• It will be observed on March26, 2025.
• Theme: “Stand up to seizures.”
• Purpose: Increase awareness and understanding of epilepsy worldwide.
• Purple Fest 2025 was hosted at Rashtrapati Bhavan by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DePwD), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

• Current context: IDFC FIRST Bank launched the “Ace” feature on its mobile app, offering details on 2500+ mutual funds.
• Objective: Promotes DIY (do-it-yourself) investing for customers.

Key Features

• Fund Categories: Includes Equity, Debt, Tax-Saving, Hybrid, and Index funds for portfolio diversification.
• Information Access:
• Historical fund performance (1Y, 3Y, 5Y).
• Holding patterns by sectors, companies, and market cap.
• Expert ratings (Morningstar Rating).
• Ease of Investment: Facilitates choosing need-based funds for personalized investments.

Current context :McLaren’s Lando Norris secured victory in the season opener at Albert Park, marking his fifth career win.

• Race Dynamics: Norris triumphed in a dramatic wet-dry race, beating Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by 0.811 seconds.
• Podium Finish:
• 2nd: Max Verstappen (Red Bull) fell short despite a late surge.
• 3rd: George Russell (Mercedes) capitalized on consistent performance amidst chaotic conditions.

Current context: Günter Blöschl wins the 2025 Stockholm Water Prize for contributions to flood risk management and water resource engineering.

• Key Contribution: Developed a 500-year flood database linking climate change to increased flood frequency and severity.
• Impact: Influenced global flood prediction, mitigation strategies, and international climate adaptation policies.
• Recognition: Stockholm Water Prize, termed the “Nobel Prize of Water,” highlights exceptional contributions to water sustainability.
• Ceremony: Award to be presented by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden during World Water Week 2025.

Current context: Published on March 19, 2025, by the Forest Declaration Assessment before World Forest Day, supported by UNDP and partners.

Key Facts

• Deforestation (2023):37 million hectares lost, mainly in the Amazon, Southeast Asia, and Africa.
• Main Causes: Cattle ranching (80% in the Amazon), palm oil, soy, and beef production.
• Trade Policies: EU requires deforestation-free imports; US tightening illegal logging laws; calls for similar action from China and India.
• Challenges: Limited enforcement, small farmers lack resources, and economic dependence on agriculture in Brazil and Indonesia.
• Recommendations: International cooperation, financial/technical support for producers, and improved global monitoring.
• Future Outlook: Biodiversity loss and climate goals at risk; COP30 in Brazil is key for solutions.

• The State of Climate 2024 report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) highlights record greenhouse gas levels, rising global temperatures, and worsening climate impacts.

Key Facts

• Greenhouse Gases: CO2 levels reached 420 ppm (highest in 800,000 years), with record highs for CH4 and N2O.
• Temperature Milestone: 2024 global temperature was 1.55°C above pre-industrial levels, breaching the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C threshold.
• Ocean Heat & Sea Levels: Oceans absorbed 90% of excess heat, with rising sea levels driven by polar ice melt.
• Extreme Weather: Increased cyclones, floods, and droughts caused record climate-related displacements.
• Cryosphere Impact: Rapid glacier retreat and near-record low Antarctic sea ice levels.

Current Context: The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) has launched the Samarth Incubation Program to support startups in India’s telecommunications and IT sectors, fostering innovation and technological advancement.

• Objective: Encourage sustainable, scalable business models in areas like Telecom Software, Cybersecurity, 5G/6G, AI, IoT, and Quantum Technologies.

Support Offered:

• Grants up to ₹5 lakh.
• Furnished office space at C-DOT campus for six months.
• Access to C-DOT lab facilities and expert mentorship.

Structure:

• Two cohorts, each with 18 startups, lasting six months.
• Conducted in hybrid mode.
• Networking: Facilitates connections with investors and industry leaders, fostering collaboration and creating job opportunities.
• Future Scope: Startups may qualify for C-DOT Collaborative Research Program for long-term partnerships.

Current Context: Chandrayaan-4, ISRO’s fourth lunar mission, is scheduled for launch in October 2027. It aims to achieve a landmark lunar sample return, advancing India’s space exploration capabilities.

About:

• Mission Objectives:
• Soft landing on the Moon’s southern polar region.
• Collection and return of lunar surface and sub-surface samples.

Launch Details:

• Two crafts, weighing 4,750 kg each, launched via two LVM3 rockets.
• Involves docking and undocking procedures in space.
• Funding: Allocated ₹2,104 crores (~$240 million).
• Significance: Places India alongside the USA, Russia, and China in lunar sample return missions.

Technological Innovations:

• Surface Sampling Robot and drilling mechanism for advanced sample collection.
• Five modules: Propulsion (PM), Transfer (TM), Re-entry (RM), Ascender (AM), and Descender (DM).
• Sample Return Process: DM collects samples, AM transfers them to orbit, and RM safely returns them to Earth.
• Future Implications: Prepares for manned lunar missions and boosts India’s space technology and employment.

Current Context: The Kaliyattam Festival, also known as Theyyam, is celebrated during the Malayalam month of Kumbham (February-March) in Kerala, showcasing ritual dance performances and cultural heritage.

About:

• Significance: The festival honors Goddess Kali and is recognized as part of Kerala’s intangible cultural heritage.
• Celebration Sites: Conducted in Kavus (sacred groves) and tharavadus (ancestral homes).
• Rituals: Performers are believed to embody deities, referred to as the “dance of gods.”
• Cultural Importance: Highlights Kerala’s traditional art forms and spiritual practices.

Context: The Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki volcano on Flores Island, Indonesia, erupted three times on March 21, 2025, sending ash 8,000 meters high.

Key Facts

• Location: Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia.
• Volcano Type: Stratovolcano; part of a twin-volcano system (Lewotobi Lakilaki – male, Lewotobi Perempuan – female).
• Ring of Fire: Indonesia lies on the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire,’ a seismically active zone with frequent volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and tsunamis.