UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | April 14 to April 20, 2025

— Beginning in 1997, the Register has been biennally updated, with the exception of a lengthy gap between 2017 and 2023, with between nine (in 1999) and 78 (in 2017) additions. In any year, at most two submissions from a country are added.

— Natyashastra: Natyashastra is an ancient Sanskrit treatise on performing arts. It is traditionally attributed to the sage Bharata. Comprising 36,000 verses, the “Naṭyashastra embodies a comprehensive set of rules that define natya (drama), abhinaya (performance), rasa (aesthetic experience), bhava (emotion), sangita (music),” the UNESCO citation says.

— Bhagavad Gita: Bhagavad Gita is a Sanskrit scripture comprising 700 verses that are organised in 18 chapters, embedded in the sixth book (Bhishma Parva) of the epic poem Mahabharata. It is traditionally attributed to the sage Vyasa.

Last year, three Indian literary works were added to UNESCO’s Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Regional Register. Try recalling.

 

Event

For the first time in Ranchi, nine aircraft performed such close, low-altitude manoeuvres, an official said. (Photo: Screengrab from YouTube/@JharGov TV)

• Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT)

— The Indian Air Force’s prestigious Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT) enthralled the audience with a breathtaking show at the Namkum Army Ground in Ranchi.

— The SKAT, formed in 1996, has performed over 500 such shows across India and the world, including Sri Lanka, Myanmar, China, Singapore and the UAE, the official said.

— Known for its motto ‘Sadaiva Sarvottam’ (Always the Best), the team’s air show is part of the IAF’s outreach programme to inspire the youth and raise awareness about the armed forces.

 

Polity

• Scheduled Caste sub-categorisation

— Telangana has become the first state to implement the SC sub-categorisation, popularly called reservation within reservation. According to the notification, Scheduled Castes in the state will be divided into three categories – Group I, II and III.

— The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet has also approved the draft ordinance proposal made by the Social Welfare Department to implement sub-categorisation among Scheduled Castes in the state.

— This comes after a seven-judge Constitution Bench in Davinder Singh v State of Punjab (August 2024) that allowed further sub-classification of SCs and STs to ensure the grant of quota to more backward castes inside these groups.

— This judgement overturns the apex court’s 2004 decision in E V Chinnaiah v State of Andhra Pradesh, in which it had held that the SC/ST list is a “homogenous group” that cannot be divided further.

 

Economy

• Quality Control Orders (QCOs)

— According to NITI Aayog Vice Chairperson Suman Bery, the Quality control orders (QCOs) for inputs are a “malign intervention” to restrict imports and lead to high costs for MSMEs.

— QCOs require foreign exporters and domestic producers to mandatorily meet specific quality norms to obtain a certification from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), without which they cannot sell covered products in the Indian market.

— A QCO is a type of technical regulation that can act as a barrier to trade for foreign exporters. As of March 12, India had issued 187 QCOs covering 769 products.

 

International Cooperation

• Dustlik

— The sixth edition of the joint military exercise ‘Dustlik’ between India and Uzbekistan is being held at the Foreign Training Node (FTN) at Aundh, Pune from April 16 to 28.

— Exercise Dustlik, which means friendship in Uzbek, is an yearly event conducted alternatively in India and Uzbekistan. The last edition was conducted at Termez in Uzbekistan and at Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand in 2023.

— The aim of the exercise is to foster military cooperation and enhance combined capabilities to execute joint operations in various environments and terrains.

 

Environment

• Surat Emission Trading Scheme (ETS)

— In 2019, the world’s first-ever market for trading in particulate matter emissions was launched in Gujarat’s Surat through partnerships with the University of Chicago, Yale University, and the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL).

— According to a recent study published in The Quarterly Journal of Economics, it has reduced pollution by 20-30% among participating industries while lowering their compliance costs.

— The Surat Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) seeks to curb air pollution by allowing plants to buy and sell permits for particulate matter emissions to stay within a fixed pollution limit. Each plant is given a limit on how much it can pollute.

— Those that stay within the limit can sell their unused permits to others that exceed theirs. This approach, known globally as a cap-and-trade system, has been used in Europe for greenhouse gases and in China for carbon emissions.

Snow Leopard (Photo source: Wikimedia Commons)

• International Big Cat Alliance

— Recently, the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) signed an agreement with the central government on formalising India as the headquarters and secretariat of the alliance, over two months after it came into force as a full-fledged treaty-based intergovernmental organisation.

— On January 23, the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2023 for the global conservation of seven big cats, formally became a full-fledged treaty-based intergovernmental organization.

— The objective of the IBCA is to ensure cooperation for the conservation of seven big cats: lion, tiger, leopard, cheetah, snow leopard, jaguar, and puma, and enhance knowledge exchange and threats associated with them.

— India formally joined the IBCA in September 2024. Prior to that, the Union Cabinet had approved the establishment of IBCA’s headquarters in February 2024 and cleared a one-time budgetary support of Rs 150 crore for it for the 2023-24 to 2027-28 period. Click here to read more.

Big Cats	IUCN Status	Schedule (WPA, 1972)
Tiger	Endangered	Schedule 1
Cheetah	Asian – Critically endangered African – Vulnerable	Schedule 1 Schedule 1
Leopard	Vulnerable	Schedule 1
Lion	Vulnerable	Schedule 1
Snow Leopard	Vulnerable	Schedule 1
Jaguar	Near Threatened	–
Puma	Least Concern	–

(Source: IUCN, Wildlife Protection Act, 1972)

 

Science and Technology

• Ironwood — New computer chip from Google

— Recently, Google has launched a new computer chip, called Ironwood. It is the company’s seventh-generation TPU, or tensor processing unit, which has been designed to run artificial intelligence (AI) models.

— Processing units are essentially hardware units that are the brain of a computer. A CPU is a general-purpose processor that can handle various tasks. It has at least a single core — the processing unit within the CPU that can execute instructions.

— In the initial years, CPUs used to have just one core but today, they can contain from two to up to 16 cores.

— Unlike a CPU, a GPU is a specialised processor (it is a type of application-specific integrated circuit, or ASIC) which has been designed to perform multiple tasks concurrently rather than sequentially (like in a CPU).

— A TPU is also a type of ASIC, meaning it is designed to perform a narrow scope of intended tasks. It was first used by Google in 2015. They are engineered to handle tensor — a generic name for the data structures used for machine learning — operations. They enable fast training of AI models.

• Fast-Breeder Reactor

— Officials have confirmed that India’s prototype fast-breeder reactor in Tamil Nadu’s Kalpakkam is expected to be commissioned next year, nearly two years after it got the go-ahead from the nuclear regulator.

— It will mark the second stage of India’s three-stage nuclear programme that aims to recycle spent fuel to reduce the inventory of radioactive waste.

• Rare earths

— China has announced restrictions on the export of seven “rare earths”  in retaliation for US President Donald Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on most of the country’s trade partners earlier this month.

— Rare Earth Elements or Rare Earth Metals (REE) are a set of 17 chemical elements in the periodic table — cerium (Ce), dysprosium (Dy), erbium (Er), europium (Eu), gadolinium (Gd), holmium (Ho), lanthanum (La), lutetium (Lu), neodymium (Nd), praseodymium (Pr), promethium (Pm), samarium (Sm), scandium (Sc), terbium (Tb), thulium (Tm), ytterbium (Yb), and yttrium (Y). All have similar chemical properties and appear silver-coloured.

— REEs are an essential component of more than 200 consumer products, including mobile phones, computer hard drives, electric and hybrid vehicles, semiconductors, flatscreen TVs and monitors, and high-end electronics. Rare Earth elements are also used in space shuttle components, jet engine turbines, and drones.

Are you aware of the rare earth elements (REEs) found in India?

The human genome is essentially an instruction manual we inherit from our parents that decides how our body develops and functions.

• Genome India Project

— The first part of India’s ambitious programme to map the genetic diversity is complete, and the data are ready to be used. The Genome India Project (GIP) has catalogued the entire gene sequences of 10,000 individuals from 83 population groups.

— The GIP was approved by the government in 2020 to create a comprehensive catalogue of genetic variations found in the Indian population. A map of genetic diversity is essential for understanding the history of our evolution, discovering the genetic basis for various diseases, and creating therapies of the future.

— The human genome is essentially a biological instruction manual that we inherit from our parents. It is a tome written with just four letters, A,C,G, and T — the four bases that come together to create everyone’s unique genetic makeup.

Why did India need GIP?

→ The MYBPC3 mutation, known to lead to cardiac arrest at a young age is found in 4.5% of the Indian population but is rare globally.

→ Another mutation called LAMB3 that causes a lethal skin condition is found in nearly 4% of the population near Madurai, but it is not seen in global databases.

→  The Vaishya community from South India have the gene missing for properly processing common anaesthetics. The use of these anesthetics can result in prolonged unconsciousness or even death.

• K2-18b Discovery

— A team of researchers from the University of Cambridge that has been studying data from the planet K2-18b, some 120 light years away from Earth, has reported strong signals of dimethyl sulphide (DMS) and dimethyl disulphide (DMDS), the first time these gases have been detected outside the solar system. However, the results did not amount to discovering extraterrestrial life.

— Since its discovery in 2015, K2-18b has generated a lot of interest among those searching for extraterrestrial life. It is about nine times as heavy as Earth, and moves around a star that is smaller and cooler than the Sun.

 

Diseases

(Just FYI: UPSC has consistently included questions on health and diseases in its examinations over the years. For instance, in 2014, a question about the Ebola virus appeared in the Prelims, and in 2017, a question about the Zika virus was featured. Therefore, it is crucial to stay updated on diseases that are currently in the news.)

• Type 5 diabetes

— The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) has officially recognised Type 5 diabetes as a distinct form of disease.

— Type 5 diabetes is a form of diabetes affecting lean and malnourished teenagers and young adults in low- and middle-income countries. It causes pancreatic beta cells to function abnormally, leading to insufficient production of insulin.

Persons in News

(Just FYI: Noting historical personalities’ anniversaries aids UPSC prep. UPSC often includes such personalities in questions, so revisiting their lives refreshes your static syllabus.)

• B R Gavai

— Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna wrote to the Union Law Ministry, naming Justice B R Gavai, the second-most senior judge of the Supreme Court, as his successor.

— Justice Gavai, 64, will take over as CJI after the retirement of the current CJI Khanna, and remain in office till November 23, 2025.

— Justice Khanna will retire on May 13, 2025. The retirement age of Supreme Court judges is 65 years.

— The Chief Justice of India and the other judges of the Supreme Court are appointed by the President under clause (2) of Article 124 of the Indian Constitution. It is mentioned in Article 124 that appointment by the President is to be done “after consultation” with judges of the Supreme Court, as the President may “deem necessary”.

Do you know about the Three Judges Case that led to the formation of the Collegium system for the appointment of Judges?

Pennsylvania’s Swarthmore College, where Lakhia was a visiting Cornell professor, compared her to American modern dancer and choreographer Martha Graham.

• Kumudini Lakhia

— Celebrated Kathak dancer Kumudini Lakhia, 95, died recently. She was hailed for bringing group performances in Kathak, which was largely associated with solo renditions, to the mainstream.

— She was awarded the Padma Vibhushan on Republic Day in January 2023, was honoured with a Padma Shri in 1987, and the Padma Bhushan in 2010, besides several other national awards.

 

Places in News

(Just FYI: The location of the place is important, considering that UPSC has asked several questions about places that were in the news, such as Aleppo and Kirkuk, in the 2018 UPSC Prelims. The best way to remember them is to plot them on a world map.)

Not to scale. Credit: Ritesh Kumar

• Kailash Mansarovar Yatra

— The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has announced that the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, which has not taken place since 2020, will resume this year. This comes as a part of a larger rapprochement between India and China in recent months.

— Lake Mansarovar, known locally as Mapam Yumtso, is a high-altitude freshwater lake near Mount Kailash in the Ngari Prefecture of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR).

— There are two primary routes to reach Lake Mansarovar from India: the Lipulekh Pass Route and the Nathu La Pass Route.

— Lipulekh pass lies at an altitude of 5,115 metres, on the border between Uttarakhand and Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), near the trijunction with Nepal. It is an ancient passageway between the Indian subcontinent and the Tibetan Plateau, frequented by traders and pilgrims alike.

— Nathu La pass lies at an altitude of 4,310 metres on the border between Sikkim and TAR. It is one of two mountain passes in the region — the other being Jelep La — that have connected Sikkim and Tibet since ancient times.

 

Test Your Knowledge

(Note: The best way to remember facts for UPSC and other competitive exams is to recall them through MCQs. Try to solve the following questions on your own.)

(1) Consider the following pairs :

Pass	Link
1. Lipulekh Pass	Uttarakhand with the Autonomous Region of Tibet, China
2. Rohtang Pass	Sikkim with the Autonomous Region of Tibet, China
3. Shipki La Pass	Himachal Pradesh with the Autonomous Region of Tibet, China
4. Nathu La Pass	Sikkim with the Autonomous Region of Tibet, China

Which of the above pairs are correctly matched?

(a) l and 3 only

(b) 2 and 4 only

(c) 1, 3 and 4 only

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

(2) Consider the following inscriptions:

1. Tarikh-E-Khandan-E-Timuriyah

2. Panchatantra

3. Ramcharitmanas

4.  Bhagavad Gita

5. Maitreyayvarakarana

Which of the following are added to UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register?

(a) 1, 2 and 5

(b) 2, 3, 4 and 5

(c) 3, 4 and 5

(d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

(3) Consider the following statements:

1. Fast Breeder Reactors (FBRs) are envisioned as the third stage of India’s three-stage nuclear programme.

2. Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) use heavy water (deuterium oxide) as a coolant.

Which of the following statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Previous Articles

UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | April 7 to April 13, 2025

UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | March 31 to April 6, 2025

UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | March 24 to March 30, 2025

UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | March 17 to March 23, 2025

For your answers, queries and suggestions write at khushboo.kumari@indianexpress.com

Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. 

🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for April 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at manas.srivastava@indianexpress.com🚨