• International Affairs

  • 10th Raisina Dialogue: Chief guest: Prime Minister of New Zealand.
  • India-Australia Defence Policy: 9th India-Australia defence policy meeting took place in New Delhi.
  • ADMM+ Meeting on Counter-Terrorism: Held in Delhi.

• Geopolitics & Security

  • China's 5000 km LP AR: Established in Myanmar.
  • China's Naval Presence: China is increasing its naval presence in the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean, with support from Pakistan.
  • China's Military Aid to Pakistan: China provided Pakistan with a second-generation advanced hangar-type Pundoob.
  • RAS Exam Question: A recent Rajasthan Administrative Services (RAS) exam included a question about a dialogue between two countries (the specifics of which are unclear from this section alone). A similar question appeared on a PT exam.

• Awards & Recognition

  • Padma Bhushan Awardee: Ramakant.
  • UK Digital Transformation Award: Received by RBI.
  • Hockey India Balbir Singh Senior Award: Awarded to Harmanpreet Singh.

• National News & Schemes

  • PM Yuva Yojana 3.0: Launched by the Ministry of Education.
  • Kavach: Launched by Kerala.

• Sports

  • Women's Premier League: Won by Mumbai Indians.

• Culture

  • Hola Mohalla: Held in Punjab.

• Book Launch: Sushil Kumar Shinde authored "Politics: Five Decades".

• Asia Hockey Championship: India defeated China to win the Asia Cup for the fifth time.

• China-Pakistan Military Cooperation: China supplied Pakistan with a second batch of advanced Hangar-class submarines.

• Bengaluru Water Board: Bengaluru Water Board received the first BIS certification for pipe-based water supply management in India. BIS was established in 1986 and is headquartered in New Delhi.

• World Ozone Day: Observed on September 16th.

• Operation Sadbhavana: India launched Operation Sadbhavana to aid Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam affected by Typhoon Yagi.

• Cybercrime: CBI launched "Operation Chakra" to dismantle a virtual asset and bullion-backed cybercrime network.

• India's Interpol Equivalent: India launched "Bharatpol," similar to Interpol.

• Karma Festival: Held in Jharkhand.

• Crypto Adoption: India is the top country adopting cryptocurrency, according to Vintellix Analytics.

• Internet Shutdowns: India ranks second in internet shutdowns.

• NECTAR Campus: A permanent campus for NECTAR was established in Shillong, Meghalaya, to promote saffron cultivation in Northeast India. NECTAR was established in 2014.

• Saffron (Kesar): Saffron, also known as Zafran, has a Geographical Indication (GI) tag belonging to Jammu and Kashmir. The area where saffron is produced in Jammu and Kashmir is known as Karewa.

• Meghalaya Geography & Festivals: Meghalaya has three hills: Garo, Khasi, and Jaintia. Mawsynram is the wettest place in the world. Meghalaya hosts the Behdienkhlam festival and the 100 Drum Festival (Bangla Festival).

• Quad Leaders Summit 2024:

  • Held in Wilmington, USA.
  • Hosted by President Biden.
  • 2025 summit will be held in India.

• Andaman and Nicobar Islands:

  • Port Blair renamed to Shri Vijaypur.

• App Launch:

  • Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh (Lalan Singh) launched the "Rangeen Machhli" app in Odisha.

• Aerospace Rocket Engine:

  • Successful testing of India's first aero spike rocket engine conducted by Space Kidz India.

• NECTAR Permanent Campus:

  • Foundation stone laid in Shillong, Meghalaya, to promote saffron cultivation in Northeast India.
  • NECTAR (North East Centre for Technology Application and Research) was established in 2014.
  • The inauguration was performed by Dr. Jitendra Singh, the current Science and Technology Minister of India.
  • Saffron (Kesar/Zaffran) has a GI tag from Jammu and Kashmir.

• IRDA (Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India):

  • Headquartered in Hyderabad.
  • Established in 1999.
  • Regulates the insurance sector in India.

• Domestic Systemically Important Insurers (DSIIs) in India:

  • LIC (Life Insurance Corporation)
  • New India Assurance
  • GIC Re (General Insurance Corporation of India)

• India-Oman Joint Military Exercises:

  • India and Oman conducted joint military exercises named Al Naga, Naseem Al Bahar, and Eastern Bridge.

• DSIB Banks and DSIIs in India:

  • Reserve Bank of India (RBI) designated three banks as Domestic Systemically Important Banks (DSIBs): State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, and HDFC Bank.
  • Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) declared three institutions as Domestic Systemically Important Insurers (DSIIs): LIC, New India Assurance, and GIC Re.

• Important Dates:

  • 16 March: National Vaccination Day.
  • 15 March: World Consumer Rights Day.
  • 24 December: National Consumer Rights Day.
  • 14 March: Pi Day.

• Fourth Intercontinental Football Championship:

  • Syria won the title, defeating India.

• India's First Teal Carbon Study:

  • Conducted in Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan.
  • The park was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1985.

• Polaris Dawn Mission:

  • SpaceX launched the first private spacewalk mission.

• Joint Military Exercise "Eastern Bridge":

  • Conducted by the Indian Air Force and Oman.
  • Other names mentioned for the exercise were Al Naga and Naseem Al Bahar.

• India's Polio Eradication:

  • India became polio-free in 2014.
  • The last case was reported in West Bengal in 2011.
  • The WHO declares a country polio-free after three years without a new case.

• India's Smallpox Eradication:

  • India eradicated smallpox in 1977.

• Mission Indradhanush:

  • Launched on December 25, 2014.
  • Related to the National Vaccination Day (March 16th).

• New Anti-Submarine Warfare Vessels: INS Molpe and INS Mulki, anti-submarine warfare vessels, were launched in Kerala.

• First Silicon Carbide Manufacturing Facility: India's first silicon carbide manufacturing facility was established in Odisha.

• National Vaccination Day: National Vaccination Day is celebrated annually on March 16th, commemorating the launch of India's vaccination mission in 1995 and the Pulse Polio campaign ("Two Drops of Life").

• India's Polio-Free Status: India was declared polio-free in 2014. The last polio case was reported in West Bengal in 2011.

• India's Smallpox Eradication: India eradicated smallpox in 1977.

• Mission Indradhanush: Mission Indradhanush, a public health initiative, was launched on December 25, 2014.

• Indian Hockey's Olympic Gold Medals:

  • India has won a total of eight gold medals in Olympic hockey.
  • The first gold medal was won in 1928.
  • India won gold medals in 1928, 1932, and 1936, with Major Dhyan Chand being a key player.
  • No Olympics were held in 1940 and 1944 due to World War II.
  • India won another gold medal in 1948.

• Other Current Affairs:

  • Jannik Sinner, the winner of the US Open tennis title, is from Italy.
  • A new species of the Haldi family, Kakuma Ungemis, was discovered in Nagaland.

• 15th Hockey India Senior Women's National Championship:

  • Tournament: 15th edition.
  • Final Match: Jharkhand vs. Haryana.
  • Winner: Jharkhand (first time).
  • Runner-up: Haryana.
  • Venue: Panchkula, Haryana.
  • First Championship: 2011, won by Indian Railways.

• Balbir Singh Hockey Awards:

  • Male Award: Harmanpreet Singh.
  • Female Award: Savita Punia (goalkeeper).

• Olympic Hockey Gold Medals for India:

  • Total Gold Medals: 8.
  • First Gold Medal: 1928.
  • Key Player (1928-1936): Major Dhyan Chand. India won gold in 1928, 1932, and 1936 Olympic Games. No Olympics were held in 1940 and 1944 due to World War II. India also won gold in 1948.

• Delhi Metro's Cargo Service: The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) will launch South Asia's first urban freight service, starting on the Blue Line.

• Paris Paralympics Ranking: India secured 18th position in the Paris Paralympics point table.

• Olympic Council of Asia President: Raja Randhir Singh became the first Indian president of the Olympic Council of Asia, responsible for organizing the 20th Asian Games in Japan.

• Top Clean Air Survey Award: Surat received the top clean air survey award in the category of cities with over 1 million population.

• Nuakhai Festival: The Nuakhai festival, signifying "new rice," was held in Odisha, along with other festivals like Dhana Jatra and Rath Yatra.

• 15th Hockey India Senior Women's National Championship:

  • The 15th championship was held.
  • Jharkhand defeated Haryana in the final match held in Panchkula, Haryana.
  • This was Jharkhand's first win in the championship.

• Delhi Metro's Urban Cargo Service: The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) partnered with Blue Dart to launch India's first (and South Asia's first) urban cargo service, utilizing the existing metro network for freight transport. The service will initially operate on the Blue Line.

• India's Ranking in Paris Paralympics: India secured 18th position in the Paris Paralympics point table.

• Raja Randhir Singh elected President: Raja Randhir Singh was elected as the first Indian president of the Olympic Council of Asia, responsible for organizing the upcoming Asian Games in Japan.

• Global Artificial Intelligence Summit 2024: Inaugurated in Hyderabad, India. Previous summits were held in Bletchley (England), Seoul (South Korea), and Paris (France).

• Sports: Praveen Kumar won India's sixth gold medal in high jump and received the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.

• Urban Cargo Service: Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) partnered with Blue Dart to launch India's first (and South Asia's first) urban cargo service using the metro rail network for transporting goods within the city.

• Planetary Moons:

  • Saturn: 274 moons (most in the solar system)
  • Jupiter: 95 moons
  • Mars: Phobos and Deimos
  • Earth: One moon
  • Mercury & Venus: No moons

• International Astronomical Union (IAU): Determines the number of moons for each planet; founded in 1919, headquartered in Paris.

• Major Moons:

  • Titan: Saturn's largest moon.
  • Ganymede, Europa, Callisto: Jupiter's moons.

• International Affairs:

  • France's Prime Minister: Élisabeth Borne
  • New member of the New Development Bank (NDB): Algeria
  • Newest BRICS member: Indonesia

• Military Technology: AWD 200B: A combat drone.

• English Channel Crossing:

  • Siddharth Agarwal: Oldest Indian to cross the English Channel.
  • Mihir Sen: First Indian to cross the English Channel.
  • Aarti Shah: First Indian woman to cross the English Channel.

• Energy: First International Solar Festival: Held in Delhi.

• Cricket: International Masters League: India Masters, captained by Sachin Tendulkar, won against the West Indies in Raipur, Chhattisgarh.

• Olympics: Paris Olympics: India achieved zero gold, one silver, and five bronze medals (6 total, rank 71).

• Paralympics: Paris Paralympics: India won seven gold medals and a total of 29 medals, ranking 18th. Harvinder Singh was the first Indian archer to win a gold medal, while Avani Lekhara won the first gold medal in shooting.

• Special Olympics World Winter Games 2023:

  • Held in Turin, Italy, from March 8th to 15th.
  • India won 33 medals: 8 gold, 18 silver, and 7 bronze.

• International Masters League:

  • Won by India Masters, captained by Sachin Tendulkar.
  • India Masters defeated the West Indies in the final match held in Raipur, Chhattisgarh.

• Paris Olympics 2024:

  • India's score: 0 gold, 1 silver, 5 bronze (total 6 medals).
  • India's rank: 71st.

• Paris Paralympics 2024:

  • India's score: 7 gold, 29 total medals.
  • India's rank: 18th.
  • Harvinder Singh: First Indian archer to win a gold medal in the Paralympics.
  • Avani Lekhara: Won the first gold medal for India in shooting.

• Other Current Events:

  • The first joint commander conference was held in Lucknow.
  • Rajasthan conducted the first-of-its-kind pandemic preparedness virus war exercise under the National One Health Mission.
  • Friedrich Merz became the Chancellor of Germany.
  • President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the Vishwa Shanti Buddha Vihar in Maharashtra.
  • Karnataka declared dengue a pandemic disease.

• Canada:

  • Mark Carney is the new Prime Minister.

• Chandrayaan 5:

  • Preparations are underway for the Chandrayaan 5 mission, with the assistance of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) for a lunar cloud.

• Indian Para Athlete:

  • Preeti Pal became the first Indian woman para-athlete to win two bronze medals in track and field.

• India Semiconductor Mission:

  • The Indian cabinet approved a semiconductor unit in Sanand, Gujarat, under the India Semiconductor Mission.

• Narendra Modi's Visit:

  • Narendra Modi became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Brunei. Bandar Seri Begawan is Brunei's capital.

• Paralympics:

  • Sumit Antil won India's third gold medal in the javelin throw at the Paralympics.

• Trinidad and Tobago:

  • Stuart Young became the new Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago.
  • Christine Kangaloo was the chief guest at the Pravasi Bharatiya Sammelan in Odisha.
  • Port of Spain is the capital of Trinidad and Tobago.

• Chandrayaan Missions:

  • Chandrayaan-1 launched in 2008 using PSLV-C11, orbited the moon but did not land.
  • Chandrayaan-2 launched in 2019, unsuccessful; crashed near the moon's surface.
  • Chandrayaan-3 launched July 14th, landed on the moon's south pole August 23rd. Lander named Vikram, rover named Pragyan. Landing site named Shiv Shakti Point. National Space Day commemorates the landing date.

# Chandrayaan Missions

-   Chandrayaan-5 mission approved, with cooperation from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency).
-   Chandrayaan-4 mission launch date: 2027. Objective: Collect lunar soil samples and return to Earth.
-   Chandrayaan-3 launched July 14th, landed August 23rd on the Moon's south pole. Lander named Vikram, rover named Pragyan. Launch vehicle: LVM3-M4. Landing site named Shiv Shakti Point. National Space Day established on the landing date.
-   Chandrayaan-1 (2008): Launched via PSLV C11, orbited the Moon but did not land.
-   Chandrayaan-2 (2019): Mission unsuccessful, crashed during landing.

# Other Space Missions

-   Gaganyaan mission: Human-crewed space mission.
-   Indian space station planned for completion by 2035.

# Other Current Events

-   Stuart Young became the new Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago.
-   India concluded the Special Olympics World Winter Games with 33 medals, including 8 gold.
-   Saturn now has 274 moons, 128 newly discovered.
-   Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) launched an urban cargo service with Blue Dart.
-   Jharkhand won the Hockey India Senior Women's National Championship.
-   National Vaccination Day was observed on March 16, 2025.
-   LIC, New India Assurance, and GIC Re received DS-II status for 2024-25.
-   The foundation stone for a permanent NECTAR campus was laid in Shillong to promote saffron cultivation in Northeast India.
-   The Bengaluru Water Board became the first in India to receive a BIS certificate.
-   China provided Pakistan with a second hangar-class advanced submarine.
-   India and Australia held defense policy talks in New Delhi.

# Nobel Laureates

-   Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzai received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 for their work in children's rights.
-   Abhijit Banerjee received the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2019 for his approach to poverty reduction.

# Indian Nobel Laureates

-   **Literature (1913):** Rabindranath Tagore, for *Gitanjali*.
-   **Physics (1930):** C.V. Raman, for the discovery of the Raman effect (scattering of light).
-   **Medicine (1968):** Har Gobind Khorana, for work on the genetic code.
-   **Peace (1979):** Mother Teresa, for aiding the suffering.
-   **Physics (1983):** Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, for his research on the structure and evolution of stars.
-   **Economics (1998):** Amartya Sen, for his contributions to welfare economics.
-   **Literature (2001):** V.S. Naipaul, for *In a Free State*.
-   **Chemistry (2009):** Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, for studies of the structure and function of the ribosome.
```*   **Nobel Prize 2024**

    *   **Physiology or Medicine:** Awarded to Gary Ruvkun, Victor Ambros for the discovery of microRNA. 1901 recipient: Emil Adolf von Behring.

    *   **Physics:** Awarded to Geoffrey Hinton for work on neural networks. 1901 recipient: Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen (X-ray discovery).

    *   **Chemistry:** Awarded to David Baker, Demis Hassabis, and John Jumper for work on protein structure prediction. 1901 recipient: Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff.

    *   **Literature:** Awarded to a South Korean author from Hong Kong for works addressing historical trauma and human resilience.

    *   **Peace:** Awarded to the Nihon Hidankyo group for their work to prevent the future use of nuclear weapons. 1901 recipient: Jean Henry Dunant and Frédéric Passy.