NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Jal Shakti Minister Launches ‘Catch the Rain 2025’ Campaign in Haryana: On the occasion of World Water Day, Union Jal Shakti Minister R. Patil launched the country-wide Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain – 2025 from Panchkula, Haryana.This campaign has been launched in collaboration with the Ministry of Jal Shakti, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Government of Haryana.The objective of the Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain programme is to emphasise water conservation and management through community participation and innovative strategies.He also e-launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Jal Sanchay Yojana’ and the Water Resources Atlas for Haryana, which assists in scientific water resource management.Innovative water management projects, including community sanitation complexes, liquid waste management systems, the Gobar Dhan project and a solid waste management shed, were also unveiled in Haryana.
2. President Murmu attends Purple Fest 2025 at Rashtrapati Bhavan: President Droupadi Murmu has inaugurated the Purple Fest 2025 held at the Amrit Udyan in the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.The Purple Fest celebrates the talents, achievements, and aspirations of persons with disabilities (PwDs) also known as Divyangjan in India.The first Purple Fest in the country was organised in Panjim, Goa in January 2023.The Purple Fest has been organised by the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in association with the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
3. SECL’s CSR Scheme ‘SECL Ke Sushrut’ Becomes First Coal PSU Initiative Listed on DBT Portal: South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL), a subsidiary of Coal India, has achieved a significant milestone with its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, ‘SECL Ke Sushrut,’ becoming the first and only CSR scheme of any coal Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under the Ministry of Coal to be listed on the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) portal of the Government of India.Launched in 2023, ‘SECL Ke Sushrut’ is a flagship educational initiative designed to provide free medical coaching to 40 meritorious and underprivileged students from the coal belt regions of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, preparing them for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).In its first batch, 39 out of 40 students successfully qualified for NEET 2024, with 11 securing admissions in MBBS courses, demonstrating the program’s effectiveness in supporting educational aspirations.
4. Punjab Assembly 1st in India to broadcast proceeding in sign language: Punjab has become the first state in India to broadcast its state Legislative Assembly proceedings in Sign language.The path-breaking initiative is likely to make the proceedings of the Punjab Legislative Assembly accessible to the person suffering from deafness disability and make them aware about government policies and legislative discussions.The initiative to broadcast important parts of the legislative proceedings of the House was a brainchild of the Ministry of Social Security, Women and Child Development of the state government.
5. Government Appoints Rahul Bhave as MD and CEO of IFCI: Rahul Bhave has been appointed as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD & CEO) of IFCI Ltd by the Government of India, with the appointment approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet for a three-year term.Prior to this role, Bhave served as the Deputy Managing Director of IFCI Ltd and brings over 25 years of banking experience, including his tenure as Executive Director at the National Housing Bank.IFCI Ltd, established in 1948 as India’s first development financial institution, plays a key role in supporting industrial and infrastructure development, and Bhave’s leadership comes ahead of a planned restructuring involving the consolidation of the IFCI Group with entities like StockHolding Corporation of India Ltd.
6. Anuj Kumar Singh appointed as Joint Secretary in UPSC: Anuj Kumar Singh (IRSEE) has been appointed as Joint Secretary (Director level) in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), Delhi.The appointment has been made under the Central Staffing Scheme for a tenure of five years or until further orders, whichever comes earlier.Singh is an Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers (IRSEE) officer from the 2009 batch. His selection for Central deputation was recommended by the Ministry of Railways.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. In a first, Muzaffarnagar’s GI-tagged jaggery exported to neighboring Bangladesh :GI-tagged jaggery from Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh, a region renowned for its high-quality sugarcane, was flagged off for export toA consignment of 30 metric tons (MT) has been exported to Bangladesh.This initiative marks the beginning of direct exports of jaggery from western Uttar Pradesh to Bangladesh through Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs).The superior quality of jaggery produced in Muzaffarnagar and Shamli, which is in high demand in international markets.The Brijnandan Agro Farmer Producer Company (FPC), formed in 2023, has 545 members, including two women directors. The FPO is engaged in exporting jaggery, sugarcane products, Basmati rice, and pulses. With training and technical support from BEDF, its members are well-equipped to meet international production and export standards.
2. Anthurium flowers from Mizoram go beyond borders, exported first time to Singapore: Mizoram exported its first consignment of Anthurium flowers to Singapore, marking a significant milestone in the state’s floriculture sector. The shipment included 1,024 Anthurium cut flowers, weighing 70 kg, sourced from the Zo Anthurium Growers Cooperative Society in Aizawl and exported by IVC Agrovet Pvt. Ltd. Anthurium is one of the most important flowers cultivated in Mizoram, playing a vital role in driving local economic activity, particularly benefiting farmers, including women.The flower’s cultivation has been a source of livelihood and empowerment for local communities. Mizoram also organizes the annual “Anthurium Festival,” which promotes tourism and highlights the flower’s beauty and ornamental value.
3. 22 March – World Water Day: World Water Day is observed every year on March 22 to raise awareness about the need for sustainable water management and conservation.Theme 2025 – Glacier PreservationAt the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNICED) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the idea for World Water Day was first proposed.To emphasise the value of freshwater and promote the sustainable management of water resources, the United Nations General Assembly declared March 22nd to be World Water Day in 1993.
4. March 23 – World Meteorological Day: World Meteorological Day is observed every year on March 23 to highlight the importance of meteorology and its role in weather forecasting, climate monitoring, and disaster risk reduction.Theme 2025 – Closing the Early Warning Gap TogetherOn March 23, 1950, the United Nations (UN) created the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) as a specialised agency. The WMO’s mission is to advance global collaboration in climate science, hydrology, and meteorology. In 1961, the inaugural World Meteorological Day was celebrated.
5. 24 March – World Tuberculosis Day: World Tuberculosis Day is observed every year on March 24 to raise awareness about the devastating health, social and economic consequences of tuberculosis (TB) and to step up efforts to end the global TB epidemic.Theme 2025 – Yes! We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, DeliverAccording to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the date marks the day in 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch announced that he had discovered the bacterium that causes TB, which opened the way towards diagnosing and curing this disease.TB is an infectious disease caused by bacteria that most often affects the lungs. It spreads through the air when people with TB cough, sneeze or spit. Tuberculosis is preventable and curable.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1. Anahat Singh and Veer Chotani Triumph at SRFI Indian Tour PSA Challenger in Chennai: Indian Squash prodigy Anahat Singh and Veer Chotani have won the women’s and men’s singles titles, respectively at the SRFI Indian Tour PSA Challenger event.The SRFI Indian Tour PSA Challenger event was held at the Indian Squash and Triathlon Academy in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.The total Prize money for the men’s event was $15,000 and for the women’s event was also $15,000
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. C-DOT Partners With IIT Delhi To Develop AI-Powered Chatbot For Disaster Communication: India’s Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) has inked an agreement with the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (IIT Delhi).Under this partnership, IIT Delhi will collaborate with C-DOT to develop a cutting-edge chatbot that leverages generative AI for improved customer support in disaster early caution and emergency conditions.This initiative aligns with India’s vision of strengthening disaster preparation, which aims to provide real-time, multilingual assistance to disaster managers, first responders, and affected communities.The AI-operated chatbot will use Natural Language Processing (NLP), Text-To-Speech (TTS), Speech-to-Text (STT) and imaging technologies to facilitate comfortable communication during the crisis.
2. Central government launches BioSaarthi to support Biotech Startups :The government of India has launched the BioSaarthi initiative to support Indian Biotech startups to expand their domestic and global reach and business.The BioSaarthi initiative was unveiled by the Union Minister for State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh in a function organised in New Delhi.The function was organised to celebrate the 13th Foundation Day of the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).The Minister also released the “India Bioeconomy Report 2025” on the occasion. The “India Bioeconomy Report 2025” has been prepared by the Association of Biotechnology Led Enterprises – ABLE.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. HDFC Bank introduces Embassy Fixed Deposit.: HDFC Bank has introduced the Embassy Fixed Deposit, a specialized foreign currency term deposit scheme exclusively available in USD, targeting diplomats, non-diplomatic staff, and diplomatic missions as eligible investors.The minimum deposit amount for the Embassy Fixed Deposit is USD 5,000, with additional deposits required in multiples of USD 1,000, offering flexibility for incremental investments by eligible customers.Embassy deposits are available for certain tenures only. Diplomatic staff can book Embassy deposits for period of 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and 1 year.Interest rates for this deposit are updated monthly based on market conditions, ensuring competitive returns, while the scheme does not allow automatic renewal, requiring a new request form for reinvestment upon maturity.
2. RBI imposes penalty of Rs 36 lakh on IDBI Bank and Citibank: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a penalty of Rs 36.28 lakh on Citibank N.A. for contravention of the directions related to reporting of transactions undertaken under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme.RBI has also penalty of Rs 36.30 lakh has been imposed on IDBI Bank Ltd for not undertaking due-diligence while processing the inward remittances from a foreign currency account opened by a constituent.
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