Current Affairs - National

Indian Railways has launched a special Round Trip Festival Package for 2025 to manage passenger flow during the busy festive season and encourage advance planning. The scheme offers a 20% rebate on the base fare of the return journey, provided the same set of passengers travels both ways in the same class and between the same origin-destination pair. It applies to confirmed tickets in all train classes except Flexi fare trains. Bookings open on August 14, 2025, for onward journeys between October 13–26, 2025, and return trips from November 17–December 1, 2025. The offer aims to reduce congestion and improve train utilisation.

The Government e Marketplace (GeM), launched in 2016, is India’s flagship digital procurement platform aimed at ensuring transparency, efficiency, and inclusivity in government purchases. In FY 2024–25, GeM reached a remarkable ₹5.4 lakh crore in Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) and celebrated its 9th anniversary with the theme “Ease, Access and Inclusion.” Over its nine years, GeM has onboarded women-led enterprises, startups, self-help groups, artisans, and MSEs. Reforms announced included removing caution money for sellers, reducing vendor assessment fees, and exempting 97% of orders from transaction charges, reinforcing its role in modernising public procurement.

The 64th National Exhibition of Art was inaugurated in New Delhi by the Lalit Kala Akademi. This prestigious annual event showcases the finest works in the visual arts from across India. For the first time in its history, the exhibition allows the sale of award-winning artworks, creating opportunities for artists to directly benefit financially from their creations. A total of 20 artists were honoured with the Lalit Kala Akademi Award for their excellence in visual arts. The event not only celebrates artistic talent but also contributes to strengthening the creative economy and promoting cultural heritage.

The Delhi Legislative Assembly, located in New Delhi, has become India’s first legislature to operate entirely on solar power. This milestone was achieved through the installation of a 500-kilowatt rooftop solar plant, expected to save ₹15 lakh per month in electricity costs. Alongside this green energy initiative, the Assembly adopted the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) to enable paperless legislative functioning under the “One Nation, One Application” program. By integrating renewable energy with digital governance, the Delhi Assembly sets a benchmark for other state legislatures, demonstrating how sustainability and technological modernisation can work together in public administration.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Kartavya Bhavan as the first building under the Common Central Secretariat (CCS) project, a significant part of the Central Vista redevelopment plan. This modern complex will house multiple ministries, including Home Affairs, External Affairs, Rural Development, and others, replacing older and outdated government buildings like Shastri Bhavan and Krishi Bhavan. The aim is to centralise government operations, enhance coordination, and reduce inefficiencies. Kartavya Bhavan represents a key step toward creating a more streamlined, efficient, and future-ready administrative system that reflects India’s ambitions for modern governance in the 21st century.