Daily Current Affairs

In April 2025, the Ministry of Labour & Employment (MoL&E) signed an MoU with Swiggy Limited (Bengaluru; formerly Bundl Technologies Pvt Ltd) to enhance employment opportunities in India’s gig and logistics sector through the National Career Service (NCS) portal.

• Signed in presence of Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya and MoS Shobha Karandlaje (both MoL&E); expected to mobilise over 12 lakh job opportunities in the next 2–3 years
• Swiggy will post verified gig and delivery jobs on NCS portal; API-based integration ensures real-time job postings; focus on inclusive hiring for youth, women, and flexible-work seekers
• NCS portal stats (as of January 31, 2025): 1.25 crore+ active job seekers and 40 lakh registered employers

In April 2025, Central Railway (CR) (HQ: Mumbai) in collaboration with Bank of Maharashtra (BoM) (Pune) launched India’s first onboard ATM on the Mumbai–Manmad Panchavati Express, under the New, Innovative Non-Fare Revenue Ideas Scheme (NINFRIS).

• ATM installed in an AC coach of the Panchavati Express, replacing a temporary pantry space
• Train operates daily between Mumbai’s CSMT and Manmad Junction (Nashik district), covering the route in 4 hours 35 minutes
• Initiative targets Non-Fare Revenue (NFR) generation while addressing needs of senior citizens, women, and emergency cash requirements

In April 2025, the Indian Air Force (IAF) participated in Exercise Desert Flag-10 at Al Dhafra Air Base, UAE, from April 21 to May 8, 2025 — hosted by the UAE Air Force.

• Desert Flag is an annual multinational large-force employment warfare exercise; inaugural edition: 2011; IAF’s first participation: 2021
• 10th edition (2025): Air forces of 12 countries — India, Australia, Bahrain, France, Germany, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Turkey, UK, USA, and UAE
• India deployed MiG-29 and Jaguar fighter aircraft; objectives: multinational fighter engagements, knowledge exchange, and enhancing interoperability
• India–UAE defence ties reinforced through Annual Defence Dialogue, Joint Defence Co-operation Committee (JDCC), and a resident Defence Adviser (DA) at Indian Embassy in UAE since March 2013
• IAF Chief of Air Staff: Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh | HQ: New Delhi | Established: 1932

Oscar Jack Piastri (Australia, McLaren) won the F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2025 at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit — his 3rd win of the 2025 season and 2nd consecutive (after Bahrain GP).

• Piastri’s 51st GP; won by 2.8 seconds; first Australian F1 driver to lead the Drivers’ Championship since Mark Webber (2010) — now at 99 points
• 2025 Standings post-race: Piastri 99 pts | Norris 89 pts | Verstappen 87 pts
• Saudi Arabian GP: 5th edition (first held: 2021); 50 laps over 6.174 km circuit

In April 2025, ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research (IISR) (Kozhikode, Kerala) developed a new light-coloured turmeric variety — ‘IISR Surya’ — designed for the modern powdering (masala) industry.

• Yield: 20–30% higher than existing light-coloured local varieties; maximum yield: 41 tonnes/hectare
• Curcumin content: 2–3% (on par with other light-coloured varieties); pleasant aroma

On April 17, 2025, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled a Rs 150 commemorative coin to celebrate 150 years of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) — Asia’s oldest stock exchange — at Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai.

• Also launched: BSE@150 Logo and the BSE 150 Index — tracking the top 150 listed companies by market capitalisation and liquidity
• BSE processes orders worth Rs 1,500 crore daily; market capitalisation has reached Rs 400 lakh crore
• Attendees: MoS Pankaj Chaudhary and SEBI Chairperson Tuhin Kanta Pandey
• BSE MD & CEO: Sundararaman Ramamurthy | HQ: Mumbai, Maharashtra | Established: 1875

In April 2025, the RBI granted in-principle authorisation to PB Pay Private Limited — a wholly owned subsidiary of PB Fintech Limited (Gurugram, Haryana) — to operate as an Online Payment Aggregator (PA) under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.

• PB Pay will compete with Razorpay, Cashfree, and CCAvenue; incorporated in April 2024; authorised share capital: Rs 50 crore; paid-up capital: Rs 27 crore
• PA framework introduced by RBI in March 2020 — mandates entities to obtain a licence for acquiring merchants and providing digital payment acceptance solutions

In April 2025, SEBI approved Capitalmind Financial Services (Bengaluru; founded by Deepak Shenoy) to operate as Capitalmind Mutual Fund under Capitalmind AMC — expanding beyond existing PMS and AIF services. The AMC will launch actively managed equity schemes using quantitative strategies like Adaptive Momentum and Surge India; manages over Rs 2,200 crore AUM for 1,400+ clients.

Separately, Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance (Pune) launched the ‘Superwoman Term (SWT)’ plan — a term insurance product designed exclusively for women — covering 60 critical illnesses including breast, cervical, and ovarian cancers.

• SWT benefits: lump-sum payout on death; complimentary Health Management Services (HMS) worth Rs 36,500 annually
• Bajaj Allianz Life (March 2024): Claim Settlement Ratio (CSR): 99.23%; Solvency Ratio: 432%

India’s retail inflation (CPI) declined to 3.34% in March 2025 — the lowest since August 2019 (5.5-year low) — driven primarily by a drop in food prices.

• Highest inflation items (YoY): Coconut oil (+56.81%), Coconut (+42.05%), Gold (+34.09%), Silver (+31.57%)
• Steepest declines: Ginger (−38.11%), Tomato (−34.96%), Cauliflower (−25.99%)
• Trend: CPI: 6.7% (FY23) → 5.4% (FY24) → 4.6% (FY25)
• Separately, WTO forecasts a 0.2% decline in global merchandise trade volume for 2025 (revised sharply from +3.0% growth forecast in Oct 2024); global commercial services trade projected to grow 4.0%

On April 21, 2025, the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) (Kathmandu, Nepal) released the HKH Snow Update Report 2025, highlighting significant declines in snow persistence across the Ganga, Indus, and Brahmaputra river basins.

• Analysis of a 23-year time series (2003–2025) of basin-scale snow persistence during the November–March snow seasons
• The Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region recorded its third consecutive below-normal snow year in 2025, with snow persistence 23.6% below normal — the lowest in 23 years
• ICIMOD DG: Pema Gyamtsho (Bhutan) | HQ: Kathmandu, Nepal | Founded: 1983

In April 2025, the Government of Japan announced the donation of two Shinkansen train sets — E5 and E3 series — to India to support testing of the Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor (MAHSRC).

• To be delivered in early 2026, fitted with specialised inspection equipment to collect operational data for India’s environmental conditions (high temperatures, dust)
• MAHSRC developed by NHSRCL (National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited), a subsidiary of Indian Railways; top speed: 320 km/h; ~80% of project cost (est. Rs 1.8 trillion) funded by low-interest yen loans from Japan
• India–Japan Shinkansen agreement signed in 2016 by PM Modi and former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe under Make in India
• Trial data will support future indigenous production of E10 (Alfa-X) series (capable of 400 km/h); both countries negotiating a new yen loan framework for E10 trains
• E5 Series: Introduced in 2011 by JR East (East Japan Railway Company), Tokyo

According to UNESCO’s Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report, released in partnership with the Research Consortium for School Health and Nutrition (supported by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine under the School Meal Coalition), only 60% of countries have legislation or standards regulating food and beverages in schools.

• Only 93 out of 187 countries have legislation; of these, only 29% have measures restricting food and beverage marketing in schools
• Only 3 out of 28 countries had conducted regular assessments using the resulting data

The UN Chinese Language Day is observed annually on April 20 to promote multilingualism, cultural diversity, and the equal use of the six official languages of the UN.

• Theme for 2025: ‘Chinese Language: A Gift Across Time and Space’
• Established in 2010 by the UN Department of Global Communications (DGC); inaugural observance: November 12, 2010; since 2011, observed on April 20 to align with the Guyu solar term and the legacy of Cangjie (legendary creator of Chinese writing)

National Civil Services Day is observed across India on April 21 to acknowledge the role of civil servants in governance and development. April 21, 2025 marks the 17th National Civil Services Day.

• First observed in 2006, inaugurated by then-PM Dr. Manmohan Singh at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi
• 2025 edition: day-long conference at Vigyan Bhawan; presentation of PM Awards for Excellence in Public Administration 2025
• MoS (IC) Dr. Jitendra Singh highlighted: IAS 2023 batch — 74 women officers = highest-ever female representation, accounting for 41% of total 180 officers

The UN observes World Creativity and Innovation Day (WCID) annually on April 21 to raise global awareness of the importance of creativity and innovation for human development and sustainable growth.

• World Creativity & Innovation Week (WCIW): April 15–21 (aligns with Leonardo da Vinci’s birth anniversary on April 15)
• Established by UNGA Resolution A/RES/71/284 on April 27, 2017; first observed: April 21, 2018
• Celebrated in 50+ countries including India, USA, and EU nations

Pope Francis — the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, the first non-European pope in over 1,000 years, and the first Jesuit pope — passed away at the age of 88 in Vatican City.

• Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on December 17, 1936 in Buenos Aires, Argentina; ordained a priest in the Jesuit order in 1969
• Served as the Jesuit order’s top leader in Argentina (1973–79); appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Buenos Aires in 1992; made a Cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 2001
• Elected Pope in 2013 at age 76, following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI; first pope to choose the name ‘Francis’ — in honour of Saint Francis of Assisi
• Key achievements: Initiated reforms stressing transparency, accountability, and financial changes in the Vatican; appointed more women and reformists to senior Church posts

In April 2025, the Madhya Pradesh State Cabinet under CM Mohan Yadav approved the launch of the MP Krishak Kalyan Mission (KKM) to unify ongoing farmer welfare schemes across departments — including Agriculture, Horticulture, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, Cooperative, and Food & Civil Supplies.

• Objectives: Increase farmers’ income through fair pricing; ensure nutritional and food security; promote climate-resilient agriculture, sustainable farming, and preservation of biodiversity and traditional agricultural knowledge
• Agricultural productivity in MP grew from 1,195 kg/hectare (2002–03) to 2,393 kg/hectare (2024) — a 200% rise