National News

Telangana govt signs MoU with Japanese company Neysa Networks to set up AI data centre cluster

• Japan-based global digital transformation and IT services company, NTT DATA, cloud platform company Neysa Networks, and the Telangana government have signed an agreement to set up an Artificial Intelligence data centre cluster in Hyderabad with an investment of 10 thousand 500 crore rupees.
• The upcoming facility in Hyderabad will feature a 400 MegaWatt data centre cluster, designed to host the country’s most powerful AI supercomputing infrastructure with 25,000 GPUs (Graphics Processing Units).
• The project aligns with Telangana’s vision to be the AI capital of India, offering sovereign, scalable, and sustainable compute capabilities to support public and enterprise AI workloads. The collaboration combines NTT DATA’s global data centre leadership with Neysa’s AI acceleration platform, enabling joint development of AI-first solutions.

Andhra Pradesh Cabinet approves draft Ordinance on sub-categorisation of Scheduled Castes

• The Andhra Pradesh State Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, approved the draft Ordinance to implement the sub-categorisation of the Scheduled Castes (SCs) in the State.
• Aimed at integrated and equitable development of the sub-castes, the Cabinet, following a proposal from the Social Welfare Department, approved the classification of the 59 SC communities in the State into three categories based on their population, backwardness, and social cohesion.
• 12 castes were brought under Group-I, and 1% reservation was earmarked for them. Similarly, 18 castes that form part of Group-II would get 6.5% reservation. The third group comprised of 29 castes with 7.5% reservation.
• The Ordinance is aimed at ensuring equitable access to education and job opportunities among the SC communities, and will be implemented across all the 26 districts.

About Andhra Pradesh

• Capital – Amaravati
• Chief Minister – N Chandrababu Naidu
• Deputy CM – Pawan Kalyan
• Governor – S. Abdul Nazeer
• Legislative Assembly Seat – 175

Chennai launches South India’s first AC EMU train on suburban route

• South India’s first AC EMU (Electric Multiple Unit) train was launched on the Chennai Beach–Chengalpattu corridor, offering Metro-like comfort, and marking a major advancement in the region’s suburban rail network.
• The 12-car train, manufactured by Integral Coach Factory, features modern amenities such as automatic sliding doors, air conditioning, GPS-based displays, CCTV, stainless steel seating, and an energy-saving regenerative braking system.
• The service operates six days a week (except Sundays) with six total services daily: 4 between Chennai Beach–Chengalpattu and 2 between Chennai Beach–Tambaram, with fares ranging from Rs. 35 to Rs. 105 depending on distance.
• This initiative by Southern Railway’s Chennai division aims to provide a comfortable, safe, and efficient travel experience, especially beneficial during summer and for daily commuters, echoing the success of Mumbai’s AC EMU model.

International News

New York City declares April 14 as Dr B.R. Ambedkar Day

• New York City Mayor Eric Adams declared April 14, 2025, as Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Day, honouring the 135th birth anniversary of the Indian Constitution’s architect.
• Born in 1891, Dr. Ambedkar, known as Babasaheb, led the drafting of India’s Constitution, served as Minister of Law and Justice, advocated for Dalit rights, and earned a PhD from Columbia University in 1927, followed by an honorary degree in 1952.

Banking and Financial

SBI Card unveils co-branded Tata Neu credit card with exclusive rewards

• SBI Card has collaborated with Tata Digital to introduce the Tata Neu SBI Card, a co-branded credit card designed to provide customers with a rewarding shopping experience. The card comes in two variants: Tata Neu Infinity SBI Card and Tata Neu Plus SBI Card.
• Cardholders can earn NeuCoins on all purchases, whether online or in-store, both domestically and internationally. These rewards are credited monthly to the NeuPass account within the Tata Neu app. They can be redeemed for a variety of products and services, including groceries, travel, fashion, and electronics.
• The Tata Neu Infinity SBI Card offers up to 10% rewards on purchases, while the Tata Neu Plus SBI Card provides up to 7%. The card also offers additional rewards, including up to 1.5% back on UPI transactions and up to 5% back on bill payments made via Tata Neu.

Appointment

Government appoints Mangi Lal Jat as Director General of the ICAR

• Noted agronomist Dr Mangi Lal Jat has been appointed as the Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
• The appointment of Dr Mangi Lal Jat was approved by the Appointment Committee of the Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a meeting in New Delhi.
• Dr Mangi Lal Jat will take the place of Dr Himanshu Jain, who was earlier appointed as the Director General of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). The government has appointed Mangi Lal Jat for three years, commencing from the date he assumes office.
• Dr Mangi Lal Jat will also be the Secretary of the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE).

About Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)

• Established- 16 July 1929
• Headquarters- New Delhi
• Director General- Dr Mangi Lal Jat

IndusInd Bank names Santosh Kumar as Deputy CFO

• Santosh Kumar, Chief Accountant at IndusInd Bank, has been elevated as Deputy CFO, Special Officer – Finance & Accounts, and designated as a Key Managerial Personnel.
• Arun Khurana, who was given the additional charge of CFO in January after the resignation of former CFO Gobind Jain, will now continue solely as the Deputy CEO of the bank.
• Santosh Kumar will lead the finance and accounts functions of the bank in his new role until a full-time CFO is appointed, as per the exchange filing.

Recent Appointment in Banking & Insurance Sector

• Vice President of Investment Solutions at the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) – Ajay Bhushan Pandey
• Chairperson of Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) – Sivasubramanian Ramann (replace Deepak Mohanty) effect from May 2025
• Deputy Governor of RBI – Poonam Gupta; for 3 years (replace Michael Patra)
• MD & CEO of SBI Card – Salila Pande (replace Abhijeet Chakravorty)
• Whole-time Member (Life) of IRDAI – Swaminathan S. Iyers

Science

India’s first satellite, Aryabhata, completes 50 years

• India’s first satellite, Aryabhata, completed 50 years 19 April 2025. Launched on this day in 1975, the satellite was named after the ancient Indian mathematician and astronomer, Aryabhata.
• The satellite, built by the Indian Space Research Organisation, was launched from Kapustin Yar with the assistance of the USSR. The purpose of the satellite was defined to explore areas including Solar Physics, Aeronomy, and X-ray Astronomy.
• Aryabhata was designed as a 26-sided polyhedron, measuring 1.4 metres in diameter and weighing 360 kilograms. Except for the top and bottom, all the remaining 24 faces of the satellite were covered with solar panels.
• Aryabhata marked India’s entry into space exploration and laid the foundation for the country’s future space missions. With its successful launch, India was recognized as the 11th country in the world to send a satellite into orbit.

ISRO Develops Indigenous Stellite Nozzle Divergent for PSLV

• ISRO has indigenously developed a Stellite-based nozzle divergent as an alternative to the imported Columbium for the fourth stage of the PSLV, promoting self-reliance in space technology.
• Stellite, a cobalt-based alloy with elements like Chromium, Nickel, Tungsten, and Iron, can withstand high temperatures up to 1150°C, proven through a successful hot test lasting 665 seconds on April 8 at the ISRO Propulsion Complex, Mahendragiri (Tamil Nadu).
• Using the Stellite nozzle will help reduce costs by 90% compared to importing Columbium, boosting ISRO’s efficiency in future PSLV missions.
• The Mahendragiri facility has also successfully tested the human-rated Vikas Engine for the Gaganyaan mission; this engine, developed in India and named after Vikram Sarabhai, will be used in clustered form in LVM3-G to carry astronauts into space.

Defence

India Signs First Defence MoU with Slovakia Through JCBL Group

• India and Slovakia signed their first defence Memorandum of Understanding, with JCBL Group’s Airbornics Defence & Space Pvt. Ltd. (ADSL) tasked with co-developing next-generation combat vehicle technologies, aligning with India’s Make-in-India initiative.
• The agreement emphasises indigenous manufacturing of light tank systems, including turrets, active protection systems, remote-controlled weapon systems, and human-machine interface modules.
• The collaboration aims to facilitate technology transfer and co-development of combat platforms suited for complex terrains, with all manufacturing in India, potentially enabling future defence exports by leveraging Slovakia’s expertise and India’s industrial base.

Indian Air Force Joins Multinational ‘Desert Flag-10’ Exercise in UAE

• A contingent of the Indian Air Force reached Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates to participate in Exercise Desert Flag-10.
• The exercise is being hosted by the UAE Air Force, with participating contingents from the air forces of Australia, Bahrain, France, Germany, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the Republic of Korea, Turkey, the UAE, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America in addition to the Indian Air Force.
• The primary aim of the exercise is to undertake complex and diverse fighter engagements, with the exchange of operational knowledge and best practices with some of the most capable air forces in the world.

Sports

Rajnath Singh inaugurates 4-day Sansad Khel Mahakumbh in Lucknow

• The union Defence minister, Rajnath Singh, has inaugurated the 4-day Sansad Khel Mahakumbh at the K.D. Singh Babu Stadium in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
• A demonstration of indigenous sports, Kalaripayattu, Yoga, and Mallakhamba, were also performed during the inaugural ceremony.
• During the inaugural ceremony, Rajnath Singh honoured 10 senior athletes and five coaches from the city who had represented the country in the Olympics and other international events. The minister also honoured five sports management professionals of the city.
• Approximately 2,500 sportspeople are participating in the four-day sporting event. They will compete in eight events- Athletics, Kabaddi, Basketball, Volleyball, Football, Hockey, Boxing and Taekwondo.
• The events will be held in the junior and senior categories. Students of classes 9-12 are participating in the junior category, while the senior category is for students of degree colleges and universities.
• The winners will be honoured with a cash prize of Rs eight lakhs.

Important day

21 April – Civil Services Day

• Civil Services Day in India is observed annually on 21st April to recognise and appreciate the contributions of civil servants in nation-building.
• The day holds great significance as it honors the role of Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers and other civil services officers who play a crucial part in public administration and governance.
• 21st April is celebrated as Civil Services Day because it marks the day in 1947 when Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel addressed the first batch of IAS officers at Metcalfe House, Delhi.
• On this day, the government honors civil servants through the Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration, which is given to officials and departments for exceptional work and innovative efforts in governance.