Bollywood actor Ayushmann Khurrana was named the official Fit India Icon by Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya at the Fit India Movement’s inaugural ceremony in New Delhi. 

• The event was held on Sunday( 16 March 2025) in the national capital. 
• Fit India Movement, which aims to make fitness an integral part of daily life in India and to promote physical fitness as a fundamental aspect of our everyday lifestyle.
• Ayushmaan, known for his impactful roles and strong fan following among the youth, is determined to inspire millions of Indians to embrace fitness with enthusiasm and dedication, encouraging people from all walks of life to prioritise their health and well-being.

The Kabaddi World Cup 2025 is set to begin on March 17 to March 23  in the UK for the first time.

• This tournament will see top kabaddi teams compete across the West Midlands, with matches in Birmingham, Coventry, Walsall, and Wolverhampton.
• 16 men’s teams and eight women’s teams, including England, Scotland and Wales, are going for glory as it takes place in the West Midlands.
• There will be action on each day of the tournament, with game start times varying from 9am until 6pm.
• The women’s final takes place on Sunday, March 23 at 1:45pm while the men’s final follows at 3:30pm on the same day. 
• Kabbadi is a sport that is widely played in India and Pakistan, while it is the national sport of Bangladesh and features as part of the Asian Games.

India ranks 24th out of 33 countries on the “Future of Free Speech” index, which measures global support for free speech and identifies which topics people believe should be open for discussion and criticism.

• The report show that while many Indians express belief in the importance of free speech, the country’s legal and political environment does not reflect these sentiments.
• Scandinavian countries – Norway, Denmark, and Sweden – and two democratic nations – Hungary and Venezuela – top the list showing the highest level of support for free speech, Muslim-majority countries and the Global South show the lowest levels of support.
• India ranks 24th on the list with an overall score of 62.63.

Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore returned to Earth earlier this week after spending over nine months in space - after what was supposed to be an eight-day ISS (International Space Station) mission.

• Ms Williams and Mr Wilmore spent a total of 286 days in space.
• Ms Williams and Mr Wilmore, who had been at the ISS since June 5 last year, were flown back to Earth early Wednesday( 19 March 2025) in SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft.
• They splashed down Florida's eastern coast and disembarked the capsule on stretchers - as is customary.
• Visuals of the astronauts smiling and waving from inside the capsule and on the stretchers were beamed live worldwide.
• Not just their families, but the astronauts' return was celebrated across the world.

The Indian Navy and the French Navy will carry out the 23rd edition of their bilateral naval exercise, VARUNA, from March 19 to 22.

• The exercise has been an important part of India-France maritime cooperation since it began in 2001 and reflects the strong naval partnership between the two countries.
• VARUNA 2025 will focus on improving coordination and cooperation between the two navies. The exercise will include various drills and manoeuvres involving underwater, surface, and air operations.
• Key warships and aircraft from both navies will take part, including India’s aircraft carrier INS Vikrant and France’s aircraft carrier FS Charles de Gaulle. Other participants include fighter aircraft, destroyers, frigates, and an Indian Scorpene-class submarine.
• The exercise will feature advanced air defence drills and fighter jet exercises, including mock air combat between India’s MiG-29K and France’s Rafale-M jets.
• Anti-submarine warfare drills will focus on strengthening underwater surveillance, while surface warfare operations will involve coordinated movements and engagements by ships from both navies.
• Maritime patrol aircraft will assist in improving situational awareness, and replenishment-at-sea exercises will boost logistical cooperation.

Delhi Police has formed district-wise dedicated anti-eve-teasing squads (Shistachar squads) across the national capital to check incidents of harassment and ensure the safety of women in public spaces.

• According to the police, they have been implementing multiple initiatives to curb crimes against women, including eve teasing, molestation, and other forms of harassment with the objective of fostering a safer public environment.
• Each district will form at least two squads, which will be supervised by the ACP Crime Against Women cell of the concerned district.
• According to a circular by the Delhi Police Commissioner, each squad will comprise an inspector, a sub-inspector, four female officers, five male officers and one personnel from special staff from the anti-auto theft squad for technical assistance.
• They will be provided with one four-wheeler and adequate two-wheelers to ensure effective patrolling and quick response. 

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Bank of Mauritius (BOM) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a framework to promote the use of local currencies - the Indian Rupee (INR) and the Mauritian Rupee (MUR) for cross-border transactions.

• The documents were exchanged between both the officials of the countries on March 12, the RBI said in a release on March 18.
• The MoU was signed by RBI governor Sanjay Malhotra and his Bank of Mauritius counterpart Rama Krishna Sithanen.
• The agreement aims to promote the use of INR and MUR in bilateral trade. It also covers all current account transactions and permissible capital account transactions as agreed upon by both the countries, the release said.

The Telangana government presented its 2025-26 budget with a total outlay of Rs.3,04,965 crore, allocating Rs.2,26,982 crore for revenue expenditure and Rs.36,504 crore for capital expenditure.

Major Initiatives:

Mega Master Plan 2050: Aimed at industrial development, this plan includes establishing greenfield industrial clusters in Ranga Reddy and Mahbubnagar districts. 
HICITI Project: To reduce urban congestion, Rs.7,032 crore is allocated for constructing 31 flyovers and 17 underpasses under the Hyderabad Integrated Connectivity and Infrastructure Transformation Initiative. 
Sectoral Allocations:

Agriculture: Rs. 24,439 crore

Rural Development: Rs. 31,605 crore

Education: Rs. 23,108 crore

Health: Rs. 12,393 crore

Energy: Rs. 21,221 crore

Welfare of Scheduled Castes: Rs. 40,232 crore

Welfare of Scheduled Tribes: Rs. 17,169 crore

Poll Guarantees and Welfare Schemes:

Mahalakshmi Scheme: Provides Rs. 2,500 per month, a gas cylinder at Rs. 500, and free travel in state-run RTC buses for women.?

Rythu Bharosa: Offers Rs. 15,000 per acre to farmers and tenant farmers.

Gruha Jyothi: Ensures 200 units of free electricity for all households.

Indiramma Indlu: Provides house sites and Rs. 5 lakh for the homeless.

Yuva Vikasam: Offers Rs. 5 lakh in assistance to students.

Cheyutha: Provides social security pensions of Rs. 4,000 per month.

Over Rs. 56,000 crore has been allocated to implement these six poll guarantees.