1 Ramkumar Mukhopadhyay’s Bengali novel ‘Hara Parvati Katha’ selected for Saraswati Samman 2025
The Bengali novel “Hara Parvati Katha” by Ramkumar Mukhopadhyay has been selected for the Saraswati Samman 2025. The Saraswati Samman is an annual award established by the K.K. Birla Foundation in 1991. It recognizes an outstanding literary work written by an Indian citizen in an Indian language and published in the last 10 years. The awardee will receive ₹1.5 million, a citation, and a memento.
2. The Protection of Rights of Transgender Persons (Amendment) Bill, 2026 passed in Parliament.
Parliament has passed the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026. The Rajya Sabha approved the bill. The Lok Sabha had already passed it by voice vote. The bill seeks to redefine the category of transgender , remove the provision for self-perceived gender identity , and exclude transmasculine individuals with multiple socio-cultural identities from its scope . The bill seeks to amend the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 , which provides for the rights and welfare of transgender persons. The Transgender Persons (Amendment) Bill, 2026 proposes to replace the right to self-identification with a medical certification process, which is contrary to the NALSA decision (2014). Transgender activists fear that these amendments could restructure the legal framework for transgender rights in India, overriding the Supreme Court’s landmark 2014 decision in National Legal Services Authority v. Union of India.
Elimination of self-identification : The 2026 Bill removes Section 4(2) of the 2019 Act, which contained the right to self-identify as a transgender person. The government argues that the original definition was “vague” and made it difficult to identify “genuinely oppressed” beneficiaries.
On March 25 , Sikkim’s youth leader Stuti Pradhan was appointed as a representative to the World Youth Parliament . The World Youth Parliament is an international platform for young leaders. Young people from South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Chad, Thailand, Yemen, and several other countries will discuss global issues. Stuti, a law student, was the winner of the state-level Develop India Youth Parliament 2025. Stuti represented Sikkim at the National Youth Parliament in New Delhi . The World Youth Parliament is a global platform that brings together young leaders to discuss and address important issues such as water conservation and policymaking.
4 Karnataka government forms digital policy for school students
On March 24th , the Karnataka government released a draft policy regarding digital use for students in grades 9th to 12th . The policy recommends limiting screen time to one hour daily for entertainment, in addition to academics. It also recommends shutting down the internet after 7 p.m. According to the draft, students should be kept away from screens for an hour before bedtime. A “child plan” for mobile phones is suggested, including an audio-only option and a provision for shutting down the internet after a set time. The policy also calls for developing age-appropriate devices and operating systems. According to the government, approximately 25% of teenage users are addicted to the internet, leading to problems such as sleep deprivation, anxiety, and distraction. This policy was developed in response to this issue. The policy was jointly developed by the Department of Health and Family Welfare, the Karnataka State Mental Health Authority, NIMHANS, and the Education Department. The policy proposal was released by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the budget on March 6th. It called for stricter social media use by children under the age of 16. Karnataka is the first state in the country to do so.
The Digital India Bhashini Division and the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) under the initiative ” Bhashini for Service Operations ,” which is part of the Bhashini Partner Program. This collaboration aims to strengthen multilingual digital capabilities in the pension sector through integration with India’s National Language Digital Public Infrastructure—the Bhashini platform. The agreement will enable the use of translation tools, multilingual artificial intelligence models, and voice-based technologies within PFRDA systems . This is expected to improve language accessibility and communication across digital platforms and user interfaces in pension services. The initiative also aims to expand access to all 22 languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, making pension services more inclusive for customers and stakeholders.
6 Ministry of Culture exchanges MoU with YouTube
The Ministry of Culture signed a Memorandum of Understanding with YouTube . The initiative aims to promote India’s rich and diverse musical traditions worldwide using the digital platform . Speaking on the occasion, Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said this is an important step towards preserving the country’s cultural heritage and promoting traditional folk and tribal music globally. Mr. Shekhawat said this initiative is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Vocal for Local and Local for Global.
7 Delhi Metro signs MoU with NSD to promote cultural awareness
Delhi Metro signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National School of Drama (NSD) to promote theatre arts and cultural awareness . Under the agreement, Delhi Metro will facilitate NSD in organizing awareness-oriented campaigns, theatre-based interactive sessions, and cultural programs at various Metro campuses . These will include street plays, storytelling sessions, and other formats . NSD will also facilitate the participation of Delhi Metro officials in its programs and will evaluate the possibility of integrating its ticketing system with Delhi Metro’s e-ticketing platform.
8 ABG-led consortium buys 100% stake in Royal Challengers Bangalore for Rs 16,706 crore
A consortium led by the Aditya Birla Group (ABG) has acquired a 100% equity stake in IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore from its current owner , United Spirits Limited, for ₹16,706 crore (approximately $15,289 crore) . The consortium comprises the Aditya Birla Group, the Times of India Group, Bolt Ventures, and Blackstone’s permanent private equity strategy, BXPE (Blackstone) . This makes RCB the first Indian Premier League (IPL) team to be sold for the highest price . The agreement includes both the RCB men’s and women’s teams. The women’s team holds two Women’s Premier League (WPL) titles, while the men’s team became champions for the first time in 2025. Rajasthan Royals became the second most expensive team with a bid of $1.63 billion, or approximately ₹15,289 crore (approximately $15,289 crore).
9 India’s economic growth is projected to remain at 7.1% in FY 2026-27 despite West Asia tensions: Standard & Poor’s Global
According to a report by Standard & Poor’s Global, India’s economic growth is projected to remain at 7.1% in the fiscal year 2026-27 despite West Asia tensions . The agency’s latest Economic Outlook report states that strong domestic demand, sustained exports, and a gradual recovery in private investment will keep India among the fastest-growing major economies. The report also states that growth in the Asia Pacific region remains stable. India is emerging as a key driver along with other major economies. Growth in the region, excluding China, is expected to increase by 4.5 percent in 2026. This will be supported by strong performance in technology-related sectors and resilient domestic activity.
10 QS World University Rankings by Subjects released
The 16th annual edition of the QS World University Rankings by Subject was released on March 25th . The rankings were released across five streams . A total of 27 Indian universities ranked in the top 50 across all subjects . These include four IITs, JNU, and BITS Pilani . This year, for the first time , Indian institute IIM Ahmedabad ranked in the marketing stream . IIT Delhi ranked the highest in the top 50 for six subjects . This year, six Indian institutes related to computer science are included in this list, compared to only two last year. India ranks fourth in the world in terms of institute entries in the QS rankings . This year, India added a record 120 new entries to the rankings. The United States ranked first with 287 entries. China has 181 institutes ranked in the QS rankings, and the United Kingdom is fifth with 159 entries. India has improved by 44% in the rankings this year. This is a significant improvement. In 2024, 27 universities were included. These university rankings are published by London-based QS Quacquarelli Symonds. This was its 16th edition. The QS rankings benchmark more than 21,000 university programs across 55 disciplines and faculty sectors at 1,900 universities in more than 100 countries.
On March 24th , the Karnataka State Cricket Association ( KSCA) decided to keep 11 seats vacant at all times during IPL and international matches at Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium . A memorial plaque will be installed at the stadium’s entry gate , and a minute’s silence will be observed before every match involving both teams. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) took this decision to pay tribute to those who lost their lives in the stampede outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium last year. On June 4th, 2025, during the celebrations of RCB’s first IPL trophy win, 11 people died in a stampede outside the stadium. Following the stampede, the Justice John Michael D’Cunha Committee declared the stadium unsafe for large-scale events, leading to a ban on hosting matches there. The stadium has now been re-approved. This memorial plaque is being designed based on England’s famous Hillsborough Memorial Stadium. On April 15, 1989, 97 fans lost their lives in a tragic accident at Hillsborough Stadium during an FA Cup semi-final football match. The Hillsborough Memorial in England is dedicated to the memory of these 97 Liverpool FC fans.
12 Bangladesh observes Genocide Day to commemorate the victims of the 1971 military attacks.
Bangladesh is observing Genocide Day to commemorate the victims of the brutal military attack by Pakistani forces on the night of March 25, 1971 , codenamed Operation Searchlight . This day is considered one of the darkest chapters in the country’s history. On this day, during the Liberation War, unarmed Bengalis, including students, teachers, and civilians, were brutally massacred in the then East Pakistan, especially in Dhaka. President Mohammad Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Tariq Rahman issued messages paying tribute to the victims and reaffirming the nation’s commitment to preserving the spirit of the freedom struggle.
13 Harish Rana, the first person in the country to seek euthanasia, passes away
On March 24 , Harish Rana, the country’s first euthanasia seeker, died at Delhi AIIMS . Harish, 31, had been in a coma for the past 13 years . He was transferred to Delhi AIIMS on March 14. On March 11, the Supreme Court granted Harish Rana permission for euthanasia (passive euthanasia) . Harish was completely dependent on life support systems. Passive euthanasia means stopping or withdrawing external life support or treatment to keep a critically ill patient alive so that the patient can die naturally. A Supreme Court bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and KV Vishwanathan heard Harish Rana’s petition. Following the hearing, Delhi AIIMS was directed to admit Rana to palliative care. The Supreme Court made this decision under Article 21 of the Constitution, which includes the fundamental right to life and dignity, which includes the right to die with dignity. This is the first case in India where the Supreme Court directly allowed passive euthanasia for a patient.