Current Affairs Quiz - March 2025

Notes:
Japan raised concerns over a prolonged incursion by Chinese Coast Guard ships near the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea. The Senkaku Islands, a disputed territory between Japan and China, are located in the East China Sea. They are uninhabited and located about 90 nautical miles north of Japan’s Yaeyama Islands and 120 nautical miles northeast of Taiwan. They are known as Diaoyu Islands in China, Diaoyutai Islands in Taiwan, and Pinnacle Islands by others. The islands cover 6.3 sq km, with the largest, Uotsuri Island, spanning 3.6 sq km. The terrain consists of sandstone, tuff, and andesite, with coral formations uplifted in the Holocene era.

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NITI Aayog CEO BVR Subrahmanyam launched DX-EDGE (Empowering Excellence and Growth through Digital Transformation) to support Medium Small and Micro Enterprises (MSMEs). DX-EDGE aims to connect MSMEs, technology providers, and academic institutions for digital transformation. It will create a large pool of technical expertise, offering structured, cost-effective technology access to MSMEs. The initiative will help six crore MSMEs improve efficiency, revenue, and global competitiveness through Artificial Intelligence and advanced technology. The government has allocated significant funds in the 2025 Budget to support MSMEs and encourage digitalization.

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Unprecedented wildfires in South Korea’s southern regions recently destroyed large parts of the 1,300-year-old Gounsa Temple complex, including two national treasure buildings. Gounsa Temple, meaning “Solitary Cloud Temple,” is a Buddhist temple located at the foot of Deungun Mountain in Uiseong, South Korea. It was built in the 7th century during the Shilla dynasty. Though it lacks ancient buildings, it houses significant cultural heritages. It survived Japanese invasions but was reconstructed after the Imjin War in 1695. It serves as the Headquarters Temple of the 16th District of the Jogye-jong Order.

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Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary hosted the first-ever ‘Indian Bison Fest’ to raise awareness about conservation. The sanctuary is located in Bargarh district, Odisha, near the Hirakud Dam on the Mahanadi River. It has historical significance as freedom fighter Veer Surendra Sai used ‘Barapathara’ within the sanctuary as his base during his rebellion against the British. Debrigarh was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1985. The event highlighted the ecological importance of the Indian Bison and the need for its protection.

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Kasampatty Sacred Grove has been declared Tamil Nadu’s second Biodiversity Heritage Site (BHS), after Arittapatti in Madurai. It is located near the Alagarmalai Reserve Forest in Dindigul district. BHS are ecologically fragile areas with rich biodiversity, including rare, endemic, and threatened species. They are notified under Section 37(1) of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. The State Government, in consultation with local bodies, designates these areas in the Official Gazette to protect their ecological importance.

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The 18th All India Police Shooting (Sports) Championship 2024-25 was held in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, from 24 to 29 March 2025. It was organized at Revati Range, Indore, by the Central School of Armament & Warfare Skills (CSWT), Sisubal. The All India Police Sports Control Board (AIPSCB) oversaw the event. The last competition was held in Pune, Maharashtra, in 2019. Around 600 male and female shooters participated. A total of 17 competitions were held for 204 medals. Teams from Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and various state police forces participated.

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The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the Kosi Mechi Intra-State Link Project in Bihar under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana – Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (PMKSY-AIBP). The project will receive ₹3,652.56 crore in central support and aims for completion by March 2029 at a total cost of ₹6,282.32 crore. It will divert surplus water from Kosi River to irrigate the Mahananda basin in Araria, Purnea, Kishanganj, and Katihar districts. The project will provide 2,10,516 hectares of additional irrigation in the Kharif season and restore irrigation to 1.57 lakh hectares under the Eastern Kosi Main Canal (EKMC). The Kosi Mechi project is the tenth project under AIBP since 2021-22.

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The National Statistics Office (NSO) released Energy Statistics India 2025 under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. The report covers energy reserves, production, consumption, imports/exports, and includes tables, graphs, and sustainable energy indicators. A new chapter on Energy Account follows the System of Environmental Economic Accounting (SEEA) 2012 framework. In FY 2023-24, India’s Total Primary Energy Supply (TPES) grew by 7.8%, reaching 9,03,158 Kilo Tonnes of Oil Equivalent (KToE). India’s renewable energy potential is 21,09,655 Megawatt, with Wind Power leading at 55%, followed by Solar and Large Hydro. Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Karnataka hold over 50% of India’s renewable energy potential.

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Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched the “NITI NCAER States Economic Forum” portal on April 1, 2025, in New Delhi. NITI Aayog and the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) have developed a portal on State Finances covering 1990-91 to 2022-23. The portal has four components: State Reports, Data Repository, State Fiscal and Economic Dashboard, and Research and Commentary. It provides accessible macro, fiscal, demographic, and socio-economic data for informed policymaking. The portal enables benchmarking across states, facilitates research, and helps track trends for evidence-based policy decisions.

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In his Mann Ki Baat address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the importance of fitness and praised initiatives like the Fit India Carnival and International Yoga Day. The theme for Yoga Day 2025 is “Yoga for One Earth One Health,” aiming to promote global health through yoga. The Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga (MDNIY), under the Ministry of Ayush, is responsible for organizing activities for International Day of Yoga (IDY) 2025. Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga (MDNIY) launched a 100-day countdown to IDY2025 during the Yogamahotsav event at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on March 13, 2025.