• Recently, the Soil and Land Use Survey of India (SLUSI) launched a digital soil fertility mapping project to enhance soil health and agricultural productivity. Using geo-spatial techniques and data from Soil Health Cards (SHC), the initiative has successfully mapped soil fertility in 351 villages across Maharashtra.

Key Highlights:

• Soil Health Cards (SHC) Scheme
  • Launched in 2015 under the Soil Health and Fertility Scheme by the Government of India.
  • Provide farmers with insights into soil nutrient status (low, medium, high).
  • Recommend fertiliser application strategies to improve soil fertility and crop yield.
• Geospatial Techniques in Soil Mapping
  • Uses remote sensing, AI, and GPS-based tracking for accurate soil analysis.
  • Measures pH, electrical conductivity, organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, etc.
  • Each soil sample is geo-coded and assigned a QR code for precise monitoring.
• Benefits of Digital Soil Mapping
  • Helps farmers optimise fertiliser use, preventing overuse or underuse.
  • Reduces input costs while maximising crop yield and economic returns.
  • Promotes sustainable farming practices by ensuring balanced soil nutrient management.

• The Standing Committee of Parliament on Agriculture, chaired by Charanjit Singh Channi, has proposed major reforms to enhance the welfare of farm workers in India. The recommendations focus on renaming a key ministry, wage reforms, budget allocation, MSP for organic crops, and crop insurance.

Key Recommendations:

• Renaming the Agriculture Ministry: Proposes changing the name of ‘Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare’ to ‘Department of Agriculture, Farmers and Farm Labourers Welfare’ to recognize the role of farm labourers.
• National Commission for Farm Labourers: Recommends setting up a ‘National Commission for Minimum Living Wages for Farm Labourers’ to address wage disparities and improve their living standards.

Declining Budgetary Allocations

• Highlights a drop in the agriculture budget from 53% (2021-22) to 2.51% (2025-26) of the total central outlay.
• Urges increased funding to support agricultural sustainability and farmers’ welfare.

Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Organic Crops

• Calls for a dedicated MSP for organic crops, ensuring higher prices than conventional crops to encourage organic farming.
• Advocates legal backing for MSP, following the Swaminathan formula.
• Free Crop Insurance for Small Farmers: Proposes a free and compulsory crop insurance scheme for small farmers (up to 2 hectares), similar to Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, to protect against crop losses and financial distress.

• New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, along with foreign ministers from over 18 countries, top global executives, and foreign policy experts, gathered in New Delhi for the annual Raisina Dialogue 2025.

About Raisina Dialogue

• India’s premier geopolitical and geo-economic conference, addressing global challenges.
• Established in 2016, it is modeled after the Munich Security Conference and Shangri-La Dialogue (Singapore).
• Hosted by: Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in partnership with India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
• Features heads of state, cabinet ministers, policymakers, business leaders, and academics in cross-sectoral discussions.
• Theme for 2025: “Kalachakra: Peace. Planet.”

• Ordnance Factory Day is celebrated in India on 18th March to mark the establishment of the first Ordnance Factory in Cossipore, Kolkata (1801).
• It highlights the role of Ordnance Factories in strengthening India’s defense by manufacturing arms, tanks, and other equipment.
• The Ordnance Factory Board (est. 1979) oversees defense production in India. These factories play a crucial role in India’s defense operations and self-reliance.

• The National Housing Bank (NHB) recently released the Report on Trends and Progress of Housing in India 2024, analyzing the housing market, loan trends, price indices, and government initiatives impacting housing finance.

Key Highlights:

• Housing Loan Growth: As of September 30, 2024, individual housing loans outstanding reached ₹53 lakh crore, marking a 14% growth year-on-year(YoY)
• Loan Distribution:

1. 1. Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) & Low-Income Group (LIG): 39%
   2. Middle-Income Group (MIG): 44%
   3. High-Income Group (HIG): 17%

• Disbursements: ₹10 lakh crore (H1 2024) and ₹9.07 lakh crore (FY 2023-24).
• Housing Price Index (NHB-RESIDEX): 6.8% YoY increase (Q3 2024) vs. 4.9% last year, indicating rising property values.
• Government Schemes: Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) , Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U) and Urban Infrastructure Development Fund (UIDF)driving housing accessibility.
• Challenges: Regional disparities in housing credit; Eastern & Northeastern states lag behind.
• Role of Housing Finance Companies (HFCs): Critical for housing finance but limited outreach in underserved areas.
• Future Outlook: PMAY 2.0, urbanisation, digitisation, and tech-driven housing solutions to boost growth.

• QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025 was recently released by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) in March 2025, ranking universities globally across various subjects.
• India’s Performance

1. 1. Indian School of Mines (ISM), Dhanbad secured 1st place in India and 20th globally in Engineering – Mineral and Mining.
   2. IIT Delhi ranked highest in Engineering & Technology, while Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences secured 26th in Dentistry.
   3. IIM Ahmedabad ranked 27th in Business & Management Studies.
   4. IIT Bombay excelled with 12 subjects improving in rankings.
   5. India has 79 universities in the rankings, contributing 533 entries, with 156 improving and 122 new entries.

• Global Highlights
  • Harvard University led in 15 subjects, followed by MIT in 11 subjects.
  • UK universities topped in 18 subjects, with University of Cambridge excelling in four.

• The Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, organized a workshop on the Promotion of Research and Innovation in Pharma-MedTech Sector (PRIP) Scheme to advance research and development in pharmaceuticals and medical technology.
• Key Participants: Secretaries from five key ministries including Pharmaceuticals, Science & Technology, Electronics & IT, Scientific & Industrial Research, and Health Research, along with over 100 experts from premier research institutions and industry stakeholders.
• Focus Areas: Discussions covered emerging trends, industry-academia collaboration, funding mechanisms, and digital health innovations such as AI, precision medicine, and clinical research advancements.
• Government Support: PRIP aims to catalyze innovation, strengthen industry-academia linkages, and position India as a global leader in pharma and MedTech research, leveraging initiatives like CSIR’s INTENT, ICMR’s MedTech Mitra, and MeitY’s digital health programs.
• Future Steps: Participants were invited to submit suggestions via the Expression of Interest (EoI) form, open until April 7, 2025, to refine and enhance the PRIP scheme

• China has recently installed a Large Phased Array Radar (LPAR) in Yunnan Province, boosting its surveillance over India and the Indian Ocean.

Key Features of LPAR

• Advanced Surveillance: Uses electronically controlled antennas for rapid scanning and multi-target tracking.
• Extended Range: Over 5,000 km, capable of monitoring India’s missile tests in real time.
• Early Warning System: Detects and tracks ballistic missile launches, providing critical trajectory data.
• Strategic Location & Intelligence Capabilities
• Positioned in Yunnan Province, allowing surveillance over the Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal, and Indian missile test sites.
• Enables real-time tracking of Indian missile tests, including those from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island.
• Enhances China’s intelligence gathering and countermeasure development against India’s missile advancements.

Implications for India

• Raises national security concerns as China gains critical data on India’s missile programmes.
• Challenges India’s strategic deterrence and defence planning.
• India is considering counter-surveillance measures to protect its missile testing and military operations.

• The Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a ₹2,906 crore contract with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Ghaziabad for procuring Low-Level Transportable Radar (LLTR) “Ashwini” on March 12, 2025 in New Delhi.
• Indigenous Development: LLTR (Ashwini) is designed and developed by DRDO’s Electronics & Radar Development Establishment (LRDE), promoting self-reliance in defence manufacturing.
• Key Features: This Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar is based on solid-state technology, capable of tracking high-speed fighter jets, UAVs, and helicopters, enhancing Indian Air Force (IAF) operational capabilities.

Strategic Importance: The procurement reduces dependency on foreign equipment, strengthens India’s indigenous defence ecosystem, and supports Make in India in the defence sector.

• The Ministry of Cooperation launched White Revolution 2.0 on September 19, 2024, to enhance milk production, processing, and dairy infrastructure in India.
• Key Implementing Agency: The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) is driving this initiative through Rashtriya Gokul Mission for indigenous breed development and multiple dairy development schemes, including:

1. 1. National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD)
   2. Supporting Dairy Cooperatives & Farmer Producer Organisations (SDCFPO)
   3. Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF)

• Dairy Sector Growth: India’s milk production in 2023-24 reached 30 million metric tonnes, marking a 63.56% increase over the last decade. The goal is to increase cooperative sector milk procurement to 1,007 lakh kg/day by 2028-29.
• State-wise Production: Among major dairy states, Uttar Pradesh leads with 38.78 million tonnes of milk production, followed by Rajasthan (34.73 million tonnes) and Gujarat (18.31 million tonnes). Karnataka recorded 13.46 million tonnes and ranks among the top contributors.
• Karnataka’s Dairy Growth: The Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) has expanded its cooperative network to 15,888 dairy societies across 24,000 villages.
• Milk procurement rose from 51.61 lakh kg/day (2013-14) to 98 lakh kg/day (2023-24), boosting farmer income and dairy sustainability.