Current Affairs 29 April 2025

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 29 April 2025, which have unique updates of Latest Current Affairs 2025 events from all newspapers such as The Hindu, The Economic Times, PIB, Times of India, PTI, Indian Express, Business Standard and all Government official websites.

Our Current Affairs April 2025 events will help you to get more marks in Banking, Insurance, SSC, Railways, UPSC, CLAT and all State Government Exams. Also, try our Latest Current Affairs Quiz and Monthly Current Affairs 2025 PDF which will be a pedestrian to crack your exams.

Read Current Affairs in CareersCloud APP, Course Name – Learn Current Affairs – Free Course – Click Here to Download the APP

We are Hiring – Subject Matter Expert – English | CA Video Creator | Content Developers(Pondicherry)

Click here for Current Affairs 27 & 28 April 2025

Click here for Affairscloud Hindu Free Vocabs telegram channel

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw Launches Guidelines and Portal for ECMSIn April 2025, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Ministry of Electronic and Information Technology (MeitY), has launched the guidelines and portal for the Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS), a major step to strengthen the electronics manufacturing ecosystem of India.

• The scheme aims to promote domestic manufacturing, large-scale investments, and connect Indian firms with Global Value Chains (GVC).

i.The scheme’s guidelines have been crafted with clarity and precision to ensure a simple, transparent, and unambiguous implementation process.
ii.ECMS is India’s first dedicated Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme specifically focused on boosting the manufacturing of electronic components.

• In April 2025, the scheme was approved by the Government of India(GoI) with an outlay of Rs 22,919 crore for a period of six years from Financial Year 2025-26(FY26) to FY32.

iii.The GoI has selected Bengaluru (Karnataka) – based start up Sarvam to build India’s first indigenous AI Large Language Model (LLM) under the Rs.10,370 crore India AI mission.
About Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY):
Union Minister– Ashwini Vaishnaw (Rajya Sabha member- Odisha)
Minister of State (MoS)- Jitin Prasada (Constituency- Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh, UP)
>> Read Full News

India & France Sign Rs 64,000-Crore Deal for 26 Rafale-M Fighter JetsOn 28 April 2025, the Government of India and the Government of France officially signed a Rs 64,000-crore (about USD 7.4 billion) deal for the purchase of 26 Rafale-Marine (Rafale-M) fighter jets to strengthen the Indian Navy (IN)’s power at sea.

• Out of the 26 jets, 22 will be single-seat fighter planes and 4 will be twin-seat trainer aircraft. They will mainly operate from India’s first indigenous carrier, Indian Naval Ship (INS) Vikrant.

i.The contract was signed during a virtual event in the presence of Rajesh Kumar Singh, Defence Secretary, Ministry of Defence ( MoD), Government of India (GoI) and Thierry Matho, Defence Minister of France.
ii.It is a Government-to-Government (G2G) deal, meaning that the two countries’ governments directly discussed and finalized the agreement, without involving private parties.
iii.Deliveries of the Rafale M jets are scheduled to commence by the end of 2029 and are expected to be completed by 2031.
About France:
President– Emmanuel Macron
Prime Minister (PM)– François Bayrou
Capital– Paris
Currency– Euro (EUR)
>> Read Full News

Government Places Cybercrime Centre I4C Under PMLA
In April 2025, the Department of Revenue(DoR) under the Ministry of Finance(MoF) authorized New Delhi(Delhi) based Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) to exchange information with the Enforcement Directorate(ED), MoF under Section 66 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA). This move is aimed at detecting money trails and combating cyber fraud.

•  This allows I4C to share and receive information with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and other law enforcement agencies, which will help in the identification of the masterminds behind cyber frauds.

i.Amid the rising instances of cyber frauds targeting the common man, this information-sharing initiative will help in identifying the masterminds behind such trans-national crimes.
ii.These online frauds are being carried out through fake websites, deceptive social media pages, and paid advertisements on search engines. Fraudsters also send OTPs (One Time Passwords) or web links to an individual’s phone or electronic mail(email), and when an unsuspecting person clicks on the link or shares the OTP, his/her phone/computer is compromised.
iii.The government has urged the public to report such fraudulent websites on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) at cybercrime.gov.in or to call 1930 in case of any cyber fraud.
Note: Established in 2018 under the Ministry of Home Affairs(MHA), I4C is designed to serve as the central point for combating cybercrime in India.

Cooperation Ministry Partners with Swiggy Instamart to market cooperative products
In April 2025, the Ministry of Cooperation (MoC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Bengaluru, Karnataka, based Swiggy Instamart to onboard dairy and other cooperative products, facilitating cooperatives to connect to sell their products to a wider customer base.

• The MOU was signed between Amitesh Jha, CEO of Swiggy Instamart and the DK Verma, Joint Secretary, (MoC), in an event attended by Ashish Kumar Bhutani, Secretary, MoC, to modernize and strengthen the cooperative sector.

i.As per the agreement, products under Bharat Organics and other Cooperative dairy products will be available on Swiggy’s e-commerce platforms and q-commerce platforms.

• Swiggy will create a dedicated “Cooperative” category on its platform, featuring organic products, dairy, millets, handicraft and other items developed by cooperative organizations.

ii.The partnership aims to support cooperative brands in marketing, promotion consumer technology and capacity building.
iii.This MOU also coincides with the United Nations’ declaration of 2025 as the ‘International Year of Cooperation’.
iv. Dr. Ashish Kumar Bhutani, Secretary Cooperation, inaugurated the new, state-of-the-art packaging facility of National Cooperative Organics Limited (NCOL) in Noida, Uttar Pradesh on 24 April 2025.

• The facility specializes in the hygienic packaging of pulses and a broad range of organic food items.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

11th BRICS Labour & Employment Ministers’ Meeting held in BrazilIn April,2025, 11th BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) Labour and Employment Ministers’ meeting was held under the slogan “Strengthening the Cooperation of the Global South for More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance”under Brazil’s presidency in Brasilia, Brazil.

• The Indian delegation at the meeting was led by Union Minister of State(MoS) Sushri Shobha Karandlaje, Ministry of Labour & Employment (MoL&E).

i.During the BRICS Labour and Employment Ministers’ meeting 2025, Union MoS Sushri Karandlaje highlighted India’s human-centric approach to technological transformation, , aligning with Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi’s vision of “Technology for Empowerment, Not Exclusion”.
ii.During the meeting, a forward-looking declaration was adopted, focusing on two key themes: “Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Future of Work” and “The Impacts of Climate Change on the World of Work and a Just Transition”.
About Brazil:
President – Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva
Capital – Brasilia
Currency – Brazilian Real (BRL)
>> Read Full News

Revive Our Ocean: A Step Toward Protecting Coastal Ecosystems WorldwideIn April 2025, a new global initiative called ‘Revive Our Ocean’, first-of-its-kind programme was launched to empower coastal communities in establishing and managing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) through localized action. This initiative is being led by the United States of America (USA)- based Non-Governmental Organization(NGO) Dynamic Planet along with the National Geographic Society (NGS)’s Pristine Seas programme.

• A new initiative is supported by the renowned British naturalist David Attenborough. It is built on three main pillars: Inspire, Enable, and Equip.

i.The main goal of this initiative is to help coastal communities create and manage MPAs by removing the barriers they face.
ii.Revive Our Ocean has created the Revive Our Ocean Collective, bringing together local leaders and successful community groups.

• At first, it will focus on seven countries: the United Kingdom (UK), Portugal, Greece, Turkey, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Mexico.

About National Geographic Society (NGS):
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)– Dr. Jill Tiefenthaler
Headquarters- Washington, the United States of America (USA)
Established– 1888
>> Read Full News

SIPRI Report 2024: Global Military Spending Surpasses USD 2.7 Trillion; India Invests USD 86.1 BillionAmid the major global conflicts, including the Russia-Ukraine war, and the Israel-Palestine conflict, world military expenditure reached USD 2718 billion in 2024, an increase of 9.4% in real terms from 2023, according to a new report by Stockholm, Sweden-based Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Military spending increased in all world regions, with particularly rapid growth in both Europe and the Middle East.

• The United States of America(USA) maintained its position as the world’s top spender with USD 997 billion. China, with USD 314 billion placed in the 2nd position, and Russia, with USD 149 billion placed in the 3rd position.
• India maintained its position as the 5th-largest military spender, USD 86.1 billion, marking a 1.6% increase from the previous year.

Key Highlights:
i.The top five military spenders are the United States of America(USA), China, Russia, Germany, and India, which accounted for 60% of the global total, with combined spending of USD 1635 billion.
ii.Over 100 countries around the world raised their military spending in 2024. The share of global gross domestic product (GDP) devoted to military expenditure increased to 2.5% in 2024.
>> Read Full News

Uganda Declares End to Ebola Sudan Virus Outbreak
In April 2025, the Ministry of Health (MoH) of Uganda officially declared the end of the Ebola Sudan Virus Disease (SVD) outbreak, less than 3 months after confirmation in the capital Kampala.  The outbreak was officially declared over following the discharge of the last confirmed patient on 14 March 2025 and a subsequent 42-day countdown, in line with the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.

• This was Uganda’s 2nd Ebola outbreak in less than 3 years, confirmed on 30 January 2025.
• The Ebola strain that has been contained in Uganda was of the SVD subtype. In past outbreaks, SVD killed 4 in 10 of the people infected.

i.SVD is a severe disease caused by a virus, Sudan virus (SUDV), belonging to the same family as the Ebola Virus (EBOV). SUDV was first identified in southern Sudan in June 1976.
ii.Before this outbreak, there had been 8 previous outbreaks caused by the SUDV, with 5 occurring in Uganda and 3 in Sudan. Uganda last reported an outbreak of SVD in 2022.

BANKING & FINANCE

Axis Max Life Launches AI-Enabled ‘Bandhan 2.0’ for New Hire Onboarding
In April 2025, Gurugram (Haryana) based Axis Max Life Insurance Limited (formerly Max Life Insurance Company Limited), the largest non-bank private-sector life insurer in India, launched Bandhan 2.0, an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled Augmented Reality (AR) platform.

• This platform aims to transform the onboarding process for new hires by integrating immersive storytelling, interactive gamification, and real-time leadership engagement.

i.Bandhan 2.0 is accessible in English and Hindi via mobile and desktop devices, allowing employees to onboard at their own pace.
ii.Provides virtual interactions with leadership and gamified modules on company history, values, and culture.
iii.Uniform onboarding for thousands of employees annually, regardless of location and the modules are accessible for 60 days post-joining for continuous learning.
iv.Real-time Human Resource (HR) dashboards track progress and reduce onboarding time, accelerating employee productivity.
Note: Axis Max Life Insurance is a joint venture (JV) between Max Financial Services Limited (MFSL) and Axis Bank Limited.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Bihar Sets Two Guinness World Records for Madhubani Painting and Singing Bowl EnsembleIn April 2025, Bihar set two Guinness World Records (GWR) : one for the world’s largest Madhubani painting on canvas and another for the largest singing bowl ensemble performance by 375 Buddhist monks in Bodh Gaya, Bihar.

• The GWR officials presented the certificates to CM Nitish Kumar at a ceremony held at the Patliputra Sports Complex in Patna, Bihar.

About World Records :
About Large Madhubani painting:
i.The first record was set with a large Madhubani painting, measuring 18.69 square meters, sqm (201.17 square feet sqft) created at the Madhubani Painting Institution in Bihar
ii.It was created by a team of 50 women under the guidance of renowned artist Padma Shri Bauaa Devi as a tribute to Padma Shri Jagdamba Devi.
iii.The team worked for 50 continuous hours to complete the artwork, which will be unveiled at the opening ceremony of Khelo India Youth Games on May 4, 2025.

• These games, being held for the first time in Bihar, will take place across various cities including Patna, Rajgir, Gaya, Bhagalpur, and Begusarai.

About Madhubani Painting:
Madhubani, also known as Mithila painting, is a traditional art form that originated in the Mithila region of Bihar, particularly in Madhubani.

• The colours used for the painting were made from natural ingredients like turmeric, beetroot, carbon, and flowers.

About Singing bowl ensemble:
iThe second record was set by 375 Buddhist monks, aged between five and 70, who gathered in Bodhgaya, Bihar for a singing bowl ensemble.
ii.This event marked the largest gathering of Buddhist monks for this traditional performance, which is linked to meditation, rituals, and ceremonies in Buddhist culture.
iii.The event was organised by Bihar State’s Sports Authority (BSSA).
About Bihar:
Chief Minister (CM)– Nitish Kumar
Governor– Arif Mohammed Khan
Capital– Patna
Airport – Gaya International Airport, Darbhanga Airport

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Thailand’s Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul elected as new BWF PresidentOn April 26, 2025, Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul of Thailand was elected as the new President of the Badminton World Federation (BWF) for the 2025-2029 term at the 86th BWF Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Xiamen, China.

• With this, Leeswadtrakul becomes the second woman to serve as president of the sport’s global governing body, after China’s Lu Shengrong, who held the position from 1993 to 2001.
• She succeeds Poul-Erik Høyer Larsen of Denmark, whose 12-year tenure has come to an end. Høyer was honored with the title of Honorary Life Vice President by the BWF membership at the BWF AGM.

Note: The 87th BWF AGM is scheduled to be held in April or May 2026 in Horsens, Denmark.
About Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul:
i.Leeswadtrakul, has served as the president of the Badminton Association of Thailand since 2013.

• Under her leadership, Thailand secured its first-ever Olympic medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics, with Kunlavut Vitidsarn winning a silver medal in the badminton men’s singles event.

ii.She is member of the Executive Board of Thailand’s National Olympic Committee.
iii.She is also a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and an executive member of the Olympic Council of Asia.
Other Appointments at the 86th BWF AGM:
i.Etienne Thobois of France, BWF Council member and Paris 2024 Chief Executive Officer (CEO), was confirmed as the Deputy President-elect of BWF.
ii.Richard Perot of France elected as BWF Vice President (VP) for Para Badminton.
iii.20 new BWF Council members have also been inducted, which includes Zhang Jun, president of the Chinese Badminton Association, and Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria, honorary life president of the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM).
Note: The 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games will be held in Los Angeles, United States of America (USA).
About Badminton World Federation (BWF):
President: Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul
Headquarters: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Founded: 1934

Neeraj Gupta Appointed as Chairman, Public Interest Director of NSE IX
In April 2025, GIFT City(Gujarat) based NSE International Exchange (NSE IX), a wholly owned subsidiary of Mumbai(Maharashtra) based National Stock Exchange (NSE) has announced the appointment of Neeraj Kumar Gupta as its Chairman and Public Interest Director.

• The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA)has approved his appointment with effect from April 1, 2025
• Gupta officially assumed the role on April 19, 2025

i.Neeraj Kumar Gupta is a distinguished former Indian Administrative Service(IAS) from 1982 batch, UP cadre.
ii.He retired as Secretary, Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM), Ministry of Finance (MoF) in 2018.
iii.Gupta played a pivotal role in shaping three Union Budgets (2016 – 2018) and chaired the National Taskforce for Promotion of Digital and Cashless Economy.
Note: NSE IX operates within India’s first IFSC at GIFT city.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

China Launches Tianlian-2 (05) Data Relay Satellite to Support Space Station On April 27, 2025, China successfully launched the Tianlian-2 (05) satellite, a second-generation geostationary orbit (GEO) data relay satellite, aboard a Long March 3B rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province, Southwest China.

• The satellite entered a geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) and will later maneuver to its final GEO position at 35,786 kilometers (km) above the equator.
• This mission marked the 572nd flight of the Long March carrier rocket series and China’s 22nd orbital launch of 2025.

About Tianlian-2 (05) satellite:
i.Developed by Beijing (China)-based China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), a subsidiary of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).
ii.It will provide data relay, Telemetry, Tracking, and Command (TT&C) services for:

• Manned spacecraft such as spaceships and space stations,
• Medium and Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) resource satellites,
• Spacecraft launches.

iii.It uses the advanced Dong Fang Hong 4 (DFH-4) platform, offering higher bandwidth, faster data transmission, and an operational lifespan of up to 15 years.
Background:
China’s first Tianlian satellite, Tianlian-1 (01), was launched in 2008. The first-generation Tianlian-1 (01, 02, and 03) satellites are now retired in graveyard orbits. Currently, active satellites in the Tianlian system include Tianlian-1 (04 and 05) and Tianlian-2 (01-04).
Recent Related News:
In February 2025, China successfully launched two new satellites, Siwei Gaojing-1 03 and Siwei Gaojing-1 04, into sun-synchronous orbit using the Long March-2C carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, located in Northwest China.

• They were developed by Shanghai (China)-based Shanghai Academy of Space Technology (SAST) to support data collection for natural resource management, urban construction planning, and various commercial applications.

About China:
President – Xi Jinping
Capital – Beijing
Currency – Renminbi (or) Chinese yuan (CNY)

SPORTS

2nd Asian Yogasana Sport Championship: India Tops Medal Tally with 87 MedalsIndia achieved an outstanding victory at the 2nd Asian Yogasana Sport Championship, held at the KD Jadhav Arena in the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex, New Delhi, Delhi.

• The event was held from April 25 to 27, 2025, featured participation from 21 countries, including Japan, Mongolia, Nepal, Sri Lanka (SL), Uzbekistan, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Bhutan, China, Iran, South Korea, Malaysia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), among others.
• The championship is organized by the Asian Yogasana Sports Federation (AYSF).

Key highlights:
i.India topped the medal tally by winning a record of 83 gold medals along with 3 silver and 1 bronze.
ii.Japan finished in second place with 3 gold, 3 silver, and 4 bronze medals, while Mongolia secured third place with 1 gold, 11 silver, and 6 bronze medals. while Mongolia, Oman, and Nepal rounded out the top five standings.
iii.The closing ceremony was attended by the Ministers of State (MoS), Harsh Malhotra,Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), and Ajay Chaudhary, Additional Commissioner of Police, Delhi. Senior officials from both the Asian and World Yogasana federations were also present
Top 5 Countries at the 2nd Asian Yogasana Sport Championship:

OBITUARY

Former VCOAS Lt Gen S. Pattabhiraman Passed Away In April 2025,​ Lieutenant General Sundararajan Pattabhiraman, former Vice Chief of Army Staff(VCOAS) and Colonel Commandant of the Bombay Sappers, passed away at the Military Hospital in Wellington, Nilgiris District, Tamil Nadu (TN) at the age of 78. He was born in 1946.

• Over the course of his distinguished 40-year career, he held several key positions, including Director General of Information Systems and Army Commander of the Western Command, leaving behind a lasting legacy.

i.He was commissioned into the Corps of Engineers, specifically the Bombay Sappers, one of the Indian Army(IA’s) oldest and most decorated regiments.
ii.He served as the first Director General(DG) of Information Systems of the IA and army commander of the largest operational command of the IA, namely the Western Command,
iii.He served as the VCOAS from 2005 until his retirement in December 2006.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2025 – April 28World Day for Safety and Health at Work is observed annually across the globe on April 28 to promote safe workplaces, reduce work-related accidents and diseases, and advocate for Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) standards globally.

• The annual observance of the Day is spearheaded by the International Labour Organization (ILO), a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN), dedicated to promoting social justice and advancing internationally recognized human and labour rights.
• The Focus of World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2025 is “Revolutionising Health and Safety: The Role of AI and Digitalisation at Work“.

Background:
i.ILO established the World Day for Safety and Health at Work in 2003 during the International Labour Conference(ILC), coinciding with the adoption of the Global Strategy on Occupational Safety and Health, which emphasized advocacy for promoting workplace safety and health standards.
ii.The first-ever World Day for Safety and Health at Work was officially observed on 28th April 2003.
>> Read Full News

STATE NEWS

Govt of Telangana Appoints K. Ramakrishna Rao as New Chief Secretary
In April 2025, the Government of Telangana appointed K. Ramakrishna Rao as its new Chief Secretary(CS). He is currently serving as the Special Chief Secretary to the Government, Finance Department, Telangana.

• He will replace the incumbent A. Santhi Kumari, who is set to retire from service on attaining the age of superannuation on 30 April 2025.
• In addition to his new role, Ramakrishna Rao will continue to hold Full Additional Charge (FAC) as Special Chief Secretary of the Finance Department till further orders.

About Ramakrishna Rao:
i.Ramakrishna Rao is from the 1991 batch of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) of Telangana Cadre and the third senior-most IAS officer in Telangana.
ii.Post Telangana formation, he was appointed as Finance Secretary, a position he held for over a decade.
iii.He holds the record for preparing 14 state Budgets (12 full budgets and 2 vote-on-account budgets).
iv.In 2013, Rao was posted as in-charge of State Reorganisation Affairs in the General Administration Department.
v.He also worked as the Director General (DG) of the Centre for Good Governance (CGG), Hyderabad, Telangana.

*******

Current Affairs Today (AffairsCloud Today)