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Space & History
Aryabhata — India’s First Satellite (Golden Jubilee 2025)
Aryabhata, India’s first satellite, was launched on April 19, 1975, aboard a Kosmos-3M rocket from Kapustin Yar, Astrakhan Oblast, Russia (with USSR assistance). Developed by ISRO under Dr. Vikram Sarabhai and Prof. U.R. Rao (Project Director). Specs: 360 kg, 26-sided polyhedron, 1.4 m diameter, 46 W solar power. Purpose: Solar Physics, Aeronomy, X-ray Astronomy. Made India the 11th country to launch a satellite. Re-entered atmosphere: February 11, 1992. Name chosen by PM Indira Gandhi.
Space & Technology
ISRO Indigenous Stellite Nozzle — 90% Import Savings
ISRO developed an indigenous Stellite alloy (KC20WN — cobalt-based; contains Cr, Ni, W, Fe) nozzle divergent for PSLV’s PS4 stage, replacing imported Columbium (C103) under Aatmanirbhar Bharat. Saves 90% of import costs. Hot test: 665 seconds on April 8, 2025 at ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC), Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu. Structural integrity maintained at up to 1,150°C.
Skills & Education
MSDE–Microsoft ‘AI Careers for Women’ — 30 CoEs, 6 States
MSDE and Microsoft (Redmond, USA) signed an MoU to train 20,000 women through a 240-hour NCVET-aligned curriculum. 30 CoEs at women’s colleges across 6 Indian states, each supporting 150 spoke institutions in Tier-II/III towns. Implementation partner: Edunet Foundation (Bengaluru). Integrated into credit-linked university curricula under NEP; offers AI certification, internships, apprenticeships, and fellowships.
Economy
IMF WEO April 2025 — Global 2.8%, India FY26 at 6.2%
IMF’s April 2025 WEO (‘A Critical Juncture amid Policy Shifts’): India’s FY26 GDP revised to 6.2% (−30 bps from 6.5%); FY27 to 6.3%. Global GDP: 2.8% for CY25 and 3.0% for CY26 — well below the 2009–19 average of 3.7% (down 80 bps from Jan 2025 forecast of 3.3%). India’s CPI inflation projected at 4.2% (FY26); CAD at 0.9%. IMF MD: Kristalina Georgieva; 191 members.
Technology & Investment
Telangana — Rs 10,500 Crore AI Data Centre with NTT DATA & Neysa
Telangana CM Revanth Reddy signed a tripartite deal in Tokyo with NTT DATA Group Corporation (Japan) and Neysa Networks (AI cloud platform). The Rs 10,500 crore AI Data Centre Cluster in Hyderabad will feature 400 MW capacity, 25,000 GPUs (max 500 MW) — India’s most powerful AI supercomputing infrastructure. Uses liquid immersion cooling for ESG compliance; powered by grid and renewables.
International Affairs
WEF — Klaus Schwab Resigns; Brabeck-Letmathe Interim Chair
Klaus Schwab (German, founded WEF in 1971) resigned as WEF Chairman in April 2025. Peter Brabeck-Letmathe (former Chairman & CEO of Nestlé S.A., Austrian; previously WEF Foundation Board Vice Chairman) was unanimously appointed interim WEF Chairman. Schwab’s legacy: Davos annual meetings, Forum of Young Global Leaders (YGL), and Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship.
Banking & Finance
RBI LCR Amendment — IMB Deposits Get 2.5% Extra Run-off
RBI amended the LCR (Liquidity Coverage Ratio) framework (April 21, 2025; effective April 1, 2026). Applies to all Commercial Banks (excluding Payments Banks, RRBs, Local Area Banks). Key change: additional 2.5% run-off for deposits enabled with internet and mobile banking (IMB). New rates: Stable retail + IMB: 7.5% (from 5%); Less stable + IMB: 12.5% (from 10%).
Sports — Billiards
Sourav Kothari — IBSF World Billiards Champion 2025
Sourav Kothari won the IBSF World Billiards Championship 2025 (timed format) at SBI Academy, Carlow, Ireland, defeating Pankaj Advani 725–480 points (top break: 325). He is the 3rd Indian to win both IBSF and WBL World titles. His victory came 35 years after his father, Manoj Kothari, won the IBSF title in 1990. Bronze: Dhruv Sitwala (India) and David Causier (England).
Sports — Shooting
ISSF World Cup Lima 2025 — India 3rd; Suruchi Singh Gold
ISSF RPSH World Cup 2025 (Lima, Peru; April 13–22): India finished 3rd with 7 medals (2G, 4S, 1B); China 1st (13), USA 2nd (7). India fielded a 42-member contingent (2nd largest after China’s 46). Suruchi Singh won gold in Women’s 10m Air Pistol, defeating double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker. Gold medallists qualify for ISSF World Cup Final 2025 (Doha, Qatar; December 4–9).
Culture & Literature
World Book Day 2025 — Rio de Janeiro, World Book Capital
World Book and Copyright Day is observed on April 23 (UNESCO; since 1995; first celebration: April 23, 1996, Barcelona). Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is the World Book Capital 2025. April 23 is also UN English Language Day (Shakespeare’s birth & death anniversary) and UN Spanish Language Day (Cervantes’ death anniversary). UNESCO DG: Audrey Azoulay; HQ: Paris; est. 1945.
🎴 Revision Flashcards
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Which rocket launched Aryabhata, from where, and what was India’s rank among satellite-launching nations?
Kosmos-3M; Kapustin Yar, Astrakhan Oblast, Russia; India was the 11th country
Launched April 19, 1975; 360 kg; developed under Dr. Vikram Sarabhai and Prof. U.R. Rao; name chosen by PM Indira Gandhi
Tap to Reveal
What alloy did ISRO use for the PS4 nozzle divergent, how much does it save, and where was the hot test held?
Stellite KC20WN (cobalt-based); saves 90% of import costs; IPRC, Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu
Replaces imported Columbium C103; tested 665 seconds on April 8, 2025; withstands up to 1,150°C
Tap to Reveal
What is the IMF’s global GDP forecast for CY2025, and how does India’s FY26 forecast compare to the earlier projection?
Global: 2.8% (well below 2009–19 average of 3.7%); India FY26: 6.2% (down 30 bps from 6.5%)
IMF WEO April 2025; FY27: 6.3%; India CPI projected 4.2%; CAD 0.9%; IMF MD: Kristalina Georgieva; 191 members
Tap to Reveal
What are the scale and GPU count of Telangana’s Hyderabad AI Data Centre, and who are the two key partners?
400 MW / 25,000 GPUs; NTT DATA (Japan) + Neysa Networks
Rs 10,500 crore; signed in Tokyo; liquid immersion cooling; max 500 MW; India’s most powerful AI supercomputing infra
Tap to Reveal
Who succeeded Klaus Schwab as interim WEF Chairman, and what is Schwab’s founding contribution to WEF?
Peter Brabeck-Letmathe (former Nestlé CEO); Schwab founded WEF in 1971
Brabeck-Letmathe was WEF Foundation Board Vice Chairman; Schwab also founded YGL and Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship
Tap to Reveal
What is the new RBI LCR run-off rate for stable retail deposits with mobile banking, effective when?
7.5% (up from 5%); effective April 1, 2026
Additional 2.5% run-off factor for IMB-enabled deposits; less stable + IMB: 12.5% (from 10%); excludes Payments Banks, RRBs
Tap to Reveal
What historic double did Sourav Kothari achieve, and whose title did he mirror 35 years later?
3rd Indian to win both IBSF and WBL World titles; father Manoj Kothari won IBSF in 1990
Defeated Pankaj Advani 725–480; break of 325; SBI Academy, Carlow, Ireland; bronze: Dhruv Sitwala (India)
Tap to Reveal
Which city is World Book Capital 2025, and what two UN language days fall on April 23?
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; UN English Language Day (Shakespeare) + UN Spanish Language Day (Cervantes)
World Book Day: UNESCO, since 1995; first celebration Barcelona 1996; Audrey Azoulay = UNESCO DG
Think & Discuss
Aryabhata at 50: How Far Has India Come in Space — and Where Should It Go Next?
Context from today’s quiz: India’s first satellite Aryabhata completed 50 years in April 2025 — launched in 1975 with Soviet assistance on a borrowed rocket from Russian soil. In five decades, India has gone from that modest 360 kg satellite to Chandrayaan-3’s Vikram lander touching down near the Moon’s south pole, Aditya-L1 studying the Sun, and ISRO achieving commercial global launch contracts. Today, ISRO is developing its own human spaceflight programme (Gaganyaan), and indigenous innovations like the Stellite nozzle signal growing self-reliance.
🤔 Your Perspective Matters
India’s space journey began as a public sector endeavour driven by necessity and national prestige. Today, the Indian Space Policy 2023 has opened the sector to private players, with startups like Skyroot, Agnikul, and Pixxel building rockets, engines, and satellites. But the fundamental question of what India’s space programme should prioritise in the next 50 years — science, national security, commercial competitiveness, or geopolitical positioning — remains contested.
As India enters its second half-century of space exploration, what should be the defining ambitions and strategic priorities of its space programme — and how should the roles of ISRO and the private sector be balanced?
As India enters its second half-century of space exploration, what should be the defining ambitions and strategic priorities of its space programme — and how should the roles of ISRO and the private sector be balanced?
- The Indian Space Policy 2023 aims to increase India’s share of the global space economy from ~2% to 9% by 2030. This requires rapid commercialisation and private sector scaling. But historically, ISRO’s greatest achievements — Mangalyaan, Chandrayaan-3 — were driven by public investment and national mission framing. Can India successfully commercialise space without diluting its scientific mission identity?
- Gaganyaan will make India one of only four nations with indigenous human spaceflight capability. But critics argue that crewed missions cost far more than unmanned missions for comparable scientific returns. How should India weigh the strategic, symbolic, and scientific value of human spaceflight against the opportunity cost of directing those resources toward planetary science, earth observation, or deep space exploration?
- China is building a permanent Moon base, the USA is driving the Artemis programme, and private players like SpaceX are transforming launch economics. What is India’s most credible long-term positioning in this new space race — independent scientific power, strategic partner, commercial launch hub, or something else entirely?
We’d love to hear your thoughts! Share your perspective in the comments.
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