Current Context: India’s Anahat Singh and Egypt’s Kareem El Torkey emerged victorious at the Indian Open 2025 Professional Squash Association(PSA )Copper event in Mumbai.

Key Highlights:

• Anahat Singh clinched the women’s singles title, securing her second consecutive PSA title after the SRFI Indian Tour PSA Challenger in Chennai.
• Kareem El Torkey from Egypt won the men’s singles title.
• The tournament, with a $53,500 prize pool, was held at Bombay Gymkhana, Mumbai.

Current Context: The Indian Air Force (IAF) is participating in INIOCHOS-25, a 12-day multinational air exercise hosted by Greece’s Hellenic Air Force at Andravida Air Base from April 1-11, 2025.

Key Highlights:

• IAF Contingent: Su-30 MKI fighters, IL-78, and C-17 aircraft.
• Objective: Enhance interoperability, coordination, and combat readiness in modern air warfare.
• Participation: 15 countries, integrating air and surface assets in realistic combat scenarios.

Significance:

• Strengthens India’s strategic partnerships.
• Provides mutual learning & tactical knowledge exchange.
• Improves joint operational capabilities in multinational settings.

Current Context: Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan inaugurated Techkriti 2025, Asia’s largest intercollegiate technical and entrepreneurial festival, at IIT Kanpur.

About Techkriti 2025:

• Theme: “Panta Rhei” (Everything Flows) – signifies continuous evolution in technology and innovation.
• Key Focus: Showcasing cutting-edge technology, entrepreneurship, and collaboration in various domains.
• Special Feature: ‘Rakshakriti’ – A dedicated Defence Expo displaying advancements in defence technology.

Significance:

• Strengthens synergy between the armed forces, academia, and the defence industry.
• Provides a platform for budding technologists to engage with industry leaders and defence experts.

Current Context: The Adivasi community in Jharkhand and Chhotanagpur recently celebrated Sarhul, marking the arrival of spring and honoring nature.

Significance:

• Sal tree (Shorea robusta) is sacred, believed to house Sarna Maa, the village deity.
• Symbolizes Sun-Earth unity and sustains livelihoods.

Celebrations:

• Day 1: Pahan (priest) performs rituals, collects Sal flowers, cleans Sarna Sthals.
• Day 2: Rooster sacrifice, Sal flower offerings, traditional dances (Jadur, Gena).
• Day 3: Community feast, blessings, and handia (rice beer).

Historical & Cultural Relevance:

• Evolved from hunting to agricultural tradition.
• Spread to Assam, Nepal, Bhutan due to tribal displacement.
• Celebrated by Munda, Santal, Oraon tribes, preserving Adivasi identity.

Current Context: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by PM Modi, has approved the Kosi-Mechi Intra-State Link Project in Bihar under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana – Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (PMKSY-AIBP).

About the Project

• Central Assistance: ₹3,652.56 crore, with a completion target of March 2029.
• Objective: Divert surplus water from Kosi River to irrigate the Mahananda basin in Bihar.

Key Features:

• Remodeling of the Eastern Kosi Main Canal (EKMC).
• Extension of EKMC up to Mechi River.
• Linking Kosi and Mechi Rivers within Bihar.

Impact

• Irrigation expansion to 2,10,516 hectares in the Kharif season.
• Coverage in Araria, Purnea, Kishanganj, and Katihar districts.
• Utilization of 2,050 million cubic meters of surplus Kosi water.
• Restoration of irrigation in 1.57 lakh hectares under EKMC’s command.

Current context: The Punjab government will develop the Jhajjar-Bachauli Wildlife Sanctuary in Sri Anandpur Sahib as a leopard safari to promote eco-tourism.

Key Highlights:

• First wildlife sanctuary in Punjab where tourists can view wildlife in its natural habitat.
• Budget Allocation: ₹10 crore under the 2025-26 budget for tourism infrastructure development in Nangal.
• Declared a protected sanctuary in 1998 under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Current context: The Second Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health, co-hosted by WHO and Colombia, aimed to halve air pollution-related deaths by 2040.

• Nearly 7 million premature deaths occur annually due to air pollution, with developing nations most affected.

Key Findings

• Air Pollution Statistics:
  • 9 out of 10 people breathe air exceeding WHO safety limits.
  • 7 billion children under 15 are exposed to unsafe air.
  • Global air pollution costs $8.1 trillion (6.1% of GDP).
• Health Impacts: Causes oxidative stress, neurodevelopmental disorders, dementia, and respiratory diseases.
• Energy Transition: Reduction in fossil fuel burning (2016-2021) led to a 6.9% decline in pollution-related deaths.
• Investment Gaps: Only 1% of international aid supports air quality improvement.

Current Context: A 7.1 magnitude earthquake recently hit near Tonga, triggering a tsunami warning for the Pacific island nation.

About Tonga:

• Location: South Pacific Ocean, south of Samoa, east of Fiji.
• Geography: 169 islands (only 36 inhabited); western islands volcanic, eastern islands coral.
• Capital: Nuku‘alofa (on Tongatapu island).
• Political System: Constitutional monarchy; independent since 1970.
• Economy: Agriculture, fishing, and remittances are key contributors.
• Currency: Tongan Paʻanga (TOP).

Global Ties: Member of Commonwealth and United Nations.

• Observed annually on April 2 to promote acceptance, support, and inclusion of autistic individuals.
• Theme 2025: “Advancing Neurodiversity and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”—highlighting the importance of neurodiversity in global development.
• History: Established by the United Nations in 2007, first observed in 2008.
• Organizers 2025: UN Departments & Institute of Neurodiversity (ION)—a global organization advocating for neurodiverse communities.

Current Context: Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, 72, has become Namibia’s first woman president, succeeding Nangolo Mbumba, marking a historic milestone for the nation.

About Namibia

• Capital: Windhoek
• Currency: Namibian Dollar, South African Rand