Current Affairs Quiz - March 2025

Notes:
In March 2025, scientists in France discovered a massive, naturally occurring white hydrogen deposit in the Moselle region, estimated to be worth $92 trillion and containing 46 million tons of hydrogen, potentially revolutionizing the clean energy sector. White hydrogen is naturally occurring, formed by geochemical reactions in hard rock, similar to oil and gas. It is small, light, and escapes cap rocks easily, making extraction a challenge. The industry is nascent, with only a few innovators exploring its potential. This discovery could have a significant impact on the global energy transition, potentially helping countries reduce their reliance on fossil fuels and transition to cleaner energy sources.

Notes:
The Ministry of Tourism provides financial assistance through the ‘Swadesh Darshan (SD)’ and ‘Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD)’ schemes for Buddhist Tourism development. The PRASHAD (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spirituality Augmentation Drive) scheme was launched by the Ministry of Tourism in 2014. It aims to enhance cultural preservation and spiritual tourism at pilgrimage sites across 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:
Stuart Young was sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago at the President’s House in St. Ann’s. He succeeds Dr. Keith Rowley, who has officially stepped down. Trinidad and Tobago is an island country in the southeastern West Indies, close to Venezuela and Guyana. It is a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

Notes:
Leaders of the Hmar and Zomi communities agreed to restore peace in Churachandpur, Manipur, after recent clashes. The Zomi tribe is an ethnic group also known as Chin, Mizo, or Kuki, depending on location. They belong to the Tibeto-Burman group of the Mongoloid race and are spread across India, Myanmar, and Bangladesh. In India, they reside in Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur, and Assam. They speak Kuki-Chin (Kukish) languages.

Notes:
Exercise Varuna is the bilateral naval exercise between India and France, started in 1993 and named Varuna in 2001. VARUNA 2025 is the 23rd edition, scheduled to take place from March 19 to 22 in the Arabian Sea. It features high-intensity naval drills covering sub-surface, surface, and aerial operations. INS Vikrant and Charles de Gaulle participates with fighter jets, destroyers, frigates, and a Scorpene-class submarine. Key highlights include advanced air defence drills and mock air-to-air combat between French Rafale-M and Indian MiG-29K jets to improve combat readiness.

Notes:
Sagareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary in Sangli district, Maharashtra, has 536 sambars and 295 cheetals (spotted deer). It has one of the highest deer populations among manmade wildlife sanctuaries. The sanctuary covers 10.87 sq.km and has no permanent water supply. Most wildlife species, including 536 sambars and 295 cheetals, were introduced artificially. The sanctuary is known for a high deer population. It is named after the ancient Sagareshwar temple, with many other temples dedicated to Lord Shiva within the sanctuary.

Notes:
Mridulika Jha of Aaj Tak won the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism 2025 for reporting on the “Dunki route” used by Haryana youths to illegally enter the United States of America. 27 journalists were awarded across 20 categories at the 19th Ramnath Goenka Awards held in New Delhi on 19 March 2025. The award, instituted by the Indian Express Group in 2005, honors Print/Digital & Broadcast journalists for excellence despite political and economic pressures. President Droupadi Murmu was the chief guest and presented the awards. Winners received a citation, a trophy, and ₹1 lakh cash prize.

Notes:
Punjab became the first Indian state to broadcast Legislative Assembly proceedings in sign language. Dr Baljit Kaur, Minister for Social Security, Women, and Child Development, announced the initiative. It aims to make legislative discussions accessible to people with deafness disability. The Governor’s speech at the Budget Session was broadcast in sign language. The initiative was led by the Ministry of Social Security, Women, and Child Development. It follows Section 40 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan approved it for the 16th Punjab Legislative Assembly.

Notes:
The Supreme Court criticized the Uttarakhand government for slow action against senior officers accused of illegal constructions in Corbett Tiger Reserve. Corbett Tiger Reserve is located in the foothills of the Himalayas in Uttarakhand. It was established in 1936 as Hailey National Park and renamed Corbett National Park in 1957 to honor Jim Corbett. The total area of the reserve is 1,288.31 sq. km, with undulating terrain and several valleys. Rivers Ramganga, Pallaen, and Sonanadi flow through it. The reserve lies in the Bhabar and lower Shivalik regions with a deep-water table and porous terrain.