Current affairs 21 April 2025

India’s leather, footwear exports jump 25 pc to $5.7 billion in FY25.

• India’s leather and non-leather footwear exports have seen a significant rise of nearly 25 per cent in the 2024-25 financial year (FY25), reaching $5.7 billion.
• The industry is expected to surpass the $6.5 billion mark in the current fiscal year (FY26), according to the Council for Leather Exports (CLE).

Punjab govt announces ₹500 cr action plan to curb stubble burning.

• The Punjab Government has formulated an action plan worth 500 crore rupees to provide farmers with the latest Crop Residue Management (CRM) machinery on subsidy and implement other strategies to efficiently manage the paddy straw.
• This initiative aims to bring stubble burning to zero in the state.

PM Modi Unveils e-Books, Honours Public Admin Excellence.

• PM Modi released two e-Coffee Table Books, highlighting exemplary governance initiatives and innovative practices recognized under the Prime Minister’s Awards.
• Jharkhand’s Gamharia block in Seraikella-Kharsawan district received the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration, 2024, in the category of the Aspirational Block Programme.

Karnataka: First State to finish village-level antiquities survey.

• Karnataka has embarked upon a village-level survey for documentation of antiquities, an initiative to be the first-of-its-kind in the country.
• It was announced by the Department of Archaeology, Museums and Heritage, during World Heritage Day celebrations.
• Each antiquity will be geo-tagged, making Karnataka the first state with such a detailed inventory.

Virat Kohli makes history with most fifty-plus scores in IPL.

• Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) ace batter Virat Kohli overtook Australian legend David Warner, becoming the player with the most fifty-plus scores in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
• Virat accomplished this milestone during his side's match against Punjab Kings (PBKS) at Mullanpur.
• Fifty Plus Scores:
• Virat Kohli: 67
• David Warner: 66
• Shikhar Dhawan: 53