National News

India provides humanitarian assistance to Botswana

• India has sent its first consignment of humanitarian aid to Botswana in response to the recent floods.
• The shipment includes approximately 10 tons of essential supplies, including medicines, surgical equipment, mosquito nets, and water purification devices.

Botswana :

Launch of 'Catch the Rain-2025'

• Union Minister of Jal Shakti, C. R. Patil, launched the 'Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain-2025' on March 22, 2025, in Panchkula, Haryana.
• This campaign has been initiated with the aim of promoting water conservation and water harvesting across the country, which includes projects like 'Jal-Jangal-Jan: A Natural Bond' initiative, 'Water Resource Atlas-2025', 'Integrated Water Resource Action Plan 2025-27', and 'Online Canal Water Management System'.

Catch the Rain Campaign:

Science and Technology

Agreement between Astroscale, Digantara, and Bellatrix Aerospace

• Japan's space debris management company Astroscale has announced a partnership with two leading Indian space-tech companies, Digantara and Bellatrix Aerospace.
• This collaboration marks Astroscale's first initiative outside Japan in the Asia-Pacific region, aiming to offer orbital services to Indian customers.

Japan Space Agency: JAXA

Type 2 Diabetes

• According to recent research, a new diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes (T2D) has been linked to an increased risk of developing certain obesity-related cancers.
• Specifically, individuals with obesity and Type 2 diabetes are at a higher risk of liver, colorectal, and endometrial cancer.

Type 2 Diabetes:

Economy and Banking

Decision to Remove Export Duty on Onions

• The Central Government has decided to remove the 20% export duty on onions starting from April 1, 2025.
• To ensure domestic availability, the government had previously implemented measures such as export duties, Minimum Export Price (MEP), and even imposed an export ban for nearly five months from December 8, 2023, to May 3, 2024.

Related Facts:

Sports News

Chinese Grand Prix 2025

• McLaren's Oscar Piastri secured the first pole position of his Formula One career at the Chinese Grand Prix, held at the Shanghai International Circuit.
• He recorded a lap time of 1 minute 30.641 seconds, making it the fastest lap ever at this circuit.

IPL 2025

• Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) defeated Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by seven wickets in the opening match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on March 22, 2025.
• In the match held at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, KKR batted first and scored 174 runs in 20 overs, with captain Ajinkya Rahane contributing 56 runs off 31 balls and Sunil Narine adding 44 runs.

Indian Premier League (IPL):

11th Asian Swimming Championship

• India will host the 11th Asian Swimming Championship for the first time from October 1 to 15, 2025, at the Naranpura Sports Complex in Ahmedabad.

Related Facts:

Environment News

Eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki Volcano

• The Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano, located on Flores Island in Indonesia, erupted three times, sending a plume of ash up to a height of 8,200 meters (26,200 feet).

Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki:

Earth Hour

• On March 22, from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm, Earth Hour was observed, which is a global environmental campaign. In India too, Gateway of India, India Gate, Howrah Bridge and many other landmark buildings took part in this initiative.
• The theme of this year was "Switch Off for the Planet", which inspires to fight climate change and preserve nature.

Related Facts:

Books and Authors

'Eminent Distortions: Twists and Truths'

• Author and journalist Utpal Kumar has highlighted some unexplored and controversial aspects of Indian history through his new book, 'Eminent Distortions: Twists and Truths'.
• Previously, his book 'Bharat Rising: Dharma, Democracy, Diplomacy' also gained significant attention.

Related facts:

Honours and Awards

59th Jnanpith Award

• Vinod Kumar Shukla has been announced as the recipient of the 59th Jnanpith Award for the year 2024.
• He is being honored for his exceptional contribution to Hindi literature, his creativity, and distinctive writing style.
• Shukla is the 12th Hindi writer to receive this prestigious award and the first author from Chhattisgarh to be honored with the Jnanpith Award.

Vinod Kumar Shukla:

Person in News

Rishabh Pant

• Online travel portal Goibibo has appointed Indian cricketer Rishabh Pant as its new brand ambassador.
• The campaign also features cricketer Sunil Gavaskar, who is part of an entertaining and youth-centric ad series.

Goibibo:

George Foreman

• American boxer George Foreman passed away at the age of 76.
• He was born on January 10, 1949, in Marshall, Texas.
• Foreman won the heavyweight gold medal at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.

Related Facts:

Basanti Devi

• The birth anniversary of freedom fighter Basanti Devi is celebrated annually on March 23.
• She was a revolutionary and social activist who played a significant role in India's freedom struggle.

Related Facts:

Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia

• The birth anniversary of freedom fighter and socialist thinker Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia is celebrated annually on March 23.
• He was born in 1910 in Faizabad district, Uttar Pradesh.

Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia:

Important Days

Shaheed Diwas (Martyrs' Day)

• Shaheed Diwas is observed annually in India on March 23 to honor the martyrdom of freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev Thapar, and Shivaram Rajguru.
• On this day in 1931, the British government executed these three brave revolutionaries, making them immortal martyrs.

Related Facts:

World Meteorological Day

• World Meteorological Day is celebrated every year on March 23, which marks the establishment of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in 1950.
• This year, in 2025, the WMO is celebrating its 75th anniversary, and the theme of the occasion is: “Closing the Early Warning Gap Together”

World Meteorological Organization (WMO):