Governance
Maharashtra Shipbuilding Policy 2025
India’s first dedicated shipbuilding policy approved by Maharashtra targets βΉ6,600 crore investment and 40,000 jobs by 2030. Key incentives: 15% capital subsidy, βΉ1 crore for skill development, βΉ25 crore per R&D project, and 30-year concessional land leases. Aligns with Maritime India Vision 2030 and Amrit Kaal Vision 2047.
Geography
India’s Revised Coastline β 11,098.81 km
India’s coastline was revised from 7,516.60 km to 11,098.81 km (~50% increase) by the National Hydrographic Organisation (NHO), Dehradun, using GIS at 1:2,50,000 scale. The old count excluded 1,298 offshore islands and islets. Revision accepted at a January 2024 NSCS meeting.
Geography
Coastline Rankings β States & UTs
Among states: Gujarat has the longest coastline; Goa has the shortest. Among UTs: Andaman & Nicobar Islands has the longest; Puducherry the shortest. India’s revised total: 11,098.81 km across 9 coastal states and 4 UTs.
Science & Health
India’s First Gene Therapy Trial β Haemophilia A
India’s first human gene therapy trial for Haemophilia A used autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSCs) modified via lentiviral vectors to express the deficient Factor VIII gene. Conducted jointly by BRIC-inStem (Bengaluru) and CMC Vellore; announced by Ministry of Science & Technology.
Environment
UNESCO Global Geoparks β April 2025 Update
16 new sites added across 11 countries during the 10th anniversary of the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network. Notable firsts: North Korea (Mt. Paektu) and Saudi Arabia (North Riyadh & Salma). Network now totals 229 sites in 50 countries spanning ~855,000 sq km. India was not among the new additions.
Business & Economy
SBIβLPAI MoU for Border Trade
SBI signed an MoU with Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI) to grow annual border trade from βΉ80,000 crore (2025) to βΉ2 trillion by 2030. SBI will deploy Forex, LC/BG, cargo insurance, YONO 2.0, and e-Trade across 26 land ports on Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Myanmar borders within 6 months.
Culture & Heritage
SRFTI Film at Cannes 78 β La Cinef
‘A Doll Made Up of Clay’ directed by Ethiopian ICCR scholar Kokob Gebrehweria Tesfay (SRFTI, Kolkata) selected for La Cinef at the 78th Cannes Film Festival β a section exclusively for film school works. The 23-minute experimental film uniquely blends Yoruba and Bengali languages.
Environment
FAO AIM4NatuRe β Kunming-Montreal Target 2
FAO’s AIM4NatuRe (Accelerating Innovative Monitoring for Nature Restoration, 2025β28) supports Kunming-Montreal GBF Target 2: restoring 30% of degraded ecosystems by 2030. A CBD survey found 80% of countries lacked restoration monitoring capacity. UK contributed Β£7 million (~USD 9.38 mn) to fund the initiative.
Culture & Heritage
Gopalkrishna Gandhi β ‘The Undying Light’
‘The Undying Light: A Personal History of Independent India’ is a 624-page memoir by Gopalkrishna Gandhi β grandson of both Mahatma Gandhi and C. Rajagopalachari (India’s last Governor-General). Published by Aleph Book Company, New Delhi; opens with the author’s memory of Gandhi’s assassination at age three.
International
World Tuna Day β 2 May
World Tuna Day observed on 2 May was established by UNGA Resolution A/RES/71/124 on 7 December 2016, championed by Pacific Island nations β Fiji, Kiribati, and Samoa β where tuna sustains livelihoods and national GDP. First observed on 2 May 2017.