Current Affairs 17 June 2025

India’s unemployment rate rises 5.6% in May'25 from 5.1% in April'25.

• India’s unemployment rate rose to 5.6% in May 2025 from 5.1% in April, as per the latest PLFS data.
• Joblessness increased in both rural and urban areas, with youth and women particularly affected.
• The Labour Force Participation Rate declined to 54.8% in May.
• This marks the second monthly release of labour data covering both rural and urban regions.

MoU signed to introduce UPI services in Cyprus.

• The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and Eurobank of Cyprus have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to introduce Unified Payments Interface (UPI) services in Cyprus for cross-border transactions that will benefit tourists and businesses.
• The NSE International Exchange at Gujarat’s Gift City too signed an MoU with Cyprus Stock Exchange to enable cross-border flows.

India to Conduct Its 16th Census in 2027.

• This will be India’s 8th census after Independence.
• Caste data will be collected for the first time since 2011.
• The census will be conducted digitally and will allow self-enumeration.
• Strong data security measures will be in place.
• The census is an important step for planning and policy-making in India.

Under SEEDS Initiative, India Supports Suriname’s SME and Farming.

• India has dispatched the second and final batch of machinery for Passion Fruit Processing to Suriname under the SEEDS (Supply of Equipment for Efficient Development of SMES) initiative.
• This is aimed at boosting Suriname’s SME Industry and farmers’ incomes.
• Suriname is located on the northern coast of South America.

Vietnam officially Joins BRICS As "Partner Country".

• Vietnam has officially joined BRICS as a partner country.
• Vietnam has now become the 10th BRICS partner.
• The partner country category was created at the 2024 BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia.
• The current list of partners includes Vietnam, Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan.