Current Affairs [Prelims] Lexicon – March, 2025
D Voters
D voters are a category unique to Assam, created by the Election Commission in 1997. Individuals marked as D voters are those whose citizenship is doubtful due to inadequate proof of nationality. They are barred from voting until their status is resolved. The designation affects lakhs of people, often leading to detention or exclusion from electoral rolls. D voters cannot obtain essential identity documents like Aadhaar or PAN cards. Their cases are adjudicated by Foreigners Tribunals, and many face prolonged legal battles. The status has socio-political consequences, impacting families and communities across Assam.
Why in news?
The Assam Assembly debated the plight of D voters, demanding closure of the states only detention centre and tabling of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) report, denoting ongoing citizenship verification issues.
14-day Repo
The 14-day repo is a monetary policy tool where the central bank lends funds to banks for a 14-day period against collateral. The RBI shifted its main liquidity infusion from daily repos to the 14-day repo in early 2020. This change aimed to provide more predictable, medium-term liquidity support. Since January 2025, the RBI has resumed daily adjustments in repo auctions while retaining the 14-day repo as a core instrument. This hybrid approach allows the RBI to manage liquidity dynamically and respond to market conditions more effectively.
Why in news?
The RBI’s liquidity management framework discussions in 2025 include the role of the 14-day repo, amidst experiments with overnight liquidity infusion and daily repo auctions.
15th Finance Commission
The 15th Finance Commission , constituted in 2017, recommended fiscal transfers from the Union government to States for 2021-26. It emphasized conditional grants to urban local bodies, tying funds to property tax enhancements and reforms. It sought to improve fiscal discipline and incentivize states to mobilize their own revenues. The Commission introduced performance-based grants to encourage efficiency in urban governance. It also recommended direct transfers to local governments but with conditionalities to ensure accountability. The 15th Finance Commissions approach marked a shift toward more structured financial devolution with a focus on urban local bodies’ fiscal autonomy.
Why in news?
The 15th Finance Commissions conditionalities on grants are cited as examples of the Centre influencing urbanisation through financial mechanisms.
2+2 Ministerial Dialogue
The 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue is a diplomatic format involving the foreign and defense ministers of two countries meeting together to discuss strategic, defense, and foreign policy issues. It aims to enhance bilateral cooperation in security and defense sectors. India and Australia have institutionalized this dialogue to deepen their strategic partnership, with the first India-Australia 2+2 held in 2022. The dialogue facilitates coordination on regional security, maritime cooperation, and defense industry collaboration. It often results in agreements and joint statements that guide bilateral relations. The format is increasingly used by India with key partners like the US, Japan, and Australia.
Why in news?
The two sides reviewed the outcomes of the second India-Australia 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue from November 2023 and planned preparations for the next 2+2 meeting in Australia later in 2025.
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a global framework adopted by all United Nations member states in 2015, consisting of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aimed at ending poverty, protecting the planet, and ensuring prosperity by 2030. It includes nearly 250 indicators to monitor progress across goals. SDG 2 targets zero hunger and improved nutrition. The agenda emphasizes multisectoral approaches, including food systems transformation, health, and education, to achieve sustainable development. The inclusion of MDD as an indicator strengthens the focus on diet quality within this agenda.
Why in news?
The 2030 Agendas SDG framework was updated in 2025 to include MDD, denoting nutritions role in achieving zero hunger and health objectives.
Aadhaar -Based Payment System (ABPS)
The Aadhaar-Based Payment System (ABPS) is a biometric authentication-enabled payment system linked to the Aadhaar database in India. It enables direct benefit transfers and payments without needing a bank card or account number, using fingerprint or iris scans for identity verification. ABPS is widely used in government welfare schemes like MGNREGS to reduce fraud and ensure timely payments. The system supports interoperability across banks and payment service providers. It was mandated nationwide for MGNREGS in ...