NATIONAL NEWS

Center Launches 7th Edition Of Poshan Pakhwada In April 2025

The government of India has launched the nationwide 7th edition of Poshan Pakhwada on 8th April 2025. The duration of the 7th edition of Poshan Pakhwada is from 8th April to 22nd April 2025.

The 7th edition of Poshan Pakhwada was formally launched by the Union Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Smt. Savitri Thakur at a function in New Delhi.

Poshan Pakhwada is part of the Poshan Abhiyaan programme of the central government, which focuses on raising public awareness and promoting community participation in addressing malnutrition amongst pregnant women, lactating mothers, adolescent girls, and children under the age of six years.

The Union Ministry of Women and Child Development is the nodal body for implementing the Poshan Pakhwada.

The aim of the 7th Poshan Pakhwada is to bring together various stakeholders to improve nutrition outcomes at the grassroots level

Tamil Nadu Set To Become ‘Numero Uno’ With Maximum GI Tags

Tamil Nadu has the second highest number of GI products, next only to Uttar Pradesh, which has 79 products in its kitty.

The central region of Tamil Nadu significantly contributes to this achievement, with Thanjavur district alone accounting for 11 GI-tagged products.

Notable items from this region include the Thanjavur Netti Works and Nachiarkoil Kuthuvilakku.

Intellectual Property Rights Attorney Sanjai Gandhi has played a pivotal role in this endeavor, assisting in securing GI tags for 54 products over two decades.

In the 2025-26 agricultural budget, an allocation of ₹15 lakh was made to secure GI tags for five additional agricultural products: Nallur Varagu (Cuddalore), Vedharanyam Mullai (Nagapattinam), Natham Puli (Dindigul), Ayakudi Koyya (Dindigul), and Kappalpatti Karumbu Murungai (Dindigul). ​

Recent additions to Tamil Nadu's GI list include the Chedibutta cotton sarees from Tirunelveli, 'Matti' banana from Kanyakumari, and Jaderi Namakatti from Tiruvannamalai.

These recognitions not only celebrate the state's rich cultural heritage but also enhance marketability and export potential for these unique products.

BANKING

Reserve Bank of India Launches Verified WhatsApp Channel

In a move to enhance public awareness and promote financial literacy, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has launched a verified WhatsApp channel under its ongoing ‘RBI Kehta Hai’ initiative.

This step by the RBI aims to deliver crucial financial information directly to citizens in a simple and accessible manner.

The RBI has been conducting public awareness campaigns through various platforms, including text messages, television, and digital advertisements.

With the introduction of the WhatsApp channel, the RBI plans to strengthen its outreach efforts and ensure that important financial messages reach people across different regions of the country.

The central bank stated that the WhatsApp channel would share updates on financial literacy, fraud prevention, and secure banking practices.

This initiative is expected to increase accessibility, strengthen public trust, and promote safer banking habits among users.

The rise of digital payments has also led to growing risks of financial fraud.

During the inauguration ceremony of Digital Payments Awareness Week 2025 in Mumbai, RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra stated that the RBI will continue to ensure innovation in digital payment systems across the country.

Securis Finance Gets RBI’s Approval to Operate as NBFC

Securis Finance Pvt. Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of FirstPay Technologies, has received approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to operate as a Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC).

The company is entering the education loan sector with a strong vision for growth.

The firm plans to disburse ₹100 crore in education loans during its first year, aiming to reach ₹1,000 crore by 2030.

Loan amounts will range between ₹50,000 to ₹5 lakh, and the company expects to serve over 10,000 students in the first year alone.

The company is focusing on students in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Hyderabad, and Pune, cities known for their robust educational infrastructure.

It also aims to partner with more than 50 institutions and fintech platforms, with the long-term goal of supporting 1,00,000 students annually by 2030.

ECONOMY

Finance Ministry to Roll Out ‘One State-One RRB’ Plan

The Government of India is set to implement the ‘One State-One RRB’ plan to enhance operational efficiency and reduce costs by consolidating the number of Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) from 43 to 28.

This move is part of the fourth phase of amalgamation, and most of the groundwork has already been completed.

States such as Andhra Pradesh (which currently has 4 RRBs), Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal (3 each), as well as Bihar, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Rajasthan (2 each), are slated for consolidation.

In Telangana, the asset and liability bifurcation between Andhra Pradesh Grameena Vikas Bank (APGVB) and Telangana Grameena Bank has been concluded.

The government had previously infused ₹5,445 crore in growth capital over two years starting in 2021–22 to support RRBs ahead of consolidation.

As a result, RRBs posted a record consolidated net profit of ₹7,571 crore in 2023–24.

Their capital adequacy ratio reached an all-time high of 14.2%, and gross NPAs stood at 6.1%, the lowest in the last decade.

Originally created under the RRB Act of 1976 to serve rural communities such as farmers and artisans, RRBs have seen structural changes over the years.

The Act was amended in 2015 to allow these banks to raise capital from non-government sources.

However, the combined shareholding of the Centre and sponsor banks must remain at or above 51%.

AWARDS & PRIZES

President Murmu Receives “Key Of Honour” Of Lisbon City In Portugal

President Droupadi Murmu was made the honouary citizen of the city of Lisbon, capital of Portugal, and was presented with the prestigious “Key of Honour” of Lisbon City on 7 April 2025.

The key was presented to President Murmu by the Mayor of Lisbon, Carlos Moedas, at the historic Câmara Municipal de Lisboa.

President Murmu is on a two-nation official visit to Portugal and Slovakia from 7-10 April 2025.

Both countries are celebrating 50 years of the re-establishment of diplomatic ties.

A postage stamp was released in the presence of President Murmu, and President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa of Portugal released, commemorating 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The stamps depict Rajasthan's Kalbeliya costume and the traditional Viana do Castelo dress of Portugal.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Deputy Chief Information Officer of Bombay Stock Exchange

Viral Davda, a professional with more than 20 years of experience, has been appointed as Deputy Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Bombay Stock Exchange Limited (BSE).

This is a major career milestone for him and signifies how BSE is committed to advancing its technology setup to keep pace with changing market needs.

Davda brings a wealth of experience from his tenure at the National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange Limited (NCDEX), where he held various senior leadership roles over 15 years.

Recently, he served as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) since April 2021.

At NCDEX, Davda led many change-making projects, such as transitioning systems to hybrid cloud environments and adopting innovative solutions to improve operational effectiveness.

His work was recognized with the “CTO of the Year” award in the NBFC category at the 2022 BFSI Technology Excellence Awards.

At BSE, Davda will be utilizing his extensive experience in technology strategy, innovation, and project management to spearhead IT infrastructure developments.

IMPORTANT DAYS

National Maritime Day

Every year, National Maritime Day in India is celebrated on the 5th of April.

The World Maritime Day theme for 2025 "Our Ocean, Our Obligation, Our Opportunity"

It is a day celebrated to show gratitude to the men who spend many months in the sea, carrying out the bulk of India’s trade and commerce at a global level.

India also became a member of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in 1959.

IMO is responsible for maritime protection and preventing pollution from ships.