Current Affairs | National | International | SSC | UPSC 9th April 2025

Science and Technology News

 1. The first-ever Digital Threat Report 2024 released by India to bolster cybersecurity in the BFSI sector.

•  India’s first Digital Threat Report 2024 for the Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) sector was released through a collaboration between CERT-In (MeitY), CSIRT-FIN and SISA. 
• It aims to strengthen cybersecurity in financial institutions. 
•  The report provides a comprehensive overview of emerging cyber threats and strategic defense measures for the financial ecosystem. 
• The report is designed to help BFSI organizations identify security gaps, understand emerging cyber risks, and improve defense mechanisms against complex cyber-attacks. 
• The report was launched by Shri M. Nagaraju (Secretary, Department of Financial Services) and others in New Delhi. 
•  The report presents a strategic roadmap for BFSI entities, and provides real-time intelligence and defense recommendations to improve cyber preparedness. 
•  The report integrates real-world cyber intelligence from SISA's forensic investigations, CERT-IN's cybersecurity monitoring, and CSIRT-FIN's financial sector incident response expertise, providing a multidimensional perspective on emerging threats.
•   The BFSI sector is at the centre of the global digital transformation, with digital payments estimated to generate $3.1 trillion by 2028, accounting for 35% of total banking revenues. 
•  The 2024 Digital Threat Report for BFSI is a call to action for financial institutions, regulators, and security professionals to take a proactive stance against cyber threats. 
•  As the sector faces increasing challenges from AI-driven attacks, fraud tactics, and compliance complexities, this report serves as a strategic guide to navigate the emerging cybersecurity landscape.
•   SISA is a global forensics-driven cybersecurity solutions company for the digital payments industry, trusted by leading organizations to secure their businesses with robust preventive, detective, and corrective cybersecurity solutions.

National News 

2. 'Antar Drishti' dark room inaugurated and MoU signed with Amar Seva Sangam at NIEPVD, Dehradun. 

•  On April 7, the ‘Antar Drishti’ dark room was launched in Dehradun by the National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities (NIEPVD) in collaboration with the National Association for the Blind. 
• The facility was formally inaugurated by Shri Rajesh Agarwal, Secretary, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Union Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment. 
•  'Antar Drishti' is a specially designed sensory experience space aimed at raising awareness and sensitizing the society towards the challenges faced by visually impaired persons. 
•  In this dark room, people experience complete darkness and engage in activities that help people who are blind or have low vision simulate everyday experiences. 
•  Apart from the inauguration, NIEPVD Dehradun also signed an MoU with Amar Seva Sangam, a leading organization in the field of disability rehabilitation and inclusive development. 
•  Through this collaboration, NIEPVD will implement ‘Enable Inclusion’ app, which is a digital platform developed by Amar Seva Sangam. 
•  It is for early identification, intervention and tracking of children with developmental disabilities.
•  This app has been successfully used in various communities to support intellectual and developmental needs. 

Schemes and Committees News 

3. The ₹22,919 crore Electronics Component Scheme notified by the Centre to boost Atmanirbhar Bharat.

•   A notification for the Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme has been issued by the government. 
• This scheme, with a funding of ₹22,919 crore, was recently approved by the Union Cabinet to make India Atmanirbhar in the electronics supply chain. 
•  The scheme aims to develop a strong component ecosystem by attracting large investments (global/domestic) in the electronics component manufacturing ecosystem. 
•  It also aims to enhance domestic value addition (DVA) by developing capacity and capabilities and integrating Indian companies with global value chains (GVCs).
•  The scheme envisages attracting investment of Rs. 59,350 crores, generating production of Rs. 4,56,500 crore and generating additional direct employment of 91,600 persons and many indirect jobs.  After the notification is issued, the process of consultation with industries will begin to prepare guidelines for implementation of the scheme.
• Under this scheme, a portal will be opened for receiving applications in a few weeks. 
•  In the last ten years, the country has registered remarkable growth in the electronics sector, with electronics manufacturing increasing fivefold and electronics exports growing six times. 
•  Mobile phone exports crossed Rs 2 lakh crore in fiscal year 2024-25, registering a growth of 54% compared to 2023-24. 
•  25 lakh jobs have been created in this sector in the last decade. 

International News

 4. Agreements signed between India-Israel on bilateral agricultural cooperation. 

•  Agreements related to bilateral cooperation in the agriculture sector were signed by Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Israel's Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter in New Delhi. 
•  It aims to promote bilateral agricultural cooperation and food security and modernize agricultural practices. 
•  The agreement focuses on several key areas, including soil and water management, horticulture and agricultural production, post-harvest and processing technology, agricultural mechanization, animal husbandry and research and development. 
•  India-Israel have committed to expand their cooperation through joint efforts aimed at enhancing agricultural productivity and sustainability. 
•  Chouhan also lauded the role of 43 Centers of Excellence across India which have played a vital role in the success of India-Israel agricultural projects. 
• In a bid to ensure continued progress, a joint working group was agreed to be established by India and Israel to facilitate ongoing dialogue and the development of a clear roadmap with defined goals and timelines. 

 India-Israel relations: 

• India and Israel have a strong and multifaceted relationship, marked by cooperation in agriculture, defence, science and technology. 
•  Diplomatic relations were officially established in 1992 and since then, the partnership has grown steadily.
•  The two countries cooperate on innovation-driven projects, water management and security. 

Ranks and Reports News

 5. Padma Shri awardee Ram Sahay Pandey passed away at the age of 92. 

•  On 8 April, he passed away in a private hospital in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh.
•   Pandey fought against social stigma, especially because Rai belongs to the marginalised Bedia community, which was once targeted under the Criminal Tribes Act.
•   In 2022, he was awarded the Padma Shri for his work in the preservation and promotion of Rai dance. 
•  He was also honoured with the title of "Nritya Shiromani" by the Government of Madhya Pradesh in 1980.
•   He was appointed to the Tribal Folk Arts Council by the Madhya Pradesh government. 

State News 

6. The first Himalayan Climate Centre inaugurated by Union Minister Jitendra Singh in Udhampur. 

•  On 8 April, the first-ever ‘Himalayan High-Altitude Atmospheric & Climate Centre’ launched by Union Minister Jitendra Singh in Nathatop, Chenani, Udhampur district, Jammu & Kashmir.
•   The aim of this landmark initiative is to provide accurate climate and weather forecasts, as well as research and study the region's unique high-altitude conditions.
•   Launched as a joint initiative of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Jammu and Kashmir Forest Department and Central University of Jammu, this new centre is located at an altitude of 2,250 metres above sea level. 
•  Under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, the project will enhance climate monitoring in the Himalayas. 
• The site was strategically chosen for its clean air and minimal pollution, providing a rare opportunity to study atmospheric processes under free tropospheric conditions. 
• The Indo-Swiss Joint Research Project “ICE-CRUNCH” (Ice nucleating particles and cloud condensation nuclei properties in the North-Western Himalayas) was also flagged off by Dr. Jitendra Singh. 
• This collaborative study is being carried out by Indian scientists and researchers from ETH Zurich, Switzerland, with the aim of exploring the properties of ice nuclei and cloud condensation nuclei in this region. S&T 

7. Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted that AI represents a new era of industrial revolution. 

•  He called on stakeholders to contribute ideas for integrating AI into digital public infrastructure. 
•  In Delhi, Vaishnaw inaugurated a day-long stakeholders’ meeting organized by UIDAI. 
•  The meeting brought together key ecosystem partners in New Delhi. 
•  Vaishnaw pointed out that Aadhaar serves as the foundation for numerous initiatives. It is also central to digital public infrastructure. 
• Around 750 policymakers, experts, and leaders from various sectors participated in the 'Aadhaar Samvaad.'
•   UIDAI launched a new Aadhaar app designed for secure digital verification and QR-based data sharing. 
• The new app enhances privacy and minimizes reliance on physical documents. 

About Aadhaar Samvaad series:

•  This was the third episode of the Aadhaar Samvaad series. It took place in Delhi and theme was Innovation, Inclusion, and Integration. 
•  In Bengaluru, in November 2024, UIDAI focused on industries and technologies involved in the digital identity space. 
• The second edition was held in January 2025 at Mumbai. It focused on the FinTech sector. 

Economic News 

8. Department of Financial Services has announced the merger of 26 RRBs under the "One State, One RRB" initiative. 

•  This is the fourth stage of consolidating Regional Rural Banks (RRBs). 
•  The Ministry of Finance launched the consolidation plan in November 2024.
•   The merger brings together 26 RRBs from 10 states and one Union Territory. 
•  The goal is to improve scale, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. 
•  Currently, 43 RRBs operate in 26 states and two Union Territories. 
•  After the merger, there will be 28 RRBs serving 700 districts. 
•  These RRBs will have more than 22,000 branches. 
•  The location of about 92 percent of these branches is in rural and semi-urban areas. 
•  The merger will come into effect from 1 May.
•  The number of RRBs was reduced to 43 in FY2020-21 from 196 in FY2004-05. 

9. Supreme Court ruled Tamil Nadu governor actions as illegal regarding reserving of re-adopted bills. 

• Supreme Court has declared that R N Ravi, governor of Tamil Nadu, acted “illegal and erroneous” by reserving 10 bills, re-adopted by the state assembly, for the President’s approval. 
•  The judgement came after the government of Tamil Nadu challenged the governor’s actions. 
•  The SC bench ruled that it is not a discretionary power of the Governor to reserve a bill for the President re-presented by the State government after being passed again by the Assembly. 
•  According to Article 163, the Governor must act on the aid and advice of the Chief Minister and his council of ministers and he cannot withhold assent without justification. 
•  SC said that the Governor could not reserve the re-presented bills for the President unless there were adequate differences in content between the original and re-adopted versions.
•   The bench also clarified that under Article 200 of the Constitution, the Governor does not have discretionary power to withhold assent and must act on the advice of the Chief Minister and the Council of Ministers. 
•  Governor of a State is appointed by the President. He acts as the head of the State and all the executive powers of the State are vested in the Governor. He holds office during the pleasure of the President. International 

10. Bangladesh signed ‘Artemis Accords’ with NASA for non-military space exploration. 

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• Bangladesh has become 54th country to sign Artemis Accords with NASA, US Space agency. 
•  By signing the Accords, Bangladesh will be benefited through technology transfer, economic cooperation and scientific collaboration. 
•  The current capacity of Bangladesh Space Research and Remote Sensing Organisation (SPARRSO) will be enhanced via collaboration and cooperation between SPARRSO and NASA. 
•  Artemis Accords was established in October 2020 by NASA. These are a set of non-binding agreements designed to promote peaceful and cooperative civil exploration of outer space. 
•  It provides a common set of principles to increase governance of civil exploration and use of outer space. 
•  As of January 21, 2025, 53 countries have signed the accords, including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, India, United Arab Emirates, Australia and several European and Latin American countries. 
•  India joined the Artemis Accords in 2023. 
•  Artemis program kicked off with launch of spacecraft “Orion” on the Space Launch System in 2022. 

11. In election-bound Bihar, Cabinet approves hirings for over 27,000 govt. jobs 

•  Ahead of the Bihar Assembly election due later this year, the Nitish Kumar-led Cabinet on Tuesday approved proposals to fill up 27,370 posts in departments. various
•  Most of the recruitment, for 20,016 vacancies, will be done by the Health Department, S. Siddharth, the Additional Chief Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat, said in a media briefing. He added that the depart-ment's proposal to create a 'Public Health Cadre' and a 'Hospital Management Cadre' to fill vacancies across various categories was also accepted by the Cabinet. 
•  It also approved the creation of 3,306 'Assistant Urdu Translator' posts. The translators, Mr. Sidd harth said, will be deployed in various departments, districts, blocks, and circles across Bihar. 
•  The Cabinet also played down the Education Department's proposal to micro-monitor schools from the primary to the higher secondary levels to ensure quality education in Bihar. An Assistant Education Development Officer (AE-DO) will be given the job of inspecting and monitoring schools across 10 panchayats, while an Education Development Officer will monitor schools at the block level. There are over 84,00 panchayats and 534 blocks in the State. 
•  The Cabinet announcements come nearly a month after the CM, on his 74th birthday, handed over 100 appointment letters to contractual teachers at a function in the Secretariat in Bihar. 
•  A day earlier, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi joined the 'Palayan Roko, Naukri Do (stop mi-gration, give employment)' foot march organised by the party in Begusarai, along with NSUI's national incharge Kanhaiya Kumar and Bihar Congress chief Rajesh Kumar. 
• Recruitment drive The government has distributed appointment letters to 59,028 contractual teachers as part of a separate recruitment drive. 
• As the poll campaigns pick up pace, the Opposition parties have repeatedly attacked the ruling National Democratic Alliance government over the issue of "rising unemployment" 
•  Congress's ally Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has held several public meet-ings and rallies on the is-sue, with its leader Tejashwi Yadav promising to implement a 100% domicile policy if his party comes to power. In his public interactions, Mr. Yadav has spoken about providing "five lakh jobs" during his 17-month tenure as Bihar's Deputy CM. 
•  Hike in Ministers' dues The Cabinet also agreed to raise the salaries of Ministers and Deputy Ministers from 250,000 to 265,000 and increase their local, daily, hospitality, and travel allowances. 

International 

12. India, UAE to deepen defence cooperation 

•  India and the UAE on Tues-day agreed that "close cooperation between the defence industries" should be an "integral part" of the bilateral cooperation, the government said in a press note after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met visiting Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
•  "The two leaders expressed satisfaction on the active Coast Guard to Coast Guard cooperation and committed to further deepen it by formalising the same through an MoU," the press note read. 
•  Mr. Singh said the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with the UAE was of "immense priority" for India, adding, "In the com-ing years, we are eager to work closely in areas such as defence cooperation, co-production and co-development projects, innovation and technology. Both India and the UAE are committed to work towards peace and prosperity in the region." The Crown Prince said, "Our conversations reaffirmed the strength of UAE-India ties which is built on trust, shaped by history, and driven by a shared vision to create a future full of opportunity, innovation, and prosperity.” 

13. Modi says 52-cr. loans given under MUDRA 

•  Prime Minister Narendra Modi, interacting with beneficiaries here on Tuesday on the 10th anniversary of the Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana, said the scheme has turned several dreams into reality, empowering people who were previously overlooked with financial support to shine. "It illustrates that for the people of India, nothing is impossible," he said. 
•  Mr. Modi said 52-crore loans had been disbursed under the scheme so far. He said ₹33 lakh crore has been disbursed to the citizens of India under the scheme without the need for guarantees. 
• "This amount is unpre-cedented and surpasses any financial support extended to wealthy individuals collectively," the PM said, adding that job creation through the scheme has significantly contributed to economic growth. "The earnings of common citizens have increased, enabling them to improve their living standards and invest in education for their children," he said. 
•  He said half of the beneficiaries belonged to SC, ST and OBC communities, and over 70% of them are women.

 Books and Author News

 14. Banu Mushtaq's Heart Lamp makes it to Booker shortlist 

•  Banu Mushtaq's collection of Kannada stories in translation, Heart Lamp, was shortlisted on Tuesday for the International Booker Prize. The book is among the six featured in this year's shortlist. 
•  Heart Lamp, translated by Deepa Bhasthi, is a collection of 12 short stories written by Ms. Mushtaq between 1990 and 2023. 
•  Responding to the news, Ms. Mushtaq said she was elated to find Kannada stories on the shortlist. S&T 

15. EPFO joinees can now create UAN with Aadhaar biometrics 

•  The Universal Account Number (UAN) of the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) can now be activated and allotted using face authentication, Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Tuesday. At present, UANs are generated by employers who submit employee data to the EPFO. Though this data is validated using Aadhaar data, many errors occur in other fields such as father's name and mobile number, Mr. Mandaviya noted. "Due to these errors, many employees had to update their data while submitting claims or for other benefits," he said. New employees or any employer can generate UAN using the Aadhaar face authentication technology using the Umang App, he added. 

16. Genome study: 180 million genetic variants found in 9,772 individuals 

•  Preliminary findings of the Genome India project, which genotyped 10,074 healthy and unrelated Indians from 85 populations - 32 tribal and 53 non-tribal populations across India, were published in the journal Nature Genetics on Tuesday. Blood samples were collected from nearly 20,000 individuals, of which DNA samples from 10,074 individuals were subjected to whole genome sequencing. 
•  Nearly 100 samples were collected from each population with a median of 159 samples from each non-tribal group and 75 from each tribal group to estimate the relatively rare variants that are important to understand complex. diseases. 
•  After excluding two populations, the preliminary findings are based on the genetic information of 9,772 individuals, 4,696 male participants and 5,076 female participants. The genome sequence data are deposited in the Indian Biological Data Centre housed in the Regional Centre for Biotechnology in Faridabad, Haryana. 
•  The genomes of Tibeto-Burman tribe, Indo-European tribe, Dravidian tribe, Austro-Asiatic tribe, and continentally admixed outgroup were sequenced. In the case of non-tribes, the genomes of Tibeto-Burman non-tribe, Indo-European non-tribe, and Dravi dian non-tribe were sequenced. 
•  In all, 180 million genetic variants were found when the genomes of 9,772 individuals were sequenced. Some of the variants are as-sociated with diseases; some others are rare while some variants are unique to India; and some others are unique to particular communities or small populations. 
•  "We are now trying to find out the implications of these variants," said Dr. Kumarasamy Thangaraj of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CSIR-CCMB), Hyderabad, and one of the corresponding authors of the Comment piece. "We are looking for variants which are functionally relevant to diseases, those associated with therapeutic res-ponses or no responses, and those that are causing adverse effects to therapeutic agents." 
•  Dr. Thangaraj said the information on variants associated with specific diseases can be utilised for developing low-cost diagnostic kits and for personalised medicine. "In Depth analysis of 9,772 diverse genomes along with the blood biochemistry and anthropometry data will improve disease diagnostics, predict the genetic basis of drug responses, and kickstart precision medicine efforts in India," the authors write. A detailed paper will be published in the next couple of months.