Daily Current Affairs and GK | 15 May 2025

Topic: Important Days

1. International Day of Families: 15 May

• In its of 9 December 1989, the General Assembly proclaimed ‘The International Year of the Family’.
• In 1993, the General Assembly decided in a resolution that 15 May of every year should be observed as The International Day of Families.
• This day aims to promote awareness of issues relating to families and to increase the knowledge of the social, economic and demographic processes affecting families.
• 2025 Theme: “Family-Oriented Policies for Sustainable Development: Towards the Second World Summit for Social Development”
• The Second World Summit for Social Development will be held in Doha, Qatar on 4-6 November 2025.
• The Summit builds on the 1995 Copenhagen Declaration, which recognized families as the foundation of society and underscored the need for work-family balance and equal partnerships within households.

Topic: State News/ Uttar Pradesh

2. Union Cabinet approves 6th semiconductor Unit to be established near Jewar airport in UP.

• The union government has approved a semiconductor unit to be set up near Jewar airport in Uttar Pradesh.

• The unit will be set up under the India Semiconductor Mission with the joint venture of HCL and Foxconn.
• The plant is designed for 20 thousand wafers per month and the design output capacity is 36 million units per month.
• This plant will manufacture display driver chips for mobile phones, laptops, automobiles, PCs, and a variety of other devices that have display.
• It is expected that the new semiconductor unit in Jewar will attract investment of 3,700 crore rupees.
• On 2 September 2024, the Union Cabinet approved India’s fifth semiconductor plant, set to rise in Sanand, Gujarat.
• India Semiconductor Mission:
  • It was launched in 2021 with a total outlay of Rs. 76,000 crores under the aegis of the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY).
  • It aims to build a strong semiconductor and display ecosystem, positioning India as a global hub for electronics manufacturing and design.
  • It also aims at serving as the nodal agency for the efficient and seamless implementation of semiconductor and display schemes.

Topic: International News

3. Trump signed deals worth $243.5 billion during his Qatar visit.

• On 14 May, a landmark agreement with Qatar was signed by US President Donald J. Trump to generate an economic exchange worth at least $1.2 trillion.
• Over $243.5 billion in economic agreements were announced during President Trump's visit to Qatar, including a historic sale of Boeing aircraft and GE Aerospace engines to Qatar Airways
• The highlight of these agreements is Qatar Airways' purchase of 160 Boeing jets worth $200 billion, which was signed in Doha in the presence of Trump and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.
• Boeing and GE Aerospace secured a landmark order from Qatar Airways, including a $96 billion deal to purchase 210 U.S.-built Boeing 787 Dreamliner and 777X aircraft powered by GE Aerospace engines.
• The deal is projected to support approximately 154,000 U.S. jobs annually.
• McDermott continues its strong partnership with Qatar Energy, currently managing seven active projects worth $8.5 billion as the sole provider of offshore components for Qatar's major LNG expansion.
• 30 projects worth up to $97 billion secured by engineering firm Parsons.
• While a joint venture agreement was finalized by Quantinuum with Al Rabban Capital, under which up to $1 billion will be invested by Qatar in quantum technologies.
• Raytheon’s $1 billion defense deal made Qatar its first foreign customer for a new counter-drone system.
• A $2 billion UAV acquisition agreement was signed with General Atomics for MQ-9B drones.
• Additionally, the United States and Qatar signed a letter of intent outlining potential investments of over $38 billion, including support for Al Udeid Air Base and future defense capabilities.

Topic: MoUs and Agreements

4. DST and DRDO collaborate to enhance space situational awareness.

• An institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) has signed an MoU to partner with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• The MoU aims to utilize observational facilities at Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) and its scientific expertise to strengthen India’s ground-based Space Situational Awareness (SSA) capabilities.
• On 13th May 2025, the MoU was signed between ARIES, Nainital, an autonomous institute of DST, and Instruments Research & Development Establishment (IRDE), Dehradun, a laboratory of DRDO, at IRDE, Dehradun.
• ARIES is a premier research institute in the field of astronomy, astrophysics, and atmospheric sciences and hosts state-of-the-art national observing facilities
• ARIES is a premier research institute in the field of astronomy, astrophysics, and atmospheric sciences.
• It houses state-of-the-art national observational centers, including the 3.6 m Devasthal optical telescope and the ST radar system.
• IRDE is a leading institute engaged in the design and development of electro-optical surveillance systems on land, naval, airborne, and space platforms for the armed forces.
• The scope of the MoU includes the use of ARIES's observational facilities for monitoring and data acquisition on space objects, as well as the joint development of electro-optics-based systems for astronomy and Space Situational Awareness (SSA) applications.
• It also covers the development of image processing and data analysis techniques using AI/ML, along with knowledge exchange, training activities, and capacity building through scientific and technical R&D.

Topic: State News/Jammu & Kashmir

5. A Tiranga Yatra organized in Jammu to pay tribute to Operation Sindoor's success on 15 May.

• The historic success of Operation Sindoor has made the entire nation proud, and the courage and strategy displayed by the Indian Army during this operation are a source of inspiration for every citizen.
• To express support and appreciation to the brave Indian Army, Jammu Civil Society joined the Tiranga Rally organized from Indira Chowk to Vikram Chowk in Jammu.
• The event was marked by patriotic chants and national pride.
• The civil society took the lead in organizing the Yatra to honor the military's valor.
• The initiative aimed to instill unity and acknowledge the Indian Army’s bravery.
• Participants displayed high enthusiasm, waving flags and chanting slogans.
• Similar rallies have been planned at district, mandal, and ward levels across J&K.
• These rallies will be held continuously till May 25, fostering solidarity and patriotism.

Topic: Indian Polity

6. 20-year-old duplication of EPIC number issue resolved by ECI.

• A nearly 20-year-old issue of similar Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers, issued to genuine electors due to similar series used by different EROs since 2005, has been resolved by the Election Commission.
• Chief Electoral Officers of all states and Union Territories, along with Electoral Registration Officers of all Assembly constituencies and polling stations, searched the entire electoral database of over 99 crore electors.
• New and unique EPIC cards have now been issued to all such voters.
• This proposal has been brought as part of the Election Commission's efforts to correct and update voter lists.
• During field-level verification, it was found that such identical EPIC number holders were genuine voters of different Assembly Constituencies and different Polling Stations.
• The issue had its origin in 2005, when different States and Union Territories were using different alphanumeric series constituency-wise in a decentralised manner.

Topic: National Appointments

7. Dr. Ajay Kumar has been appointed as the new Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

• The appointment was made by President Droupadi Murmu.
• He is a retired IAS officer from the 1985 batch of the Kerala cadre.
• Dr. Kumar previously served as Defence Secretary from August 2019 to October 2022.
• His appointment follows the retirement of former UPSC Chairperson Preeti Sudan on April 29.
• The Department of Personnel and Training issued the appointment order.
• The order was made under Article 316(1) of the Indian Constitution.
• Dr. Kumar will officially begin his role once he assumes office.
• His tenure will continue until October 2027.
• He will complete his term upon reaching the age of 65.
• During his time as Defence Secretary, he helped establish the Chief of Defence Staff post in 2020.
• He also oversaw the rollout of the Agniveer recruitment scheme in 2022.
• Dr. Kumar is an alumnus of IIT Kanpur.
• He holds a PhD in business administration from the Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota.
• UPSC is a constitutional body. It is headed by a Chairperson. It can have a maximum of 10 members.
• Article 315 to Article 323 of the Indian Constitution deals with Public Service Commissions for the Union and for the States.
• The chairman and other members of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) are appointed by the President of India.
• The members of UPSC hold officer for a term of six years or till they attain the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.

Topic: Art and Culture

8. The 12-day Saraswati Pushkaralu festival has begun in Kaleshwaram, Telangana.

• This grand religious event is celebrated once every 12 years.
• It is dedicated to the subterranean Saraswati River.
• Kaleshwaram is located in Jayashankar Bhupalpally district.
• The town is home to the Sri Kaleshwara Sri Mukteshwara Swamy temple.
• Here, the Saraswati River meets the Godavari and Pranahita rivers.
• This confluence is known as the Triveni Sangamam.
• Rituals started with a Ganapathi pooja in the temple town.
• Kaleshwaram is near the Maharashtra border.
• Telangana Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu took a ceremonial dip.
• This marked the beginning of the festivities.
• Priests from Varanasi’s Kashi Vishwanath temple will perform the River Harathi.
• Various devotional programs will be held during the festival.
• Drones are being used for aerial surveillance.
• NDRF, SDRF, and Singareni rescue teams are on alert.
• They are ready to respond to any emergencies.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

9. Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has suspended its academic MoU with Inonu University in Turkey.

• The decision was made due to national security concerns.
• The MoU included plans for faculty exchanges, student visits, and collaborative academic activities.
• It was signed on February 3 and was meant to last for three years.
• The agreement aimed to support cross-cultural research and academic cooperation.
• Inonu University is located in Malatya, Turkey.
• The institution joined the partnership to strengthen global academic ties.
• The collaboration involved JNU’s School of Language, Literature and Culture Studies.
• It also included the School of Computer and Systems Sciences.
• The suspension comes during rising tensions between India and Pakistan.
• Turkey has expressed support for Pakistan in recent geopolitical developments.
• Turkey also criticized India’s airstrikes on terror camps in Pakistan.
• These actions have added to diplomatic tensions between India and Turkey.

Topic: Indian Economy

10. India’s wholesale price index (WPI)-based inflation fell to 0.85 per cent in April 2025.

• In March 2025, WPI inflation was 2.05 per cent.
• The Ministry of Commerce and Industry released the inflation data on 14 May.
• Inflation based on the WPI food index dropped to 2.55 per cent in April.
• This was down from 4.66 per cent in March.
• The Primary Articles category saw inflation decrease to 1.44 per cent in April.
• This was a decline from 0.76 per cent in the previous month.
• The fuel and power sector saw deflation of 2.18 per cent in April.
• This was a shift from a 0.2 per cent increase in March.
• Inflation in the manufactured products category dropped to 2.62 per cent in April.
• This was a decrease from 3.07 per cent in the previous month.
• The ministry noted that rising prices in food manufacturing, chemicals, transport equipment, and machinery contributed to the positive inflation rate in April.
• The WPI tracks price changes for goods traded in bulk between wholesalers and businesses.
• Unlike the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which tracks retail prices, the WPI focuses on factory gate prices and wholesale transactions.