Stay ahead with the latest national, banking, appointments, defence, and sports news curated for UPSC, SSC, Banking, and other competitive exams.
National News
1. What milestone did India achieve in child adoption rates?
Answer: India recorded its highest child adoptions in 12 years, driven by legal reforms, foster care promotion, and training initiatives.
2. What is the NITI NCAER States Economic Forum Portal?
Answer: Launched by FM Nirmala Sitharaman, the portal offers fiscal data from 1990–2023 to aid state-level financial planning and debt management.
3. What development projects were launched by PM Modi in Bilaspur?
Answer: ₹33,700 crore worth of projects including housing, tribal welfare, infrastructure, and renewable energy initiatives.
Banking & Economy
4. What new oversight has RBI introduced for co-operative banks?
Answer: RBI’s enhanced supervision includes stricter fraud management, governance reforms, and expanded powers under the Banking Regulation Act.
5. What percentage of ₹2000 notes have been returned to banks?
Answer: 98.21% of ₹2000 notes have been returned; only ₹6,366 crore remains in public circulation.
6. What is EY’s GDP growth forecast for India in FY26?
Answer: 6.5%, with emphasis on strategic capital spending and fiscal prudence.
Appointments News
7. Who became the first African woman Secretary General of the Commonwealth?
Answer: Shirley Botchwey, elected at CHOGM 2024 in Samoa.
8. Who joined the IMF Advisory Council on Entrepreneurship and Growth?
Answer: N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons.
9. Who was appointed MD & CEO of SBI Card?
Answer: Salila Pande, effective April 1, 2025.
10. Who is the new Deputy Governor of RBI?
Answer: Poonam Gupta, appointed ahead of the MPC meeting.
11. Who was appointed Whole-Time Member (Life) of IRDAI?
Answer: Swaminathan S. Iyer, approved for a 5-year tenure.
Awards
12. Who received the Gold Mercury Award for Peace and Sustainability?
Answer: His Holiness the Dalai Lama, honored for non-violence, interfaith dialogue, and environmental advocacy.
Defence News
13. What was India’s defence export value in FY25?
Answer: ₹23,622 crore, marking a 12.04% growth driven by DPSUs and private sector contributions.
14. What milestone did INSV Tarini achieve in Navika Sagar Parikrama II?
Answer: Reached Cape Town, South Africa, promoting women empowerment and maritime cooperation.
Summits & Conferences
15. What is the focus of the Army Commanders’ Conference 2025?
Answer: Military preparedness, tech integration, and soldier welfare; held in New Delhi from April 1–4.
Sports News
16. Which Indian hockey player announced retirement in April 2025?
Answer: Vandana Katariya, India’s most capped female player with 320 matches and 158 goals.
17. Who won the Aditya Birla Memorial Polo Cup 2025?
Answer: Rajnigandha Achievers, defeating Jindal Panther in the final.
Science & Technology
18. What initiative did IIT Madras launch for cybersecurity?
Answer: Trained the first batch of 37 Cyber Commandos under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Miscellaneous News
19. Which two Tamil Nadu products received GI tags recently?
Answer: Kumbakonam Betel Leaf and Thovalai Flower Garland, raising the state’s GI count to 62.