1 Rana Dasgupta wins Yale’s 2025 non-fiction Windham Campbell Prize
In March 2025, famous British writer of Indian origin Rana Dasgupta will be awarded the prestigious has been declared the winner of the 2025 Windham Campbell Prize in the ‘ Non-Fiction Category ‘ by Yale University He received this award for his profound critique of global hyper-capitalism, industrialization, politics and class, as demonstrated in his book ‘ Capital: A Portrait of Twenty-First Century Delhi ‘, which was shortlisted for both the Orwell Prize and the Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prize .
2 Indian Air Force to participate in multi-national air exercise INEOCOS-25
INEOKOS-25, a prestigious multinational air exercise conducted by Indian Air Force (IAF) and Hellenic Air Force will participate in Air Force. The exercise will take place from 31 March 2025 to 11 April 2025 at Andravida Air Base, Greece . The IAF contingent will comprise of Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft along with combat capable IL-78 and C- 17 aircraft. INEOKOS is a biennial multinational air exercise hosted by the Hellenic Air Force. It serves as a platform for air forces to hone their skills, exchange tactical knowledge and strengthen military ties. The exercise will involve multiple air and surface units from fifteen countries under real combat scenarios. It is designed to simulate modern-day aerial warfare challenges.
3 SBI’s Shetty appointed chairman of Indian Banks Association
The Indian Banks’ Association (IBA), the apex body of the banking sector in India, has appointed State Bank of India (SBI) Chairman Challa Srinivasulu Setty as its new chairman for the upcoming financial year. Setty will hold the position until the next Annual General Meeting (AGM). The appointment was announced after the IBA Managing Committee meeting held on March 28, 2025.
4 Government discontinued MLTGD under Gold Monetisation Scheme
The Government of India has decided to discontinue the Medium Term and Long Term Government Deposit (MLTGD) components of the Gold Monetisation Scheme (GMS) from March 26 , 2025. This decision has been taken after reviewing the performance of the scheme and the evolving market dynamics. Renewal of MLTGD has been discontinued from March 26, 2025. Note: Earlier in 2025, the central government had discontinued the Sovereign Gold Bond (SGB) scheme
Medium and Long Term Government Deposits (MLTGD) : The interest rate on such deposits shall be fixed by the Central Government and notified by the Reserve Bank of India from time to time. Medium Term (MTGD): 5-7 years (Currently Interest: 2.25% p.a.)
Long Term (LTGD) : 12-15 years (Currently Interest: 2.50% p.a.).
Lock-in Period : MTGD withdrawal is allowed after 3 years; LTGD withdrawal after 5 years.
5 Union Minister CR Patil released the book ‘Ripples of Change’
In March 2025 , Union Minister Chandrakant Raghunath (CR) Patil , Minister of Jal Shakti (MoJS) launched the book “ Ripples of Change: Gender-Transformative Rural WASH Programmes in India ” and the upgraded website of the Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) in New Delhi (Delhi). These initiatives are aligned with Swachh Bharat Mission-Grameen (SBM-G) and Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) to promote inclusive growth . The book was published by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) under MoJS and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) India. It documents 10 powerful stories from rural India that highlight gender empowerment, community leadership, and innovation under SBM-G and JJM. The upgraded website follows the digital brand identity manual
6 ‘Yoga for One Earth, One Health’ – Theme of International Yoga Day 2025: PM in ‘Mann Ki Baat’
In his recent Mann Ki Baat address, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi emphasized the importance of fitness in daily life and praised initiatives like Fit India Carnival and International Yoga Day. Sharing India’s vision for a healthy world population, the Prime Minister said, “ The theme of Yoga Day 2025 is ‘ Yoga for One Earth One Health ’. That is, we want to make the whole world healthy through Yoga.” It is notable that Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga (MDNIY), a premier institute under the Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India has been entrusted with the responsibility of organizing activities to celebrate International Day of Yoga (IDY) in a big way this year. The first International Yoga Day was celebrated 10 years ago on 21st June, 2015. This builds on the success of a decade of recognition of 21st June as International Day of Yoga by the United Nations following India’s proposal in 2014.
7 SpaceX launches HEX20 ‘blue’ satellite into space
In March 2025, Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) -based HEX20 India , a small satellite manufacturing startup, achieved a significant milestone by launching its first satellite ‘ Neela ‘ on SpaceX ‘s Transporter-13 mission , a service offered by Elon Musk -founded SpaceX to provide dedicated rideshare opportunities for small satellites. The ‘Neela’ mission is designed to test and validate indigenously developed subsystems of HEX20. The satellite is named after the Nila river in Kerala , reflecting its cultural significance.
8 India’s Nihal Sarin won the title of Tashkent Open Agzamov Memorial Chess Tournament
India’s Nihal Sarin has won the title of Tashkent Open Agzamov Memorial Chess Tournament in Tashkent, Uzbekistan . The 20-year-old Indian Grandmaster won the title with 8 points out of 10. With this victory, Nihal has gained 7.1 Elo rating points. With this, his live rating has become 2 thousand 694.
9th Asian Wrestling Championship: Olympic medalists Deepak Punia and Udit won silver medals in freestyle event
In the freestyle event of the Asian Wrestling Championship in Amman, the capital of Jordan , Olympic medalist Deepak Punia and Udit won silver medals . Deepak Punia got silver in the 92 kg weight category while Udit got silver in the 61 kg category. Dinesh won bronze by defeating Ziyamuhammet Saparov of Turkmenistan in the 125 kg category . India has won ten medals in this championship. These include one gold, three silver and six bronze .
10 Table Tennis: Manav Thakkar became the first Indian to reach the semi-finals of the World Table Tennis Star Contender competition
Table tennis player Manav Thakkar has become the first Indian to reach the semi-finals of the World Table Tennis Star Contender competition . In Chennai, Thakkar defeated Olympic and world medalist Lim Jonghoon of South Korea 3-2. Earlier in the pre-quarterfinals, Thakkar defeated Germany’s Andre Bertelsmeier 3-2.
11 International Zero Waste Day 2025
International Zero Waste Day is celebrated every year on March 30. Its purpose is to promote waste management at the global level and promote sustainable production and consumption. The purpose of celebrating this day is also to raise awareness of zero-waste initiatives. The fashion and textile industry is a resource-intensive and major waste-generating sector, which contributes significantly to environmental damage. This year’s International Zero Waste Day focuses on waste management in the fashion and textile sector and its theme is “ Towards Zero Waste in Fashion and Textiles .”
