NATIONAL NEWS
Industrial Growth: India’s industrial output rises 3% in March 2025, showing signs of economic recovery though still trailing last year’s 5.5% growth pace.
India-US Trade Relations: India and the United States working on “side letters” to address non-tariff barriers outside the formal bilateral trade agreement framework, focusing on data protection and quality control.
Tax Exemption for Ganga Mission: CBDT grants tax exemption to National Mission for Clean Ganga under Income Tax Act, strengthening the Namami Gange programme initiatives.
Sports Achievement: India tops the Asian Yogasana Sport Championship with impressive 83 gold medals, finishing ahead of Japan and other participating nations.
Content Regulation: Government bans 16 Pakistani YouTube channels with combined 63 million subscribers for spreading sensitive content following the Pahalgam terror attack.
Digital Initiative: Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw (Ministry of Electronic and Information Technology) launches guidelines and portal for Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS) to strengthen domestic manufacturing.
Infrastructure Development: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inspects under-construction Ganga Expressway, directing officials to ensure timely completion with highest quality standards.
Healthcare Initiative: Delhi Government announces distribution of Ayushman Bharat cards to eligible senior citizens aged 70 years and above under Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana at Thyagaraj Stadium.
STATE NEWS
J&K Assembly Resolution: Jammu and Kashmir Assembly passes resolution condemning Pahalgam terrorist attack, emphasizing assault on values of unity, peace, and ‘Kashmiriyat’ during special session.
Punjab Farmer Issues: Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) and Sanyukt Kisan Morcha demand exclusion of Punjab state government from upcoming May 4th meeting with the Centre, citing insult after previous arrests.
Administrative Change: Telangana appoints K. Ramakrishna Rao as new Chief Secretary to the Government, replacing A. Santhi Kumari who retires end of April.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Swiss Diplomatic Efforts: Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter (St. Gallen) visits United States regarding trade tariffs while Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis (Federal Department of Foreign Affairs) discusses stronger ties with China in Beijing (Capital: Beijing).
Middle East Tensions: Israel launches airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs targeting Hezbollah missile storage facility despite five-month ceasefire agreement, claiming the site posed direct security threat.
Asian Trade Cooperation: Japan and Vietnam strengthen bilateral trade ties amid global uncertainty, with Japanese Prime Minister visiting Hanoi (Capital: Hanoi) to discuss trade while both nations seek to avoid US tariffs.
Russia-North Korea Military Cooperation: Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledges North Korean troops’ contribution fighting alongside Russian forces in Kursk region, praising their specialized training.
EU-Sri Lanka Relations: EU GSP+ Monitoring Mission conducting biannual review in Sri Lanka to assess country’s adherence to trade obligations under the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus.
Japan-Switzerland Diplomatic Meeting: Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi held meeting with Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis on April 23 during Switzerland’s participation in Expo 2025 Osaka, discussing Ukraine situation and bilateral cooperation.
RECENT IMPORTANT EVENTS
Papal Death: Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church since 2013, died on April 21, 2025, at age 88, with funeral attended by delegations from 164 countries including 82 world leaders.
Terror Attack: Militants affiliated with The Resistance Front attacked tourists at Baisaran Valley in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, killing 26 and injuring at least 20.
Iran Port Explosion: Explosion at Port of Shahid Rajaee in Bandar Abbas, Iran on April 26 killed at least 40 people and injured over 1,200.
Canada Attack: Vehicle-ramming attack at annual Lapu Lapu Day festival in Vancouver, British Columbia on April 26 killed at least 11 people and injured 20 others.
Elections: Canadian federal election and Trinidad and Tobago general election held on April 28, with Liberal Party led by Mark Carney winning in Canada.
Iberian Power Outage: Widespread power outage affected countries of the Iberian Peninsula on April 28.
SPORTS NEWS
Economic Outlook: RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra highlights India’s strong economic growth, stability, and investment potential amid global tariff-related uncertainties.
Badminton Setback: India suffers 4-1 defeat to Denmark in Sudirman Cup badminton tournament, with only women’s doubles pair Tanisha Crasto and Shruti Mishra securing a win.
Football Achievement: Jamshedpur FC reaches Kalinga Super Cup 2025 semi-finals after thrilling 5-4 penalty shootout victory over North East United.
Marathon Record: Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa wins 45th London Marathon, setting new women’s-only world record, though 25 seconds slower than Paula Radcliffe’s 2003 mixed-race course record.
Olympic Athlete Performance: Triathlon gold medalist Alex Yee completes London Marathon debut, finishing 14th overall and second among British athletes despite facing challenges.
APPOINTMENTS
State Administration: K. Ramakrishna Rao appointed as the new Chief Secretary to the Government of Telangana, replacing retiring A. Santhi Kumari.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Space Exploration: Fram2, launched aboard SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on April 1, becomes first crewed spaceflight to enter polar retrograde orbit.
Genetic Engineering: Colossal Biosciences showcases three grey wolves genetically modified to exhibit characteristics of the extinct dire wolf on April 7.
Exoplanet Discovery: Atmosphere of K2-18b, a candidate water world 124 light-years away, found to contain dimethyl sulfide and dimethyl disulfide compounds on April 17, which on Earth are only produced by living organisms.
