Current Context: The Indian government has launched ZooWIN, a digital platform for real-time tracking of anti-rabies vaccines and anti-snake venom.

• Developed by National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) with United Nations Development Programme(UNDP) support, this initiative aims to enhance healthcare delivery and reduce fatalities from rabies and snakebites.

Key Points:

• Objective: Centralises vaccine data to improve coordination among healthcare, municipal, and veterinary services.
• Functionality: Uses eVIN infrastructure to track vaccine stocks in real time, ensuring timely availability.
• Pilot Implementation: Initially launched in five states, with training for healthcare officials at state and district levels.
• Public Awareness & Accessibility: Helps locate stocked health centers and spreads awareness about treatment options.

Collaborative Effort: Strengthens disease control through government and UNDP partnership

Current Context: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will launch the NITI NCAER States Economic Forum on April 1, 2025. Developed by NITI Aayog and NCAER, the portal serves as a comprehensive data repository on India’s social, economic, and fiscal parameters spanning over three decades.

Key Points:

• Objective: Enhances analysis and transparency in state finances and socio-economic trends.
• Components of the Portal:
  • State Reports: Summaries of 28 states macro and fiscal conditions.
  • Data Repository: Covers demography, economy, fiscal, health, and education.
  • State Fiscal & Economic Dashboard: Visual data representation with historical trends.
  • Research & Commentary: Insights on state finances & fiscal policy management.
• Purpose & Benefits:
  • Consolidates sectoral data into one platform for better analysis.
  • Enables benchmarking of state data against national and other state figures.
  • Supports researchers and policymakers in evidence-based decision-making.

• April 4th marks the International Day of Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, aimed at raising awareness about landmine threats and supporting demining efforts worldwide.
• Established by the UN in 2005, observed since 2006.
• Focuses on protecting war-affected communities, clearing landmines, and rehabilitating survivors.
• Highlights the need for international cooperation in mine action and post-conflict recovery.

Current Context: Shirley Botchwey assumed office as the 7th Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations, becoming the first African woman to hold the position.

Current Context: Indian Grandmaster Nihal Sarin secured the 2025 Tashkent Open Agzamov Memorial title in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, with an unbeaten score of 8/10.

Key Highlights:

• Defeated a strong field, including eight players rated above 2600.
• Strengthens India’s presence in the global chess circuit.

Current Context: Rajgir, Bihar, will host the Hero Asia Cup Hockey 2025 from August 29 to September 7 at the Rajgir Hockey Stadium.

Key Highlights:

• MoU Signed: Hockey India and Bihar State Sports Authority formalized the agreement in Patna.
• Second International Event: Follows the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy 2023, where India won.
• Participants: 8 teams – India, Pakistan, Japan, S.Korea, China, Malaysia, and two qualifiers from the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF)Cup.

Historical Context:

• South Korea holds the most titles (5).
• India and Pakistan have won 3 times each

Current Context: The Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) is organizing Startup Mahakumbh 2025 from April 3-5, 2025 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, to empower Scheduled Tribe (ST) entrepreneurs and celebrate 150th birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda.

Key Highlights:

• Dharti Aaba Tribe Preneurs 2025 is a flagship initiative under MoTA, showcasing 45+ ST-founded startups incubated at institutions like IIM Calcutta and IIT Bhilai.
• Focus on promoting tribal entrepreneurship, innovation, and self-reliance under the Atma Nirbhar Bharat initiative.

Objectives:

• Provide exposure to venture capitalists and investors.
• Foster inclusive growth and economic empowerment for tribal communities.
• Funding: Launch of a ₹50 crore Venture Capital Fund for tribal startups.

Current Context: The National Statistics Office (NSO) of India has released the Energy Statistics India 2025 report, offering insights into the country’s energy reserves, production, consumption, and trade for the fiscal year 2023-24.

Key Highlights

• Energy Supply & Consumption: Total Primary Energy Supply (TPES) grew by 7.8%, reaching 9,03,158 KToE in FY 2023-24.
• Renewable Energy Potential: Total renewable potential: 21,09,655 MW.
• Wind: 11,63,856 MW (55%), Solar: 7,48,990 MW, Hydro: 1,33,410 MW.
• Major potential in Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Karnataka.
• Installed Capacity Growth: Renewable energy capacity rose from 81,593 MW (2015) to 1,98,213 MW (2024), CAGR of 10.36%.
• Electricity Generation: From 2,05,608 GWh (2014-15) to 3,70,320 GWh (2023-24), CAGR of 6.76%.
• Per-Capita Energy Consumption: Increased from 14,682 MJ (2014-15) to 18,410 MJ (2023-24), CAGR of 2.55%.
• Transmission Losses: Reduced from 23% (2014-15) to 17% (2023-24).
• Sectoral Consumption: Industrial sector energy consumption grew from 2,42,418 Kilo Tonnes of Oil Equivalent(KToE) to 3,11,822 KToE (2014-2024).

Current Context: The “Levels and Trends in Child Mortality” report, released by the United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UNIGME), highlights key global child mortality trends, with India showing significant achievements.

Key Achievements for India:

• 70% decline in under-five mortality rate.
• 61% decline in neonatal mortality rate.
• 4% reduction in stillbirths, ranking India 7th globally for progress in this area.

Factors Contributing to Improvements:

• Enhanced health infrastructure: Maternity homes, newborn care units, and trained health workers.
• Ayushman Bharat Scheme: Provides US$5500 health coverage per family, focusing on maternal and infant care.
• Data & surveillance improvements: Continuous monitoring and evidence-based decision-making.
• Global Context: Despite India’s progress, in 2023, 8 million children died before age five, with many deaths preventable due to unequal healthcare access.

Current context: SpaceX’s Fram2 mission, set to launch soon, will take astronauts on a groundbreaking journey over Earth’s polar regions, areas previously unexplored by astronauts

Key Highlights

• Mission Name: Fram2, named after a historic Norwegian ship used in Arctic and Antarctic expeditions.
• Launch: Scheduled aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on a Falcon 9 rocket.
• Astronauts: 4 astronauts on board for the mission.

Mission Objectives:

• 90-Degree Orbit: Achieve a steeper, 90° orbit compared to the standard 51.6° orbit.
• X-ray Imaging: First-ever X-ray images of astronauts to study spaceflight effects on the human body.
• Mushroom Cultivation: Test growing mushrooms in microgravity for sustainable food sources in future missions.
• STEVE Study: Investigate the atmospheric light phenomenon, Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancements (STEVE).
• Public Engagement: Fram2 competition allows amateur radio operators to decode images from space.
• Historical Context: First mission to fly over Earth’s polar regions, previously unexplored by astronauts.
• SpaceX History: SpaceX has completed five private astronaut missions, including Inspiration4 (2021).