World Intellectual Property Day 2025 observed on April 26.

• World Intellectual Property Day 2025 observed every year on April 26 to highlight the importance of intellectual property rights.

• Aims to spread awareness about how IP supports innovation and creativity worldwide.

• The 2025 theme is “IP and Music: Feel the Beat of IP,” celebrating the link between IP and the music world.

• The theme underlines how IP protects musical creations and fuels the music industry’s growth.

• WIPO member states selected April 26 in 2000 to honor the day when the WIPO Convention took effect in 1970.

• The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) was founded in 1967 to promote and protect IP globally.

• WIPO operates as a specialized agency under the United Nations, supporting countries in IP matters.

• Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, WIPO is currently led by Director General Daren Tang.

World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2025 observed on April 28

• World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2025 observed every year on 28 April to highlight the importance of safe and healthy workplaces.

• This day serves as a global reminder to prioritize security and well-being at work.

• The 2025 theme is “Revolutionizing health and safety: the role of AI and digitalization at work.”

• It focuses on how AI and digital tools are reshaping workplace safety standards.

• Modern robots now perform high-risk tasks like lifting heavy loads and managing toxic materials.

• Automation is reducing human exposure to extreme temperatures and hazardous work conditions.

• The International Labour Organization (ILO) has been marking this day since 2003.

• The aim is to build awareness and encourage employers and workers to adopt safer work practices.

Raja Iqbal Singh Elected as Delhi Mayor

• Raja Iqbal Singh from the BJP has been elected as Delhi’s new Mayor.

• He won with 133 out of 142 votes, while the Congress candidate got only eight.

• The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) did not participate and abstained from voting.

• Jai Bhagwan Yadav, also from BJP, was elected Deputy Mayor without any contest after the Congress candidate withdrew.

• After taking charge, Raja Iqbal Singh promised to tackle waterlogging problems in the city.

• Keeping streets clean and unclogging drains will be among the top priorities under his leadership.

• The Mayor of Delhi heads the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and leads 250 elected councillors.

• Delhi’s Mayor is unique as it is the only municipality in the city directly elected by citizens.

Iran Declares National Mourning After Shahid Rajaee Port Blast

• Iran has announced April 28 as a national day of mourning after a tragic port explosion.

• The blast hit Shahid Rajaee port near Bandar Abbas in Hormozgan Province on April 27.

• A fuel tanker explosion caused 28 deaths and left over 1,200 injured.

• The exact reason behind the blast is still being investigated by the authorities.

• President Masoud Pezeshkian conveyed his condolences and ordered a thorough probe.

• Shahid Rajaee is one of two main parts of the Bandar Abbas port, located in southern Iran.

• The port sits on the northern shores of the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime route.

• Iran, a West Asian nation, has Tehran as its capital and uses the rial as its currency.

Akashvani Bags Six Honours at India Audio Summit and Awards 2025

• Akashvani bagged six awards at the prestigious India Audio Summit and Awards 2025 held in Mumbai.

• The event celebrates outstanding radio and audio content creators across India.

• Smriti Irani’s show, Nai Soch Nai Kahani – A Radio Journey with Smriti Irani, won Series of the Year for its inspiring stories of women’s bravery, ending with an interview of President Droupadi Murmu.

• Akashvani’s Public Speak was awarded Best Produced Audio Streaming Programme in the Health and Fitness category.

• The popular late-night programme Chhayageet earned the Best Late Night Show title.

• Ujale Unki Yadon Ke won Best Celebrity Show on Air, while Safarcast secured Best Travel Show.

• Akashvani also took home the Best Interstitial award for its creative short-form audio segments.

• Dr Pragya Paliwal Gaur, Director General of Akashvani, graced the ceremony as the guest of honour, celebrating India’s finest audio content.

Asia University Rankings 2025: India’s Performance and Highlights

• Times Higher Education (THE) has announced the Asia University Rankings 2025, listing the best institutions across Asia.

• IISc Bengaluru tops among Indian universities, placed at 38th with a score of 65.2.

• In total, seven Indian universities have made it to this year’s prestigious list.

• Anna University comes second among Indian institutes, ranking 111th with a score of 52.3.

• IIT Indore and Mahatma Gandhi University secured 131st and 140th spots, respectively.

• Shoolini University and Saveetha Institute are ranked 146th and 149th.

• Jamia Millia Islamia completes the Indian list at 161st position.

• Meanwhile, China’s Tsinghua and Peking Universities lead the rankings, with Singapore, Japan, and Hong Kong institutions also dominating the top ten.

India’s Poverty Reduction: World Bank Report

• The World Bank’s ‘India Poverty and Equity Brief’ shows that 171 million people moved out of extreme poverty between 2011–12 and 2022–23.

• Extreme poverty, defined as living on less than $2.15 a day, fell sharply from 16.2% to 2.3% during this period.

• Rural poverty under this level dropped from 18.4% to 2.8%, while urban poverty fell from 10.7% to 1.1%.

• The rural-urban extreme poverty gap reduced significantly from 7.7 to 1.7 percentage points.

• Poverty under the $3.65 per day threshold also dropped, from 61.8% to 28.1%, lifting 378 million people above this line.

• Five states—Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh—accounted for most of this reduction but still hold over half of the extreme poor.

• India’s consumption-based Gini index improved from 28.8 to 25.5, but the income-based Gini rose from 52 to 62, indicating wider income inequality.

• Urban unemployment fell to 6.6% in early FY24/25, the lowest since 2017–18, though youth joblessness remains high at 13.3%.