- India’s decision to establish a direct link between the Northeast and Kolkata via Myanmar, bypassing Bangladesh, marks a strategic shift in regional connectivity.
- India shares a 1,643 km land border with Myanmar, connecting Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, and Mizoram.
- Myanmar serves as India’s gateway to Southeast Asia, making it vital for trade and connectivity. Read More
Home / Daily Current Affairs / 19-05-2025
Daily Current Affairs – 19 May, 2025
PDF - Minutes of meetings held by the Ministry of Education (MoE) with 33 States and UTs show that student enrolment dipped in 23 states.
- The drop first came to light late last year in the UDISE+ report for 2023-24, which pointed to a sharp fall of around 1.5 crore in overall school enrolment (government and private) compared to the 2018-19 to 2021-22 average.
- PM-POSHAN minutes show the trend continuing into 2024-25, triggering fresh concern in the government.
- At least eight witnessed declines exceeding 100,000: led by Uttar Pradesh (21.83 lakh), Bihar (6.14 lakh), Rajasthan (5.63 lakh) and West Bengal (4.01 lakh).
- Compared to 2023-24, Karnataka saw its enrollment fall by around 2 lakh; Assam by 1.68 lakh, Tamil Nadu by 1.65 lakh and Delhi by 1.05 lakh. Read More
Govt School Enrolment Drops in 23 States
Context
About
- According to McKinsey, AI could add trillions of dollars to the global economy, potentially enhancing productivity by up to 25% in firms that effectively adopt it.
- Pyramid Model: Conventionally, organisations have a top-heavy leadership, a broad middle management, and a large operational base. It represents a structured hierarchy with a well-defined chain of command, multiple layers of supervision and control.
- Hourglass Transformation: In this model, AI automates coordination, monitoring, and decision-making and thinning the middle layer while enhancing top-level strategy and base-level execution.
- Gartner forecasts that by 2026, 20% of firms in the West will cut over half their middle managers using AI.
- Microsoft has recently announced the layoff of approximately 6,000 employees, constituting about 3% of its global workforce. Read More
AI and the Rise of the Hourglass Organisation
In Context
How is the Hourglass Model different from the Conventional Model?
- The government is likely to move two crucial amendments in the laws governing the country’s atomic energy sector in the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament.
- Nuclear Capacity: India’s plans to increase its nuclear power capacity from the current 8,180 MW to 22,480 MW by 2031-32 and eventually 100 GW by 2047.
- Energy Demand Growth: India's electricity demand is expected to increase 4-5 times by 2047, and nuclear power will help meet base-load demand alongside renewables.
- India’s Targets: To reduce the emission intensity of its GDP by 44% by 2030 from the 2005 level.
- To achieve 50% cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030. Read More
Govt. to Allow Private Operators in Nuclear Energy Sector
Context
India’s Need to Increase its Nuclear Capacity:
- The Government of India has received 70 applications, 80% from small and medium enterprises (SMEs), for its Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme.
- Make in India, Digital India, and Startup India are promoting domestic manufacturing and technological innovation.
- Production Linked Incentive Scheme (PLI): The scheme aims to attract large investments in the mobile phone manufacturing and specified electronic components, including Assembly, Testing, Marking and Packaging (ATMP) units.
- National Policy on Electronics 2019 (NPE 2019): It is a comprehensive framework to develop India as a global hub for electronics manufacturing.
- Modified Electronics Manufacturing Clusters (EMC 2.0) develops infrastructure with common amenities and industrial clusters for electronics production. Read More
70 Applications Received for Scheme to Produce Electronic Components
Context
Government initiatives
- A recent study identifies mechanical fatigue of the lithium metal anode, rather than current density alone, as the key cause behind dendrite-induced short circuits and failure of Solid-State Batteries (SSBs).
- Electric Vehicles (EVs): Toyota and BMW are developing SSB-powered EVs with extended range and rapid charging.
- Consumer Electronics: Companies like Apple and Samsung are investing in SSBs for safer and longer-lasting smartphones and laptops.
- Grid Storage: Tesla and other energy giants are investigating SSBs for renewable energy storage solutions. Read More
Fatigue of Li Metal Anode in Solid-State Batteries
Context
Applications of Solid-State Batteries
- New Caledonia is facing deepened political uncertainty ahead of the November 2025 provincial elections.
- It is classified as a French overseas collectivity, enjoying significant autonomy under French sovereignty.
- Colonised in 1853 by France as a penal colony, its history is marked by resistance from the Indigenous Kanak population.
- The 1998 Nouméa Accord granted autonomy and led to three referendums, all rejecting independence, though the 2021 vote was boycotted by pro-independence groups, casting doubt on its legitimacy.
- The push for independence continues due to unresolved historical grievances and contested political status. Read More
