Current Affairs Quiz - March 2025

Notes:
The Supreme Court directed all States to address concerns on stockouts, procurement transparency, and drug quality of Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) drugs for People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV). ART is a combination of medications that treat human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) by reducing its levels in the body. HIV destroys CD4 cells (also called helper T-cells), weakening the immune system and increasing infection risk. ART cannot cure HIV but helps maintain a healthy immune system by preventing the virus from multiplying. A combination of two to four ART drugs improves effectiveness and reduces resistance. If viral load is low enough, HIV becomes undetectable in blood tests.

Notes:
At least 14 BRO workers were recently rescued from an avalanche in Mana, Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is India’s road construction force supporting the Armed Forces. It operates under the Ministry of Defence and was established on May 7, 1960. BRO builds and maintains roads in border areas and friendly neighboring countries.

Notes:
Due to heavy rain and snowfall in Himachal Pradesh, the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) opened the spillway gates of Pandoh Dam as a precautionary measure. Pandoh Dam is an embankment dam located in Mandi district, Himachal Pradesh. It is built on the Beas River and primarily serves hydroelectric power generation. The dam is a concrete gravity structure, standing 76 meters (249 feet) tall.

Notes:
A new species of spined loach, Cobitis beijingensis, has been discovered in Beijing, China, after 40 years. This is the first time a fish species has been named globally using the pinyin “Beijing.” The Beijing loach is about 5 cm long, with a body covered in yellow and black patterned markings. The species was confirmed by a research team from the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. It was collected from the Chaobai River in Shilipu Town, Miyun District, Beijing.

Notes:
The U.S. Air Force is considering deploying the Harpoon anti-ship missile on its F-16s, signaling a shift in naval warfare strategy. The Harpoon (RGM-84/UGM-84/AGM-84) is a subsonic anti-ship cruise missile developed by Boeing for the U.S. Navy. Introduced in 1977, it is used by over 30 countries, including India. It has a range of 90-240 km and can be launched from ships, submarines, shore batteries, and aircraft.

Notes:
A Lancet Global Health study found that over a third of newborns with sepsis could die. Neonatal sepsis is a blood infection in infants under 90 days old, caused by bacteria like E. coli, Listeria, and Streptococcus. It is classified into early-onset (within 72 hours) and late-onset (after 3 days). Symptoms include temperature changes, breathing issues, and diarrhea. Treatment involves intravenous antibiotics in hospitals. Neonatal sepsis causes 5,50,000 deaths globally yearly, with India accounting for nearly one-fourth of these deaths.

Notes:
A green sea turtle carcass was found on Marina beach, Chennai. Green sea turtles are the largest hard-shelled sea turtles and are herbivores, feeding mainly on seagrasses and algae. Their diet gives their fat a greenish color, which is the origin of their name. They are found in tropical and subtropical waters worldwide, with large populations in Costa Rica and Australia. Green sea turtles migrate long distances and are classified as Endangered by the IUCN.

Notes:
Uttarakhand government launched the Chief Minister Single Women Self-Employment Scheme. The scheme aims to support women’s economic independence. Single, deserted, or widowed women will receive financial assistance up to ₹2 lakh. The initiative helps women start their own businesses and achieve self-reliance.

Notes:
Microsoft has launched a new AI assistant called Dragon Copilot for healthcare. It is part of Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare and helps doctors with clinical documentation. It transcribes clinical notes, drafts paperwork, and searches medical sources. It integrates with Dragon Medical One (DMO) and DAX for speech recognition. It allows voice-to-text transcription, AI-generated notes, and medical searches. It automates tasks like referral letters, visit summaries, and clinical evidence documentation.

Notes:
International Monetary Fund (IMF) has released the report titled “India Financial System Stability Assessment”. IMF warns that stress in Non Banking Finance Companies (NBFCs) may risk the financial system due to overexposure to power and infrastructure sectors. 63% of power sector loans in fiscal 2024 came from three major Infrastructure Financing Companies, up from 55% in 2019-20. 56% of NBFC lending was financed by market instruments, with the rest from bank borrowings. State-owned NBFCs like IREDA face higher risks. In a stagflation scenario, public sector banks (PSBs) may struggle to maintain a 9% capital adequacy ratio (CAR). IMF recommends equal regulation for state-owned and private NBFCs and better data sharing.