Current Affairs – April 09, 2025

{GS1 – A&C – Religion} Rajyogini Dadi Ratanmohini

• Context (HT): Dadi Ratanmohini, head of Prajapita Brahma Kumaris Ishwariya Vishwavidyalaya, died.

• Born on March 25, 1925, in Hyderabad, Sindh (now in Pakistan).

About Brahma Kumaris

• Brahma Kumaris is a worldwide spiritual movement led by women, dedicated to personal transformation and world renewal through Rajyoga Meditation.
  • Rajyoga Meditation is a meditation accessible to people of all backgrounds. It is practised with ‘open eyes’, making this meditation method versatile, simple and easy to practice.
• It was founded in 1937 by Dada Lekhraj, also known as Brahma Baba.
• Brahma Kumaris has spread to over 110 countries on all continents and has had an extensive impact in many sectors as an international NGO.

{GS2 – MoF– Schemes} 10 Yrs of PM Mudra Yojana (PMMY) *

• Context (PIB): The PM Mudra Yojana completed 10 years.

Key Features of PMMY

• Aim: It is an initiative by the Ministry of Finance aimed at “Funding the Unfunded” micro enterprises and small businesses.
• Collateral-Free loans up to Rs 20 lakh are provided by Member Lending Institutions (MLIs).
  • MLIs include Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs), Regional Rural Banks (RRBs), Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) and Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs).
• Types of loans
  1. Shishu: Loans up to Rs. 50,000.
  2. Kishor: Loans above Rs. 50,000 and up to 5 Lakh.
  3. Tarun: Loans above Rs. 5 lahks and up to 10 lahks.
  4. Tarun Plus: Loans above ₹10 lakh and up to ₹20 lakh (designed specifically for the Tarun category, who have previously availed and successfully repaid loans).

Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency (MUDRA)

• MUDRA is a financial institution set up by GOI to fund the non-corporate small business sector through various last-mile financial institutions like Banks, NBFCs and microfinance institutions (MFIs).
• It is a refinancing Institution, i.e. it does not lend directly to micro-entrepreneurs/individuals.

Achievements under PMMY

• Entrepreneurial Revolution: Since its launch, the PMMY has sanctioned over 52 crore loans worth ₹32.61 lakh crore, fuelling a nationwide entrepreneurial revolution.
  • The average ticket size of loans has nearly tripled, rising from ₹38,000 in FY16 to ₹72,000 in FY23 and further to ₹1.02 lakh in FY25.
  • The share of Kishor loans has grown from 5.9 % in FY16 to 44.7 % in FY25, indicating a shift from micro to small enterprises.
• State-wise Disbursement: Tamil Nadu leads in disbursals with ₹3.23 lakh crore, followed by Uttar Pradesh (₹3.14 lakh crore) and Karnataka (₹3.02 lakh crore).
• MSME Lending: Surged from ₹8.51 lakh crore in FY14 to ₹27.25 lakh crore in FY24. This expansion has enabled businesses in smaller towns and rural areas to access financial support.
  • The share of MSME credit in total bank credit increased from 15.8 % in FY14 to nearly 20 % in FY24.
• Empowering Women: Women account for 68% of all Mudra beneficiaries, underscoring the scheme’s pivotal role in advancing women-led enterprises across the country.
  • Between FY16 and FY25, the per-woman PMMY disbursement amount increased at a CAGR of 13 %, reaching ₹62,679.
• Empowering Socially Marginalized Groups: According to the SBI report, 50% of Mudra accounts are held by SC, ST and OBC entrepreneurs, ensuring wider access to formal finance.
  • Furthermore, 11% of Mudra loan holders belong to minority communities.
• International Recognition: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has consistently acknowledged the impact of the PMMY in expanding financial access and promoting inclusive entrepreneurship in India.

{GS2 – MoWCD – Schemes} Poshan Pakhwada

• Context (PIB): The 7^th edition of Poshan Pakhwada will be observed from April 8 to 23, 2025.

What is Poshan Pakhwada?

• Poshan Pakhwada is an annual event that focuses on improving nutrition across India, especially for women and children. It is a key part of the Poshan Abhiyaan.
• Aim: To combat malnutrition through behaviour changes at individual, family, and community levels, highlighting 4 key areas:
  1. Emphasis on the first 1000 days of human life
  2. Popularization of the Beneficiary Module in the Poshan Tracker App.
  3. Effective management of malnutrition through the Community-Based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) module.
  4. Promotion of healthy lifestyles to address childhood obesity.
• Poshan Tracker: An app that lets users track real-time progress on nutrition services at Anganwadi centres across the country is a key part of this initiative.

POSHAN (Prime Minister’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nutrition) Abhiyaan

• Launched in March 2018, the focus of POSHAN Abhiyaan is to lay emphasis on the nutritional status of adolescent girls, pregnant women, lactating mothers and children from 0-6 years of age.
• Aim: To address the challenges of malnutrition through a strategic shift in nutrition delivery.

• Implementation: Centrally Sponsored Scheme, with the scheme being implemented by States/UTs.

• Mission Poshan 2.0: Focusing on the aims of POSHAN Abhiyaan, Mission Poshan 2.0 (Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0) has been launched as an integrated nutrition support program.
  • Its focus is on diet diversity, food fortification, leveraging traditional knowledge systems, and popularising millet.
  • The Ministry of Women and Child Development is implementing the Mission Poshan 2.0 during the 15^th Finance Commission period 2021-22 to 2025-26.

Objectives

• Prevent and reduce stunting in children (0- 6 years).
• Prevent and reduce under-nutrition (underweight prevalence) in children (0-6 years).
• Reduce the prevalence of anaemia among young Children (6-59 months).
• Reduce the prevalence of anaemia among Women and Adolescent Girls in the age group of 15-49 years.
• Reduce Low Birth Weight (LBW).

Strategic Pillars of Poshan Abhiyaan

• Access to Quality Services: Providing essential health services through schemes like Integrated Child Development Scheme, National Health Mission, and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, especially during the first 1,000 days of a child’s life.
• Cross-Sectoral Convergence: Across multiple ministries, including water and sanitation under the Swachh Bharat Mission and drinking water through the National Drinking Water Mission.
• Technology: Tools like the Poshan Tracker application enable real-time data collection and intervention.
• Jan Andolan: Community engagement is key to driving mass awareness and encouraging behavioral change around nutrition.

Also Read>Malnutrition in India.

{GS2 – Polity – IC – President} Tamil Nadu Anti-NEET Bill

• Context (TH | ET): The President withheld assent to Tamil Nadu’s anti-NEET Bill.

President’s Powers Over State Bills

• Presidential Veto over State Legislation: A bill passed by a state legislature can become an act only if it receives the assent of the governor or the President (in case the bill is reserved for the consideration of the President).
• Reservation by the Governor: Under Article 200 of the Constitution, the Governor of a state can:
  • Give assent to the bill,
  • Withhold assent,
  • Return it (if it’s not a money bill) for reconsideration,
  • Reserve the bill for the consideration of the President.
• President’s Options under Article 201
  • Once a bill is reserved for the President, under Article 201, the President may:
    • Give assent to the bill,
    • Withhold assent, or
    • Return the bill (if not a money bill) for reconsideration by the State Legislature.
  • Pocket Veto: No time limit is prescribed for the President to decide, which sometimes leads to delays or the indefinite pendency of bills.
    • The President acts on the advice of the Union Council of Ministers, not independently.
    • The President is not constitutionally required to give reasons for withholding assent.
• When a bill is returned, the House or Houses have to reconsider it within a period of 6 months.
  • The bill is presented again to the presidential assent after it is passed by the House or Houses with or without amendments.
  • It is not mentioned in the Constitution whether it is obligatory for the president to give his assent to such a bill or not.

Nature of Presidential Assent

• Discretionary & Final: President can withhold assent without reason; not subject to judicial review.
• No Constitutional Timeline for President to act on reserved State Bills. Prolonged inaction undermines State legislature’s autonomy and weakens cooperative federalism.
• Opaque: Decisions rely on Cabinet advice, raising concerns over accountability & political bias.

International Practices for Assent to Subnational Legislation

• UK: Royal assent to Scottish and Welsh Bills is a formal process with no real power to withhold.
• US: State Governors independently assent to laws; the President has no role in State legislation.
• Australia: State Governor ceremonially assent Bills as Crown representative; withholding never exercised.
• Canada: Lt. Governors formally assent to provincial laws; their power to withhold is symbolic & unused.
• Germany: No role of Federal President in State laws; Lander has constitutional legislative autonomy.

Also refer to Federalism and Education; Governor’s Assent to State Bills.

{GS2 – Social Sector – Health – Diseases} River Blindness

• Context (TH): DNA barcoding is being tried to identify species accurately. It can lead to better control strategies for blackflies, which are carriers of a worm causing river blindness.

What is River Blindness (Onchocerciasis)?

• It is caused by the parasitic worm Onchocerca volvulus.
• Spread: Transmits to humans by the repeated bites of infected blackflies that breed in flowing rivers.
• Symptoms: Severe itching, skin conditions, and visual impairment, including permanent blindness.
• The disease primarily affects rural populations in sub-Saharan Africa, and Yemen, with smaller endemic areas foci found in parts of Latin America.
• Treatment: Population-based treatment with ivermectin (also known as mass drug administration or MDA) is the current core strategy to eliminate onchocerciasis.
  • WHO recommends treating onchocerciasis with ivermectin at least once yearly for 10 to 15 years.
• River blindness follows trachoma as the leading cause of infection-related blindness worldwide. The WHO considers river blindness among the most neglected tropical diseases.

About Blackflies (Simulium trifasciatum)

• They are extremely small and barely noticeable to the naked eye. Only female blackflies bite.
• It is locally called pipsa or potu in the Himalayan region.

{GS3 – Envi – RE} India as 3^rd Largest Wind & Solar Power Generator

• Context (IE): As per Ember’s Global Electricity Review 2025, India overtook Germany in 2024 to become the third-largest wind and solar electricity generator.

Global Electricity Landscape 2024

• Record Growth: Renewables added 858 TWh in 2024, 49% more than the 2022 record. Solar was the largest new electricity source for the 3^rd consecutive year and fastest growth for 20 years.
• Solar’s Global Share: Solar power share doubled in 3 years to 6.9% of total global electricity.
• Low-Carbon Electricity: Renewables & nuclear provided 40.9% of global electricity, highest since 1940s.
• Wind-Solar Share Globally: Generated 15% of global electricity.

India’s Clean Energy Performance

• Clean Energy Share: 22% of India’s electricity in 2024 came from clean sources (8% from hydropower and 10% from wind and solar combined).
• Growth in Solar Power: Solar contributed 7% of India’s total electricity, which has doubled since 2021. India added 24 GW of solar capacity in 2024, more than twice the 2023 addition.
• Global Standing: India became the third-largest solar market after China and the US and ranked fourth in solar generation growth, adding 20 TWh in 2024.

India’s Commitments

• 50% Non-Fossil Capacity by 2030: Per India’s Nationally Determined Contributions to UNFCCC (2022).
• 500 GW Non-Fossil Fuel Capacity by 2030: Announced in 2021; though not part of NDCs, it remains a national planning benchmark.
• Inclusion in Energy Plans: Target reflected in official energy strategies (eg-14^th National Electricity Plan).

Challenges

• Funding Gaps: A 20% annual rise in funding is essential to meet the 500 GW goal by 2030, without which India risks falling short of its renewable capacity targets.
• Demand Outpacing Clean Supply: Clean energy generation should match growing electricity demand.

Strategic Importance of Solar Growth

• Energy Transition Engine: Solar is key to clean energy leadership, especially with battery storage.
• Regional Implications: Clean energy growth will strengthen energy security and resilience and help emerging economies leverage the global clean market.
• Economic Multiplier: UN Climate Chief called India a “solar superpower”, linking solar expansion to economic growth.

{GS3 – IE – Banking} One State One RRB Policy *

• Context (ET | TH | LM): The Ministry of Finance has approved the amalgamation of 15 RRBs under the ‘One State-One RRB’ policy, effective May 1, 2025.

About RRBs (Regional Rural Banks)

• Establishment: RRBs were created under the RRB Act, 1976, based on recommendations of the Narasimham Committee on rural credit.
• First RRB: Prathama Grameen Bank, established on 2 October 1975.
• Nature: RRBs are Scheduled Commercial Banks operating in specific regions to serve rural needs.
• Sponsor Banks: Each RRB is sponsored by a major public sector bank that provides capital, technology, and managerial support.
  • Post-Merger under One State, One RRB Policy, sponsors will guide operational integration and support business strategy for the new entities.

• Ownership Structure: 50% Central Government; 35% Sponsor Bank; 15% State Government.
  • Despite capital reforms, the govt retains a 50% shareholding under the One State, One RRB Policy.
• Sources of Funds: RRBs are funded through owned funds, public deposits, and borrowings from NABARD, sponsor banks, SIDBI, National Housing Bank, and other approved institutions.
  • RRB Act 2015 Amendment: RRBs can raise capital from sources beyond govt & sponsor banks.
• Priority Sector Lending: As per RBI norms revised in 2016, RRBs must allocate 75% of their total lending to priority sectors within sub-targets.
• Regulation: Regulated by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and supervised by NABARD.
• Management Structure: Governed by a Board of Directors comprising one Chairman, up to 3 Central Govt nominees, up to 2 State Govt nominees, and up to 3 nominees from sponsor bank.

• Past Consolidation Phases:
  • Initial Number: 196 RRBs.
  • Post-Consolidation (2020-21): Reduced to 43 RRBs.
  • Present Reform: Set to reduce to 28 under this policy.

Functions

• Offer basic banking in rural and semi-urban areas.
• Disburse wages under MGNREGA and handle pension payments.
• Provide digital and para-banking services like UPI, debit cards, lockers, mobile/internet banking.

• Developmental Role: RRBs aim to promote agriculture, trade, commerce, industry and other productive activities in rural areas.

Benefits of the One State-One RRB Policy

• Policy Objective: Improve operational efficiency, reduce inter-RRB competition & rationalise costs.
• Streamlined Operations: Larger, consolidated RRBs are expected to optimise resources, reduce duplication and increase service outreach. (GNPA Ratio for FY24 was 6.1%, the lowest in a decade).
• Credit Delivery: Amalgamated banks will have improved lending capacity, especially in rural areas.
• Digital Inclusion: Unified RRBs can roll out digital services uniformly, enhancing financial inclusion.
• Capital Efficiency: Larger institutions manage capital better & absorb financial shocks more effectively.
• Less Administrative Burden: Unified RRBs simplify supervision & regulation for sponsor banks & RBI.
• Better Governance: Single-state RRBs ensure focused governance aligned with regional priorities.

{GS3 – S&T – Tech} 2025 Technology and Innovation Report **

• Context (TH): The 2025 Technology and Innovation Report, released by UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

Key Findings

• Rapid Expansion: In 2023, frontier technologies represented a $2.5 trillion market, and it is estimated that this figure will increase sixfold, to $16.4 trillion, in the next decade.
  • By 2033, Artificial Intelligence (AI) will likely be the frontier technology with the largest market size, at around $4.8 trillion.
• Technological Divide: Access to AI infrastructure and expertise remains concentrated in a few economies. Only 100 firms, mainly in the U.S. and China, account for 40% of global corporate R&D spending.
• Leveraging AI for Productivity and Workers’ Empowerment: Unlike previous technological waves that primarily automated routine and low-skill functions, the use of AI can transform a wide range of tasks, including cognitive tasks once considered exclusive to highly skilled workers.
  • Generative AI (GenAI), for example, can generate texts, produce images and videos,
• Impact on Employment: The use of AI has the potential to impact 40% of global employment. In advanced economies, 1/3^rd of jobs are vulnerable to AI automation.
• The benefits of AI-driven automation often favour capital over labour, which could widen inequality and reduce the competitive advantage of low-cost labour in developing economies.

Readiness for Frontier Technologies’ Index

• It also published the “Readiness for Frontier Technologies’ index” as a part of the report. It measures a country’s readiness for frontier technologies.
• Indicators: ICT deployment, skills, Research and Development (R&D) activity, industrial capacity, and access to finance.
• Rankings: The U.S. leads the world in private investment in AI, with 70% of global AI private investment. Sweden and the UK ranked 2^nd and 3^rd in the index.
  • India and China are the only developing countries in the world with significant private investments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) in 2023.
• India: Ranks 36^th out of 170 nations on a global index, improving its ranking from last year.

Recommendations in the report

• Global Collaboration: Ensuring AI as a public good requires multi-stakeholder cooperation to make it accessible, equitable & beneficial for everyone, fostering inclusive innovation to tackle global challenges.
  • Adapting solutions to local infrastructure, using new data, reducing skill barriers and forming Strategic partnerships can speed up AI adoption in developing countries.
• Finance: R&D funding, strategic public procurement and targeted tax incentives can be used to promote human-complementary AI technologies.
• Strategic Positioning: This involves assessing national AI capacities across the three leverage points – infrastructure, data and skills and identifying gaps to pinpoint areas of action.
• Policies Targeting AI Adoption: Can support the uptake and diffusion of AI products and solutions in the economy while providing training for upskilling and reskilling workers exposed to AI.
• A whole-of-government Approach: National strategies should target better coordination across domains, including STI, industry, education, infrastructure and trade.

{Prelims – Awards} Fred Darrington Sand Master Award

• Context (ToI): Sudarsan Pattnaik, a Padma Shri awardee, became the first Indian to win the Fred Darrington Sand Master Award in 2025 for a 10-foot sculpture of Lord Ganesha using only sand and water, symbolising World Peace.

About the Award

• Named after Fred Darrington, the legendary British sculptor and the father of British sand sculpture.
• The award honors outstanding contributions to the global art of sand sculpting.
• 2025 marks 100 years since Darrington began his sand art journey in England.