Current Affairs Quiz - March 2025

Notes:
A powerful eruption of Guatemala’s Volcán de Fuego has triggered strong explosions, incandescent material, and pyroclastic flows, endangering nearby communities. Volcán de Fuego, meaning “Volcano of Fire,” is one of three large stratovolcanoes near Antigua, Guatemala. Guatemala lies on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” and frequently experiences seismic and volcanic activity. Fuego is one of Central America’s most active volcanoes, with eruptions recorded since the 16th century. A deadly eruption in 2018 killed 194 people and left 234 missing. Its eruptions involve explosions, lava flows, and pyroclastic flows, posing severe risks.

Notes:
The Khelo India Women’s Taekwondo Championship was held in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. It was organized by the Union Ministry of Sports and Youth Welfare, Khelo India, Sports Authority of India, Taekwondo Federation of India, and Uttar Pradesh Taekwondo Association. The championship featured senior category competitions in different weight divisions. The event aimed to promote women’s participation in Taekwondo and boost the sport’s growth in India.

Notes:
No Smoking Day is observed on the second Wednesday of March each year. In 2025, it falls on March 12. The day aims to raise awareness about the dangers of smoking. The theme for No Smoking Day 2025 is “Unmasking the Appeal.” This theme highlights the attraction of smoking and its hidden risks. No Smoking Day began in 1984 in the United Kingdom.

Notes:
e-Shram portal was launched by Ministry of Labour and Employment on 26th August 2021 to create a National Database of Unorganised Workers (NDUW) linked with Aadhaar. It provides unorganised workers with a Universal Account Number (UAN) for access to social security benefits. As of 3rd March 2025, over 30.68 crore workers have registered, with 53.68% being women. On 21st October 2024, the e-Shram One-Stop-Solution was introduced to integrate 13 central welfare schemes into a single platform. On 7th January 2025, the portal added multilingual functionality using Bhashini, allowing access in 22 Indian languages.

Notes:
The Jammu and Kashmir government has allocated ₹3 crore annually for each MLA under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) scheme. MLAs can recommend development projects in their constituencies, focusing on infrastructure, public welfare, and essential services. Funds will support projects like roads, irrigation, power infrastructure, and housing for the underprivileged. Projects must be completed within a year, with exceptions for high-altitude areas. Certain projects, like government offices and places of worship, are not eligible for funding. The fund encourages projects costing up to ₹10 lakh per work.

Notes:
Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Uttar Pradesh is set to become a new sanctuary for rhinos from Nepal. PTR is located in Uttar Pradesh. The river Gomti originates from PTR, with other rivers like Sharda, Chuka, and Mala Khannot flowing through it. The reserve features sal forests, tall grasslands, and swamps maintained by periodic flooding. The 22 km-long Sharda Sagar Dam marks its boundary. It has a dry and hot climate, with a mix of dry teak forests and Vindhya Mountain soils.

Notes:
Researchers have successfully turned light into a “supersolid” for the first time. Supersolids are a unique state of matter defined by quantum mechanics. They form an orderly crystalline solid but flow like a liquid without viscosity. Unlike normal solids, supersolids can change direction and density based on particle interactions. They maintain an organized lattice structure while exhibiting fluid-like movement. The discovery could enhance qubit stability in quantum computing and advance optical circuits, photonic devices, and fundamental physics research.

Notes:
An Indian long-billed vulture was spotted with its chick at Ramadevarabetta, Karnataka, India’s only vulture sanctuary. It was established in 2012. The Indian long-billed vulture (Gyps indicus) is a medium-sized bird with pale brown feathers and a semi-bald head. It has a long bill and broad wings, making it easily identifiable. It mainly lives on cliffs, hilly crags, and open landscapes in central and southern India.

Notes:
India has identified the Northeast as the next saffron cultivation hub after Jammu & Kashmir’s Pampore. Mission Saffron was launched in 2010-11 to promote saffron farming with financial, technical, and infrastructural support. Since 2021, the initiative expanded to the Northeast (Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya) under the “Saffron Bowl Project” by NECTAR (North East Centre for Technology Application and Reach). The Northeast offers suitable agro-climatic conditions for saffron cultivation.

Notes:
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) launched the Frontier Seed (Pacific) program to support local businesses and strengthen capital markets in the Pacific region. The program promotes sustainable economic growth with an initial 4 million commitment. It has signed 200,000 technical assistance agreements with SeaPAC Pte Ltd (prawn production) and Kahuto Pacific (aerial mapping). The initiative is backed by international partners like the Ocean Resilience and Coastal Adaptation (ORCA) Trust Fund, Nordic Development Fund, and UK FCDO. It aims to attract investors, create jobs, and enhance economic resilience in the Pacific region.