Current Context : At 19 years old, Srihari LR from Chennai clinched his third GM norm at the Asian Individual Championship in Al-Ain (UAE), becoming India’s 86th Grandmaster.

Who is Srihari LR?

• Age & Origin: 19, hailing from Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
• Achievement: Earned final GM norm among strong Asian competition.

Significance for India

• Rising Chess Nation: India now has 86 GMs, reflecting its growing chess culture.
• Pathway: Young talents increasingly breaking through international youth events to senior titles.

Current Context : Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released its revamped PLFS, showing India’s unemployment rate at 5.1% with monthly data now available.

Revamped PLFS Features

• Launch: Originally in 2017; now covers urban & rural
• Frequency: Monthly release of unemployment, LFPR, and WPR.
• Sample Size: 22,692 First Stage Units per year, up from previous surveys.

Key Indicators (April 2025)

• Unemployment Rate:1% overall (5.2% men; 5.0% women).
• LFPR (Labour Force Participation):6%
• WPR (Worker Population Ratio):8%
• Youth Unemployment (15–29):8%
• Urban vs Rural Unemployment:2% vs 12.3%

Gender Gap

• Women LFPR:2% (rural), 23.5% (urban)
• Women WPR: Lower than men, indicating barriers to female employment.

Current Context : Recently, Olympic javelin champion Neeraj Chopra has been awarded the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel in India’s Territorial Army.

Who is Neeraj Chopra?

• Origin: Born in Khandra village, Panipat, Haryana.
• Achievements:
  • Gold at Tokyo 2020 Olympics
  • Silver at Paris 2024 Olympics
  • 2023 World Champion (Budapest)

About the Honorary Rank

• Rule: Conferred under Para-31 of the Territorial Army Regulations, 1948.
• Purpose: Recognizes distinguished citizens who boost national pride.
• Role: Ceremonial duties; no active combat command.

About Territorial Army

• Founded: 9 October 1949
• Nature: Part-time volunteer force aiding the regular Army in war, disasters, and nation-building.
• 75th Anniversary: Celebrated in 2024

Other Honorees: M.S. Dhoni (Honorary Lt. Colonel, 2011)

Current Context :  Recently, the Supreme Court has asked a committee, set up by the Madras High Court, to list all Agamic and non-Agamic temples in Tamil Nadu within three months.

About Agamas

• The Agamas are a collection of scriptures of Hindu devotional schools.
• Meaning: “Agama” means “that which has come down”—scriptures passed down through tradition.
• Contents: Explain temple design, deity worship, rituals, mantras, meditation, yoga, and spiritual goals.
• Branches:
  • Shaiva Agamas (worship of Shiva)
  • Vaishnava Agamas (worship of Vishnu)
  • Shakta Agamas (worship of the Goddess)
• Relation to Vedas: Not derived from the Vedas but fully Vedic in spirit, and widely respected alongside them.
• Local Practice: Most major temples in Tamil Nadu follow Agamic rules for daily worship and festivals.

Current Context: By the end-2026, India will launch Samudrayaan, a crewed submarine project under the Deep Ocean Mission, to explore the ocean up to 6,000 m deep.

About the Mission:

• Deep Ocean Mission (DOM):
  • Launched in 2021 by the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
  • Aims to study deep-ocean resources and technologies for five years.
• MATSYA-6000 Submersible:
  • India’s fourth-generation crewed mini-submarine.
  • Endurance: 12 hours normally, 96 hours in emergency.
  • Status: Successfully completed wet tests.
• Objectives:
  • Research deep-sea plants, animals, and minerals.
  • Build tools for long-term ocean monitoring.
  • Lay groundwork for deep-sea tourism and blue economy
• Global Context: Few countries (USA, Russia, China, France, Japan) have done crewed deep-sea dives.

Current Context: Recently, India’s Supreme Court ruled that every person has the right to safe, obstruction-free footpaths, including those with disabilities.

About the SC Order:

• Legal Basis: Article 21 of the Constitution (right to life and personal liberty).
• Court Directions:
  • Build Footpaths: All public roads must have proper sidewalks.
  • Clear Obstructions: Remove shops, vehicles, and other blockages.
  • Make Policies: States and UTs must plan for footpath upkeep.
• Why It Matters:
  • Shows how courts can expand Article 21 to include basic infrastructure.

Celebrated on 18 May.

• Aim :To raise awareness about museums’ role in sharing culture and history.

About International Museum Day:

• Organiser: International Council of Museums (ICOM).
• Main Goals:
  • Show how museums educate, preserve heritage, and build community.
  • Encourage museums to be inclusive and environmentally responsible.

Observed on 18 May each year.

• Aim : to honor the thousands of researchers, scientists, and health professionals dedicated to developing a safe and effective HIV vaccine.

About World AIDS Vaccine Day:

• Established: 1998 by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the USA.
• Purpose:
  • Raise awareness of ongoing HIV vaccine research.
  • Educate communities on the importance of preventive vaccines in ending the AIDS epidemic.

Current Context: At the Archery World Cup Stage 2 held in Shanghai in May 2025, India secured a total of seven medals, including two golds, one silver, and four bronzes.

Notably, Deepika Kumari clinched her 18^th World Cup medal, and Parth Salunkhe earned his first senior-level bronze, highlighting India’s growing prowess in archery.

Key Highlights:

• Total Medals: 7 (2 Gold, 1 Silver, 4 Bronze)
• Individual Achievements:
  • Deepika Kumari won bronze in Women’s Individual Recurve.
  • Parth Salunkhe secured bronze in Men’s Individual Recurve.
• Team Success: India’s men’s compound team clinched gold.

Current Context: On 15 May 2025, provisional data from the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) showed India’s combined Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation fell to 3.16% year-on-year in April 2025—the lowest since July 2019—down 18 basis points from March.

About Retail Inflation (CPI):

• CPI Combined: Aggregates CPI-Urban and CPI-Rural; measures average price change for a fixed basket of goods and services.
• Base Year: 2012 = 100 (calculated by the National Statistical Office under MoSPI).
• Core Inflation: Excludes volatile food and fuel; rose slightly to 1% in April—within the Reserve Bank of India’s 2–6% target band.

Key Drivers of the Decline:

• Food Prices Eased Sharply: Vegetables and pulses saw significant deflation, pulling down overall CPI.
• Non-Food Categories Softened: Housing and “pan, tobacco & intoxicants” reported lower price rises compared to March.
• Rural Inflation: Headline CPI-Rural fell to 92% from 3.25% in March, reflecting broad-based relief.