Daily Current Affairs

Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani undertook a two-day official visit to India on April 11–12, 2025, accompanied by Anna Maria Bernini (Minister of University and Research) and a large business and research delegation.

• President Droupadi Murmu received Tajani at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi
• EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar, Union Minister Piyush Goyal (MoC&I), and Tajani co-chaired the 1st India-Italy Business, Science and Technology Forum in New Delhi on April 11
• Italy’s Anna Maria Bernini and Union MoS (IC) Dr. Jitendra Singh (Ministry of Science and Technology) signed an MoU to strengthen India-Italy collaboration in science and technology
• Italy PM: Giorgia Meloni | Capital: Rome | Currency: Euro (EUR)

Data released by the Ministry of Textiles (MoT) shows India’s silk production and export figures recording a steady upward trajectory from 2017–18 to 2023–24.

• India is the world’s 2nd-largest silk producer (after China) and the largest consumer of silk globally
• India exported 3,348 MT of silk waste in 2023–24 (per DGCIS data)

The Department of Chemicals and Petro-Chemicals (Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers) is implementing the Scheme for Setting up of Plastic Parks under the New Scheme of Petrochemicals, to develop world-class polymer manufacturing clusters.

• India ranks 12th globally in plastics exports (World Bank, 2022); export value grew from USD 8.2 million (2014) to an estimated USD 27 million (2022)
• Government provides financial assistance up to 50% of project cost, capped at Rs 40 crore per project
• 13 Centres of Excellence (CoEs) set up across national-level institutes for polymer and plastics R&D
• Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers Union Minister: Jagat Prakash Nadda (Rajya Sabha, Gujarat)

In April 2025, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), New Delhi, introduced a new industrial classification called the ‘Blue Category’ for industries providing Essential Environmental Services (EES) — those that help manage pollution caused by human activities.

• Waste-to-Energy (WTE) incineration plants burning unsegregated Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) — previously classified as ‘Red Category’ industries — will now fall under the Blue Category
• Blue Category industries receive an additional two years of validity for their Consent to Operate (CTO) as per the Pollution Index (PI)
• Grounded in the precautionary principle: industries with pollution potential but critical waste management functions are reclassified to encourage their operation
• Industries producing minimum hazardous waste also qualify for Blue Category status
• CPCB Chairman: Amandeep Garg | HQ: New Delhi

The Ministry of Coal (MoC) signed Coal Mine Development and Production Agreements (CMDPAs) with the winning bidders for Marwatola-II (Madhya Pradesh) and Namchik West (Arunachal Pradesh) under the 11th Round of Commercial Coal Mining Auctions.

• Combined Peak Rated Capacity (PRC): ~0.34 MTPA | Projected investment: Rs 55 crore | Expected annual revenue: Rs 106.14 crore
• Cumulative milestone: MoC has now signed CMDPAs for 120 coal mines under the commercial framework — combined PRC: 265.64 MTPA; revenue potential: Rs 37,300 crore/year; total investment: Rs 39,900 crore

In April 2025, Gujarat Police launched the ‘Gujarat Police — Drone Response and Aerial Surveillance Tactical Intervention (GP-DRASTI) Project’ to slash police response times through real-time drone surveillance.

• When a distress call is received on police control number 100, alerts are simultaneously dispatched to both the Police Control Room (PCR) van and the drone base station
• During a 10-day pilot in Ahmedabad and Surat, drones reached incident sites in 2 to 2.5 minutes — less than half the time taken by PCR vans; real-time footage streamed to officers
• Initially deployed at 8 police stations in Ahmedabad; planned expansion to Vadodara, Rajkot, and Surat

In April 2025, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) — a World Bank Group member — launched its Catalytic First Loss Guarantee Facility under the MSME Finance Platform, aimed at expanding credit access for underserved businesses.

• Provides first-loss guarantees to eligible Financial Services Providers (FSPs), enabling them to lend to women-owned businesses, agriculture-focused MSMEs, and climate-related enterprises
• Eligible FSPs: regulated banks, Non-Bank Financial Institutions (NBFIs), and Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) authorised for lending or leasing

In April 2025, IIT-Madras and Ziroh Labs (California, USA), in partnership with IIT-M Pravartak Technologies Foundation, launched ‘Kompact AI’ — a platform enabling AI models to run on standard CPUs without requiring GPUs, democratising access to artificial intelligence.

• Supports India’s ‘AI for All’ mission by extending AI to regions with limited technological infrastructure
• A Centre of AI Research (CoAIR) also established to focus on CPU-based and edge device inferencing for startups, MSMEs, and government agencies
• 17 AI models optimised for CPU inference — including DeepSeek, Qwen, and Llama
• Key advantages: offline functionality, lower infrastructure costs, suitability for remote and under-resourced areas

In April 2025, Daniel Roy Gilchrist Noboa Azín was re-elected as President of Ecuador for a full four-year term, securing 55.8% of votes against Luisa González (Citizen Revolution Movement, 44%).

• His second presidential victory — first won a snap election in November 2023 at age 35, becoming Ecuador’s youngest president, for a shortened 16-month term
• Represents the National Democratic Action (ADN) alliance; son of Álvaro Noboa (Ecuador’s richest man, banana industry magnate)
• Known for deploying the military against drug trafficking and building high-security prisons; succeeded Guillermo Lasso as the 47th President of Ecuador (2021–2023)
• Ecuador Capital: Quito | Currency: US Dollar (USD)

On April 13, 2025, Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema — interim President of Gabon since the 2023 military coup — won Gabon’s first presidential election post-coup with a landslide 90.35% of the vote, for a seven-year term.

• Nearest rival: former PM Alain Claude Bilie-By-Nze secured just 3%
• Previously served as Chairman of the Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions (CTRI) and Commander-in-Chief of the Gabonese Republican Guard since 2020
• His election ends over five decades of rule by the Bongo family — he had ousted Ali Bongo Ondimba (ruled 2009–2023), ending a 56-year political dynasty
• Gabon Capital: Libreville | Currency: Central African CFA franc (XAF)

In April 2025, DRDO conducted a successful field trial of the land-based, vehicle-mounted Mk-II(A) Laser Directed Energy Weapon (DEW) at the National Open Air Range (NOAR), Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh.

• Tested at a range of 3.5 km under extreme hot weather conditions
• With this, India became the 4th country in the world to possess this advanced DEW capability, joining the USA, Russia, and China
• The 30 kilowatt (kW) laser-based system can disable, degrade, or destroy small drones, swarm drones, missiles, and sensors at the speed of light
• Developed by DRDO’s Centre for High Energy Systems & Sciences (CHESS), Hyderabad, in collaboration with LRDE (Bengaluru), IRDE (Dehradun), DLRL (Hyderabad), and other partners
• Uses an intense laser beam to cause structural failure or warhead detonation on targets detected by radar or its built-in Electro-Optic (EO) system

In April 2025, pop star Katy Perry and five other women launched into space aboard a Blue Origin New Shepard rocket from West Texas, USA — the first all-female spaceflight in over 60 years, since Valentina Tereshkova’s solo journey in 1963.

• Designated Blue Origin NS-31 — Blue Origin’s 11th human spaceflight; duration: ~11 minutes; altitude: >100 km (crossing the Kármán line)
• Fully automated spacecraft; crew experienced weightlessness before capsule returned via parachutes and booster made a powered vertical landing
• Blue Origin CEO: Dave Limp | HQ: Washington, USA | Founded: 2000

In April 2025, the 11th Annual Breakthrough Prizes — often called the ‘Oscars of Science’ — were announced at a ceremony in Santa Monica, California, USA.

• The High Energy Physics Group from the Department of Physics, University of Jammu (J&K) was recognised as part of the international team awarded the Breakthrough Prize 2025 in Fundamental Physics
• 6 Breakthrough Prizes of USD 3 million each awarded across Life Sciences, Fundamental Physics, and Mathematics — total prize money: USD 18.75 million
• The 2025 Fundamental Physics Prize was awarded to 13,508 physicists globally, including members of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Stony Brook University (SBU), New York
• Also: 6 New Horizons Prizes (USD 100,000 each) for early-career physicists and mathematicians; 3 Maryam Mirzakhani New Frontiers Prizes (USD 50,000 each) for women mathematicians who recently completed their PhDs
• Breakthrough Prize established: 2013

World Chagas Disease Day (WCDD) is observed on April 14 each year to raise awareness about Chagas disease (American trypanosomiasis) — a Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi).

• Designated by the WHO during the 72nd World Health Assembly in May 2019; first observed on April 14, 2020
• Theme for WCDD 2025: ‘Prevent, Control, Care: Everyone’s Role in Chagas Disease’

National Fire Service Day (NFSD) is observed on April 14 every year to honour firefighters who sacrificed their lives in the Bombay Dock Explosion of 1944. April 14, 2025 marks the 81st anniversary of that tragedy.

• Also marks the commencement of Fire Service Week (FSW), observed from April 14 to 20
• Theme for NFSD & FSW 2025: ‘Unite to Ignite, a Fire Safe India — Fire Safety, Contribute towards Nation Building’
• The National Safety Council (NSC) has driven the FSW campaign since 1999 | DG, FSCDGH: Vivek Srivastava | HQ: New Delhi | Established: 1962

World Quantum Day is observed on April 14 each year to promote public understanding of quantum science and technology. April 14, 2025 marks the 4th World Quantum Day.

• Initiated in 2021 by quantum scientists from over 65 countries; first official global observance: April 14, 2022
• In 2025, coincides with the UN-designated International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQST)
• The Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to GoI released the 1st edition of the International Technology Engagement Strategy for Quantum (ITES-Q), to boost India’s global leadership in quantum
• QNu Labs (quantum cybersecurity startup) launched QShield — described as the world’s first platform for seamless cryptography management across cloud, on-premises, and hybrid environments

On April 13, 2025, Mario Vargas Llosa — Nobel Prize-winning Peruvian novelist and towering figure of Latin American literature — passed away at the age of 89 in Lima, Peru.

• Born March 28, 1936, Arequipa, Peru; rose to global prominence during the Latin American literary ‘Boom’ of the 1960s–70s, alongside Gabriel García Márquez and Carlos Fuentes
• Landmark works: The Time of the Hero (1963/1966), The Green House (1965/1968), Conversation in the Cathedral (1969/1975), and The Feast of the Goat
• Nobel Prize in Literature (2010) — awarded for “his cartography of structures of power and his trenchant images of the individual’s resistance, revolt, and defeat”
• Other awards: Miguel de Cervantes Prize (1994), Jerusalem Prize (1995), Carlos Fuentes International Prize (2012), Pablo Neruda Order of Artistic and Cultural Merit (2018)