NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Govt announces 1-billion-dollar fund for creators’ economy, ahead of WAVES 2025: Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has announced a 1-billion-dollar fund for the creator’s economy as part of the World Audio-Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025.The event to be held in Mumbai from May 1 to 4, will give creators community a platform to create high value content.The session, organized by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, sought to engage the international community ahead of the WAVES 2025.Vaishnaw also informed that the first Indian Institute of Creative Technology (IICT) will be established near Film City in Goregaon, Mumbai.
2. R. Patil inaugurates Water Sustainability Conference 2025: The Bureau of Water Use Efficiency (BWUE) under the National Water Mission (NWM), Ministry of Jal Shakti, in association with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), organized a one-day conference titled “Water Sustainability Conference 2025”, with a focus on Industrial Water Use Efficiency.The conference was held at the NDMC Convention Centre, Palika Kendra, Sansad Marg, New Delhi.The event was inaugurated by the Union Minister of Jal Shakti, C R Patil, who highlighted the Government’s commitment towards promoting industrial water use efficiency through innovative technologies and strategic frameworks.The workshop brought together various Ministries, Organisations, Policymakers, Industry Leaders, Experts, and Stakeholders to deliberate on strategies and technological advancements to enhance water use efficiency in the industrial sector.
3. Mudumal Menhirs: The Mudumal Megalithic Menhirs have been added to India’s tentative list of Unesco World Heritage Sites. Telangana currently has only one Unesco World Heritage Site, the Ramappa Temple, added in 2021. If approved, the Mudumal menhirs could become the state’s second World Heritage Site. Menhirs are large upright stones, typically tapered at the top. They are man-made, sculpted, and placed by humans. The term ‘menhir’ originates from the Brittonic words for stone and long. The largest menhir, the Grand Menhir Brisé in France, once stood at 20.6 metres tall.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. India, Mauritius ink 8 MoUs to bolster strategic, economic relations: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Mauritius witnessed the signing of multiple MoUs aimed at enhancing strategic cooperation and economic collaboration between the two nations.These agreements covered areas such as currency settlement, water management, and shipping information sharing, further deepening bilateral ties.Among the key agreements was an MoU between the Central Bank of Mauritius and the Reserve Bank of India on a Local Currency Settlement System, facilitating smoother financial transactions.Additionally, a Credit Facility Agreement was signed between the Government of Mauritius and the State Bank of India to finance projects under the Central Water Authority’s Pipe Replacement Programme.In the financial sector, an MoU was signed between the Financial Crimes Commission of Mauritius and India’s Enforcement Directorate to bolster cooperation in combating financial crimes.
2. India and Chile 1st JWG meeting on Agriculture held: The 1st Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting on Agriculture was held between India and Chile in virtual mode.The meeting was co-chaired by Ajeet Kumar Sahu, Joint Secretary (IC), Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfares and Gabriel Layseca, Director of the Department of International Affairs, Bureau of Agricultural Studies and Policies (ODEPA).Both countries, with their rich experience in agriculture, have the potential to complement each other in boosting agricultural productivity, promoting rural development, and improving farmers’ welfare.
3. PM Modi Hands Over Overseas Citizen Card To Mauritius Counterpart: Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards to Mauritius’ Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam and his wife, Veena Ramgoolam, during a special event.Earlier in the day, PM Modi also handed OCI cards to Mauritius’ President Dharambeer Gokhool and First Lady Vrinda Gokhool. This gesture highlights India’s strong ties with Mauritius and its commitment to the Indian-origin community there.Mauritius has a significant Indian presence, with 22,188 Indian nationals and 13,198 OCI card holders.The OCI card allows holders to live, work, and study in India without a visa, making it easier for them to stay connected with their Indian roots.
4. India Participates in 353rd Governing Body Meeting of International Labour Organisation in Geneva: The 353rd Governing Body meeting of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) was held in Geneva, Switzerland.The meeting brings together the tripartite constituents of ILO i.e. representatives from governments, workers, and employers, to discuss crucial matters relating to the world of work and the governance of ILO.India extended its support to ILO on the organization of the UN led Second World Summit for Social Development in Doha, Qatar later this year, as it aims at reinforcing the social dimension of the 2030 Agenda for Social Development.India’s inspiring progress in promoting social justice and development was highlighted, as India has doubled its social protection coverage to 48.8 percent, increasing the average global social protection coverage by over 5 percent.
5. 15 March – World Consumer Rights Day: World Consumer Rights Day is observed annually on March 15 to raise awareness about consumer rights and advocate for fair trade practices, ethical business conduct, and consumer protection.The day serves as a global platform for highlighting issues consumers face and encouraging governments and businesses to prioritize consumer welfare.Theme 2025 – A Just Transition to Sustainable Lifestyless
OTHER UPDATES:
DEFENCE
1. INS Ranvir participates in Exercise Bongosagar 2025: The India-Bangladesh Naval Exercise Bongosagar 2025 and Coordinated Patrol was conducted in Bay of Bengal.The exercise saw participation of INS Ranvir from Indian Navy and BNS Abu Ubaidah from Bangladesh Navy.The exercise enhanced interoperability between the two navies, facilitating collaborative responses to shared maritime security challenges.
2. Recent Exercise: 12th edition of Exercise KHANJAR-XII between India and Kyrgyzstan – Tokmok, Kyrgyzstan7th edition of Security Belt-2025 between Russia, China and Iran – Iranian port of Chabahar near Indian OceanExercise Desert Hunt 2025 between Indian Navy, Indian Army and India Air Force – Indian Air Force at Air Force Station Jodhpur.6th edition of Exercise Dharma Guardian between Indian Army and Japan Ground Self-Defence Force (JGSDF) – Mount Fuji, Japan.
SPORTS
1. Jharkhand crowned 15th Hockey India Senior Women National Champion: Hockey Jharkhand defeated the defending champion Hockey Haryana in the final to win the 15th Hockey India Senior Women National Championship 2025.The final match was played at the Tau Devi Lal Complex in Panchkula, Haryana.Hockey Mizoram defeated Hockey Maharashtra to take the third spot with Hockey Maharashtra at the fourth position.Hockey India organised the 15th Hockey India Senior Women National Championship 2025 at Tau Devi Lal Complex in Panchkula, Haryana.
The teams were divided into four groups, with the top team from each group qualified for the quarter finals.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. Google brings Gemma 3 open model to compete with Meta’s Llama, DeepSeek V3: Google has expanded its open model’s line-up by announcing the next-generation Gemma AI model, the Gemma 3.Gemma 3 is “built from the same research and technology that powers” the Gemini 2.0 models. It’s available in 1B, 4B, 12B, and 27B sizes.The company has claimed to outperform Llama-405B, DeepSeek-V3 and o3-mini models on the benchmarking platform LMArena.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. Valueattics Reinsurance set to become India’s first private reinsurer: IRDAI has approved the first reinsurance licence to a private player, Valueattics Reinsurance, backed by Prem Watsa and Kamesh Goyal.They are also the promoters of Go Digit General Insurance and Go Digit Life Insurance.Valueattics Reinsurance is owned by Oben Ventures LLP, promoted by Goyal, and FAL Corporation, backed by Watsa with Fairfax Financial Holdings.
2. India to become world’s third-largest economy by 2028: Morgan Stanley: India will be the world’s third-largest economy by 2028 as it becomes the world’s most sought-after consumer market and gains share in global output, driven by macro stability influenced policy and better infrastructure, Morgan Stanley said.In 2028, India will overtake Germany as its economy will expand to $5.7 trillion. From a $3.5 trillion economy in 2023, the Indian economy is projected to expand to $4.7 trillion in 2026, which will make it the fourth largest in the world behind the US, China and Germany.According to Morgan Stanley, India was the 12th largest economy in the world in 1990, slipped to 13th position in 2000 before rising to 9th rank in 2020 and 5th in 2023.
3. YES Bank launches seamless GST payment facility for businesses and individuals: Private sector lender YES Bank Ltd has introduced a Goods and Services Tax (GST) payment facility, further expanding its digital banking services.The initiative, authorised by the Government of India, enables businesses and individuals to make GST payments efficiently through YES BANK’s NetBanking platform and branch network.Through direct integration with the GST portal, this initiative enables corporates and sole proprietor businesses to meet their tax obligations swiftly and securely using YES BANK’s Retail and Corporate Internet Banking platforms, as well as any of its extensive branch network.MD and CEO of Yes Bank- Prashant Kumar
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. RBI awarded Digital Transformation Award 2025 for digital initiatives: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has been selected for the Digital Transformation Award 2025 by Central Banking at London in UK.The central bank was awarded for its digital initiatives named Pravaah and Sarthi, which were developed by its in-house developer team.The awards committee noted how these digital initiatives have reduced the use of paper-based submissions, thus transforming RBI’s internal and external processes.Sarthi, launched in January 2023, digitised RBI’s internal workflows, enabling its employees to store and share documents securely, improving record management, and increasing the options for data analysis through reports and dashboards.Launched in May 2024 as Pravaah, a digitised means was created for external users to submit regulatory applications to the RBI.Pravaah has so far allowed more than 70 different regulatory applications to be digitised, supporting the work of nine RBI departments.
2. Recent Award: The Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean (Maurisis)- PM Narendra Modi.EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2024 – Nithin Kamath (Founder and CEO of Zerodha)Honorary Order of Freedom of Barbados – PM Narendra Modi.
Lifetime Achievement in Hospitality and Education Through Technology Award – Suborno Bose (Chairman of International Institute of Hotel Management)Pritzker Architecture Prize 2025 – Chinese architect and educator, Liu Jiakun
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