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Daily Current Affairs: 8 May 2025

Current affairs of 8 May 2025: IMO Net-Zero Framework: Global Rules to Cut Shipping Emissions; Lancet Study: Child Sexual Abuse Prevalence in India and World; HDR 2025: India Ranks 130th on Human Development Index, and 17 more topics. Key facts for every exam, with a quiz.

Take the quiz (15 questions)May 2025

In this issue: 20 topics

Government Schemes

₹60,000 Crore ITI Upgradation Scheme Approved by Cabinet
Revised SHAKTI Policy: Two-Window Coal Linkage for Power Plants
SVAMITVA Scheme Showcased at World Bank Land Conference 2025

Banking & Finance

Bank Bonds Explained: Features, Benefits and Stocks Compared
NSE Gets SEBI Nod to Launch Electricity Derivatives
RBI Regulation-Making Framework With Public Consultation
Lending-deposit spread hits 10-year low: WALR explained
RBI Co-lending Rules: Wider Framework Beyond PSL
SEBI Revised Disclosure Rules for REITs and InvITs
SEBI Securitised Debt Instruments Rules: Key Provisions
Sa-Dhan and Bank of India Sign MoU on Financial Inclusion

Economy

Exim Bank Pulls ₹2,500 Crore Bond Sale; Bond Basics
RBI Surplus Transfer: Record Payout to Government for FY25

International Affairs

IMO Net-Zero Framework: Global Rules to Cut Shipping Emissions
Indo-Pacific Logistics Network: Quad Disaster Response Plan

Agriculture & Rural

Luminis and Forvis Mazars Alliance for Microbiome Agri-Tech

Defence & Security

INS Kiltan at IMDEX Asia 2025 in Singapore

Reports & Indexes

Lancet Study: Child Sexual Abuse Prevalence in India and World
HDR 2025: India Ranks 130th on Human Development Index
Care Edge State Performance Ranking 2025: Pillars and Toppers

Government Schemes

Government Schemes

1. ₹60,000 Crore ITI Upgradation Scheme Approved by Cabinet

Cabinet approved a ₹60,000 crore scheme to upgrade 1,000 government ITIs.
Funding: ₹30,000 crore Centre, ₹20,000 crore States, ₹10,000 crore industry.
Five National Centres of Excellence will come up at NSTIs.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

2. Revised SHAKTI Policy: Two-Window Coal Linkage for Power Plants

CCEA approved the Revised SHAKTI Policy for coal to the power sector, with two windows.
Window-I: notified price. Window-II: premium price, 12 months to 25 years, no PPA needed.
The original SHAKTI policy was notified by the Ministry of Coal on 22 May 2017, replacing LoA-FSA.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Government Schemes

3. SVAMITVA Scheme Showcased at World Bank Land Conference 2025

MoPR Secretary Vivek Bharadwaj led India's delegation to the World Bank Land Conference, 5-8 May 2025, Washington D.C.
SVAMITVA was launched on 24 April 2020 to give Record of Rights to rural property owners in Abadi areas.
It uses drones and CORS; the phased mapping was planned over four years, 2020-2024.
India has surveyed 68,000 sq km of rural land, unlocking assets worth $1.16 trillion.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Banking & Finance

Banking & Finance

4. Bank Bonds Explained: Features, Benefits and Stocks Compared

Bank bonds are debt securities issued by banks to raise capital and fund growth.
They carry fixed or floating interest and a set maturity.
Bondholders get no ownership or voting rights.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

5. NSE Gets SEBI Nod to Launch Electricity Derivatives

NSE received in-principle approval from SEBI to launch electricity derivatives.
The news came out during NSE's fourth-quarter earnings analyst call.
Electricity cannot be stored economically at scale, so supply and demand must balance in real time.
Derivative types include futures, forwards, options, contracts for difference and spread contracts.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Polity & Governance

6. RBI Regulation-Making Framework With Public Consultation

RBI introduced a framework to standardise regulation-making, improving transparency and accountability.
Drafts go on the RBI website with a statement of particulars before the final version is issued.
The statement covers objectives, impact analysis where feasible, and international standards.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

7. Lending-deposit spread hits 10-year low: WALR explained

The WALR-deposit rate spread hit a 10-year low of 2.71% in March 2025.
Spread on fresh loans fell 22 bps to 2.7%.
WALR is a lending rate weighted by loan size.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

8. RBI Co-lending Rules: Wider Framework Beyond PSL

RBI planned a new co-lending framework extending beyond banks, NBFCs and priority sector lending.
Co-lending means two lenders fund a loan portfolio in a pre-agreed ratio and share revenue and risk.
The proposed model requires banks and NBFCs to disburse loans simultaneously.
FIDC was preparing to put NBFC concerns before the RBI.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

9. SEBI Revised Disclosure Rules for REITs and InvITs

SEBI issued two circulars on 8 May revising disclosure norms for REITs and InvITs.
Offer documents need three years of audited financials, plus stub period data if audits are over six months old.
Project-wise cash flows and contingent liabilities must be audited too.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

10. SEBI Securitised Debt Instruments Rules: Key Provisions

SEBI notified new securitised debt instrument (SDI) regulations through a gazette notification.
Primary issue minimum is ₹1 crore; public offers run 3 to 10 days; SDIs are demat-only.
Risk retention is 10% of the pool, or 5% when receivables mature within 24 months.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Banking & Finance

11. Sa-Dhan and Bank of India Sign MoU on Financial Inclusion

Sa-Dhan, the MFI self-regulatory body, signed an MoU with Bank of India.
Target: small, micro and women-led enterprises.
Areas: SHG finance, green and WASH financing, co-lending, financial literacy.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Economy

12. Exim Bank Pulls ₹2,500 Crore Bond Sale; Bond Basics

Exim Bank withdrew a planned ₹2,500 crore 10-year bond issue as investors demanded higher yields than expected.
Bonds usually cost companies less than bank loans and come with fewer restrictive conditions.
Callable bonds can be redeemed early by the issuer, useful when interest rates fall.
Corporate bonds are riskier than government bonds but often give higher returns.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

13. RBI Surplus Transfer: Record Payout to Government for FY25

The RBI was likely to transfer a record ₹3 lakh crore surplus to the Centre for FY25, against ₹2.1 lakh crore in FY24.
Section 47 of the RBI Act, 1934 requires surplus transfer after risk provisions.
The Bimal Jalan Committee (2018) finalised the revised Economic Capital Framework.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

International Affairs

Environment & Ecology

14. IMO Net-Zero Framework: Global Rules to Cut Shipping Emissions

IMO approved a draft Net-Zero Framework aiming for net-zero shipping emissions by 2050.
It rests on a new Chapter 5 of MARPOL Annex VI.
It covers ships above 5,000 GT, which account for 85% of maritime CO2.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

International Relations

15. Indo-Pacific Logistics Network: Quad Disaster Response Plan

IPLN is a shared logistics framework for civilian disaster response in the Indo-Pacific.
Participants: India, US, Japan and Australia.
First simulated in a tabletop exercise in Honolulu.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Agriculture & Rural

Agriculture & Rural Development

16. Luminis and Forvis Mazars Alliance for Microbiome Agri-Tech

Luminis allied with Forvis Mazars in India to scale microbiome solutions.
Nalanda Capital Partners facilitated the deal.
A microbiome is a community of microbes in an environment, with their genomes and interactions.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Defence & Security

International Relations

17. INS Kiltan at IMDEX Asia 2025 in Singapore

INS Kiltan (P30), an anti-submarine corvette, reached Singapore for IMDEX Asia 2025.
It is the third of four Kamorta-class ships, built by GRSE, Kolkata.
IMDEX Asia has run since 1997 as a leading naval and maritime defence exhibition.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Reports & Indexes

Health & Social Issues

18. Lancet Study: Child Sexual Abuse Prevalence in India and World

A Lancet meta-analysis (1990-2023) led by IHME gave first age-standardised global estimates of child sexual abuse.
In India, 30.8% of girls and 13% of boys faced sexual abuse before 18; the girls' rate is South Asia's highest.
The POCSO Act came into force on 14 November 2012.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

International Relations

19. HDR 2025: India Ranks 130th on Human Development Index

India ranked 130th of 193 in UNDP's HDR 2025, 'A Matter of Choice: People and Possibilities in the Age of AI'.
India's HDI rose from 0.676 (2022) to 0.685 (2023); rank from 133rd to 130th.
Inequality-adjusted HDI falls to 0.475; India is 102nd on the Gender Inequality Index (0.403).
Iceland topped at 0.972; South Sudan was last at 0.388.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Polity & Governance

20. Care Edge State Performance Ranking 2025: Pillars and Toppers

Care Edge Ratings' 2025 state ranking uses seven pillars and 50 indicators.
Economic weighs 25%, fiscal 20%; environment is lowest at 5%.
The ranking does not affect borrowing costs since state bonds are sovereign-backed.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Test yourself

15 questions from the news of 8 May 2025, with answers and explanations.