INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Trump vs Federal Reserve Controversy: U.S. President Donald Trump (President: United States) criticized Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell for not cutting interest rates, threatening to remove him. The Federal Reserve’s benchmark rate stands at 4.25%-4.50%, with Powell defending the Fed’s independence from political pressure.
Palestinian Photographer Wins World Press Photo: Palestinian photographer Samar Abu Elouf has been awarded the 2025 World Press Photo of the Year for exceptional photojournalism work documenting global issues.
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
PM Modi to Visit Saudi Arabia: Prime Minister Narendra Modi (Prime Minister: India) is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia (Capital: Riyadh) next week to strengthen bilateral trade, which currently stands at USD 42.98 billion. India imports 14.3% of crude oil and 18.2% of LPG from Saudi Arabia, with growing defense cooperation including naval exercises like ‘Al Mohed Al Hindi’.
Bhagavad Gita & Natyashastra Enter UNESCO Register: The manuscripts of Bhagavad Gita and Natyashastra have been added to UNESCO’s (Organization: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) Memory of the World Register. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called it a proud moment for India’s cultural heritage.
Mission Amrit Sarovar Progress: The Mission Amrit Sarovar, launched on 24.04.2022 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during National Panchayati Raj Day at Palli Gram Panchayat, Samba, continues to make progress in reviving India’s water heritage through community-led conservation initiatives.
International Big Cat Alliance Headquarters: The Government of India has signed a formal agreement with the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) to host its headquarters and secretariat in India, showcasing the country’s leadership in global wildlife conservation.
STATE AFFAIRS
Andhra Pradesh SC Sub-Categorisation: The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet approved a draft ordinance for sub-categorisation of Scheduled Castes (SCs) on 15.04.2025, based on the Rajeev Ranjan Mishra Commission report. The 59 SC sub-castes are divided into three groups: Group 1 (Most Backward – 1.0%), Group 2 (Backward – 6.5%), and Group 3 (Less Backward – 7.5%).
Karnataka Village Antiquities Survey: Karnataka is set to become the first state in India to complete a village-level antiquities survey, marking a significant achievement in preserving national cultural heritage.
Maharashtra Declares Flamingo Conservation Reserve: The Maharashtra State Board of Wildlife (SBWL) has declared the DPS wetland in Navi Mumbai as a Flamingo Conservation Reserve, strengthening wildlife conservation efforts in the state.
Tamil Nadu Space Industrial Policy: The Tamil Nadu cabinet has approved the Tamil Nadu Space Industrial Policy, aiming to establish the state as a center for space innovation, advanced manufacturing, and technology-driven job creation.
Gujarat Drone Surveillance Program: The Gujarat Police – Drone Response and Aerial Surveillance Tactical Interventions (GP-DRASTI) program was launched by Gujarat DGP Vikas Sahay, enhancing the state’s security infrastructure and surveillance capabilities.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Global Banks Ranking: S&P Global Market Intelligence (Organization: S&P Global) has released its latest Annual Ranking of the world’s 100 largest banks by assets, providing insights into the global financial landscape.
Engineering and Textile Exports Growth: Engineering, textile, and apparel exports from India increased by more than 6% in FY25, showing growth despite global economic challenges and trade tensions.
Fitch Ratings on Indian Banks: Fitch Ratings (Organization: Fitch Group) has affirmed the ratings of Axis Bank and ICICI Bank with a stable outlook, reflecting confidence in India’s banking sector stability.
IDFC First Bank Fundraising: Mumbai-based private sector lender IDFC First Bank has approved an aggregate fundraise of up to ₹7,500 crore from two separate investors during its board meeting held on 17.04.2025.
India’s GDP Growth Revision: Fitch Ratings has revised India’s GDP growth estimate for the current financial year from 6.5% to 6.4%, citing concerns over the global trade war and its potential impact on the Indian economy.
India’s Aviation Market Growth: India is on track to emerge as the world’s fastest-growing large aviation market by 2026, according to a report by the Airports Council International (Organization: ACI), highlighting the rapid expansion of the country’s air travel sector.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
ISRO-NASA NISAR Mission: The NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) mission, a landmark Earth observation collaboration between ISRO (Organization: Indian Space Research Organisation) and NASA (Organization: National Aeronautics and Space Administration), is expected to launch in June 2025 aboard a GSLV rocket.
Indian Astronaut’s Space Travel: Astronaut-designate Shubhanshu is set for space travel in May 2025, marking another milestone in India’s human spaceflight program and space exploration capabilities.
Quantum Key Distribution Breakthrough: The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) and Sterlite Technologies Ltd. (STL) have successfully demonstrated Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) over a 4-core Multi-Core Fibre (MCF), a first-of-its-kind achievement in India’s telecommunications security advancement.
DEFENSE & SECURITY
India-Slovakia Defense MoU: During President Droupadi Murmu’s (President: India) April 2025 visit to Slovakia (Capital: Bratislava), India and Slovakia signed their first-ever defense MoU. The deal involves JCBL Group’s defense arm, ADSL, collaborating to co-develop advanced technologies for light tanks under the “Make-in-India” vision.
CBI Case Against AAP Leader: The CBI (Organization: Central Bureau of Investigation) has registered an FCRA violation case against AAP leader Pathak and conducted searches, investigating alleged Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act violations.
ENVIRONMENT & CONSERVATION
Similipal Biosphere Reserve News: Important developments related to the Similipal Biosphere Reserve in Odisha have been reported, highlighting conservation efforts in this UNESCO-recognized ecological zone.
Surat’s Emissions Trading Scheme Success: A study published in The Quarterly Journal of Economics confirms the success of Surat’s Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) — the world’s first for particulate matter (PM) and India’s first pollution trading system, demonstrating effective market-based environmental regulation.
JUDICIAL DEVELOPMENTS
SC on Homebuyers’ Rights: The Supreme Court (Organization: Supreme Court of India) has upheld homebuyers’ right to protest peacefully against their builders, strengthening consumer rights in the real estate sector and setting an important legal precedent.
V-P Dhankhar’s Remarks Criticized: Opposition parties have criticized Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar’s (Vice President: India) remarks against the Supreme Court, highlighting tensions between different branches of government.
IMPORTANT DAYS
World Liver Day: World Liver Day was observed on 19.04.2025 to raise global awareness about liver health, diseases, and the importance of liver function for overall well-being.
SPORTS
India’s First Athlete Passport Management Unit: Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurated India’s first Athlete Passport Management Unit (APMU) at the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL), New Delhi, strengthening India’s anti-doping ecosystem and aligning with World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) standards.
