National News

Prime Minister Modi's Visit to Three States

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit three states—Maharashtra, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh—on May 1st and 2nd.

Major developments:

Review of Eight Key Infrastructure Projects

• On 30th April 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the 46th PRAGATI meeting, during which he reviewed eight major infrastructure projects worth over ₹90,000 crore.
• These projects pertain to the roads, railways, ports, shipping, and waterways sectors.

Important instructions:

Historic Directions on Digital KYC

• On 30th April 2025, the Supreme Court issued 20 directions to make the digital KYC process accessible for persons with disabilities.
• The bench comprising Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice R. Mahadevan delivered this ruling after hearing petitions filed by acid attack survivors and visually impaired individuals.

Related Facts:

Approval for Shillong–Silchar Greenfield Corridor

• The Central Government has approved the construction of a 166.80 km long, 4-lane greenfield high-speed access-controlled corridor from Shillong (Meghalaya) to Silchar (Assam) to enhance connectivity in Northeast India.
• This project will be developed under the Hybrid Annuity Model at an estimated cost of ₹22,864 crore.

Related Facts:

4.41% Hike in Sugarcane FRP

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of sugarcane at ₹355 per quintal for the 2025–26 sugar season (October 2025 to September 2026).
• This marks a 4.41% increase compared to the previous season’s FRP of ₹340 per quintal.

Related Facts:

Training Program for Election Officials

• On 30th April 2025, a two-day capacity-building training program commenced at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM), New Delhi, for Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Booth Level Officers (BLOs) from Bihar, as well as EROs and BLO supervisors from Haryana, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh.

Election Commission, Constitutional Provisions:

Approval for Caste Census

• The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has decided to include caste-based enumeration in the upcoming national census.

Related Facts:

International News

India Seeks Peace and Stability in West Asia

• During a debate on Palestine at the United Nations, India’s Permanent Representative, Parvathaneni Harish, told the UN Security Council that “India seeks peace and stability in West Asia and is ready to cooperate with all stakeholders to achieve this goal.”

United Nations:

Appointments

Gyaneshwar Kumar Singh

• Gyaneshwar Kumar Singh, a 1992-batch officer of the Indian Post & Telecommunication Accounts and Finance Service (IP&TAFS), assumed charge as the Director General and Chief Executive Officer (DG & CEO) of the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) on 1st May 2025.

Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA):

Alok Joshi Appointed as NSAB Chairman

• On 30th April 2025, the Central Government reconstituted the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) and appointed former RAW chief Alok Joshi as its new Chairman.
• This decision comes amid heightened India-Pakistan tensions and following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians.

Air Marshal Narmadeshwar Tiwari

• On 30th April 2025, Air Marshal Narmadeshwar Tiwari was appointed as the Vice Chief of Air Staff of the Indian Air Force.
• He will take over from Air Marshal S.P. Dharkar on 1st May 2025, who retired after over 40 years of service.

Indian Air Force (IAF):

Divya Sharma

• Lieutenant Commander Divya Sharma has become the first female qualified flight instructor of the Indian Navy.
• She is a pilot of the Dornier aircraft in the Distinguished Air Squadron of the Andaman and Nicobar Command.

Indian Navy :

Environment News

Return of the Red-Crowned Turtle in the Ganga

• In the Haidarpur Wetland (Ganga River Basin), 20 Red-Crowned Roofed Turtles (an endangered species) were released, marking the return of this species to the Ganga after three decades.

Red-Crowned Roofed Turtle :

Important Days

Maharashtra and Gujarat Statehood Day

• Maharashtra and Gujarat celebrate their Statehood Day on May 1, 2025. The year 2025 marks the 65th foundation day of both these states.
• On May 1, 1960, the bilingual state of Bombay was divided into two separate states by the Bombay Reorganisation Act, 1960: Maharashtra for Marathi-speaking people and Gujarat for Gujarati-speaking people.

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