scenarios and global ocean politics. The inauguration took place on the occasion of  Silver Jubilee (25th anniversary) of NCPOR  . It aims to strengthen India’s scientific infrastructure in the field of polar and ocean research. It is in sync with India’s strategy of Blue Economy, Climate Change Mitigation, and Developed India 2047.

7 The MSME sector contributes 29 percent to the country’s GDP and employs more than 60 percent of the workforce

NITI Aayog  on Monday released a report on  ” Formulating a Policy Framework for Medium Enterprises “. According to which the MSME sector contributes 29 per cent to  India’s  GDP   and  employs more than 60 per cent of the workforce  . At the same time,  medium enterprises , although  only 0.3 per cent of MSMEs , contribute 40 per cent to  MSME  exports  , which shows abundant untapped potential. The report was released in the presence of NITI Aayog Vice Chairman  Suman Beri , NITI Aayog Member  Dr. V.K. Saraswat  and NITI Aayog Member  Dr. Arvind Virmani  . This report presents a comprehensive framework for transforming medium enterprises into the future growth engine of India’s economy. The report discusses in depth the structural disparity of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector, the MSME sector, which contributes about 29 per cent to India’s GDP, has a 40 per cent share in exports and employs more than 60 per cent of the workforce. Despite its crucial role, the structure of the sector is disproportionately skewed: 97 per cent of registered MSMEs are micro enterprises, 2.7 per cent are small enterprises and only 0.3 per cent are medium enterprises.

8 World Para Athletics: Para athlete Mahendra Gurjar sets world record in men’s F42 javelin throw event

Indian para athlete Mahendra Gurjar  has  set a new world record   by throwing  61.17 meters in the men’s F42 javelin throw event  at  the World Para Athletics Grand Prix tournament  being held in   Nottwil  , Switzerland . 27-year-old Mahendra Gurjar broke the previous record of 59.19 meters set by Brazil’s Roberto Floriani Edenilson in the year 2022.  This is Gurjar’s second gold  in these tournaments . Earlier  on May 23, he also won  the long jump T42 event  with a jump of 5.59 meters  . Two-time Paralympic gold medalist  Sumit Antil  also  won the gold medal in the F64 javelin throw event with a throw of 72.35 meters .

9 Madhya Pradesh government approved ‘Rahveer’ scheme

The Madhya Pradesh government  has  approved the ‘ Raahveer ‘ scheme  in line with the Centre’s initiative to promote road safety and provide timely assistance during accidents. Under the scheme, the state government will reward Rs 25,000  to anyone who takes   a road accident victim to a primary health centre.  The decision has been taken following a call made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Mann ki Baat programme, in which he expressed concern over the rising number of road accidents and stressed the importance of prompt medical intervention.

10 Central Apprenticeship Council recommended 30% increase in scholarship given to youth

The Central Apprenticeship Council (CAC)  has  recommended a 30% increase in the scholarship  given to the youth under  the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme-NAPS  and  National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS)  . This decision was taken in the 38th meeting of the Council in New Delhi chaired by Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Minister  Jayant Chaudhary  . After the notification is issued, the scholarship under both the schemes will increase from the existing 5 thousand and 9 thousand to 6,800 and 12,300. The aim of this recommendation is to attract more candidates in various fields. During this, Mr. Chaudhary said that apprenticeship is not only a mechanism to impart skills, but it is a medium that connects education, industry and employment.

11 Sri Lanka: Actress Malani Fonseka given final farewell with full state honours

 In  Sri Lanka , great actress Malani Fonseka  was given a final farewell with full state honours in Colombo.  Fonseka, known as the Queen of Sri Lankan cinema,  died last Friday during treatment. She was 78 years old. Fonseka had worked in about 150 films. She had  also received awards in Russia and India  .  In 2010  ,  CNN  included her name in the list of 25 great artists of Asia .

12 Nicusor Dan takes charge as new President of Romania

Nicusor Dan  took over as  the new President of Romania  . 55-year-old Mr. Dan secured 53.6 per cent votes in the second round of presidential elections on May 18. He  defeated Romanian Union coalition  leader George Simion. Mr. Dan   took over from interim President Ilie Bolozan .

13 Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) 2.0 portal launched

The two-day National Writing Workshop of Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) Version 2.0  for FY 2023-24   commenced at  Dr. Ambedkar International Centre  ,  New Delhi . Panchayati Raj Secretary Shri Vivek Bhardwaj, Statistics and Programme Implementation Secretary Shri Saurabh Garg, Panchayati Raj Additional Secretary Shri Sushil Kumar Lohani and NITI Aayog Senior Advisor Shri Rajib Kumar Sen were also present on the occasion. During the inauguration, the PAI 2.0 portal https://pai.gov.in/  was launched. The Local Indicator Framework (LIF) Handbook and Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for FY 2023-24 were also released on the occasion. PAI is a multidimensional assessment framework developed by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj to enable monitoring of performance of over 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats across nine themes aligned with localization of Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs). While PAI version 1.0 served as the baseline and covered data from 2.16 lakh Gram Panchayats across 29 States/UTs, PAI version 2.0 is a major achievement in functionality, efficiency and usability.

14 Google unveils Beam: the future of 3D video communications

Recently,  Google  has developed its Project  Starline   as  a business 3D communication platform and launched it as  Google Beam  . It  uses an AI-based volumetric video technology , which  makes   video calls immersive and realistic . With partnerships with global companies like Zoom, HP and Deloitte  , Google Beam is now a big step towards revolutionizing workspace communication and eliminating global language barriers through AI-powered real-time speech translation. Project Starline was started in 2021. It used light-field display and AI based 3D rendering. Now it has been launched for business use as Google Beam.

15 Manipur tops medal tally of first Khelo India Beach Games

Manipur emerged as the champions of the inaugural Khelo India Beach Games (KIBG) 2025 held in Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (first edition) from May 19 to May 24, 2025, beating Maharashtra and Nagaland with the most silver medals.   Manipur won the  title  with  14  medals –  five  gold  ,   six  silver and three bronze  . All three teams had five gold medals each but Manipur (6) topped the table with more silver medals than Maharashtra (5) and Nagaland (3). Nagaland finished in the top three for the first time in a Khelo India event, which was a historic moment for it. Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir finished joint fourth. Both won five gold medals besides one silver and three bronze medals.  KIBG 2025   was  the first edition of the Beach Games under the Khelo India banner of the Government of India  . It was the third Khelo India event of the year after the Winter Games and Youth Games  .