Top 10 Current Affairs May 2025

From Operation Sindoor to India becoming the world's 4th largest economy, be it Neeraj Chopra creating history in Doha Diamond League 2025 or Banu Mushtaq winning the International Booker Prize, we have covered it all. Yes, we're back with our May 2025 current affairs roundup, bringing you the most important events and developments from the past month.

This comprehensive current affairs update will boost your General Knowledge and help you stay ahead in UPSC, SSC, Banking, Railways, Defence, State PSC, Teaching Exams, and other competitive exams. Stay informed. Keep reading! 💯

1. List of New Appointments in May 2025

2. May 2025 National News

2.1 Operation Sindoor

• A series of precision strikes on terrorist camps located in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).

• These attacks are done as a counter to the Pahalgam terror attack.

• These airstrikes targeted a total of nine locations.

Credits: Hindustan Times

• Targets in Pakistan : ​​

  • Markaz Subhan Allah, Bahawalpur

  • Markaz Taiba, Muridke

  • Sarjal, Tehra Kalan

  • Mehmoona Joya, Sialkot

• Targets in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK):

  • Markaz Ahle Hadith, Barnala 

  • Markaz Abbas, Kotli

  • Maskar Raheel Shahid, Kotli 

  • Shawai Nalla Camp, Muzaffarabad 

  • Syedna Bilal Camp, Muzaffarabad 

Present status: India & Pakistan have agreed on an immediate ceasefire.

2.2 India becomes the world's 4th largest economy

Credits: Akashvani

• Surpasses Japan 🇯🇵

• According to the IMF, India's GDP currently stands at 4.3 trillion dollars.

• According to the report, India's high rate of growth will see its GDP increase to 5.5 trillion dollars in 2028, overtaking Germany to become the third-largest economy.

• India continues to be the world’s fastest-growing major economy and the only country expected to grow by over 6 per cent in the next two years.

• Current NITI Aayog CEO : B.V.R. Subrahmanyam

To comprehend the legal framework surrounding digital currencies, read our comprehensive guide on the legality of cryptocurrency in India.

2.3 One of the World's highest-resolution weather forecast systems

• Name: Bharat Forecast system

• Developed by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune

• Powered by the high-speed supercomputer Arka, BFS

• Aim: To deliver the most accurate & localised weather forecasts in the world with an unprecedented 6 km x 6 km grid resolution.

• It will enable every village in India to access more precise & location-specific forecasts.

3. May 2025 International News

3.1 First country to integrate crypto payments in tourism

• Bhutan 🇧🇹

• Strategic partnership with Binance Pay & DK Bank.

• It allows international visitors to pay using over 100 cryptocurrencies, setting a global precedent in the blockchain & travel sectors while also enhancing accessibility for rural vendors.

• Official currency of Bhutan: Ngultrum

• Aim:

  • To promote cashless travel for global tourists.

  • Encourage financial inclusion, especially in rural Bhutan.

Do You know : Bhutan is already known for its crypto mining industry, holding 12,062 BTC worth approximately $1.17 billion.

Curious about how India's legal landscape is adapting to cryptocurrencies? Discover how the Supreme Court's decisions are shaping the future of cryptocurrency in India.

3.2 First glacier in Asia to receive a memorial plaque

Credits: ICIMOD

• Yala Glacier 

• Located in Langtang (Nepal)

• The glacier was once a crucial site for glaciological training and cryosphere research in the Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH).

Do you know: Yala Glacier is the third glacier globally to be memorialized in this way, after Okjökull Glacier (Iceland) and Ayoloco Glacier (Mexico).

3.3 New member of the International Solar Alliance (ISA)

• Country name: Angola 🇦🇴

• Becomes 123rd member of the alliance.

• About ISA : 

  • A treaty-based intergovernmental organisation launched in 2015 by India and France.

  • Headquarters: Gurugram (Haryana)

4. May 2025 States/UTs News

4.1 India’s First Fully Literate State

• Mizoram

• Literacy Rate: 98.20% (As per PFLS 2023-24)

• Mizoram attained statehood on 20 February 1987.

Do you know: Mizoram ranked 3rd in the 2011 Census, having a literacy rate of 91.33%.

4.2 India’s First Transmedia Entertainment City

• State: Andhra Pradesh

• Name: Creator Land

• Aim: To create 25,000 jobs and drive innovation across digital storytelling. Also, it provides infrastructure for storytelling, gaming, AI content, filmmaking, music, and virtual production.

4.3 Northeast's First Geothermal Production Well

• State: Arunachal Pradesh

• Location : Dirang, West Kameng district 

• Drilled by: Centre for Earth Sciences and Himalayan Studies (CESHS)

• This type of geothermal drilling is the first of its kind in Northeast India.

5. Defence Current Affairs 2025

5.1 Delivery of India’s First Indigenous Anti-Submarine Shallow WaterCraft  

Credits: PIB

• Name: INS Arnala

• Designed & constructed by GRSE & L&T Shipyard

• Length: 77 meters 

• Propulsion System: Diesel Engine-Waterjet 

Do you know: INS Arnala is India’s largest Indian warship with this Propulsion system combination.

For an in-depth look at our nation's military structure, explore our article on the Evolution of Defence Forces in India.

5.2 Indian Navy welcomes crew of Navika Sagar Parikrama II 

Credits: PIB

• Successfully completed circumnavigation of the Globe onboard Indian Naval Sailing Vessel Tarini.

• Crew members: Lt Cdr Roopa A & Lt Cdr Dilna K 

5.3 First CISF officer to summit Mount Everest

Credits: India TV News

• Sub-Inspector Geeta Samota 

• CISF motto: Protection and Security

• CISF DG (As of May 2025): Shri Rajwinder Singh Bhatti (IPS)

Do you know: Avtar Singh Cheema, in 1965, became the first Indian-born man & the 16th person in the world to climb Mount Everest.

6. Sports Current Affairs May 2025

6.1 Neeraj Chopra creates history in Doha Diamond League 2025

Credits: Business Standard

• Sport: Javelin 

• Breached the 90m mark for the first time in his career.

• Chopra became the first Indian & only the third Asian to achieve this feat in men's javelin.

• Neeraj Chopra ended with a silver medal in the league.

• Winner: Julian Weber (Germany)

• He was given the Honorary Lt. Colonel Rank in the Territorial Army

Do you know : Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem (92.97m) of Pakistan and Chao-Tsun Cheng (91.36m) of Chinese Taipei are the two other Asians to have breached the coveted mark.

6.2 India's 86th Chess Grandmaster

• Srihari LR 

• 1st grandmaster from India (male): Viswanathan Anand (1988)

• 1st grandmaster from India (female): Subbaraman Vijayalakshmi (2001)

6.3 Archery World Cup 2025 Stage 2

Credits: Akashvani

• Host: China 🇨🇳

• Total medals of India: 7 (2 Gold, 1 Silver, 4 Bronze)

• Gold medal bagged by: Men’s Compound Team (Abhishek Verma, Rishabh Yadav, Ojas Deotale)

• Archery World Cup hosts : 

  • Stage 1: Auburndale (USA)

  • Stage 2: Shanghai (China)

  • Stage 3 : Antalya (Turkiye)

  • Stage 4 : Madrid(Spain)

  • Final : Nanjing (China)

7. Awards & Honours May 2025

7.1 International Booker Prize 2025

Credits: The Hindu

• Winner: Banu Mushtaq (India)

• Won the prize for her short story collection named “ Heart Lamp”.

• Translated into English by Deepa Bhasthi.

• It’s a compilation of 12 short stories written from 1990 to 2023.

• The “Heart Lamp” highlights the nuanced struggles and resilience of Muslim women in southern India.

• About the International Booker Prize:

  • It was formed in 2005.

  • Initially known as the Man Booker International Prize.

  • The first Indian to win the International Booker Prize was Geetanjali Shree for her novel "Tomb of Sand" in 2022.

Do you know: This is the first time a Kannada-language work has received this prestigious international honour.

7.2 First Indian lawyer to receive World Law Congress honour

• Bhuwan Ribhu

• Acknowledges his commitment to eradicate child exploitation through legal reforms, court interventions, & advocacy.

• The World Jurist Association Medal of Honour is among the highest recognitions for legal professionals globally.

• Presented by Javier Cremades, President of the World Jurist Association.

7.3 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize 2025

• Awarded to the newspaper La Prensa

• La Prensa, founded in 1926, is one of Nicaragua’s oldest and most respected newspapers.

• Awarded on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, 3 May.

• About UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize:

  • Established in 1997.

  • Named after Colombian journalist Guillermo Cano Isaza.

  • Honour individuals, organisations, or institutions that have contributed outstandingly to the defence and promotion of press freedom.

8. Reports and Rankings May 2025 

8.1 Human Development Index 2025

• Insights from the UNDP Human Development Report 2025 

• Theme: A matter of choice: People and possibilities in the age of AI

• Top country: Iceland 🇮🇸

• India rank: 130 (out of 193 countries)

Do you know: India’s life expectancy at birth rose from 71.7 years in 2022 to 72 years in 2023, the highest since the index's inception.

8.2 Newly revamped OCI Portal  

• Launched by: Ministry of Home Affairs

• Aim: To simplify & digitise the experience of overseas Indians.

• OCI means Overseas Citizen of India.

• About the OCI scheme : 

  • Introduced via amendment to the Citizenship Act 1955 in 2005.

  • Enables Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) to register as Overseas Citizens of India.

  • Eligible if they were citizens of India on or after 26 January 1950 or qualified to become citizens.

  • Ineligible if the individual or their parents/grandparents were citizens of Pakistan or Bangladesh.

9. May 2025 Obituaries

9.1 Dr. Mathew Kalarickal

• Also known as the Father of Angioplasty in India

• Performed India’s first angioplasty in 1986, starting with just 18 patients.

9.2 Subbanna Ayyappan

• Scientist

• Padma Shri awardee

• Also Known as the architect of India’s Blue Revolution.

9.3 Jayant Narlikar

• Astrophysicist

• Padma Vibhushan, awardee & founder of IUCAA

Here's the BONUS! Special Days in May 2025 | List of National & International Important Days 

📌 Looking for more updates—explore our top current affairs from April & March 2025:

• Top 10 Current Affairs April 2025
• Top 10 Current Affairs March 2025