NATIONAL NEWS

Telangana Government Launches Bhu Bharati Portal

The Telangana government has launched the Bhu Bharati portal to make land record management simple, transparent and accessible to the public.

The Portal was launched by the Telangana Chief Minister, A Revanth Reddy, on 14th April 2025, coinciding with the 135th birth anniversary of Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar.

The portal replaces the Dharani portal introduced by the previous BRS government led by K Chandrashekhar Rao.

The state government has initially launched the Bhu Bharati Portal as a pilot project in four mandals - Khammam, Mulugu, Kodangal, and Kamareddy.

According to the Chief Minister, the Mandal revenue officer will visit every revenue village in these mandals to resolve land-related issues by 1st May 2025.

The state government intends to roll out the Bhu Bharati Portal all over the state by 2nd June 2025, the foundation day of Telangana.

The Bhu Bharati portal is a comprehensive digital platform that provides a host of services to the users.

The users can use the portal to access a range of services like land registrations and mutations, appeals against mutations, revisions, and conversion of agricultural land to non-agricultural use.

The portal also provides access to land-related data, land rights, including e-challans, encumbrance and prohibited land details, market value and registered documents.

APEDA Collaborated With The Government Of Arunachal Pradesh

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), in collaboration with the Government of Arunachal Pradesh, hosted an International Conclave cum Buyer-Seller Meet (IBSM) at the Kalawangpo Convention Hall in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh.

The event aimed to promote agricultural and processed food exports from Arunachal Pradesh and the broader North-Eastern Region (NER) of India.

Shri Pema Khandu, the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, committed to developing the agricultural and allied sectors, focusing on enhancing farmer livelihoods, empowering Self-Help Groups (SHGs), and encouraging women-led development.

He envisioned boosting agri-exports of GI tagged products such as Khaw Tai Rice (Khamti Rice), Mandarin Orange, Kiwi, Apple, Persimmon, and Yak Cheese (Churpi) to South East Asian and ASEAN countries.

He encouraged both domestic and international buyers to invest in the state’s untapped potential.

Shri Gabriel Denwang Wangsu, the Minister of Agriculture, Government of Arunachal Pradesh, emphasized the need to raise awareness and build the capacity of farmers to ensure they receive fair prices for their products in both domestic and international markets.

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Second National Horticulture Expo 2081

The Second National Horticulture Expo 2081 in Nepal, held over four days at Bhrikutimandap in Kathmandu Valley, concluded.

The expo showcased commercial nursery products including flowers, fruits, agricultural plants, forestry species, and herbs, drawing garden and plant enthusiasts from across the country.

Over 700 species of plants were exhibited, sourced from flower, fruit, agro-forestry, and herbal nurseries.

The expo featured a wide array of horticultural products available for sale, including Commercial nursery products (flowers, fruits, agricultural plants, forestry species, herbs), Fertilizers, organic and chemical pesticides and Seeds, flower pots, tools, and horticulture technology.

The expo facilitated vibrant business activity, with more than 12 million transactions recorded during the mega fair.

 

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Maharashtra Signs Memorandum of Understanding with Russia's ROSATOM

The Maharashtra government has signed an MoU with ROSATOM, Russia’s state-owned nuclear energy corporation, to develop Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) powered by thorium fuel.

The agreement was signed in the presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis under the ‘Make in Maharashtra’ initiative, aiming to boost advanced nuclear technology in the state.

MAHAGENCO and ROSATOM’s Thorium SMR programme will collaborate on:

Development of thorium-fueled SMRs within Maharashtra.

Commercial deployment as per Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) safety norms.

Setting up a local manufacturing and assembly line to scale reactor production.

MITRA (Maharashtra Institution for Transformation) will provide strategic support to the project.

European Space Agency (ESA) Biomass Satellite Mission 2025

The Biomass Satellite Mission, led by the European Space Agency (ESA), is set to launch in April 2025 aboard the Vega C rocket from French Guiana.

It is the seventh mission under ESA’s Earth Explorer programme and will be placed in a sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) at an altitude of approximately 666 km.

The mission aims to map global forests, measure forest biomass, and evaluate carbon stock and carbon flux.

It will help scientists understand the role of forests in the carbon cycle and track the impact of deforestation and CO₂ emissions.

In addition to forest monitoring, the satellite will observe ice sheet movement in Antarctica and create digital models of densely vegetated terrains.

It will use Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) technology operating in the P-band frequency range (70 cm wavelength)—making it the first satellite in the world to carry a P-band SAR.

The radar is mounted on a large 12-meter deployable antenna.

Earth’s interior, cryosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, ionosphere, and land surfaces.

The first mission in this series, GOCE, launched in 2009, focused on gravity and ocean circulation.

The most recent mission before Biomass was EarthCARE, launched in May 2024, which studies clouds, aerosols, and radiation.

 

BANKING

RBI Promotes Continuous Fintech Innovation with On Tap Sandbox

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced a ‘Theme Neutral’ ‘On Tap’ application facility under its Regulatory Sandbox (RS) on April 9, 2025.

This move allows continuous and theme-independent submission of applications for testing innovative fintech solutions.

The Regulatory Sandbox was launched in 2019.

Until now, it operated using theme-based cohorts (four completed).

The RBI now enables applications under an open theme model rather than waiting for specific cohorts.

The earlier ‘On Tap’ facility (announced in October 2021) allowed applications under closed cohort themes.

The new model promotes proactive engagement and broader inclusion of fintech innovations.

The RBI aims to boost fintech by enabling experimentation, consumer safety, and regulatory flexibility.

The model supports a dynamic regulatory environment suited for rapid technological changes in finance.

HDFC Bank Executes India’s First Gold Forward Deal from GIFT City

HDFC Bank has become the first Indian bank to execute a gold forward deal from GIFT City,

The transaction was carried out by the bank’s International Banking Unit (IBU) in collaboration with Hindustan Platinum, a global refiner and manufacturer of high-purity precious metals.

A gold forward deal is an agreement to buy or sell gold at a fixed price on a future date. It enables businesses to hedge against price risks, offering financial protection from market volatility.

With regulatory support, onshore entities exposed to gold price fluctuations can now hedge their risks via GIFT City, opening new avenues for secure bullion trading.

HDFC Bank’s IBU acts as a trading and clearing member of the Indian International Bullion Exchange (IIBX). This initiative supports the growth of India's bullion ecosystem and strengthens GIFT City’s position as a global financial hub.

 

AWARDS & PRIZES

Aamir Khan Honoured with ‘Master Humor Award’

Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan received the prestigious ‘Master Humor Award’ at the Macau International Comedy Festival 2025 held in Macau, China.

Aamir Khan is hugely popular in China and affectionately nicknamed ‘Uncle Mi’.

Aamir joined popular Chinese comedians Ma Li and Shen Teng in a panel discussion titled ‘Laughter is the Best Medicine’.

The discussion focused on the future of comedy and its role in social change.

 

SPORTS

Archery World Cup 2025 Stage 1

The Indian archers finished their campaign at the Archery World Cup 2025 Stage 1 with four medals—one gold, one silver and two bronze. India also finished fourth in the medal tally behind Mexico, China, and the USA.

The first stage of the 2025 Archery World Cup was held in Auburndale, Florida, in the United States of America from 8-13 April 2025.

Rishabh Yadav and Jyothi Surekha Vennam won the solitary gold for India in the Compound mixed team competition. They defeated I-Jou Huang and Chieh-Lun Chen of Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) in the final.

Dhiraj Bommadevara won the bronze medal in the Men’s Recurve event, defeating Spain’s Andres Temino 6-4

Rishabh Yadav, Abhishek Verma, and Ojas Deotale won a bronze medal in the men’s Compound event.