NATIONAL NEWS

Temporary suspension on key Waqf Provisions

• The Supreme Court has recorded the Union government’s assurance that no fresh appointments will be made to waqf boards or the Central Waqf Council under the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, until the next hearing.

Supreme Court

Manthan Shivir on boosting India’s chemical and petrochemical sector

• Union Minister for Chemicals & Fertilizers Jagat Prakash Nadda, chaired a day-long Manthan Shivir organised in New Delhi to discuss fostering long-term development of the Indian chemical and petrochemical sector.

STATE SPECIAL NEWS

Hindi compulsory as 3rd language in Maharashtra

• The Maharashtra government has announced that Hindi will be a compulsory third language from Classes I to V in Marathi and English medium schools, in line with the National Education Policy, NEP 2020.
• Currently, only Marathi and English are mandatory from Classes I to IV in these schools.

Maharashtra

Surya Devbhoomi Challenge

• In Uttarakhand, under the central government’s Vibrant Villages Program, the Surya Devbhoomi Challenge was inaugurated.
• Organized in collaboration with the Indian Army and the Uttarakhand government, the Surya Devbhoomi Challenge is a high-altitude triathlon aimed at promoting adventure sports, eco-tourism, and socio-economic development in the remote and picturesque regions of Uttarakhand.

Uttarakhand

Special Handloom Expo in Noida

• National Handloom Development Corporation, under the aegis of the Ministry of Textiles, has launched the Special Handloom Expo in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.

Uttar Pradesh

Tamil Nadu Space Industrial Policy 2025

• A meeting of the Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, approved the Tamil Nadu Space Industrial Policy 2025 which aims to attract investments to the tune of ₹10,000 crore into the sector in the next five years.

Tamil Nadu

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Russia scraps Taliban’s ‘terror’ label

• Russia’s Supreme Court removed the Taliban’s designation as a “terrorist organisation”, a symbolic gesture aimed at building friendly ties with Afghanistan’s de facto rulers.

Russia

World Art Dubai 2025

• 11th edition of World Art Dubai started at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

GITEX Africa 2025

• Africa’s largest tech and startup show, GITEX concluded at Marrakesh, Morocco.

Morocco

ECONOMY & BANKING

RBI, FIU-IND Sign MoU

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Financial Intelligence Unit-India (FIU-IND) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) as part of continued coordinated efforts in effective implementation of requirements of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and Rules framed under it.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI)

Kotak Mahindra, IDFC First, PNB Penalized by RBI

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed penalties on Kotak Mahindra Bank, IDFC First Bank, and Punjab National Bank for certain deficiencies in regulatory compliance.

Punjab National Bank

Kotak Mahindra Bank

IDFC First Bank

BSE 150 Index

• Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched the Bombay Stock Exchange’s (BSE) ‘BSE 150 Index’ on its 150th anniversary.
• BSE 150 Index is a new benchmark index designed to track the performance of the top 150 listed companies based on market capitalization and liquidity.

Bombay Stock Exchange

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Heritage day 2025

• Every year World Heritage Day or International Day for Monuments and Sites is celebrated across the globe on 18 April.
• This year, the theme of the day is ‘Heritage Under Threat from Disaster and Conflicts’.

Good Friday

• Good Friday, also known as Black Friday, Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday, or Friday of the Passion of the Lord, is a solemn Christian holy day commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary.
• In 2025, it was observed on 18 April.

Free Entry to All ASI-Protected Monuments

• The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has announced free entry at all ASI-protected monuments across the country on World Heritage Day.

Archaeological Survey of India

Rongalir Enajori

• Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shri Sarbananda Sonowal hosted ‘Rongalir Enajori’, a vibrant celebration to mark Rongali Bihu and the Assamese New Year at his official residence in Delhi.

Bihu

PERSON IN NEWS

Mahrang Baloch

• Pakistan’s 32-year-old Dr. Mahrang Baloch and founder of the Baloch Unity Committee (BYC) has risen to become the young face of a decades-old movement against rights abuses in Pakistan.

Pakistan

Vandana Katariya

• Indian women’s hockey stalwart Vandana Katariya expressed her heartfelt gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi after receiving a personal letter of appreciation on the occasion of her retirement from international hockey.

AWARDS & HONOURS

Breakthrough Prize 2025

• The Experimental High Energy Physics (HEP) group of Bose Institute (BI), currently consisting of Faculty members- Prof. Supriya Das, Dr. Sidharth Kumar Prasad and Dr. Saikat Biswas, Post Doctoral Fellow- Dr. Sanchari Thakur and Senior Research Fellow- Mr. Mintu Haldar, has been awarded the Breakthrough Prize 2025 in Fundamental Physics as a part of ALICE at CERN.

RANKS, REPORTS & INDICES

AIIMS Delhi Ranks 97th

• All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, has been named the 97th best hospital globally in the World’s Best Hospitals 2024 ranking by Newsweek and Statista.
• Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh ranked 228th.

AIIMS, Delhi

UNCTAD Report

• According to the latest UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) report titled ‘Trade and Development Foresights 2025’ India is expected to remain the fastest-growing major economy with a 6.5 per cent growth rate in 2025.
• The report projected China’s growth rate at 4.4 per cent, while the US economy is expected to grow at 1 per cent.

UNCTAD

India Justice Report 2025

• India Justice Report 2025 published by Tata Trusts and supported by several civil society organisations and data partners Karnataka topped among large and mid-sized states, showcasing consistent commitment to justice delivery.
•  Andhra Pradesh holds 2nd, Telangana is at 3rd, and Kerala rises from 6th to 4th.

ART & CULTURE

Parkash Purb

• Parkash Purb of the ninth Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib ji, was observed on 18 April.

Gita and Natyashastra added to UNESCO

• The manuscripts of the Bhagavad Gita and Bharat Muni's Natyashastra are among 74 new documentary heritage collections added to UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register, marking a significant recognition of India's cultural legacy.

UNESCO

ENVIRONMENT + SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD)

• A study commissioned by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser, and executed by the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru, has recommended Union Environment Ministry should roll back its 2015 policy mandating all of India’s 537 coal-fired plants to install a class of equipment called Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) in order to reduce sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions.
• Instead, it should only apply to those plants using imported coal or high (>0.5%) sulphur coal.

FGD

Devasthal Optical Telescope (DOT)

• Using the 3.6m Devasthal Optical Telescope (DOT) a team led by scientists from Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), have successfully detected and measured the properties of an IMBH in a faint galaxy called NGC 4395.

ARIES

‘Strongest sign of life’ on Alien planet

• Scientists using the James Webb Space Telescope have obtained strongest signs yet of possible life beyond our solar system by detecting in an alien planet’s atmosphere the chemical fingerprints of gases that on Earth are produced only by biological processes.
• The two gases dimethyl sulfide, or DMS, and dimethyl disulfide, or DMDS are involved in Webb’s observations of the planet named K2-18 b are generated on Earth by living organisms, primarily microbial life such as marine phytoplankton — algae.

James Webb Space Telescope

DPS Wetland as Flamingo Conservation Reserve

• · The Maharashtra State Board of Wildlife (SBWL) declared the DPS wetland in Navi Mumbai as a Flamingo Conservation Reserve.
• · SBWL also cleared the extension of Bor Wildlife Sanctuary in Wardha to add Garamsur, Yenidodka, Methiraji, Umarvihori and Maraksur villages.

Yamuna Rejuvenation

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a comprehensive review meeting in New Delhi to assess the current status of the Yamuna River and discuss ongoing and future plans for its cleaning and rejuvenation.

Freshwater Biodiversity Conservation

• Union Jal Shakti Minister C. R. Paatil launched a digital platform to boost freshwater biodiversity conservation in New Delhi.
• The platform will serve as a comprehensive digital hub offering ecological insights and conservation case studies.

Budgetary support to IBCA

• India and the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) signed the Headquarters Agreement in New Delhi.
• The Agreement provides for India to be the host for the IBCA Headquarters and Secretariat and will provide budgetary support of 150 crore rupees to IBCA for creating a corpus, building infrastructure, and meeting recurring expenditure for five years.

International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA)

BOOKS & AUTHOURS

Sanskriti Ka Paanchva Adhyay

• A compiled book on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s thoughts and speeches on culture titled Sanskriti Ka Paanchva Adhyay released in New Delhi.
• The foreword of the book is written by Ram Bahadur Rai, and the compilation has been done by Dr. Prabhat Ojha. The book has been published by Prabhat Prakashan.

DEFENCE

86th Foundation Day of CRPF

• On 17th April, 86th Foundation Day of CRPF was observed in Neemuch, Madhya Pradesh and on this occasion Union Home Minister Amit Shah reiterated that Naxalism will be completely eradicated from the country by March 31, 2026.

CRPF for counter-terror operations in J&K

• The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has announced plans to raise a special Cobra battalion for counter-terrorist operations in Jammu and Kashmir.

Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)

24th India-UK Defence Consultative Group Meeting

• Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh co-chaired the 24th India-UK Defence Consultative Group meeting with Mr. David Williams, Permanent Under Secretary of State for Defence in London, United Kingdom.

Military exercises between India & UK

SPORTS

Asian Youth Championships

• In Athletics, India’s Shourya Ambure clinched the bronze medal in the Under-18 Women’s 100 metre Hurdles at the Asian Youth Championships in Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

17th Athlete Passport Management Unit

• Union Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurated the world’s 17th Athlete Passport Management Unit at the National Dope Testing Laboratory in New Delhi.