Awards:
- Pritzker Architecture Prize: Li Xiaodong and Wang Shu.
- Architecture Award: Li Xiaokun.
Sports:
- Champions Trophy: India won.
- World Junior Chess Championship: Pranav Venkatesh.
- Kho Kho World Cup: India won (men's and women's).
Defense:
- DRDO: Unveiled BM-04 hypersonic short-range ballistic missile.
- India-Kyrgyzstan Joint Military Exercise: Khanger.
Environment:
- 58th Tiger Reserve: Madhav National Park, Madhya Pradesh.
Summits & Events:
- Vasant Utsav Chapchar Kut: Mizoram.
Other:
- Ratan Tata Electronic City: Assam.
- Glass Ceiling Index: Sudan ranked first.
Tiger Reserves:
- 56th: Guru Ghasidas Timor Pingla Tiger Reserve, Chhattisgarh.
- 57th: Rata Pani, Madhya Pradesh.
- 58th: Madhav, Madhya Pradesh.
Space:
- Satellite Launch: India's GISAT 20 via Falcon 9.
Beauty Pageants:
- Miss Universe: Victoria Kejær (Denmark).
Interpol:
- New Head: Valdet Sadiku.
Government & Politics:
- Defense Minister Visit: Rajnath Singh visited Aerospace Medicine Institute, Bengaluru.
Government Schemes:
- Madhya Pradesh: Ladli Bahen Yojana
- Maharashtra: Majhi Ladki Yojana
- Jharkhand: Maiya Samman Yojana
Space Exploration:
- GISAT-20 communication satellite launched by a Falcon 9 rocket.
Awards and Achievements:
- Victoria Kajer won Miss Universe for Denmark.
- Thiruvananthapuram, India, won the United Nations Habitat and Shanghai Municipality Global Sustainability Award.
International Organizations:
- Val Dezira Arja was appointed the new head of Interpol.
Wildlife Conservation:
- Guru Ghasidas National Park in Chhattisgarh declared India's 56th tiger reserve.
- Ratapani and Madhav National Parks in Madhya Pradesh are the 57th and 58th tiger reserves, respectively.
Defense:
- Rajnath Singh visited the Indian Air Force's Aerospace Medicine Institute in Bengaluru.
- Project Hawk: "Hawaai Anubhav Kalyan Kendra" launched for Indian Air Force retired personnel and their families.
Banking and Finance:
- HDFC Bank opened a branch inside hdfcfund.com.
- RBI designated IIB Bank, ADAC Bank, and State Bank of India as DSIBs (Domestic Systemically Important Banks).
Books and Publications:
- "India Matters" authored by India's External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar.
International Events:
- 19th G20 Summit held in Brazil.
Elections:
- BJP won elections in Delhi; Rekha Gupta became the fourth female Chief Minister of Delhi.
- Promise of ₹5,000,000 monthly to women by BJP was revoked.
Healthcare Initiatives:
- Mission Indradhanush: Launched on December 25, 2014, focuses on vaccination.
- RAISE App: Launched in Uttar Pradesh to track childhood vaccinations. Full form for Uttar Pradesh context: Rapid Immunization Skill Enhancement.
- No Over Medicine App: Launched by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) to help understand medications.
Mergers and Acquisitions:
- Walt Disney Media merged with Jio, resulting in Jio Hotstar.
Important Days:
- National Tribal Pride Day: Celebrated on November 15th.
markdown
- **CISF:**
- Training Center in Thaloor, Tamil Nadu, renamed after Raja Ditya Chola.
- IPS Neena Singh was the first woman head of the CISF.
- Ministry of Home Affairs recently formed the first all-women battalion.
- 56th CISF Raising Day parade took place on March 7th, 2025, in Thaloor.
- Established in 1969 (under 1968 Act).
- **Literature:**
- Shyamanta Heh received the Booker Prize 2024 for her novel, *Orbital*.
- **Days:**
- National Tribal Pride Day is celebrated on November 15th.
- **Awards:**
- Thiruvananthapuram won the UN-Habitat and Shanghai Municipality's Global Sustainability Award.
- Philip Noyce received the Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award at IFFI 2024.
- **Technology:**
- Uttar Pradesh launched the Rise app for digital monitoring of routine childhood immunization.
- Microsoft opened a new development center in Noida focusing on AI, security, and cloud.
- **Gene Editing:**
- Gene editing has been used to create non-browning bananas that remain fresh for up to 12 hours after peeling, by removing the polyphenol oxidase enzyme.
- **Climate/Energy:**
- COP29 was held in Baku, Azerbaijan.
- Agreement made to establish Bamka Energy Center in Bengaluru.
- COP1 was held in Berlin in 1995.
- **Sports:**
- Tayyab Ikram was appointed as the president of the International Hockey Federation.
- **Politics:**
- Dr. Pravind Jugnauth was elected Prime Minister of Mauritius.
- Port Louis is the capital of Mauritius.
- **Culture/Festivals:**
- The Igas Diwali festival takes place in the mountainous regions of Uttarakhand.
- **Space:**
- India's first Space Exercise Abhyas 24 was launched in Delhi.
- **Obituaries:**
- Pandit Ram Narayan, a renowned sarangi player, passed away.
- **Non-Browning Banana Details:**
- Developed by UK-based Tropical using gene editing.
- Slow ripening, reducing food waste.
- Stays fresh for 12 hours peeled.
- Polyphenol oxidase enzyme removed.
- Bananas are asexual.
```* **Global Rankings & Initiatives:**
* India: 6th in global patent filings.
* Gujarat: First state with dedicated semiconductor policy.
* **Technology & Development:**
* Microsoft India Development Center: Opened in Noida, Uttar Pradesh; focuses on AI, security, and cloud services.
* India's First Commercial Space Monitoring Satellite: SCOTS (Digantara); launched via SpaceX Transporter-12. First image: Buenos Aires.
* Bamboo Energy Center: To be established in Bengaluru.
* **Environment & Climate:**
* COP29: Held in Baku, Azerbaijan. COP1: Berlin, 1995.
* **Infrastructure:**
* Second Water Metro Project: Launched in Mangaluru.
* **International Appointments:**
* Tayyab Ikram: President, International Hockey Federation.
* **Military Exercises:**
* Freedom Shield 2025: USA and South Korea (halted live fire after civilian areas targeted).
* Dharma Guardian: India and Japan.
* Vajra Prahar & Cope India: India and USA.
* Indra: India and Russia.
* Tiger Triumph: India and USA.
* **India-Bhutan Relations:**
* Integrated Checkpost: Inaugurated in Rangia, Assam (India-Bhutan).
* **Awards & Recognition:**
* Anil Pradhan: Rohini Nire Award recipient.
* **US Government:**
* White House Chief of Staff: Susie R. Wilks.
* FBI Director: Christopher Wray.
* CIA Director: Tulsi Gabbard.
* **Cultural Events:**
* Second Indian Military Heritage Festival: Launched in Delhi.
* **Social Issues:**
* Australia: Bans child exploitation on media.
* Telangana: Declares Sadar Sammelan as a state festival.
- **Canada:**
- Capital: Ottawa
- City: Montreal (site of the Montreal Protocol on ozone layer protection, September 16, 1987)
- Lake: Athabasca Lake (famous for uranium reserves)
- Highest Peak: Mount Logan
- Boundary with USA: 49th parallel north
- New Prime Minister: Mark Carney (Liberal Party, 89 votes, former governor of Canada's central bank)
- Former Prime Minister: Justin Trudeau
- **Germany:**
- New Chancellor: Friedrich Merz
- **International Relations:**
- US-Canada relations: The US (Donald Trump) threatened Canada with tariffs starting in April.
- Joint military exercise "Freedom Shield 2025" between the USA and South Korea. The exercise involved live fire, resulting in accidental bombing of civilian areas, leading to a halt in live fire training.
- **India:**
- Mormugao port in Goa became the first Indian port to be included in the Environmental Performance Index.
- Jayashri Venkatesan: Awarded the Ramsar Award, becoming the first Indian environmentalist to receive it. Award for wetland conservation. She founded the Care Earth Trust in Tamil Nadu in 2000.
- India currently has 89 Ramsar sites.
- First Commercial Space Surveillance Satellite: Launched by Indian startup Digantara.
- **Australia:**
- Banned media use by children under 16 due to exploitation concerns.
- **Telangana:**
- Declared the Sadar festival as a state festival.
- **China:**
- Launched JUNO, a neutrino observatory.
- **Ramsar Convention & Award:**
* The Ramsar Convention took place in Iran on February 2, 1971.
* India currently has 89 Ramsar sites.
* Jayshree Venkatesan, the first Indian to win the Ramsar award, founded the Care Earth Trust in Tamil Nadu in 2000. The award is for wetland conservation.
* Wetlands emit methane gas.
* February 2nd is celebrated as World Wetlands Day.
- **Recent News:**
* Sharda Sinha, a deceased renowned folk singer, associated with Chhath Puja music. She received the Padma Vibhushan award.
* The book "Speaking with Nature" was written by Ramchandra Guha.
* Chhattisgarh launched the Sugam app to curb online property registration fraud.
* Uttar Pradesh announced the establishment of a Special Education Zone.
* Uttar Pradesh launched the RISE app for digital monitoring of routine childhood immunization.
* The Delhi cabinet allocated ₹2,500,000 for the Women's Prosperity Scheme.
- **Other Current Events:**
* Microsoft India Development Center: Foundation stone laid in Noida by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
* Slow-Ripening, Non-Browning Banana: Developed by a UK biotech company, Tropik.
* CISF Raising Day Parade: Held in Thuckalay, Tamil Nadu.
- **India's Scheduled Caste (SC) Population:**
- Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of SC individuals.
- Punjab has the highest percentage of SC individuals (approximately 32%).
- **India's Scheduled Tribe (ST) Population:**
- Madhya Pradesh has the highest number of ST individuals.
- Mizoram has the highest percentage of ST individuals (approximately 94%).
- **Other Indian Demographic Data:**
- Uttar Pradesh has the highest overall population, while Sikkim has the lowest.
- Bihar has the highest population density. Arunachal Pradesh has the lowest.
- Meghalaya has the highest population growth rate, while Nagaland has a negative growth rate.
- Kerala has the highest literacy rate, while Bihar has the lowest.
- Kerala has the highest sex ratio, while Haryana has the lowest.
- **Literacy Rates:**
- 2011 data shows India's literacy rate at 73%, with 82.14% for males and 64.6% for females. A significant literacy gap exists between genders.
- Kerala has the highest literacy rate (94%).
- Bihar has the lowest literacy rate (61.8%).
- **Rural vs. Urban Population:**
- Himachal Pradesh has the highest percentage of rural population (90%).
- Bihar is second (88.7%).
- Goa has the highest percentage of urban population (60%).
- Maharashtra has the largest urban population (5.08 crore).
- **Sex Ratio:**
- India's sex ratio (2011) was 943 females per 1000 males.
- Kerala has the highest sex ratio (1084 females per 1000 males), the only state above 1000.
- Haryana has the lowest sex ratio (879 females per 1000 males).
- **Child Sex Ratio (0-6 years):**
- Arunachal Pradesh has the highest child sex ratio (972).
- Haryana has the lowest child sex ratio (834).
- **Population Growth:**
- Highest growth rate (2011 census): Meghalaya (27.9%)
- Lowest growth rate (2011 census): Nagaland (-0.6%) Nagaland is the only state with a negative population growth rate.
- **Population Density:**
- India's population density (2011 census): 382 people per sq km
- Highest population density (2011 census): Bihar (1106 people per sq km)
- Lowest population density (2011 census): Arunachal Pradesh (17 people per sq km)
- Highest population density (Union Territory): Delhi
- Lowest population density (Union Territory): Lakshadweep
* **State-wise Population Data (2011 Census):**
* Uttar Pradesh: 16.51% of India's population.
* Maharashtra: 9.28% of India's population.
* Bihar: 8.6% of India's population.
* West Bengal: 7.54% of India's population.
* Lowest population states: Sikkim (0.05%), Mizoram (0.09%), Arunachal Pradesh (0.11%), Goa (0.12%).
* **State-wise Population Growth (10 Years):**
* Highest growth: Meghalaya (27.9%, compared to India's 17.7%).
* Lowest growth (negative): Nagaland (-0.6%).
* **Population Density:**
* India's average population density: 382 people per square kilometer.
* Highest population density: Bihar (1106 people per square kilometer).
* Lowest population density: Arunachal Pradesh (17 people per square kilometer).
* **2011 Census:** 15th census in India; 7th since independence. Census Commissioner: Chandramouli. Slogan: "Our Census, Our Future".
* **2011 Population:** India's population was 1.21 billion in 2011, second to China. Currently, India is in first place.
* **Population Growth (1911-2001):** 21.5%
* **Population Growth (2001-2011):** 17.7%
* **Gender Ratio (2011):** 48.5% female, 51.47% male.
* **Largest States by Area:** Rajasthan (largest), Goa (smallest). Largest Union Territory: Ladakh. Smallest Union Territory: Lakshadweep.
* **States by Population (2011):**
* Uttar Pradesh (16.51%)
* Maharashtra (9.28%)
* Bihar (8.6%)
* West Bengal (7.54%)
* **States with Lowest Population (2011):**
* Sikkim (0.05%)
* Mizoram (0.09%)
* Arunachal Pradesh (0.11%)
* Goa (0.12%)
* **Highest Population Growth Rate (2001-2011):** Meghalaya (27.9%)
* **Lowest Population Growth Rate (2001-2011):** Nagaland (-0.6%)
* **Census 2011:**
* Started in 1872 under Viceroy Lord Mayo; scientifically based decennial census began in 1881 under Viceroy Lord Ripon.
* The 2011 census was the 15th overall and the 7th since India's independence in 1951.
* Census Commissioner: W.C. Plowden (first), Chandramouli (2011).
* Slogan: "Our Census, Our Future."
* India's population in 2011 was 1.21 billion, second to China. Currently, India is in first place.
* Population growth from 1911-2001: 21.5%.
* Population growth from 2001-2011: 17.7%.
* Female population in 2011: 48.5%.
* Male population in 2011: 51.47%.
* Largest state by area: Rajasthan (previously Madhya Pradesh).
* Smallest state by area: Goa.
* Largest Union Territory by area: Ladakh.
* Smallest Union Territory by area: Lakshadweep.
* **1911-1921 Decade:** Referred to as the "Great Divide Decade" due to a population decrease resulting from famine and epidemics. 1921 was specifically called the "Great Divide Year."