The World Bank report titled ‘Global Findex 2025’ released  reflecting achievements in digital and financial  inclusion.

India specific Highlights

• India has account ownership at or close to 90 percent.
• 16 percent of account owners do not have an active account, the average for all other low- and middle-income economies is 4 percent.
• The share of both women and men with only inactive accounts decreased between 2021 and 2024.
• The primary barrier to mobile phone ownership is the cost of the device, and lack of reliable mobile network coverage.

A major milestone in understanding the matter-antimatter asymmetry in the universe as CERN’s scientists have observed CP violation in baryons for the first time.

About Matter–Antimatter Asymmetry

• It refers to the observed imbalance between matter and antimatter in the universe.
• According to modern physics, the Big Bang should have producedequal amounts of matter and antimatter, yet the observable universe consists almost entirely of matter, with antimatter nearly absent.

About CP Violation:

• C (Charge conjugation): Swapping particles with their antiparticles.
• P (Parity): Flipping spatial coordinates (mirror image).
• CP symmetry: Implies laws of physics should remain unchanged if particles are swapped with their antiparticles and viewed in a mirror.
• CP violation: Matter and antimatter behave differently, violating CP symmetry.

India has successfully destroyed two Aerial High Speed Unmanned targets at high-altitude in Ladakh by Akash Prime.

About Akash Prime

• Developed by DRDO
• It is a hard and rugged version of the indigenous Akash Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) system of India.
• This missile system is designed to operate in very extreme weather in cold areas, high altitude(Above 4500 meter) and low-oxygen environments.

Skill Training and Women Entrepreneurship Development project launched under PM VIKAS

• Projects have been launched at IIIT Kottayam for the training of minority candidates.

About PM VIKAS

• Ministry: Ministry of Minority Affairs
• Type: Central Sector Scheme
• It converges five erstwhile schemes viz. Seekho Aur Kamao, Nai Manzil, Nai Roshni, USTTAD and Hamari Dharohar.
• Objective: Upliftment of six notified minority communities through skill development; entrepreneurship and leadership of minority women; and education support for school dropouts.
  • Six officially recognized minority communities in India are: Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, and Zoroastrians.
• Implementation in convergence with the Skill India Mission.

MoSPI Urges Integration of 8th Economic Census Preliminary work with 16th Population Census

About Economic Census: 

• Conducted by: Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI)
• Objective: Complete enumeration of entrepreneurial activities operating within India at a given point of time
• Census provides disaggregated data on: Ownership patterns, Number of persons engaged, Geographical spread of economic activities etc.
• Previously conducted in: 2019, 2013, 2005, 1998, 1990, 1980, 1977.

A study has found that Urban Wind Stilling Effect Creates Urban Aerosol Clean Islands in North India.

• 43% cities in northwest and northern Indo-Gangetic Plain had lower aerosol levels than nearby rural areas.
  • These cities are termed Urban Aerosol Clean Islands.
  • Aerosols are colloids where liquid or solids are dispersed in a gaseous dispersing  medium. 
    • E.g. Fog, Cloud, Smoke etc. 

About Urban Wind Stilling Effect

• Caused by weakened surface winds due to urban structures.
• Creates invisible barriers that slow long-range dust and pollutant entry.

Indian Navy to participate in 32nd Singapore India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX) exercise in Singapore. 

About SIMBEX Exercise

• Genesis: It began as Exercise Lion King in 1994.
• It is an annual exercise held between the Indian Navy and the Republic of Singapore Navy.
  • One of the longest uninterrupted maritime drills for India.
  • It aligns with India’s Vision SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and Act East Policy.

Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has appointed a new chief of NFRA.

About NFRA

• NFRA was constituted in 2018 by the Government of India under the Companies Act, 2013.
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Functions and Duties:
  • Recommend accounting and auditing policies and standards to be adopted by companies.
  • Monitor and enforce compliance with accounting standards and auditing standards.
  • Oversee the quality of service of the professions associate. 
  • Perform such other functions and duties as may be necessary or incidental to the aforesaid functions and duties.