Current Affairs Notes - April 2025

Operation Brahma

  • Context: Launched in response to the earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand on 28 March 2025.

  • Objective: Humanitarian assistance to the affected areas.

  • Participants: Ships involved include INS Satpura, INS Savitra, INS Karmuk, and LCU 52.

New Pamban Bridge

  • Launch Date: Inaugurated by PM Modi on Ram Navami.

  • Location: Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu.

  • Significance: Assists pilgrims traveling to Rameswaram; replaces a 110-year-old bridge.

  • Specifications:

    • 99 spans with a 72.5-meter-long vertical lift span.

    • Can rise up to 17 meters; opens in 5 minutes, closes in 3 minutes.

    • Allows simultaneous maritime and rail traffic.

    • Train speed: 80 km/h; withstands speeds up to 160 km/h.

    • Constructed at a cost of over ₹550 crore with assistance from IIT Chennai, IIT Bombay, and TYPSA.

‘Mitra Vibhushana’ Award

  • Recipient: PM Narendra Modi.

  • Awarding Authority: Given by Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

  • Significance: The highest civilian award from Sri Lanka; 22nd international honor conferred to PM Modi by foreign nations.

6th BIMSTEC Summit

  • Date: April 4, 2025.

  • Location: Bangkok, Thailand.

  • Member States: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.

  • Theme: “Prosperous, Resilient, and Open BIMSTEC”.

  • Key Initiatives Announced:

    • Establish BIMSTEC centres of excellence in: Disaster Management, Sustainable Maritime Transport, Traditional Medicine, and Agriculture Research.

    • Link India’s UPI with BIMSTEC payment systems.

    • Operationalize the BIMSTEC Energy Centre in Bengaluru.

    • Pilot study on Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for improved governance.

BODHI Program

  • Purpose: Development of Human Resource Infrastructure in BIMSTEC.

  • Focus: Skill development, training, scholarships for professionals in BIMSTEC nations.

Cancer Care Capacity Building

  • Proposal: Capacity-building program for cancer care in BIMSTEC.

Government’s Borrowing Plan (H1 FY 2025-26)

  • Gross Market Borrowing: ₹14.82 lakh crore.

  • Borrowing in H1: Planned to borrow ₹8.00 lakh crore (%) through dated securities.

  • Sovereign Green Bonds: ₹10,000 crore included.

  • WMA Limit: Fixed at ₹1.50 lakh crore.

Ways and Means Advances (WMA)

  • Launch Year: 1997.

  • Purpose: Address mismatches in government receipts and payments.

  • Tenure: 90 days; interest rate at repo rate.

  • Types of WMA:

    • Special WMA: Based on net annual incremental investment (interest varies).

    • Normal WMA: Interest applicable based on the duration of advance.

    • Overdraft: Tiers of interest based on amount over WMA limit.

Rafale – M Jets Acquisition

  • Approval: Cabinet Committee on Security approved ₹63,000 crore for 26 Rafale-M jets from France.

RBI Co-Lending Framework Expansion

  • Previous Limitation: Co-lending only for Banks and NBFCs in the priority sector.

  • New Policy: Extends to all regulated entities across all loan categories.

Exercise Tiger Triumph 2025

  • Nature: Tri-Service India-US exercise for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR).

  • Location: Begins in Visakhapatnam; continues off the Kakinada coast until April 13, 2025.

International Yoga Day 2025 Theme

  • Theme: “Yoga for One Earth, One Health”.

  • Objective: Raise global awareness on health and wellbeing through yoga.

Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI)

  • Launched By: Ministry of Panchayati Raj.

  • Purpose: Measure performance across over 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats in India based on localized SDGs.

  • Categories:

    • Achiever: 90+

    • Front Runner: 75-89

    • Performer: 60-74

    • Aspirant: 40-59

    • Beginners: Below 40.

  • 2022-23 Findings:

    • 216,285 out of 255,699 submitted validated data.

    • No Panchayat qualified as Achiever.

Monetary Policy Statement 2025-26

  • MPC Meeting Dates: April 7-9, 2025.

  • Repo Rate: Cut to 6% (reduction of 25 basis points).

  • Stances: Accommodative.

  • Inflation & GDP Outlook: CPI projected at 4%; Real GDP growth at 6.5%.

‘On Tap’ Regulatory Sandbox

  • Background: Regulatory Sandbox introduced in 2019; themes completed include Retail Payments, Cross-Border Transactions, etc.

  • New Announcement: Theme Neutral cohort aimed to test innovative products within RBI's regulatory framework.

RBI’s WhatsApp Channel Promotion

  • Campaign Name: ‘RBI Kehta Hai’ (RBI says) aimed at public awareness through various mediums.

Dr. Poonam Gupta’s Appointment

  • Position: Appointed as Deputy Governor of RBI for three years.

Niveshak Didi Initiative

  • Partners: IEPFA, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, India Post Payments Bank.

  • Objective: Financial education for women through local leaders to promote savings and investments.

  • Phase 2: 4,000 financial camps planned with 40,000 trained women postal workers.

Vibrant Villages Programme-II (VVP-II)

  • Objective: Enhance development of India’s border villages; central sector scheme.

  • Total Outlay: ₹6,839 crore; duration until FY 2028-29.

AI in Agriculture

  • Tools Introduced:

    • Kisan e-Mitra: AI Chatbot addressing farmer queries.

    • National Pest Surveillance System: AI & Machine Learning for crop health monitoring.

    • AI-Based Crop Health Monitoring using satellite data.

World Health Day 2025

  • Date: April 7, 2025.

  • Theme: “Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures” emphasizing health for mothers and newborns.

New Policy on Foreign Funds

  • Changes Announced: Funds under FCRA now valid for four years from approval.

  • Priority Permission: NGOs not eligible for FCRA can still apply for prior permission under specific statutes.