Current Context: India dominated the Asian Yogasana Sport Championship held in Delhi, winning a record 83 gold medals and finishing atop the medal tally.

Key Highlights

• Total Medals for India: 87 (83 Gold, 3 Silver, 1 Bronze)
• Runner-up: Japan (3 Gold, 3 Silver, 4 Bronze)
• Participating Nations: Over 21, including Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Kazakhstan, and Bhutan
• Significance: Reflects India’s leadership and the expanding popularity of yogasana as a competitive sport in Asia.

Current Context: The Ministry of Ayush, Government of India, is organizing the National Ayush Mission (NAM) Conclave 2025 on May 1–2 at Kaivalyadham, Lonavala, Maharashtra.

• The event will bring together policymakers, Ayush professionals, researchers, and industry leaders to shape the future of Ayush-based healthcare in India and promote integration of traditional systems with modern healthcare.

About

• Organised By: Ministry of Ayush, Government of India
• Document Launch:
• Blueprint for Ayush Policy 2025
• Standard Treatment Guidelines (STG) on Metabolic Disorders

About the National Ayush Mission (NAM)

• Launch Year: 2014
• Objective: Enhance availability, accessibility, and quality of Ayush healthcare services

Current Context: The National Archives of India, in collaboration with Vani Prakashan, is set to launch the book “Ramanujan: Journey of a Great Mathematician” on April 30, 2025.

Key Details

• Book Title: “Ramanujan: Journey of a Great Mathematician”
• Authors: Arun Singhal and Devendra Kumar Sharma
• Theme: The book highlights Ramanujan’s life, genius, struggles, and contributions to mathematics.
• Significance: Offers rare insights through historical documents and letters, shedding light on his extraordinary intellect and the challenges he faced.

Current Context: Karnataka-based humanitarian has been awarded Fiji’s highest civilian honour, the ‘Companion of the Order of Fiji,’ for his significant contributions to healthcare.

About

• Award: Companion of the Order of Fiji
• Awarded to: Madhusudan Sai
• Presented by: President Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu of Fiji
• Reason for Award: Recognized for contributions to healthcare, particularly the establishment of the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Children’s Hospital in Fiji.

Notable Past Recipients: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu.

Current Context: According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India’s military expenditure in 2024 rose to $86.1 billion, making it the fifth-largest military spender globally—and nearly nine times higher than Pakistan’s $10.2 billion.

About

• Database Coverage: Military expenditure data from 1949 to 2024, updated annually

Data Includes:

• Figures in local currency and US dollars (both current and constant)
• Military spending as a share of GDP and total government expenditure
• Per capita military expenditure

Key Findings of the 2024 Report

• Global Military Spending: Reached an all-time high of $2,718 billion
• Global Military Burden: 2.5% of the world’s GDP
• Top 5 Military Spenders (account for 60% of global total):
• United States>China >Russia – $149 billion (+38% increase)>Germany>India – $1 billion
• Ukraine: Spent $64.7 billion, amounting to 34% of its GDP – the highest military burden globally

Europe: Recorded the largest regional increase in spending (+17%) due to the Ukraine war

Current Context: The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe) has launched the Satellite Bus as a Service (SBaaS) initiative to encourage innovation and reduce reliance on imported satellite technology, aiming to establish India as a global provider of small satellite-bus and hosted-payload services.

Key Details

• Objective: Promote innovation among Indian Non-Governmental Entities (NGEs) and reduce import dependence.
• Phases:
• Phase I: Shortlist up to four NGEs to develop satellite-bus systems.
• Phase II: Support two hosted-payload missions for validation.
• Benefits: Provide cost-effective solutions for payload validation, accelerate technology development, and strengthen collaboration

Current Context: The Government of Odisha has officially notified the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) as a National Park, making it India’s 107th National Park and the second in Odisha after Bhitarkanika.

About

• Location: Mayurbhanj district, Odisha
• Declared: As a National Park in 2025 (proposed since 1980)
• Unique Feature:Only known home to wild melanistic (pseudo-melanistic) tigers, a variant of Bengal tigers with high melanin levels leading to dark coats with narrow yellow stripes.

Biodiversity Highlights:

• Royal Bengal Tigers: ~40 individuals
• Elephants: Home to 25% of Odisha’s elephant population
• Birds: Over 360 species
• Flora: 104 orchid species, several endemic
• Other Fauna: Leopards, sambar, mugger crocodiles
• Forest Type: Predominantly sal forests, with patches of moist deciduous and semi-evergreen types

Current Context: The US military recently deployed an anti-ship missile launcher on Batan Island in the Philippines, escalating military presence near Taiwan and the South China Sea.

• This deployment coincides with China’s Coast Guard seizing control of the Tiexian Reef, further intensifying regional tensions in the South China Sea.

Key Details

• Deployment Context: Part of the annual Balikatan exercises involving 9,000 US and 5,000 Filipino troops aimed at enhancing military readiness and deterring aggression in the South China Sea.
• Tiexian Reef: A 200 sq meter reef in the Spratly Islands, now controlled by China, located near Thitu Island, where the Philippines has a military facility.
• Spratly Islands: A contested area in the South China Sea, with claims from China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines, known for its tropical climate and historical significance as a former French and Japanese territory.

• International Labour Day is observed on 1 May every year.
• Significance: Celebrates the contributions and hard work of workers, while advocating for fair employment practices and workers’ rights.
• Organized by: Workers’ unions, governments, and labor rights organizations worldwide.
• Labour Day is referred to as Antarrashtriya Shramik Diwas or Kamgar Din. 

Current Context: Lahaul and Spiti district in Himachal Pradesh has become the first in the state where all top administrative and political positions are held by women. This milestone in gender-inclusive governance fulfills Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s commitment to designating a women-led district, announced earlier in the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha.

About

• Objective: To promote gender-inclusive governance and empower women in public leadership.
• Leadership: All key district-level roles—both administrative and political—are held by women officials, including Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Anuradha Rana, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Kiran Bhadana, Superintendent of Police (SP) Ilma Afroz, Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDMs) Shikha Simtia and Akanksha Sharma, and Zila Parishad Chairperson Bina Devi.
• Significance: Enhances comfort and accessibility for women citizens in addressing local issues.
• Local Support: MLA Anuradha Rana welcomed the move, highlighting its positive impact on community engagement and gender-sensitive administration.