Daily Current Affairs and GK | 11 April 2025

Topic: MoUs and Agreements

1. An MoU signed between India and Nepal on cooperation in the field of agriculture.

• India and Nepal signed an MoU on agricultural cooperation during the 3rd BIMSTEC Agriculture Ministerial-level meeting on 9 April.
• The agreement was signed by India's Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Nepal's Agriculture and Livestock Development Minister Ram Nath Adhikari.
• This MoU will replace the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two countries on 6 December 1991.
• The ministers reviewed bilateral cooperation in the field of agriculture and discussed ways to further enhance cooperation for mutual benefit.
• The agreement aims to boost collaboration between India and Nepal in enhancing crop productivity, post-harvest management, agri-marketing, and promoting climate-resilient, sustainable farming practices.
• This agreement will provide new impetus to the ongoing cooperation, especially in areas such as improving crop productivity, post-harvest management, and marketing.
• The 3rd BIMSTEC Agriculture Ministerial Meeting (BAMM) was held on 9 April in Kathmandu, Nepal.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Art And Culture

2. 'Ayodhya Parv 2025' is being held from 11 to 13 April at Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) in New Delhi. 

• The event honors the cultural, artistic, and spiritual significance of Ayodhya. 
• It brings together religious leaders, cultural thinkers, policymakers, scholars, and artists from across India. 
• The festival started on 11 April with the opening of an exhibition by renowned artist Padma Shri Vasudev Kamath. 
• The exhibition showcases works inspired by 'Maryada Purushottam' (Lord Rama). 
• Two special exhibitions are also be on display. 
• One will focus on 'Sundarakanda' Pahari miniatures. 
• The other will highlight the pilgrimage tradition of the 'Chaurasi Kos Parikrama' around Ayodhya. 
• On 12 April, a symposium on 'Temple Management in Indian Society' will be held. 
• A second symposium will focus on 'The Role of Goswami Tulsidas in Shaping Indian Culture'. 
• On 13 April, a symposium titled 'Shri Ram in the Writings of Kuber Nath Rai' will be held, featuring Hindi scholars. 
• The closing ceremony will include dignitaries such as Pujya Govind Dev Giri Ji Maharaj and Shri Narendra Singh Tomar. 
• The final performances will include 'Alha' singing and folk songs by Faujdar Singh and Vijaya Bharti. 
• Ayodhya Parv 2025 is organized by IGNCA and Shri Ayodhya Nyas. The festival celebrates Indian spirituality, art, and values. 

Topic: State News/Telangana

3. ‘AI Rising Grand Challenge’ launched by the Telangana government to resolve public sector issues.

• The initiative was inaugurated by State Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to serve as a unified data exchange, bringing together high-quality datasets from various government departments and partner organizations.
• This platform will support the development, testing, and scaling of AI solutions in real-world scenarios by providing secure and structured access to these datasets as well as many other functionalities.
• By fostering collaboration across government, startups, industry, and academia, it will help accelerate innovation and promote widespread AI implementation in the state.
• The Grand Challenge is being led by the State IT Electronics and Communication Department and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), along with support from other important ecosystem enablers.
• The Telangana AI Rising Grand Challenge focuses on high-impact use cases in key sectors such as education, healthcare, public transport, etc.
• The challenge aims to harness AI's power to improve governance, boost citizen services, and drive public sector innovation through tools like interactive learning and predictive healthcare models.
• The winner of the challenge for each use case will receive a cash prize of Rs 15 lakh to implement pilot projects within the state of Telangana.

Topic: State News/Punjab

4. The ‘Veera’ mascot launched by Milkfed in Punjab to promote the Verka brand on a nationwide scale.

• To boost sales and raise product awareness across India, Milkfed—the seventh largest Punjab-based milk cooperative of India—has introduced ‘Veera’ as the new mascot for its Verka dairy brand.
• At the MARKFED-run Verka Milk Plant, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann launched the mascot Veera and laid the foundation stone for a new fermented products unit.
• The mascot, Veera, which means brother, depicts a smiling young Sikh boy greeting with folded hands.
• This mascot is inspired by the iconic Amul girl dressed in a polka-dot frock with blue hair and a half-pony tied up.
• On April 9, the mascot was launched during the foundation stone-laying ceremony of a Rs 135 crore project in Amritsar district.
• It aims to expand the capacity of sterilized flavored milk and new fermented dairy products like lassi, curd, and flavored milk.
• Along with this, Verka is now also being launched on e-commerce platform so that its quality products can be made available online to everyone across the world.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: State News/Uttar Pradesh

5. PM Modi launched development projects valued at ₹3,880 crore in Varanasi.

• On 11 April, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
• In Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, he inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for development projects worth more than ₹3,880 crore for infrastructure development and road connectivity in Varanasi.
• Apart from this, the foundation stone was also laid for a road bridge between Varanasi Ring Road and Sarnath, flyovers at Bhikharipur and Manduadih crossings, and a highway underpass road tunnel on NH-31 at Varanasi International Airport at a cost of over Rs 980 crore.
• Constructed at a cost of Rs 1,045 crore, two 400 kV and one 220 kV transmission substations and associated transmission lines in Jaunpur, Chandauli and Ghazipur districts of Varanasi division were also inaugurated.
• At a cost of more than Rs 775 crore, the foundation stone was also laid for a 220 kV transmission substation at Chaukaghat in Varanasi, a 132 kV transmission substation at Ghazipur, and a Varanasi city electricity distribution system.
• For the first time, PM Modi handed out Ayushman Vay Vandana cards to citizens over the age of 70.
• Geographical Indication (GI) certificates for local items like tabla, painting, thandai, and tiranga barfi presented by the Prime Minister.
• In Madhya Pradesh's Ashoknagar district, the Prime Minister visited Anandpur Dham in Isagarh Tehsil and took part in darshan and pooja at the Guru Ji Maharaj Temple.

Topic: Summits/Conferences/Meetings

6. On 10 April, the 9th edition of the Global Technology Summit (GTS) 2025 kicked off in New Delhi.

• This year's summit is being held from April 10 to 12 with the theme 'Sambhavna.'
• The theme means possibilities, and it will explore how emerging technologies can promote inclusive growth, strengthen digital governance, and deepen cross-border partnerships.
• Over 40 public sessions, including keynote addresses, ministerial conversations, expert panels, and strategic conversations, will take place during the three-day summit.
• Over 150 speakers from more than 40 countries will join together to discuss the most important technology challenges and opportunities facing the world today.
• The voice of the next generation will also be raised in this year's summit.
• Students and young professionals across the country will contribute directly to policy conversations on digital futures, responsible AI, and global tech norms through the GTS Young Ambassadors program.
• The Global Technology Summit (GTS), co-hosted by Carnegie India and the Ministry of External Affairs, serves as India’s leading forum on geo-technology.
• The first edition of the Global Technology Summit was held in 2016.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Infrastructure and Energy

7. New Badnawar-Ujjain National Highway inaugurated by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari in Madhya Pradesh.

• The highway is located in Badnawar, in the Dhar district. 
• It was built at a cost of ₹1,352 crore under the Bharatmala initiative. 
• At the same event, Mr. Gadkari laid the foundation stone for 10 new road projects. 
• These projects cover a total length of 328 kilometers. They are estimated to cost ₹5,800 crore. 
• Mr. Gadkari also announced the construction of five Greenfield Economic Corridors in the state. 
• These corridors will involve an investment of ₹33,000 crore. 
• A world-class, iconic bridge will be built over the Narmada River in Omkareshwar. 
• The minister also revealed plans for six new ropeway systems across Madhya Pradesh. 
• These ropeways will be developed at a cost of ₹1,200 crore. 
• He stated that infrastructure projects worth ₹3 lakh crore will be completed in the state within a year.

Topic: Sports

8. Indian shooters Rudrankksh Patil and Arya Borse won a silver medal at the 2025 ISSF World Cup.

• They competed in the 10-meter air rifle mixed team event. 
• The tournament took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina. 
• The Indian team lost in the final to China’s Song Buhan and Wang Zifei. 
• The final score was 17-9 in favor of the Chinese pair. 
• This silver medal increased India’s overall medal count at the event to seven. 
• India has won four gold medals so far. 
• The team also has two silver and one bronze medal. 
• India is currently ranked second in the medal standings. 
• China holds the top position on the table. 

Topic: Awards and Prizes

9. President Droupadi Murmu was awarded an Honorary Doctorate, Honoris Causa (Dr. h. c.), by Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Slovakia.

• The degree was given to her for her contributions to public service, social justice, inclusion, education, women’s empowerment, and cultural and linguistic diversity. 
• In her speech, President Murmu spoke about the power of education.
• She shared her personal journey from being a teacher to becoming India’s head of state.
• Constantine the Philosopher University is one of Slovakia's top institutions.
• It is named after Saint Constantine – Cyril, an important figure in the country’s history. 
• The Honorary Doctorate (Dr. h. c.) is awarded by the university’s Scientific Council.
• It is given to individuals who have made significant contributions to education, culture, science, humanism, democracy, and international understanding.

Topic: Important Days

10. World Parkinson’s Day: 11 April

• World Parkinson’s Day is observed every year on 11 April to raise awareness of Parkinson’s disease.
• Parkinson’s disease is a neurological condition in which involuntary shaking occurs in body muscles.
• Parkinson’s can cause slowness of the movements, stiffness and shakiness of the body.
• It is the world’s second most common neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer’s disease.
• In 1817, the first person to discover the first case of Parkinson's disease was Dr. James Parkinson.
• In 1997, 11 April of every year was declared as World Parkinson's Day by the European Association for Parkinson's disease.
• Parkinson's disease mostly affects individuals over 60.
• Loss of dopamine-producing neurons in substantia nigra area of brain causes this disease.
• Dopamine controls movement and coordination. Decline in its levels affect the body’s ability to move.
• One of the risk factors for this disease is ageing.