IMPORTANT DAYS

World Tuberculosis Day 2025 observed on March 24

• World Tuberculosis Day is observed annually on 24 March to raise awareness and promote action against TB.

• Theme for 2024: Yes! We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, Deliver.

• First celebrated by the World Health Organization on 24 March 1982.

• India achieved a 17.7% decrease in TB incidence from 2015 to 2023, surpassing the global average reduction of 8.3%.

• TB-related deaths in India dropped by 21.4% between 2015 and 2023.

• Tuberculosis primarily impacts the lungs and is caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacterium, spreading through the air.

• In 2022, TB caused 1.3 million deaths worldwide.

• TB is treatable with a 6 to 12-month course of antibacterial medications.

Martyrs' Day 2025 observed on March 23.

• Martyrs' Day is observed on 23 March to honor Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev.

• On this day in 1931, Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru, and Sukhdev Thapar were executed at Central Jail, Lahore.

• The trio attempted to assassinate British officer J.P. Saunders on 17 December 1928 in Lahore and were sentenced to death.

• Bhagat Singh was the founder of Naujawan Bharat Sabha and a key member of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association.

• Sukhdev Thapar was a prominent Indian revolutionary and senior member of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association.

• Shivaram Rajguru played a significant role in the assassination of J.P. Saunders and was also part of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association.

World Meteorological Day 2025 celebrated on 23 March.

• World Meteorological Day is celebrated annually on 23 March.

• It marks the establishment of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on 23 March 1950.

• 2025 Theme: "Closing the early warning gap together".

• The themes for World Meteorological Day address current weather, climate, or water-related issues.

• The WMO promotes global cooperation in atmospheric science, climatology, hydrology, and geophysics.

• The WMO operates as an intergovernmental organization within the UN system.

SPORTS

ISTAF Sepak Takraw World Cup 2025 in Bihar

• Bihar is hosting the ISTAF Sepak Takraw World Cup 2025 for the first time.

• The tournament is taking place at the Pataliputra Sports Complex Indoor Stadium in Kankarbagh, Patna.

• The six-day event features 20 countries, including India.

• In the opening men’s quad match, Thailand defeated Singapore.

• The Indian women’s team won both of their matches in the quad category.

• A total of 150 matches will be played, including quad, regular, doubles, and mixed doubles formats.

• Sepak Takraw, originating from Southeast Asia, is gaining global popularity, especially after its inclusion in the Asian Games.

• The sport is also known as buka ball, kick volleyball, or foot volleyball.

• The International Sepaktakraw Federation (ISTAF), founded in 1988 and based in Bangkok, Thailand, is the global governing body for the sport.

AWARDS

Vinod Kumar Shukla Wins 59th Jnanpith Award for 2024

• Vinod Kumar Shukla, renowned Hindi writer from Chhattisgarh, has been honoured with the 59th Jnanpith Award for 2024.

• The Jnanpith Award, India’s highest literary honor, was announced on 22 March in New Delhi.

• Shukla, born on January 1, 1947, in Rajnandgaon, currently resides in Raipur, Chhattisgarh.

• His first poetry collection, 'Labhaag Jai Hind', was published in 1971.

• Shukla's novels "Naukar ki Kameez", "Khilega to Dekhenge", and "Deewar Mein Ek Khidki" are considered some of the finest works in Hindi literature.

• He has previously received prestigious awards like the Gajanan Madhav Muktibodh Fellowship, Raza Award, and the Sahitya Akademi Award.

STATE NEWS

Uttarakhand CM Dhami Announces Ganga and Sharda River Corridors to Boost Tourism

• Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami announced the development of Ganga and Sharda River corridors to enhance religious tourism.

• The focus is on the religious and cultural significance of these rivers, aiming to attract more pilgrims to the state.

• The proposed corridors will improve infrastructure and facilities for visitors, strengthening Uttarakhand's position as a major spiritual destination.

• The initiative aligns with the government's broader vision to promote tourism while preserving Uttarakhand’s cultural and religious heritage.

• Ganga and Sharda rivers are central to the faith of millions of people and are seen as an essential part of India’s spiritual identity.

• The government is committed to making religious tourism easier and more accessible for both domestic and international devotees.

Delhi Joins NeVA for Digital, Paperless Legislative Process

• Delhi is now the 28th legislature in India to adopt the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA), promoting a paperless, digital legislative process.

• Nagaland became the first state to implement NeVA in 2022.

• India has a national legislature (Parliament) along with 28 states and 3 Union Territories (Delhi, Puducherry, Jammu & Kashmir) that have their own legislatures.

• The Delhi Legislative Assembly signed an MoU with the Union Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Delhi Government on 22 March 2025.

• The MoU was signed in the presence of Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, and Vijender Gupta, Speaker of the Delhi Legislative Assembly.

MISCELLANEOUS

India Set to Become the Third Largest Economy by 2027, IMF Reports

• India is expected to surpass Japan in 2025 and Germany in 2027, becoming the world's third-largest economy, following the USA and China, according to the IMF.

• The IMF's positive forecast follows a World Bank report, which states that India must achieve an average growth rate of 7.8% annually to reach its goal of becoming a developed country by 2047.

• India’s GDP has doubled from $2.1 trillion in 2015 to $4.3 trillion in 2025.

East Coast Railway Achieves Historic Freight Milestone in 2024-25

• East Coast Railway became the first railway zone in India to handle 250 million tons of freight in the 2024-25 financial year.

• The milestone was achieved 11 days ahead of schedule, by March 21, 2024.

• This is the second consecutive year East Coast Railway has surpassed the 250 million tons threshold.

• The zone also surpassed 200 million tons in freight for the sixth consecutive year in 2024-25.

• Freight handling in 2024-25 totaled 228.3 million tons, marking a 2.6% growth from the previous year.

• Key contributors to this achievement include Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) at Talcher and five major ports.

• The five significant ports under East Coast Railway’s jurisdiction are Paradeep, Dhamara, Visakhapatnam, Gangavaram, and Gopalpur.

• Iron ore mines in Bailadila (Chhattisgarh) and Keonjhar (Odisha) also supported the freight operations.

• East Coast Railway, headquartered in Bhubaneswar, is one of India’s 19 railway zones and has been operational since April 1, 2003.

Japan's Preparations for Potential Mount Fuji Eruption

• A panel in Japan has proposed measures to prepare for a possible eruption of Mount Fuji.

• The report warns that a major eruption could deposit over 10 centimetres of ash in areas like Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefecture.

• The findings come from volcanologists and disaster preparedness experts.

• Due to the dense population around Mount Fuji, mass evacuations from Tokyo and nearby regions are not feasible.

• Residents in areas with less than 30 centimetres of ash are advised to stay indoors.

• In regions with over 30 centimetres of ash, evacuations are recommended.

• Professor Fujii Toshitsugu, who leads the panel, emphasized the need for Japan to start preparations.

• Mount Fuji has not caused widespread ash fallout in the last 100 years.

• The last eruption of Mount Fuji occurred over 300 years ago, between 1707 and 1708.

• Mount Fuji is an active stratovolcano and Japan's highest mountain, located on the island of Honshu.

• Along with Mount Tate and Mount Haku, Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan’s Three Holy Mountains.