Current Affairs Quiz - March 2025

Notes:
Amazon launched a quantum computing chip named Ocelot. It is a prototype with limited computing power. It consists of two integrated silicon microchips. Its high-quality oscillators are made from superconducting Tantalum. It uses cat qubits, inspired by Schrödinger’s cat experiment. Ocelot can reduce quantum error correction costs by up to 90% compared to current methods.

Notes:
Exercise Desert Hunt 2025 was held at Air Force Station Jodhpur, Rajasthan, from 24 to 28 February 2025. It is a tri-service special forces exercise conducted by the Indian Air Force. Participants included the Indian Army’s Para (SF), Navy’s Marine Commandos, and Air Force’s Garud (SF). The exercise focused on interoperability, coordination, and synergy among special forces. It included airborne insertion, precision strikes, hostage rescue, counter-terrorism, combat free falls, and urban warfare.

Notes:
Vidarbha won their third Ranji Trophy title 2034-2025 by securing a first-innings lead against Kerala in the final. The final was held at Vidarbha Cricket Stadium, Nagpur, from 26 February to 2 March 2025. The Ranji Trophy, India’s top domestic first-class cricket championship, was established by BCCI in honor of K.S. Ranjit Singhji. Vidarbha previously won in 2017-18 and 2018-19. Kerala reached their first-ever Ranji Trophy final.

Notes:
Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lunar lander successfully landed in the Mare Crisium region of the Moon after a controlled descent. It carries 10 NASA payloads under the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program to boost private-sector lunar exploration. The mission aims to study the lunar environment, using a vacuum for soil collection and a drill measuring temperatures up to 3 meters deep. It will analyze heat flow, plume-surface interactions, and the Moon’s magnetic and electric fields to understand its geological history. The lander will function for 14 Earth days to conduct scientific studies and tech demonstrations.

Notes:
Digital transactions are growing fast, increasing cyber threats and making payment security crucial. QNA is launching the Payment Security Summit & Awards – India in Mumbai on 4th March 2025. The event aims to unite leaders from various sectors to shape secure digital commerce. QNA is a decade-old events organization known for its expertise in hosting business events.

Notes:
The Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs announced the Cities Coalition for Circularity (C-3). It is a global alliance promoting city-to-city collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and private sector partnerships. The announcement was made at the 12th Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum in Jaipur. C-3 aims to boost resource efficiency and support a low-carbon economy. It will enhance cooperation among policymakers, industry leaders, and researchers. The initiative focuses on building a sustainable future through circular economy principles.

Notes:
Yuki Bhambri (India) and Alexei Popyrin (Australia) won the doubles title at the Dubai Tennis Championships 2025. It was their first ATP 500 doubles title. Stefanos Tsitsipas (Greece) won the singles title. The Dubai Open, an ATP 500 event, had a prize pool of $3,237,670. It was held from 24 February to 1 March 2025 in Dubai, UAE.

Notes:
Countries around Lake Tanganyika launched a five-year project to tackle biodiversity threats. Lake Tanganyika is an ancient lake in East Africa. It borders Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia. It is the world’s longest and one of the deepest lakes, stretching over 400 miles. It is located in the Western Rift Valley, steep land rises along its shores. It marks the division between East and West African floral regions, with oil palms on its shores.

Notes:
Krishna Jayasankar, a 22-year-old Indian athlete studying in Texas, set a new Indian indoor shot put record. She achieved a throw of 16.03 metres at the Mountain West Indoor Track and Field Championship in Albuquerque. This broke the previous Indian indoor record of 15.54m, set by Poornarao Rane. Krishna won the bronze medal, securing her spot in the last round. She overtook Colorado State’s Makayla Long, who had a 15.98m throw, pushing her to fourth place.

Notes:
Punjab has fully utilized ₹4,713 crore under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) scheme. It ranks number one in India for AIF implementation. The state has received an additional ₹2,337 crore allocation. AIF was launched in July 2020 to finance agriculture infrastructure projects. The scheme supports post-harvest infrastructure, including storage, processing, and supply chain improvements. It provides medium to long-term financing to farmers, FPOs, and agri-entrepreneurs. Punjab’s effective use of AIF aims to reduce post-harvest losses and enhance value addition in agriculture.