Daily Current Affairs and GK | 2 April 2025

Topic: Reports and Indices

1. UNESCO released a report titled “Education and Nutrition: Learn to Eat Well”.

• On March 27-28, the report was published on the occasion of the Nutrition Development Summit hosted by France.
• This report calls on governments to not only expand access to school meals but also improve their nutritional quality."
• In 2024, almost half of primary school pupils globally received school meals, and the agency warned that the nutritional value of these meals remains a serious concern.
• The paper highlighted that 27% of school meals worldwide were not developed with input from nutritionists.
• Of the 187 countries assessed, only 93 had any laws or guidance regarding the food served in schools.
• Whereas, even fewer countries had regulations regarding foods sold in cafeterias and vending machines.
• Studies have shown that providing school meals increased enrollment rates by 9%, attendance by 8%, and also improved learning.
• The report cites positive examples in which the use of fortified organic pearl millet in Maharashtra, India, has improved the memory and attention span of adolescents.
• UNESCO advocated the use of fresh, locally produced foods and recommended the inclusion of food education in school curricula.
• In 2025, UNESCO will develop a set of tools to help governments and education professionals better address health and nutrition issues in schools.
• This will include a practical guide and a training program.

Topic: Defence

2. The 4th edition of Exercise Tiger Triumph began on 1 April.

• The 4th edition of the bilateral tri-military Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Exercise Tiger Triumph between India and the USA is being held from 01 to 13 April 2025 off the Eastern Seaboard.
• The aim of the exercise is to develop mutual interoperability capabilities for conducting HADR activities and to build Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for setting up a Joint Coordination Centre (CCC).
• This initiative will enable rapid and smooth coordination between Indian and US Joint Task Forces (JTF) during various exercises and crisis/contingency.
• The Indian side is being represented by Indian Naval ships Jalashwa, Gharial, Mumbai, and Shakti.
• Along with these helicopters and landing craft, long-range maritime patrol aircraft P8I, Army personnel from 91 Infantry Brigade and 12 Mech Infantry Battalion, the Air Force's C-130 aircraft and MI-17 helicopters, and Rapid Action Medical Team (RAMT) will be present.
• The US side is being represented by US Navy ships Comstock and Ralph Johnson, which will carry troops from the US Marine Division.
• The Harbour Phase of the exercise is being conducted from 01 to 07 April 2025 at Visakhapatnam.
• During the exercise, the Indian Army and the US Navy will establish a joint command and control center at Kakinada Naval Enclave.
• In 2019, the "Tiger Triumph" exercise between India and the US took place for the first time.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Defence

3. INSV Tarini reached Cape Town in continuation of the Navika Sagar Parikrama II expedition.

• On 31 March, INSV Tarini has entered Cape Town, South Africa, completing the fourth and final phase of the Navika Sagar Parikrama II (NSP II) expedition.
• INSV Tarini and its crew were welcomed in Cape Town by Consul General of India Ms. Ruby Jaspreet and Chief of Staff of the South African Navy Fleet Rear Admiral (jg) Lisa Hendricks.
• The NSP II expedition was flagged off by Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi from Goa on 02 October 2024.
• It is being operated by two women officers of the Indian Navy, Lieutenant Commander Dilna K and Lieutenant Commander Roopa A, on board the Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV Tarini).
• The mission aims to cover a distance of over 23,400 nautical miles (about 43,300 kilometres) in eight months and return to Goa in May 2025.
• So far, the expedition has made three stops at Fremantle (Australia), Lyttelton (New Zealand), and Port Stanley, Falklands (UK).
• Indigenously built INSVS Tarini is a 56-foot-long sailing vessel, which was inducted into the Indian Navy in 2018.
• The Navika Sagar Parikrama-II expedition promotes women's empowerment in the Indian Armed Forces and is also expected to inspire many young women to join the forces, especially the Indian Navy.
• Navika Sagar Parikrama I was the first all-women crew circumnavigation on INSV Tarini.
• The six-member crew managed the entire expedition during their journey of 254 days from 10 September 2017 to 21 May 2018.

Topic: Summits/Conferences/Meetings

4. PM Modi will attend the sixth BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok.

• From April 3-4, PM Narendra Modi will travel to Thailand to take part in the 6th Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Summit.
• The 6th BIMSTEC Summit will be held on 4 April in Bangkok, Thailand, on the theme “Prosperous, Resilient, and Open BIMSTEC.”
• On April 3, PM Modi is scheduled to meet Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra for a bilateral discussion during his visit.
• India and Thailand’s bilateral cooperation and future partnerships will be a key focus of the discussions between the two leaders.
• In recent years, Thailand has significantly increased its investments in India, focusing on key sectors such as infrastructure, real estate, agro-processing, electronics, automotive, food processing, hospitality, and renewable energy.
• In 2021, Global Renewable Synergy Co., Ltd. made history with the biggest Thai investment in India’s renewable energy sector, totaling $453.29 million, marking a major highlight in economic collaboration.
• Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce reported that bilateral trade between India and Thailand reached $16.04 billion in 2023, with Indian exports at $5.92 billion and imports from Thailand at $10.11 billion.
• Thailand is India’s fourth-largest trading partner among ASEAN nations, ranking behind Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
• Earlier, the 5th BIMSTEC Summit was held virtually in Colombo in 2022.
• Founded in June 1997, BIMSTEC has organized five summits, held in Bangkok (2004), New Delhi (2008), Nay Pyi Taw (2014), Kathmandu (2018), and Colombo (2022).

Topic: Defence

5. India's defence exports grew 12.04% to a record ₹23,622 crore in FY 2024-25.

• On April 1, 2025, the Union Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced that the country's defence exports have reached a new record high of Rs 23,622 crore in the financial year 2024-25, a growth of 12.04% over the previous financial year.
• Compared to the defense export figures for FY 2023-24, which stood at ₹21,083 crore, the just-concluded fiscal year has registered an impressive growth of ₹2,539 crore or 12.04%.
• He said India is moving towards achieving the target of increasing defence exports to Rs 50,000 crore by 2029.
• India has evolved from a largely import-dependent military force to one with a greater focus on self-reliance and indigenous production.
• Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) have shown a significant growth of 42.85% in their exports in FY 2024-25.
• The private sector and DPSUs have contributed ₹15,233 crore and ₹8,389 crore, respectively, to defence exports for 2024-25, while the corresponding figures for FY 2023-24 were ₹15,209 crore and ₹5,874 crore, respectively.
• The Department of Defence Production has a dedicated portal for application and processing of export authorisation requests.
• It has issued 1,762 export authorisations in FY 2024-25 as against 1,507 in the previous year, registering a growth of 16.92%.
• The total number of exporters also increased by 17.4% during the same period.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

6. More than 270 projects worth Rs 1.41 lakh crore were completed under the Sagarmala Programme.

• A total of 839 projects worth ₹5.79 lakh crore are planned under the Sagarmala Programme, out of which 272 projects worth ₹1.41 lakh crore have been completed.
• The Sagarmala Programme is a flagship initiative of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways.
• It aims to promote port-led development in the country by utilising India's 7,500 km long coastline, 14,500 km of navigable waterways and strategic location on major international maritime trade routes.
• The program is structured around five key pillars: port modernization, port connectivity, port-led industrialization, coastal community development, and coastal shipping & inland water transport.
• Under the modernization pillar, 103 completed projects have resulted in an estimated four-fold increase in cargo volumes, reaching 528 million tonnes.
• Coastal community development is a dedicated pillar of the Sagarmala Programme.
• This pillar primarily focuses on improving the living standards of coastal communities by enhancing their livelihood opportunities, while ensuring skill development, capacity building and access to sustainable economic activities.
• A skill gap study was conducted across 21 coastal districts in 9 states and 3 Union Territories, including Odisha and Tamil Nadu, under the program.
• Under the DDU-GKY Sagarmala Convergence Program, the Ministry of Rural Development and MoPSW signed an MoU in May 2017 to train coastal populations.
• In the first phase of the convergence program (2016-2018), 2,079 candidates were trained across five states, out of which 1,243 were successfully placed in jobs.

Topic: International News

7. The ruling on President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment will be given by Constitutional Court of South Korea on April 4.

• On December 14, 2024, Yoon was impeached by the National Assembly (the unicameral national legislature of South Korea).
• Accusation against him was of declaring martial law without a valid reason. 
• Yoon’s argument is that the martial law declaration was not meant to impose military rule.
• As per Yoon, it was a call against the opposition’s abuse of power. 
• The court’s ruling will be broadcast live. To remove Yoon from office, minimum six justices must reach an agreement. 
• In case of Yoon’s removal, fresh presidential election will be held in 60 days. 
• Yoon is also facing criminal charges. He allegedly led an insurrection with his martial law declaration.
• As a result of the martial law declaration, there was a constitutional crisis and impeachment of the prime minister. 
• Prime Minister Han Duck-soo was reinstated as acting president on March 24. He resumed his role as acting president.
• In 2017, Constitutional Court unanimously gave its ruling in support of impeachment of President Park Geun-hye.
• He was impeached for violating her constitutional duties.
• South Korea:
  • It is a country in East Asia. It shares its land border with North Korea.
  • Its capital is Seoul. Moon Hyungbae is acting President of the Constitutional Court of South Korea.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

8. Ministry of Heavy Industries has achieved one million electric vehicle (EV) sales in the 2024-25 financial year. 

• This achievement aligns with PM Modi’s vision for Net Zero emissions by 2070. 
• In FY 2024-25, electric two-wheeler sales reached 1,149,334 units. This is a 21% increase from the previous year. 
• Electric three-wheeler sales rose by 57%. 159,235 units were sold during FY 2024-25. 
• PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) Scheme was introduced in September 2024. 
• The scheme has a budget of Rs. 10,900 crore for two years upto 31.03.2026. 
• The Electric Mobility Promotion Scheme 2024 of MHI is merged with the PM E-DRIVE scheme. 
• Under the PM E-DRIVE initiative in FY 2024-25, over 10 million electric two-wheelers and 120,000 electric three-wheelers were registered. 
• More than one million EVs were sold in this financial year. 
• The PM E-DRIVE scheme offers financial incentives, encourages local manufacturing, and strengthens the EV ecosystem. 
• Till 31st March 2025, the scheme has provided following benefits.
  • Fuel saving per day: 8,55,723 litres
  • Total fuel saved: 15,77,33,334 litres
  • CO2 reduction per day: 12,48,100 kg
  • Total CO2 reduction: 23,01,73,978 kg

Topic: Important Days

9. World Autism Awareness Day: 2 April

• World Autism Awareness Day is observed to raise awareness about Autism Spectrum Disorder every year on 2 April.
• The first World Autism Awareness Day was observed on April 2, 2008.
• The theme of World Autism Awareness Day 2025 is "Advancing Neurodiversity and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)".
• United Nations General Assembly designated 2 April as World Autism Awareness Day in 2007.
• Autism spectrum disorder is a broad term used to describe a group of neurodevelopmental disorders.
• According to India Autism Centre, every one in 68 children has autism.
• Boys are more prone to be affected by it in comparison to girls.

Topic: Reports and Indices

10. India achieved renewable energy capacity of 2,109,655 MW by March 31, 2024. 

• This marks a growth of 14.77% as per the Energy Statistics India 2025 report released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. 
• Wind power holds the largest share at 55.17%. Solar energy contributes 35.5%. 
• Large hydro accounts for 6.32%. Biomass, bagasse-based cogeneration, and small hydro form the remaining portion. 
• As per the report, India’s total installed electricity generation capacity reached 521.31 GW by March 31, 2024. 
• This represents a 5.43% increase from the previous year. 
• However, coal still remains India’s main energy source. 
• Domestic coal production rose to 997.83 million tonnes in FY 2023-24, up 11.71%. 
• Non-coking coal makes up 93.3% of coal production in India. 
• India’s coal reserves are estimated at 389.42 billion tonnes. 
• The largest share (nearly 70%) of reserves is in Odisha, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh. 
• Total electricity generation reached 1,948,956 GWh in FY 2023-24. This marks a 6.5% increase from the previous year. 
• Renewable energy generation reached 370,320 GWh in FY 2023-24. This is up from 205,608 GWh in FY 2014-15. 
• As of March 31, 2024, India’s refining capacity stood at 256.82 million tonnes per year. 
• There are 23 operational refineries (19 in the public sector and four in private or joint venture) in India. 
• India’s total primary energy supply grew by 7.8% to 903.16 million tonnes of oil equivalent in FY 2023-24. 
• Coal made up 60.21% of the total primary energy supply. Crude oil accounted for 29.83%, and natural gas for 6.99%. 
• India’s crude oil reserves are estimated at 671.40 million tonnes. 
• India’s natural gas reserves total 1,094.19 billion cubic meters. 
• As per International Renewable Energy Agency's Renewable Capacity Statistics 2024, India ranks fourth globally for renewable energy and wind power capacity. It ranks fifth in solar power capacity. 
• The government aims to reach 500 GW of non-fossil-based energy capacity by 2030. 
• This goal is to meet 50% of India’s electricity needs with renewable sources.