Rajasthan

Appearance

  • Global Rankings:

    • India ranked second in global tea exports (after Kenya).
    • Gujarat's GIFT City ranked 46th in the Global Financial Centres Index 37.
    • Shanghai ranked first, Beijing second, and Mumbai fifth in Hurun Global Rich List 25's ranking of Asian billionaire capitals (Mumbai ranked fifth globally). New York ranked first, London second, and Shanghai third globally.

  • Awards and Recognition:

    • Masaki Kashiwara and Bhāradvāja Dāsa received the Abel Prize in Mathematics and Saraswati Samman (for Sanskrit), respectively.
    • Vinod Kumar Shukla, a Hindi writer from Chhattisgarh, was selected for the Jnanpith Award.
    • R.K. Shri Ram Kumar received the Sangeet Kalanidhi Award for violin.
    • The Sahitya Akademi Translation Award in English was given to Hazaron Khwahishen Aisi.

  • Sporting Events:

    • Haryana won the top spot in the Khelo India Para Games 2025 points table. The games were recently held in Delhi.
    • The largest inter-collegiate tech and entrepreneurship festival in Asia, "TechKriti," was held at IIT Kanpur.
    • India won both the men's and women's Kabaddi World Cups, held in England.
    • The Indian men's sepak takraw team won gold at the 2025 Sepak Takraw World Cup.

  • Natural Disaster:

    • A 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar.

  • Government and Politics:

    • The Central Government launched the nationwide "Catch the Rain" campaign.
    • The Central Government increased the monthly salary of Members of Parliament to ₹1.24 lakh.
    • Ajay Seth was appointed as the new Finance Secretary.
    • The government set investment limits for micro-entrepreneurs in the MSME sector (₹2.5 crore, ₹12.5 crore). The limits for business were also set (₹10 crore, ₹100 crore, ₹500 crore).
    • Najla Bouden Romdhane became the Prime Minister of Tunisia.
    • Kerala became the first Indian state to establish a Senior Citizens Commission.
    • Punjab's Legislative Assembly became the first in India to broadcast proceedings in sign language.

  • Supreme Court Action:

    • The Supreme Court of India formed a national task force headed by S. Ravi Bhat to address student mental health concerns and prevent suicides.

  • Assam Government Action:

    • The Assam government granted permanent residency certificates to the Moran community from Arunachal Pradesh.

  • US National Institutes of Health:

    • Jay Bhattacharya, an Indian-American scientist, was appointed as the director of the National Institutes of Health.

  • Largest Steel Company:

    • JSW Steel was identified as the world's largest steel company as of March 25th, with a market capitalization of $30 billion.

  • New Species Discovery:

    • A new wild ginger species, Zingiber jagannathae, was discovered in Odisha.

  • Punjab Wildlife Initiative:

    • Punjab announced the development of the state's first leopard safari at the Jhajjar-Bachauli wildlife sanctuary.

  • 11th Asian Swimming Championship:

    • The 11th Asian Swimming Championship will be held in Ahmedabad.

  • Indo-Russian Naval Exercise:

    • The Indra naval exercise between India and Russia took place in Chennai.

  • International Events:

    • International Women's Day: Celebrated on March 21st.
    • International Day of Forests: Celebrated on March 21st.
    • World Water Day: Celebrated on March 22nd.

  • Other Current Events:

    • A book titled "March of Glory" based on a World Cup win was discussed.
    • Tata Communications unveiled AI Cloud Vyom.
    • A 58-foot statue of Pattabhi Sitaramayya was installed in Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh.
    • The Purple Fest 2025 was held in New Delhi.
    • The Indian Navy conducted a joint military exercise ("Exercise Ajanta") with Tanzania.
    • India's first crocodile night safari opened in Lucknow.
    • The Sigma festival took place in Goa.
    • Vicky Kaushal became the brand ambassador of Tata Motors.
    • Indonesia became the ninth member of the BRICS New Development Bank.
    • Bengaluru's Dhingra and Bellatrix partnered with a Japanese company to address space debris.
    • Gujarat established the country's first Triveni Cooperative University.
    • A co-operative taxi service was discussed in the news.

  • Economy:

    • RBI signed an agreement with Mauritius to boost local currency trade.
    • India's World Happiness Ranking improved from 126 to 118, but Pakistan ranked higher.
    • Maharashtra established a "Maha-Tech" initiative to build a trillion-dollar economy.
    • C-DOT launched an incubation program for innovation in telecommunications and IT.

  • Politics & Governance:

    • Supreme Court recognized the right to development in the case of Rayala Foundation vs. Nawroz.
    • Punjab Assembly became the first in India to broadcast proceedings in sign language.
    • Kerala became the first Indian state to establish a Senior Citizens Commission.
    • Central Minister C.R. Patil launched a nationwide "Catch the Rain" campaign in Haryana.
    • Najla Bouden Romdhane became the Prime Minister of Tunisia.

  • Technology & Science:

    • ISRO launched Vikram 3201 and Kalpana 3201 microprocessors.
    • Tata Communications unveiled AI cloud Vyom.

  • Awards & Recognition:

    • Vinod Kumar Shukla, a Hindi writer from Chhattisgarh, was selected for the Jnanpith Award.
    • R.K. Shri Ram Kumar received the Sangeet Kala Nidhi Award for violin.
    • PM Modi awarded the Grand Commander of the Indian Ocean, the highest civilian award of Mauritius.
    • Dalai Lama received the Gold Mercury Award.
    • Harmanpreet Singh awarded the Hockey India Balbir Singh Junior Award (Men's Best Player).
    • Savita Punia (goalkeeper) awarded the Hockey India Balbir Singh Junior Award (Women's Best Player).

  • Culture & Events:

    • Nowruz, the Parsi New Year, was inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2016.
    • A 58-foot statue of Potti Sriramulu, who advocated for the formation of states based on language, was installed in Amravati, Andhra Pradesh.
    • The Purple Fest 2025 was held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.
    • Largest women's gathering as part of the Attukal Pongala festival held in Kerala.
    • Makaravilakku festival also held in Kerala.
    • IFFA Awards 2023: Best Film award to "Laapata Ladies".
    • "Vasant Utsav Chapchar Kut" festival was held in Mizoram.

  • Disasters & Accidents:

    • Mount Lewotobi Lakilaki volcano erupted in Indonesia.
    • Mount Lewotobi Lakag (Indonesia) erupted.

  • Sports:

    • An Se-young of South Korea won the women's singles title at the All England Badminton Championships 2025.
    • India won 33 medals at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Italy.
    • Harmanpreet Singh (men) and Savita (women) won Hockey India Balbir Singh Junior Awards.
    • Mumbai Indians won the Women's Premier League title.
    • The Kabaddi World Cup 2025 will be held in England for the first time outside Asia; India won both men's and women's titles.
    • Matthew Brownlee is the oldest player to debut in international cricket at age 62.
    • Khelo India Winter Games 2025: Indian Army topped the points table (events held in Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir).
    • Pranav Venkatesh won the World Junior Chess Championship.
    • Sunil Chhetri, at age 40, returned to the national football team after retirement.

  • International Days:

    • International Women's Day was on March 21st.
    • World Water Day was on March 22nd.
    • World Sparrow Day was on March 20th.

  • Books:

    • The book "March of Glory," based on India's World Cup victory, was published.
    • P.S. Raman's book "Leo: The Untold Story" was published.

  • Other:

    • Shaheed Diwas was observed on March 23rd, 1931, to commemorate Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev.
    • National Vaccination Day is celebrated on March 16th.
    • The mascot for Khelo India Para Games 2025 is Ujjwala (sparrow).
    • India and France conducted the bilateral naval exercise, Varuna.
    • India's first PPP-based green waste processing plant launched in Indore.
    • The International Olympic Committee added breakdancing to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
    • World Consumer Rights Day celebrated on March 15th.
    • PM Modi paid tribute to participants in the Dandi March on March 12th (commemorating its start on March 12, 1930).

  • Space and Technology:

    • Saturn now has the most moons (274) with the discovery of 128 new ones.
    • Delhi Metro is the first to start a city car service.
    • Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore returned to Earth aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule after a 9-month space mission.
    • India and JAXA will jointly launch Chandrayaan-5.
    • "All We Imagine as Light" won Best Film at the Asian Film Awards 2025.
    • Digantara launched India's first commercial space-based debris monitoring satellite, 'Scat.'
    • Assam announced a ₹25,00,000 grant to launch a satellite.

  • Other:

    • Tamil Nadu replaced the rupee symbol with the Tamil language symbol on government documents.
    • DRDO unveiled the BAe-04 hypersonic short-range ballistic missile.
    • India's 58th tiger reserve was established in Madhav.
    • The 24th World Sustainable Development Summit was held in Delhi.
    • Mark Carney became the new Prime Minister of Canada.
    • Olaf Scholz is the new Chancellor of Germany.
    • The UN General Assembly declared July 12th as International Hope Day.
    • The World Para Athletics Grand Prix was inaugurated in Delhi.
    • Uttar Pradesh launched 'RISE' for digital monitoring of routine childhood immunization.
    • Jayshree Venkatesan became the first Indian environmental lawyer to win the Ramsar Award for wetland conservation.
    • AIIMS Delhi launched a human milk bank (Payod) for critically ill children.

  • International Relations:

    • Indian Navy conducted joint patrols with Bangladesh in the Bay of Bengal.

  • Government Initiatives:

    • Launch of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Public Service and Innovation Institute in Mauritius by PM Modi.

  • UNESCO Tentative List:

    • Kanger Valley National Park (Chhattisgarh) added to UNESCO's tentative list.

  • National Livestock Mission: The Gosamvardhana cattle insurance scheme launched in Kerala.

  • Barbados' Honour: Narendra Modi awarded the honorary Order of Freedom by Barbados.

  • Global Terrorism Index: Burkina Faso ranked top in the 2023 Global Terrorism Index by the Institute for Economics and Peace; Pakistan ranked second.

  • Electronics & IT Ministry Initiatives: Launched AI Kos, a computer portal, and I Got AI for AI innovation.

  • Beyond Visual Range Missile: The "Astra" air-to-air missile is now known as the "Beyond Visual Range" missile.

  • Project Hifazat: Punjab launched Project Hifazat to ensure women's safety and respect.

  • First Woman Law Secretary: Anju Rathi Rana became India's first female Law Secretary.

  • Joint Special Forces Exercise Khanjar-12: Involves India and Kyrgyzstan.

  • 2025 Architecture Awards: Li Xiaokun received the award.

  • Turing Award: Andrew Chi-Chih Yao and Richard Karp received the Turing Award.

  • Champions Trophy 2025: India won, New Zealand lost, and Pakistan hosted.

  • DRDO Missile Unveiling: Unveiled the BAe-04 hypersonic short-range ballistic missile.

  • 58th Tiger Reserve: Madhav National Park became India's 58th tiger reserve.

  • World Junior Chess Championship 2025: Pranav Venkatesh won.

  • World Sustainable Development Summit 2025: Held in Delhi.

  • Vasant Utsav Chapchar Kut Festival: Held in Mizoram.

  • Ramsar Award for Wetland Conservation: Jayshree Venkatesan, the first Indian environmental lawyer to win.

  • New Canadian Prime Minister: Marc Garneau.

  • India's First Quantum Chip Prototype: A quantum chip prototype, "Olot," was launched.

  • Uttarakhand's Chief Minister Single Women Self-Employment Scheme: The scheme was approved.

  • India's First World Peace Center: Inaugurated in Gurugram.

  • First Urban Body Focusing on Climate Budget: Ahmedabad.

  • National Animal Friends Award: Awarded to an organization in Gujarat (Vanta).

  • Global Internet Shutdown Report: Myanmar topped the list, India was second.

  • NASA's Mission to Study Events After the Big Bang: The SPEX mission.

  • New Global Alliance for Sustainable Urban Development (C3): Launched in Jaipur.

  • Deceased Cricketer Padamkar Shivalkar: His association with cricket was noted.

  • Supreme Court Ruling on Fundamental Rights: Disability-based discrimination declared against fundamental rights.

  • FIFA World Cup 2026 Ban: Pakistan banned from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

  • 2026 FIFA World Cup Location: North America (Canada, USA, Mexico).

  • Retirement of Table Tennis Player Sharath Kamal: Announcement of international career retirement.

  • National Ropeway Development Programme (Parvatmala Project): Approved for a ropeway project in Uttarakhand.

  • National Jan Aushadhi Diwas: Celebrated on March 7th.

  • India:

    • The Security Exchange Board of India (SEBI) launched the centralized database portal, BANDHAN Central.
    • Uttar Pradesh announced five spiritual corridors.
    • Rajasthan's Jaipur hosted the 12th Regional Conference on Circular Economy Forum.
    • The first woman pilot of the Indian Air Force's Jaguar squadron is Anushka Singh.
    • Kerala was the runner-up in the Ranji Trophy 2025.
    • The "Anura" film won the Best Film award at the 97th Oscars.
    • World Wildlife Conservation Day is celebrated on March 3rd.
    • Ajnan launched the first quantum chip, OloT prototype.
    • Uttarakhand approved the Chief Minister's Single Women's Self-Employment Scheme.
    • Gurugram inaugurated the country's first World Peace Center.
    • Ahmedabad is the first urban body to focus on climate budgeting.
    • Vanta (Gujarat) received the Praani Mitra National Award.
    • Myanmar tops the Access Now's global internet shutdown report, with India in second place.
    • NASA launched the SPEX mission to study events after the Big Bang.
    • A new global alliance, C3, for sustainable urban development was launched in Jaipur.
    • Padmakar Shivalkar, a recently deceased athlete, was associated with cricket.
    • The Supreme Court declared the right against disability-based discrimination a fundamental right.

  • Space:

    • Blue Ghost is the second private spacecraft to achieve a soft landing on the moon (Odysseus was the first).
    • Tushar Mehta is the second Indian-origin astronaut to be part of Blue Origin's NS-20 flight crew (Gopi Thotakura was the first).

  • Other:

    • Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of dolphins according to the first dolphin census.

  • NASA's PUNCH Mission: Related to Heliophysics.

  • SEBI's 11th Chairperson: Madhabi Puri Buch.

  • RBI Governor: Sanjay Malhotra.

  • Chief Justice of India: Justice Sanjiv Khanna.

  • CAG of India: Sanjay Murthy.

  • Launch of National Port and Maritime App: Launched in Mumbai by Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.

  • Only Indian Bank in S&P Global Sustainability Ranking 2025: Yes Bank.

  • Country that designated English as its official language: USA.

  • Reason for Mars' red color: Ferric Oxide.

  • Location of the tri-service military exercise Desert Hunt: Rajasthan.

  • Autobiography "Dia Salai": Related to Kailash Satyarthi.

  • India's Government Spending:

    • Highest spending: Defense
    • Second highest: Rural Development
    • Third highest: Home Ministry
    • Fourth highest: Agriculture
markdown
## Income Tax & Tax Reforms

*   New income tax regime replaces the 1961 bill.
*   Income up to ₹12 lakh is tax-free.
*   Tax slabs above ₹12 lakh:

    *   ₹0-4 lakh: 0%
    *   ₹4-8 lakh: 5%
    *   ₹8-12 lakh: 10%
    *   ₹12-16 lakh: 15%
    *   ₹16-20 lakh: 20%
    *   ₹20-24 lakh: 25%
    *   Above ₹24 lakh: 30%
*   Tax removed on 36 life-saving drugs.

## Government Finances

*   **Revenue Sources:**

    *   Borrowing: 24%
    *   Income Tax: 22%
    *   GST: 18%
    *   Corporate Tax: 17%
*   **Expenditure:**

    *   States' share of taxes and duties: 22%
    *   Interest payments: 20%
*   **Fiscal Deficit:**

    *   Projected at 4.8% of GDP in 2024-25.
    *   Projected at 4.4% of GDP in 2025-26.

## Sector-Specific Developments

*   **Insurance:** FDI limit increased from 74% to 100%.
*   **Jal Jeevan Mission:** Extended until 2028.
*   **Udan Yojana:** 120 new destinations to be connected over the next 10 years.

## Infrastructure & Regional Development

*   **Ocean Development Fund:** Government to contribute 49% of funds.
*   **Bihar Development:** Greenfield airport to be established; development of the West Kosi Canal in Mithilanchal region.

## Other Initiatives

*   **Gyan Bharat Mission:** Launched to conserve over 1 crore hand-written manuscripts.
*   **Export Promotion:** "Ek Bharat Trade Net" platform launched to improve export supply.
*   **Atal Tinkering Labs:** 50,000 labs to be established in government schools over five years.
*   **Indian Language Book Scheme:** Books will be translated into Indian languages and made available online.
*   **National Skill Excellence Centers:** Five centers will be established.
*   **AI in Education:** ₹5,500 crore allocated to establish excellence centers.
*   **Cancer Care:** Day-care cancer centers in all district hospitals within three years.

## MSME Sector

*   **MSME Definition Changes:** Revised based on investment and turnover.

    | Category | Investment          | Turnover            |
    | :------- | :------------------ | :------------------ |
    | Micro    | Up to ₹2 crore      | Up to ₹10 crore     |
    | Small    | Up to ₹25 crore     | Up to ₹100 crore    |
    | Medium   | Up to ₹125 crore    | Up to ₹500 crore    |
*   **Credit Card for Micro Industries:** ₹5 lakh credit card launched, accessible through the Udyam portal.
*    **National Manufacturing Mission:** Aims to boost manufacturing within footwear, toy, and food processing industries.
```*   **Kisan Credit Card (KCC):** Limit increased to ₹5 lakh.

*   **Assam Urea Plant:** Established in Namrup; production capacity of 12.7 lakh metric tons.

*   **MSME Definition:** Revised based on investment and turnover.

    *   **Investment:**

        *   Micro: Up to ₹2 crore
        *   Small: Up to ₹25 crore
        *   Medium: Up to ₹125 crore
    *   **Turnover:**

        *   Micro: Up to ₹10 crore
        *   Small: Up to ₹100 crore
        *   Medium: Up to ₹500 crore

*   **Credit Card for Micro Industries:** ₹5 lakh credit card launched, accessible through Udyam portal.

*   **National Manufacturing Mission:** Aims to boost manufacturing and support micro/small industries.

*   **Agricultural Initiatives:**

    *   Pradhan Mantri Dhan Dhanaya Krishi Yojana: Aims to increase agricultural productivity, launched in 100 districts, expected to benefit 1.7 crore farmers.
    *   Pulse Self-Reliance Mission: 6-year mission focusing on Tur, Urad, and Masoor lentils.
    *   Missions for vegetables, fruits, and millets (Shree Anna). 2023 declared as the year of millets.
    *   Makhana Board established in Bihar.
    *   National High-Yield Seed Mission.
    *   Cotton Production Mission: 5-year mission.

*   **Budget 2025-26:** Presented by Nirmala Sitharaman.

*   **Developed India Vision:**

    *   Poverty eradication
    *   100% school enrollment
    *   Affordable healthcare
    *   100% skilled workforce
    *   70% Women's participation in economic activity
    *   India as "Food Basket of the World"

*   **Budget 2025-26 - Four Engines:**

    *   **Engines:** Agriculture, MSMEs, Investment, Exports
    *   **Fuel:** Reforms
    *   **Guidance:** Inclusiveness
    *   **Destination:** Developed India