Utkarsh Family Milestone:
- Nearing 14 million subscribers.
- Cake-cutting ceremony planned for March 22nd in Agra.
Khelo India Winter Games:
- Indian Army secured the top position in the points table of the 25th Khelo India Winter Games.
Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA):
- New Secretary-General appointed.
Military Exercises:
- Naval exercise, Marine Security Belt 25, in the Gulf of Oman.
- Involving Iran, Russia, and China.
Current Events Quiz:
- Marine security belt 25 exercise location: Gulf of Oman
- World Consumer Rights Day: March 15th
- Top-ranked Indian institution in QS World University Rankings: Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad
- Kanger Valley National Park location: Chhattisgarh
- Inauguration location of Atal Bihari Vajpayee Public Service Commission and Innovation Institution: Mauritius
- Top FDI source city for India: Dubai
- State using the state language symbol instead of the rupee symbol: Tamil Nadu
- Location of the Attukal Pongala festival: Kerala
- Recipient of the Gold Mercury Award 2025: Dalai Lama
- Top rank in Khelo India Winter Games 2025 points table: Indian Army
Nobel Prize in Medicine:
- Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun (USA) won the Nobel Prize in Medicine.
Fit India Carnival:
- Inaugurated in Delhi by Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.
- March 16th to 18th at JLNS Stadium.
World Consumer Rights Day:
- Celebrated on March 15th.
International Relations:
- Nepal agreed to export 40 megawatts of electricity to Bangladesh via India.
- Britain declared sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
Current Events in India:
- Ahilayya Nagar is located in Maharashtra.
International Affairs:
- Nepal Electricity Export: Nepal to export 40 MW of electricity to Bangladesh via India.
- Chagos Islands: Britain declared sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
National News:
- Ahilya Nagar: Located in Maharashtra.
- PM Yuva 3.0 Scheme: Ministry of Education initiative to mentor young writers (under 30). Aims to encourage reading, writing, and book culture. Implemented by the National Book Trust (NBT). Minister of Education is Dharmendra Pradhan.
- Indian Air Force Anniversary: 9th anniversary air show in Chennai on October 8th.
- Nagaland Hornbill Festival: December 1st to 10th, partnered with Wales.
Science & Technology:
- Italian Scientists Freeze Light: Italian scientists successfully froze pure light and transformed it into a solid state, achieving a super solid state of light.
- Super Solid State: Exhibits both solid-like characteristics and superfluid properties (flow without friction).
- Speed of Light: 3 x 108 meters per second (300,000 km/s) in a vacuum.
- Speed of Sound: Requires a medium; cannot travel in a vacuum. Maximum speed in solids.
Cultural Events:
- Hanukkah: Jewish festival of lights.
National News
- Madhya Pradesh declared heatwave a natural disaster.
- India's first supercapacitor manufacturing facility inaugurated in Kerala.
- Shri Bidla awarded the 25th Lal Bahadur Shastri National Excellence Award.
International News
- Italian scientists successfully changed light into a super solid state, exhibiting properties of both solid and superfluid.
- Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo was sworn in as Mexico's first female president.
ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM)
- India chaired the 14th ADMM for the first time in Delhi.
- Malaysia was the co-host.
- Headquarters: Jakarta.
- 11 members (including Timor-Leste).
- Recent meeting (2024) held in Vientiane, Laos.
ADMM Plus Meeting
- 14th meeting of the ADMM Plus expert working group on counter-terrorism held.
- Focused on counter-terrorism.
Terrorism
- Pakistan facing consequences of past support for terrorism.
- Pakistan ranked highly among terrorism-affected nations.
Sports
- Indian men's football team won the SAFF U-17 Championship, defeating Bangladesh.
- Smriti Mandhana's team (RCB) won the Women's Premier League (WPL) in 2024.
Awards
- Mithun Chakraborty received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
Military Exercises
- 8th edition of Kazind military exercise held in Uttarakhand, India, between India and Kazakhstan ("KAZIND-2024").
Appointments
- Dr. Arti Shreen is the first woman officer to take charge as the Director General of Armed Forces Medical Services.
IPL 2023 Awards:
- Orange Cap: Shubman Gill
- Purple Cap: Amelia Kerr
Women's Premier League (WPL) 2025:
- Mumbai Indians won the third edition of the WPL.
- The final match was between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals.
- Harmanpreet Kaur was the captain of Mumbai Indians.
- Mumbai Indians won the tournament for the second time (also winning in 2023).
- The final match was held at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.
- Nat Sciver-Brunt won the Orange Cap (most runs).
- Amelia Kerr won the Purple Cap (most wickets).
Technological Developments:
- PM Modi launched the Param Siddhi supercomputer in Pune, Kolkata, and Delhi to boost scientific research.
National Nutrition Month:
- National Nutrition Month is held in September.
- Maharashtra ranked top in the 7th National Nutrition Month.
Space Mission:
- NASA, in collaboration with SpaceX, launched the Crew-9 mission to bring Sunita Williams back to Earth from the International Space Station.
Industrial Development:
- PM Modi inaugurated the Bidkin industrial zone in Maharashtra.
Holi Mohalla Festival:
- Held annually in Anandpur Sahib, Punjab, India.
- Celebrates the founding of the Khalsa Panth by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699.
- "Holi" signifies noise and "Mohalla" refers to a military parade; the festival resembles a military campaign.
- Participants wear blue, yellow, and saffron colored clothes.
Sikhism:
- Guru Nanak was the first Guru of Sikhism.
- Guru Gobind Singh was the tenth and last human Guru of Sikhism. Guru Granth Sahib, the holy scripture, became the Guru after him.
Cultural Events in Punjab:
- Gidda is a folk dance performed by Sikh women.
- Bhangra is a folk dance performed in Punjab.
Awards and Recognition:
- D. Gukesh (chess player), Praveen Kumar (high jump athlete), Harmanpreet Singh (hockey captain), and Manu Bhaker (shooting athlete) received the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.
- Vinod Bachchan received the Global Prestige Award from the House of Lords in Britain.
Current Events:
- The Sant Tukaram Maharaj International Airport is located in Pune.
- Shigeru Ishiba became the Prime Minister of Japan.
- India's rank in the Global Innovation Index is 49.
Sports Awards:
- Balbir Singh Senior Award (Best Player): Awarded to Harmanpreet Singh (Male) and Savita Punia (Female).
- Baljit Singh Award (Best Goalkeeper): Awarded to Savita Punia.
- Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award: Awarded to D. Gukesh (chess), Praveen Kumar (high jump), Harmanpreet Singh (hockey), and Manu Bhaker (shooting). This is India's highest sports award (₹2 lakh). Previously known as the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award.
Paris Olympics: India's hockey team won bronze, defeating Spain. P.R. Sreejesh was the goalkeeper.
Sports Awards 2023:
- Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award: 1975 World Cup-winning Indian Hockey team (₹50 lakh).
- Balbir Singh Sr. Award:
- Male: Harmanpreet Singh
- Female: Savita Punia (also received Baljeet Singh Award for best goalkeeper)
- Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award: D. Gukesh (Chess), Praveen Kumar (High Jump). (Formerly Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award)
Olympics:
- Paris Olympics: Indian Hockey team won bronze (defeated Spain); P.R. Sreejesh (goalkeeper, subsequently retired).
Sports Figures:
- Sangram Singh: First Indian male to win Georgia Gama International Fighting Championship.
- Viktoria Kejær: Miss Universe 2024 (Denmark).
- Ria Singh: Miss Universe India.
- Harmanpreet Singh: Men's Balbir Singh Sr. Award (Hockey).
- Savita Punia: Women's Balbir Singh Sr. Award (Hockey).
- 1975 Indian World Champion Hockey Team: Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award.
Politics & Rankings:
- India: Third in Asia Power Index.
- Sri Lanka: Harini Amarasuriya, third female Prime Minister (Ranil Wickremesinghe).
Reserve Bank of India (RBI):
- Awarded international award in London (June 2024) for "Sarathi initiative".
- Headquartered in Kolkata (initially), moved to Mumbai (1937).
- Formerly central bank for India and Myanmar.
- First head: Owen Smith; first Indian head: C.D. Deshmukh; current head (26th): Sanjay Malhotra.
- Nationalized: January 1, 1949.
- Logo: Banyan tree and Royal Bengal tiger.
- Founded based on the Young Hilton Commission (also known as the Royal Commission) in 1934; officially established April 1, 1935.
Film Awards:
- "Lapata Ladies" (Kiran Rao): Best Film (IIFA); India's official entry for Oscars 2025.
International Days:
- International Day of Sign Languages: September 23rd.
UK Digital Transformation Award:
- RBI won the UK's Digital Transformation Award 2025 (presented in London, June 2025) for "Saarathi" initiative.
Odissi Dance:
- Tribhanga mudra: Famous pose.
- Famous dancers: Kelucharan Mahapatra, Sanjukta Panigrahi, Sonal Mansingh.
- Recent death of Mayadhar Raut.
Recent Appointments:
- Upendra Dwivedi: Air Force Chief.
- Dinesh Tripathi: Navy Chief.
Food Safety Index:
- Kerala: Ranked first in FSSAI State Food Safety Index.
Classical Languages of India:
- India has 11 classical languages.
- Tamil is the oldest.
- Others: Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia, Marathi, Assamese, Bengali, Prakrit, Pali.
Odia Language and Culture:
- Odia is a classical language.
- Odissi is the classical dance form.
- Famous Odissi Dancers: Kelucharan Mohapatra, Sanjukta Panigrahi, Sonal Mansingh, [Name of deceased dancer, previously mentioned].
- Tribhanga is a famous posture in Odissi dance.
Chess Olympiad:
- Hungary hosted the 45th Chess Olympiad.
- India won both men's and women's sections.
Demise of Ramakant Rath:
- Ramakant Rath, Odia poet and Padma Bhushan awardee, passed away.
- Padma Bhushan in 2006.
- President of Sahitya Akademi (1998-2003).
Sahitya Akademi:
- Established in 1954.
- Awards in 24 languages (22 from Eighth Schedule + English & Rajasthani).
Myanmar's Geopolitical Significance:
- India borders Myanmar: Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram.
- Rivers: Irrawaddy, Salween.
- Shan Plateau.
- China deployed surveillance systems.
Indian Politics:
- "One Nation, One Election" initiative approved.
- Based on Ram Nath Kovind Committee recommendations.
- 129th Constitutional Amendment Bill.
Indian Military:
- Mohana Singh: First female fighter pilot in LCA Tejas squadron.
Global Health:
- Jordan: First country to eliminate leprosy (WHO).
- Leprosy (Hansen's disease) caused by bacteria.
China's Surveillance of India:
- China deployed LP-AR radar in Myanmar (range > 5000 km).
- Distance: Myanmar to DRDO missile testing site (APJ Abdul Kalam Island) ~2500 km.
- China claims radar for Indian Ocean surveillance.
China Deploys New Radar System:
- China deployed 5000+ km range LPAR in Myanmar.
- Purpose: Monitor Indian missile testing facilities near Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Island, Odisha.
- Distance between Myanmar and Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Island is approx. 2500 km.
- China claims radar is for Indian Ocean surveillance.
markdown
### India-New Zealand Relations
* Prime Minister Modi to inaugurate Raisina Dialogue with New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins on March 17th.
### National News
* Rekha Gupta appointed as Delhi's fourth female Chief Minister.
### International News
* Over nine deaths reported due to a Beirut explosion in Lebanon, involving Hezbollah group members.
* China deployed a 5000 km range LPAR radar in Myanmar to monitor India's missile testing at Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Island (previously Wheeler Island) off the coast of Odisha.
### Sports
* Glasgow, Scotland to host the 26th Commonwealth Games (23rd in order).
* Manu Bhaker appointed as the brand ambassador for the Shipping Ministry; she is a double-Olympic medalist in shooting.
* Mumbai Indians won the Women's Premier League for the second time.
### 10th Raisina Dialogue (2025)
* **Dates:** Starts March 17th, 2025.
* **Chief Guest:** Christopher Luxon, Prime Minister of New Zealand.
* **Theme:** "Kaleidoscope: Geopolitics of the Future."
* **Organizer:** Observer Research Foundation, in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs.
* **Location:** New Delhi, India.
### New Zealand
* **Capital:** Wellington.
### Aravali Range
* **Extent:** Delhi to Gujarat.
* **Total Length:** 692 kilometers.
* **Highest Peak:** Guru Shikhar (Mount Abu, Rajasthan).
### Other Current Events
* Hola Mohalla celebration in Anandpur Sahib, Punjab.
* The 14th meeting of the ADMM Plus Experts Working Group on Counter-Terrorism will be held under India's chairmanship.
* Italian scientists have converted light into a super-solid state.
* Launch of the PM Yuva Yojana 3.0 scheme to mentor young writers.
* Inauguration of the Fit India Carnival in Delhi by Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.
* Death of renowned Odia poet and Padma Bhushan recipient Ramakant Rath.
* RBI to be honored with UK's Digital Transformation Award 2025.
* Savita Punia and Harmanpreet Singh awarded Hockey India Balbir Singh Sr. Awards.
### India's Current Ministers
* C.R. Patil: Appointed Minister of Jal Shakti.
* J. Kishan Reddy: Minister of Coal and Mines.
* Chirag Paswan: Minister of Food Processing.
* Mansukh Mandaviya: Minister of Labour and Employment and Youth Affairs and Sports.
### Cabinet Reshuffle
* Arjun Munda replaced by Juel Oram as Tribal Minister.
* Giriraj Singh appointed as Textile Minister.
* Ashwini Vaishnaw continues as Railway and Information Broadcasting Minister.
* Jyotiraditya Scindia appointed as Telecom Minister and Minister for North East Region.
* Bhupender Yadav continues as Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister.
* Gajendra Singh Shekhawat appointed as Culture and Tourism Minister.
* Annpurna Devi appointed as Women and Child Development Minister.
* Kiren Rijiju appointed as Minority Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs Minister.
* Hardeep Singh Puri appointed as Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister.
* Mansukh Mandaviya appointed as Labour and Employment Minister and Youth Affairs and Sports Minister.
* G Kishan Reddy appointed as Coal and Mines Minister.
* Prahlad Patel appointed as Food Processing Industries Minister.
* C R Patil appointed as Jal Shakti Minister.
```markdown
- **Modi Cabinet 3.0 Portfolio Assignments:**
* **Prime Minister Narendra Modi:** Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Atomic Energy, and Space.
* **Rajnath Singh:** Defence.
* **Amit Shah:** Home.
* **Nitin Gadkari:** Road Transport and Highways.
* **J.P. Nadda:** Health.
* **Shivraj Singh Chouhan:** Agriculture.
* **Nirmala Sitharaman:** Finance.
* **S. Jaishankar:** External Affairs.
* **Manohar Lal Khattar:** Housing and Urban Affairs, Power.
* **H.D. Kumaraswamy:** Heavy Industries and Steel.
* **Piyush Goyal:** Commerce and Industry.
* **Dharmendra Pradhan:** Education.
* **Jitendra Singh:** Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
* **Lalan Singh:** Panchayati Raj, Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries.
* **Sarbananda Sonowal:** Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
* **Virendra Kumar:** Social Justice and Empowerment.
* **Ram Mohan Naidu:** Civil Aviation.
* **Prahlad Joshi:** Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.
* **Jual Oram:** Tribal Affairs.
* **Giriraj Singh:** Textiles.
* **Ashwini Vaishnaw:** Railways, Information and Broadcasting.
* **Jyotiraditya Scindia:** Telecommunications, Development of North Eastern Region.
* **Bhupender Yadav:** Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
* **Gajendra Singh Shekhawat:** Jal Shakti, Culture and Tourism.
* **Annapurna Devi:** Women and Child Development.
* **Kiren Rijiju:** Minority Affairs, Parliamentary Affairs.
* **Hardeep Singh Puri:** Petroleum and Natural Gas.
* **Mansukh Mandaviya:** Labour and Employment, Youth Affairs and Sports.
* **G. Kishan Reddy:** (Portfolio not specified in this chunk)
- **Scheduled Caste (SC) Population:**
- Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of SC individuals.
- Punjab has the highest percentage of SC individuals (approximately 32%).
- **Scheduled Tribe (ST) Population:**
- Madhya Pradesh has the highest number of ST individuals.
- Mizoram has the highest percentage of ST individuals (approximately 94%).
- **Other Population Statistics:**
- Uttar Pradesh has the highest overall population.
- Sikkim has the lowest overall population.
- Bihar has the highest population density (unless otherwise specified, then Delhi).
- Kerala has the highest literacy rate.
- Bihar has the lowest literacy rate.
- Kerala has the highest sex ratio.
- Haryana has the lowest sex ratio.
- **Modi Cabinet 3.0:**
- Narendra Modi: Prime Minister, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Atomic Energy, and Space departments.
- Rajnath Singh: Defence Ministry.
- Amit Shah: Home Ministry.
- Nitin Gadkari: Road Transport and Highways Ministry.
- J.P. Nadda: Health Ministry.
- **Literacy Rates (2011):**
- Overall literacy rate in India: 73% (80.9% male, 64.6% female).
- Highest literacy rate: Kerala (94%).
- Lowest literacy rate: Bihar (61.8%).
- **Rural Population:**
- Highest percentage of rural population: Himachal Pradesh (90%).
- **Urban Population:**
- Highest percentage of urban population: Goa (62.2%).
- **Scheduled Caste (SC) Population:**
- Highest number of SC population: Uttar Pradesh (over 1.25 crore).
- Highest percentage of SC population: Punjab (approximately 32%).
- **Scheduled Tribe (ST) Population:**
- Highest number of ST population: Madhya Pradesh (approximately 1.5 crore).
- Highest percentage of ST population: Mizoram (approximately 94%).
- **Population Density:**
- Highest: Bihar (Delhi if no other data provided).
- **Population Growth Rate:**
- Lowest: Nagaland (negative growth).
- **Sex Ratio:**
- Kerala has the highest sex ratio in India (1084 women per 1000 men).
- Haryana has the lowest sex ratio.
```- **Population Density:**
- Delhi: Highest population density in India.
- Bihar: Highest population density among Indian states.
- Arunachal Pradesh: Lowest population density in India.
- **Sex Ratio (2011):**
- India: 943 females per 1000 males.
- Kerala: Highest (1084 females per 1000 males).
- Haryana: Lowest (879 females per 1000 males).
- **Child Sex Ratio (0-6 years):**
- Arunachal Pradesh: Highest.
- Haryana: Lowest (834 females per 1000 males).
- **Literacy Rate (2011):**
- India: 73%.
- Kerala: Highest (94%).
- Bihar: Lowest (61.8%).
- **Population Growth (2011 Census):**
* Highest growth rate: Meghalaya (27.9%)
* Lowest growth rate: Nagaland (-0.6%)
- **Population Density (2011 Census):**
* India's average: 382 persons per sq km
* Highest density: Bihar (1106 persons per sq km)
* Lowest density: Arunachal Pradesh (17 persons per sq km)
- **Population:**
* Highest population state: Uttar Pradesh
* Lowest population state: Sikkim
- **Union Territories (UTs):**
* Highest population UT: Delhi
* Lowest population UT: Lakshadweep
- **Sex Ratio (2011 Census):**
* India's average: 943 females per 1000 males
* Highest sex ratio: Kerala (1084 females per 1000 males)
* Lowest sex ratio: Haryana (879 females per 1000 males)
- **State-wise Population Data (India):**
- Uttar Pradesh: 16.51% of India's population (1st).
- Maharashtra: 9.28% (2nd).
- Bihar: 8.6% (3rd).
- West Bengal: 7.54% (4th).
- Sikkim: Lowest population.
- Mizoram: Second lowest.
- Arunachal Pradesh: Third lowest.
- Goa: Fourth lowest.
- **State-wise Population Growth (2011 Census):**
- Meghalaya: 27.9% (highest). India's average was 17.7%.
- Nagaland: -0.6% (lowest).
- **Population Density (2011 Census):**
- India's average: 382 persons per square kilometer.
- Bihar: 1106 persons per square kilometer (highest).
- Arunachal Pradesh: 17 persons per square kilometer (lowest).
- **2011 Census:**
- 15th census.
- Census Commissioner: Chandramouli.
- Motto: "Our Census, Our Future".
- India's population: 1.219 billion.
- **Population Growth:**
- 1911-2001: 21.5%.
- 2001-2011: 17.7%.
- Gender ratio: 48.5% female, 51.5% male.
- **States by Area and Population:**
- Largest state by area: Rajasthan.
- Smallest state by area: Goa.
- Largest Union Territory by area: Ladakh.
- Smallest Union Territory by area: Lakshadweep.
- Highest population state: Uttar Pradesh (16.51%).
- Lowest population states: Sikkim (0.05%), Mizoram (0.09%), Arunachal Pradesh (0.11%), Goa (0.12%).
- **Population Growth Rate (2001-2011):**
- Highest growth: Meghalaya (27.9%).
- Lowest growth: Nagaland (-0.6%).
- **2011 Census:**
- 15th census overall.
- 7th census since Indian independence (1951).
- 14th census based on a 10-year interval.
- Census Commissioner: Chandramouli.
- Slogan: "Our Census, Our Future".
- India's population: 1.21 billion.
- Population growth from 1911 to 2001: 21.5%
- Population growth from 2001 to 2011: 17.7%
- Female population: 48.5%
- Male population: 51.5%
- Largest state by area: Rajasthan.
- Smallest state by area: Goa.
- Largest Union Territory by area: Ladakh.
- Smallest Union Territory by area: Lakshadweep.
- State with the highest population: Uttar Pradesh (16.51% of India's population).
- **1911-1921 Decade:** "Great Dividing Decade" (population decrease); 1921 is "Great Dividing Year".
- **Census Beginnings:**
- Started in 1872 under Lord Mayo.
- Scientifically based census started in 1881 under Lord Ripon. Ten-year interval established.
- First Census Commissioner of India: W.C. Plowden.