US President announced reciprocal 10% tariffs for several US trade partners, including Heard and McDonald Island.

• The President called April 2 “Liberation Day” and declaring it “one of the most important days in American history.

About Islands

• Heard Island and McDonald Islands are uninhabited subantarctic islands in the Southern Ocean, with no permanent human population. 
• They are administered by Australia.
• As the only volcanically active subantarctic islands they ‘open a window into the earth’, thus providing the opportunity to observe ongoing geomorphic processes and glacial dynamics. 
• They are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. 

A U.S. national was arrested in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands for allegedly entering the prohibited tribal reserve area of North Sentinel Island. Sentinel Island, part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is home to the indigenous Sentinelese people (a negrito tribe), one of the last uncontacted tribes in the world.

About Sentenelese 

• They are declared as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups
  • Great Andamanese, Jarawas, Onges, and Shom Pens are other PVTGs of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands
• Centre issued the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Protection of Aboriginal Tribes) Regulation, 1956 to declare the traditional areas occupied by the tribes as reserves. 
  • It prohibited entry of all persons except those with authorisation. 
  • Photographing or filming the tribe members is also an offence.

The Bill is passed by the Parliament. 

Key Highlights of the Bill

• Objective: To modernize immigration laws, enhance national security, and improve coordination among immigration authorities.
• Bills repealed:  
  • Passport Act, 1920
  • Registration of Foreigners Act, 1939
  • Foreigners Act, 1946
  • Immigration (Carriers’ Liability) Act, 2000
• Immigration Regulation: A Bureau of Immigration will oversee visa issuance and entry-exit regulations.
• Penalties: penalises foreigners entering without valid passport or other travel documents with imprisonment of up to five years, fine up to five lakh rupees, or both.
• Power of arrest: Police officers not below the rank of a Head Constable can arrest without a warrant. 

Rrevised Domestically Manufactured Iron & Steel Products Policy-2025 for providing preference to Domestically Manufactured Iron & Steel Products in Government procurement is published. 

Key Provisions

• Objective: Prioritizes homegrown steel in government contracts, introduces a reciprocal clause to counter trade restrictions, and mandates domestic value addition for capital goods.
• Policy ban on Global Tender Enquiry for steel procurement contracts having estimated value up to Rs. 200 Crore except with the approval of competent authority.
• Capital goods like furnaces and rolling mills must have 50% domestic value addition.

The composite FHI has been developed using data from the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), covering the Financial Year 2022-23.

About FHI 2025

• Initiative by NITI Aayog.
• Objective: Comparative analysis of fiscal health across Indian states through standardized metric
• Coverage: 18 major states that drive the Indian economy in terms of their contribution to India’s GDP, demography, total public expenditure, revenues, and overall fiscal stability.
• Major Sub-Indices 
  • Quality of Expenditure
  • Revenue Mobilization
  • Fiscal Prudence
  • Debt Index
  • Debt Sustainability
• Top Performing States: Odisha leads the Index, followed by Chhattisgarh, Goa, Jharkhand and Gujarat

Rare Copper Plates documenting Devaraya I’s coronation unveiled in Bengaluru.

• These copper plates, belonging to the Vijayanagara Empire, were written in Sanskrit and Kannada and Nāgarī characters.

About Devaraya I (1406-1422)

• He was born during the Sangama period (1336-1485)
•  Infrastructure:  Built a dam on the Tungabhadra River, enabling canal irrigation for cities and villages.
• Vijayanagara's Glory and Foreign Accounts
  • In 1420, Italian traveler Niccolò de' Conti, visited Vijayanagara.
  • Described it as a magnificent capital city with grand architecture and prosperity.

A study titled, How Does Climate Change Impact Women and Children Across Agroecological Zones in India, released by the Union Ministry of Women And Child Development (WCD)

• It signifies the need of Gender disaggregated data to formulate robust policies on climate-induced disasters.

Women’s role in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)

• Trained as Aapda Sakhi under Aapda Mitra Scheme: Women constitute nearly 20% of the one lakh Aapda Mitra volunteers trained so far.
• Heat micro-insurance programme of SEWA in Ahmedabad: Protects informal female workers during heatwave periods by replacing income lost due to extreme heat days.
• Gender cell at Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA): Collect gender-based data for disasters and extreme weather events.

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has indicated the potential for adapting the National Polio Surveillance Project (NPSP) to monitor emerging infectious diseases.

About NPSP

• The NPSP is a collaborative initiative between the Government of India and WHO.
• Established in 1997, the NPSP developed a robust surveillance system for acute flaccid paralysis (AFP), which is critical for detecting potential polio cases.
• Significance: The project played a pivotal role in planning and monitoring polio immunization campaigns, ensuring high coverage across the country. ​
  • India was declared polio-free in 2014.
• In 2025, NPSP’s polio surveillance was integrated into the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP).