Current Affairs Quiz - March 2025

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:
The Kota district administration, Rajasthan, announced reforms to address student stress and rising suicides among competitive exam aspirants. Kota Cares is a joint initiative launched in December 2024 by the administration, coaching institutes, hostel associations, and local communities. It aims to improve the educational ecosystem and student welfare in the city. The initiative is seen as a model for other educational hubs across India.

Notes:
Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS) , Bengaluru, has developed a new technique to improve next-gen lighting. Organic LEDs (OLEDs), Quantum Dot Light Emitting Diode (QLEDs), and Micro/Mini-LEDs are shaping future lighting but face challenges like cost, toxicity, and production limits. Perovskite LEDs (PeLEDs) combine the benefits of OLEDs and QLEDs but struggle with heat, moisture sensitivity, and color instability. CeNS researchers minimized anion migration in perovskite nanocrystals using applied argon-oxygen plasma treatment. This method enhances stability, slows anion exchange, and improves color stability. The breakthrough, published in Nanoscale, advances durable and efficient optoelectronic devices.

Notes:
India’s Rithvik Bollipalli and Colombia’s Nicolas Barrientos won the men’s doubles title at the Chile Open 2025 tennis tournament. They defeated top-seeded Argentines Andres Molteni and Maximo Gonzalez 6-3, 6-2. This was their first ATP Tour title as a team after first pairing up in Dallas last month. Bollipalli secured his second ATP title, having won the 2024 Almaty Open with Arjun Kadhe. Serbia’s Lalso Djere won the men’s singles title, defeating Argentina’s Sebastian Baez. The tournament, with a $680,140 prize pool, was held in Santiago from 24th February to 2nd March 2025. The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) was founded in 1972.

Notes:
Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) became India’s first urban body to include a separate climate chapter in its 2025-26 budget. The “sustainable and climate budget” allocates ₹5,619.58 crore (over a third) of AMC’s ₹15,502 crore budget for climate action. The fund will support a net-zero, climate-resilient city action plan aligned with India’s net-zero target of 2070. Other metro cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Coimbatore have been slow to institutionalize climate action in their budgets, though Mumbai has allocated 33% for climate projects in 2024-25.

Notes:
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by PM Narendra Modi, approved a 12.4 km ropeway from Govindghat to Hemkund Sahib Ji in Uttarakhand. The project costs ₹2,730.13 crore and will follow the DBFOT (Design, Build, Finance, Operate, and Transfer) model. The ropeway will ease the current 21-km trek, benefiting pilgrims and tourists visiting Hemkund Sahib Ji and the Valley of Flowers (UNESCO site). It will have a capacity of 11,000 passengers per day and use advanced ropeway technology. The project will boost tourism, create jobs, and enhance regional economic growth.

Notes:
The government will open “Pashu Aushadhi” stores nationwide to provide affordable veterinary medicines. It follows the model of Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJK) for low-cost generic medicines. The initiative is part of the revised Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme (LHDCP). Stores will be run by cooperative societies and Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samriddhi Kendras (PMKSK). Ethnoveterinary medicines based on traditional knowledge will also be available. ₹75 crore has been allocated to ensure affordable, high-quality veterinary medicines for farmers.

Notes:
March 7 is celebrated as Jan Aushadhi Diwas to promote generic medicines and raise awareness about the scheme. Week-long events are held from March 1 to 7 across India to support the initiative. Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) was launched in November 2008 by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers. The scheme provides quality medicines at affordable prices through Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJK). The 2025 celebrations began on March 1 in the National Capital Region (NCR) to spread awareness about PMBJP.

Notes:
IIT Bombay and Monash University, Australia, have developed a cost-effective sensor to detect toxic metals in water. The project received funding from the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), India. The sensor uses a copper-based metal-organic framework (MOF) called copper-tetra carboxyphenyl porphyrin (Cu-TCPP) for efficient detection. It can detect lead, cadmium, and mercury even in trace amounts. The MOF structure allows metal ion replacement without collapsing, improving detection capability. Tests on tap and lake water confirmed its accuracy. The sensor performs as well as or better than DNA-based sensors, with simpler design and efficiency.

Notes:
The Indian women’s Kabaddi team won their fifth Asian Women’s Kabaddi Championship title. They defeated Iran 32-25 in the final held in Tehran on 8th March 2025. The 6th Asian Women’s Kabaddi Championship 2025 took place in Tehran from 6th to 8th March 2025. Iran hosted the tournament for the third time, previously in 2007 and 2017.