08 May 2025 Current Affairs

WAVES 2025: Connecting Global Media and Entertainment

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched India's inaugural World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit, WAVES 2025, which took place at the Jio World Centre in Mumbai, Maharashtra, from May 1st to 4th, 2025. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MoI&B) and the Government of Maharashtra (GoM) jointly organized this four-day event, themed "Connecting Creators, Connecting Countries."

Key moments from WAVES 2025 included:

• Prime Minister Modi issuing commemorative postage stamps celebrating five iconic figures of Indian cinema: Guru Dutt (filmmaker), Raj Khosla (director), Ritwik Ghatak (filmmaker), P. Bhanumathi (actress), and Salil Chowdhury (music composer).
• The MoI&B, with support from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), hosted the first-ever Global Media Dialogue (GMD) during WAVES 2025. This dialogue saw ministerial representation from over 50 nations.
• A significant outcome of the GMD was the adoption of the 'WAVES Declaration' by 77 countries. This 13-point declaration emphasizes the importance of using new technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), responsibly.
•  During WAVES 2025, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MoI&B) announced the establishment of the Indian Institute of Creative Technology (IICT). This National Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Mumbai will be supported by Jio Star.
•  WAVES 2025 concluded as a significant success, generating a total of ₹1,328 crore in business deals across different industries.

HDR 2025: India's Progress in Human Development

On May 6, 2025, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) published its Human Development Report (HDR) 2025, titled "A matter of choice: people and possibilities in the age of Artificial Intelligence."

The theme of the HDR 2025 is "Harnessing Digital Transformation to Advance Human Development."

In the 2023 Human Development Index (HDI), India ranked 130th with a score of 0.685. India's 2023 ranking represents an improvement of three places compared to its 2022 ranking of 133, which had a score of 0.676. Globally, Iceland holds the top position in the HDI 2023 with a score of 0.972.

Following Iceland in the global HDI rankings are Norway (0.970) and Switzerland (0.970).

Key Findings for India:

• India's life expectancy at birth saw a significant increase from 58.6 years in 1990 to a new high of 72 years in 2023.
• The average years of schooling in India rose from 8.2 years in 1990 to 13 years in 2023.
• India's Gross National Income (GNI) per capita experienced a growth of over 53%, increasing from USD 2,167.22 in 1990 to USD 9,046.76 in 2023.

About the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP):

• Administrator: Achim Steiner
• Headquarters: New York, United States of America (USA)
• Establishment: 1965

Celebrating the Border Roads Organisation's Contributions

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) observes its Raising Day annually on May 7th. This day marks the establishment of the BRO in 1960 and serves as a commemoration of the dedication of its personnel. It also reinforces the organisation's commitment to building and maintaining vital road and bridge infrastructure in India's border regions.

May 7th, 2025, signifies the 66th Raising Day of the BRO.

Background:

• The BRO was founded on May 7th, 1960, with the core mission of strengthening India's borders and developing essential infrastructure in the geographically challenging and strategically important northern and northeastern states.
• In 1985, the Border Roads Development Board (BRDB) underwent a restructuring, placing it under the leadership of the Defence Minister to better align its activities with national security objectives.
• Over its six decades of operation, the BRO has constructed an extensive network of over 62,214 kilometers of roads, 1,005 bridges, 7 tunnels, and developed 21 airfields across India.
• In the financial year 2023-24 (FY24), the BRO successfully completed 125 infrastructure projects with a total value of ₹3,611 crore.

India Launches Chip-Based E-PassportsI

In May 2025, the Indian government launched chip-based e-passports nationwide to bolster traveler security and streamline international travel. These new passports utilize Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology with an embedded antenna. A primary advantage of e-passports is their improved capacity to safeguard the passport holder's personal information.

Key points regarding this development:

1. Pilot Program:

• A preliminary rollout of these e-passports occurred on April 1, 2024, under the Passport Seva Programme-Version 2.0 (PSP-V2.0).

2. Enhanced Security:

• The embedded chips securely store the passport holder's data, including encrypted biometric details, making the passports significantly more difficult to counterfeit.

3. Updated Regulations:

• The Government of India has implemented notable revisions to passport rules in 2025, with a focus on strengthening security, protecting privacy, and promoting inclusivity.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), responsible for passport issuance, is currently headed by:

• Union Minister: Subrahmanyam Jaishankar (Rajya Sabha, Gujarat)
• Ministers of State (MoS): Pabitra Margherita (Rajya Sabha, Assam) and Kirti Vardhan Singh (Lok Sabha, Gonda, Uttar Pradesh)

PAC Re-elects K.C. Venugopal

K.C. Venugopal Reappointed as Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chairperson  

In May 2025, K.C. Venugopal, a prominent leader from the Indian National Congress (INC), was re-elected as the chairperson of the Parliament of India's Public Accounts Committee (PAC), located in New Delhi. The Lok Sabha Speaker confirmed his reappointment, with his term extending until April 2026, as stated by the Lok Sabha Secretariat.

This appointment follows the established tradition since 1967, which designates the PAC chairperson to be a member of the primary opposition party in the Lok Sabha.

About K.C. Venugopal:

Current Roles:

• Chairperson, Public Accounts Committee (PAC)
• General Secretary (Organisation), All India Congress Committee (AICC)