NATIONAL NEWS

NIFTEM-Kundli Hosts the 2nd Edition of SUFALAM 2025

The National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship, and Management (NIFTEM), hosted the second edition of SUFALAM (Start-Up Forum for Aspiring Leaders and Mentors) 2025 on its campus in Kundli, Sonipat, Haryana, on 25 and 26 April 2025.

The SUFALAM conclave aims to strengthen India’s food processing sector through innovation, entrepreneurship, and collaboration.

The Union Ministry of Food Processing has sponsored the SUFALAM initiative to promote new ideas in the food processing sector.

The conclave provides a platform for industry leaders, academics, investors, and entrepreneurs to exchange meaningful knowledge and draw inspiration.

Start-ups in the food processing sector are encouraged to present their ideas to established companies in the sector.

This year, Nestlé, Bühler Group, Eureka Analytical Systems Pvt. Ltd., and the Indian Angel Network are participating in the SUFALAM 2025.

It also provides a platform where successful industrialists share their experiences with new entrepreneurs.

It provides a platform for innovators to showcase their innovations in the food processing sector.

More than 250 startups from 23 states, including Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra, participated in the event.

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

India Provides $2 Million Medical Aid To Nepal

The government of India has sent $ 2 million of medical aid to Nepal. The medical aid includes vaccines and medicines for the management of patients with Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Disease.

The first consignment of the medical aid, consisting of Influenzae Vaccine, Salmonella Vaccine, Meningococcal Vaccine, Haemophilus Influenza Vaccine, and Streptococcus Pneumonia Vaccine, was handed over by the Indian ambassador to Nepal, Naveen Srivastava, to Nepali Minister of Health and Population Pradip Paudel in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Sickle cell disease and thalassemia are genetic disorders. It is caused by errors in the genes for haemoglobin.

The Thalassemia patient has an abnormal haemoglobin structure. The body's immune system identifies it as a foreign body and destroys the red blood cells.

Sickle Cell disease is caused by abnormal haemoglobin, referred to as haemoglobin S. It is called Sickle Cell disease due to the sickle-like structure of the red blood cells of the patient.

India Takes 5 Big Actions Against Pakistan Over Pahalgam Attack

The Central government announced punitive actions against Pakistan in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, including suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, closing the Integrated Check Post at the Attari border, and reducing the overall strength of the high commissions.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) following the attack, where 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam.

The Prime Minister, who returned to India after cutting short his state visit to Saudi Arabia, discussed the cross-border linkages of the attack in the briefing to the CCS.

Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 will be put in abeyance immediately until Pakistan stops supporting cross-border terrorism.

The Integrated Check Post Attari will be closed. Pakistani nationals who crossed over with valid endorsements must return before 01 May 2025.

Pakistani nationals will be barred from traveling to India under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES). Existing SVES visas for Pakistanis are canceled, and those in India under SVES must leave within 48 hours.

Defence/Military, Naval, and Air Advisors at the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi will be declared Persona Non Grata, and they will have a week to leave India. India will also withdraw its Defence/Navy/Air Advisors from its High Commission in Islamabad.

The overall strength of the high commissions will be reduced to 30 from the current 55, with the reduction to take effect by 01 May 2025.

 

BANKING

RBI Fines IOB And Mahindra and Mahindra Financial Services Limited

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a monetary fine on the public sector bank, Indian Overseas Bank (IOB), and the Non-Banking Finance Company (NBFC), Mahindra and Mahindra Financial Services Limited, for non-compliance with RBI directives.

In a directive issued on 26 April 2025, the RBI imposed a fine of Rs 63.60 lakh (Rupees Sixty three lakh sixty thousand) on Indian Overseas Bank and Rs 71.30 lakh (Rupees Seventy One Lakh Thirty Thousand) on Mahindra and Mahindra Financial Services Limited.

As the regulator of Banks and NBFCs, the RBI periodically audits the accounts of banks and NBFCS. In a recent audit, the RBI found that IOB and Mahindra and Mahindra Financial Services Limited did not comply with certain directions of the RBI.

The public sector bank, IOB, was fined Rs 63.60 lakhs for its non-compliance with RBI directives on loans to the Agricultural sector and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMES).

The non-compliance of the bank was Obtaining collateral security for agricultural loans up to Rs 1.60 lakh in certain cases and Obtaining collateral security for loans up to Rs 10 lakh provided to certain Micro and Small Enterprise borrowers.

The RBI found Mahindra and Mahindra Financial Services Limited guilty of Non-disclosure of the processing fees and other charges in certain loan application forms and Failure to provide copies of the loan agreements and the loan details to certain borrowers.

 

DEFENCE

Indian Air Force carries out 'Exercise Aakraman'

Days after the Pahalgam terror attack in Anantnag district, which killed 26 tourists on April 22, the Indian defence forces have intensified their operational readiness.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is conducting ‘Exercise Aakraman’ in the central sector, featuring Rafale, Su-30MKI, and other frontline fighter aircraft.

Though described as a routine preparedness drill, the timing of the exercise has attracted strategic and public attention.

In a show of naval strength, the Indian Navy on April 24 successfully conducted a missile test from INS Surat, its newest indigenously built guided missile destroyer, in the Arabian Sea.

The warship launched a Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) that precisely hit a low-flying, sea-skimming target, demonstrating India’s advanced targeting capability.

The Navy hailed the launch as a “significant milestone” in boosting national defence.

Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi is expected to visit Jammu and Kashmir on April 25th, 2025, where he will meet with senior Army commanders and officials of other security agencies

 

RANKS, INDICES & REPORTS

Asian University Ranking 2025

The Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, has been ranked as the best University in India in the latest Times Higher Education‘s Asia University Rankings 2025.

IISc Bengaluru was ranked 38th in Asia with an overall score of 65.2, while Tsinghua University of China, with a score of 93, was the top-ranked higher educational institution in Asia.

The Times Higher Education’s Asia University Ranking 2025 ranked 853 universities from 35 countries and territories in Asia.

These universities were ranked based on 18 performance indicators in Research Quality, Industry, Research Environment, Teaching, and International Outlook.

The IISc Bengaluru was the top-ranked Indian higher educational institution, with a composite score of 65.2. However, in Asia, its ranking dropped from 32 last year to 38 this year.

Anna University, Chennai, was the second-highest ranked higher educational institution in India. It was ranked 111 in Asia.

In third place was the Indian Institute of Technology, Indore. In Asia, it was ranked 131

In fourth place was Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala. It was ranked 140th in Asia.

 

AWARDS & PRIZES

Kumar Mangalam Birla to Receive Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Puraskar 2024

Kumar Mangalam Birla—57-year-old Chairman of the Aditya Birla Group and Padma Bhushan awardee—will be honoured with the Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Puraskar at the Deenanath Mangeshkar Auditorium, Vile Parle East, Mumbai.

The award will be presented by RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat.

He is recognized for Visionary leadership and transformative contributions to India’s economic growth

It was organized by the Master Deenanath Mangeshkar Smruti Pratishthan, dedicated to preserving India’s cultural heritage for over 35 years

 

SPORTS

Brazil To Host The 10th Edition Of FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027

Brazil has won the bid to host the 10th edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027, as it received the maximum votes at the FIFA Congress, held in Bangkok, Thailand, on 25 April 2025.

It is the first time that a South American country is hosting the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Australia and New Zealand jointly hosted the 9th edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023.

Football powerhouse Brazil had previously hosted the FIFA Men’s World Cup in 1950 and 2014.

For the first time, the FIFA Congress, which represents FIFA's member countries, voted to decide the host of the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Earlier, the FIFA Council, the highest decision-making body of FIFA, used to decide the host of the World Cup.

 

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Intellectual Property Day

Every year April 26 is celebrated as World Intellectual Property Day to learn about the role that intellectual property rights play in encouraging innovation and creativity.

World Intellectual Property Day 2025 recognizes the huge potential of young people to find new and better solutions that support the transition to a sustainable future.

The theme of the 2025 World IP Day is “IP and music: Feel the beat of IP”.

World Intellectual Property Day was launched in the year 2000 by the World Intellectual Property Organization to promote and protect creative ideas, including music, art, trademarks, writings, and inventions.

The official date of World Intellectual Property Day is April 26 but events are held all over the world throughout the springtime.

World Intellectual Property Day is celebrated all over the globe in the form of panels, receptions, expos, and educational outreach for students of all ages.

 

OBITUTARY

Former Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman K Kasturirangan

Former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman Dr K Kasturirangan has passed away in Bengaluru at the age of 84.

He served as ISRO Chairman from 1994 to 2003, playing a pivotal role in shaping India’s space programme.

Under his leadership, India launched the INSAT-2 series and IRS-1A/1B satellites, and developed IRS-1C/1D, some of the world’s best civilian satellites.

He oversaw the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) operationalisation and the first successful GSLV flight test.

He spearheaded launches of ocean observation satellites: IRS-P3 and IRS-P4.

Dr Kasturirangan held a BSc (Hons) and MSc in Physics from Bombay University, and a PhD in Experimental High Energy Astronomy from PRL, Ahmedabad.

He authored 200+ research papers, edited six books, and received Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Vibhushan.

He chaired the drafting committee of the National Education Policy (NEP).

 

MISCELLANEOUS

Sunil Mittal Included In World Bank’s Private Sector Investment Lab

Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairperson of Bharti Enterprises, has been included in the World Bank's Private Sector Investment Lab initiative.

The inclusion of Sunil Bharti Mittal and three other private sector chief executive officers (CEO) was announced by the World Bank at its meeting of the Private Sector Investment Lab in Washington, D.C.

Bharti Enterprises becomes the second Indian company to be included in the Private Sector Initiative after Tata Sons.

The World Bank also announced that it will launch the second phase of the Private Sector Investment Lab initiative.

The Private Sector Investment Lab meeting is held twice a year.

The Private Sector Investment Lab was launched by the World Bank in 2023.

The Lab is a joint initiative of the World Bank and leading private sector enterprises worldwide.

The primary aim of the Private Sector Investment Lab is to develop approaches that can help effectively mobilise private capital to tackle the world's most pressing development challenges.

The objective is to develop solutions to deal with barriers that hinder private sector investment in emerging markets and developing economies.