Current Context: The Himachal Pradesh government is expanding Adarsh Swasthya Sansthans to enhance healthcare accessibility, along with major investments in medical infrastructure, cancer treatment, dialysis services, and AYUSH facilities.

Key Highlights

• Adarsh Swasthya Sansthans Expansion
• One center per assembly constituency; two in Lahaul-Spiti.
• 69 planned, 49 functional, with 4-6 specialist doctors in each.
• Equipped with modern medical technology in phases.
• Major Healthcare Investments
• ₹1,700 crore (JICA support) for advanced medical equipment in medical colleges & hospitals.
• ₹200 crore each for Chamba & Hamirpur medical colleges.
• ₹45.50 crore for robotic surgery at AIMSS Chamiyana & Tanda Medical College.
• Cath Labs for cardiac care in Hamirpur & Mandi Medical Colleges.
• 10 new Health & Wellness Centers in collaboration with private sector.
• Specialized Healthcare Services
• Dialysis services in 20 hospitals, expanding to all 69 (₹45 crore allocation).
• New Cancer Excellence Center in Hamirpur.
• New Cancer Hospital & Trauma Center at IGMC Shimla.
• ₹7 lakh per patient for free cancer treatment & Trastuzumab vaccine.
• Free insulin pumps for youth up to 27 years.
• Healthcare Accessibility & Outreach
• Rogi Mitra Yojana: 1,000 Rogi Mitras to assist patients in health institutions.
• Mukhyamantri Vruddhajan Care Scheme: Home health checkups for citizens above 70 years.
• School Health Program: Regular student health checkups & counseling.
• 25 Advanced Life Support Ambulances for emergency services.
• AYUSH & Traditional Medicine
• Integrated 50-bed AYUSH hospital in Kangra.
• Acharya Charak Yojana: 150 free medicines & free checkups in AYUSH hospitals.

Current Context: On March 30, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for Chhattisgarh’s first Supercritical Thermal Power Project (SCTPP) in Korba district.

Project Overview:

• Location: Korba, Chhattisgarh
• Developer: Chhattisgarh State Power Generation Company Limited (CSPGCL).
• Investment: ₹15,800 crore
• Capacity Addition: 1,320 MW (to existing 1,340 MW)

Supercritical Technology

• Higher Efficiency → Less coal, lower emissions
• Single-phase operation → No energy loss in phase change
• Advanced techniques → Reheating & regeneration for optimal output

Current Context: The Thovalai Manikka Malai (garland) and Kumbakonam Vetrilai (betel leaf) have been granted the Geographical Indications (GI) tag by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

Key Points:

• Thovalai Manikka Malai: A unique garland crafted exclusively in Thovalai, Tamil Nadu.
• Kumbakonam Betel Leaf: Cultivated in Cauvery Delta regions of Thanjavur and Tiruvarur districts.
• Historical Significance: The betel leaf has a rich history dating back centuries, commonly grown alongside paddy and sugarcane.

Current context: NITI Aayog, in partnership with the Press Information Bureau, has launched the Fiscal Health Index (FHI) 2025, assessing the financial stability of Indian states.

Key Facts

• Released by: NITI Aayog & Press Information Bureau.
• Purpose: Evaluates fiscal health of 18 major states based on expenditure, revenue, and debt management.
• Sub-Indices: Quality of Expenditure, Revenue Mobilisation, Fiscal Prudence, Debt Index, Debt Sustainability.
• Data Source: Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) (2022-23 financial year).

Findings:

• Top Performer: Odisha, followed by Chhattisgarh, Goa, Jharkhand, Gujarat.
• Debt Concerns: West Bengal & Punjab face high debt-to-GSDP ratios and fiscal stres
• Significance: States account for two-thirds of public spending and one-third of total revenue, impacting economic stability.

Current Context: On March 30, 2025, the Indian Army’s Air Defence Corps conducted a live missile-firing exercise at Gopalpur Seawards Firing Ranges, successfully demonstrating the 9K33 Osa-AK missile system’s precision.

Key Facts:

• Type: Soviet-origin, low-altitude surface-to-air missile system.
• Developed: 1960s, deployed in 1972.
• Key Features:
• Highly mobile, all-in-one vehicle-mounted system.
• Independent detection & engagement of aerial threats.
• Historical Context Army Air Defence Corps was formed in 1939, evolving through World War II & modern conflicts, Separated from Regiment of Artillery in 1994.
• Exercise Highlights: Conducted by the White Tiger Division.
• Global Relevance
• Osa-AK is deployed worldwide, including in the Russia-Ukraine war.
• Demonstrates combat effectiveness & adaptability.

Current Context: Recent reports indicate that 30% of India’s estimated 3,682 tigers live outside designated reserves, leading to increased human-wildlife conflict and poaching threats.

• To tackle this, the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change has launched the “Tigers Outside Tiger Reserves” project with an allocated budget of ₹176.45 crore until 2026-27.

Key Concerns

• Tigers outside reserves often enter human settlements, attack livestock, and face poaching risks.
• Conflict-prone areas include Wayanad, Chandrapur, and Pilibhit.
• 2020-2024: 378 human fatalities due to tiger conflicts, highest in Maharashtra, UP, MP.

Implementation Strategy:

• Led by National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
• Covers 80 forest divisions across 10 states.
• Utilizes data from the 2022 Tiger Census & conflict trends.
• Additional funding from Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority(CAMPA) for afforestation & conservation efforts.

Tiger Population & Distribution

• Largest populations found in Central Indian Highlands & Eastern Ghats.
• Other key landscapes: Shivalik Hills, Terai plains, Sundarbans.

Current context: India’s manufacturing activity saw significant growth in March 2025, with the Seasonally Adjusted Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) climbing to 58.1, the highest in eight months.

Key Facts

• March 2025 Update: India’s Manufacturing PMI rose to 58.1 (highest in 8 months) from 56.3 in February, driven by new orders (index at 61.5).
• Definition: PMI measures economic activity in manufacturing, services, and overall business through monthly surveys.
• Compiled by: S&P Global, Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation(HSBC), and others.
• Index Scale:

1. Above 50 → Expansion in production.
2. Below 50 → Contraction in production.

• The International Day of Conscience is observed annually on April 5.
• It was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2019.
• Aims to promote peace, tolerance, inclusion, understanding, and solidarity among individuals and communities. ​

Current Context: Himachal Pradesh has started work on the Tara Devi-Shimla Ropeway Project, which will be Asia’s longest and the world’s second-largest ropeway after Bolivia’s.

• Key Points:
• Length: 13.79 km
  • Cost: ₹1,734.40 crore
  • Funding: 80% by the New Development Bank
  • PPP Model: Implemented under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP)
• Capacity: 2,000 passengers per hour with 660 cabins (8-10 passengers each)
  • Route: Maa Tara Devi to Sanjauli, covering 15 key stations in Shimla
  • Impact: Expected to boost tourism, improve connectivity, and reduce pollution

Current context: Assam launched the ‘Lakhpati Baideo’ programme to empower 40 lakh women SHG members through financial support and training.

• Announced by CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, the scheme promotes women’s financial independence and rural entrepreneurship.
• Key Features
• Financial Assistance:
  • Year 1: ₹10,000 seed capital.
  • Year 2: ₹25,000 (₹12,500 loan + ₹12,500 grant).
  • Year 3: ₹50,000 for successful entrepreneurs.
• Total Budget: ₹4,000 crore.
  • Eligibility Criteria:Women from SHGs (General, OBC, SC, ST categories).
• Population control norms:
• General & OBC: Max 3 children.
  • SC & ST: Max 4 children.
• Policy Integration
  • Aligned with Assam’s population control strategy.
  • Promotes women’s financial & social upliftment.