25 May 2025

• Polity: President gave assent to the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, significantly altering the administration of Waqf properties.
• Defence: PM Modi held bilateral meetings with the leaders of France and Germany, briefing them on the post-Operation Sindoor situation.
• Environment: Africa Day (25 May) theme for 2025: "Justice for Africans and People of African Descent."
• Economy: India's forex reserves crossed $680 billion, setting a new all-time high according to RBI data.
• Space: ISRO confirmed Gaganyaan's crewed mission is on track for a 2026 launch after a successful uncrewed orbital module test.

GS area: Polity, Governance, Social Justice

The President gave assent to the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, making the most significant changes to waqf administration since 1995.

• Waqf: An Islamic charitable endowment. A Muslim dedicates property or assets to Allah for religious, educational or social purposes. Managed by a mutawalli (trustee).
• Existing law: Waqf Act, 1995 and its 2013 Amendment. Set up Central Waqf Council and State Waqf Boards.
• Key changes in 2025 Amendment:
  • Non-Muslim members to be included on State Waqf Boards for the first time.
  • Collector-led survey required before property can be declared Waqf (removes self-declaration by Waqf boards).
  • Dispute resolution: Appeals to go to ordinary civil courts instead of Waqf tribunals in certain cases.
  • Government properties cannot be claimed as Waqf.
• Political context: Amendment contested by Muslim bodies as violating religious autonomy under Article 26 (right to manage religious affairs).
• Article 26: Right of every religious denomination to manage its own affairs in matters of religion, subject to public order, morality and health.

Static linkage: Constitutional rights, minority rights, Waqf administration.

GS area: International Relations, History

Africa Day (25 May) marks the founding of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 1963.

• OAU: Founded Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 25 May 1963. Transformed into the African Union (AU) in 2002. 55 member states. Headquarters: Addis Ababa.
• India-Africa trade: Bilateral trade exceeded $100 billion in 2022-23. India is Africa's third largest trading partner. Key exports from India: pharmaceuticals, machinery, cotton. India imports crude oil, gold, diamonds.
• India Africa Forum Summit (IAFS): Third IAFS (2015) committed $600 million in grants and $10 billion credit. Fourth IAFS delayed.
• Voice of Global South: India positioned Africa as a priority partner in its G20 presidency. Successfully got the African Union permanent membership in G20 at the 2023 New Delhi Summit.
• India's Africa engagement pillars: Development finance (EXIM Bank lines of credit); defence (training, equipment); digital (UPI, ONDC deployment); pharma (generic medicines).

Static linkage: Africa-India relations, G20, multilateralism, South-South cooperation.

GS area: Economy, External Sector, Finance

India's foreign exchange reserves crossed $680 billion, the highest-ever level.

• Forex reserves composition: Foreign Currency Assets (largest component, over 85 per cent); Gold reserves (about 11 per cent); SDRs (Special Drawing Rights); Reserve Tranche with IMF.
• Recent increase drivers: Strong FDI and FPI inflows; robust remittances; services exports surpluses; RBI intervention buying USD to stabilise the rupee.
• Adequacy measures: Import cover: about 12 months (comfortable, safe is 3 months). External debt coverage: over 100 per cent.
• Rupee management: RBI uses forex reserves to smooth excessive volatility, not to defend a specific exchange rate level.
• Gold reserves: India holds about 855 tonnes of gold. About 65 per cent is kept abroad (Bank of England; Fed New York); 35 per cent is domestically held since 2022.

Static linkage: External sector, RBI, balance of payments, monetary management.

GS area: Science and Technology, Space

ISRO confirmed the Gaganyaan crewed mission target as 2026 after a key test milestone.

• Gaganyaan programme: India's first human spaceflight programme. Target: carry a 3-person crew to 400 km LEO orbit for 3 days, then splashdown in the Bay of Bengal.
• Mission milestones completed: Crew Escape System (CES) pad abort test (2023); Gaganyaan Orbital Module uncrewed test (2025).
• TV-D1 test: Tested the Crew Escape System in October 2023. Engine fire led to emergency abort at 17 km altitude.
• Crew Module (CM): Houses 3 vyomanauts. Equipped with life support, attitude control, re-entry heat shield and parachute system.
• Astronauts selected: 4 IAF test pilots trained in Russia and India. ISRO has not publicly announced which 3 will fly the crewed mission.
• ISTRAC: ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network coordinates mission operations. Ground stations in Mauritius, Biak (Indonesia), Svalbard (Norway) and others.

Static linkage: ISRO, human spaceflight, national security and technology.

GS area: International Relations

PM Modi held bilateral phone conversations with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

• India-France context: Strategic Partners since 1998. Key projects: Rafale fighter jets, P75 Scorpene submarines, nuclear power plant at Jaitapur, space cooperation (ISRO-CNES), cultural exchanges.
• India-Germany context: Strategic Partners since 2000. Germany is India's largest European trade partner. Key areas: renewable energy, automotive, chemicals, industrial machinery.
• Topics discussed: Operation Sindoor background; India's 3-pillar security doctrine; request for constructive diplomatic support in multilateral bodies; bilateral defence and trade updates.
• EU context: France and Germany are the EU's two largest economies. Their diplomatic support matters for India's broader EU-India relationship, especially the ongoing India-EU FTA talks.

Static linkage: India's foreign policy, bilateral diplomacy, European relations.

• Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 host: Morocco. Scheduled for June-July 2025.
• National Missing Children Day (25 May): India reported 56,340 missing children in 2023 (NCRB data). TrackChild portal and Khoya-Paya portal track missing children.
• International Missing Children Day: 25 May observance traces to 1983 (Etan Patz case, USA).