Aspirants preparing for the Lower Division Clerk, Last Grade Servant, and Kerala Administrative Service exams can utilize this daily current affairs practice to reinforce their grasp of recent events, including the ongoing Kerala heatwave that has prompted orange alerts in three districts, the India-Maldives ₹3,000 crore SAARC currency swap, and the launch of the VM Frames national filmmaking competition. With a moderate level of difficulty and a short duration, this practice is ideal for use after revising the Indian polity and economy chapters to test recall of key concepts, such as the significance of currency swaps and the impact of heatwaves on regional governance. By attempting these five questions, candidates can assess their understanding of current affairs, including the BharatGen-L&T sovereign AI compute platform, and review explanations after submission to lock weak areas, such as the implications of the India-Maldives swap on regional trade.

Kerala PSC Current Affairs — 25 April 2026

Daily current affairs for Kerala PSC aspirants. Today’s edition: bilateral economic agreement with the Maldives, sovereign AI compute infrastructure, banking-sector leadership continuity, defence honours, and a major social-justice reservation reform from a southern state.

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Kerala News

1. Kerala Heatwave Continues — Orange Alert in Three Districts

• IMD continues Orange Alert for Kollam, Thrissur, Palakkad for 25-26 April 2026
• Predicted temperatures: Palakkad ~40°C, Kollam ~39°C, Thrissur and Kottayam ~38°C, most other districts ~37°C, Thiruvananthapuram ~36°C — 3 to 4°C above normal
• Schools in Kollam and Thrissur districts ordered closed for the day under district collector orders
• Kerala heatwave criterion (PSC-relevant): maximum temperature ≥ 37°C (coastal) / 40°C (interior) AND departure from normal ≥ 4.5°C
• IMD colour code: Green (no warning) → Yellow (be updated) → Orange (be prepared) → Red (take action)

2. Kerala 2026 Assembly Elections — Counting Prep

• Kerala Legislative Assembly election held on 9 April 2026 for 140 seats; counting and results: 4 May 2026
• Election Commission of India (ECI) directed Appellate Tribunals to expedite electoral-roll appeals by 21 / 27 April 2026 so revised supplementary rolls are ready before counting (per Mostari Banu v. ECI directions)
• Pinarayi Vijayan (CPI(M)) is contesting from Dharmadam (Kannur district), seeking a third consecutive LDF mandate
• PSC relevance: Article 324 (ECI), Section 30 of Representation of the People Act 1951, electoral roll machinery

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National News

3. India-Maldives — ₹3,000 Crore SAARC Currency Swap Approved

• Government of India approved a ₹3,000 crore (≈USD 360 million) currency swap facility for the Maldives under the SAARC Currency Swap Framework (2024-2027)
• Bilateral support agreement between RBI and Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA)
• Cumulative RBI support to Maldives since 2012: USD 1.1 billion
• PSC relevance: SAARC institutions, India’s neighbourhood-first policy, RBI’s external function, balance-of-payments support

4. VM Frames — National Filmmaking Competition Launched

• Ministry of Culture launched ‘VM Frames’ national filmmaking competition marking 150 years of Vande Mataram (Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s 1875 composition in Anandamath)
• Total prize pool: ₹50 lakh
• Three categories: Reels (under 1 min), AI films (≤5 min), Short films (≤15 min)
• Submission deadline: 7 May 2026
• PSC relevance: Vande Mataram history, Bankim Chandra (Bengali Renaissance), national symbols, Ministry of Culture initiatives

5. BharatGen-L&T Sovereign AI Compute Platform — 5-Year MoU

• Five-year MoU signed for India’s sovereign AI compute infrastructure
• Partners:
  • L&T Semiconductor Technologies (LTSCT) — ASIC chip design
  • L&T-Vyoma — 30 MW data centre at Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu
  • BharatGen — large language model (LLM) development
• Approved under IndiaAI Mission by Digital India Corporation
• Focus: multilingual, India-specific AI models
• PSC relevance: IndiaAI Mission, MeitY, semiconductor mission, Atmanirbhar Bharat

6. India-Czech Republic — 13th JCEC in Prague

• Jitin Prasada (Union MoS Commerce & Industry) co-chaired the 13th India-Czech Republic Joint Commission for Economic Cooperation (JCEC) in Prague on 22-23 April 2026
• Protocol signed on bilateral trade and investment
• India-Czech Business Forum inaugurated for B2B linkages
• PSC relevance: India-EU bilateral mechanisms, JCEC structure, MoCI initiatives

7. RBI Lifts Forex Hedging Restrictions

• Reserve Bank of India withdrew the March 27 cap of USD 100 million on related-party forex hedging by authorised dealers (banks)
• Restored: arbitrage trades, Non-Deliverable Forward (NDF) access for banks
• Original cap was meant to manage rupee depreciation pressure during West Asia volatility
• PSC relevance: RBI’s exchange-rate management, FEMA 1999, forex market functioning

8. Jio Financial Services-Allianz — 50:50 Insurance JV

• JFSL and Allianz Europe BV announced an equal-equity (50:50) general and health insurance joint venture in India
• Subsidiary Allianz Jio Reinsurance Limited operationalised
• JFSL contributes digital reach; Allianz contributes underwriting expertise
• PSC relevance: insurance penetration in India, IRDAI, FDI in insurance (currently 74%), foreign-Indian JVs

9. Gen Upendra Dwivedi — US Army War College Hall of Fame

• General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Army Staff, inducted into the International Hall of Fame at the US Army War College (USAWC), Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania
• Third Indian Army Chief to be honoured (after Gen V.K. Singh and Gen Bikram Singh)
• Criterion: outstanding contributions to national security
• PSC relevance: Indian Army leadership, India-US defence cooperation, military diplomacy

10. ACC Approves Tenure Extensions for Public-Sector Bank Chiefs

• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) chaired by the Prime Minister approved three-year extensions:
  • Rajneesh Karnatak — MD & CEO, Bank of India — until April 2029
  • Debadatta Chand — MD & CEO, Bank of Baroda — until July 2029
• Continuity for two of India’s largest public-sector banks
• PSC relevance: ACC role, public-sector bank governance, banking nationalisation history

11. Karnataka — SC Reservation Sub-Categorisation

• Karnataka Cabinet approved a 5.25% : 5.25% : 4.5% internal split of the state’s 15% Scheduled Caste reservation across three sub-categories of its 101 SC sub-castes
• Ends a 40-year demand by historically more-deprived SC sub-groups for proportional access
• Aligns with the Supreme Court’s August 2024 judgment in State of Punjab v. Davinder Singh (allowed SC sub-classification)
• PSC relevance: Article 341 (Scheduled Castes), reservation jurisprudence, federalism

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10 MCQs

Q1. The India-Maldives currency swap facility approved on 25 April 2026 was extended under which framework?

Options: A. ASEAN Currency Swap Arrangement B. BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement C. SAARC Currency Swap Framework D. Bilateral USD-INR swap line

Answer: C

Explanation: The ₹3,000 crore facility was extended under the SAARC Currency Swap Framework (2024-2027), administered through the RBI and Maldives Monetary Authority.

Q2. ‘VM Frames’, the filmmaking competition launched by the Ministry of Culture, marks 150 years of which work?

Options: A. Jana Gana Mana B. Vande Mataram C. Sare Jahan Se Achha D. Anandamath as a novel

Answer: B

Explanation: Vande Mataram was composed by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1875; ‘VM Frames’ marks 150 years of the composition. While the song first appeared in Anandamath (1882), the composition itself dates to 1875.

Q3. Where is the L&T-Vyoma 30 MW data centre, central to the BharatGen-L&T sovereign AI compute platform, being established?

Options: A. Hyderabad, Telangana B. Bengaluru, Karnataka C. Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu D. Pune, Maharashtra

Answer: C

Explanation: The 30 MW facility is being built at Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, as part of the IndiaAI Mission’s sovereign compute initiative.

Q4. The 13th India-Czech Republic Joint Commission for Economic Cooperation (JCEC) was held on 22-23 April 2026 in which city?

Options: A. New Delhi B. Prague C. Brno D. Mumbai

Answer: B

Explanation: The 13th JCEC was held in Prague, co-chaired by Union MoS Jitin Prasada.

Q5. The RBI cap of USD 100 million on related-party forex hedging — withdrawn on 25 April 2026 — was originally imposed on which date?

Options: A. February 27, 2026 B. March 27, 2026 C. April 1, 2026 D. April 10, 2026

Answer: B

Explanation: The cap was imposed on 27 March 2026 to manage rupee depreciation pressure; it was lifted on 25 April 2026 along with restoration of NDF access for banks.

Q6. Which two public-sector bank MDs received three-year ACC tenure extensions on 25 April 2026?

Options: A. SBI and PNB B. Bank of India and Bank of Baroda C. Canara Bank and Union Bank D. Indian Bank and Bank of Maharashtra

Answer: B

Explanation: Rajneesh Karnatak (BoI) and Debadatta Chand (BoB) received three-year extensions through 2029.

Q7. General Upendra Dwivedi was inducted into the International Hall of Fame of which institution?

Options: A. National Defense University, Washington DC B. US Army War College, Carlisle Barracks C. Royal Military Academy Sandhurst D. Naval War College, Newport

Answer: B

Explanation: Gen Dwivedi was inducted at the US Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania — the third Indian Army Chief honoured there.

Q8. Karnataka’s 25 April 2026 cabinet decision split its 15% SC reservation across how many sub-categories?

Options: A. Two B. Three C. Four D. Five

Answer: B

Explanation: The split was 5.25% : 5.25% : 4.5% across three sub-categories of the state’s 101 SC sub-castes.

Q9. The IMD’s Orange Alert on 25 April 2026 covered which three Kerala districts?

Options: A. Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta B. Kollam, Thrissur, Palakkad C. Ernakulam, Thrissur, Malappuram D. Kottayam, Idukki, Wayanad

Answer: B

Explanation: Orange Alert was issued for Kollam, Thrissur, and Palakkad with predicted temperatures 38-40°C — about 3-4°C above normal.

Q10. The IMD’s heatwave Orange Alert means:

Options: A. No warning B. Be updated C. Be prepared D. Take action

Answer: C

Explanation: IMD colour code: Green (no warning) → Yellow (be updated) → Orange (be prepared) → Red (take action).

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Quick Recap

#	Topic	One-line
1	Kerala heatwave	Orange alert continues; 38-40°C forecast
2	Kerala polls	Counting on 4 May; rolls finalisation directives issued
3	Maldives swap	₹3,000 Cr SAARC framework facility
4	VM Frames	150 yrs of Vande Mataram filmmaking competition
5	BharatGen-L&T	Sovereign AI compute, Kanchipuram TN
6	India-Czech	13th JCEC in Prague
7	RBI forex	March 27 hedging cap withdrawn
8	Jio-Allianz	50:50 insurance JV
9	Gen Dwivedi	USAWC Hall of Fame
10	Bank chiefs	BoI + BoB tenure extension to 2029
11	Karnataka SC	15% quota sub-classified into 3 tiers

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Sources: Press Information Bureau, RBI press releases, Ministry of Culture, Election Commission of India, IMD bulletins, news aggregators (AffairsCloud, PMF IAS, GKToday). Cross-checked at time of publication.