Current Context: On April 6, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the New Pamban Bridge in Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu, coinciding with Ram Navami.

• This5 km-long bridge enhances connectivity between mainland India and Rameshwaram Island, significantly reducing train travel time from 25-30 minutes to under five minutes.

Significance:

• First vertical lift bridge in Asia.
• Replaces the 1914-built bridge, closed in December 2022 due to c
• Cost: ₹535 crore, constructed by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL).

Benefits: Accommodates faster trains and higher traffic.

Current Context: Russia and Ukraine recently agreed to halt military strikes in the Black Sea during US-brokered talks.

Geography:

• Inland water body in southeastern Europe.
• Borders: Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Russia, Georgia, Turkey.
• Linked to the Mediterranean via Bosporus, Sea of Marmara, and Dardanelles.

Features:

• Deeper waters lack oxygen, unsuitable for most marine life.
• Upper layers support marine ecosystems.

Significance:

• Key ports: Odessa, Constanta, Varna, Novorossiysk.
• Crucial for fishing, energy resources (oil, gas), and shipping.

Current Context: Himachal Pradesh rank among the top three most debt-ridden states in India, as per data shared in Parliament.

Highlights:

• Debt: ₹1,02,594 crore.
• Debt-to-GSDP Ratio:2% (3rd highest in India).
• Dependent on tourism, hydropower, and agriculture, but revenues are insufficient to meet commitments.

Challenges for Himachal Pradesh:

• Heavy spending on salaries and subsidies.
• High borrowing for infrastructure projects leading to repayment pressures.
• Limited revenue generation from key economic sectors.

Significance:

• Highlights the importance of fiscal prudence and sustainable financial management at state and national levels.
• Emphasizes the need for structural reforms in debt management and revenue generation.

Current context: Kerala became the first Indian state to establish a Senior Citizens Commission by passing the Kerala State Senior Citizens Commission Bill, 2025, to enhance the welfare and rights of the elderly.

Significance:

• Kerala has the highest elderly population in India.
• By 2036, 22.8% of its population will be aged 60 or above (16.5% in 2021).

Objectives:

• Protect rights and welfare of senior citizens.
• Address issues like neglect, exploitation, and loneliness.
• Provide legal assistance and ensure rehabilitation.

Structure:

• Chairperson and three members, including:One woman member,One SC/ST representative.
• Supported by Additional Secretary (secretary) and Joint Secretary (registrar).
• Tenure: Three years.

Functions:

• Coordinate with government departments for welfare schemes.
• Recommend policies for senior citizens.
• Facilitate care for abandoned elderly and address rights violations.

Current Context: India won both the Men’s and Women’s Kabaddi World Cup 2025, held in Wolverhampton, England, marking its continued dominance in the sport.

Key Highlights

• Men’s Final: India defeated England 44-41.
• Women’s Final: India dominated England 57-34.
• Host & Venues: First time held outside Asia, matches were played across Birmingham, Coventry, Walsall, and Wolverhampton in the West Midlands.
• Historical: India had also secured both titles in the inaugural edition of the Kabaddi World Cup in 2019, hosted by Malaysia.

Current Context: The Ministry of Finance has notified amendments to the 2020 Rules under the Customs Act, 1962, introducing stricter requirements for imports availing preferential tariff rates under trade agreements.

Key Facts:

• Replaces ‘Certificate of Origin’ with ‘Proof of Origin’.
• Ensures goods comply with the criteria of being wholly obtained, produced, or processed in a specific country under trade agreements.

Objective:

• Tighten verification of preferential imports to prevent misuse.
• Protect domestic industries from unfair trade practices.

Significance:

• Greater Scrutiny: Customs authorities can now demand additional evidence beyond the proof of origin.
• Curb Misuse: Addresses misuse of trade routes via ASEAN, Sri Lanka, UAE, particularly targeting Chinese imports to avoid higher tariffs and trade restrictions.
• Implementation Basis: Notified under the Customs Act, 1962, aligning with India’s trade agreements.

Current context: NPCI BHIM Services Limited (NBSL), a subsidiary of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), has launched BHIM 3.0, the latest version of its digital payment platform.

About BHIM

• Full Form: Bharat Interface for Money
• Launch Year: 2016
• Purpose: UPI-based payment interface enabling real-time fund transfers via a single identity (mobile number or name).

Significance:

• Promotes digital payments and financial inclusion in India.
• Key initiative to support India’s digital economy.

Key Features of BHIM 3.0

• Language Expansion: Now available in 15+ Indian languages.
• Connectivity Optimisation: Ensures seamless transactions in low-internet areas.
• Money Management Tools: Includes expense tracking, bill splitting, and spending analytics.
• Family Mode: Enables shared expense management and assigning payments within families.

Current Context: The Standing Committee on Chemicals and Fertilizers, chaired by MP Kirti Azad, raised concerns over the reduced budget for fertiliser subsidies, affecting farmers and the agricultural sector.

Key Highlights

• Budget Reduction: Subsidy budgets for the Nutrient-Based Subsidy (NBS) and Urea schemes cut by 7.38%, risking effective implementation.
• Nano Fertilisers: Nano urea and nano DAP show promise in improving crop yields; committee recommends boosting production and awareness among farmers.
• NBS Regime: Promotes balanced fertilisation but faces challenges like high subsidy costs, black marketing, and regional imbalances.
• Raw Material Supply: of mining lease agreements for raw materials hampers domestic fertiliser production; urges government intervention.
• Fund Utilisation: 20% of funds for phosphorus and potassium fertilisers went unutilised in FY 2024-25; recommends better planning.

Current Context: X Corp (formerly Twitter Inc.) has approached the Karnataka High Court, contesting the government’s use of Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act, 2000, for issuing content-blocking orders via the Sahyog Portal.

Sahyog Portal:

• Launched by the Ministry of Home Affairs in 2024.
• Enables centralized content-blocking orders from government agencies and local authorities.

Legal Framework:

• Section 69A: Allows content blocking for national security or public order, with safeguards like reasoned orders and an opportunity for affected parties to contest (as upheld in the Shreya Singhal case, 2015).
• Section 79(3)(b): Exempts intermediaries from liability unless they fail to act on government notices to remove illegal content. X Corp argues this section is being misused for direct blocking.

Significance

• Highlights concerns over freedom of expression vs. national security.
• Calls for clearer distinctions in intermediary responsibilities and content-blocking procedures.

Current Context: The Forest Department is formulating a plan for the capture and phased rehabilitation of wild elephants in the Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary.

About Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary

• Location: Situated in the Western Ghats of Karnataka.
• Spans across Shivamogga and Chikmagalur districts.

Status:

• Part of the Bhadra Tiger Reserve, declared in 1998.
• Also known as Muthodi Wildlife Sanctuary.

Significance:

• Named after the Bhadra River, which flows through the sanctuary.
• Houses the Jagara Giant, Karnataka’s largest teak tree.
• Wildlife: Home to 250+ bird species, including endemic ones.