Current Affairs Quiz - March 2025

Notes:
Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda inaugurated the 9th National Summit on Good & Replicable Practices and Innovation in Public Healthcare in Puri, Odisha, on 28th February 2025. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and other dignitaries attended the event. The two-day summit allows states and Union Territories to showcase best practices and innovations in public healthcare. Participants share knowledge and learn from others’ experiences in tackling public health challenges. The 8th summit was held in Kevadia, Gujarat, in May 2022. The National Health Mission under the Union Health Ministry organizes the summit.

Notes:
India must grow at 7.8% annually until 2047 to reach high-income status, says the World Bank. World Bank released the report titled “Becoming a High-Income Economy in a Generation”. The report highlights the need for “accelerated reforms.” India’s growth averaged 7.2% in the past three years, but further policy action is required. Investment must rise to 40% of GDP by 2035, supported by ICT and physical capital. Key reforms include stronger financial regulations, easier credit for MSMEs, and simpler FDI policies. Female workforce participation should reach 55% by 2050. Growth-focused sectors include agro-processing, hospitality, transport, and care economy. Efficient land, labour, and capital allocation can boost productivity. A “business as usual” scenario would limit growth to 6.6% per year, making high-income status unattainable.

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Madhya Pradesh, home to the highest wolf population, is studying their ecology at Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary. Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary spans Sagar, Damoh, and Narsinghpur districts. It was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1975. It is the largest wildlife sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh. It serves as a corridor for Panna and Satpura Tiger Reserves and connects Bandhavgarh via Rani Durgawati Wildlife Sanctuary. It falls under the Deccan Peninsula biogeographic region and is part of the Ganga and Narmada basins.

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AIIMS launched ‘Payodhi’, a human milk bank for critically ill preterm babies in the NICU. Payodhi is a milk bank and lactation management centre at AIIMS, New Delhi. It collects, processes, and stores pasteurized donor milk for premature and ill newborns. The milk bank was launched in September 2024 at AIIMS’s Neonatology Division. Payodhi’s aim is to provide safe, processed human milk to NICU babies and support lactating mothers with counseling, milk donation, and storage facilities.

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The first-ever estimate of Gangetic dolphins in India recorded 6,327 individuals in the Ganga and its tributaries. Uttar Pradesh had the highest count with 2,397 dolphins, followed by Bihar (2,220), West Bengal (815 & 6235), Jharkhand (162), Rajasthan & Madhya Pradesh (95), and Punjab (3). The Gangetic dolphin is a freshwater species found in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems. Also known as Blind dolphin, Ganges susu, hihu, it is India’s National Aquatic Animal.

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Ruellia elegans, also known as the Brazilian petunia, Christmas pride, or wild petunia, is native to Brazil and thrives in tropical wet biomes. Its elegant appearance gives it its name. It is one of the invasive plant species from the Acanthoideae sub-family in India, alongside Ruellia ciliatiflora, Ruellia simplex, and Ruellia tuberosa. It was introduced to the Andaman Islands and has spread to Odisha in India over the past decade. The study highlights the threat this plant poses to native biodiversity.

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Tropical Cyclone Alfred hits Australia recently and it brings heavy rain and winds. It is strengthening as it nears southern Queensland and northern New South Wales. Warmer coastal waters and low wind shear have intensified the cyclone. Cyclones are large air masses rotating around a low-pressure center.

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The United States declared English as the national language through an executive order. The decision aims to streamline communication and enhance national unity. Federal agencies can choose whether to provide multilingual services. The order acknowledges the country’s linguistic diversity, with millions speaking Spanish, Chinese, and Arabic. It emphasizes English as the primary language for official use.

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A six-day survey in Majuli River Island, Assam, highlights rising human-wildlife conflict (HWC) concerns. Majuli is the world’s largest river island in Assam, covering 421 sq. km, formed by the Brahmaputra and Subansiri Rivers. It became India’s first island district in 2016 and is known for its lush greenery, water bodies, and paddy fields. The island is a hub of Assamese neo-Vaishnavite culture, with Satras preserving dance, literature, theatre, and mask-making.

Notes:
The Sea Dragon 2025 naval exercise began off the Guam coast in the western Pacific Ocean. Hosted by the U.S. Navy’s 7th fleet, it runs from March 4-19, 2025. The exercise involves five nations, including the Indian Navy, focusing on anti-submarine warfare. Participating countries include India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and the US. It aims to improve tactical and command interoperability among allies and partners of the U.S. Each country is deploying its Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance aircraft. The Indian Navy is using the P8I aircraft, a Boeing-made maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft.