Current Affairs | National | International | SSC | UPSC 18th March 2025

 National News 

1. Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis inaugurated the first temple of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Bhiwandi 

•  On the occasion of the birth anniversary, the first temple of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was inaugurated in Bhiwandi town of Maharashtra’s Thane district. 
•  The temple honours Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s legacy, and devotees can witness its glory. 
•  This is the first grand temple of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Maharashtra. 
•  The temple is spread over an area of 2,500 square feet, with a fort-like boundary wall covering an additional 5,000 square feet. 
•  The temple’s design incorporates elements typical of forts, including a 42-foot hall (sabha mandap) and circular bastions. 
•  The temple’s structure was designed by architect Vijaykumar Patil. 
•  The 6.5-foot idol of Shivaji Maharaj was created by Arun Yogiraj. 
•  The Maharashtra government has also sought permission from the Uttar Pradesh government to build a memorial of Shivaji Maharaj in Agra. 
•  It is the place from where he escaped from Aurangazeb’s clutches in 1666. 

2. A ₹2.05 lakh crore budget for 2025-26 has been presented by Haryana CM Nayab Saini 

•  On 17 March, a ₹2.05 lakh crore state budget for the 2025-26 financial year was proposed by Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, compared to the 2024-25 budget estimate of ₹1.89 lakh crore. 
•  Saini, who also holds the finance portfolio, presented his first budget. 
•  Presenting the budget, the Chief Minister said that in the last 10 years, the state's GDP has grown at an average rate of 10.8% and per capita income has grown at an average rate of 9.1%. 
•  He informed that the per capita income of Haryana in 2014-15 was Rs 147,382, while the estimated per capita income of Haryana in 2024-25 is Rs 353,182. 
•  The state government will have to spend 30.26% of the consolidated fund proposed in the budget estimates for 2025-26 on repayment of debt. 
•  This includes 17.46% of principal amount and 12.8% interest. 
• In this state budget, the establishment of a department of the future announced, along with the proposal of the Haryana Artificial Intelligence Mission with ₹474 crore in World Bank assistance. 
•  SANKALP, Substance Abuse and Narcotics Knowledge Awareness and Liberation Programme Authority, would be set up to tackle substance abuse, as stated by the CM. 
• The subsidy for direct sowing of paddy was proposed to be increased from ₹4,000 per acre to ₹4,500 per acre. 
• 23.The subsidy for giving up paddy cultivation under the Mera Pani Meri Virasat scheme will be increased from ₹7,000 per acre to ₹8,000 per acre. 
• An interest-free loan of ₹1 lakh will be given to women farmers engaged in dairy farming, horticulture, animal husbandry, and fisheries. 
•  A cow sanctuary will be set up in every district, and a grant of Rs 5 crore announced for the construction of 51 sheds in registered cow shelters. 

3. PB-SHABD: Free subscription extended till March 2026 to support media organisations 

• Prasar Bharati’s Shared Audio-Visuals for Broadcast and Dissemination (PB-SHABD), a 24/7 news hub, has completed one year since its launch in March 2024. 
• The platform provides over 1,000 daily stories in more than 50 categories, delivering high-quality news content without logos in text, video, picture, and audio formats. It is supported by an extensive network of over 1,500 reporters, correspondents, and stringers, ensuring comprehensive coverage from across India. 
• To further support media organisations, especially smaller ones, Prasar Bharati has announced that access to PB-SHABD will remain free until March 2026. 
• This initiative is aimed at helping media outlets by providing them with ready-to-use, logo-free content, saving time and resources. 
•  PB-SHABD offers content across a wide range of news categories, such as agriculture, technology, foreign affairs, political developments, and more. The stories are uploaded in all major Indian languages, sourced from Prasar Bharati’s Regional News Units (RNUs) and headquarters. 

4. Telangana Assembly passes Bills enhancing BC reservation to 42% 

•  The Telangana government on Monday set in motion the process to enhance reservation to the Backward Classes (BCs) to 42% in education, jobs, and polls to local bodies. 
• The Assembly passed two Bills — the Telangana Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes (Reservation of seats in educational institutions and of appointments or posts in services under the State) Bill, 2025 and the Telangana Backward Classes (Reservation of seats in rural and urban local bodies) Bill, 2025
• . The Bills, once approved by the Union government, would ensure that BCs get 42% reservation, Scheduled Castes 15%, and Scheduled Tribes 10%. Piloting the Bills, Backward Classes Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said the Bills were formulated for inclusive development of marginalised classes and was one of the major concerns during the formation of Telangana State. 
• There had been numerous demands from the BC associations, people, and political parties to enhance reservations in view of their backwardness and inadequate representation, he said. Based on the Supreme Court’s direction that if a State wanted to exceed the 50% reservation limit, then it was required to base its decision on quantifiable data, the government had accordingly conducted the Socio, Economic, Education, Employment, Political and Caste Census.
• It also set up a dedicated commission headed by former bureaucrat Busani Venkateshwara Rao to conduct rigorous empirical enquiry into the backwardness in representation of BC communities in local bodies. In the process, the Bill passed by the previous BRS government enhancing reservations to BC communities from 29% to 37%, and ST communities from 6% to 10%, which was awaiting assent of the President, was withdrawn.

 International News 

5 . Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed on a peace treaty after four decades of war 

• Armenian and Azerbaijani officials agreed on a peace agreement to end nearly four decades of conflict between both countries. 
•  These neighbouring countries were involved in a decades-long conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region since the collapse of the Soviet Union. 
• Peace talks began after Azerbaijan retook Karabakh by force in September 2023. 
•  The region is internationally considered part of Azerbaijan but for decades was under the control of Armenian separatists. 
•  Armenia accepted Azerbaijan’s proposals on “the two unresolved articles” of the draft agreement. 
•  Both countries have fought multiple wars since the 1980s after the Nagorno-Karabakh region broke away from Azerbaijan. 
•  The agreement would prevent personnel from third countries deploying along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border. 
•  However, the timeline for signing the deal is uncertain. 

6. China welcomes Modi’s comments, points to 2,000-year history of ties 

• China on Monday welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement that India and China have achieved “normalcy” on the border after his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and that the two sides were restoring ties to the pre-2020 state while ensuring that “differences don’t become disputes”. 
• Mr. Modi’s comments, made to a U.S.-based podcasters, are by far the strongest indicator that New Delhi and Beijing are prepared to move beyond the tensions of the past five years, including the Galwan clashes in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed by PLA soldiers and incursions over the Line of Actual Control. 
•  The comments by Mr. Modi follow months after the Indian Army chief, General Upendra Dwivedi, said the situation at the LAC was “stable but not normal” and that a “degree of stand-of” remained between the two Armies, while experts questioned whether relations can be “normalised” without completing the withdrawal of troops.
•   In Beijing, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning called Mr. Modi’s comments during the interview with podcaster Lex Fridman a “positive statement on China-India relations”. Referring to the October 23 Modi-Xi meeting in Russia, the Chinese spokesperson said the two sides “have earnestly implemented the important consensus of the leaders of the two countries, strengthened exchanges and practical cooperation at all levels, and achieved a series of positive results”. 
•  During the interview, Mr. Modi, who has spoken very rarely about the stand-of with China, also said India and China had “no real history of conflict” and that the relationship should remain “just as strong in the future”. While India and China have not fought each other historically, they have had tensions at the unresolved boundary for decades after they went to war in 1962. 
• Likening the two neighbours to a “family”, Mr. Modi added that there may be “occasional disagreements”, and that “even within a family, not everything is always perfect”. Friendly exchanges Ms. Mao said the Chinese government had “noted and appreciated” the comments and also pointed to more than “2,000-year history of China-India exchanges, friendly exchanges, mutual learning, and mutual understanding”, echoing Mr. Modi’s words. 
•  “It is the only right choice for China and India to be partners who contribute to each other’s success and to realise the ‘Dance of the Dragon and the Elephant’,” Ms. Mao continued, referring to the Chinese depiction of India as an elephant.
•   The warm statements follow visits to Beijing by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, and meetings between External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in the past few months, and could suggest more bilateral exchanges this year. Mr. Modi is expected to travel to China in June to attend the SCO Summit. 
•  Mr. Jaishankar had said earlier this month that officials were working on the resumption of travel links between the two countries, business and tourist visas, the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage, and the return of journalists. 

7. India and Australia agree to deepen cooperation across maritime, land, air domains 

•  India and Australia on Monday agreed to deepen cooperation and interoperability across maritime, land, and air domains, including working with multilateral partners. 
•  The two countries also decided to focus on cooperation in maritime domain awareness, reciprocal information sharing, industry and science and technology collaboration aside from “exchanges including deployments from each other’s territories”. 
•  This was agreed in the 9th India-Australia defence policy talks held in New Delhi. The Indian delegation was headed by Joint Secretary Amitabh Prasad, while the Australian side was led by First Assistant Secretary International Policy Division, Department of Defence, Australia, Bernard Philip. “Both sides welcomed sustained progress in bilateral defence cooperation, including the growing complexity of defence exercises and exchanges.
•  It included several first-time milestones, finalisation of key agreements and participation in each other’s major defence trade expositions,” a Defence Ministry statement said. 

Defence News 

8. 14th ADMM-Plus counter-terrorism meeting will be co-chaired by India in New Delhi 

•  India will host the 14th meeting of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) Experts Working Group (EWG) on Counter-Terrorism in New Delhi from March 19 to 20, 2025. 
•  India and Malaysia will co-chair this meeting. 
• Delegations from 10 ASEAN members, including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore, and Thailand, will participate in the meeting. 
•  Additionally, representatives from eight dialogue partners—Australia, New Zealand, RoK, Japan, China, the USA, and Russia—along with Timor Leste and the ASEAN Secretariat will also attend. 
• For the first time, India will co-chair the EWG on counter-terrorism. 
•  This will be the first meeting of the Counter-Terrorism EWG's planned activities for the cycle running 2024-2027.
•   The discussion will focus on preparing a strong and comprehensive strategy to deal with the emerging threat of terrorism and extremism. 
•  The aim of this meeting is to share real-world experiences of the defence forces of ASEAN and its dialogue partner countries.
•   ADMM-Plus serves as a platform for practical cooperation among the defence establishments of the participating countries. 
•  Each EWG is co-chaired by an ASEAN Member Country and a Dialogue Partner Country, following a three-year cycle. 

Schemes and Committees News 

9. Rajiv Yuva Vikasam scheme has been introduced by Telangana CM A. Revanth Reddy 

• The scheme offers self-employment loans to young people from SC, ST, BC, and Minority communities.
• The aim of scheme is to create self-employment opportunities for five lakh unemployed youth in Telangana. 
•  Six thousand crore rupees have been allocated by the Telangana government for the scheme.
•  Financial support of up to 3 lakh rupees will be provided to eligible individuals. 
• With this support, they will be able to set up self-employment units.
•   Selected applicants will receive loan approval documents on Telangana Formation Day, June 2nd. 
•  Loans up to 1 lakh rupees will be provided with an 80% subsidy. 
•  Loans of up to 2 lakh rupees will be provided with a 70% subsidy. 
•  Loans up to 3 lakh rupees will be eligible for a 60% subsidy. 

Appointment News

 10. Dr. Shivkumar Kalyanaraman assumes charge of CEO Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) 

•  Shivkumar Kalyanaraman has taken over as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF). 
•  Earlier, Professor Abhay Karandikar, Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), was serving as the acting CEO. He officially handed over the position to Dr. Shivkumar 
•  Shivkumar previously worked as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for the Energy Industry in Asia at Microsoft. 
• ANRF will act as an apex body to provide high-level strategic direction of scientific research in the country as per recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP). Recent Appointments 
• Chairman of Tata Communications Board – N G Subramaniam
•   Chairman of Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (ATMA) – Arun Mammen
•   Vice chairman of Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (ATMA) – Hiroshi Yoshizane 
•  President & CEO of Honda Cars India Ltd – Takashi Nakajima (replace Takuya Tsumura) South Korea brand
•  Judge of Supreme Court – Justice Joymalya Bagchi (set to become CJI in May 2031) 

11. Intel appointed chip industry veteran Lip-Bu Tan as CEO 

•  Intel named former board member and chip industry veteran Lip-Bu Tan as its CEO. 
•  Tan says his main aim is to restore Intel's world-class status.
•  Intel is undergoing a historic transition as it attempts to emerge from one of its bleakest periods. 
•  Intel has considered big changes to its chip manufacturing methods and AI strategies
• This appointment had come after three months when Pat Gelsinger left the position. 
•  Intel Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Santa Clara, California 

Important day News 

12. March 18 – National Ordnance Factories Day 

• Ordnance Factories Day is s to commemorate the establishment of the first ordnance factory in Cossipore, Kolkata, in 1801.
•  The day highlights the contribution of the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) and its network of factories in strengthening India’s defense sector. 
• First Ordnance Factory- Established in Cossipore, Kolkata, in 1801. 
• Purpose- To manufacture arms, ammunition, and defense equipment for the Indian Armed Forces. 
• Managed by- Initially under the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), which was later restructured into seven defense PSUs in 2021. 
•  Celebrations- Exhibitions and public awareness programs showcasing defense manufacturing capabilities. 

13. Police to create ‘Shishtachar’ squads to check harassment of women in public spaces 

• D elhi Police will launch dedicated squads, ‘Shishtachar (etiquette)’, to check sexual harassment of women in public places. According to a circular issued by Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora on March 8, 30 Shishtachar squads, comprising men and women officers, will be deployed across spots with higher rates of crimes against women. 
• The move comes nearly 40 days after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the Delhi Assembly election, in the run-up to which it had promised to create squads to “enhance women’s safety in public spaces”, along the lines of the ‘Anti-Romeo Squads’ introduced in Uttar Pradesh by Yogi Adityanath in 2017. 
• 12-member teams An Inspector will head each team with a Sub-Inspector, four female constables, five male constables and a constable from the district’s Anti-Auto Theft Squad for technical assistance.
•  Each district will have at least two such teams, supervised by the Additional Commissioner of Police in the respective district’s Crime Against Women Cell (ACP-CAW), stated the circular. 
• It added that the squads will move around in “high risk” areas and conduct drives in at least “two vulnerable spots” in the Capital every day. “These teams will have women personnel in plain clothes to identify and deter perpetrators,” it also said. 
• The teams have been directed to conduct surprise checks in buses and interact with drivers, conductors, and passengers to get information about instances of harassment. 
•  The teams are also expected to interact with market welfare associations (MWAs) and residents’ welfare associations (RWAs) to identify other high-risk spots. “Officers have been directed to handle cases sensitively and ensure swift legal action under Sections 74 (criminal force against a woman with the intent to outrage her modesty) and 78 (stalking) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita,” the circular read. It added that the law must be enforced “without any bias stemming from cultural or personal morality”.
•  Weekly reports To monitor performance, the ACP-CAW of each district will submit a weekly report to the DCP of the Special Police Unit for Women and Children (SPUWAC), detailing the activities and actions taken, it read. These reports will be subsequently compiled and submitted to the Police Commissioner through the Special Commissioner of Police (SPUWAC). Monthly evaluations will be conducted based on feedback from schools, colleges, RWAs, MWAs, and Police Control Rooms. 

Science and Technology News 

14. ISRO developed high-speed microprocessors Vikram 3201 and Kalpana 3201 for space missions

•  The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) and the Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL) in Chandigarh have jointly developed 32-bit microprocessors Vikram 3201 and Kalpana 3201. 
•  Vikram 3201 is India's first fully indigenous 32-bit microprocessor. It can be used in the harsh conditions of launch vehicles. 
•  A 32-bit microprocessor is a type of microprocessor with a data bus, registers, and address bus that are 32-bit wide. 
•  Vikram 3201 supports floating-point computations and offers high-level language compatibility. 
•  Kalpana 3201 is also a 32-bit SPARC V8 RISC microprocessor based on the IEEE 1754 Instruction Set Architecture. 
• It has been designed to be compatible with open-source software toolsets.
•  This development is a significant milestone in achieving self-reliance in high-reliability microprocessors for launch vehicles. 

15. Chandrayaan-5 mission has been approved by the Indian Government. 

•  Chandrayaan-5 mission comes under India’s goal to land an Indian astronaut on the Moon by 2040.
•  Chandrayaan-4 will focus on landing on the Moon and collecting samples. 
•  Recently approved Chandrayaan-5 will carry a 350 kg rover. 
•  Chandrayaan-5 mission will be done in a collaboration with Japan. 
•  Chandrayaan-5 will include a larger lander. This is very important for future missions, including human lunar landings. 
• ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 recently achieved a soft landing on the Moon’s South Pole. 
•  The technology for safe landings, sample collection, and return to Earth will be demonstrated by Chandrayaan-4. 
•  ISRO plans to set up the Bharatiya Antriksh Station by 2035. 
•  The aim of Indian government is to send astronauts to the Moon aboard a homegrown rocket. 
•  During the last decade, ISRO has launched 433 satellites. 
•  ISRO has maintained a 90% success rate. 
•  ISRO has also sent 393 foreign satellites into orbit. 
•  The Kulasekarapattinam spaceport in Tamil Nadu will support Small Satellite Launch Vehicle launches. 
•  Its foundation was laid in February 2024 and construction begun in March 2025. 
•  Chandrayaan-1 played pivotal role in discovering water on the Moon. Chandrayaan-2, despite its landing failure, provided crucial lunar data. 
• Chandrayaan-3 achieved the first-ever soft landing at the Moon’s South Pole. 
• ISRO became world’s 4th country to launch a satellite focused on studying Sun. Miscellaneous News 

16. The launch of the 5G Innovation Hackathon 2025 announced by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) 

•  The 5G Innovation Hackathon 2025 aims to accelerate the development of innovative 5G-powered solutions to address societal and industrial challenges.
•  It is a six-month initiative and is organised for students, startups, and professionals. 
•  The program provides mentorship, funding, and access to over 100 5G use case labs to help participants turn visionary ideas into technology. 
• The hackathon invites proposals focused on key 5G applications such as AI-driven network maintenance, IoT-enabled solutions, 5G broadcasting, smart health, agriculture, industrial automation, non-terrestrial networks, D2M, V2X, and quantum communications. 
• This hackathon will take place in several phases. 
• The top 25-50 teams will advance to the Pragati Phase where they will be provided an initial funding of INR 1,00,000 each to develop their prototypes over a period of three months (June 15-September 15, 2025). 
•  The winners will be announced in October 2025, with the top teams showcasing their innovations at the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2025, one of the most prestigious tech events in the country.
•  The winners will get significant prizes, including ₹5,00,000 for first place, ₹3,00,000 for second place, and ₹1,50,000 for third place. 
•  The 5G Innovation Hackathon 2025 is designed to harness the transformational potential of 5G technology by fostering collaboration and innovation. 

Sports News

 17. India Masters beat West Indies Masters by 6 wickets to clinch International Masters League T20 title 

•  In Cricket, Sachin Tendulkar led India Masters clinched the inaugural International Masters League T20 title beating Brian Lara’s West Indies Masters by 6 wickets at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur. 
•  After electing to bat first, West Indies Masters got restricted to 148 for 7 due to Vinay Kumar and Shahbaz Nadeem’s wicket-taking spells. 
•  In response to this, India Masters got home in just 17.1 overs with Ambati Rayudu’s 74 off 50 balls, who also got the Player of the Match award. 
•  Shane Watson got the Elevated Most Sixes of the Season award and Kumar Sangakkara bagged the Masterstroke of the Season award. 

18. Kabaddi World Cup 2025 begins in England 

•  The 2nd edition of Kabaddi World Cup 2025 begins in England. The Indian Men’s team will start their campaign against Italy at Wolverhampton. 
•  The competition will span seven days with over 60 matches, taking place in Birmingham, Coventry, Walsall, and Wolverhampton – in the West Midlands region of the United Kingdom. 
•  The men’s competition will start with 10 teams split into two equal groups – A and B. India will compete in Group B along with Italy, Scotland, Wales and China.
• On the other hand, the women’s competition will be among six teams with two groups – D and E. India will compete in Group D along with Wales and Poland. 
•  At the inaugural edition hosted by Malaysia in 2019, India won both the men’s and women’s crowns. Also, this is the first time the Kabaddi World Cup has been hosted outside of Asia. 
•  Moreover, this Kabaddi World Cup is different from the one hosted by the International Kabaddi F
• ederation (IKF), whose all editions have been hosted in India. 

19. Harmanpreet Singh, Savita Punia won the Hockey India Player of the Year Awards 

•  Harmanpreet Singh and Savita Punia received the Hockey India Balbir Singh Senior Player of the Year award in the men’s and women’s categories respectively. 
•  Harmanpreet led India to its second consecutive bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. 
•  Savita was a member of the Indian team that came close to winning a bronze in the Tokyo Olympics. 
• Savita Punia also won the Hockey India Baljit Singh Goalkeeper of the Year award for 2024. 
•  The 1975 Men’s World Cup-winning team has been conferred with the Hockey India Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award.
•   Abhishek won the Forward of the Year award while Hardik Singh was named Midfielder of the Year. 
• Amit Rohidas won the Best Defender of the Year award. 
•  Araijeet Singh Hundal won the Jugraj Singh Player of the Year (Men’s Under-21). 
• Deepika bagged the Player of the Year award in the women’s Under-21 category. 

Obituary News

 20. Former Union Minister Dr. Devendra Pradhan passed away 

•  On March 17, senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Dr. Devendra Pradhan passed away in New Delhi at the age of 84. 
•  A lifelong member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Dr Pradhan joined the BJP in 1980 as a Mandal president.
•  He was elected to the Lok Sabha twice in a row from Odisha's Deogarh parliamentary constituency in 1998 and 1999. 
•  After his debut in the Lok Sabha, he became Union Minister of State for Surface Transport in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in 1998. 
•  From 1999 to 2001, he was again the Union Minister of State for Surface Transport and Agriculture in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. 
•  After this, in 2001, he was appointed the National Vice President of BJP. 

21. Renowned Odia poet Padma Bhushan Ramakanta Rath passed away 

•  On March 16, Padma Bhushan Ramakanta Rath, one of the most renowned modernist poets of Odia literature, passed away in Bhubaneswar at the age of 91. 
•  Ramakant Rath, a 1957 batch IAS officer, also served as Chief Secretary of Odisha and held several key positions in the Union government. 
• His poems are famous for their depth and insight, including 'Shri Radha' among many other poems. 
•  His works have been translated into English and several Indian languages. 
•  The Government of India conferred the Padma Bhushan on Ramakanta Rath in 2006, recognizing his outstanding contribution to literature. 
•  He also served as the President of the Sahitya Akademi from 1998 to 2003. 

22. Ex-Minister Debendra Pradhan dies at 84 

•  Veteran BJP leader Debendra Pradhan, who was a Minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, died on Monday.
•  He was 84 and is survived by two sons, including Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Pradhan, the three-time Odisha BJP president, breathed his last at his son’s official residence at Teen Murti Lane in New Delhi. 
• Condoling his death, President Droupadi Murmu said that having known him for many years, she got the opportunity to witness his contribution to the development of Odisha and the nation. 
•  Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid floral tributes to Pradhan, and hailed his efforts in strengthening the BJP in Odisha.