Current Affairs | National | International | SSC | UPSC 14th April 2025

 1. Dr. B R Ambedkar Jayanti: 14 April 

•  Dr. B R Ambedkar Jayanti is celebrated on 14 April to pay tribute to Dr. B R Ambedkar, the Chief Architect of the Indian Constitution. 
•  The day is also known as ‘Bhim Jayanti’. 
•  He was posthumously conferred Bharat Ratna award in 1990. 
•  1990–1991 was announced as the ‘Year of Social Justice.’ 

Dr. B R Ambedkar: 

•  He was born on 14 April 1891 in present day Mhow of Madhya Pradesh. ○ He was an Indian jurist, economist, politician, and social reformer.
•   Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was the chairman of the drafting committee of the Constitution. He is also known as the “Father of the Constitution of India”. 
•  He is the first Law Minister of India. He had started the Dalit Buddhist Movement in India. 

2. Virat Kohli created history by hitting 1000 boundaries in IPL 2025. 

•  Virat Kohli, India’s batting icon, has made IPL history by becoming the first player to hit 1000 boundaries in the tournament.
•   Royal Challengers Bengaluru veteran Virat Kohli achieved the milestone in his 18th consecutive IPL season during the match against Delhi Capitals in Bengaluru on April 10. 
•  Kohli reached the coveted 1000-boundary milestone with 721 fours and 279 sixes. 
• He remains at the top in terms of hitting most fours in IPL history and is behind only Chris Gayle (357) and Rohit Sharma (282) in terms of hitting sixes. 
•  With 99 half-centuries, Kohli is also just one step away from becoming the second batsman in T20 history after David Warner to score 100 half-centuries. 
•  The 2025 Indian Premier League (Tata IPL 2025) is the 18th edition of the tournament, featuring 10 teams playing 74 matches from March 22 to May 25. 
•  The IPL has been held every year since the first edition in 2008. 

3. On 12 April, Kathak legend Kumudini Lakhia passed away at the age of 95 in Ahmedabad. 

•  She was a pioneer in Kathak dance and one of India's most respected classical choreographers. 
•  PM Narendra Modi expressed condolences on the demise of Kumudini Lakhia. 
•  Kumudini Lakhia was born on 17 May 1930 in Ahmedabad and dedicated her life to Indian classical dance. 
•  With the quiet precision of her feet and the blatant defiance of convention in each performance, Kumudini Lakhia—often referred to as India’s own Martha Graham—rewrote the language of Kathak. 
•  In 1967, she founded the Kadamba School of Dance and Music, an institute of Indian dance and music. 
•  She was the choreographer for the Hindi film Umrao Jaan (1981) along with Gopi Krishna.
•   Kumudini Lakhia has been honoured with several prestigious awards for her outstanding contribution to Indian classical dance. 
•  These include the Padma Shri (1987), Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1982), Kalidas Samman (2002-03), Padma Bhushan (2010), Sangeet Natak Akademi Tagore Ratna (2011), and the Padma Vibhushan in 2025. 

4. Centre to celebrate Ambedkar’s anniversary 

•  The 135th birth anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the principal architect of the Indian Constitution and a champion of social justice, will be commemorated at Prerna Sthal on the Parliament House lawns here on Monday. President Droupadi Murmu, Vice-President Jag deep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, and other dignitaries will pay floral tributes to Dr. Ambedkar in a morning ceremony. The venue will remain open to the public till noon, according to the statement. The Dr. Ambedkar Foundation will facilitate visitors paying their respects at the site and has arranged special bus services to the Dr. Ambedkar National Memorial. 

5. The state-of-the-art Central Research Laboratory at AIIMS Bhubaneswar inaugurated by the Union Health Minister. 

• On 12 April, the Central Research Laboratory at AIIMS Bhubaneswar was inaugurated by Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare and Chemicals & Fertilizers, Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda
• This is marked as another milestone in the institute’s journey of growth and excellence. 
•  On this occasion, he also laid the foundation stone of the Multiutility (Gastronomy) Block. 
• The state-of-the-art Central Research Laboratory facility is a transformational initiative aimed at advancing cutting-edge medical research and fostering innovation. 
• The facility is set to enable doctors, researchers and scholars to develop impactful healthcare services and elevate AIIMS Bhubaneswar to the league of leading medical research centres in the country. 
•  The Multiutility (Gastronomy) Block is a modern infrastructure project designed to meet the growing needs of students, faculty, staff and the general public. 
• The block will provide essential facilities under one roof, enhancing both operational efficiency and community engagement within the campus. 
•  Further, to promote digital transformation in healthcare, the revamped AIIMS Bhubaneswar website was also launched, which now provides user-friendly features and integrated services for both patients and visitors. 

6. Centre planning ₹10-lakh-cr. investment to rejuvenate highways, says Nitin Gadkari

•   The Centre is planning to invest ₹10 lakh crore over the next two years to strengthen highways across the country, with special focus on the North east, where roads will rival those in the U.S., Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has said. 
•  There is an urgent need to augment the road infrastructure in the Northeast, given its difficult terrain and proximity to borders, he said in an interview to PTI.
•   He said the Centre was working to transform the country’s infrastructure drastically in the next two years. “It is our endeavour to transform the country’s infrastructure drastically so that it matches the best in the world,” he said, maintaining that works are underway in all States, including Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Delhi. 
•  Mr. Gadkari said 784 highway projects were going to be implemented in the eastern States at an estimated cost of ₹3,73,484 crore, covering 21,355 km. 
• Among them are projects of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the National Highways Authority of India, and the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd., he said. “We currently have projects with ₹57,696 crore in Assam, and about ₹90,000 crore in Bihar. We’re also undertaking projects worth over ₹42,000 crore in West Bengal, about ₹53,000 crore in Jharkhand, and around ₹58,000 crore in Odisha,” Mr. Gadkari said.
•   “In the Northeast, except Assam, we are undertaking projects worth about ₹1 lakh crore this year itself,” he said. Mr. Gadkari said a mass rapid transport pilot project was underway in Nagpur at a cost of ₹170 crore. 
•  “The project involves a 135 seater bus that will run on non-polluting energy sources and is expected to be highly cost-effective. 
• If successful, it will be replicated on important routes across the country, including the Delhi-Jaipur stretch, under the Build Operate-Transfer model,” he said. 
• The Minister said the length of the National Highway network has expanded, growing from 91,287 km in March 2014 to 1,46,204 km at present, with a significant improvement in standards 

7. STELLAR, a cutting-edge resource adequacy planning tool, was launched on April 11, 2025. 

•  It was developed entirely in India by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA). 
•  It combines generation, transmission, storage planning, and demand-side management in one platform. 
•  The model supports the implementation of the Resource Adequacy Guidelines released in June 2023.
•  It will be provided free of cost to all state utilities, Discoms, and load dispatch centres. 
•  CEA has completed resource adequacy plans for all Discoms up to the year 2034–35. 
• A national-level resource adequacy analysis has also been done. 
•  Since these plans need yearly updates, a standard tool like STELLAR is useful for all stakeholders. 
•  The software models the chronological operation of the power system. 
• The tool also includes demand response features and planning for ancillary services. 
•  STELLAR helps avoid power shortages and under-utilised capacity. 
•  It ensures reliable supply while keeping overall system costs low. 
• The model supports cost-effective decisions for generation expansion and real-time grid operation.
•  It also helps determine the best size and location for energy storage systems. 

8. India participated in the Mission Innovation Annual Gathering 2025. 

•  The event took place in Seoul, South Korea from April 9 to 11. 
•  The Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India, was a key part of the Indian delegation. 
•  India co-leads the Mission Integrated Biorefinery along with the Netherlands. 
•  This mission operates under the global Mission Innovation 2.0 initiative. 
•  Mission Innovation was first launched at COP21. 
•  It was introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former French President François Hollande. 
•  The aim of Mission Innovation is to accelerate clean energy innovation worldwide. 
•  At the gathering, DBT engaged in discussions on joint efforts across different Mission Innovation platforms. 
•  India presented its BioE3 Policy at the event. 
•  The BioE3 Policy focuses on biotechnology for environmental protection, clean energy, and economic development. 
• It promotes low-carbon production of fuels, chemicals, and materials. 
•  India also shared its progress in using Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Bioenergy (CCUB) for biomanufacturing. 
•  Meetings took place at Hanyang University and the Korea Institute of Science and Technology.
•  The Indian Embassy in Seoul helped coordinate visits and sessions. 
• Participants agreed that bio-based innovations are key to achieving global decarbonization goals. 

9. India has successfully demonstrated the ability to shoot down fixed-wing drones using a high-powered laser weapon.

•  This achievement places India among an elite group of nations with similar capabilities. 
•  Only the United States, China, and Russia have previously shown such technology. 
• The demonstration used a 30-kilowatt Laser Directed Energy Weapon developed by DRDO. 
• The system was tested by a specialized DRDO laboratory in Hyderabad. 
•  The trial was conducted in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh. 
•  It involved the land-based, vehicle-mounted version of the DEW MK-II(A) system. 
•  The laser weapon successfully destroyed a fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle. 
•  It also neutralized swarm drones during the test. 
•  The system caused major structural damage to the drones. 
•  It also disabled their surveillance sensors. 
•  DRDO is also working on other high-energy technologies. 
•  These include high-energy microwave weapons and electromagnetic pulse systems. 
• These advanced projects aim to build futuristic “Star Wars”-level defense capabilities. 

10. Sourav Ganguly has been re-elected as the chairperson of the ICC Men’s Cricket Committee. 

•  VVS Laxman has also been re-selected as a member of the committee. 
•  Ganguly first took on the role in 2021. 
•  He was the captain of the Indian cricket team from 2000 to 2005. 
• Ganguly replaces Anil Kumble as chairperson. 
•  Kumble stepped down after completing his maximum term limit of three consecutive three-year terms. 

 International Cricket Council: 

•  The International Cricket Council is the global governing body of cricket. 
• It was established in 1909 by the representatives of Australia, England, and South Africa as the Imperial Cricket Conference.
•   It is headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. 

11. India, Africa maritime engagement exercise begins o• Tanzania coast

•   The inaugural edition of the large-scale multilateral exercise Africa India Key Maritime Engagement (AI KEYME) began on Sunday in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. 
•  Coinciding with the naval exercise, offshore patrol vessel INS Sunayna, designated as Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) SAGAR and sailing with 44 naval personnel from nine friendly nations, reached the port on Saturday. 
• “AIKEYME aims to develop collaborative solutions to common regional maritime challenges. 
•  This maiden initiative by the Indian Navy seeks to enhance interoperability and synergise combined operations among the maritime forces of partner nations,” the Navy said in a statement. 
•  “It also highlights the strong and friendly relations between India and the African nations.” The six-day AIKEYME exercise from April 13 to 18 includes participation from Como ros, Djibouti, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles and South Africa, alongside the co-hosts India and Tanzania. 
•  “This initiative aligns with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, promoting Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions (MAHASAGAR),” the Navy said. 
•  The Indian Naval Ship Chennai (destroyer) and INS Kesari (Landing Ship Tank - Large) arrived in Dar-es-Salaam ahead of the exercise, and the inauguration ceremony of AI KEYME was co-hosted on board, along with the Tanzania Peoples’ Defence Force (TPDF). 
•  A Ceremonial Guard was also paraded onboard INS Chennai with TPDF and Indian Navy band playing in unison the national anthems of respective countries. 

12. DRDO tests laser weapon system that can disable missiles and drones

•  The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Sunday announced the successful trial of the Mk-II(A) Laser Directed Energy Weapon (DEW) system “mastering the technology of disabling missiles, drones and small er projectiles”. 
•  The success has put India in the exclusive club of nations which have the high-power Laser-DEW system, the DRDO said in a statement. “Indigenously designed and developed Mk-II(A) DEW system was demonstrated in its entire spectrum of capability by engaging the fixed wing drones at long range, thwarting a multiple drone attack and destroying enemy surveillance sensors and antennae,” the statement said. 
•  “The lightning speed of engagement, the precision and the lethality delivered at the target within a few seconds made it the most potent counter drone system.” 
• “Cost of firing it for a few seconds is equivalent to the cost of a couple of litres of petrol. Therefore, it has the potential to be a long term and low-cost alternative to defeat the target,” the DRDO said. 
•  Detailing the functioning of the system, the statement said once detected by a radar or by its inbuilt Electro Optic (EO) system, laser-DEW can engage targets at the speed of light and use an intense laser beam to cut through the target, leading to structural failure or more impact ful results if the warhead is targeted. 
• This type of cutting edge weaponry has the potential to revolutionise the battlespace by reducing the reliance on expensive ammunition, while also lowering the risk of collateral damage, it stated. The trial was carried out at the National Open Air Range, Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh. 

13. Karnataka govt signs MoU with European firms to run e-RT in Hubballi-Dharwad 

•  The Karnataka government has signed an MoU with European companies to start a pilot electric rapid transit (e-RT) project between Hubballi and Dharwad. 
•  This is a fully electric system and will operate on elevated roads in the city and on the ground in other places. In this, 250 people can travel at a time. 
•  This metro-style transportation system is being successfully implemented in many European countries. 

About Karnataka 

•  Capital – Bengaluru 
•  Chief Minister –Siddaramaiah 
•  Deputy Chief Minister – DK Shivakumar 
•  Governor – Thawar Chand Gehlot 

14. Telangana Launches ‘Rajiv Yuva Vikasam Scheme 2025’ to Empower Marginalized Youth

•   Telangana government launched the ‘Rajiv Yuva Vikasam Scheme 2025’ to promote economic self-sufficiency and entrepreneurship among youth from SC, ST, BC, Minority, and EBC/EWS communities. 
•  The scheme is implemented through respective community welfare corporations, aiming to boost financial independence through targeted support. 
•  Eligible beneficiaries can avail concessional subsidized loans of up to ₹4 lakh to start their own businesses and pursue entrepreneurial ventures. 

About Telangana 

•  Established – 2 June 2014 
•  Capital – Hyderabad 
•  Chief Minister – Revanth Reddy (replace K. Chandrashekar Rao) 
•  Deputy CM – Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka
•   Governor – Jishnu Dev Varma 

15. Mauritius becomes first African country to sign ISA’s Country Partnership Framework

•   Mauritius has become the first African country to sign a Country Partnership Framework (CPF) with the International Solar Alliance (ISA). It is also the fourth country globally, after Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Cuba, to sign the CPF. 
•  This partnership aims to provide a structured approach for collaboration between ISA and Mauritius on solar energy initiatives, aligning with the country’s national priorities.
•  The CPF is a strategic initiative developed by ISA to facilitate longand medium-term cooperation with its member countries 
•  The International Solar Alliance (ISA) is a treaty-based intergovernmental organization, launched in 2015 by India and France, aimed at promoting solar energy as a sustainable solution for energy access and climate change, with the goal of mobilizing USD 1 trillion in solar investments by 2030. 
•  Director General of ISA – Ashish Khanna