1

West Bengal Affairs

● Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park in West
Bengal’s Darjeeling has become India’s first zoo to
preserve DNA samples of wildlife found
exclusively in snowy regions.
● The West Bengal Police have introduced a mobile
application integrated with the e-HRMS (Electronic
Human Resource Management System) software,
enabling police personnel from the ranks of
constable to sub-inspector to submit transfer
requests digitally.
● A 45-year-old woman in Kolkata has been diagnosed with human coronavirus HKU1, a virus
from the same family as COVID-19.
● India's first-ever river dolphin population survey, conducted between 2021 and 2023 and West
Bengal recorded 815.
● Manchester City Football Club is going to set up the first-ever Manchester City Football School
in Kolkata in collaboration with the Techno India Group
● The Panchayats and Rural Development (P&RD) department is introducing a unified accounting
software “Sahaj Saral” under West Bengal Panchayat Management System (WBPMS) for
ensuring real time entry of all transactions in the three-tier Panchayat.
● A novel species of parasitic isopod, designated ‘Lobothoraxbharat’ (L.bharat) has been identified
in the Bay of Bengal by researchers from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI).
● First lion cub born in captivity at Bengal Safari Park in Siliguri.
● Governor CV Ananda Bose, who is also the Chancellor of state-aided universities, has removed
professor Bhaskar Gupta from his role as the interim vice-chancellor (V-C) of Jadavpur University
with immediate effect.
● The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended the transfer of Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma
from the Delhi High Court to the Calcutta High Court.
● Manoj Kumar Agarwal appointed as the Chief
Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal.
● The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) informed the
Calcutta High Court that its investigation has excluded
the gangrape allegation in the RG Kar Medical
College rape-murder case. The agency is currently
focusing on probing potential evidence tampering.
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● The West Bengal Board of Madrasah Education (WBBME) has announced the implementation of
Holistic Progress Report Cards (HPRC) for students in classes I to VIII, beginning with the
academic year 2025.
● The Centre has allotted Rs 361 crore for Bengal under the National Health Mission
● The Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) has announced plans to construct roads using recycled
plastic.
● ‘Khelab Maiya’ organised in Central Dooars to address issues faced by tea garden residents.
● The state School Education Department has published the Primary School Special Education
Teachers Recruitment Rules, 2025, enabling the first full-time recruitment of such teachers for
children with special needs.
● The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has declared the Calcutta Medical College and
Hospital the best research institute in Eastern India.
● For the first time in Alipurduar, a government-led nature camp was organised under the Mission
Life programme of the State Pollution Control Board.
● The state’s oldest tiger christened as ‘Sohan’ died.
● The state government is well poised to complete construction and renovation of 12,128 km of
rural roads under the Pathashree-III scheme by the end of 2024-25 fiscal year (FY).
● Professor Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak selected for the 2025
Holberg Prize, considered one of the most prestigious
international awards in humanities and social sciences.
● Justice Joymalya Bagchi was sworn in as a judge of the Supreme
Court (SC).
● The West Bengal government told the Supreme Court that the
exercise for identification of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in
the state will be conducted afresh and completed in about three months.
● Eminent playwright and director Prof Harimadhab Mukhopadhyay passed away.
● Siliguri is set to host its first-ever International Sports Film Festival, organised by Siliguri Cine
Society and Federation of Film Societies of India, with the concept developed by the Social Sports
Foundation (SSF).
● Kolkata hosted a special four-day festival, SundarbanTramjatra, from March 28 to 31.
● Harihar Das appointed chairmanof Rajbanshi Bhasha Academy.
● 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) begins in Kolkata.
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● The three-day 32nd West Bengal State Science and Technology Congress organised by the Bengal
department of Science & Technology and Biotechnology, held at the Biswa Bangla Convention
Centre, New Town.
● West Bengal topped the list in MSME manufacturing industries and also recorded the highest
percentage of women-headed establishments in the country
● Haldia MLA Tapasi Mondal has been appointed chairperson of the state Women and Child
Development and Social Welfare department.

APPOINTMENT
Name Office
Rahul Bhave MD & CEO of IFCI
Ex-Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba Full-Time Member of NITI Aayog
chairman of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural
Ashok Singh Thakur
Heritage (INTACH)
Bureau Member of United World Wrestling (UWW)-
Sanjay Singh
Asia
Gopal Vittal Chairman of the GSMA Board
Ajay Seth Finance Secretary to the Govt. of India
Justice Harish Tandon Chief Justice of Orissa High Court
Amitabh Kant NIIT University Chancellor
Anuj Kumar Singh Joint Secretary in UPSC
First Female and African President of the International
Kirsty Coventry
Olympic Committee
Ayushmann Khurrana ‘Fit India Icon’
KrishnamachariSrikkanth Goodwill Ambassador of VISION 2020 India
Lip-Bu Tan CEO of Intel Corporation
Justice Joymalya Bagchi Judge to the Supreme Court of India.
Anju Rathi Rana First Woman Law Secretary
Nidhi Tiwari Private Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, an Indian-
Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), US
American scientist
Dr. Ajit Ratnakar Executive Director of RBI
Dr. Mayank Sharma Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA)
Manan Kumar Mishra Chairman of Bar Council of India
C S Setty Chairman of Indian Banks' Association.
Kirsty Coventry IOC President
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NATIONAL NEWS

● The Department of Posts, Government of India, proudly announced the release of a

Commemorative Postage stamp in honour of Mata Karma, a revered saint, social reformer, and
an ardent devotee of Lord Krishna on the occasion of her 1009th Birth anniversary.
● Six sites added to India's tentative list by UNESCO's World Heritage Centre.
➔ Mudumal Megalithic Menhirs in Telangana
➔ Palace-Fortresses of the Bundelas in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh
➔ Kanger Valley National Park in Chhattisgarh
➔ Ashokan Edict Sites along the Mauryan Routes across multiple States
➔ Chausath Yogini Temples in multiple States
➔ Gupta Temples in North India
➔ At present, a total of 43 properties from India are inscribed on the UNESCO World
Heritage List, including 35 in the 'Cultural' category, seven in 'Natural' and one in 'Mixed'
category.
● Starlink's entry into the Indian market aims to support 0.18 million subscribers initially, with
plans to scale up to 5.7 million by 2030.
● As per Annual Report, Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), 2023-24, the literacy rate among
Muslims was 79.5% for persons aged 7years & above, while literacy rate for all religions for the
same age group was 80.9%.
● The Centre has declared the Madhav National Park in Madhya Pradesh as the country's 58th
tiger reserve.
● India's social protection coverage has doubled from 24.4% in 2021 to 48.8% in 2024, marking a
significant expansion in welfare reach, according to the International Labour Organization's (ILO)
World Social Protection Report (WSPR) 2024-26.
● UNESCO released its global report “Education and Nutrition: Learn to Eat Well” in March, during
the ‘Nutrition for Growth’ summit hosted by France.
● The NREGS wage rates for 2025-26 has been hiked in the range of 2.33-7.48%. In absolute terms,
the NREGS wages have seen a hike in the range of Rs 7 to Rs 26. The NREGS wages have been
hiked by ₹7 in five states, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, and Telangana.
● A recent study published in The Lancet predicts that by 2050, nearly one-third of India's
population, or about 440 million people, could be overweight or obese, potentially making India
the second-highest country in the world for overweight and obese adults.
● India's first-ever river dolphin population survey, conducted between 2021 and 2023, estimated
a total of 6,327 river dolphins, including 6,324 Gangetic dolphins and 3 Indus river dolphins,
across the Ganga and Brahmaputra river basins. Uttar Pradesh: had the highest number of
Gangetic dolphins at 2,397.
● Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the 16th Asiatic lion population estimation will
be held in May 2025.

STATE SCANNER
● The Haryana government has introduced 'Sarathi', an AI-powered chatbot, to enhance public
access to official government documents and policies.
● The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has stumbled upon a cluster of over 100 megaliths near
Malampuzha dam in Palakkad, largest water barrier and reservoir in Kerala during a recent
exploration expedition.
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● Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has announced the development of corridors
along the sacred Ganga and Sharda rivers to enhance religious tourism in the state.
● After nearly a decade-long ban, Meghalaya has inaugurated its first scientific coal mine in East
Jaintia Hills.
● Delhi Police has introduced the 'Shishtachar' squads to curb eve teasing, with 30 teams
patrolling critical areas to ensure women's safety.
● Under Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban, India's first public-private partnership (PPP) green waste
processing plant has been set up in Indore.
● Telangana government has issued guidelines of Rajiv Yuva Vikasam Scheme which is aimed at
providing financial assistance up to₹4 lakh to youth from Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled
Tribes (ST), Backward Classes (BC), Minority and EBC/EWS communities.
● Maharashtra CM inaugurates grand Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj temple in Bhiwandi.
● The Assam state government announced plans to launch its own satellite, ASSAMSAT.
● Routine vaccination among children will now be monitored digitally via 'Rapid Immunisation Skill
Enhancement' (RISE) app, a platform to be used by nurses, ANMs and health workers engaged in
vaccination in Uttar Pradesh.
● Assam Cabinet has named the Assam Semiconductor & Electronics Logistics Park area as Ratan
Tata Electronics City to honour Late Ratan Tata.
● To empower women and children facing violence, Punjab minister for social security, women,
and child development Baljit Kaur unveiled ‘Project Hifazat' on the eve of International Women's
Day.
● Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced that Bengaluru City University will be
renamed after the late Dr Manmohan Singh.
● The first leopard safari site in Punjab is expected to be the Jhajjar Bachauli Wildlife Sanctuary,
located in the Rupnagar district.
● Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Vantara, the world's largest animal rescue and
conservation centre in Gujarat.
● The Uttarakhand Cabinet approved the implementation of the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS)
for officers and employees under the National Pension System (NPS).
● Madhya Pradesh government announced to provide permanent electricityconnection for
farmers at Rs. 5.
● Tripura awarded for exemplary performance in TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan by MoHFW.
● The Tamil Nadu government included the Tamil character 'ரூ' in place of ₹ in the budget logo.

LEGAL NEWS
● The Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025 was passed by the Lok Sabha. It seeks to regulate
immigration, entry, and stay of foreigners in India. It repeals the following Acts: (i) the Passport
(Entry into India) Act, 1920, (ii) the Registration of Foreigners Act, 1939, (iii) the Foreigners Act,
1946, and (iv) the Immigration (Carriers’ Liability) Act, 2000.
● Parliament passed the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which allows bank account
holders to have up to four nominees.
● The Supreme Court has ruled that visually impaired candidates can participate in judicial service
exams, affirming that the right against disability-based discrimination under the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, should be treated as a fundamental right.
● The Calcutta High Court ruled that the ‘No Work No Pay’ principle does not apply when the
employer is at fault. The court directed the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) to clear all
outstanding salary arrears of a retired security employee.
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● On International Women's Day, the Legislative Department of the Ministry of Law & Justice
released a book titled "The Life and Contributions of the Women Members of the Constituent
Assembly," highlighting the often-overlooked roles of 15 women in drafting India's Constitution.
● Delhi becomes 28th state to join the national e-Vidhan application platform.
● Punjab will be introducing sign language in its Legislative Assembly to facilitate persons who are
unable to speak or hear.

ECONOMY WATCH

● The Indian government aims to raise Rs 8 lakh crore through dated securities in the first half (H1)
of the financial year 2025-26 to cover the fiscal deficit.
● The government announced in the Rajya Sabha that five indigenously-made Bharat nuclear
reactors will be built with private sector participation. Aiming to generate 100 GW by 2047, the
nuclear energy budget has increased by 170% in the last decade.
● The digital payment transactions (including UPI) surged with over 18,120 crore transactions in
2024-25 (till January this year), with transaction value crossing Rs 2,330 lakh crore. Total digital
payment transactions grow by 46% from 8,839 crore in FY 2021-22 to 18,737 crore in FY 2023-24
● The overall credit disbursement to priority sectors including Agriculture, MSME and Social
Infrastructure by banks in 2019 was₹23,01,567 crores, which has risen to ₹42,73,161 crores in
2024, recording an increase of 85% over the six-year period.
● The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued
revised guidelines on Priority Sector
Lending (PSL) to facilitate better
targeting of bank credit to the priority
sectors of the economy.
● India’s current account deficit (CAD)
rose marginally to $11.5 billion, or
1.1 per cent of gross domestic
product (GDP), during the October-
December 2024 quarter of the ongoing financial year (Q3FY25) from $10.4 billion, or 1.1 per cent
of GDP, a year ago, amid a rise in service exports.
● "98.18% of the ₹2,000 banknotes in circulation as on May 19, 2023, has since been returned," :
RBI.
● Lok Sabha passed the Finance Bill 2025 along with 35 government amendments. One of the key
amendments includes the abolition of the six per cent digital tax on online advertisements.
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● India has imposed anti-dumping duty on five Chinese goods, including vacuum flasks and
aluminium foil.
● India's floriculture exports reached USD 86.62 million in FY 2023-2024. India successfully
exported Anthurium flowers from Mizoram to Singapore for the first time.
● India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has doubled over the last ten years from $2.1 trillion in
2015 to $4.3 trillion in 2025, reporting a growth of 105 per cent, according to the latest data
released by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The growth has positioned India as the fifth-
largest economy in the world, behind the US, China, Germany and Japan.
Top 5 Economies (2025)
➔ USA ($30T)
➔ China ($22T)
➔ Germany ($5.4T)
➔ Japan ($5.1T)
➔ India ($4.3T)

● Over ₹45,000 crore w orth of “unclaimed deposit” has

been transferred by public sector banks to the Depositor Education and Awareness Fund
between 2019-20 and 2024-25 (till December 31, 2024).
● U.S., U.K. replace Gulf nations as top source of remittances into India: RBI Bulletin
➔ Developed economies like the U.S. and the U.K. have become the top sources of
remittances to India, contributing 40% in FY24, up from 26% in FY17.
➔ The U.S. accounted for 28% of remittances in FY24, up from 23.4% in FY21. The U.K.'s
share increased from 3% in FY17 to 10.8% in FY24.
➔ Countries like Canada, U.K., and Australia also contributed more, driven by the increased
presence of Indian labor and students.
➔ Singapore's share grew to 6.6% in FY24, while Australia contributed 2.3%.
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➔ UAE's contribution declined from 27% in FY17 to 19.2% in FY24. Similarly, Saudi Arabia's
share was reduced from 11.6% to 6.7%.
➔ Maharashtra, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu received about half of the remittances, while other
states like Haryana, Gujarat, and Punjab saw moderate increases, each remaining under
5%.
➔ Remittances over ₹5 lakh made up 28.6% of the total, while 40.6% of transactions were
for amounts ₹16,500 or less.
● Govt notifies revisions to investment, turnover criteria for MSMEs.

● East Coast Railway (ECoR) has once again set a historic milestone in freight loading by becoming
the first railway zone in India to achieve 250 million tons (MT) of originating freight in the
financial year 2024-25.
● According to Morgan Stanley, in 2028, India will overtake Germany as its economy will expand
to $5.7 trillion.
● India generated foreign exchange revenue worth USD 143 million through launching foreign
satellites during the period from 2015 to 2024.
● India's foreign exchange reserves witnessed a massive jump of $15.267 billion, reaching
$653.966 billion as of March 7, 2025.
● The IRDAI has granted Valueattics Reinsurance, the first private reinsurance license in India,
breaking GIC Re's monopoly that has existed since 1972.
● LIC, The New India Assurance, and GIC Re have been identified as Domestic Systemically
Important Insurers (D-SIIs) for 2024-25 by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority
of India (IRDAI).
● The Finance Ministry has notified Zero Coupon Bond (ZCB) for Power Finance Corporation. The
company can raise up to ₹10,000 crore.
 ZCB is an instrument that doesn’t pay interest during its term, but instead is sold at a
discount to its face value. When the bond matures, the investor receives the full-face
value. There will be no periodic payment of interest.
● SEBI's total income surged by 48% to₹2,075 crore in FY24, driven by higher earnings from fees
and subscriptions, with fee income reaching ₹1,851.5 cro re, up from₹1,213.22 crore in the
previous year.
● In February 2025, India's Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections surged by 9.1% year-on-year,
reaching ₹1.84 lakh crore.
● Public sector undertakings Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and Indian
Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC) were granted 'Navratna' status by the Government of India.
● Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh highlighted that India has around 10,000 biotechnology
startups, contributing to a $165 billion bioeconomy.
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YOJANAS

● The Union education ministry has launched the “Baalpan ki Kavita” initiative for preparing a
compendium of nursery rhymes and poems in all “Bharatiya Bhasha” as well as English
● The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has introduced the Digital Crop Survey (DCS)
System, which aims to gather real-time crop-sown details directly from the field through a
mobile interface.
● The Finance Ministry has launched a revamped e-auction portal named 'BAANKNET' to further
streamline the listing and auctioning of banks' assets.
● The North and South Blocks in New Delhi will soon host the YugeYugeen Bharat National
Museum as part of the Central Vista Redevelopment Project.
● Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman launched a dedicated
mobile app for the Prime Minister’s Internship Scheme in New Delhi.
● The Ministry of Education, Department of Higher Education, launched PM-YUVA 3.0 -Prime
Minister’s Scheme for Mentoring Young Authors, an Author Mentorship programme to train
young and budding authors (below 30 years of age) in order to promote reading, writing and
book culture in the country, and project India and Indian writings globally on 11th March, 2025.
● Union Minister for Electronics & Information Technology, Railways, and Information &
Broadcasting, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw introduced initiatives like AIKosha: IndiaAI Datasets
Platform, the AI Compute Portal, the AI Competency Framework for Public Sector Officials, iGOT-
AI Mission Karmayogi, the IndiaAI Startups Global Acceleration Program with Station F, the
IndiaAI Application Development Initiative and IndiaAIFutureSkills all aimed at strengthening AI-
driven research, innovation, and skill development.
● The Indian government is set to launch a new cooperative-based taxi service called "Sahkar Taxi"
across the country to offer an alternative to popular ride-hailing platforms like Ola and Uber in a
market with huge growth projection.
● Union Minister of Ports Sarbananda Sonowal launched the One Nation-One Port initiative to
standardize and streamline port operations across India.

First in India/World
● Kerala makes history by establishing India's first commission for the elderly, aiming to protect
their rights and welfare.
● India's first World Peace Center inaugurated in Haryana's Gurugram.
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AWARDS

❏ The Music Academy, Chennai, has chosen violinist and composer Rudrapatna Krishnamurthy
Shriramkumar for this year's prestigious Sangita Kalanidhi Award.
❏ Hydrologist Günter Blöschl has been awarded the 2025 Stockholm Water Prize.
❏ Vijay Sankar, Chairman of The Sanmar Group and Honorary Consul General of Denmark for
Southern India, has been honored with the Knight's Cross of the Order of Dannebrog - one of
Denmark's highest royal decorations - by the King of Denmark.
❏ Renowned sculptor Ram Sutar, creator of the Statue of Unity, wins Maharashtra's highest civilian
award, Maharashtra Bhushan 2024.
❏ Actor Chiranjeevi receives Lifetime Achievement Award in Public Service at British Parliament,
honored for cinema and philanthropy.
❏ Muthoot Microfin, a microfinance institution, has won two Gold Awards at the SKOCH Awards
2025.
❏ Jayshree Vencatesan, co-founder of Chennai-based Care Earth Trust, has become the first Indian
to be honored with the Ramsar award.
❏ PM Modiconferred ‘Honorary Order of Freedom of Barbados’.
❏ Masaki Kashiwara, a Japanese mathematician, received 2025 Abel
Prize, which aspires to be the equivalent of the Nobel Prize in
math.
❏ Punjab & Sind Bank emerges as the winner under the Top
Improvers category in the EASE 6.0 Reforms Index.
❏ At the Vibrant Bharat Global Summit 2025, Dr. Suborno Bose,
Chairman of the International Institute of Hotel Management
(IIHM), received the 'Lifetime Achievement in Hospitality and Education Through Technology'
award from Union Tourism Minister Gajendra Shekhawat.
❏ Jay Shah, the chairman of the International Cricket Council, has been honored with the
prestigious Icon of Excellence award at the 14th Edition of the FILA 2025.
❏ 97th Academy Awards Winners
➔ Best Picture: Anora
➔ Best Director: Sean Baker for Anora
➔ Best Actor: Adrien Brody for The Brutalist
➔ Best Actress: Mikey Madison for Anora
➔ Best Supporting Actor: Kieran Culkin for A Real Pain
➔ Best Supporting Actress: Zoe Saldaña for Emilia Pérez
➔ Best Original Screenplay: Sean Baker for Anora
➔ Best Adapted Screenplay: Jacques Audiard for Emilia Pérez
➔ Best Animated Feature Film: Flow
➔ Best Animated Short Film: September 5
➔ Best Documentary Feature: No Other Land
➔ Best Documentary Short Film: Incident
➔ Best Live Action Short Film: I'm Not a Robot
➔ Best Animated Feature Film: Flow
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➔ Best Original Song: "Mi Camino" from Emilia Pérez

➔ Best Original Score: John Powell and Stephen Schwartz for Wicked
➔ Best Film Editing: Sean Baker for Anora
➔ Best Cinematography: Joe Alwyn, Dave Bautista, Willem Dafoe, Alba Rohrwacher, Zoe
Saldaña for Anora
➔ Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell for Wicked
➔ Best Makeup and Hairstyling: David White, Traci Loader, and Suzanne Stokes-Munton for
Nosferatu
➔ Best Production Design: Janty Yates and Dave Crossman for Gladiator II
➔ Best Visual Effects: Gal Gadot and Rachel Zegler for Dune: Part Two
➔ Best International Feature Film: The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Germany)
❏ Renowned Hindi writer Vinod Kumar Shukla has been chosen as the recipient of the 59th
Jnanpith Award.
❏ Payal Kapadia's acclaimed directorial All We Imagine As Light emerged as the best feature film
winner at the 7th Critics Choice Awards.
❏ The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has been selected for the Digital Transformation Award 2025 by
Central Banking, London.
❏ Mauritius confers its highest honour ‘Order of the Star and Key of Indian Ocean’ on PM Modi.
❏ IIFA Awards 2025

HEAD OF STATES
● Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah : Namibia’s First Female President
● Stuart Young : Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago
● Mark Carney : Prime Minister of Canada
● Yamandú Orsi : Uruguay’s President
● Christian Stocker : Chancellor of Austria
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS
● Over 140 dead in Myanmar and Thailand after huge earthquake.
● The US introduces a 25% tariff on imported cars and auto parts.
● Indonesia joins BRICS-backed New Development Bank. Indonesia is the 10th member country
of BRICS and the first from Southeast Asia.
● Armenian and Azerbaijani officials announced to have agreed to a peace agreement set to end
nearly four decades of conflict between the two post-Soviet countries.
● UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres introduced the 'UN80 Initiative' to enhance the
efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the United Nations.
● China has deployed a Large Phased Array Radar (LPAR) system in Yunnan province, near the
China-Myanmar border, which is said to have a surveillance range exceeding 5,000 kilometers.
● The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) officially rebranded itself as Commonwealth Sport
on March 10, 2025, to commemorate Commonwealth Day.
● Israel has appointed Eyal Zamir as its new Chief of Staff.
● China has announced a 7.2% increase in its defence budget for 2025, continuing its efforts to
modernize and expand its military capabilities.
● Japan's Financial Services Agency (FSA) wants to give crypto assets legal status.
● Donald Trump imposed 25% taxes, or tariffs, on Mexican and Canadian imports.
● President Donald Trump has signed an executive order making English the official language of
the United States.

India & the World

❏ The Lanka India Business Association (LIBA) has been officially launched in Sri Lanka to enhance
economic collaboration between India and Sri Lanka.
❏ India and Singapore have signed a Letter of Intent focused on green and digital shipping
collaboration.
❏ The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Bank of Mauritius (BOM) have signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) to establish a framework to promote the use of local currencies -- the
Indian Rupee (INR) and the Mauritian Rupee (MUR) -- for cross-border transactions.
❏ India and New Zealand launched negotiations for a “comprehensive and mutually beneficial”
free trade agreement.
❏ In 2024, India became the leading source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into Dubai,
surpassing the United States.
❏ India has signed a $248 million deal with Russia's Rosoboronexport to procure 1000 HP engines
for its T-72 main battle tanks.
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❏ India (March 3, 2025) launched the Cities Coalition for Circularity (C-3), a multi-nation alliance
for city-to-city collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and private sector partnerships for sustainable
urban development.
❏ India sent over 15 tons of relief material under "Operation Brahma" to assist those affected by
the earthquake in Myanmar.
❏ PM Modi presented OCI cards to Mauritius' President Dharambeer Gokhool and First Lady
Vrinda Gokhool.

SUMMITS & CONFERENCE

● The 353rd Governing Body meeting of the International Labour Organisation is being held in
Geneva, Switzerland.
● 4th No Money for Terror (NMFT) Conference held at Munich, Germany.
● World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS) held in 2025 in New Delhi.
● President Droupadi Murmu Inaugurates National Conference on Environment 2025 at Vigyan
Bhawan.

RANKING
● JSW Steel has become the world's most valuable steelmaker, achieving a market capitalisation
(mcap) of Rs. 2,59,969 crore (US$ 30.31 billion).
● Roshni Nadar Malhotra, chairperson of HCL Technologies, has made history by becoming the
first Indian to enter the top 10 in the Hurun Global
Rich List 2025 for women.
● According to data released by the Tea Board of India,
India has exported 254 million kg of tea in 2024, thus
becoming the second-highest exporter in the world.
● India has emerged as the world's top milk producer
with 239 MMT production.
● In 2024, women-led tech companies globally secured
$29.6 billion in funding, marking an 11% decline from
$33.1 billion in 2023. India ranked 2nd after the US in
all-time funding for women-led tech startups.
● In the World Happiness Report 2025, India is ranked 118th out of 147 countries, with a
happiness score of 4.389, an improvement from its 126th position in 2024.
● In a global survey by "The Future of Free Speech,"India ranks 24th out of 33 countries in terms
of support for free speech, with a score of 62.6, placing it between South Africa and Lebanon.
● India secured the 11th position globally in pharmaceutical exports in 2023, accounting for 3% of
the total global pharmaceutical exports.
● According to the SIPRI's Trends in International Arms Transfers 2024 report, Ukraine was the
largest arms importer between 2020 and 2024, followed by India, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and
Pakistan.
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● In the YouGov India Value Rankings 2025, Amul, the leading dairy cooperative, has been ranked
as the third most valued brand in India, making it the only Fast-Moving Consumer Goods
(FMCG) brand in the top three alongside e-commerce giants Amazon and Flipkart.
● IndiGo has been recognized as the world's second-fastest-growing airline in terms of seat
capacity.
● Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC)
has been ranked third among the world's
strongest insurance brands.
● According to The Economist's Glass-Ceiling
Index 2025, Sweden tops the list as the best
country for working women, followed by
Iceland, Finland, Norway, and New Zealand.
● India ranks 4th globally with 85,698 super
rich, behind US, China and Japan.
● Shanghai overtook Mumbai as the
billionaire capital of Asia for the first time, with 92 individuals compared to the 90 billionaires
living in Mumbai. According to the Hurun Global Rich List for 2025, India ranks third with 284
billionaires.

SPORTS

● B Sumeeth Reddy announced retirement from professional badminton to focus on coaching.

● The Second edition of the Khelo India Para Games 2025 came to a close with Haryana once
again finishing on top.

● Sunil Kumar secures bronze in the 87kg weight division at the Asian Championships in Amman,
Jordan.
● Ajinkya Rahane became the first Indian to captain three different IPL teams.
● Oscar Piastri won the Chinese Grand Prix.
● Khelo India Para Games 2025 will be held in New Delhi from March 20 to 27, 2025.
➔ Venues: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Indira Gandhi Stadium, and Dr. Karni Singh Shooting
Range.
➔ Anthem: Features motivational lyrics: "Khelegakhelegamera India, jeetegajeetegamera
India."
➔ Mascot: Named 'Ujjwala' and introduced by Raksha Nikhil Khadse, Minister of State for
Sports. Represents a house sparrow, symbolizing resilience and determination.
● Japan became the first team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
● The Kabaddi World Cup 2025 will be hosted in England.
 15

● Indian long-distance runner Archana Jadhav banned for four years after failing a dope test,
accepting guilt without contesting findings.
● McLaren's Lando Norris emerged victorious at the 2025 Australian Grand Prix.
● Hockey Jharkhand won the 15th Hockey India Senior Women National Championship,
defeating Hockey Haryana in the final at Panchkula, Haryana.
● India Masters, led by Sachin Tendulkar, clinched the inaugural International Masters League
(IML) 2025 title, defeating West Indies Masters.
● India concluded their campaign at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Turin, Italy,
with a total of 33 medals, including 8 gold, 18 silver, and 7 bronze.
● Indiatops Medal Tally at World Para Athletics Grand Prix 2025 in New Delhi
● The 150th anniversary test between Australia and England will be held under lights at the
Melbourne Cricket Ground from March 11-15, 2027.
● Indian football icon Sunil Chhetri has decided to come out of his international retirement to help
the national team in the FIFA friendly assignment.
● Steve Smith has retired from One-Day Internationals.
● India's iconic table tennis star, Achanta Sharath Kamal, has announced his retirement from
professional table tennis.
● Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar inaugurated the ISTAF "Sepak Takraw 2025" World Cup at the
Patliputra Sports Complex Indoor Stadium in Patna.
● In the Asian Wrestling Championship-2025, Manisha Bhanwala clinched India's first gold medal
since 2021 edition.
● Manav Thakkar becomes first Indian to reach final eight of WTT Star Contender.
● Veteran Bangladesh wicketkeeper-batter Mushfiqur Rahim has announced his retirement from
One Day Internationals (ODIs).
● Brandon Holt clinches the 2025 Bengaluru Open ATP 125 Challenger Title.
● Vidarbha won their third Ranji Trophy title in seven seasons.

DEFENCE
● Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Navy conducted the
successful flight-test of indigenously-developed Vertically-Launched Short-Range Surface-to-Air
Missile (VLSRSAM) from the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the coast of Odisha.
● Indian NAVY Launched Second Indigenous Project 1135.6 Frigate 'Tavasya' at Goa Shipyard.
● The 23rd edition of VARUNA, a bilateral naval exercise between India and France, will take place
from March 19 to 22, 2025.
● The Indian and Bangladesh navies conducted a joint naval exercise, "Bongosagar 2025" and a
coordinated patrol (CORPAT) in the Bay of Bengal, aiming to enhance interoperability and
address maritime security challenges, with the participation of INS Ranvir and BNS Abu Ubaidah.
● The 2025 Edition of the Indian Navy's capstone Theatre Level Operational Exercise (TROPEX) was
conducted over a period of three months from Jan to Mar 25.
● The 12th edition of the India-Kyrgyzstan Joint Special Forces Exercise KHANJAR-XII is being held
in Kyrgyzstan.
 16

● The Indian Navy recently participated in the Sea Dragon 2025 exercise. It is a multinational anti-
submarine warfare (ASW) drill conducted annually to strengthen maritime security and
cooperation among allied nations in the Indo-Pacific region.
● The 14th edition of the Indian - Russia bilateral naval exercise, INDRA, is being conducted in two
phases: The harbour phase, which was held from March 28 to 30, and the sea phase from until
April 2 in the Bay of Bengal.
● The Indian Army conducted the tri-service integrated multi-domain warfare exercise
PrachandPrahaar under the Eastern Command in Arunachal Pradeh.
● The Indian Air Force (IAF) will participate in the multinational air exercise INIOCHOS-25,
beginning in Greece.
● Russia, China, and Iran will conduct joint naval exercises titled 'Security Belt-2025' in the Indian
Ocean near Iran.
● CDS Gen Anil Chauhan inaugurates 'Techkriti 2025', Asia's largest intercollegiate technical and
entrepreneurial festival at IIT Kanpur.

Books & Authors

● Leo: The Untold Story of Chennai Super Kings by P.S. Raman.
● Stumped, co-authored by Syed Kirmani, Debashish Sengupta, and Dakshesh Pathak
● ‘March of Glory’ Co-authored by K. Arumugam and Errol D’Cruz.
● Kailash Satyarthi’s autobiography ‘Diyasalai’.

Committee/Commission

● The Supreme Court has set up a national task force headed by its former judge Justice S
Ravindra Bhat to address students’ mental health concerns and prevent suicides in higher
educational institutions, noting that student suicides have surpassed instances of farmers killing
themselves due to agrarian distress.
● The Indian government has established the Inter-Ministerial-Industry Committee on Fintech
(IMICF), chaired by the Secretary of the Department of Financial Services (DFS), to address
regulatory concerns and devise a long-term strategy for the financial technology sector.
● Former Australian cricketer Steve Waugh has been appointed to the advisory board of the
Centre for Australia-India Relations.

DEATH
● Tamil actor-director Manoj Bharathiraja, son of legendary filmmaker Bharathiraja, has passed
away.
● George Foreman, The Legendary Boxer and Business Icon Passes Away at 76
● Dr. Senkalong (Senka) Yaden, a renowned Naga scientist and academician, passed away.
● Renowned Odia poet and former bureaucrat Ramakanta Rath passed away.
● Veteran actor-comedian Bindu Ghosh passes away at 76.
● Arvind Singh Mewar, a member of the erstwhile royal family of Mewar and chairman of the HRH
Group of Hotels, died in Udaipur.
● Former Indian All-Rounder Syed Abid Ali Passes Away at 83
● Legendary classical singer Garimella Balakrishna Prasad has passed away at the age of 76.
 17

● Fred Stolle, a two-time Grand Slam singles champion and a prominent figure in Australian tennis
history, passed away at 86.
● Actor Richard Chamberlain Dies At 90.
● Ron Draper, the oldest living Test cricketer, passed away at 98 years and 63 days
● Russian chess grandmaster Boris Spassky, the 10th World Chess Champion, has passed away at
88.
● Renowned Indian artist Himmat Shah, celebrated for his pioneering work in sculpture and
modern art, passed away.
● Padmakar Shivalkar, the champion left-arm spinner who is counted among the greatest Indian
cricketers to never play for India, has died at the age of 84.
● Former Supreme Court judge Justice Veeraswami Ramaswami passed away at the age of 96.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

● In an exciting scientific breakthrough, researchers have successfully turned light into a

"supersolid" for the first time ever.
● Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are back on Earth after spending nine unplanned
months in space.
● The Centre has recently accorded approval for the ambitious Chandrayaan-5 mission to study
the Moon.
● NASA has launched a $488m infrared mission to map the distribution of galaxies and study
cosmic inflation.
● Google has launched Gemma 3, a family of open-source artificial intelligence (AI) models
designed for high performance and accessibility.
● Nasa and Nokia are pioneering lunar exploration by launching a mobile network on the Moon as
part of Intuitive Machines' IM-2 mission.
● An American private space company called Firefly Aerospace successfully landed its spacecraft
Blue Ghost on the Moon.
● India’s first dedicated space based solar mission, Aditya-L1, has made a ground-breaking
observation as one of its scientific payloads has captured the first-ever image of a solar flare
‘kernel’ in the lower solar atmosphere.
● NASA is preparing to launch the SPHEREx telescope, designed to produce the most detailed and
vibrant map of the universe ever created.

Other NEWS
● Trump Media & Technology Group, whose flagship product is social networking site Truth Social,
will begin trading on the Nasdaq stock market.
● In 2024, Japan recorded a historic low birth rate with only 720,988 births, a 5% decrease from
the previous year, marking the ninth consecutive year of decline and the lowest number since
records began in 1899.
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IMPORTANT DAYS

DATE DAY THEME

1 March Zero Discrimination Day, World Civil Defence Day,

Self-Injury Awareness Day

3 March World Hearing Day

National Defence Day

World Wildlife Day

4 March National Safety Day, Employee Appreciation Day

5 March International Disarmament and Non-Proliferation

Awareness Day

6 March National Dentist’s Day

8 March International Women’s Day “For ALL Women and Girls:

Rights. Equality. Empowerment.”

10 March The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Raising

Day

International Day of Women Judges

14 March Pi Day

International Day of Action for Rivers

15 March World Consumer Rights Day ‘A Just Transition to Sustainable

Lifestyles’

16 March National Vaccination Day

18 March Ordnance Factory Day

20 March International Day of Happiness, World Sparrow

Day

21 March International Day for the Elimination of Racial

Discrimination

World Poetry Day

Down Syndrome and World Down Syndrome Day

World Day For Glaciers

International Day of Forests

 19

22 March World Water Day “Glacier Preservation”

23 March World Meteorological Day “Closing the Early Warning Gap

Together.”

24 March World Tuberculosis (TB) Day “Yes! We Can End TB: Commit,
Invest, Deliver”

International Day for the Right to the Truth

concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for
the Dignity of Victims

25 March International Unborn Child Day

The International Day of Remembrance of the

Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave
Trade

30 March International Day of Zero Waste 2025

● 54th National Safety Week (March 4-10, 2025)