Current Affairs Quiz - May 2025

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Amazon has launched the first 27 satellites under its Project Kuiper to build an internet-from-space network. Project Kuiper is Amazon’s satellite broadband initiative using Low Earth Orbit (LEO), which is up to 2,000 kilometers above Earth. It includes around 3,232 satellites, ground stations, and customer terminals to provide the service. The goal is to deliver high-speed, low-latency, and affordable internet to remote and underserved regions globally. The project is named after the Kuiper Belt, a distant region of the solar system beyond the eight planets. It is Amazon’s answer to SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet system.

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The National Archives of India (NAI) has added the private papers of former President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam to its rich collection, making a major contribution to India’s historical records. It works under the Ministry of Culture and stores old government records that are no longer active but important for research and administration. It is the largest archival repository in South Asia and protects records of lasting value to the Government of India. NAI was started as the Imperial Record Department on 11 March 1891 in Kolkata and moved to New Delhi in 1911. The full transfer of records to Delhi was completed in 1937. NAI also enforces the Public Records Act, 1993 and Public Record Rules, 1997. It preserves over 34 crore pages, including official files, maps, censuses, treaties, debates, rare manuscripts, and government documents.

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Kamla Persad-Bissessar has been elected as the next Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago after her party, United National Congress, won the parliamentary elections. This marks a strong comeback for the 73-year-old leader who earlier served as Prime Minister from 2010 to 2015. She remains the only woman ever to have led the Caribbean nation. Trinidad and Tobago is a twin-island country in the Caribbean with its capital at Port of Spain.

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United Kingdom (UK)-based health charity Encephalitis International has launched a global campaign titled ‘Preventing Future Encephalitis: Climate Change and Infectious Disease’ to raise awareness about encephalitis and promote vaccination. Encephalitis is the inflammation of active brain tissues caused by infections or autoimmune responses, affecting over 1.5 million people globally every year. The campaign highlights how climate change increases encephalitis risk by creating conditions for disease-carrying vectors like mosquitoes and ticks to spread. India is among high-burden countries, with 1,548 cases of Japanese encephalitis reported in 2024 from 24 states and union territories.

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The European Red Admiral butterfly, scientifically called Vanessa atalanta, has been recorded for the first time in India near Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh. This rare sighting was confirmed during a butterfly survey at Thatharna Hill in the Dhauladhar mountain range, at an altitude of 2,500 metres. The observation was verified by Himalayan butterfly expert Lovish Garlani from the Himachal Pradesh Forest Department. This raises the total number of butterfly species in Himachal Pradesh to 440, highlighting the region’s rich biodiversity. The species is known for long migrations across Europe and North America and was last seen in South Asia in 2022 in Pakistan after a 93-year gap. It has no confirmed records from China, Mongolia, or Afghanistan, making its presence in India a significant eastward range expansion.

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The Prime Minister of India will officially inaugurate the Vizhinjam International Seaport in Kerala, marking a major milestone in global maritime connectivity for the state. Vizhinjam Port is located in Vizhinjam, a coastal town in Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala. It is India’s first dedicated transshipment port and also the country’s first semi-automated port. The port is built at a cost of about ₹8,900 crore under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model and is operated by the Adani Group, while the Kerala government holds the majority stake. It has the deepest breakwater in India, nearly three kilometres long, with a natural draft of about 20 metres. The port features India’s first home-built, Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered Vessel Traffic Management System, developed with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras.

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At the recent World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit (WAVES) in Mumbai, the Prime Minister highlighted India’s growing Orange Economy driven by content, creativity and culture. The Orange Economy, also called the creative economy, covers sectors that are based on cultural and creative ideas. As per the United Nations Economic Network, it focuses on using creative assets to boost economic growth and development. It combines economic, cultural and social factors while linking with technology, intellectual property and tourism. It includes industries based on individual talent, skill and innovation that can generate jobs, income and cultural value.

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NITI Aayog, along with the Institute for Competitiveness (IFC), released a report titled ‘Enhancing Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Competitiveness in India’. The report highlights reforms needed in credit access, skill development, innovation, and market linkages to boost MSMEs. Using firm-level data and Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), it suggests ways to integrate MSMEs into global value chains. Focus sectors include textiles, chemicals, automotive, and food processing. Credit access improved between 2020 and 2024, yet only 19% demand was met formally by 2021, with ₹80 lakh crore unmet. The Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) expanded but still needs redesign for wider impact.

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Bodofa Upendranath Brahma was a respected leader of the Bodo community who championed non-violent struggle for tribal identity, rights and cultural preservation. On May 1, 2025, the Government of India (GoI) unveiled his 9-feet-high statue in New Delhi, marking his 35th death anniversary. Union Home Minister (UHM) Amit Shah presided over the unveiling and announced the naming of a major road and rotary after him. This tribute underscores the Government of India’s commitment to tribal empowerment and peacebuilding in India’s North East.

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Every year on May 3, World Press Freedom Day is celebrated to highlight the vital role of the media, known as the fourth pillar of democracy. The day spreads awareness about the struggles faced by journalists and supports the free flow of information. It honours media professionals who have risked or lost their lives in search of truth. This year’s theme is ‘Reporting In The Brave New World – The Impact Of Artificial Intelligence On Press Freedom And The Media.’ The day was established by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 1993 after a 1991 recommendation by UNESCO.