Daily Current Affairs

In April 2025, S&P Global Market Intelligence released its Annual Ranking of the World’s 100 Largest Banks by Assets (2025). SBI and HDFC Bank are the only two Indian banks on the list.

• Ranking reflects total assets as of year-end 2024
• S&P Global CEO: Martina L. Cheung | HQ: New York, USA | Established: 1917

In April 2025, TIME magazine released the 22nd edition of the TIME 100 Most Influential People 2025. No Indian nationals featured; however, Indian-origin Reshma Kewalramani (CEO, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Boston) was included in the ‘Leaders’ category.

• Youngest: Leon Marchand (France, 22 yrs, Olympic swimmer, Icons) | Oldest: Muhammad Yunus (84 yrs, Chief Advisor of Bangladesh, Leaders)
• 6 categories: Leaders, Icons, Artists, Innovators, Pioneers, and Titans
• TIME CEO: Jessica Sibley | HQ: New York | Founded: 1923

In April 2025, the World Economic Forum (WEF) released the 2025 Young Global Leaders (YGL) list, recognising 116 leaders under the age of 40 from around 50 countries.

• Ritesh Agarwal — Founder & CEO, OYO Hotels, Gurugram
• Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu — Union Minister, Ministry of Civil Aviation
• Nipun Malhotra — Founder, Nipman Foundation, New Delhi (disability advocacy)
• Alok Medikepura Anil — Founder & MD, Next Big Innovation Labs, Bengaluru (biotech)
• Natarajan Sankar — MD & Partner, BCG India, Mumbai
• Manasi Subramaniam — Editor-in-Chief & VP, Penguin Random House India, New Delhi
• Anurag Maloo — Mountaineer, Orophile Ventures, Jaipur

• The Forum of YGL was founded in 2004 by WEF; runs a 3-year leadership program | WEF President & CEO: Børge Brende (Norway) | HQ: Cologny, Switzerland | Founded: 1971

Mission Amrit Sarovar, launched by PM Modi on April 24, 2022 during National Panchayati Raj Day at Palli Gram Panchayat, Samba District, J&K, aims to construct or rejuvenate at least 75 Amrit Sarovars (ponds) per district across India.

• Each Sarovar must have a minimum area of 1 acre (0.4 ha) and water holding capacity of ~10,000 cubic metres (m³)
• Follows a ‘Whole of Government’ approach involving multiple ministries; supported by BISAG-N (Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics)
• As of March 2025: over 68,000 Sarovars completed, of which 46,000 were built/rejuvenated under MGNREGS
• Groundwater recharge from tanks and water conservation structures grew from 13.98 BCM (2017) to 25.34 BCM (2024)

In April 2025, Union Minister C.R. Patil (Ministry of Jal Shakti) chaired a review meeting of key projects by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) under the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and launched the RIVRES information dashboard at www.rivres.in.

• Developed jointly by MoJS and WII to support biodiversity conservation, river health monitoring, and community engagement
• Knowledge products launched: Hydrophytes: Green Lungs of Ganga (Volumes I & II) and Protocols for Collection, Storage & Transportation of Freshwater Macrofauna Biological Samples
• WII: autonomous body under MoEFCC | Established: 1982 | Director: Dr. Dhananjal Mohan | HQ: Dehradun, Uttarakhand

On April 17, 2025, India signed a Headquarters Agreement with the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), officially designating India as the permanent host country for IBCA’s headquarters and secretariat in New Delhi.

• Signed by P. Kumaran (Secretary, East, MEA) and Dr. S.P. Yadav (first Director General of IBCA)
• Union Cabinet approved Rs 150 crore budgetary support for 5 years (2023–24 to 2028–29)
• IBCA launched by PM Modi on April 9, 2023 during ‘Commemorating 50 Years of Project Tiger’ in Mysuru, Karnataka; became a treaty-based intergovernmental organisation in 2025 after 5 countries (India, Nicaragua, Eswatini, Somalia, Liberia) signed the Framework Agreement on January 23, 2025
• Currently has 27 member countries | Mandate: 7 big cat species — Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Cheetah, Jaguar, and Puma
• Supported by NTCA; MEA is the depository for instruments of ratification

In April 2025, PM Narendra Modi awarded GI certificates to 21 traditional products from Uttar Pradesh (UP) at a public event in Mehndi Ganj, UP — including the Banarasi Shehnai, Banarasi Tabla, and Banarasi Bharwan Mirch.

• With these 21 additions, UP surpassed Tamil Nadu (69) to become the Indian state with the highest number of GI tags — 77 certified products
• First time in India that GI certificates for 21 products were distributed at a single event by the PM since the GI of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 came into force in 2003
• Varanasi region alone accounts for 32 GI tags; 9 of the 21 recipients at the event were from Varanasi

In April 2025, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis inaugurated Amravati Airport in Belora, Vidarbha, operated by Alliance Air. The first flight from Amravati to Mumbai was flagged off under the RCS-UDAN scheme.

• Airport initially developed by PWD in 1992; revived by Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC) with runway extension and new DGCA licence
• CM Fadnavis announced that Southeast Asia’s Largest Pilot Training Institute (FTO) will be set up in Amravati — 34 training aircraft, targeting 180 pilots/year, to open within 6 months
• Air passenger traffic in India increased by 40% over the last 5 years; airports grew from 74 (2014) to 159 (2025)
• Maharashtra has identified 160 routes under UDAN, with 105 already operational
• Maharashtra CM: Devendra Fadnavis | Governor: CP Radhakrishnan | MoCA Minister: Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu (Srikakulam, AP)

In April 2025, the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) launched STELLAR (State-of-the-art, Totally indigenously developed, Electricity Resource Adequacy model) — a software tool to optimise India’s power generation, transmission, and storage planning.

• Developed by CEA in collaboration with The Lantau Group (TLG), Hong Kong and ADB, Manila; launched by CEA Chairperson Ghanshyam Prasad
• Distributed free of cost to all State Electricity Distribution Companies (Discoms) and Load Despatch Centres, in line with Resource Adequacy Guidelines (Ministry of Power, June 2023)
• Key features: Chronological power system modelling; unit commitment constraints; endogenous demand response; ancillary services; optimal storage sizing and siting
• Goals: Eliminate power cuts; find cost-effective production and storage; support 24×7 reliable power under Atmanirbhar Bharat

In April 2025, New York City (NYC) Mayor Eric Adams officially proclaimed April 14 as ‘Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Day’ in New York City, on the occasion of Dr. Ambedkar’s 134th birth anniversary.

• Announced by Dilip Chauhan (Deputy Commissioner, NYC Mayor’s Office for International Affairs) at a commemorative event at the UN Headquarters, New York, organised by the Permanent Mission of India to the UN
• Attended by Union MoS Dr. Ramdas Athawale (MoSJE — Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment)
• Dr. Ambedkar’s principles: ‘Educate, Agitate, Organize’ | Chaired the 7-member Drafting Committee of the Constituent Assembly

On April 16, 2025, the RBI and FIU-IND (Financial Intelligence Unit — India, under Department of Revenue, MoF) signed an MoU to strengthen coordination in implementing PMLA, 2002. Signed by Vivek Aggarwal (Director, FIU-IND) and R. Laksmi Kanth Rao (ED, RBI).

• Licence cancelled: Colour Merchants Co-operative Bank Limited (Ahmedabad, Gujarat) — for inadequate capital adequacy, poor earnings prospects, and non-compliance with Sections 11(1) and 22(3)(d) read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949
• RBI penalties: Rs 61.4 lakh on KMBL | Rs 38.6 lakh on IDFC First Bank | Rs 29.6 lakh on PNB — all for regulatory non-compliance
• UK-based Revolut received full RBI authorisation to operate as a Prepaid Payment Instrument (PPI) issuer and enable UPI transactions in India

In April 2025, SBI Cards & Payment Services Limited (SBICPSL) and Tata Digital Private Limited launched the ‘Tata Neu SBI Card’ — a co-branded credit card offering rewards in NeuCoins redeemable on the Tata Neu app.

• Tata Neu Infinity SBI Card: Joining/annual fee Rs 1,499; spend-based fee reversal at Rs 3 lakh
• Tata Neu Plus SBI Card: Fee Rs 499; reversal at Rs 1 lakh; both on RuPay and Visa networks
• Separately, Mastercard Inc. (New York) and City Union Bank (CUB), Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu launched India’s first cricket-themed credit cards — with exclusive benefits for fans of IPL teams CSK (Chennai Super Kings) and SRH (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

In April 2025, United India Insurance Company Limited (UIICL) (Chennai, PSU under MoF) partnered with SIDBI (Lucknow) to distribute general insurance products tailored for MSMEs across 123 SIDBI branches — covering home, health, motor, and engineering insurance.

In a separate development, SBI reintroduced its special ‘Amrit Vrishti’ Fixed Deposit scheme (444 days), effective April 15, 2025.

• SBI also reduced rates on other FD tenures by 10 bps (effective April 15); regular FDs: 3.50%–6.90%; senior citizen FDs: 4.00%–7.50%

In April 2025, CCI approved the acquisition of a 98.055% stake in Magma General Insurance Limited (MGIL) by Patanjali Ayurved Limited (PAL) (Haridwar, Uttarakhand) and five related entities, valued at Rs 4,500 crore. Approved through the Green Channel route under Section 6(4) of the Competition Act, 2002.

• Co-acquirers alongside PAL: S R Foundation, Riti Foundation, RR Foundation, Suruchi Foundation, and Swati Foundation
• Stake currently held by Sanoti Properties LLP — jointly owned by Adar Poonawalla (CEO, Serum Institute of India) and Rising Sun Holdings Pvt. Ltd. (RSHPL)
• Green Channel route: enables automatic CCI approval for mergers with no horizontal, vertical, or complementary business overlaps

In April 2025, India and 62 other countries voted in favour of the world’s first global carbon tax on the commercial shipping industry at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) headquarters in London, UK.

• 63 in favour (India, Brazil, China, EU, Japan, South Africa, Singapore) | Against: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Russia, Venezuela
• Framework: formally adopted in October 2025; mandatory from 2028 for vessels over 5,000 gross tonnage (accounting for 85% of CO₂ emissions from international shipping)
• Ships must switch to low-emission fuels or pay USD 100 to USD 380 per tonne of CO₂ emitted
• Shipping = 3% of global GHG emissions; not covered under 2015 Paris Agreement
• Estimated revenue: USD 30–40 billion by 2030 (~USD 10 billion/year); all revenue for decarbonising the shipping industry
• Projected CO₂ reduction: only 10% by 2030 — below IMO’s own minimum target of 20%
• IMO SG: Arsenio Dominguez | HQ: London, UK | Formed: 1948

In April 2025, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved the appointment of Dr. Mangi Lal Jat — currently Deputy DG of ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics), Hyderabad — as the new Director General of ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research), effective April 21, 2025.

• Also appointed as ex-officio Secretary, DARE (Department of Agricultural Research and Education, MoA&FW)
• Tenure: 3 years; succeeds Dr. Himanshu Pathak (who took voluntary retirement and joined ICRISAT as DG in March 2025)
• ICAR HQ: New Delhi | Established: 1929
• ACC also appointed 4 officers of the 1989 batch IRS (Income Tax cadre) as new CBDT members: Pankaj Kumar Mishra, Sanjay Bahadur, L. Rajasekhar Reddy, and G. Aparna

In April 2025, the Ministry of Law and Justice notified the appointment of Justice Arun Palli as the 38th Chief Justice of the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court, succeeding Justice Tashi Rabstan (retired April 9, 2025).

• Began legal practice in 1988 at the Punjab and Haryana HC; specialised in civil, criminal, constitutional, revenue, industrial, and labour law
• Served as Additional Advocate General (AAG) for Punjab (2004–2007); designated Senior Advocate in 2007
• Elevated as Judge of Punjab and Haryana HC in 2013; served as Executive Chairman, Haryana State Legal Services Authority (HALSA) since 2023
• Justice Sanjeev Kumar served as Acting CJ in the interim

In April 2025, India and Slovakia signed their inaugural defence MoU during President Droupadi Murmu’s state visit to Slovakia, for co-developing and manufacturing indigenous combat platforms for complex terrains and high-altitude environments — all manufacturing in India.

• India partner: Airbornics Defence & Space Private Limited (ADSL) (a unit of JCBL Group, Mohali, Punjab)
• Focus areas: Turrets, Active Protection Systems (APS), Remote-Controlled Weapon Systems (RCWS), and Human-Machine Interface (HMI) modules for light tanks
• Aligned with Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative

The International Day for Monuments and Sites (IDMS) — also known as World Heritage Day — is observed globally on April 18 to raise awareness about the importance of preserving cultural and historical heritage.

• Theme for IDMS 2025: ‘Heritage under Threat from Disasters and Conflicts: Preparedness and Learning from 60 Years of ICOMOS Actions’
• Established in 1982 by ICOMOS; approved by UNESCO at its 22nd General Conference in 1983; first observed in 1983
• Theme proposed annually by ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites)
• ICOMOS President: Teresa Patricio (Belgium) | HQ: Paris, France | Established: 1965

In April 2025, Australian cricketer Will Pucovski announced his retirement from all forms of cricket at age 27 due to ongoing concussion-related health issues.

• Test debut: 2021 vs India at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) — scored 62 runs in his only Test innings
• First-class career: 36 matches, 2,350 runs at an average of 45.19, including 7 centuries
• Won the Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year award from the Australian Cricketers’ Association in 2019
• Post-retirement: appointed senior coach of the Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC), Victoria for the 2025–26 Victorian Premier Cricket season