Current Context : Maharashtra Cabinet approved the “Adishakti Abhiyan”, timed to commemorate Ahilyabai Holkar’s 300th birth anniversary, to intensify delivery of women-and-child welfare schemes across the state.

About Adishakti Abhiyan

• Objective:
  • Eradicate malnutrition, reduce infant/maternal mortality, and combat child marriage and domestic violence.
  • Strengthen women’s participation in Panchayati Raj
• Structure:
  • Committees at village, taluka, district, division, and state levels.
  • Mandatory involvement of all Panchayat Samitis for grassroots outreach.
• Adishakti Awards:
  • Annual recognition (first week of March) for outstanding Gram Panchayats in women’s empowerment.
• Budget: ₹10.50 crore (FY 2025–26), managed by the State Women & Child Development Department.

Implementation Partners

• Anganwadi Workers and Taluka Protection Officers for community camps.
• NGOs for training on gender rights, nutrition, and legal aid.

Current Context : Bhutan’s Ministry of Information & Communications and Royal Monetary Authority (RMA) officially launched the world’s first national-level cryptocurrency tourism payment system, in partnership with Binance Pay and Druk Punjab National Bank.

System Overview

• Integration: Embedded in the Binance mobile app; supported by RMA-licensed Druk Punjab National Bank for on-ramp/off-ramp conversions.
• Currencies: Accepts 100+ cryptocurrencies, including BTC, ETH, BNB, USDC.
• Mechanism: Tourists scan dynamic/static QR codes to pay; instant settlement in Ngultrum (BTN) at market rates.

Current Context : The Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) initiated a consultation paper seeking stakeholder feedback on amending “safe harbour” provisions in the Information Technology Act, 2000, to curb the spread of online misinformation.

About Safe Harbour

• Definition: Shields intermediaries (social media platforms, hosting services) from liability for user-generated content if they follow due-diligence and takedown rules.
• India’s Provision: Section 79 of the IT Act; read with IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
• Key Conditions:
  1. Due Diligence: Must publish terms of service and appoint grievance/officer.
  2. Knowledge Test: Liability arises only if the intermediary “has actual knowledge” of unlawful content and fails to act within 36 hours of a takedown notice.

Court/Government Orders: Content removal mandated only upon a valid order or notification.

Current Context : The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) announced the appointment of Dr. Ajay Kumar, former Defence Secretary and 1985-batch IAS officer of the Kerala cadre, as the Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

He succeeds Preeti Sudan, whose tenure concluded on 29 April 2025.

About the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)

• Constitutional Foundation:
  • Established under Article 315 of the Indian Constitution.
  • Entrusted with conducting examinations for appointments to the services of the Union.
• Composition:
  • Comprises a Chairman and up to 10 members.
  • Members are appointed by the President of India.
  • Each member serves a term of 6 years or until attaining the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.

Observed annually  on 15 May.

Theme : “Family-Oriented Policies for Sustainable Development”, focusing on the role of families in achieving social development goals.

About the Day:

• Celebrated annually on 15 May, declared by the UN General Assembly in 1993.
• Highlights the importance of family as the basic unit of society.
• Aims to raise awareness about family-related issues and promote policies supporting families in areas such as health, education, gender equality, and children’s rights.

Current Context : Recently, Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya (CSK HPKV), Palampur, received the Best Centre Award at the National Group Meeting of the All-India Coordinated Research Project on Forage Crops & Utilisation in Dharwad.

About CSK HPKV’s Achievement

• Competition: Selected among 21 research centres
• Contributions:
  • Varietal Improvement: Developed high-yielding, climate-resilient fodder strains.
  • Technology Dissemination: Field demonstrations and farmer trainings.
  • Impact: Boosted fodder productivity, livestock health, and rural incomes across HP.

Current Context : Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket, ending a 14-year career that reshaped India’s long-format approach.

• Career Highlights
  • Matches & Runs: 123 Tests, 9 230 runs at an average of 46.85.
  • Milestones: 30 centuries, 31 half-centuries; highest score 254* vs. South Africa (2019).
  • Ranking: Fourth-highest Test run-scorer for India, behind Tendulkar, Dravid, and Gavaskar.
  • Captaincy Record: 68 Tests as captain, 40 wins, win rate 58.8% (India’s best).
• Legacy & Awards
  • Awards: ICC Test Player of the Year 2018; Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna (2018).
  • Impact: Elevated fitness standards, introduced aggressive field settings and mindset.

Current Context : On 11 May 2025 in Shanghai, India’s top recurve archer Deepika Kumari bounced back after losing her semifinal match to world No. 1 Lim Sihyeon. She then beat Korea’s Kang Chae Young 7–3 in the bronze-medal match, helping India win six medals at the event.

About the Archery World Cup

• Organizer: World Archery, the sport’s international federation.
• Format: Four stages held annually (Shanghai, Antalya, Medellín, and Paris), culminating in a Finals for the top eight archers per category.
• Ranking Points: Medals and match wins award points toward Olympic qualification and world rankings.
• India’s Performance: Historically strong in recurve; Deepika’s podiums contribute to India’s push for quota places for the 2028 Olympics.

Current Context : Justice Surya Kant (SC judge) assumed charge as Executive Chairman of NALSA, succeeding Justice B.R. Gavai, effective from 14 May 2025,

About NALSA

• Establishment: Under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 (operational from 1995).
• Mandate: Provide free legal aid to the poor and marginalized per Article 39-A of the Constitution.
• Functions:
  • Convene Lok Adalats for speedy dispute resolution.
  • Conduct legal awareness campaigns, legal aid camps.
  • Oversee State & District Legal Services Authorities

Current Context : A recent expert committee report (2025) on the Vembanad Lake Rejuvenation Project revealed the lake’s surface area shrank by 27% between 1917 and 1990, underscoring urgent conservation needs.

About Vembanad Lake

• Location: Southwest coast of Kerala; part of the Vembanad-Kol wetland system.
• Ramsar Site: Designated under the Ramsar Convention for its rich biodiversity.
• Ecological Role:
  • Largest brackish water lagoon in India.
  • Habitat for third-largest waterfowl gatherings in winter.
  • Supplies 30% of Kerala’s surface water resources.
• Tourism & Culture:
  • Houseboat cruises on the backwaters.
  • Pathiramanal Island (“Midnight Sands”)—a birdwatcher’s haven.