National Affairs
Supreme Court Developments
Puja Khedkar Bail Case: Supreme Court granted anticipatory bail to former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar in the UPSC cheating case, with Justice B V Nagarathna remarking “she is not a terrorist” and has “lost everything”
Bail Conditions: Court imposed cash security of Rs 25,000 with two sureties and directed complete cooperation in investigation
Waqf Property Case: Supreme Court reserved interim orders on three issues including power to denotify properties declared as Waqf by courts, deed, or user
Security and Defence Updates
Chhattisgarh Operation: CoBRA commando Mehul Solanki and one Maoist killed during anti-Maoist operation in Sukma district’s Tumrel village area
Operation Details: Joint operation led by 210th battalion of CRPF’s CoBRA with Chhattisgarh Police, DRG, and STF
Casualty Update: Two additional commandos injured; IAF helicopter pressed into service for evacuation
Infrastructure Development
Railway Modernization: Prime Minister Modi inaugurated 103 modernized railway stations under Amrit Bharat Scheme across 86 districts in 18 states and UTs
Investment Scale: Total development projects worth Rs 26,000 crore launched, with railway station redevelopment exceeding Rs 1,100 crore
State-wise Distribution: 19 stations in Uttar Pradesh, 18 in Gujarat, 15 in Maharashtra among others
New Train Service: Bandra Terminus Mumbai to Bikaner weekly train service launched
Environmental Initiatives
Plastic Waste Campaign: Centre launched ‘One Nation, One Mission: End Plastic Pollution’ nationwide campaign ahead of World Environment Day
Aravalli Restoration: National-level workshop in Udaipur for developing actionable strategies to revitalize Aravalli mountain range
Green Wall Project: Initiative to enhance green cover through afforestation, reforestation, and water body restoration
Judicial and Legal Affairs
Celebrity Security: Salman Khan’s fans detained for attempting to enter his Bandra residence amid ongoing security concerns
Custody Extension: Jyoti Rani’s police custody extended by 4 days in related investigation
International Affairs – 23.05.2025
United States Developments
Harvard University Impact: Trump administration revoked Harvard University’s ability to enroll international students, affecting hundreds of Indian scholars
Immigration Policy: This marks significant policy shift affecting Indian students pursuing higher education in the US
CIA Headquarters Incident: Woman shot outside CIA headquarters; FBI responded to the security breach
South Asian Region
Bangladesh Political Crisis: Tensions rise as supporters of interim leader Muhammad Yunus call for mass protests demanding political reforms before elections
Pakistan Relations: Continued tensions following Pahalgam attack aftermath with diplomatic and security implications
Iran-Israel Tensions: Iran warned Israel and US against any attack on its nuclear sites, escalating Middle East tensions
Embassy Security
Israeli Embassy Attack: Two Israeli Embassy staffers killed in Washington incident, prompting Netanyahu to announce global security boost at embassies
Security Enhancement: Increased security measures implemented at Israeli diplomatic missions worldwide
Business and Economic Affairs – 23.05.2025
Stock Market Performance
NIFTY BANK Index: Trading at 54,959.30 with slight increase of 0.03% (18.00 points)
Market Indicators: SENSEX at 80,921.97 (down 30.02 points), NIFTY 50 at 24,622.30 (up 12.60 points)
Technical Analysis: RSI at 56.54, MACD at 596.71, indicating mixed market sentiment
Banking Sector Updates
SBI Q4 Results: State Bank of India reported net profit of Rs 18,643 crore, beating estimates of Rs 17,093.6 crore
Dividend Declaration: SBI declared dividend of Rs 15.90 per share (1590%) for FY 2024-25
Asset Quality: Gross NPA ratio improved to 1.82% from 2.24% year-on-year
Monetary Policy Impact
Inflation Data: India’s inflation rate fell to 3.16% in April 2025, lowest since July 2019
RBI Policy: Recent repo rate cut to 6% supporting economic growth amid global uncertainties
GDP Projection: ICRA forecasts Q4 growth at 6.9% with FY25 GDP expansion at 6.3%
Sports Highlights – 23.05.2025
International Sports
Europa League Final: Tottenham defeated Manchester United 1-0, ending 17-year trophy drought and securing Champions League qualification
Brennan Johnson: Scored the decisive goal for Spurs’ first European title since 1984
Cricket Updates
India U19 Squad: Announced for England tour featuring warm-up matches, five ODIs, and two multi-day matches starting June 24
Development Focus: Tour aims to prepare young talent through high-level overseas competition
Other Sports
NCAA Championships: Full schedule released for 2025 Outdoor Track and Field Championships starting June 11
Yankees Victory: New York Yankees defeated Texas Rangers 4-3 with Jasson Dominguez’s walk-off home run
Health and Weather Updates – 23.05.2025
Health Alerts
COVID Resurgence: New COVID-19 cases confirmed in Gurugram and Faridabad, prompting heightened precautions in cities like Pune
Health Protocols: Enhanced monitoring and safety measures implemented in affected regions
Weather Warnings
Heavy Rainfall: India Meteorological Department issued red and orange alerts across Kerala and several other states
Safety Measures: Residents in vulnerable areas urged to relocate due to heavy rainfall predictions
Regional Impact: Multiple states affected by severe weather warnings requiring emergency preparedness
