National News

Long Term Visa

• According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the Government of India has decided to suspend visa services for citizens of Pakistan, under which all existing valid visas will be cancelled from 27 April 2025, and medical visas will remain valid only till 29 April 2025.
• This decision will not apply to the Long Term Visas (LTV) that have already been issued, specifically to Pakistani Hindu citizens. These LTV holders will not be required to leave India and can continue to stay legally in the country.

Long Term Visa (LTV):

President Droupadi Murmu on Visit to Vatican City

• President Droupadi Murmu, accompanied by Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju, is on a visit to Vatican City to attend the funeral of Pope Francis.
• Pope Francis passed away on 21 April at the age of 88.

Vatican City:

State Special

Uttar Pradesh Board of Secondary Education

• The Uttar Pradesh Board of Secondary Education has announced the results for Class 10 and Class 12.
• In the High School (Class 10) examination, 90.11% of students passed, while in the Intermediate (Class 12) examination, 81.15% of students were declared successful.

Related facts:

International News

Provisional Payroll Data of ESIC

• According to the provisional payroll data of the Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), 15.43 lakh new employees were added in February 2025.
• During the same month, 23,526 new establishments were brought under the social security coverage of the ESI scheme, ensuring social protection for a larger number of workers.

Related Facts:

India-South Africa JWGTI Meeting

• A nine-member Indian delegation held the meeting of the India-South Africa Joint Working Group on Trade and Investment (JWGTI) in Pretoria, South Africa, from April 22 to 23, 2025.

South Africa:

Economy and Banking

February 2025 Telecom Report

• According to data released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the number of broadband subscribers in India reached 944.04 million by the end of February 2025.
• This data is based on information collected from 1,189 telecom operators across the country.

February 2025 Telecom Report (TRAI):

Change in Cut-off Timing Announced: SEBI

• The market regulator, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), has announced a change in the cut-off timing for determining the Net Asset Value (NAV) applicable to redemptions in overnight and liquid mutual fund schemes.

The revised cut-off timings are as follows:

Asia University Rankings 2025

• The Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru has ranked fourth in Asia and first in India in the Times Higher Education (THE) Asia Rankings 2025.
• IISc has been ranked 38th in the list. Other Indian institutions in the list include Anna University, ranked 111th, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Indore, ranked 131st, and Mahatma Gandhi University, ranked 140th.

Times Higher Education Asia Rankings 2025: Names of institutions up to 200th rank:

Person In News

Dr. K. Kasturirangan

• Dr. K. Kasturirangan, former Chairman of ISRO and the chief architect of India's National Education Policy, passed away at the age of 84 at his residence in Bengaluru.
• He served as the Chairman of ISRO for nearly a decade and led India’s space program to several significant milestones, including the success of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and the first successful flight test of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV).

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO):

Sports News

Second Asian Yogasana Sports Championship

• The Second Asian Yogasana Sports Championship is being held from April 25, 2025, to April 27, 2025, at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi.
• This championship is organized with the collaboration of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the Sports Authority of India (SAI), and Yogasana India. Athletes from 21 Asian countries are participating in this competition.

Classification of Yogasanas:

FIDE Women's Grand Prix 2024-25

• Indian chess Grandmaster Koneru Humpy won the FIDE Women's Grand Prix 2024-25 (Pune leg) title on April 23, 2025, held in Pune.
• She secured the title by defeating Zhu Jiner of China based on a better score in the tiebreaker.

Chess:

2025 ISSF World Cup Shooting Competition

• India showcased an outstanding performance at the 2025 ISSF World Cup Shooting Competition held in Lima, Peru, winning a total of 7 medals (2 Gold, 4 Silver, 1 Bronze) and securing 3rd place in the medal table.
• China finished in 1st place, while the United States won more gold medals than India, securing the 2nd position.

International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF):

Important Days

World Malaria Day

• World Malaria Day is observed annually on April 25.
• The purpose of this day is to raise awareness about the deadly disease of malaria, highlighting the importance of its prevention, identification, and timely treatment.

Malaria Related Initiatives: