GK One-Liners

What: All 12 Public Sector Banks (PSBs) collectively posted a record net profit of ₹1,78,364 crore in FY25 — a 26% jump from ₹1.41 lakh crore in FY24, adding approximately ₹37,100 crore year-on-year. The State Bank of India (SBI) leads with ₹70,901 crore — over 40% of the total PSB profit pool — up 16% from ₹61,077 crore in FY24. Punjab National Bank (PNB) recorded the highest percentage growth among all PSBs at +102%, reaching ₹16,630 crore. Punjab & Sind Bank came second in growth rate at +71%, posting ₹1,016 crore.

How: The profit surge reflects improved asset quality (declining Gross Non-Performing Assets or GNPA ratios), higher net interest margins driven by a rising interest rate cycle, strong credit growth in retail and MSME segments, and effective recovery of legacy bad loans through the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) and NARCL (National Asset Reconstruction Company Ltd). PSBs’ turnaround since the twin balance sheet crisis of 2015–18 — when combined losses exceeded ₹85,000 crore in FY18 — represents one of the most significant banking sector recoveries in India’s financial history.

Why: PSB profit figures are standard banking exam GK (IBPS PO/Clerk, SBI PO, RBI Grade B) and UPSC GS-3 topics. Exam-ready facts: total FY25 profit (₹1,78,364 crore), growth rate (+26%), SBI’s share (₹70,901 crore, 40%+ of total), highest growth PNB (+102%, ₹16,630 crore), second-highest Punjab & Sind Bank (+71%). The number of PSBs (12) is a frequently tested static fact — down from 27 in 2017 after a series of mergers (last major round: April 2020, reducing PSBs from 18 to 12). The turnaround narrative connects to GS-3 Mains themes on banking sector reform, NPA resolution, and financial sector stability.

What: JP Morgan’s April 2025 Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) report ranked India first globally — ahead of all developed and emerging market economies — with a Manufacturing PMI of 58.2 and a Services PMI of 58.7, both the highest in the world. A PMI reading above 50 indicates expansion; below 50 indicates contraction. By contrast, the Global Manufacturing PMI (compiled by JP Morgan in partnership with S&P Global, ISM, and IFPSM) fell from 50.3 in March 2025 to 49.8 in April 2025 — slipping below the expansion threshold. JP Morgan Chase is headquartered in New York and is led by CEO Jamie Dimon.

How: The PMI is derived from monthly surveys of purchasing and supply executives across more than 30 countries. It covers five sub-indices: new orders, output, employment, suppliers’ delivery times, and stocks of purchases — each weighted to produce a composite score. India’s strong PMI reflects robust domestic demand, a resilient manufacturing sector buoyed by PLI (Production Linked Incentive) scheme benefits, and a booming services sector — especially IT, financial services, and hospitality. India’s PMI leadership comes at a time when global manufacturing faces headwinds from US tariff escalation and slowing demand in China and Europe.

Why: PMI readings and India’s global economic positioning are UPSC GS-3 (Indian economy) and banking exam topics. The key testable facts: India’s Manufacturing PMI (58.2), Services PMI (58.7), both globally highest in April 2025; Global Manufacturing PMI slipping below 50 (49.8); PMI expansion threshold (50). Distinguishing PMI (monthly business survey) from GDP growth (quarterly output measure) and IIP (Index of Industrial Production — monthly output data) is a common three-indicator MCQ format. JP Morgan Chase’s CEO (Jamie Dimon) and HQ (New York) are standard banking GK personality questions.

What: Madhya Pradesh (CM Mohan Yadav) and Maharashtra (CM Devendra Fadnavis) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the 28th MP–Maharashtra Inter-State Control Board meeting in Bhopal for the Tapti Basin Mega Recharge Project — described as the world’s largest groundwater recharge initiative. The project is estimated at ₹19,244 crore, with the Government of India funding 90%. It will provide irrigation to 1,23,082 hectares in MP (Burhanpur and Khandwa districts) and 2,34,706 hectares in Maharashtra (Jalgaon, Akola, Buldhana, and Amravati districts). MP’s Governor is Mangubhai Patel; capital is Bhopal.

How: The Tapti (also spelled Tapi) River originates in the Satpura Range of Madhya Pradesh and flows westward through Maharashtra and Gujarat, draining into the Arabian Sea near Surat. Groundwater recharge projects of this scale involve constructing check dams, percolation tanks, recharge shafts, and managed aquifer recharge (MAR) structures across the river basin to replenish depleted groundwater tables. The project addresses the severe groundwater stress in the Vidarbha and Khandwa-Burhanpur belt — regions prone to agrarian distress partly linked to water scarcity.

Why: The ‘world’s largest groundwater recharge project’ tag, the ₹19,244 crore cost, 90% central funding, Tapti Basin geography (MP origin → Maharashtra → Gujarat → Arabian Sea), and the two states’ agricultural coverage figures are all UPSC Prelims data points. The Tapti River basin is a UPSC GS-1 (Indian geography) static topic — its east-to-west flow pattern (like Narmada, Mahi) makes it a classic rivers-flowing-into-Arabian-Sea question. The project’s GS-3 relevance spans water conservation, inter-state river disputes, and agricultural sustainability — rich Mains content connecting Jal Shakti Mission targets with specific basin-level outcomes.

What: At the Archery World Cup Stage 2 (6–11 May 2025, Shanghai, China), India won 7 medals — 2 Gold, 1 Silver, and 4 Bronze — finishing second overall. South Korea topped the medal standings with 7 medals (5 Gold, 2 Silver). India’s gold medals: Madhura Dhamangaonkar won the Women’s Individual Compound event — her first individual World Cup gold — and the Men’s Compound Team (Ojas Deotale, Abhishek Verma, Rishabh Yadav) defeated Mexico in the final. Deepika Kumari won a bronze medal. World Archery is presided over by Ugur Erdener (Türkiye), headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, and was founded in 1931.

How: Archery World Cup events are tiered competitions under World Archery, with four stages per year culminating in the World Cup Final. Compound archery uses a mechanically assisted bow with a let-off mechanism, allowing more consistent aiming — distinct from Recurve archery (used at the Olympics). India’s archery programme has seen sustained growth through the Archery Association of India (AAI) and the Tata Archery Academy. Ojas Deotale and Abhishek Verma are established compound specialists, while Deepika Kumari remains India’s most decorated recurve archer.

Why: Archery World Cup results, India’s medal tally, and individual achievers are standard SSC, banking, and UPSC Prelims sports GK. The ‘first individual WC gold’ milestone for Madhura Dhamangaonkar is the headline fact. India’s 2G+1S+4B = 7 medals total, second behind South Korea (5G+2S = 7 medals, but more golds), is a two-table comparison question. World Archery’s founding year (1931), HQ (Lausanne), and president (Ugur Erdener) are institutional GK. The compound vs recurve distinction is relevant for interview-stage accuracy on India’s archery ecosystem.

What: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh virtually inaugurated two major defence-industrial facilities at Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor (UPDIC), Lucknow: the BrahMos Aerospace Integration & Testing Facility and BrahMos Production Unit (under DRDO), and India’s largest Titanium & Superalloy Materials Plant — operated by Aerolloy Technologies Ltd, a subsidiary of PTC Industries Ltd, Lucknow. Additionally, foundation stones were laid for seven facilities of India’s first Strategic Materials Technology Complex, covering aerospace precision castings, a forge shop, and advanced machining units. UP CM Yogi Adityanath was also present.

How: The UPDIC is one of two dedicated Defence Industrial Corridors (DICs) established in 2018 — the other being in Tamil Nadu. These corridors aim to attract ₹50,000 crore in defence investment and create 2.5 lakh jobs. BrahMos Aerospace is a joint venture between India’s DRDO and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya, producing the world’s fastest operational supersonic cruise missile (Mach 2.8–3.0, range up to 450 km for export variants). Titanium and superalloys are critical strategic materials for aircraft engines, missiles, and satellite structures — their domestic production reduces dependence on imports from Russia, China, and Japan.

Why: BrahMos, UPDIC, and strategic materials indigenisation are UPSC GS-3 (defence manufacturing, Atmanirbhar Bharat) core topics. The BrahMos JV structure (DRDO + NPO Mashinostroyeniya), its speed (Mach 2.8–3), UP DIC location (Lucknow), and Aerolloy/PTC as the titanium plant operator are Prelims facts. India’s first Strategic Materials Technology Complex is the ‘first’ tag most likely to appear in current affairs MCQs. The 2018 DIC launch, twin corridor structure (UP + Tamil Nadu), and their investment targets connect to broader Mains answers on India’s defence export ambitions and Make in India in defence.

What: Child rights lawyer and activist Bhuwan Ribhu received the World Jurist Association (WJA) ‘Medal of Honour’ at the World Law Congress 2025 (4–6 May, Dominican Republic) — making him the first Indian lawyer to receive this recognition. He has spent over 20 years protecting children from child marriage, trafficking, sexual abuse, and forced labour. The WJA is presided over by Javier Cremades (Spain), headquartered in Washington DC, and was established in 1963. Past recipients of the Medal of Honour include Nelson Mandela, Winston Churchill, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate René Cassin — placing Ribhu in extraordinarily distinguished company.

How: Bhuwan Ribhu is best known as the founder of Bachpan Bachao Andolan’s (BBA) legal wing and for his work on child rights legislation in India — including contributions to the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, and the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016. He has litigated landmark cases before the Supreme Court of India on child trafficking and child marriage. His work aligns with UNCRC (United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) obligations, to which India is a signatory.

Why: Awards to Indian activists and lawyers are tested in UPSC Prelims (personality/award MCQs) and GS-2 Mains (governance, social justice, child rights). Bhuwan Ribhu’s recognition as the first Indian lawyer to receive the WJA Medal of Honour, the Dominican Republic congress venue, WJA’s 1963 founding, and the past recipients list (Mandela, Churchill, RBG, René Cassin) are all precision current affairs facts. The connection to POCSO, child trafficking, and BBA provides rich Mains GS-2 content for answers on child rights protection mechanisms and India’s legislative framework for vulnerable populations.