APPOINTMENT

New Governors and Lieutenant Governors Appointed in India

• Droupadi Murmu approved several new appointments and transfers of Governors and Lieutenant Governors across different states and union territories.

• Shiv Pratap Shukla has been transferred from Himachal Pradesh and appointed Governor of Telangana.

• Jishnu Dev Varma has been shifted from Governor of Telangana and appointed Governor of Maharashtra.

• Former Bihar Assembly Speaker Nand Kishore Yadav has been appointed Governor of Nagaland.

• Retired Syed Ata Hasnain has been appointed Governor of Bihar.

• R. N. Ravi, earlier Governor of Tamil Nadu, has been appointed Governor of West Bengal.

• Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, currently Governor of Kerala, has been given additional charge as Governor of Tamil Nadu.

• The resignation of C. V. Ananda Bose, former Governor of West Bengal, has been accepted.

• Kavinder Gupta, earlier Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, has been appointed Governor of Himachal Pradesh.

• Vinai Kumar Saxena, Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, has been appointed Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh.

• Former diplomat Taranjit Singh Sandhu has been appointed the new Lieutenant Governor of Delhi.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

UK Consults on Social Media Ban for Under-16s

• The Government of the United Kingdom has launched a public consultation on banning social media use for people under 16.

• The consultation seeks opinions from parents, guardians and young people before a final decision is taken.

• The proposal reflects growing concerns about teenagers’ online safety and excessive social media use.

• Several countries in Europe are also considering stricter regulations on children’s social media access.

• Australia earlier imposed major restrictions on teenagers’ social media use, becoming the first country to adopt such limits.

• France is close to implementing a law restricting social media access for children under 15 years.

• Spain and Greece are also considering similar measures.

• The proposed restrictions mainly target platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and X.

AWARDS

Kriti K. Karanth Receives Major UK Conservation Award

• Kriti K. Karanth has become the first Indian to receive a major conservation award in the United Kingdom.

• She serves as the CEO of the Centre for Wildlife Studies.

• The award was presented by the Royal Geographical Society, headquartered in London.

• She was selected as the joint winner of the 2026 Esmond B. Martin Royal Geographical Society Prize.

• The other recipient is Alexander Antonelli, Executive Director of Science at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

• Karanth, from Bengaluru, is known for her work on biodiversity conservation and ecosystem research.

• Her research promotes inclusive conservation strategies and better understanding of global ecosystems.

• The awards will be formally presented at a ceremony on 13 April organised by the Royal Geographical Society.

GOVERNMENT SCHEME

India’s Women-Focused Banking Program Praised by the UN

• United Nations has praised India’s women-focused banking initiative as a global model for financial inclusion and empowerment.

• Banking services have been extended to over 290 million women under the programme.

• Sandra Hendriks stated that India’s initiative shows a transformative pathway for women’s economic empowerment.

• The use of digital identification systems has been highlighted as a key model for other countries.

• Simplified procedures for opening digital bank accounts have increased women’s financial participation across India.

• The initiative’s success is largely driven by the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, now in its 12th year of implementation.

• Women hold about 56% of the total accounts opened under the scheme, indicating strong participation.

ECONOMY NEWS

India’s IIP Growth Slows to 4.8% in January

• India’s Index of Industrial Production recorded 4.8% year-on-year growth in January.

• This was lower than the 7.8% growth recorded in December.

• The slowdown was mainly due to weaker performance in the manufacturing sector.

• Manufacturing output grew by 4.8% in January, compared to 8.1% in December.

• Mining output increased by 4.3%, down from 6.8% growth in December.

• Electricity production grew by 5.1%, compared to 6.3% growth in December.

• The figures are based on the quick estimates of the Index of Industrial Production.

• Data shows all three major industrial sectors recorded slower growth in January than in the previous month.