WEEKLY

CURRENT
AFFAIRS
Coverage of

7th May - 13th May, 2025

Useful for

UPSC ESE, PSUs,

RRB, SSC, Banking &
State Services Exams
www.madeeasy.in
2 Coverage of 7th May - 13th May

About Human Development Index (HDI)

  7th MAY 2025
• Pakistani economist Mahbub ul Haq created the
HDI in 1990 and was further used by UNDP in
Human Development Report 2025
creating a report on the nation’s socio-economic
• Context: Recently, the United Nations
achievement.
Development Programme (UNDP) released the
• It evaluates three key dimensions and is calculated
Human Development Report (HDR) for 2025,
using a geometric mean of these three indices:
highlighting India’s progress in life expectancy,
education, and income levels. 1. Health is measured by life expectancy at birth
(SDG-3).
Key Highlights 2. Education is assessed through mean years of
• Human Development Report (HDR) is titled as ‘A schooling for adults (SDG-4.4) and expected years
Matter of Choice: People and Possibilities in the of schooling for children (SDG-4.3).
Age of AI’, and explores AI’s role in shaping future 3. Standard of Living is evaluated using Gross
development. National Income (GNI) per capita (SDG-8.5),
• Iceland (HDI value of 0.972), ranked at the top of adjusted for income distribution.

the Index, followed by Norway and Switzerland.

South Sudan was at the bottom at 193 with 0.388. Operation Sindoor
• India improved its HDI value from 0.676 in 2022 • Context: The Indian Armed Forces launched
(133th) to 0.685 in 2023 (130th), remaining in the ‘OPERATION SINDOOR’, hitting terrorist
medium human development category. infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied
Jammu and Kashmir and military installations in
• India’s HDI value has increased by over 53%
Pakistan.
since 1990, growing faster than both the global
and South Asian averages.
Key Facts
• Among India’s neighbours, China (75th), Sri Lanka
• Touted as the Indian military’s biggest and deepest
(78th) and Bhutan (127th) are ranked above India,
strike yet, ‘Operation Sindoor’ marks the first full-
while Bangladesh (130th) is ranked at par. Nepal
scale tri-service operation since the 1971 war.
(145th), Myanmar (149th), Pakistan (168th) are
ranked below India. • The name — Operation Sindoor — given by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi, is a symbolic tribute to
• India’s life expectancy has risen from 58.6 years
the Pahalgam victims, avenging those killed for
in 1990 to 72 years in 2023, marking its highest
their faith while their sindoor-wearing wives were
level since the index began.
spared.
• The average years of schooling in India have
• The strategic operation targeted and destroyed
increased from 8.2 years in 1990 to 13 years in
Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul
2023.
Mujahideen training bases, with India deploying
• India’s Gross National Income (GNI) per capita
some of its most advanced weaponry.
has risen over four times, from $2,167 in 1990 to
$9,046 in 2023. • Indian strikes successfully eliminated more than
100 terrorists and destroyed 11 air bases within
• 135 million Indians escaped multidimensional
Pakistan.
poverty between 2015-16 and 2019-21.
 Coverage of 7th May - 13th May 3

• The strikes marked a shift in India’s strategy by • This manned mission will be the first of ISRO’s
targeting deep into Pakistani territory, including human spaceflight missions. The US, Russia
critical radar installations in Lahore and Gurjanwala. and China are the only three countries to have
• Additionally, coordinated missile attacks were conducted human spaceflights yet.
carried out on terror hubs in Pakistan-occupied
Kashmir (PoK), including Muzaffarabad and Kotli.   8th MAY 2025
• Military bases housing Pakistan’s F-16 and
JF-17 fighter jets at Sargodha and Bholari were UK-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA)
hit, leading to the destruction of nearly 20 percent • Context: India and the United Kingdom have
of Pakistan’s air force infrastructure. signed a landmark Free Trade Agreement (FTA)
after nearly three years of negotiations.
Gaganyaan Mission
• Context: India’s first human spaceflight under the
About Free Trade Agreement (FTA)
Gaganyaan programme is expected to take place • FTAs are arrangements between two or more
in the first quarter of 2027. countries or trading blocs that primarily agree to
reduce or eliminate customs tariff and non-tariff
About Gaganyaan Mission barriers on substantial trade between them. They
• Purpose: To demonstrate the capability to launch can cover both goods and services.
human beings (three crew members) to low earth • FTAs also address issues such as investment,
orbit and bring them back safely to earth by mobility of professionals, and regulatory
landing. cooperation.
• Launch vehicle: The Launch Vehicle Mark-3 • The India–UK FTA negotiations were formally
(LVM3). launched in 2022, as part of efforts to deepen
• Crew Escape System (CES): LVM3 consists of CES economic cooperation and boost bilateral trade.
powered by a set of quick acting, high burn rate
solid motors which ensures that Crew Module Key Highlights of FTA
along with the crew is taken to a safe distance in • Tariff Elimination: Nearly 99% of Indian exports to
case of any emergency either at launch pad or the UK will now be tariff-free.
during ascent phase.  Key sectors to benefit include: textiles, marine
• The Orbiter Module will orbit the Earth, and it products, leather, footwear, sports goods, toys,
consists of Crew Module (CM) and Service Module gems and jewellery, engineering goods, auto
(SM). It is designed to keep the crew safe during components, and organic chemicals.
ascent, orbital phase, and re-entry. • Services Sector Gains: UK has offered its most
 The Crew Module (CM) is the habitable space with ambitious market access commitments for Indian
the Earth-like environment in space for the crew.
service providers.
 Service Module (SM): It will be used to provide
• Indian professionals in the UK will be exempt from
the necessary support to CM while in orbit. It is
paying UK social security contributions for up
an unpressurized structure containing thermal
to three years, reducing employment costs and
system, propulsion system, power systems,
avionics systems and deployment mechanisms. increasing competitiveness.
4 Coverage of 7th May - 13th May

• Enhanced Mobility:
  9th MAY 2025
 Simplified visa and mobility norms for Indian
professionals and intra-corporate transferees.
Kozhikode: WHO Age-Friendly City
 Special quotas for Indian workers in select UK
• Context: Kozhikode city has received global
sectors.
recognition by becoming a member of the World
Trade and Economic Impact Health Organization’s Global Network for Age-
friendly Cities and Communities (GNAFCC).
• India was Britain’s 11th largest trade partner in
2024 and accounted for 2.4% of total UK trade. About Age-Friendly City
• India’s exports to the UK were worth $34 billion • An age-friendly city ensures that urban
(£25.5 billion) in 2024, and UK exports to India environments, infrastructure, and services are
amounted to $22.8 billion (£17.1 billion) in 2024. accessible and inclusive for older adults. It
addresses challenges related to:
Kartarpur Corridor  Accessible public spaces (parks, transportation,
buildings),
• Context: Kartarpur Corridor, the only open surface
 Affordable and suitable housing, healthcare
link from India to Pakistan, was closed after
access and social support,
Operation Sindoor.
 Age-friendly communication tools,

Key Facts  Participation in community activities.

• The agreement was signed in 2019 and was About WHO Global Network for Age-friendly
operationalised for the 550 birth anniversary of
th
Cities and Communities (GNAFCC)
Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism and the first • It was established in 2010.
of the ten Sikh Gurus. • The mission of the Network is to stimulate and
• It provides for visa-free travel of Indian pilgrims, as enable cities and communities around the world
to become increasingly age-friendly.
well as Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders,
• The Network seeks to do this by:
from India on a daily basis, throughout the year,
 Inspiring change by showing what can be done
however, all pilgrims are required to return the
and how it can be done;
same day.
 Connecting cities and communities worldwide to
facilitate the exchange of information, knowledge
About Kartarpur Corridor
and experience
• It serves as a visa-free border crossing and  Supporting cities and communities to find
religious corridor, linking the Gurdwara Darbar appropriate innovative and evidence-based
Sahib Kartarpur in Pakistan to Gurdwara Dera solutions.
Baba Nanak in Punjab.
NOTE:
• The Indian part of the corridor involves a 4.1 km long,
• Kozhikode was inducted into the UNESCO
four-lane highway from Dera Baba Nanak to the
Creative Cities Network under the Literature
international border.
category in 2022.
• Pakistani Sikhs cannot visit Dera Baba Nanak in • It became the first Indian city under the UNESCO
India without first obtaining an Indian visa. “City of Literature”.
 Coverage of 7th May - 13th May 5

BrahMos Missile Manufacturing Unit Key Highlights

• Context: The production of supersonic cruise • INS Arnala is the lead ship of the Arnala-class anti-
missile, BrahMos, is set to begin in Lucknow, submarine warfare (ASW) corvette, it is named
with the inauguration of the BrahMos missile after Arnala Island, which is located off the coast
manufacturing unit. of Maharashtra.
• Indigenously designed by Garden Reach
Key Facts Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata.
• The BrahMos missile manufacturing unit will be • Role: The ship has been designed for underwater
officially inaugurated on May 11, marking a historic surveillance, search & rescue operations and Low
milestone in India’s defence manufacturing journey. Intensity Maritime Operations (LIMO).

• The facility is being set up by BrahMos Aerospace • Features:

with a ` 300 crore investment.  The ship is capable of full-scale sub-surface
surveillance of coastal waters as well as search
• The unit has been completed–from construction to
and attack. It can also carry out ASW operations in
production–within 3.5 years.
coordination with aircraft.
• It will also be the first-of-its-kind hi-tech unit in the
 Arnala also boasts a combat management system
state.
and armament consisting of lightweight torpedoes
and ASW rockets.
Significance
• Strategic Impact: Enhances India’s defence
  10th MAY 2025
capabilities.
• Industrial Impact: Brings modern manufacturing
Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR)
technologies to the state, stimulating growth of
• Context: India’s latest Maternal Mortality Ratio
allied industries.
(MMR) data was released by the Registrar-
• Employment Generation:
General of India.
 500 direct jobs (engineers & technicians).
 Thousands of indirect jobs across skill levels. Recent Findings
• Maternal Mortality Ratio in India dropped to 93
About BrahMos per 100,000 live births in 2019–21, down from 97
• BrahMos is a joint venture between India’s DRDO (2018–20) and 103 (2017–19).
(50.5%) and Russia’s NPOM (49.5%). • The highest MMR occurs in the 20-29 age group,
• Etymology: BrahMos = Brahmaputra (India) + and the second highest in the 30-34 age group.
Moskva (Russia), symbolizing strength and peace. • Several States, including Madhya Pradesh (175),
• BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles are known for Assam (167), Uttar Pradesh (151), Odisha (135),
their speed, precision, and versatility. Chhattisgarh (132), West Bengal (109), and Haryana
(106), have high MMRs.
• One of the key indicators of maternal mortality is the
INS Arnala
Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) which is defined as
• Context: The Indian Navy took delivery of a new
the number of maternal deaths during a given time
shallow-water vessel designed for anti-submarine
period per 100,000 live births during the same time
warfare (ASW). period.
6 Coverage of 7th May - 13th May

• The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) • On May 11, 1998, two other special technological
aim at reducing global MMR to less than 70 per advances were showcased by India’s scientists and
100,000 live births. engineers.
• The successful test firing of Trishul missile; and the
World Press Freedom Index first test flight of the indigenously developed aircraft
• Context: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has Hansa.
released the World Press Freedom Index. • This observance aims to cultivate a scientific
mindset and inspire the younger generation to
Key Facts
pursue careers in technology, engineering, and
• The Index is based on a score ranging from 0 to 100
mathematics.
that is assigned to each country or territory, with 100
being the best possible score (the highest possible
India’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
level of press freedom) and 0 the worst.
• Context: The Sample Registration System (SRS)
• It is to compare the level of freedom enjoyed by
Statistical Report 2021, released by the Registrar
journalists and media in 180 countries and territories.
General of India (RGI), highlights that India’s Total
Key Findings Fertility Rate (TFR) has remained constant at 2.0
• India ranked 151 with a total score of 32.96 in 2025,
st
in 2021, the same as in 2020.
moving up 8 places from 159 last year.
th

• Top-ranked: Norway retained the 1st position, Key Findings of The Report
followed by other Scandinavian and European • The survey was conducted in 8,842 sample units
nations, benefiting from strong legal protections and across all States, covering about 84 lakh sample
diverse media ecosystems. population.
• Bottom-ranked: Eritrea ranked 180 (last), followed
th
• Bihar has reported the highest TFR at 3.0, while Delhi
by countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and East Asia.
and West Bengal reported the lowest TFR of 1.4.
• Demographic Shifts (1971–2021):
  11th MAY 2025
 0–14 age group: Declined from 41.2% to 24.8%,

National Technological Day indicating a falling young population.

• Context: May 11 marked the 27th National  15–59 age group (working age): Increased from
Technological Day of India. 53.4% to 66.2%, representing a demographic
dividend window.
Key Facts  The elderly population has gone up from 5.3% to
• This year’s theme is “YANTRA”, which signifies
5.9% for the 65+ age group and 6% to 9% for the
transformation through advanced research and
60+ age group during the same period. Kerala
technological acceleration.
reported the highest elderly population at 14.4%.
• Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee
designated May 11 as National Technology Day in • The mean age at effective marriage for females has
India to commemorate the Pokhran nuclear tests increased from 19.3 years in 1990 to 22.5 years in
conducted by the Indian Army in 1998. 2021.
 Coverage of 7th May - 13th May 7

About Sample Registration System (SRS)  Target countries with long-standing issues such as
• The Sample Registration System (SRS) is a large- poor infrastructure, financial instability, or chronic
scale demographic survey in India used to collect budget deficits
data on births and deaths, providing annual • It is not financial aid or a grant—countries are
estimates of vital rates like birth rate, death rate, and expected to repay these funds along with agreed
infant mortality rate. interest.
• The system uses two sources of information:
continuous enumeration by part-time enumerators About International Monetary Fund (IMF)
and six-monthly retrospective surveys by • The IMF is a specialised agency of the United
supervisors. Nations, founded in 1944 at the Bretton Woods
Conference. It was created to ensure global
• SRS operates on a sample of villages and urban
monetary stability after the disruptions caused by
blocks, making it cost-effective and efficient.
the Great Depression and World War II.
• Objectives:
NOTE:
1. Promote international monetary cooperation.
The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is the average
2. Ensure exchange rate stability and orderly currency
number of children born to a woman during her
arrangements.
childbearing years.
3. Facilitate balanced growth of international trade.
• Functions:
  12th MAY 2025
 Economic Surveillance: Monitors global and
country-specific economic trends and provides
Extended Fund Facility (EFF)
policy advice.
• Context: The Executive Board of the International
 Financial Assistance: Offers loans to countries with
Monetary Fund (IMF) decided to allow for “an
balance of payments problems.
immediate disbursement” of $1 billion (around
` 8,500 crore) to Pakistan. This disbursal was  Technical Assistance and Capacity Development:
done as part of IMF’s Extended Fund Facility Provides training and expertise in public finance,
(EFF) to Pakistan. monetary policy, statistics, etc.
 Conditionality: Loans are tied to economic reform
About Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programmes to ensure fiscal discipline and long-
• The Extended Fund Facility is a loan-based support term stability.
mechanism provided by the IMF to countries that • Membership and Voting Power:
suffer from medium-term balance of payments
It comprises 190 member countries. Each member
problems, particularly due to structural deficiencies
contributes a quota (based on GDP and economic
in their economies.
indicators), which determines:
• Unlike short-term bailouts, the EFF is designed to
(a) Voting power (formula: 1 vote per 100,000 SDRs
assist countries in implementing structural reforms
+ basic votes). (US has the highest share)
that take time to yield results.
(b) Access to financial resources.
• According to the IMF, EFF loans:
• SDRs (Special Drawing Rights): An international
 Offer longer repayment periods reserve asset created by the IMF. Not a currency
 Support reforms in fiscal governance, banking, but can be exchanged for freely usable currencies
taxation, etc. like USD, EUR, JPY, GBP, and CNY.
8 Coverage of 7th May - 13th May

India-Pakistan Ceasefire Declaration   13th MAY 2025

• Context: India and Pakistan have agreed to a
ceasefire after the military escalations. India’s New Security Doctrine
• Context: Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled
Key Facts a new anti-terror doctrine, redefining India’s
• A ceasefire is an agreement between nations national security approach. He emphasized that
involved in a conflict that seeks to regulate the while India is peace-loving, it would now follow a
termination of all military activity for a given length path of “peace through strength.”
of time in a given area.
• A ceasefire does not represent an end to hostilities.
India’s New Doctrines
• Decisive retaliation on India’s terms: India will take
• It represents a truce, that is, “a temporary suspension
strict action at every place from where the roots of
of hostilities,” in both international as well as non-
terrorism emerge.
international armed conflicts.
• No tolerance for nuclear blackmail: The doctrine
• The remedies for a breach of a ceasefire are detailed
dismisses the long-standing strategy of Pakistan’s
in the Regulations Respecting the Law and Customs
“nuclear shield” as a deterrent against Indian action.
of War on Land, also called the Hague Regulations,
 India signaled that it can and will respond even
that were formulated in 1910.
under the shadow of nuclear threats, relying on
 A serious breach of a truce by one of the involved precision weaponry and credible deterrence.
parties gives the other a right to denounce it, • No distinction between terrorists and their sponsors:
and in urgent cases, to recommence hostilities India will not differentiate between the government
immediately. sponsoring terrorism and the masterminds of
 It authorises the “injured party to demand the terrorism.

punishment of the offenders or, if necessary,

compensation for the losses sustained. Quantum Key Distribution Technology
• Context: The Centre for Development of
India-Pakistan Ceasefire Agreements Telematics (C-DOT), under Department of
• Simla Agreement (1972): Between India and Pakistan Telecommunications (DoT) has signed a
(after the 1971 India-Pakistan war that led to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with
creation of Bangladesh) . Synergy Quantum India Private Limited.

 Both countries agreed to resolve issues bilaterally,

Key Facts
without external intervention.
• Objective: The MoU aims to formalize cooperation
 The Line of Control (LoC) was established in Jammu between C-DOT and Synergy Quantum in the
and Kashmir, replacing the former Ceasefire Line. development of Drone-based Quantum Key
• 2003 Ceasefire Understanding: Applied to the Distribution (QKD) systems.
entire LoC and other agreed sectors. It was a • Partnership Structure: A blend of public sector R&D
mutual but informal understanding rather than a strength (C-DOT) and private sector innovation
formal treaty. (Synergy Quantum).
 Coverage of 7th May - 13th May 9

• Strategic Alignment: Supports India’s Atmanirbhar  If a country improves the benefits that it gives to
Bharat (self-reliant India) mission, specifically in one trading partner, it has to give the same “best”
the emerging quantum communication and secure treatment to all the other World Trade Organization
(WTO) members so that they all remain “most-
telecom domain.
favoured”.
• Deployment Focus: Emphasis on drone-based
• It seeks to replace the frictions and distortions of
platforms, enabling flexible and rapid deployment power-based (bilateral) policies with the guarantees
for secure communications, especially in critical or of a rules-based framework where trading rights do
remote environments. not depend on the individual participants’ economic
or political clout.
Most Favoured Nation (MFN) • Countries such as Russia, Iran, North Korea, Syria
and Belarus are not a part of WTO & WTO members
• Context: The United States President Donald
can impose whatever trade measures they wish
Trump signed an executive order to lower the
without flouting global trading rules.
prices of prescription drugs describing the move
• There can be exceptions to allow for preferential
as the “most favored nation’s policy.
treatment of developing countries, regional free
trade areas and customs unions.
About Most Favoured Status (MFN)
• There is no formal procedure for suspending MFN
• The MFN principle was designed to prevent treatment, it does formally allow the members to
countries from giving different treatment to one increase import tariffs or impose quotas on goods,
partner over the other. or even ban them.
• In 2019 India suspended Pakistan’s MFN status
 Each member treats all the other members equally
following Pakistan’s terror attack on Pulwama in
as “most-favoured” trading partners.
Jammu & Kashmir.