Current Affairs Quiz - March 2025

Notes:
Trade Ministry recommends a 12% duty on steel imports to address trade diversion concerns. Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) was established on May 17, 2018, replacing the Directorate General of Anti-Dumping and Allied Duties. It operates under the Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry. DGTR ensures fair trade by investigating dumping, subsidies, and import surges. It conducts anti-dumping and anti-subsidy (Countervailing Duty – CVD) investigations. It examines safeguard measures, manages litigation, and engages with WTO on trade issues. DGTR also runs outreach programs to raise awareness about trade remedies.

Notes:
The Union Cabinet approved the Revised Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM) with an additional ₹1,000 crore, raising the total budget to ₹3,400 crore for 2021-2026 under the 15th Finance Commission. Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM) was launched in December 2014 to conserve and develop indigenous bovine breeds. The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying implements the mission. It aims to develop and conserve indigenous bovine breeds, upgrade the genetic quality of cattle, and boost milk production. The mission seeks to enhance dairy farming profitability for farmers.

Notes:
Bagad Rath Yatra is a vibrant festival in Wai, Maharashtra, celebrated on Rang Panchami. It honors Lord Bhairavnath with a unique ritual where a devotee, ‘Bagadya,’ is suspended from a tall wooden chariot. The festival symbolizes community unity and deep-rooted cultural traditions. It has a 350-year-old history, showcasing seamless collaboration among participants. Powerful invocations and rituals reflect the strength and inspiration drawn from cultural heritage. The festival’s demanding tasks appear effortless due to devotion and collective spirit.

Notes:
RBI’s ‘State of the Economy’ report projects 6.7% growth in 2025-26, driven by strong domestic demand despite global trade tensions. Agriculture, rising consumption, steady investments, infrastructure development, and government spending are key growth factors. Sound fiscal policies, a balanced monetary framework, and digital transformation strengthen long-term growth. Headline Consumer Price Index inflation dropped to 3.6% in February 2025 due to lower food prices. Resilient services exports support India’s external sector despite global challenges. Food inflation risks persist due to commodity price fluctuations and weather anomalies. RBI regulates India’s banking system and currency management.

Notes:
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) criticized the Union Ministry of Tourism for poor implementation of the Swadesh Darshan Scheme. The scheme was launched in 2015 by the Ministry of Tourism to develop sustainable, responsible tourism destinations through thematic circuits. It is a 100% centrally funded scheme. The Ministry provides financial assistance to State Governments, UT Administrations, and Central Agencies. States/UTs are responsible for operation and maintenance. Key features include theme-based tourism circuits, infrastructure development, eco-tourism, and heritage conservation efforts.

Notes:
The 2025 United Nations World Water Development Report was published by UNESCO. It highlights the crucial role of mountains and alpine glaciers (water towers) in sustaining ecosystems, economies, and societies. Forests cover 40% of mountain areas, with grasslands and alpine tundra at higher elevations. Two-thirds of global irrigated agriculture depends on mountain runoff. Mountain permafrost stores 66 Pg of soil organic carbon, 4.5% of the global pool. Mountains host 25 of 34 biodiversity hotspots, preserving vital plant gene pools. Glacier loss threatens water security, with Hindu Kush Himalayas projected to lose 50% of glaciers by 2100. Watermelon snow (glacier blood) effect accelerates melting due to red algae blooms. Urbanization disrupts the hydrological cycle and amplifies ecological disasters. Atmospheric pollution increases black carbon levels in ice cores and lake sediments.

Notes:
World Water Day is celebrated on 22 March every year since 1993 to highlight the importance of freshwater. It focuses on achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030. The theme for World Water Day 2025 is “Glacier Preservation.” This theme raises awareness about the crucial role glaciers play in providing freshwater for drinking, agriculture, industry, and energy production. Glaciers also support healthy ecosystems and are essential for global water security.

Notes:
Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano in Indonesia erupted frequently, sending an ash column 8,200 meters high. Authorities expanded the danger zone, but evacuation details are unavailable. It is located on Flores Island in East Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia. It is part of a twin-volcano system, with Lewotobi Laki-Laki (male) and Lewotobi Perempuan (female). These are stratovolcanoes, formed by repeated lava layers. Indonesia frequently experiences volcanic eruptions as it lies on the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire,’ where tectonic activity causes earthquakes and tsunamis.

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March 24 is observed as World Tuberculosis (TB) Day to raise awareness and promote efforts to eliminate TB. The 2025 theme is “Yes, We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, and Deliver.” The President of India praised the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) for reducing TB cases and increasing awareness. India aims to eliminate TB by 2025, ahead of the 2030 global target set by WHO under the End TB Strategy. TB is a bacterial infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, primarily affecting the lungs but also other body parts. It spreads through airborne transmission, via coughs or sneezes of an infected person.

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Twenty-two Hakki Pikki tribe members from Channagiri, Davangere, Karnataka, were penalized and asked to leave Gabon due to policy changes. The Hakki Pikki are a semi-nomadic tribe traditionally known as bird catchers and hunters. They are one of Karnataka’s major tribal communities and also live in Western and Southern India, mostly near forests. As per the 2011 Census, 11,892 Hakki Pikkis live in Davangere, Mysuru, Kolar, Hassan, and Shivamogga districts. They are recognized as a Scheduled Tribe in India. Their mother tongue, Vaagri, is listed as endangered by UNESCO.