• World Happiness Report:

  • India ranked 118th.
  • Previously: India ranked 136th.

• Remittances to India (FY23-24):

  • USA topped the list of countries sending remittances to India.
  • Source: RBI survey

• Awards:

  • Ramnath Goenka Award: Awarded for journalism.

• Economic Targets:

  • Maharashtra: Aiming to become a $1 trillion economy.

• Technology & Innovation:

  • C-DOT: Launched an incubation program for innovation in the telecommunications and IT sectors.
  • Lok Sabha Secretariat:
    • Signed an agreement with Mighty for Parliament speeches.
    • Previously partnered with Agnitio for parliamentary speech transcription.

• Cultural Heritage:

  • Navroz (Parsi New Year): Included in UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage sites in 2016.

• Biodiversity:

  • New Species Discovery: A new species of critically endangered killifish was discovered in the Gongoni forest in Kenya.

• Judiciary:

  • Supreme Court Ruling: Recognized the right to development in the case of Ray vs. Vile Foundation (also mentioned as Ray v. Foundation vs. Navroz K. Seep).

• Space Missions:

  • NASA's PUNCH Mission: Related to the Sun.
  • Previously: NASA's Aditya-L1 mission, which is focused on the sun.

• Cultural Recognition:

  • US States Recognizing Holi: Texas became the third US state to officially recognize Holi, following Georgia and New York.

• UPI Expansion in Singapore:

  • NPCI International: Partnered with Singapore-based HitPay to expand UPI acceptance in Singapore using QR codes.
    • Aim: To increase the usage of QR codes for payments in Singapore.
    • QR: Stands for Quick Response.

• AI Cloud Service:

  • Tata Communications: Launched "Vayu," a comprehensive AI cloud service for entrepreneurs.
    • Aims: Reduce costs (15-20%), increase security, and offer advanced identity verification.

• Fertilizer Plant:

  • Namrup Fertilizer Plant (Assam): A new urea plant is under construction. Approved by Nirmala Sitharaman in the budget.

• Current Hockey Leadership:

  • Hockey India President: Dilip Tirkey
  • World Hockey Federation (FIH) Head: Tayyab Ikram

• Book on 1975 Hockey World Cup:

  • Title: March of Glory
  • Authors: Aaru Mugam and Erol D'Cruz
  • Based on India's 1975 Hockey World Cup victory against Pakistan in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

• Tata Communications Launches "Vayu":

  • Vayu is a comprehensive AI cloud platform for Indian entrepreneurs.
  • Benefits include reduced costs (15-20%), enhanced security, and advanced identification.

• Namrup Fertilizer Plant:

  • A new urea plant is being established in Namrup, Assam. This is the fourth urea plant in the region.

• Awards and Recognitions:

  • Ram Suttar: Maharashtra Bhushan Award (Statue of Unity).
  • Chiranjeevi: Lifetime Achievement Award (England).
  • Andrew Bertozzi and Richard Sutton: A.M. Turing Award.
  • Jayashree Venkatesan: Ramsar Award.
  • Gunter Blobel: Stockholm Water Prize 2025 (hydrologist, flood pattern analysis).

• International Day of Forests (March 21st):

  • Theme: Forests and Food.
  • 10 million hectares (1 crore) of forest land lost annually worldwide.

• World Water Day (March 22nd):

  • Celebrated on March 22nd.

• 18th Indian Forest Survey Report:

  • Total forest and tree cover: 25.17% (827,356 sq km).
  • Highest growth rate: Chhattisgarh.
  • Largest forest area: Madhya Pradesh.
  • Highest percentage of forest cover: Lakshadweep.

• All England Badminton Championships 2025:

  • Held in Birmingham, England.
  • Women's singles winner: An Se-young (South Korea).
  • Men's singles winner: Shi Yuqi (China).
  • Tournament began in 1899.
  • First Indian winner (1980): Prakash Padukone.

• International Day of Forests 2025:

  • Celebrated on March 21st.
  • Started in 2013.
  • Report indicates 10 million hectares of forest land are destroyed annually.

• Volcanic Eruptions:

  • Kanlaon volcano erupted in the Philippines.
  • Kilauea volcano erupted in Hawaii, USA.
  • Mount Lewotobi Lakilaki volcano erupted in Indonesia; the eruption plume reached 8200 meters.

• Indonesia:

  • Capital: Jakarta.
  • Known as the "Land of a Thousand Islands."
  • Has the world's largest Muslim population.
  • Major islands include Java and Sumatra.
  • President: Joko Widodo.
  • Mount Lapaka eruption: ejected material is lava, while molten rock within is called magma. Volcanic activity creates igneous rocks, examples being granite and basalt, also known as primary rocks.
  • Volcanoes mentioned: Krakatoa, Mount Merapi, and Mount Sinabung.
  • High volcanic activity due to location within the Ring of Fire.

• International Olympic Committee (IOC):

  • Kristy Coventry appointed as the 10th President of the IOC.
  • She is the first female president.
  • Appointment occurred during the 144th IOC Session in Greece.
  • Her term begins June 23, 2025, and will last 8 years.
  • Kristy Coventry is from Zimbabwe.
  • Founded: June 23, 1894
  • Headquarters: Switzerland
  • First President: Dimitri Vikel
  • Father of the Olympics: Pierre de Coubertin
  • 9th President: Thomas Bach

• Olympic Games:

  • The first Olympic Games were held in 1896.
  • The second Olympic Games were held in Paris in 1900.
  • The 33rd Olympic Games were held in Paris in 2024.
  • The 34th Olympic Games will be held in Los Angeles in 2028. Cricket has been included.

• World Trade Organization (WTO):

  • Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is the first female head of the WTO.

• ISRO Developments:

  • ISRO launched Vikram 3201 and Kalpana 3201, high-speed microprocessors.
  • Vikram 3201 is India's first 32-bit microprocessor.
  • ISRO was established on August 15, 1969, and is headquartered in Bengaluru.
  • V. Narayanan is the current 11th chairman of ISRO.
  • Vikram Sarabhai was the first chairman of ISRO.

• International Olympic Committee (IOC):

  • The IOC was established on June 23, 1894, with headquarters in Switzerland.
  • Dimitri Vikel was the first president of the IOC.
  • Pierre de Coubertin is considered the founder of the Olympic Games.
  • Thomas Bach was the ninth president of the IOC.
  • Christy Coventry will be the tenth president of the IOC and the first female president, starting her term on June 23, 2025, for 8 years.

• China-South Africa Quantum Satellite Link:

  • China and South Africa established a 12,900 km quantum satellite link.
  • The link is facilitated by China's launch of the Jinnan-1 satellite.
  • This is described as the world's longest satellite link.

• Indonesia Volcanic Eruption: A major eruption occurred at Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki in Indonesia.

• All England Badminton Championships 2025: Shi Yuqi (men's singles) and An Se-young (women's singles) won the All England Badminton Championships 2025.

• International Day of Forests: International Day of Forests was celebrated on March 21st, 2025.

• Stockholm Water Prize: Hydrologist Günter Bläse will receive the 2025 Stockholm Water Prize.

• Book Launch: A book titled "March of Glory," based on India's 1975 Hockey World Cup victory, was launched.

• Tata Communications AI Cloud: Tata Communications unveiled a comprehensive AI cloud platform for businesses.

• NPCI International Partnership: NPCI International partnered with Singapore's HitPay to expand UPI payment services.

• Texas Recognizes Holi: Texas became the third US state to officially recognize Holi.

- **Scheduled Caste (SC) Population:**
    - Highest SC population (headcount): Uttar Pradesh.
    - Highest percentage of SC population: Punjab (approximately 32%).

- **Scheduled Tribe (ST) Population:**
    - Highest ST population (headcount): Madhya Pradesh (approximately 1.5 crore).
    - Highest percentage of ST population: Mizoram (approximately 94%).

- **Overall Population & Related Statistics:**
    - Highest population: Uttar Pradesh.
    - Lowest population: Sikkim.
    - Highest population density: Bihar (Delhi if no other data is provided).
    - Lowest population density: Arunachal Pradesh.
    - Highest population growth rate: Meghalaya.
    - Lowest population growth rate (negative): Nagaland.
    - Highest literacy rate: Kerala.
    - Lowest literacy rate: Bihar.
    - Highest sex ratio: Kerala.
    - Lowest sex ratio: Haryana.

- **Literacy Rate:**
    - 2011: Overall literacy rate in India was 73% (men: 80.9%, women: 64.6%).  A significant literacy gap exists between men and women.
    - Highest literacy rate: Kerala (94%).
    - Lowest literacy rate: Bihar (61.8%).

- **Rural Population:**
    - Highest percentage of rural population: Himachal Pradesh (90%).
    - Bihar is second with 88.7%.

- **Urban Population:**
    - Highest percentage of urban population: Goa (62.2%).
    - Highest number of urban population: Maharashtra (5.08 crore).

- **Sex Ratio (Sex Ratio):**
    - National Average (2011): 943 women per 1000 men
    - Highest: Kerala (1084 women per 1000 men) - the only state with a sex ratio above 1000.
    - Lowest: Haryana (879 women per 1000 men)

- **Child Sex Ratio (0-6 years):**
    - Highest: Arunachal Pradesh (972 girls per 1000 boys)
    - Lowest: Haryana (834 girls per 1000 boys)

- **Population Density:**
    - Highest: Bihar
    - Lowest: Arunachal Pradesh (17 people per sq km compared to Bihar's 1106)
    - Highest in Union Territory (UT): Delhi (10 times higher than Bihar)
    - Lowest in UT: Lakshadweep

- **Population Growth (2011 Census):**
    - Highest growth rate: Meghalaya (27.9%)
    - Lowest growth rate: Nagaland (-0.6%)

- **Population Density (2011 Census):**
    - India's average population density: 382 persons per sq km
    - Highest population density (state): Bihar (1106 persons per sq km)
    - Lowest population density (state): Arunachal Pradesh (17 persons per sq km)
    - Highest population density (Union Territory): Delhi (significantly higher than Bihar)
    - Lowest population density (Union Territory): Lakshadweep

- **Sex Ratio (2011 Census):**
    - India's average sex ratio: 943 females per 1000 males
    - Highest sex ratio (state): Kerala (1084 females per 1000 males)
    - Lowest sex ratio (state): Haryana (879 females per 1000 males)
```* **Indian States: Population Data (2011 Census)**

    *   **Highest Population:** Uttar Pradesh (16.51% of India's population)
    *   **Second Highest Population:** Maharashtra (9.28%)
    *   **Third Highest Population:** Bihar (8.6%)
    *   **Fourth Highest Population:** West Bengal (7.54%)
    *   **Lowest Population:** Sikkim (0.05%)
    *   **Second Lowest Population:** Mizoram (0.09%)
    *   **Third Lowest Population:** Arunachal Pradesh (0.11%)
    *   **Fourth Lowest Population:** Goa (0.12%)

    *   **Highest Population Growth (10 years):** Meghalaya (27.9%, compared to India's 17.7%)
    *   **Lowest Population Growth (10 years):** Nagaland (-0.6%) - only state with negative growth.

*   **Indian States: Population Density (2011 Census)**

    *   **Highest Population Density:** Bihar (1106 persons/km²)
    *   **Second Highest Population Density:** West Bengal
    *   **Third Highest Population Density:** Kerala
    *   **Fourth Highest Population Density:** Uttar Pradesh
    *   **Lowest Population Density:** Arunachal Pradesh (17 persons/km²)

*   **Union Territories (UTs):**

    *   **Highest Population:** Delhi

*   **2011 Census:**

    *   India's population was 121.9 crore, second to China. Currently, India holds the first position.
    *   Census Commissioner: Chandramouli
    *   Slogan: "Our Census, Our Future"
    *   Population growth from 1911-2001: 21.544%
    *   Population growth from 2001-2011: 17.7%
    *   Female population: 48.5%
    *   Male population: 51.47%

*   **Largest and Smallest States by Area:**

    *   Largest: Rajasthan (previously Madhya Pradesh before Chhattisgarh's separation in 2000)
    *   Smallest: Goa
    *   Largest Union Territory: Ladakh
    *   Smallest Union Territory: Lakshadweep

*   **States by Population (2011):**

    *   Highest Population:
        1.  Uttar Pradesh (16.51%)
        2.  Maharashtra (9.28%)
        3.  Bihar (8.6%)
        4.  West Bengal (7.54%)
    *   Lowest Population:
        1.  Sikkim (0.05%)
        2.  Mizoram (0.09%)
        3.  Arunachal Pradesh (0.11%)
        4.  Goa (0.12%)

*   **Population Growth Rate (2011):**

    *   Highest: Meghalaya (27.9%)
    *   Lowest: Nagaland (Negative growth, -0.6%)

*   **Census 2011 (India):**

    *   The 2011 census was the 15th overall and the 7th since Indian independence (1951).
    *   The census commissioner for 2011 was Chandramouli.
    *   The census slogan was "Our Census, Our Future."
    *   India's population in 2011 was 121.9 crore (1.219 billion), second to China. Currently, India holds the first position.
    *   Population growth from 1911-2001: 21.54%.
    *   Population growth from 2001-2011: 17.7%.
    *   Female population in 2011: 48.5%
    *   Male population in 2011: 51.47%
    *   The 1911-1921 decade is referred to as the "Great Dividing Decade" due to population decline caused by the plague.
    *   Largest state by area: Rajasthan
    *   Smallest state by area: Goa
    *   Largest Union Territory by area: Ladakh
    *   Smallest Union Territory by area: Lakshadweep
    *   State with highest population: Uttar Pradesh (16.51% of India's total population).
    *   State with second highest population: Maharashtra.