_______________________ *TODAYS TOP CURRENT AFFAIRS* --------------------------------------- 1. The Southwest Monsoon (SWM) season is ready to make an early and strong onset over Kerala one week in advance, but its future progress remains uncertain. The uncertainty stems from the formation of twin cyclonic systems in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. 2. The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has initiated a comprehensive saturation drive across India for the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme. Running until May 31, 2025, this effort seeks to include every eligible farmer under the scheme's benefits, ensuring they receive timely financial support. Under the PM-KISAN scheme, the central government provides Rs 6,000 annually to eligible farmers in three instalments of Rs 2,000 each. 3. The Karnataka Cabinet yet again deferred a decision on the contentious Social and Educational Survey (caste census) report on Thursday as debates remained inconclusive even after being discussed in three Cabinet meetings after April 11. 4. Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, Pakistan resorts to proxy war through terrorism as it cannot win a direct war with India. 5. The government announced a 4% reservation in the allotment of central government housing to persons with disabilities, marking a substantial move towards equity, dignity, and accessibility in public services. 6. Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a high-level meeting in New Delhi to adopt a holistic approach to cleaning the Yamuna River, ensuring the drinking water supply, and improving sewage systems in Delhi. 7. India’s first high-speed rail project between Mumbai and Ahmedabad has achieved a major construction milestone with 300 km of viaducts now complete. 8. Intermittent Rain Hits Uttarakhand, Heavy Downpour in Barkot; Char Dham Yatra Continues Unhindered. No damage has been reported. 9. Union Heavy Industries Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy chaired a meeting in New Delhi on the rollout of electric buses under the PM e-Drive Scheme. The session primarily focused on the states of Telangana, Karnataka, Delhi, and Gujarat. The Ministry of Heavy Industries has informed that, under the current phase of the PM e-Drive Scheme, nearly 4,500 electric buses will be provided to Bengaluru, 2,000 to Hyderabad, 2,800 to Delhi, 1,000 to Ahmedabad, and 600 buses will be given to Surat. 10. Gujarat has recorded a remarkable 32% increase in its Asiatic lion population over five years, with numbers climbing to 891 in 2025. 11. *Telangana to Create Backwardness Index Based on Caste Census* : The state government’s expert working group led by retired Judge of Supreme Court, Justice B Sudarshan Reddy will formulate a ‘Composite Backwardness Index’ using the caste census data to measure disparities across 243 sub-castes in Telangana. 12. An IndiGo pilot operating the Delhi-Srinagar flight, which encountered a sudden hailstorm on Wednesday, initially sought Lahore air traffic control’s permission to briefly use the Pakistan airspace to avoid the turbulence, but the request was rejected. 13. The Election Commission has decided to set up in-house polling booths in residential high-rise complexes across the country, hoping to increase voter turnouts among a section often lackadaisical about going out to vote. 14. Dr. Saroj Ghose, a renowned science communicator and the founding figure behind India’s science museum movement, passed away on May 17, 2025, in Seattle at the age of 89. As the first Director General of the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), he played a pivotal role in making science. 15. A Red alert has been issued for very heavy rainfall over Gujarat, Konkan, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala for the next three days. The India Meteorological Department said a low-pressure area over East-central Arabian Sea off south Konkan-Goa is likely to move northward and intensify further. --------------------------------------- *LEGAL REPORT* --------------------------------------- 1. The Supreme Court reserved its interim orders on a plea challenging the Waqf(Amendment) Act 2025. A bench of Chief Justice BR Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih heard the matter on the point of interim order across three days. 2. Auto-rickshaw drivers in Maharashtra organised a statewide protest on Tuesday to protest the state government’s recent clearance of e-bike taxis and bike pooling services, while raising that the decision was made without consulting major stakeholders. The drivers staged a protest outside the Andheri Regional Transport Office (RTO). 3. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a chargesheet against former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik and seven others in connection with alleged irregularities in the award of civil works contracts worth over Rs 2,200 crore for the Kiru Hydroelectric Power Project in Kishtwar. 4. To promote food safety and public health, India’s top food regulator, FSSAI, has asked state authorities to crack down on the use of banned fruit ripening agents like calcium carbide, especially during the mango season. The move is part of a nationwide enforcement drive aimed at reducing chemical. ------- *MISHAPS*------------ 1. Two people were killed in Delhi on 21 May, after a major storm hit the National Capital in the evening. The Delhi Fire Services informed that the department received around 60 calls pertaining to the collapse of houses, uprooting of trees and electric poles. 2. Following the Amritsar hooch tragedy that claimed 27 lives earlier this month, three persons died after allegedly consuming liquor at Basti Jodhewal. --------------------------------------- *FINANCE* --------------------------------------- 1. Anil Ambani’s Reliance Defence Ltd has entered into a strategic partnership with German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall AG to supply artillery shells, explosives, and propellants, marking a significant development in India’s private defence manufacturing sector. 2. India and the United States are in the final stages of negotiating an interim trade agreement, aiming to conclude it before July 8, 2025, to avert the imposition of an additional 26% reciprocal tariff by the US on Indian goods. --------------------------------------- *ENTERTAINMENT NEWS* --------------------------------------- 1. *BHOOL CHUK MAAF* movie is scheduled to be released today on 23 May, 2025. Producer: Dinesh Vijan Director :Karan Sharma *Star Cast* Rajkummar Rao Wamiqa Gabbi 2. Actor Tamannaah Bhatia has been appointed as the brand ambassador for Mysore Sandal Soap by the Karnataka government under a ₹6.20 crore deal spanning two years. The decision, however, has sparked criticism, with many questioning why a Kannada actor was not selected for the role. --------------------------------------- *DEFENCE News* --------------------------------------- 1. President Smt Droupadi Murmu on Thursday conferred six Kirti Chakras, including four posthumously, to personnel of the Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police for displaying indomitable courage and extraordinary valour in the line of duty. Kirti Chakra is India's second-highest peacetime gallantry award. 2. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval is scheduled to visit Moscow next week, with a primary agenda of urging the Russian government for the expedited delivery of the remaining two S-400 air defence system units that India has procured. 3. Lovely Professional University (LPU) has launched the world's largest private scholarship for India's armed forces. The 'Jai Jawan Scholarship' offers 100% tuition fee waivers to 22 lakh active defence and paramilitary personnel. 4. Bharat Electronics Ltd. (BEL), in partnership with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), is poised to play a pivotal role in India’s ambitious Project Kusha, the indigenous alternative to the Russian S-400 air defence system. 5. At least 3-4 terrorists are reportedly trapped after an encounter broke out in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar early on Thursday. The intelligence-based operation by a joint team of security forces comes a week after six terrorists were eliminated on anti-terror operations in south Kashmir.The encounters took place in the Keller area of Shopian and Nadar area. 6. Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan held operational discussions with Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Western Air Command Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra in New Delhi. General Chauhan reaffirmed the Indian Armed Forces commitment to joint preparedness and synergised air operations. 7. The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Centre and the Indian Air Force not to release from service a woman officer, who was part of Operation Balakot and Operation Sindoor but was denied permanent commission. --------------------------------------- ✈ *INTERNATIONAL NEWS* --------------------------------------- 1. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has categorically dismissed former US President Donald Trump's claims that the United States mediated the ceasefire between India and Pakistan following heightened tensions in 2025. 2. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has firmly reiterated India's position regarding Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), emphasising that the region rightfully belongs to India and that the territories under illegal occupation should be returned to their rightful owner—India.In an interview with the Dutch newspaper "de Volkskrant" during his official visit to the Netherlands from May 19-20, 2025. 3. An All-Party Parliamentary delegation from India, led by MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, is visiting Japan from May 22 to 24, 2025, as part of a global outreach following the recent Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir. The delegation’s visit underscores India’s unwavering stance of zero tolerance towards terrorism. 4. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has issued a forceful warning to Bangladesh amid escalating regional tensions, particularly regarding the strategically crucial Siliguri Corridor—often referred to as the "Chicken's Neck"—which serves as the vital land link between mainland India and its north-eastern states. 5. India has issued a strong and unequivocal message to Turkey in response to Ankara’s recent support for Pakistan, particularly following the terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. The Government of India has made it clear that the foundation of bilateral relations must be mutual respect and sensitivity to each other's core concerns. 6. In the wake of India’s recent diplomatic outreach to the Taliban, China has rapidly intensified its own engagement with both Pakistan and Afghanistan, signalling a renewed push for regional influence and stability amid escalating tensions. 7. India has declared a Pakistani official posted at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi persona non grata and ordered him to leave the country within 24 hours. 8. High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha, met 24 Sri Lankan delegates headed to New Delhi for a week-long Capacity-Building Program at India’s Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies. --------------------------------------- 🌎 *WORLD NEWS* 🌍 --------------------------------------- 1. United Kingdom signed an agreement handing sovereignty over the contested and strategically located Chagos Islands to Mauritius. The move, the British government said, ensures the future of a US-UK military base that is vital to British security. Under the agreement, the United Kingdom will pay Mauritius 136 million dollars per year to lease back the base for at least 99 years. 2. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed shock over the killing of two staff members of the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., United States. He has ordered the reinforcement of security at Israel’s missions worldwide following the attack. 3. The Israeli military has said that it killed a commander from Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force in a drone strike in the Yater area of southern Lebanon. However, the military did not disclose the commander’s name. 4. The fifth round of indirect talks between the US and Iran will take place in Rome today. 5. Bangladesh ruled out any possibility of allowing a “humanitarian corridor” to Myanmar’s Rakhine State through Bangladesh. The government has neither discussed nor intends to discuss such a proposal with any party, said Bangladesh National Security Adviser Dr. Khalilur Rahman. --------------------------------------- 🚣🚴🏇🏊 *SPORTS* --------------------------------------- 1. Shooter Kanak has bagged India’s first gold medal at the ongoing International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Junior World Cup in Suhl, Germany. Kanak, the silver medalist at the junior world championship in Lima last year, scored 239 in the Women’s 10 metre Air Pistol final to claim gold medal.. 2. In badminton, India’s Kidambi Srikanth and the mixed doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto have advanced to the quarterfinals of the Malaysia Masters in Kuala Lumpur. 3. Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said that the Centre will establish 13 new professional sports leagues this year to develop a league culture across the country. These sports include yoga, cycling, basketball, archery, and boxing, among others. -------------------------------------- 🇮🇳 *FACTS ABOUT BHARAT* 🇮🇳 ======================= India observes the National Anti-Terrorism Day on May 21 every year. The day is observed to commemorate the death of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, who was assassinated on this day in 1991. Rajiv Gandhi, the youngest Indian prime minister at the age of 40, was assassinated on May 21, 1991, by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Rajiv was the second Indian prime minister to be assassinated after his mother Indira Gandhi, who was killed by her bodyguards.