National News

The Immigration and Foreigners Bill 2025

• The Lok Sabha passed the Immigration and Foreigners Bill 2025 by voice vote on March 27, 2025.
• The bill provides a new legal framework to regulate the entry, stay, and departure of foreign nationals in India.

The new law repeals four old Acts:

Procurement of Agricultural Produce at MSP

• On March 27, 2025, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan urged all state governments to ensure that agricultural produce is not purchased below the Minimum Support Price (MSP) declared by the Centre, in order to increase farmers' income.
• He announced that for the next four years (until 2028-29), the government will procure 100% of the produce of tur (arhar), urad, and masoor at MSP.

Minimum Support Price (MSP):

Rs 9,599 crore for national highways in FY25

• According to Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, the central government has approved Rs 9,599 crore for maintenance of national highways in FY25.
• This includes Short-Term Maintenance Contracts (STMC) for a length of 17,884 km worth Rs 2,842 crore and Performance-Based Maintenance Contracts (PBMC) for a length of 6,118 km worth Rs 6,757 crore.

National Highways (NH):

Second Installment of Grants for Tripura and Karnataka

• On March 27, 2025, the central government released over ₹436 crore as the second installment of the 15th Finance Commission grant for rural local bodies in Tripura and Karnataka for FY 2024-25.

Related Facts:

'Sahkar Taxi' Service Announced

• On March 27, 2025, the central government announced the launch of the 'Sahkar Taxi' service to compete with companies like Ola, Uber, and Rapido.
• Union Home Minister Amit Shah introduced this new cooperative taxi service in Parliament, which will offer bike, cab, and auto-rickshaw services.

Biometric Challenge Organized by UIDAI

• The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), in collaboration with IIIT-Hyderabad, has launched a biometric challenge to test fingerprint-based authentication solutions.
• The competition will run from March 25, 2025, to May 25, 2025.

Arts and Culture

Underwater Exploration Begins in Dwarka

• The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has launched an underwater exploration off the coast of Dwarka and Bet Dwarka in Gujarat to discover and study submerged archaeological remains.
• The project is led by ASI's Additional Director General (Archaeology), Prof. Alok Tripathi.

Related Facts:

Economy and Banking

World's Second-Largest Tea Exporter

• In 2024, India achieved the milestone of becoming the world's second-largest tea exporter, surpassing Sri Lanka, by exporting 255 million kilograms of tea.
• India's tea exports increased by approximately 10% compared to 2023, when it exported around 231 million kilograms.

Related Facts:

International News

Election Announcement in Australia

• On March 28, 2025, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the dissolution of the federal parliament and declared a general election on May 3, 2025.
• The decision was made following a meeting with Governor-General Sam Mostyn.

Australia :

Child Mortality

• The United Nations has praised India's efforts and progress in reducing child mortality, highlighting initiatives such as Ayushman Bharat.
• In the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation Report, India has been listed among the five exemplary countries that have significantly reduced child mortality rates, alongside Nepal, Senegal, Ghana, and Burundi.

United Nations (UN):

25% Tariff Announcement

• On March 27, 2025, US President Donald Trump announced a 25% tariff on imported cars and light trucks in the US.
• The tariff will take effect from April 2, 2025, aiming to boost the American auto industry.

Defense News

Techkriti 2025

• Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan inaugurated Techkriti 2025, Asia's largest intercollegiate technology and entrepreneurship festival, at IIT Kanpur.
• The four-day festival is being held from March 27 to March 31, 2025.

Related Facts:

'Prachand Prahar' Tri-Service Multi-Domain Exercise

• The Indian Army conducted a tri-service multi-domain exercise named 'Prachand Prahar' in Arunachal Pradesh from March 25 to March 27, 2025.
• The exercise involved the Indian Army, the Indian Air Force, and other elements of the Indian Armed Forces, simulating a coordinated warfare scenario to prepare for future battles.

Current chiefs of the three armed forces:

Sports News

Khelo India Para Games 2025

• The second edition of the multi-sport para event, Khelo India Para Games 2025, under the Khelo India initiative of the Government of India, was held in New Delhi from 20 to 27 March.
• The first Khelo India Para Games (KIPG) 2023 was held in New Delhi on 17 December in which Haryana topped the medal tally with a total of 105 medals including 40 gold, 39 silver and 26 bronze.

Top Three States at Khelo India Para Games 2025

Person In News

Shri Shri Harichand Thakur

• On the birth anniversary of Shri Shri Harichand Thakur, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to him and praised his contributions.
• PM Modi lauded Thakur's efforts for the upliftment of the marginalized sections and his promotion of equality, compassion, and justice. He also extended his best wishes for the 'Matua Dharma Mahamela-2025'.

Related facts:

Rajiv Gauba

• Former Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba has been appointed as a full-time member of NITI Aayog.

NITI Aayog:

Roshni Nadar Malhotra

• Roshni Nadar Malhotra, Chairperson of HCL Technologies, has recently been ranked as the fifth richest woman in the world on the Hurun Global Rich List 2025.
• Her total wealth is estimated at approximately ₹3.5 lakh crore.

Jasprit Bumrah

• L&T Finance Limited (LTF) has appointed Indian cricketer Jasprit Bumrah as its new brand ambassador.

L&T Finance Limited (LTF) :