Current Affairs 25 May 2026

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Vidyarthi Mitra (SRKVM) Scheme

The Government of Andhra Pradesh is implementing the Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Vidyarthi Mitra (SRKVM) Scheme since the 2025-26 academic year to provide free school kits to more than 35 lakh students studying in Classes 1 to 10 in government schools across the State.

The scheme aims to:

• Reduce school dropout rates,
• Support economically weaker students,
• Improve access to educational resources,
• Remove political branding from educational materials.

Items Provided in the School Kit

Each student receives:

• School bag,
• Textbooks and notebooks,
• Uniform fabrics (shirting, suiting, and chunni),
• Shoes and socks.

SRKVM Mobile App

The School Education Department launched the SRKVM App to digitise and monitor the distribution of these kits across government schools in the state. You can track kit distribution and supply data using the Indus Appstore SRKVM Listing or other relevant local portals.

Cold Water Fisheries Sector

India’s cold water fisheries sector is rapidly emerging as an important component of the country’s Blue Economy by generating employment, supporting sustainable mountain development, improving nutrition, and promoting eco-tourism.

What are Cold Water Fisheries?

Cold water fisheries are practised in High-altitude snow-fed rivers, streams, lakes, and reservoirs where:

• Water temperature ranges between 5°C and 25°C,
• Dissolved oxygen remains above 6 mg/L,
• pH levels range between 6.5 and 8.0.

Major Fish Species found in Cold Water Fisheries

Important species cultivated include Rainbow trout, Golden mahseer, and Snow trout.

Key Technologies Used in Cold Water Fisheries

The sector uses advanced aquaculture infrastructure, such as Hatcheries, Raceways, Recirculatory Aquaculture Systems (RAS), Biofloc systems, and coldhain facilities.

Cold water fisheries are prominent in Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Meghalaya, nagaland and the hill regions of Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal are also adopting modern fish farming technologies.

Current Status

• India’s total fish production (2024–25): 197.75 lakh tonnes.
• Cold water fisheries contribute around 3% of inland fish production.
• National cold-water fish production: about 7,000 metric tonnes.
• Trout production increased nearly 1.8 times over the last decade to around 6,000 metric tonnes.
• Jammu and Kashmir has emerged as India’s leading trout-producing region with around 3,010 metric tonnes of production in 2024–25.

Government Support

Major schemes supporting the sector:

• Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana
• Blue Revolution Scheme
• PM-MKSSY
• Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund

BHAVYA Scheme

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has released operational guidelines for implementing the BHAVYA Scheme, a major Central Sector Scheme aimed at strengthening India’s manufacturing ecosystem through world-class industrial infrastructure.

Key Highlights of the BHAVYA Scheme

• Full Form: BHAVYA – Bharat Highly Advanced Ventures for Youth and Manufacturing Advancement
• Objective: To develop investment-ready industrial parks and promote India as a globally competitive manufacturing hub.
• Duration of the scheme: From 2026-27 to 2031-32 (6 years).
• Financial Outlay: Approximately ₹33,660 crore.
• Industrial Parks Target:
  • Development of 100 industrial parks across India.
  • In the first phase, 50 parks will be selected through a challenge-based competitive process.

Features of the Scheme

• Development of:
  • Greenfield and eligible brownfield industrial parks,
  • Plug-and-play infrastructure,
  • Multimodal logistics connectivity,
  • Renewable energy infrastructure,
  • Worker housing and skill centres,
  • Digital governance systems.
• Land Requirement:
  • Minimum 100 acres for non-hilly states,
  • Minimum 25 acres for hilly states, northeastern states, Union Territories, and smaller states.
• Implementation Model:
  • Projects will be implemented through Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) as per the provisions of the Companies Act, 2013.
• Project Management Agency (PMA):
  • National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC).
• Monitoring Mechanism:
  • GIS-based monitoring,
  • Audit systems,
  • Oversight by a National Level Steering Committee chaired by the DPIIT Secretary.

India’s first 300 KM Universal Rocket Launching System “Suryastra”

Rajnath Singh and Devendra Fadnavis inaugurated a private sector Defence Manufacturing Complex of NIBE Group at Shirdi, Maharashtra, on May 23, 2026.

The complex will manufacture:

• Advanced artillery systems,
• Missile and space technologies,
• Rocket systems,
• Energetic materials,
• Autonomous defence platforms.

Highlights

• India’s first 300 KM Universal Rocket Launching System, “Suryastra”, was flagged off during the event.
• The Foundation stone was laid for a dedicated missile complex for the system.
• Indigenous technologies unveiled the TNT plant technology and the RDX Plant Technology.
• An MoU was exchanged between NIBE Group and Blacksky for cooperation in satellite assembly.

Sample Registration Survey (SRS) 2024

India’s demographic indicators have shown significant improvement according to the latest Sample Registration Survey (SRS) 2024 bulletin. The report highlights a steady decline in birth rate, death rate, and Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), reflecting improvements in healthcare services and living standards.

Key Highlights

• Birth Rate (live births per 1,000 population):
  • Declined from 21 (2014) to 18.3 (2024).
• Death Rate (deaths per 1,000 population):
  • Reduced marginally from 6.7 (2014) to 6.4 (2024).
• Infant Mortality Rate (IMR):
  • Fell significantly from 39 deaths per 1,000 live births (2014) to 24 (2024).

Rural vs Urban Performance

Rural Areas

• Birth rate declined from 22.7 to 20.2.
• The Death rate decreased from 7.3 to 6.8.
• The Infant Mortality Rate was reduced from 43 to 27.

Urban Areas

• Birth rate declined from 17.4 to 14.7.
• The Death rate slightly increased from 5.5 to 5.6, but remained lower than in rural areas.
• IMR improved sharply from 26 to 17.

Significance

• The report indicates that India is undergoing a demographic transition, characterised by declining birth and death rates.
• Improved healthcare initiatives by the central and State governments contributed to a decrease in infant deaths.
• However, the persistent rural-urban gap highlights the need for:
  • Better healthcare infrastructure in rural regions,
  • Equitable resource allocation,
  • Enhanced maternal and child healthcare services.

About the Sample Registration Survey (SRS)

The Sample Registration System (SRS) survey in India is conducted continuously throughout the year, and its statistical reports are generally released annually by the Registrar General of India.

• Started in 1970 on a pilot basis and was fully implemented in 1971.
• It is India’s largest demographic survey system.
• Provides annual estimates of:
  • Birth Rate
  • Death Rate
  • Infant Mortality Rate (IMR)
  • Fertility Rate
  • Maternal Mortality indicators

How it works

• Data is collected continuously through:
  1. Continuous enumeration by a resident part-time enumerator.
  2. Half-yearly independent surveys by supervisors.
• The two sets of records are matched to ensure accuracy.

So, unlike the Census (every 10 years) or NFHS (roughly every 5 years), the SRS is an annual demographic survey system with continuous data collection.

Botany Lecturer Receives Biodiversity Conservation Award

J. Ramudu, Botany lecturer at Dr. Lakkireddy Hanimireddy Government Degree College in NTR district, was honoured with the “Best Individual Biodiversity Conservator Award-2026” by the Andhra Pradesh Biodiversity Board. The award was presented during the celebrations of the International Day for Biological Diversity organised at Acharya Nagarjuna University.

Major Abhilasha Barak Receives UN Military Gender Advocate Award 2025

Major Abhilasha Barak, an Indian peacekeeper serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), has been selected for the prestigious 2025 United Nations Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award.

Key Highlights

• The award is presented by the United Nations to recognise exceptional efforts in promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment in peacekeeping missions.
• Major Abhilasha Barak is currently serving with the Indian battalion in Lebanon.

Q1. According to the Sample Registration Survey (SRS) 2024, India’s Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) declined to:
A. 39
B. 32
C. 24
D. 17

Q2. The reports of India’s Sample Registration System (SRS) are generally released at what interval?
A. Once in ten years
B. Every year
C. Once in five years
D. None of the Above

Q3. Who received the “Best Individual Biodiversity Conservator Award-2026” from the Andhra Pradesh Biodiversity Board?
A. N. Vijay Kumar
B. Nandini Salaria
C. J. Ramudu
D. Illa Ravi

Q4. Which organization has been designated as the Project Management Agency (PMA) for implementation of the BHAVYA Scheme?
A. NITI Aayog
B. National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC)
C. Invest India
D. Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)

Q5. What is the name of India’s first 300 KM Universal Rocket Launching System flagged off in May 2026?
A. Agniveer
B. Suryastra
C. Brahmastra
D. Vajrastra

Q6. Which Indian region emerged as the leading trout producing region in 2024–25 according to the Ministry of Fisheries?
A. Himachal Pradesh
B. Uttarakhand
C. Jammu & Kashmir
D. Arunachal Pradesh

Q7. Who among the following received the 2025 United Nations Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award?
A. Nandini Salaria
B. Major Abhilasha Barak
C. Devendra Fadnavis
D. Samir V. Kamat

Q8. The SRKVM Mobile App launched by the Andhra Pradesh School Education Department is mainly used for:
A. Conducting online examinations
B. Tracking school attendance
C. Monitoring distribution of school kits
D. Providing digital scholarships