Published on: April 10, 2025
Snippets : 10 APRIL 2025
Snippets : 10 APRIL 2025
- Terminal 2 (T2) of Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru has become India’s first airport terminal to receive the prestigious 5-star rating from Skytrax, a globally recognized benchmark for airport excellence. This achievement places T2 among a select group of top-rated terminals worldwide. The rating was awarded based on a thorough audit of over 800 passenger touchpoints across 30+ categories, such as design, hygiene, digital services, and customer care. T2 was also named the Best Regional Airport in India and South Asia. Key features behind this recognition include its biophilic “Terminal in a Garden” design, DigiYatra biometric entry, the AI-powered BLR Pulse App, advanced queue and immigration systems, and inclusive amenities like a dedicated sensory room. Furthermore, the terminal has demonstrated a strong commitment to environmental sustainability, earning Platinum LEED pre-certification and ACI Level 5 Carbon Accreditation, along with providing curated retail, dining, and premium lounge facilities.
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has reduced the repo rate by 25 basis points to 6%, aiming to stimulate economic growth and ease borrowing costs, though it may reduce interest income for savers. This decision, made unanimously by the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), comes amid global economic uncertainty driven by trade tensions, especially U.S. tariff policies. Consequently, the GDP growth forecast for 2025–26 has been revised downward from 6.7% to 6.5%, with risks flagged due to global volatility. The RBI has shifted its policy stance from neutral to accommodative, indicating a pro-growth approach and potential future rate cuts. While inflation is expected to remain manageable, the RBI is monitoring both upward risks (e.g., currency pressures) and downward risks (e.g., falling global commodity prices). Following the repo rate cut, the Standing Deposit Facility (SDF) is now at 5.75%, while the Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) and Bank Rate are at 6.25%. The repo rate, the interest rate at which RBI lends to commercial banks, directly impacts lending and deposit rates, influencing consumer spending, business investment, and overall economic activity.
- The Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis), found mainly in India and Nepal along the Himalayan foothills, is currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. India’s major populations reside in Kaziranga National Park and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary in Assam, and Jaldapara National Park in West Bengal. Due to overpopulation and genetic stagnation in key areas, a new conservation action plan has been developed by the Wildlife Institute of India alongside rhino experts. The plan includes translocating rhinos to less populated sanctuaries across Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Assam to enhance genetic diversity, reduce habitat pressure, and minimize territorial aggression. Kaziranga, with the largest rhino population (2,613 as per 2022 census), is expected to contribute significantly to the translocation, while Pobitora, known for having the highest rhino density globally, will also donate rhinos to ease population stress and reduce conflict and inbreeding. The translocation strategy includes moving rhinos from Kaziranga to Jaldapara and from Pobitora to Gorumara. These efforts aim to ensure long-term sustainability and resilience of rhino populations through habitat expansion and improved conservation practices.
- The Biomass satellite, developed by the European Space Agency (ESA), is set to launch on 29 April 2025 aboard the Vega-C rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. It is the first satellite equipped with a long-wavelength P-band radar, allowing it to penetrate dense forest canopies and create detailed 3D maps of tropical forests. Its two-phased mission involves mapping global forest structures and estimating above-ground biomass and forest height on a global scale. By detecting how much carbon forests absorb and store, the mission supports research on the global carbon cycle, deforestation, and climate change mitigation. The P-band radar technology is particularly important because it offers unprecedented insight into forest density and health, which has traditionally been hard to measure from the ground. The satellite, which arrived at the launch site in March 2025, is currently undergoing final health checks.
- A recent study discovered that electrically charging a water droplet can prevent it from splashing when it hits a hard surface. In the experiment, researchers used a syringe needle and a copper hoop to charge the droplet. High-speed video recordings revealed that while the charged drop still formed a thin sheet called a lamella, it did not lift off the surface to cause a splash. Interestingly, the researchers noted that after surpassing a certain charge level, the droplet made no splash at all. However, this anti-splashing effect only worked on insulating surfaces, not on conducting ones. This finding could have practical applications in industries where splash control is important, such as inkjet printing, agriculture, and microfabrication.
- The state government has announced the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Awards for 2023, 2024, and 2025, honoring 15 outstanding achievers from various fields. For 2023, the winners include Hariharananda Swamy (Social Service), Indudhara Honnapura (Journalism), Rudrappa Hanagawadi (Administration), Seetavva Jodatti (Eradication of Devadasi practice), and K. Pundalikarao Shettiba (Social Service and Politics). In 2024, the awards go to Sridhara Kaliveera (Activism), Mallajamma (Social Service and Politics), Ramdev Raake (Journalism), Y.B. Himmadi (Literature and Social Service), and Lakshmipathy Kolar (Literature and Organisation). Finally, the 2025 winners include Dattatreya Ikkalagi (Publication), Mavalli Shankar (Activist), F.H. Jakkappanavar (Activism), Honnur Gowramma (Folk Art), and Eerappa (Dalit Activism).
- Lok Sabha Speaker recently delivered the keynote address on ‘Parliamentary Action for Social Development and Justice’ at the 150th Assembly of Inter-Parliamentary Union in Tashkent.
- The Union Cabinet approved “Modernisation of Command Area Development and Water Management (M-CADWM)” as a sub-scheme of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY). This initiative, with an initial outlay of ₹1,600 crore, is set to run from 2025-26 and is designed to enhance the irrigation infrastructure in India. Its key goal is to modernise the irrigation water supply network, ensuring that water reaches the designated farming clusters from existing canals or other water sources. This will help farmers, a note from the Jal Shakti Ministry said, with small land-holdings, by improving water-use efficiency through the use of advanced technologies such as Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition and the Internet of Things. In addition to modernising the irrigation systems, the scheme aims to build sustainable farming practices in the country.
- NATO members Poland, Finland, and all three Baltic states have recently expressed intentions to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention, which is also known as the Mine Ban Treaty. This treaty prohibits the use, stockpiling, production, and transfer of anti-personnel landmines (APLs) and mandates that states-parties destroy their stockpiled APLs within four years and eliminate all APL holdings, including existing landmines, within a decade, with the possibility of requesting renewable extensions of up to 10 years. Furthermore, member states are required to report annually on their APL stockpiles, technical specifications, mined areas, and the status of destruction efforts. The convention, which has no expiration date and is open for adherence by all nations, came into force on March 1, 1999, and has been ratified by 164 countries, although some significant producers and users of landmines, including the United States, China, India, Pakistan, and Russia, have yet to sign the treaty.
