• The Fit India Carnival was successfully held from March 16 to 18,2025 at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi.
• The event, inaugurated by Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, aimed to promote a healthier and more active lifestyle as part of the Fit India Movement.

Key Highlights

• Unveiling of Khelo India Para Games Mascot & Anthem (Games to be held from March 20-27, 2025).
• Sports & Fitness Activities: Rope skipping, arm wrestling, cricket bowling, push-ups, squat challenges, and more.
• Health & Wellness Support: Free consultations from NCSSR (National Centre of Sports Sciences & Research) doctors, nutritionists, and psychologists.
• Cultural Performances: Traditional acts like Kalaripayattu, Mallakhamb, and Gatka, alongside live DJ music and dance performances promoting fitness.
• Bollywood actor Ayushmann Khurrana was recognized as a ‘Fit India Icon’ for his contribution to promoting fitness and wellness.

• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) received the Digital Transformation Award 2025 from Central Banking, London for its successful digital initiatives.
• Recognition for Pravaah and Sarthi, developed in-house by RBI’s IT team, enhancing operational efficiency and reducing paper-based processes.
• RBI’s Digital Initiatives:
• Sarthi: Internal Digital Workflow System (Launched: January 2023)
  • Eliminates paper-based processes, enabling secure digital submissions.
  • Enhances collaboration through secure file sharing.
  • Integrates advanced analytics for better decision-making.
  • Acts as a unified database, replacing fragmented manual/digital systems.
• Pravaah: Digital Regulatory Application Portal (Launched: May 2024)
  • Digitized 70+ regulatory applications for seamless submission.
  • Integrated with Sarthi, ensuring smooth processing.
  • Implemented centralized cybersecurity for enhanced security.
  • By end of 2024, 2,000+ applications filed; 80% increase in monthly submissions.
• Impact of RBI’s Digital Transformation:
  • Faster Processing: Reduces manual errors and improves efficiency.
  • Stronger Cybersecurity: Continuous monitoring ensures data safety.
  • Enhanced Collaboration: IT team worked closely with RBI staff for smooth adoption.
  • Operational Excellence: Streamlined internal and external workflows.

• The recent WHO report, “Compassion and Primary Health Care”, emphasizes the role of compassion in improving healthcare services and patient outcomes.
• Benefits of Compassionate Care:
  • For Patients: Faster recovery, shorter hospital stays, reduced anxiety, better trust in healthcare.
  • For Healthcare Providers: Lower stress, reduced burnout, higher job satisfaction, stronger patient relationships.
• Significance of the Report:
  • Advocates for compassion-based training and policies in healthcare.
  • Supports a holistic, patient-centered approach to medical care.
  • Aims to enhance both medical effectiveness and emotional well-being.

• Recently, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched a dedicated mobile app for the Prime Minister’s Internship Scheme (PMIS) to streamline the registration process for the second round of internships. The app addresses limited computer access among applicants, making participation easier through mobile technology.

About PM Internship Scheme (PMIS)

• Introduced to enhance youth employment by offering professional training across various sectors.
• Launched in 2023, the scheme aims to provide 10 million internships over five years.
• Internship Benefits: ₹5,000 monthly stipend and a one-time grant of ₹6,000 for incidental expenses.
• Eligibility Criteria: Open to individuals aged 21-24 years who have completed 10th, 12th, UG degree, ITI, or other technical courses.

Key Developments

• Facilitation Centre in Kolkata
  • Established through a Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) partnership.
  • Supports candidates with guidance and mobilization efforts.
• Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) Events
  • MCA to conduct over 70 awareness events nationwide.
  • Ensures applicants are well-informed about internship opportunities.
• Internship Targets
  • Round 1: 28,141 candidates secured internships.
  • Round 2: Over 1,00,000 internships in 300+ companies.
  • FY 2025 Target: 1.25 lakh internships.

• 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.