Defence Current Affairs One-liners — All time

Fri, 09 May 2025

• The second edition of the Tri-Services Future Warfare Course concluded at the Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi, on 9 May 2025, with 15 private defence industry representatives taking part for the first time.

Thu, 08 May 2025

• The Conclave elected Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as the 267th Pope on 8 May 2025; he took the name Leo XIV and is the first Pope from the United States of America and the first Augustinian Pope.
• Iran's Foreign Minister Dr Abbas Araghchi called on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 8 May 2025, in the 75th anniversary year of India–Iran diplomatic relations.
• World Thalassemia Day was observed on 8 May 2025 with the theme 'Together for Thalassemia: Uniting Communities, Prioritizing Patients'; Coal Minister G. Kishan Reddy announced a 'One State, One Hospital' goal for bone marrow transplants under Coal India's Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojana.
• 'Arnala', the first of eight Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft built by GRSE, Kolkata, was delivered to the Indian Navy on 8 May 2025 at L&T Shipyard, Kattupalli.
• India and Chile signed the Terms of Reference for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement on 8 May 2025, with the first round of talks set for 26–30 May 2025 in New Delhi.
• NITI Aayog's Frontier Tech Hub held a workshop on 8 May 2025 for states on attracting investment in AI-ready datacentres, noting that India generates nearly 20% of the world's data but has just 3% of global datacentre capacity.

Wed, 07 May 2025

• The Sample Registration System report 2021, released by the Registrar General of India on 7 May 2025, shows the Maternal Mortality Ratio at 93 per lakh live births (2019-21) and the Infant Mortality Rate at 27 per 1,000 live births in 2021.
• The Union Cabinet on 7 May 2025 approved the National Scheme for ITI Upgradation and setting up of five National Centres of Excellence for Skilling as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with an outlay of ₹60,000 crore, covering 1,000 government ITIs.
• The Ministry of Home Affairs directed all States and Union Territories to hold a civil defence mock drill on 7 May 2025 across 244 categorised Civil Defence districts, with air-raid sirens, blackout measures and training of civilians.
• Operation Sindoor was launched by the Indian Armed Forces on 7 May 2025, hitting terrorist infrastructure at nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir; the Ministry of Defence described the action as focused, measured and non-escalatory, with no Pakistani military facilities targeted.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the 12th Global Space Exploration Conference (GLEX 2025) via video on 7 May 2025; the three-day conference at Yashobhoomi, New Delhi, was organised by the International Astronautical Federation with ISRO as host.
• The Union Cabinet on 7 May 2025 approved Phase-B expansion of five IITs set up after 2014, at a cost of ₹11,828.79 crore over 2025-26 to 2028-29, raising their student capacity from 7,111 to 13,687.
• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on 7 May 2025 approved the Revised SHAKTI policy for coal allocation to the power sector, mapping the existing eight paras into two windows — coal at notified price and coal at a premium above notified price.
• The Ministry of Culture said on 7 May 2025 that Sotheby's Hong Kong had postponed the auction of the sacred Piprahwa Buddhist relics, which had been scheduled for that day, after legal notices and talks by the Government of India.
• Union Ayush Minister Prataprao Jadhav chaired a review meeting on 7 May 2025 in New Delhi on preparations for International Day of Yoga 2025 (21 June), in the spirit of 'Yoga for One Earth, One Health'.
• The Centre for Joint Warfare Studies, with Aerospace Services India and Israel Aerospace Industries, hosted the Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) India Eco-System Summit 2.0 at the Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi, on 7 May 2025.

Tue, 06 May 2025

• Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Keir Starmer on 6 May 2025 announced the conclusion of the India–UK Free Trade Agreement and a Double Contribution Convention, with tariff elimination on about 99% of tariff lines for Indian exports.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Anthony Albanese on 6 May 2025 and congratulated him on his re-election as the 32nd Prime Minister of Australia; the leaders reaffirmed the India–Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
• The Inland Waterways Authority of India signed an MoU with Rhenus Logistics India on 6 May 2025 for barge services on national waterways, with 100 cargo vessels to be deployed in phases on NW-1, NW-2, NW-16 and Indo-Bangladesh Protocol routes.
• Friedrich Merz assumed office as the Federal Chancellor of Germany on 6 May 2025, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated him, saying he looked forward to further cementing the India–Germany Strategic Partnership.
• Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh said on 6 May 2025 that India's first human space mission Gaganyaan has entered its final phase, with the first human spaceflight now scheduled for the first quarter of 2027.
• Union Health Minister J P Nadda inaugurated the 2nd National Workshop on 'Health Sector Disaster Preparedness and Response' and 'Fire Safety in Healthcare Facilities' at Dr Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi, on 6 May 2025, and an iGOT course on fire safety was launched.
• Scientists of the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Lucknow, have traced palaeofires from about 250 million years ago in the Permian period using shale samples from the Godavari Basin, the DST said on 6 May 2025.
• Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia inaugurated Bharat Telecom 2025 in New Delhi on 6 May 2025; the event, organised by TEPC with the Department of Telecommunications, drew over 130 foreign delegates from more than 35 countries.

Mon, 05 May 2025

• DRDO and the Indian Navy on 5 May 2025 successfully carried out combat firing (with reduced explosive) of the indigenously designed and developed Multi-Influence Ground Mine (MIGM).
• The Ministry of Mines said on 5 May 2025 that iron ore production reached a record 289 million metric tonnes in FY 2024-25 (provisional), with records also in manganese ore and primary aluminium.
• Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh held a bilateral meeting with Japan's Minister of Defense Gen Nakatani at the Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi, on 5 May 2025.
• INS Sharda arrived at Maafilaafushi Atoll, Maldives, for a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) exercise planned from 4 to 10 May 2025 with the Maldives National Defence Force.
• India's first mortgage-backed Pass Through Certificates (PTCs), structured by RMBS Development Company Limited, were listed on the National Stock Exchange on 5 May 2025.