Published on: May 14, 2025
Snippets : 14 MAY 2025
Snippets : 14 MAY 2025
- Retail inflation, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), fell to 3.16% in April 2025, the lowest level in 69 months since July 2019. This marks the sixth straight month of decline, down from 3.34% in March 2025, and significantly lower than the peak of 6.21% in October 2024, the highest in the preceding 14 months. The primary factor behind this easing of inflation is a sharp decline in food prices, particularly in vegetables and pulses. CPI inflation, which tracks changes in retail prices of a fixed basket of goods and services consumed by households, reflects the cost of living, purchasing power, and overall price movement in the economy. Calculated by the National Statistical Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), CPI data is published monthly for rural, urban, combined, and all-India sectors. The index is not only a key macroeconomic indicator but is also vital for monetary policy decisions, used by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the government for inflation targeting, financial planning, and adjusting wages, pensions, and interest rates.
- Taiwan’s military recently conducted its first live-fire exercise using the U.S.-supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), marking a significant step in strengthening its defence capabilities. HIMARS is a lightweight, multiple rocket launcher system developed by the U.S.-based Lockheed Martin Corporation. It is specifically designed to launch multiple precision-guided rockets and is capable of neutralizing artillery systems, air defence units, trucks, light armoured vehicles, personnel carriers, and concentrations of troops and supplies. Mounted on a 5-ton Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV), HIMARS is air-transportable, allowing for rapid deployment. The system can carry either a pod of six rockets with a range of approximately 70 km or one MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) capable of striking targets up to 322 km away. HIMARS can prepare to fire in under 20 seconds and release a full load in less than 45 seconds. Designed for “shoot-and-scoot” operations, it can swiftly relocate after firing to avoid enemy detection. Additionally, its Increased Crew Protection cabin provides safety for the three-member crew from plume gases, rocket debris, and small arms fire.
- Vizhinjam International Seaport, located in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, is India’s first deep-water container transshipment port developed under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, with Adani Ports as the operator and significant investment from the Kerala Government. Inaugurated recently by the Prime Minister, it is India’s first semi-automated and dedicated transshipment port, built at a cost of ₹8,867 crore, and features advanced technologies such as AI-powered Vessel Traffic Management and fully automated cranes. Strategically positioned just 10 nautical miles from key international shipping lanes, it can handle Ultra Large Container Vessels (ULCVs), aiming to reduce India’s reliance on foreign ports for transshipment. Historically significant since the Chola-Pandya era, Vizhinjam is now projected to become a global maritime hub, already handling over 6 lakh TEUs and notable vessels like MSC Anna and MSC Claude Girardet. The port is integrated into major global shipping routes and has future plans for SEZs, green fuel hubs, and shipbuilding facilities. Despite challenges such as infrastructure gaps and Union-State coordination issues, Vizhinjam is poised to catalyze a port-led economic boom with multi-modal connectivity, industrial zones, and skill development programs including India’s first all-women automated crane crew.
- India has extended crucial financial assistance to the Maldives by rolling over a $50 million Treasury Bill under a government-to-government arrangement, initiated at the request of the Maldivian government. Subscribed by the State Bank of India (SBI), this support has been annually rolled over since 2019 and serves as a unique emergency funding mechanism. The Indian High Commission in Malé confirmed the extension, and Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Khaleel publicly thanked Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, highlighting its importance to Maldives’ fiscal reform efforts and India–Maldives friendship. Meanwhile, the Maldivian economy is witnessing a tourism-driven boost in 2024, with 2.05 million tourist arrivals—a record high and an 8.9% increase over the previous year. A new rule mandates resorts to convert $500 per tourist monthly into local currency, resulting in $214 million being added to foreign reserves. In addition, India has provided broader financial assistance including a $400 million currency swap and ₹30 billion support through the Reserve Bank of India in 2023. Treasury Bills (T-Bills), which form the basis of this support, are short-term debt instruments issued by the Government of India with maturities of 91, 182, or 364 days. They are zero-coupon securities, sold at a discount and redeemed at face value, with no interest payments. Mostly purchased by financial institutions, they are also used in repo transactions and help banks meet Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) norms. Their returns vary based on market liquidity conditions.
- Telangana Chief Minister has called for a national-level debate on Operation Kagar, a major counterinsurgency operation launched by the Indian government in 2024 with the goal of dismantling the Maoist insurgency, particularly in the “Red Corridor,” by March 2026. This operation involves the deployment of approximately 1 lakh paramilitary troops and state police, equipped with advanced technology like drones, AI, and satellite imagery for intelligence gathering. Meaning ‘Final Mission’, Operation Kagar follows a four-part strategy: establishing forward operating bases in Maoist territory, building fortified police stations in reclaimed areas, utilizing high-tech monitoring for intelligence, and promoting a “generous surrender policy.”
- The Raika tribe, also known as Rabaris, is an indigenous pastoralist community primarily inhabiting the arid and semi-arid regions of Rajasthan, particularly around Kumbhalgarh in the Rajsamand district. They have a unique socio-cultural relationship with camels, which are integral to their identity and livelihood. Renowned as the principal breeders of Rajasthan’s indigenous camel breeds, especially the Marwari camel celebrated for its strength, endurance, and desert adaptability, the Raikas consider camel herding more than just a profession—it is a vital part of their cultural heritage, reflected in their rituals, oral traditions, and seasonal migrations. They possess traditional knowledge of pasture cycles, animal health, and biodiversity, which has helped sustain the fragile ecology of Rajasthan’s desert landscapes. Their age-old migratory grazing routes enable camels to feed on medicinal desert shrubs, thereby enhancing both the health of the animals and maintaining ecological balance in the region.
- The NHRC has sought an Action Taken Report from Odisha’s Chief Secretary regarding the dire living conditions and lack of basic amenities faced by over 10,000 Dongria Kondh families, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) inhabiting the Niyamgiri hills of Odisha. The Dongria Kondh, with a rich cultural heritage rooted in animist beliefs, regard the hills and forests as sacred, tracing their ancestry to the mythical Niyam Raja. Their society is organized into clans and villages without a central religious or political leader, and they speak distinct languages, kuyí and kuvi. Dependent on forest resources and traditional horticulture, their livelihood is threatened by environmental and developmental challenges.
