DAILY GK 17-18 MAY 2025
1.
CHAIRPERSON OF IAMAI
·
M N Srinivasu was appointed as the Chairperson of
the Mumbai based Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI)
for the 2025–2027 term, following the governing council elections held in
Mumbai.
·
The
IAMAI is a not-for-profit industry body
established in 2004.
2. NEERAJ CHOPRA CONFERRED HONORARY
LIEUTENANT COLONEL RANK IN TA
·
India’s star javelin thrower and double
Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra was conferred
the Honorary Rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial
Army (TA).
·
Neeraj Chopra’s association with the
Indian Army (IA) began on August 26, 2016, when he was enrolled as a
Naib Subedar in the 4 Rajputana Rifles.
·
Following his historic gold medal
win at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics (India’s first in
track and field), he was promoted to Subedar
in 2021.
·
In 2024, he was elevated to Subedar Major, the highest Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs) rank.
·
The Territorial Army (TA), established on 9 October 1949,
completed 75 years in 2024.
·
It functions as a part-time volunteer force that
supports the regular Indian Army during emergencies and actively contributes to
nation-building and developmental projects.
3.
SUDANESE PM
·
Sudan’s military leader General
Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan appointed Kamil El-Tayeb Idris as
the 16th Prime Minister (PM) of the
Republic of the Sudan (Sudan), marking the country’s first PM
appointment since January 2022, following the resignation of PM Abdalla Hamdok amid
political unrest and pro-democracy protests.
·
Sudan’s Civil War began in April 2023 after a
power struggle between the Sudanese Army and a paramilitary group Rapid Support
Forces (RSF),which had jointly led a coup in 2021.
·
The
conflict spread across Sudan, especially beyond Khartoum (Sudan), resulting in
one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
4.
IB CHIEF GETS EXTENSION
·
The
Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), headed by Prime Minister
(PM) Narendra Modi has approved a second one-year extension of
Counter-terrorism expert, Tapan Kumar Deka as
the Director, Intelligence Bureau (IB), under the
Ministry of Home Affairs(MHA) for a period of one year
till June 2026.
·
With this extension, he becomes the
longest-serving IB chief since the tenure was formalized in 2005.
5.
RAJASTHAN’S TRADITIONAL ‘SANGRI’ BEAN RECEIVED GI TAG
·
Geographical Indication Registry (GIR) granted
Geographical Indication (GI) tag to Rajasthan’s traditional ‘Sangri’, the
slender bean that adds unique flavor in
food and is staple in every Rajasthani kitchen.
·
Sangri grows on the Khejri tree (scientific
name: Prosopis cineraria), which is popularly known as the “Wonder of the Thar Desert” as it
thrives in the harsh desert climate.
·
Khejri
tree (Prosopis cineraria) is state tree of Rajasthan.
·
Darjeeling Tea holds the
distinction of being the first Indian
product to receive a GI tag.
·
As of May 2025, Uttar Pradesh(UP) holds
the distinction of having the highest
number of GI tags among Indian states, with a total of 77 GI-certified products.
·
GI tag indicates that a product have
a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation inherent to that
location.
·
The registration of GI is valid for a
period of 10 years
from date of registration and can be renewed from time to time for a further
period of 10 years each.
·
Geographical Indication Registry (GIR): Headquarters- Chennai,
Tamil Nadu (TN).
6.
INDIA’S LARGEST CONSERVATION RESERVE
·
The
Himachal Pradesh Government has formally designated the Tsarap
Chu Conservation Reserve(CR) located in Spiti Valley(HP) as India’s
largest conservation reserve
·
Tsarapu is the 5th CR
of HP after Shilli CR, Naina Devi CR, Darlaghat CR and Potter Hills CR.
·
It is the location for the confluence of the Unam River and
CharapNala.
·
Tsarapu
CR is one of the areas in HP with a high density of snow leopards.
·
It
is often called as the “ghost of the mountains”.
7. MIZORAM DECLARED INDIA’S FIRST FULLY
LITERATE STATE
·
CM of Mizoram, Lalduhoma declared Mizoram as
the first fully literate state in India
·
Mizoram has currently achieved 98.2% literacy
rate as per the Periodic Labour Force
Survey (PLFS) 2023–24, which was ranked as the third most literate state with 91.33%, as per the 2011 census.
·
The Understanding of Lifelong Learning for
All in Society (ULLAS) initiative, under the New India
Literacy Programme (NLIP) has also helped Mizoram achieve the “Full literacy” status,
surpassing 95% literacy benchmark of MoE.
·
The
ULLAS – Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram or New India Literacy Programme (NILP)
initiative was launched by Government of India (GOI) to provide education to
adults for a period of 5 years (2022-27).
·
It is a
Centrally Sponsored Initiative, which aligns with the National Education
Policy (NEP) 2020.
·
It aims to empower adults aged above 15 from all backgrounds who missed formal
schooling, helping them integrate into society and contribute to the nation’s
growth.
8.
INDIA ASSUMED CHAIRMANSHIP OF APO
·
India formally assumed the
Chairmanship of the Asian Productivity
Organization (APO) for the 2025-26
term during the 67th session of the Governing
Body Meeting (GBM) of the APO, held in
Jakarta, Indonesia.
·
APO, a Tokyo (Japan)-based
intergovernmental
organisation was established in 1961.
·
At
present, APO comprises 21 member countries,
including Bangladesh, Cambodia, Taiwan, Fiji, Hong Kong (dormant), India, Indonesia,
Iran, Japan, Republic of Korea, Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR),
Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka,
Thailand, Turkiye, and Vietnam.
9.
UNESCO & G20 TO EMPOWER CIVIL SERVANTS FOR ETHICAL AI
GOVERNANCE
·
UNESCO and the Group of Twenty (G20), under the
2025 Presidency of South Africa,
advanced their strategic partnership to promote ethical Artificial Intelligence (AI) governance
by empowering public services with both technical capabilities and ethical
awareness.
·
The initiative followed a global workshop organized in April 2025 in
Gqeberha, South Africa, as part of a broader campaign to build human
rights-based digital governance.
10.
SOUTH ASIA ENVOY TO COP-30
·
Arunabha Gosh, founder and Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) of Council of Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), a
climate and energy think tank of India,
has been appointed as the South Asia envoy for
the 30th Conference of Parties (COP-30), a United Nations(UN) climate conference,
which will be held in November 2025 in
Belém, Brazil.
·
He is currently the Vice-Chair of the
United Nations Committee for Development Policy (UNCDP).
