Current Affairs Quiz - May 2025

Notes:
Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai has been appointed as the 52nd Chief Justice of India (CJI) and will take charge on May 14, 2025, succeeding Justice Sanjiv Khanna. The appointment of the Chief Justice of India is guided by Article 124(2) of the Constitution, which empowers the President of India to appoint the CJI. Article 126 allows for the appointment of an Acting Chief Justice if needed.

Notes:
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) recently conducted multiple raids under Operation Hawk to crack down on cybercrime involving Online Child Sexual Exploitation (OCSE) with global links. The action followed inputs from United States (US) authorities and led to the arrest of two individuals from Mangalore and Delhi.The CBI’s International Operations Division registered cases under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000, and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.This comes as part of CBI’s broader efforts under earlier operations like Operation CARBON (2021) and Operation Megh Chakra (2022)

Notes:
The Vembanad Lake Rejuvenation Project, led by the Alappuzha District Administration, is inspired by the Namami Gange Programme for river conservation. A five-year plan worth ₹188.25 crore has been submitted to the Chief Minister of Kerala and may be revised based on studies by the Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM). Vembanad Lake is the longest lake in India and the largest in Kerala, stretching about 96.5 kilometres. It spreads across Alappuzha, Kottayam, and Ernakulam districts, covering around 2,033 square kilometres. The lake is known by names like Vembanad Kayal, Punnamada Lake, and Kochi Lake in different regions. It receives water from six rivers, including Meenachil, Achankovil, Pamba, and Manimala, and drains into the Arabian Sea.

Notes:
A rare inscription from the time of Vikramaditya I of the Badami Chalukya dynasty was recently found at Madapura Lake in Davangere district, Karnataka. Vikramaditya I ruled from 644 Common Era (CE) to 681 CE. He became king after the defeat of his father Pulakeshin II by the Pallava king Narasimhavarman I. His most important military success was the recapture of Vatapi, the Chalukya capital, from the Pallavas. He supported temple architecture and encouraged the construction of freestanding temples, a key feature of Chalukya style. The inscription offers new insights into his rule and regional history.

Notes:
Operation Kagar has successfully encircled the last remaining Naxal strongholds in the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border regions. Operation Kagar was launched by the Ministry of Home Affairs to eliminate Maoist insurgents and dismantle the political ideology of Maoism. The operation combines military action, surveillance technology, and development outreach to combat Left-Wing Extremism (LWE). The campaign has reduced Naxal-affected districts from 106 in 2015 to just 6 in 2025. In 2024, 287 Naxals were neutralized, with over 150 already in 2025.

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India’s SVAMITVA scheme will be highlighted at the World Bank Land Conference in Washington, D.C., showcasing its role in digitalising rural land records. SVAMITVA stands for Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas and was launched in 2020 as a central sector scheme. It aims to give rural residents legal documents for their residential properties to help them access loans and other financial services. Drone technology is used to survey land parcels in rural inhabited areas across India in phases. The scheme helps bring financial stability to rural citizens by treating property as a financial asset. It also ensures accurate land records for better rural planning and governance. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) is the nodal ministry for implementing the scheme. State Revenue or Land Records Departments implement the scheme with support from State Panchayati Raj Departments.

Notes:
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin announced that May 5 will officially be declared as Traders’ Day in the state. This aligns with the day already observed by Tamil Nadu Traders’ Associations annually. The announcement was made at the 42nd annual meeting of the Traders’ Association in Maduranthakam.

Notes:
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the revised SHAKTI scheme on May 8, 2025. SHAKTI stands for Scheme for Harnessing and Allocating Koyala Transparently in India, aimed at providing coal to thermal power plants. The revised policy simplifies the coal linkage process to help power plants meet short-term and long-term needs. It introduces two windows: coal at notified price and coal at premium over notified price. Central and state thermal power projects, including joint ventures, will get coal at notified price as per existing rules. States can allocate this coal to their own power companies or Independent Power Producers (IPPs) chosen through Tariff-Based Competitive Bidding (TBCB).

Notes:
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu recently launched ‘Creator Land’, India’s first transmedia entertainment city, at the WAVES (Wealth, Assets, Values, Entrepreneurship, and Sustainability) Summit. The project involves an investment of ₹10,000 crore and aims to create 25,000 direct jobs over the next six years. It is designed to make Amaravati a global centre for digital media, gaming, Artificial Intelligence (AI) content, and virtual production. Creator Land will have infrastructure for storytelling, filmmaking, music, and AI-based content development. A special Creator Land Academy will train youth in digital media and content creation. This initiative is expected to significantly boost the digital economy of Andhra Pradesh and enable global partnerships.

Notes:
On May 5, 2025, Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) appointed Salem Saleh Bin Braik as the new Prime Minister. This follows the sudden resignation of Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak, who stepped down due to constitutional limits and lack of power to implement key reforms. The leadership change is significant as Yemen continues to struggle with civil war and economic crisis. Salem Bin Braik has served as Finance Minister since 2019 and previously held the post of Vice Finance Minister along with other administrative roles. He was appointed just hours after bin Mubarak resigned.