Current Affairs Quiz - May 2025

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Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully conducted the first flight trial of the Stratospheric Airship Platform in Sheopur, Madhya Pradesh. The platform was developed by DRDO’s Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE) based in Agra. The airship carried an instrumental payload and reached a high altitude of about 17 kilometres. The total flight lasted 62 minutes and helped gather important data through onboard sensors. This data will help in building accurate simulation models for future high-altitude missions. The test also checked the envelope pressure control and emergency deflation systems, and the airship was safely recovered.

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The Centre for Earth Sciences and Himalayan Studies (CESHS) has recently drilled Northeast India’s first geothermal production well at Dirang in West Kameng district, Arunachal Pradesh. This marks a major step towards using clean and renewable energy sources in the Himalayan region. Geothermal energy is the heat from within the Earth, used to produce electricity or direct heating. CESHS achieved this breakthrough after two years of detailed geochemical and structural surveys in hot spring sites of western Arunachal Pradesh. CESHS geosciences division head Rupankar Rajkhowa confirmed the success of the drilling project. This initiative can reduce dependency on fossil fuels and support green development in remote regions.

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Researchers from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) and Florida State University have created a new method to estimate how much carbon is transported from the ocean surface to deeper waters. This method uses satellite data and is called the Lagrangian Growth-Advection Model. It helps map how phytoplankton develop and how carbon is transported in the ocean by following surface currents, especially in nutrient-rich upwelling zones like the California Current. This model improves our understanding of ocean carbon cycles by showing how ocean movement and biological processes interact over time and space. It supports climate research by offering a more accurate way to estimate oceanic carbon export using satellite data.

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The first Arnala Class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW SWC) was handed over to the Indian Navy on 8 May 2025 at L&T Shipyard, Kattupalli, Tamil Nadu. It was built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, under a public-private partnership with 80% indigenous content. This project is part of the Atma Nirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India) initiative to boost local defence manufacturing.

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India recently took part in the 20th Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF20) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) was created in 2000 by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC) to support sustainable forest management globally. It includes all UN Member States and related forest organisations, meeting annually for technical or policy-level discussions. India, as a founding member, plays a key role in shaping global forest policy. At UNFF20, India showcased its forest conservation efforts and support for Voluntary National Contributions (VNCs) under the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests (UNSPF) 2017–2030.

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India has become the third-largest vehicle manufacturer in the world as per Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways. This was highlighted at the 4th International Bioenergy Biofuels Biomass (BBB) Summit and Expo on Bioenergy Value Chain held in New Delhi. The growing demand for various types of vehicles is increasing fossil fuel consumption. There is a strong push to reduce fuel imports and increase exports to strengthen the economy. The summit also focused on promoting technologies that use the country’s biomass resources for energy.

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The government has recently revised the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS) to support innovation and entrepreneurship. The scheme is managed by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and benefits startups recognised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). It helps startups get collateral-free loans by offering credit guarantees through eligible lenders like Scheduled Commercial Banks, Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs), and Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) registered Venture Debt Funds (VDFs). The guarantee cover has been increased to ₹20 crore, with loan coverage up to 85% for loans up to ₹10 crore. The annual guarantee fee has been reduced to 1% for key sectors, making borrowing easier for startups.

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Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme was launched on June 29, 2020. It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries. The scheme helps micro food processing enterprises upgrade technology and get formal recognition. It supports farmer producer organizations, self-help groups, and cooperatives to improve food processing businesses. Financial, technical, and capacity-building support is given under the scheme. Bihar secured the first position in implementing the PMFME scheme in 2024–25, as announced recently by the Industries Minister. This shows Bihar’s success in boosting small food processing businesses.

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The 10th International Trade Fair was inaugurated in Nepal by Nepal’s Commerce Minister Damodar Bhandari at Bhrikutimandap. The five-day event features 120 pavilions with participants from Nepal, China, Ukraine, Bangladesh, and Turkey. China set up 40 stalls displaying electric vehicles, electronics, farm tools, clothes, home decor, and Tibetan incense as a major attraction. Nepal’s highlights include wood sculptures, jewellery, ritual items, Himalayan herbs, tea, coffee, spices, processed farm products, and Made in Nepal clothing. Exhibitors shared product details, and Umesh Dalmia from the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industries spoke on boosting tourism like Delhi’s Pragati Maidan fair. The fair aims to build business-to-business links for global trade exposure.

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The MADMAX collaboration recently published the first results of its search for dark photons using a prototype detector. MADMAX stands for Magnetised Disk and Mirror Axion Experiment. It is a research project focused on detecting dark matter particles like axions and dark photons. The MADMAX detector uses a system made of sapphire disks and a mirror to form a resonator that enhances detection signals. Dark photons are theoretical particles similar to light particles (photons) but have mass. They are believed to be part of galactic dark matter and can turn into ordinary photons under special conditions.