- This record-setting painting is scheduled to be unveiled at the opening ceremony of the Khelo India Youth Games on May 4, 2025. This marks the first time the games are being hosted in Bihar, with events spread across cities like Patna, Rajgir, Gaya, Bhagalpur, and Begusarai.

Main Point :-   (i) Madhubani, also known as Mithila painting, is a traditional folk art that originates from the Mithila region in Bihar, particularly the town of Madhubani. The artists used natural colors made from turmeric, beetroot, carbon, and flowers to craft the record-breaking painting.

      (ii) The second Guinness World Record was set in Bodh Gaya, where 375 Buddhist monks—aged between five and seventy—came together to perform a singing bowl ensemble. This gathering marked the largest-ever such performance linked to traditional Buddhist rituals and meditation.

(iii) This unique event was organised by the Bihar State Sports Authority (BSSA). Singing bowl performances are deeply connected with Buddhist culture, known for their calming effects and spiritual significance during meditation and ceremonies.

      - Bihar leads in the number of women entrepreneurs under PMMY with 4.2 crore beneficiaries, followed by Tamil Nadu with 4.0 crore and West Bengal with 3.7 crore. Maharashtra has the highest share of women account holders at 79%, followed by Jharkhand (75%) and West Bengal (73%).

Main Point :-   (i) Overall, women constitute 68% of all PMMY account holders, showcasing the scheme’s strong impact on women’s empowerment at the grassroots level.

      (ii) The share of PMMY loans has also grown significantly in states like Bihar (from 5.67% in FY16 to 10.97% in FY25), Uttar Pradesh (from 9.27% to 11.30%), and Odisha (from 4.24% to 4.51%).

(iii) Under PMMY, collateral-free loans of up to ₹20 lakh are provided through Member Lending Institutions in four categories—Shishu (up to ₹50,000), Kishor (₹50,000–₹5 lakh), Tarun (₹5–10 lakh), and Tarun Plus (₹10–20 lakh).

Main Point :-   (i) The Hero Asia Cup 2025 will be the 12th edition of the Men’s Asia Cup Hockey Tournament. It will feature eight teams, including India, Pakistan, Japan, Korea, China, and Malaysia, with the remaining two teams qualifying through the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) Cup.

      (ii) This tournament is crucial as it serves as a qualifier for the 2026 FIH (International Hockey Federation) Men's World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands.

(iii) The winner of the Asia Cup 2025 will secure a direct spot in the 2026 FIH Men’s World Cup, making it a high-stakes competition.

Main Point :-   (i) PM Narendra Modi recently laid the foundation stone for the 'Bageshwar Dham Medical and Science Research Institute' in Garha village, Chhatarpur district, MP, and inaugurated the 'Global Investors Summit (GIS) 2025' in Bhopal, MP.

      (ii) In Bihar, PM Narendra Modi recently launched the '19th installment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme', providing financial support to farmers nationwide.

(iii) While in Assam, PM Narendra Modi recently attended the 'Jhumoir Binandini (Mega Jhumoir) 2025' and inaugurated the 'Advantage Assam 2.0 Summit 2025' in Guwahati, Assam.

Main Point :-   (i) It is a Central Sector Scheme (CSS) launched in 2019 and is being implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW).

      (ii) In February 2025, the Ministry of Finance (MoF) allocated Rs 63,500 crore for the scheme in the Union Budget for Financial Year 2025-26 (FY26), which is the same as estimated for FY25.

      - These projects are part of the International Sports Complex in Rajgir, aimed at promoting sports education and developing skilled sports professionals in the state.

Main Point :-   (i) The university will begin academic programs in 2025-2026, offering diplomas and PG diplomas in sports coaching and yoga, along with a four-year Bachelor of Physical Education (B.P.Ed.) program (pending NCTE approval).

      (ii) An Ombudsperson must be appointed within two months of starting academic activities to ensure adherence to UGC grievance redressal regulations.

(iii) The academic programs aim to focus on specialized training in sports and physical education to meet national standards.

      - Over the years, he published more than 40 volumes of poetry and translated works from Bengali, Urdu, Punjabi, and Sanskrit into English.

Main Point :-   (i) In the 1980s, Pritish Nandy became the Publishing Director of The Times of India Group (Bennett Coleman & Co Limited). He also served as the Editor for notable publications, including The Illustrated Weekly of India, The Independent, and Filmfare.

      (ii) Pritish Nandy, founder of Pritish Nandy Communications Limited (PNC), significantly contributed to Indian cinema with hit films like Sur, Kaante, and Chameli. He also founded People for Animals (PFA), India’s first animal rights NGO, and opened India’s first cyber café in Mumbai in 1996.

(iii) Pritish Nandy was honored with the Padma Shri in 1997 for his contributions to Indian literature. He also received the KarmaVeer Puraskaar (2008), the International Humanitarian Award (2012), and several other accolades, including the Friends of Liberation War Honour and the UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Award.

Main Point :-   (i) The team is led by Jaideep Dahiya and Rahul Sethpal, and coached by Manpreet Singh. It is owned by JSW (Jindal South West) Sports, part of the JSW Group.

      (ii) Iranian player Mohammadreza Shadloui of Haryana Steelers was honored with the "Most Valuable Player of Season 11" and "Best Defender of Season 11." Coach Manpreet Singh was named the "Super Coach of Season 11."

Main Point :-   (i) The 2025 edition will feature 14 countries, including India, China, Japan, South Korea, Nepal, Pakistan, Iran, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Poland, Argentina, South Africa, and South America.

      (ii) The tournament aims to promote kabaddi as a global sport and provide an international stage for women's teams to showcase their skills.

Main Point :-   (i) PM Modi laid the foundation stone for 1,153 Atal Gram Sushasan (good governance) buildings.

      (ii) To honor the 100th birth anniversary of former PM Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, PM Modi released a commemorative coin and stamp worth Rs 100.

      - The 4th Good Governance Week (Sushasan Saptah) is observed annually from December 19th to 25th.

Main Point :-   (i) In 2014, the Government of India (GOI) declared December 25th as Good Governance Day to honor Atal Bihari Vajpayee's legacy.

      (ii) The first Good Governance Day was observed on December 25, 2014.

(iii) Good Governance Day 2024 witnessed key initiatives, including the launch of the 'Prashasan Gaon ki Ore' campaign, 'Viksit Panchayat Karmayogi' for grassroots governance, the 'Rashtraparv Website & Mobile App,' and an MoU between Gujarat and SAC-ISRO for enhanced water resource management.

Main Point :-   (i) Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar was appointed as the new Governor of Kerala, replacing Arif Mohammed Khan.

      (ii) In Odisha, Hari Babu Kambhampati took over from Raghubar Das. Arif Mohammed Khan was moved to Bihar, replacing Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar. General (Dr.) V.K. Singh (Retired) was appointed as the new Governor of Mizoram, succeeding Hari Babu Kambhampati.

(iii) Additionally, Ajay Kumar Bhalla was appointed as the new Governor of Manipur, taking over from Lakshman Prasad Acharya. All the new appointments will be effective once the respective Governors assume charge of their offices.

      - The terminal facilitates cargo transport for North Bihar and provides a vital trade link to Nepal for imports and exports.

Main Point :-   (i) The award was received by Arvind Kumar, Director, JMVP, alongside Manish Tiwari, Specialist (Environment Impact Assessment), JMVP, and J J Patel, Project Manager, Sanjay Construction Company, the contractor agency.

      (ii) SVAGRIHA is a joint initiative by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and Delhi-based The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI). It recognizes sustainable practices in creating environmentally friendly infrastructure like the IMT at Kalughat.

      - The report calls for tailored, region-specific adaptation strategies.

Main Point :-   (i) Emphasis on collective efforts and innovative frameworks to address climate challenges.

      - Kerala, Rajasthan, and Goa boost tourism and foreign exchange earnings. Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh lead in infrastructure development. Rajasthan and Gujarat focus on renewable energy. Northeastern states improve connectivity, enhancing trade and tourism.

Main Point :-   (i) 25 states recorded over 7% GSDP growth in FY22 and FY23.

      (ii) 17 states achieved over 9% growth, including Gujarat and Kerala.

(iii) PHDCCI proposes a nine-pronged strategy for sustained growth.

      - His research focuses on the history of science and medicine in modern South Asia. He is also the author of other notable works, including Nationalizing the Body (2009) and Doctoring Traditions (2016).

Main Points:-   (i) The Pfizer Award, established in 1958 by Pfizer, Inc., recognizes exceptional books on the history of science.

      (ii) The award consists of a medal and USD 2,500.

(iii) The award recognizes the book published in English during a period of three calendar years immediately preceding the year of competition.

Main Points:-   (i) Deepika Kumari scored the winning goal for the Indian women's hockey team on home soil and finished as the tournament's top goal scorer with a tally of 11.

      (ii) This marks India's third ACT title, after victories in 2016 and 2023, making them the most successful team in the tournament's history.

(iii) With this title win, India has now equaled South Korea for the most Women's Asian Champions Trophy titles, with 3 titles each.

Main Points:-   (i) PM Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth over Rs 6,640 crore in Jamui, Bihar.

      (ii) Union Minister Amit Shah, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Cooperation, unveiled a grand statue of Bhagwan Birsa Munda at Baansera Park in New Delhi, Delhi, on the occasion of his 150th birth anniversary year.

(iii) He also renamed the Sarai Kale Khan Chowk outside Sarai Kale Khan inter-state bus terminus (ISBT) in south-east Delhi as Birsa Munda Chowk.

      - PM laid the foundation stone of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Darbhanga, Bihar at a cost of Rs 1264 crore.

Main Points:-   (i) PM Modi inaugurated multiple initiatives in the petroleum and natural gas sector worth over Rs 4,020 crore.

      (ii) Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated 18 Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Kendras located at various railway stations across India through video conferencing from Darbhanga, Bihar.

(iii) These Kendras aim to provide passengers with high-quality medicines at affordable prices, enhancing healthcare accessibility at railway stations.

Main Points:-   (i) Prior to the appointment, he served as Additional Secretary in the Department of School Education & Literacy (DSEL), Ministry of Education (MOE), Government of India (Gol).

      (ii) He was responsible for projects like Samagra Shiksha Scheme under National Education Policy (NEP)-2020, Prime Minister Schools for Rising India (PM-SHRI) Scheme.

Main Points:-   (i) She was honored with Padma Shri for outstanding contribution to music in 1991 and Padma Bhushan in the Art-Music field in 2018.

      (ii) In 2000, she was conferred with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.

(iii) She has also received several awards including Rashtriya Devi Ahiliya Samman, Bihar Kala Puraskar, Bihar Ratna, Bhojpuri Ratna, Mithila Vibhuti Samman.