PPSC (Punjab) Current Affairs One-liners — All time

Fri, 18 Apr 2025

• The Petroleum Ministry said on 18 April 2025 that, from Q1 of FY 2025-26, domestic gas for CNG (transport) and PNG (domestic) will be allocated two quarters in advance, and New Well Gas will be allocated pro-rata instead of by auction.
• The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways clarified on 18 April 2025 that no decision has been taken to roll out satellite-based tolling nationwide from 1 May 2025, and said an ANPR-FASTag-based barrier-less system will be implemented at selected toll plazas.
• The Anusandhan National Research Foundation announced on 18 April 2025 the selection of seven PAIR networks, with seven hub and 45 spoke institutions, under its Partnerships for Accelerated Innovation and Research programme.
• The Department of Consumer Affairs notified rules on 18 April 2025 making verification and stamping of radar-based vehicle speed-measurement equipment mandatory under the Legal Metrology (General) Rules, 2011, from 1 July 2025.

Thu, 17 Apr 2025

• On 17 April 2025 UNESCO added 74 documentary heritage collections to its Memory of the World Register, including India's manuscript collection of the Bhagavadgītā and the manuscript of Bharatamuni's Nāṭyaśāstra, taking the total to 570.
• The Central Consumer Protection Authority on 17 April 2025 advised coaching centres to strictly follow the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and the 2024 guidelines on misleading coaching advertisements, and said it had issued notices to some institutes over IIT-JEE and NEET claims.
• The Financial Intelligence Unit-India (FIU-IND) and the Reserve Bank of India signed an MoU in New Delhi on 17 April 2025 for coordination and information exchange in implementing the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
• Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh co-chaired the 24th India–UK Defence Consultative Group meeting with UK Permanent Under Secretary David Williams during a visit to London on 16–17 April 2025.
• C-DOT and Sterlite Technologies Ltd (STL) tested India's first Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) transmission over a 4-core multi-core fibre, establishing a stable link over more than 100 km, the Communications Ministry said on 17 April 2025.
• The Ministry of Coal revised the registration fee on the Coal Import Monitoring System (CIMS) portal to a flat ₹500 per consignment, effective 15 April 2025, it said on 17 April 2025.
• INS Sunayna, on deployment to Africa as Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) SAGAR, arrived at Nacala Port, Mozambique, on 17 April 2025, after taking part in the inaugural session of exercise AIKEYME 25 at Dar-es-Salaam.
• Astronomers led by ARIES used the 3.6m Devasthal Optical Telescope to measure an intermediate-mass black hole in the faint galaxy NGC 4395, about 4.3 million light-years away, the Science Ministry said on 17 April 2025.
• BRICS agriculture ministers met in Brasília on 17 April 2025 and agreed to launch the BRICS Partnership for Land Restoration, in line with the UNCCD framework; Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan represented India.

Wed, 16 Apr 2025

• CPI retail inflation fell to 4.6% in 2024-25, the lowest since 2018-19, and to 3.34% year-on-year in March 2025, the lowest monthly rate since August 2019, the Finance Ministry said on 16 April 2025.
• India's merchandise and services exports in 2024-25 are estimated at US$ 820.93 billion, 5.50% higher than US$ 778.13 billion in 2023-24, the Commerce Ministry said on 16 April 2025.
• Government e Marketplace (GeM) facilitated insurance for more than 1.3 crore individuals and the hiring of 1 million manpower resources in 2024-25, the Commerce Ministry said on 16 April 2025.
• The Ministry of Mines issued guidelines on 16 April 2025 for setting up Centres of Excellence (CoEs) for critical-mineral R&D under the National Critical Mineral Mission, to work on a hub-and-spoke model.
• The Competition Commission of India, by an order dated 16 April 2025, imposed monetary and non-monetary sanctions on UFO Moviez (with subsidiary Scrabble Digital) and Qube Cinema Technologies for violating Section 3(4) of the Competition Act.
• CDS General Anil Chauhan presented MacGregor Memorial Medals for 2023 and 2024 at the United Service Institution of India, New Delhi, on 16 April 2025, for contributions to military reconnaissance, exploration and adventure.
• Science Minister Jitendra Singh, reviewing CSIR on 16 April 2025, hailed India's first indigenous green hydrogen fuel cell inland waterway vessel, built by Cochin Shipyard with a KPIT fuel-cell drivetrain drawing on CSIR's foundational work.
• The Election Commission of India began its first-ever training for Booth Level Agents (BLAs) of political parties on 16 April 2025, with about 280 BLAs from Bihar of 10 recognised parties at IIIDEM, New Delhi.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a telephone call from Finnish President Alexander Stubb on 16 April 2025; they reviewed cooperation in digitalisation, sustainability and mobility.

Tue, 15 Apr 2025

• The India Meteorological Department's first-stage forecast, issued on 15 April 2025, says the June–September 2025 southwest monsoon rainfall is most likely to be above normal at 105% of the Long Period Average, with a model error of ±5%.
• Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh visited Rome on 14–15 April 2025, called on Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto and co-chaired the 11th India–Italy Joint Defence Committee meeting; SIDM and AIAD signed an MoU.
• Annual inflation based on the all-India Wholesale Price Index was 2.05% (provisional) in March 2025, down from 2.38% in February, the Commerce Ministry said on 15 April 2025.
• Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) reported its highest-ever annual profit after tax of ₹1,699 crore for 2024-25, up 36%, and became the first PSU and first company in the NBFC and banking sector to publish audited results within 15 days, the MNRE said on 15 April 2025.
• INSV Tarini, crewed by Lieutenant Commanders Dilna K and Roopa A, was flagged off from the Royal Cape Yacht Club, Cape Town, on 15 April 2025 for the final leg of the Navika Sagar Parikrama II circumnavigation, to Goa.
• At the OALP Round-IX and Special Discovered Small Field signing ceremony on 15 April 2025, Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said 28 blocks across eight sedimentary basins covering 1.36 lakh sq km had been awarded.
• The Ministry of Labour & Employment signed an MoU with Swiggy on 15 April 2025 to link gig and logistics jobs to the National Career Service (NCS) portal, with Swiggy aiming to mobilise over 12 lakh job opportunities in 2–3 years.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen spoke by phone on 15 April 2025, reviewed the Green Strategic Partnership launched in 2020, and looked forward to meeting at the 3rd India–Nordic Summit in Norway.