25 April 2025

• Diplomacy: India-Pakistan tensions continued to escalate. Ceasefire violations along the LoC were reported. Both sides recalled high commissioners.
• Environment: National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and the River Cities Alliance were reviewed as Ganga rejuvenation milestones.
• Science: Dr K. Kasturirangan, former ISRO chairman, passed away at age 84. He had overseen India's transition from experimental to operational satellites.
• Geography: South Sandwich Islands and South Georgia entered mapping discussion.

GS area: Science and Technology, Governance

Dr K. Kasturirangan, former ISRO Chairman (1994-2003) and space scientist, passed away in April 2025 at age 84.

• ISRO leadership: Oversaw the transition from experimental satellites to operational ones during his tenure from 1994 to 2003.
• Key missions launched: Operationalised PSLV and GSLV launch vehicles. Initiated EDUSAT, INSAT, RESOURCESAT, OCEANSAT, CARTOSAT, and ASTROSAT missions.
• Chandrayaan-1: Conceptualised India's first lunar mission under his watch.
• National Education Policy 2020: Chaired the committee that drafted the NEP 2020, his second transformative contribution to India. NEP 2020 replaced the 1986 education policy.
• Awards: Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Vibhushan (India's three civilian honours).

Static linkage: Space technology, ISRO history, education policy (GS-3 Science and Technology, GS-2 Governance).

GS area: Environment, Governance

The National Mission for Clean Ganga resurfaced in discussions of river rejuvenation governance.

• Registered: 12 August 2011.
• Ministry: Jal Shakti (Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation).
• Structure: Governing Council plus Executive Committee, with five-tier management from the Centre to the district level.
• River Cities Alliance (RCA): Launched in 2021. Has over 30 member cities including Varanasi, Dehradun, Chennai, and Pune. A platform for cities on major rivers to share urban river management practices.
• Namami Gange Programme: The flagship programme under NMCG with a budget of Rs 20,000 crore. Focuses on sewage treatment, solid waste management, riverfront development, and biodiversity conservation.

Static linkage: River management, environment governance (GS-3 Environment, GS-2 Governance).

GS area: International Relations, Internal Security

The India-Pakistan diplomatic stand-off deepened in the days following the Pahalgam attack.

• LoC violations: Pakistan reported ceasefire violations by Indian forces along the LoC in the days after the attack. India denied initiating unprovoked fire.
• Diplomatic recall: Both sides recalled their high commissioners from each other's capitals.
• Pakistan's internal response: Pakistan's military went on high alert and repositioned forces in Punjab and Sindh provinces facing India.
• Historical precedent: The 2016 Uri attack and subsequent "surgical strikes" is the most recent comparable escalation pattern. The 2019 Pulwama attack and Balakot airstrikes is the next reference point.
• Operation Sindoor: Would subsequently be launched on 7 May 2025. It is outside this month's coverage.

Static linkage: India-Pakistan relations, India's security doctrine (GS-2 IR, GS-3 Internal Security).

GS area: Art and Culture

Bhimavva Shillekyathara, a 96-year-old custodian of Togalu Gombeyaata (leather shadow puppetry), received the Padma Shri Award in 2025.

• Art form: Togalu Gombeyaata is a traditional leather shadow puppetry form from Karnataka.
• Puppets: Made from treated leather, perforated to create intricate designs. Performance involves back-lit puppets casting shadows on a screen.
• Themes: Stories from Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Puranas.
• Recognition: The Padma Shri recognised seven decades of preservation, mentorship, and rural performance.
• Significance: Traditional performing arts are classified as Intangible Cultural Heritage. Their survival depends on practitioner-to-student transmission.

Static linkage: Indian folk arts, intangible cultural heritage (GS-1 Art and Culture).

GS area: Science and Technology, Health

India's Army Hospital in New Delhi performed the first 3D microscope-assisted minimally invasive glaucoma surgery in India in April 2025.

• Technology: 3D polarization glasses, a 55-inch 4K display, and multiple focal layers.
• Advantages: Enhanced precision, lower complication rates, reduced photo-toxicity to the patient's eye, and faster surgery.
• Glaucoma context: Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness globally. Early surgical intervention can prevent vision loss.

Static linkage: Medical technology, health (GS-3 Science and Technology).

• Raghuji Bhosale I: Founder of the Nagpur-based Bhosale dynasty. Maratha general under Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj, awarded the title Senasaheb Subha. Conducted successful Bengal expeditions in 1745 and 1755. Maharashtra recovered his 18th-century ceremonial sword from a London auction for Rs 47.15 lakh in April 2025, an example of India's cultural repatriation efforts.
• CSIR-IMMT (Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology): Founded on 13 April 1964 in Bhubaneswar, Odisha (renamed 2007). Signed joint declarations with Russia's Giredmet, Rosatom, and NUST MISIS for critical mineral processing technology.