National News

Launch of ‘Gyan Post’ Service

• The Central Government launched a new initiative of the Department of Posts called ‘Gyan Post’ on 28 April 2025.
• The objective of this initiative is to make the delivery of educational, social, cultural, and religious books affordable and accessible through post offices.

Related Facts:

Yugm Conclave Held

• The Yugm Conclave was held on 29 April 2025 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivering the inaugural address.
• The event aimed to bring together leaders from government, academia, industry, and innovation sectors on a common platform.

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'Sharia Court' Not Recognized Under Indian Law

• On 29 April 2025, the Supreme Court clarified that 'Sharia Courts', 'Darul Qaza', or 'Kazi Courts' have no legal recognition under Indian law.
• This judgment was delivered in the case of Shahjahan vs. State of Uttar Pradesh.

Supreme Court:

State Special News

One-Day Special Session Held: Jammu & Kashmir

• After the Halgam terrorist attack, the Jammu & Kashmir Assembly held a one-day special session on 28 April 2025, during which a condemnation resolution was passed against the attack.

Jammu and Kashmir :

Approval for PM MITRA Textile Park Construction

• The Ministry of Textiles has approved the construction of a PM MITRA Textile Park in Badnawar, Dhar district, Madhya Pradesh, with an estimated cost of ₹2,100 crore.
• This will be the first integrated textile park in the country, spread over 2,100 acres.

PM MITRA Yojana:

International News

6th India-Bhutan JGC Meeting

• The 6th Joint Group on Customs (JGC) meeting between India and Bhutan was held from 24–25 April 2025 in Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan.
• The meeting was co-chaired by Surjit Bhujbal, Special Secretary and Member (Customs), CBIC, India, and Sonam Jamso, Director General, Department of Revenue & Customs, Ministry of Finance, Bhutan.

Bhutan :

India-France Agreement for 26 Rafale-M Fighter Jets

• On 28 April 2025, India and France signed an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) for the procurement of 26 Rafale-M (Rafale Marine) fighter aircraft for the Indian Navy.
• The estimated cost of the deal is ₹64,000 crore.
• It includes 22 single-seater and 4 twin-seater aircraft, with deliveries expected to be completed by 2030.

France :

11th BRICS Labour and Employment Ministers’ Meeting

• The 11th BRICS Labour and Employment Ministers' Meeting was held in Brasilia under Brazil’s chairmanship.
• A bi-level declaration was adopted during the event, focusing on worker protection measures related to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and climate change.

BRICS

Economy and Banking

IIP records 3% annual growth in March 2025

• India’s Index of Industrial Production (IIP) registered a 3% year-on-year growth in March 2025.
• The electricity sector led the growth with a notable 6.3% rise, followed by 3% in manufacturing and a modest 0.4% increase in mining.
• However, the growth rate was lower than March 2024’s performance.

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Announcement of D2M technology phones launch

• Under the Make in India initiative, HMD Global has announced the launch of Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) technology phones in collaboration with Free Stream Technologies (incubated at IIT Kanpur), Tejas Networks, and other partners.
• This announcement will be made during the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES 2025), to be held from 1-4 May in Mumbai.

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Export of Engineering Products from India

• The export of engineering products from India reached a record level of 116.67 billion USD in the financial year 2024-25, marking a growth of 6.74%, as confirmed by the Engineering Export Promotion Council (EEPC).
• This surpassed the previous records of 109.30 billion USD in 2023-24 and 112.10 billion USD in 2021-22.

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Historical Achievement in Digital Trust in India

• During the financial year 2024-25, the Aadhaar authentication transactions surpassed 2,707 crore, reflecting a 32% increase compared to the previous year.

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Imperial Urban Co-operative Bank's License Revoked

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has revoked the license of Imperial Urban Co-operative Bank, located in Jalandhar, due to insufficient capital and lack of earning prospects.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) :

Reports and Indexes

India Women Aspiration Index (BWAI) 2025

• The UK-based business financial platform Tide has released the India Women Aspiration Index (BWAI) 2025, highlighting the challenges and aspirations faced by female entrepreneurs in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.
• The report is based on a survey of over 1,200 women entrepreneurs (ages 18-55), active in sectors like retail, e-commerce, and ed-tech.

Brief findings:

SIPRI Report 2024: Historic Surge in Global Military Spending

• According to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) data from April 2025, global military spending increased by 9.4% in 2024, reaching $2,718 billion (271.8 trillion), marking the largest annual increase since the Cold War. This is the tenth consecutive year of rising global military expenditure.

Analysis of major countries:

Honours and Awards

Padma Awards 2025

• President Draupadi Murmu distributed the Padma Awards for the year 2025 at the Civil Investiture Ceremony-I held at the Republic Pavilion of Rashtrapati Bhavan on 28 April 2025.
• A total of 71 eminent personalities were conferred Padma Awards this year, including 4 Padma Vibhushan, 10 Padma Bhushan and 57 Padma Shri

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Sports News

Premier League 2024-25 Champion

• Liverpool has been declared the champion of the Premier League 2024-25 season. In this season, Liverpool secured the top spot in the league with 82 points after defeating Tottenham Hotspur 5-1 at Anfield. This marks their 20th English top-flight title.

Books and Authors

"Ramanujan: The Journey of a Great Mathematician"

• ​The National Archives of India will release a book titled "Ramanujan: The Journey of a Great Mathematician".
• The book release will be followed by a panel discussion on 'The Legacy of Ramanujan' at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi on 30 April 2025.