CURRENT AFFAIRS
19 April, 2025
1. INDIA’S EXPORTS TO THE US HIT A RECORD USD 86.51 BILLION, BOOSTED BY FRONT-LOADING SHIPMENTS AMID TARIFF FEARS, WHILE IMPORTS FROM CHINA SURGED TO USD 113.45 BILLION, SIGNALING GROWING RELIANCE ON CHINA AND SHIFTING GLOBAL TRADE DYNAMICS –
What are the Key Factors Driving India’s Trade Performance-
• Front-Loading Strategy: The sharp increase in exports can largely be attributed to exporters rushing to dispatch shipments ahead of the anticipated reciprocal tariff hikes that came into effect in April.
• Demand and Market Penetration: India’s export share in key markets such as the US and the UK rose by 13.73% and 14.31%, respectively, indicating stronger demand and improved market penetration.
• Sectoral Rise in Export: A major contributor to this growth was the electronics sector, which saw a 32% rise in exports driven primarily by booming smartphone shipments taking the total to USD 38 billion.
• Coffee exports surged by 40% to reach $1.8 billion. This sharp rise was supported by global supply disruptions caused by drought and high temperatures in Brazil, one of the world’s top coffee producers.
• Services Exports: It grew by 12.45%, reaching USD 383.51 billion during FY25. With services imports standing at USD 195.95 billion, India maintained a healthy surplus in its services trade.
2. SHINKANSEN TRAINS AND BULLET TRAIN PROJECT –
• Japan is set to provide India with two Shinkansen train sets (E5 and E3 series) at no cost in 2026.
• Shinkansen Trains (E5 Series): It has been operational since 2011. With a speed of 320 km/h, it was initially chosen for India’s first bullet train line.
• Known for its aerodynamic design, advanced safety systems, and smooth ride quality, it represents the cutting edge of high-speed rail technology.
• Shinkansen Trains (E3 Series): A slightly slow and older model primarily used for mini-shinkansen services, it shares similar features to the E5 series, such as safety mechanisms.
• Bullet Train Project (Mumbai-Ahemdabad): Implemented by the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Ltd. (NHSRCL), the project incorporates Japanese Shinkansen technology.
• The project is funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), covering about 80% of the costs.
• The Project was initially scheduled for completion by 2022, but the revised deadline is now 2028.
• The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor is part of India’s National Rail Plan (NRP) 2030.
3. INDIAN AIR FORCE JOINS MULTINATIONAL EXERCISE DESERT FLAG-10 IN UAE –
• The Indian Air Force (IAF) has deployed a contingent to the Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates to participate in Exercise Desert Flag-10, a prestigious multinational air combat exercise.
• This strategic engagement, scheduled to take place from April 21 to May 8, 2025, represents India’s continued commitment to enhancing its military cooperation with global partners and strengthening its operational capabilities through international collaboration.
• The Indian contingent has brought its combat-proven aircraft to the exercise, featuring the versatile MiG-29 fighter jets and Jaguar strike aircraft. These platforms offer complementary capabilities, with the MiG-29 excelling in air superiority roles while the Jaguar provides ground attack expertise.
• The deployment of these specific aircraft reflects the IAF’s strategic approach to maximizing training benefits while showcasing its operational readiness and technical proficiency in different combat scenarios.
4. ISRO-NASA NISAR MISSION LIKELY TO LAUNCH IN JUNE 2025 –
• The much-anticipated NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) satellite mission a unique collaborative project between India’s ISRO and NASA is now expected to be launched in June 2025.
• This milestone comes after several delays, particularly during the assembly and testing stages. ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan updated Union Science Minister Jitendra Singh on the upcoming space initiatives, including NISAR and other key missions planned for May.
• NISAR is designed to revolutionize Earth observation by offering highly detailed, repetitive insights into dynamic environmental processes.
Key Highlights of the NISAR Mission
• Mission Name: NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar)
• Launch Window: Expected in June 2025
• Launch Vehicle: GSLV (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle)
• Mission Type: Earth Observation using dual-frequency SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar)
• Agencies Involved: NASA and ISRO
5. GOVERNMENT CLARIFIES NO GST ON UPI TRANSACTIONS ABOVE ₹2,000 –
• In response to circulating media reports, the Finance Ministry of India has categorically denied any plans to impose Goods and Services Tax (GST) on Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions over ₹2,000.
• The Ministry termed such claims as false, baseless, and misleading. Reinforcing the government’s commitment to promoting digital payments, the clarification emphasizes that no MDR (Merchant Discount Rate) is charged on person-to-merchant (P2M) UPI transactions, and thus no GST applies to such transactions either.
MCQ QUIZ
Q1. What is “K2-18b” that was recently seen in news ?
a) Asteroid
b) Exoplanet
c) Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV)
d) Newly discovered invasive weed
Q2. Which two classical Indian texts were recently inscribed in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register in April 2025 ?
a) Vedas and Ramayana
b) Arthashastra and Manusmriti
c) Mahabharata and Upanishads
d) Shrimad Bhagavad Gita and Natyashastra
Q3. Who is the current Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) ?
a) Christine Lagarde
b) Kristalina Georgieva
c) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
d) Gita Gopinath
Q4. Consider the following statements about types of processing units:
1. CPUs are general-purpose processors designed for sequential execution of tasks.
2. GPUs are application-specific processors limited to graphical rendering.
3. TPUs are optimized for neural network operations, making them ideal for AI model training.
How many of the above statements are correct ?
a) Only one
b) Only two
c) All three
d) None
Explanation-
• Statement 1: Correct. CPUs are general-purpose and work sequentially.
• Statement 2: Incorrect. GPUs were originally for graphics but now support broader parallel processing, including machine learning.
• Statement 3: Correct. TPUs are optimized for tensor operations, key to AI training.
Q5. Consider the following statements about Olive Ridley turtles:
1. They are known for mass nesting behavior called “arribada.”
2. Their sex determination is influenced by environmental factors like temperature and moisture.
3. They exclusively nest on India’s east coast during the breeding season.
How many of the above statements are correct ?
a) Only one
b) Only two
c) All three
d) None
Explanation-
• Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Olive Ridley turtles exhibit “arribada,” where thousands of turtles come ashore to nest in synchrony. Also, like other reptiles, temperature and moisture at nesting sites influence the sex of hatchlings (warmer temperatures typically produce more females).
• However, Statement 3 is incorrect. While most nesting sites are on the east coast, such as Gahirmatha (Odisha), recent discoveries like turtle “03233” show nesting on the west coast (Maharashtra) too, indicating these turtles do not nest exclusively on the east coast.
Answer Key
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
B | D | C | B | B |