National News

MeitY Launches ‘I Am Circular’ Coffee Table Book

• The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, hosted the release of the ‘I Am Circular’ Coffee Table Book, curetted by the International Council for Circular Economy (ICCE).
• The book is a vibrant celebration of India’s innovative spirit in driving the circular economy forward.
• This Coffee Table Book features 30 of India’s most promising innovations identified through the nationwide ‘I Am Circular’ Challenge, an initiative designed to discover and amplify breakthrough solutions rooted in the principles of the circular economy.
• The selected innovations are based on three key themes: Design to Last, Work with Nature, and Use Existing Resources.

CGHS launched modernised Health Management Information System

• The Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has launched a next-generation Health Management Information System (HMIS), developed by C-DAC.
• The revamped HMIS will offer faster, transparent, and user-friendly services like PAN-based beneficiary identification, digital verification, contribution tracking, online card modification, and real-time tracking of applications.
• Beneficiaries will receive SMS and email alerts at every stage of application processing, ensuring greater transparency and minimising the need for physical follow-ups.

CCI approves the proposed acquisition of the Target Business by Kandhari Global Beverages Private Limited

• The Competition Commission of India has approved the proposed acquisition of the Target Business by Kandhari Global Beverages Private Limited.
• Kandhari Global Beverages Private Limited (Acquirer) is an authorized bottler of The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC) and Schweppes Holdings Limited (SHL), and is engaged in the business of supplying and distributing non-alcoholic beverage (NAB) products in Rajasthan.
• The Target Business comprise of Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Private Limited’s business of preparing, packaging, supplying and distributing NAB products in North Gujarat and the Union Territory of Diu (Target Business).

ASI host 38th meeting of the Central Advisory Board of Archaeology

• The 38th meeting of the Central Advisory Board of Archaeology was hosted by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in New Delhi. The meeting was hosted by the Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India, Yadubir Singh.
• The 37th meeting of the Central Advisory Board of Archaeology was held on 14 June 2022 in New Delhi.
• The Central Advisory Board of Archaeology was constituted by the government of India in 1945. The Board is constituted by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, after every three years.

India’s largest International Cruise Terminal launched in Mumbai

• India’s largest international cruise terminal in Mumbai commenced its operation recently with the flagging of a cruise ship by the Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbanand Sonowal.
• Among all the international cruise terminals in India, the Mumbai International Cruise Terminal (MICT) is the largest.
• The MICT, developed as per Cruise Bharat Mission, was developed as per latest global standards and is expected to take a pioneering role in developing cruise tourism in India.
• Spread over a built-up area of over 4.15 lakh square feet, the MICT has been developed at Ballard Pier. The total investment in the MICT project is ?556 crore.
• MICT is India’s largest world-class cruise terminal equipped with 72 check-in and immigration counters spread over an area of 2.07 lakh square feet on the first two floors while the other two floors are developed as commercial floors. It can also handle five ships simultaneously, with 11 metres draft and upto 300 metres length. At the parking space, more than 300 vehicles can be parked simultaneously.

India and Saudi Arabia Sign Four MoUs to Strengthen Strategic Partnership During PM Modi’s Visit

• India and Saudi Arabia signed four MoUs and agreed to expand the India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council to include two new committees.
• This was agreed by the top leadership of both countries during Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Saudi Arabia.
• These MoUs are –
  • Cooperation in the field of Space by the space agencies of both countries,
  • Cooperation in the field of Health.
  • Agreement between NADA and the Saudi anti-doping agency for cooperation in the field of Anti-Doping.
  • Cooperation in the Inward Surface Parcel between the postal authorities of the countries.
• This was Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third visit to Saudi Arabia as the Prime Minister of India. He first visited Saudi Arabia in 2016 and again in 2019.

Banking and Financial

RBI asks banks to complete migration to bank.in domain by October 31, 2025

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued a circular directing all banks to migrate their existing domains to the exclusive ‘bank.in’ domain by October 31, 2025.
• The migration process will be facilitated through the Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT), which has been authorised by the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI).
• This move aims to address the rising concerns over cybersecurity threats, particularly in digital payments, by providing banks with a secure and trusted domain for online banking operations.
• Banks can initiate the registration process by contacting IDRBT at sahyog@idrbt.ac.in, where they will receive support for the application and migration to the new domain.
• A similar domain, ‘fin.in’, is also planned for non-bank financial entities to enhance security and trust in digital financial services.

Bank of Baroda aims to achieve net-zero target by 2057

• Bank of Baroda unveiled its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) policy on Earth Day 2025, setting a goal to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by the year 2057.
• The bank has planted over 30,000 trees in 2025 under its ‘Plant a Tree’ program, linked to auto and home loan disbursements, emphasizing its commitment to a greener planet.
• In line with the Earth Day 2025 theme “Our Power, Our Planet,” the bank will prioritize renewable energy financing and offer products like green deposits, residential rooftop solar loans, and a green hydrogen financing scheme.
• To further its sustainability goals, the bank launched a ‘BOB Earth’ online platform and initiated green financing training workshops for staff to build awareness and capacity in ESG practices.

RBI provides export relaxations through warehouses in Bharat Mart in UAE

• The RBI has relaxed regulations to enable Indian exporters to use warehouses in Bharat Mart, a UAE-based multimodal logistics hub, to access global markets more efficiently.
• Banks are now allowed to permit exporters to realize and repatriate full export proceeds within nine months from the date of sale of goods from Bharat Mart warehouses.
• Indian exporters with a valid Importer Exporter Code (IEC) can now open or hire warehouses in Bharat Mart without prior conditions, and remit funds for setup and operations, subject to basic verifications.

IMF slashes India’s growth rate forecast to 6.2 % for FY 26

• The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has slashed the economic growth rate forecast for the Indian economy in the fiscal year 2025-26 to 6.2%, citing increased trade tensions and global uncertainty.
• The IMF has also reduced its growth projection for the Indian economy to 6.3% in 2026-27.
• According to the IMF, the world economy is expected to grow by 2.8 in 2025. In its January forecast, it had forecasted a growth rate of 3.3%.
• The IMF expects the world economy to grow by 3.3 % in 2024. These projections for the world economy and India were made by the IMF in its latest edition of the World Economic Outlook Report.

Updated GDP List

• IMF – 6.2% (FY26), 6.3% (FY27)
• Fitch Rating –6.2% (FY25), 6.4% (FY26), 6.3% (FY27)
• UNCTAD – 6.5% (CY25)
• Morgan Stanley – 6.1% (FY26)
• CRISIL – 6.5% (FY26)
• ADB –6.7%(FY26)

Awards

The Ministry of Panchayati Raj Unveils Special Category National Panchayat Awards–2025

• For the first time, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj introduces the Special Category National Panchayat Awards–2025, presented during the National Panchayati Raj Day celebration at Lohna Uttar Gram Panchayat, Madhubani, Bihar. These awards recognize outstanding contributions by Gram Panchayats in advancing national priorities such as Climate Action and Atmanirbharta (Self-Reliance) through enhanced Own Source Revenue (OSR).

Three Special Award Categories

• CASPA – Climate Action Special Panchayat Award
• ANPSA – Atma Nirbhar Panchayat Special Award
• PKNSSP – Panchayat Kshamta Nirman Sarvottam Sansthan Puraskar (for excellence in capacity building institutions)

Climate Action Special Panchayat Award (CASPA)

• Rank 1: Dawwa S Gram Panchayat, Gondia District, Maharashtra
• Rank 2: Biradahalli Gram Panchayat, Hassan District, Karnataka
• Rank 3: Motipur Gram Panchayat, Samastipur District, Bihar

Atma Nirbhar Panchayat Special Award (ANPSA)

• Rank 1: Mall Gram Panchayat, Rangareddi District, Telangana
• Rank 2: Hatbadra Gram Panchayat, Mayurbhanj District, Odisha
• Rank 3: Gollapudi Gram Panchayat, Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh

Panchayat Kshamta Nirman Sarvottam Sansthan Puraskar (PKNSSP)

• Rank 1: Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA), Kerala
• Rank 2: State Institute for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Odisha
• Rank 3: State Institute of Panchayat and Rural Development, Assam
• Each award includes a financial incentive of Rs.1 crore (Rank 1), Rs.75 lakh (Rank 2), and Rs.50 lakh (Rank 3) respectively. The awardees will be presented with specially designed trophies and certificates. Notably, 3 of the 6 awardee Gram Panchayats – from Bihar (Motipur Gram Panchayat), Maharashtra (Dawwa S Gram Panchayat), and Odisha (Hatbadra Gram Panchayat) – are headed by women Sarpanches.

Defence

Operation Tikka: Indian Army Foils Infiltration Attempt

• The Indian Army successfully foiled an infiltration attempt along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Baramulla district, killing two terrorists during “Operation Tikka” on April 23, 2025. The terrorists were attempting to cross into India from the Sarjeevan area of Uri Nala.
• During the operation, heavy exchange of fire took place between the security forces and terrorists. A large quantity of weapons, ammunition, and war-like stores were recovered from the terrorists, who were neutralized during the firefight.

Sports

Jasprit Bumrah & Smriti Mandhana named Wisden’s Leading Cricketers

• India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and star batter Smriti Mandhana have been honoured as the Leading Men’s and Women’s Cricketers in the World, respectively, in the prestigious Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack 2025 edition, celebrating their exceptional performances in 2024.
• Bumrah, 31, had a phenomenal year across formats, particularly in Test cricket. He claimed a staggering 71 wickets in Tests in 2024, averaging just 14.92, the best for any bowler in a single calendar year with that volume of wickets.
• On the women’s side, Smriti Mandhana had a year to remember. The elegant left-hander scored 1659 runs across formats in 2024, making her the highest run-scorer in international women’s cricket that year. Her run tally included four centuries in ODIs, setting a new record in women’s cricket.

 Leading T20 Player in the World 

• West Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Nicholas Pooran was named the Leading T20 Player in the World.

Five Wisden Cricketers of the Year

• Every year, Wisden selects five cricketers for their performance in the English domestic season. It is given only once to a cricketer. This year, the selected players were Gus Atkinson, Jamie Smith, Dan Worral, Liam Dawson, and Sophie Ecclestone.

Wisden Trophy for the Year’s Outstanding Performance

• New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner was named the Wisden Trophy for the Year’s Outstanding Performance.
• He took a match-winning 13-wicket haul against India at the Pune Test in 2024 to help New Zealand take a 2-0 lead in the Test Series. New Zealand won the Test series 3-0.

Vithya, Yashas win 400 m hurdles titles in National Federation Senior Athletics Competition 2025

• Olympian Vithya Ramraj won gold in the women’s 400-meter hurdles at the National Federation Senior Athletics Competition in Kochi, clocking 56.04 seconds to qualify for the Asian Championships 2025. Her time also set a new meet record, surpassing Saritaben Gayakwad’s 2019 mark of 57.21 seconds.
• Anu R finished second with 58.26 seconds, while Ashwini R took third with 1 minute 2.41 seconds.
• In the men’s 400-meter hurdles, Yashas Palaksha claimed gold with a personal best of 49.32 seconds.
• In the men’s hammer throw, Damneet Singh won gold with a 68.30-meter effort, while Praveen Kumar took silver and Gurdev Singh got bronze.
• In the women’s triple jump, Niharika Vashisht secured gold with a 13.49-meter leap.

Important day

24 April – National Panchayati Raj Day

• National Panchayati Raj Day is marked every year on April 24 in India. The day is observed to commemorate the historic occasion of April 24, 1993, when the Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992, came into force.
• It celebrates the importance of grassroots democracy, strengthens local governance and helps empower rural communities. The Panchayati Raj system is a three-tier structure where local bodies or Gram Panchayats are given the authority to govern themselves and make decisions for their community’s development.
• The first National Panchayati Raj Day, also called Panchayati Raj Diwas, was celebrated in 2010. It was officially declared by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.