Current Context: India has surpassed Japan to become the fourth-largest economy globally, as per the IMF’s World Economic Outlook (April 2025).

ABOUT INDIA’S ECONOMIC RANKING

• ❖ Global GDP Ranking (2025)

1. USA: $30.51 trillion
2. China: $19.23 trillion
3. Germany: $4.74 trillion
4. India: $4.187 trillion
5. Japan: $4.186 trillion
6. UK: $3.38 trillion

• Economic Forecast
• India’s GDP (FY 2026): Estimated at $4,187.017 billion
• Japan’s GDP (FY 2026): Estimated at $4,186.431 billion
• Source: IMF World Economic Outlook (April 2025)
• Growth Projections
• 2025:2%
• 2026:3%

Current Context: Indian shooter Kanak Budhwar won gold in the women’s 10m air pistol event at the ISSF Junior World Cup 2025 held in Suhl, Germany.

Event Details

• Event: ISSF Junior World Cup 2025
• Location: Suhl, Germany
• Category: Women’s 10-metre air pistol

Current Context: Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand has inaugurated its first community radio station, Panchshul Pulse, launched by Lt. Gen. Anindya Sengupta of the Indian Army’s Central Command.

ABOUT PANCHSHUL PULSE RADIO STATION

• Located in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand.
• Tagline: “Hill se Dil Tak”, highlighting emotional and cultural connection with locals.

Purpose & Significance

• An initiative under the Indian Army in collaboration with the Vibrant Villages Programme of the Government of India.
• Named after the Panchshul mountain range, symbolizing community strength.
• Aims to promote connectivity, development, and unity in border areas.

Community Engagement

• Acts as a bridge between Army, civil administration, and local population.
• Promotes goodwill, national integration, and public participation.
• Content in local dialects, with discussions on community issues.

Current Context: The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) invited applications under the “Scheme for Creation of Infrastructure for Agro Processing Clusters” (APC) as part of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY).

About PMKSY:

• Launch Year:2017
• Type:Central Sector Scheme
• Objective:To create modern infrastructure with efficient supply chain management from farm gate to retail outlet.

Key Components:

• Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure
• Creation of Infrastructure for Agro Processing Clusters (APC)
• Creation/Expansion of Food Processing and Preservation Capacities
• Operation Greens
• Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme

About Scheme for Creation of Infrastructure for Agro Processing Clusters (APC):

• Objective: To develop modern infrastructure and common facilities to encourage groups of entrepreneurs to set up food processing units based on a cluster approach.
• Features:
• Financial Assistance:Credit-linked grants-in-aid for establishing food processing projects.
• Infrastructure Support:Development of basic infrastructure like roads, water supply, power supply, effluent treatment plants, etc.
• Common Facilities:Establishment of common facilities such as testing laboratories, cold storage, warehousing, packaging, etc.

Current Context: Supreme Court delivered a landmark judgment in the case of K. Umadevi v. Government of Tamil Nadu, affirming that maternity leave is an essential component of a woman’s reproductive rights, thereby reinforcing the constitutional and human rights of working women.

About:

Background of the Case:

• The petitioner, a government school teacher in Tamil Nadu, was denied maternity leave for her third child, citing the state’s policy limiting benefits to women with only two children.
• The Madras High Court’s Division Bench upheld this denial, leading to an appeal in the Supreme Court.

Supreme Court’s Ruling:

• The Supreme Court set aside the High Court’s decision, stating that maternity leave is not merely a matter of social justice or fairness but a fundamental right tied to human dignity and constitutional protections.
• The Court emphasized that reproductive rights are integral to personal liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution and cannot be overridden by state policies aimed at population control.

Constitutional and Human Rights Implications:

• The judgment reinforces a woman’s right to reproductive choice, linking it to the right to health, privacy, dignity, and equality.
• It underscores the government’s duty to ensure gender justice and workplace equality, aligning with international human rights standards.

Key Provisions:

Maternity Leave:

• 26 weeks of paid leave for women with less than two surviving children.
• 12 weeks for women with two or more children.

Adoptive and Commissioning Mothers:

• 12 weeks of maternity leave for women who adopt a child below the age of three months and for commissioning mothers (biological mothers who use surrogacy).

Crèche Facility:

• Mandatory for establishments with 50 or more employees to provide a crèche facility within a prescribed distance.
• Work from Home: Provision for work-from-home options post maternity leave, based on mutual agreement between employer and employee.

Current Context: The Union Minister of Earth Sciences, Dr. Jitendra Singh, inaugurated two state-of-the-art facilities—Sagar Bhavan and Polar Bhavan—at the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) in Vasco da Gama, Goa.

About NCPOR:

• Established:1998 as an autonomous R&D institute under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).
• Formerly Known As:National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR).
• Location:Vasco da Gama, Goa.
• Nodal Agency:For planning and executing polar expeditions in the Antarctic, Arctic, Southern Ocean, and Himalayas.
• Research Coordination:Oversees scientific research and logistics in polar and oceanic domains.

India’s Expanding Polar Footprint:

 Research Stations Maintained by NCPOR:

Antarctica:

• Maitri and Bharati stations.

Arctic:

• Himadri station in Svalbard, Norway.

Himalayas:

• Himansh station in Spiti, Himachal Pradesh.

Current Context : Chhonzin Angmo, a tribal woman from Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh, has become the first visually-impaired Indian woman to summit Mount Everest.

About

• Background: Born in Chango village, Angmo lost her sight at age 8.
• Education: Graduated and completed her master’s from Miranda House, Delhi University.
• Previous Achievements:
  • Trek to Everest Base Camp (5,364 m) in October 2024.
  • Summited Mt. Kang Yatsae 2 (6,250 m) in Ladakh.
  • Part of the Divyang expedition team that scaled a 6,000 m peak in Ladakh.
• Awards:
  • Sarvshresth Divyangjan National Award (2024).
  • NAB Madhu Sharma Young Achiever Award.
  • International Day of Persons with Disabilities Award.
  • Cavinkare Ability Mastery Award.

Current Context : The 10^th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog was held in New Delhi, chaired by the Prime Minister, under the theme “Viksit Rajya for Viksit Bharat@2047”.

About Niti Aayog

• Mandate:
  • Oversee the adoption, implementation, and monitoring of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
  • Promote competitive and cooperative federalism by enhancing the involvement of States and Union Territories in the development process.
• Composition:
  • Prime Minister (Chairperson).
  • Chief Ministers of all States and UTs with legislatures.
  • Lieutenant Governors of other UTs.
  • Union Ministers as ex-officio members.
  • Vice-Chairperson, appointed by the Prime Minister.
  • Full-time Members.
  • Special Invitees (domain experts and specialists).
• Objectives:
  • Formulate credible and inclusive development plans at the village level.
  • Integrate national security considerations into economic policies.
  • Establish a knowledge-driven, innovation-friendly, and entrepreneurial ecosystem.
  • Act as a platform for the resolution of inter-sectoral and inter-departmental coordination issues.

Current Context : The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved a record transfer of ₹2.69 lakh crore as surplus to the Union Government for the financial year 2024-25.

This marks a 27% increase over the previous year’s dividend payment of ₹2.1 lakh crore .

• Purpose: To bridge fiscal deficits and support government expenditure.
• Factors Contributing to Surplus:
  • Increased sale of foreign exchange reserves, especially in January 2025.
  • Higher interest income from government securities and foreign assets.
  • Gains from forex transactions amid global market volatility.

About Dividend Transfer

• The RBI’s dividend transfer refers to the annual surplus it shares with the central government. This surplus arises from the RBI’s earnings, including interest income from government securities, gains from foreign exchange operations, and other financial activities.

Current Context: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated 103 redeveloped railway stations across 86 districts in 18 states and Union Territories under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme.

About Amrit Bharat Station Scheme:

• Origin: Initiated in 2021, with Gandhinagar being the first station to undergo modernization.
• Objective: Enhance and modernize railway stations to transform them into vibrant city centers.
• Target: 1,275 stations to be redeveloped.

Features:

• Detailed plans for cleanliness, comfort, and accessibility.
• Designs inspired by local culture, heritage, and architecture.
• Examples include Ahmedabad Station’s design inspired by Modhera Sun Temple.