The inaugural Naval Commanders' Conference 2025 concluded successfully, emphasizing India's commitment to enhancing maritime security and naval modernization.

Key Points:

Conference Phases and Locations: The conference was conducted in two phases:
First Phase: Held at Karwar, Karnataka, from April 5 to 6, 2025.
Second Phase: Took place in New Delhi from April 7 to 11, 2025.
Inaugural Session: The Defence Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh, presided over the opening session at Karwar, highlighting the Navy's pivotal role in India's maritime security. 
Strategic Discussions: The conference provided a platform for high-level deliberations on:

• Enhancing operational preparedness of the Indian Navy.
• Promoting tri-service synergy to address evolving security dynamics. 

Joint Sessions: The conference featured joint sessions with the Chiefs of the Army and Air Force, emphasizing the importance of integrated defense strategies and collaborative efforts among the armed forces. 

This conference underscores India's proactive approach to strengthening its naval capabilities and fostering collaborative defense mechanisms to ensure a secure maritime environment.

President Droupadi Murmu was on Thursday( 10 April) conferred an Honorary Doctorate by Constantine The Philosopher University of Slovakia for her “distinguished career in public service”.  The president arrived at the campus to receive the honour on the final day of a four-day state visit to Slovakia and Portugal.

• The president arrived at the campus to receive the honour on the final day of a four-day state visit to Slovakia and Portugal.
• President Murmu is being recognised for her distinguished career in public service and governance, advocacy for social justice and inclusion, the university said in a statement.
• She was also recognised for her contribution towards education, empowerment of women, and preservation and promotion of cultural and linguistic diversity.

India hosted the 8th meeting of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) Joint Committee from April 7 to 11, 2025, at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi.  

Key Highlights:

• The primary aim was to advance the ongoing review of AITIGA, focusing on modernizing the agreement to make it more effective, user-friendly, and conducive to trade.
• The event, conducted in a hybrid format, was co-chaired by Shri Rajesh Agrawal, Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India, and Dr. Sugumari S. Shanmugam, Senior Director, Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry, Malaysia.
• Delegates from all ten ASEAN countries—Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam participated in the meeting.
• Five out of eight Sub-Committees under the AITIGA Joint Committee held hybrid meetings alongside the main event.
• Four Sub-Committees - Customs Procedures and Trade Facilitation (SC-CPTF), Economic & Technical Cooperation (SC-ETC), National Treatment and Market Access (SC-NTMA), and Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SC-SPS) met in New Delhi.
• The Sub-Committee on Rules of Origin (SC-ROO) convened in Jakarta, Indonesia. These meetings facilitated progress in textual discussions and groundwork for tariff negotiations.
• Trade Significance: ASEAN remains a pivotal trade partner for India, accounting for approximately 11% of India's global trade. In the fiscal year 2023-24, bilateral trade between India and ASEAN reached USD 121 billion.

This meeting underscores India's commitment to strengthening trade relations with ASEAN countries and modernizing existing trade agreements to reflect current economic realities.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the doubling of the Gondia-Balharshah railway line in Maharashtra, which is 240 kilometres long and will cost Rs 4,819 crore.

• This transformative project is set to play a pivotal role in enhancing passenger and freight connectivity between northern and southern India.
• Maharashtra has been given railway projects worth Rs. 1.73 lakh crore, including the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train and the dedicated freight corridor.
• In the current fiscal year alone, the state has been allotted more than Rs. 23,000 crore.

NITI Aayog, in collaboration with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association (ACMA), has released a strategic report titled “Automotive Industry: Powering India’s Participation in Global Value Chains.

• The report was launched by Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog Suman Bery, in the presence of CEO, NITI Aayog BVR Subrahmanyam.
• Despite being the fourth-largest automobile producer globally, India’s share in automotive component trade stands at just 3%.
• NITI Aayog’s report also outlines several strategic fiscal and non-fiscal interventions aimed at enhancing India’s global competitiveness in the automotive sector.
• It presents a roadmap for scaling India’s participation in global value chains by 2030.

Key Findings:

• India’s share in global automotive component exports remains modest at 3% (around $20 billion).
• The sector is hindered by high operational costs, infrastructure gaps, and limited integration into global value chains.
• Low R&D investment affects innovation and the ability to compete in advanced component manufacturing.
• India has minimal presence in high-precision segments like engine and transmission components.
• Components are categorized into four groups—based on complexity and manufacturing maturity—to guide targeted interventions.

Vision 2030 Goals:

• Increase production of auto components to $145 billion.
• Boost exports from $20 billion to $60 billion.
• Achieve a $25 billion trade surplus in the sector.
• Expand India’s share in global automotive value chains from 3% to 8%.
• Create 2 to 2.5 million new direct jobs, raising total employment to 3–4 million.

This roadmap by NITI Aayog emphasizes that India’s rise in the global automotive landscape will require coordinated efforts from the government, industry, and global partners. With the right interventions, India can emerge as a top hub for automotive component manufacturing by 2030.

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted the Release Trials of Long-Range Glide Bomb (LRGB) ‘Gaurav’ between April 08-10, 2025 from the Su-30 MKI aircraft. 

During the trials, the weapon was integrated to multiple stations in different warhead configurations, with land target. 

• The trials successfully demonstrated range close to 100 kms with pin-point accuracy. 
• LRGB ‘Gaurav’ is a 1,000 kg class glide bomb, designed and developed indigenously by Research Centre Imarat, Armament Research and Development Establishment and Integrated Test Range, Chandipur. 
• Senior officials of DRDO and the Indian Air Force (IAF) participated and reviewed these trials. 
• The system has been realised with the support of Development-cum-Production Partners - Adani Defence Systems & Technologies, Bharat Forge and various MSMEs.
• The trials are paving the way towards induction of the weapon into the IAF. The Centre for Military Airworthiness & Certification and Directorate General of Aeronautical Quality Assurance contributed towards Certification and Quality Assurance.

The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has launched the Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI), a comprehensive tool designed to evaluate the performance of over 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats (GPs) across India.

This initiative aims to assess progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the grassroots level.

What is the Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI)?

The PAI is a multi-dimensional index that measures the holistic development and performance of Gram Panchayats. It is based on 435 unique local indicators (331 mandatory and 104 optional), encompassing 566 data points across nine themes aligned with the Localization of Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs) and the National Indicator Framework of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.

Key Features of the PAI

Performance Categories: Gram Panchayats are classified into five categories based on their scores:

Achiever: 90 and above

Front Runner: 75 to below 90

Performer: 60 to below 75

Aspirant: 40 to below 60

Beginner: Below 40 

Baseline Report (FY 2022-23): Out of 2,55,699 Gram Panchayats, 2,16,285 submitted validated data. The distribution is as follows:

Front Runners: 699 GPs (0.3%)

Performers: 77,298 GPs (35.8%)

Beginners: 5,896 GPs (2.7%)

Objectives and Significance

Evidence-Based Planning: The PAI facilitates evidence-based planning at the grassroots level by identifying development gaps and enabling targeted interventions.

Monitoring Progress: It serves as a monitoring tool to track the incremental progress of Gram Panchayats towards achieving the LSDGs.

Collaborative Effort: The development of the PAI involved collaboration with various Union Ministries, State Governments, and UN Agencies, ensuring a comprehensive and inclusive approach. 

Ace basketball player and former captain of the Indian team Hari Dutt Kapri has passed away at his residence in Pithoragarh, Uttrakhand.

• He was 83 and breathed his last on Wednesday( 9 April)
• Kapri is survived by his wife and two sons.
• He was conferred with the Arjuna award in 1969. Kapri was born in Chiiriyakhan village of Muwani area of Pithoragarh district in the year 1942.
• It was under his stewardship that the Indian basketball team rose from the 7th to the 4th position in Asia in the year 1969.