- The Annual Report on the Status of Tigers, Prey, and Other Mammals – 2024 was released on March 21, 2025, by Andhra Pradesh Deputy CM K. Pawan Kalyan. It highlights 76 tigers in the Nagarjuna Sagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR) and discusses conservation successes and challenges, including habitat fragmentation and human-wildlife conflict.
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- Paras Defence & Space Technologies Ltd secured a ₹142.31 crore contract from DRDO's CHESS on March 20, 2025, to develop an advanced anti-drone laser system. The project involves creating a Laser Source Module integrated with a Beam Control System for mobile anti-drone applications.
- The Zanskar Winter Sports and Tourism Festival 2024-25 was held from March 20 to 21, 2025, at Atting Village in Zanskar Valley, Ladakh. It showcased winter sports like snow skiing, traditional archery, and yak riding, along with cultural performances. Organized by the Department of Youth Services & Sports, UT Ladakh, it promoted winter tourism and local heritage.
- Pune will host the Billie Jean King Cup Asia-Oceania Group-1 from April 8–12, 2025, with six teams, including India, competing for two qualification spots. This is Maharashtra's first international tennis event in 25 years, led by India's Ankita Raina.
- Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh announced the completion of genome sequencing of 10,000 Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates on March 24, 2025, during World TB Day at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. This milestone is part of the Dare2eraD TB program, aimed at eradicating tuberculosis in India by 2025.
- The Telangana Assembly adopted the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act (THOTA) on March 24, 2025. The Act ensures ethical organ and tissue transplantation, prevents illegal dealings, and regulates brain death declarations.
- The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) surpassed 200 million transactions on March 24, 2025. The first 100 million transactions took 20 months, while the next 100 million were achieved in just six months.
- India will abolish the 6% equalisation levy on digital advertising services starting April 1, 2025. This move aims to ease the tax burden on advertisers and improve trade relations with the United States, which had opposed the levy.
- On March 21, 2025, the RBI fined IDBI Bank Ltd ₹36.30 lakh for inadequate due diligence on inward remittances and Citibank N.A. ₹36.28 lakh for faulty reporting under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme, both under FEMA, 1999. The penalties address regulatory lapses, not customer transaction issues.
- The East Coast Railway (ECoR) became India's first railway zone to handle 250 million tons (MT) of freight in 2024-25, achieving the milestone on March 21, 2025, ahead of schedule. It marked the second consecutive year crossing 250 MT and reinforced ECoR as the country's top freight-loading zone.
- Delhi CM Rekha Gupta presented a ₹1 lakh crore budget for 2025-26 on March 25, 2025, marking a 31.5% increase from the previous year. Key allocations include ₹19,291 crore for education, ₹12,893 crore for health, and ₹5,100 crore for women under the Mahila Samriddhi Yojana.
- The HSBC Flash India Manufacturing PMI increased to 57.6 in March 2025 from 56.3 in February, marking a rise in manufacturing activity. This growth reflects strong demand and higher production levels.
- On March 19, 2025, Liquid Robotics, a Boeing company, and India's Sagar Defence Engineering signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in New Delhi, India. This strategic partnership aims to co-develop and manufacture Autonomous Surface Vessels (ASVs) to enhance maritime security and improve Undersea Domain Awareness (UDA).
- The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Bellatrix Aerospace and Astroscale Japan was signed on March 21, 2025, in Bengaluru, India. The aim of this collaboration is to address space debris removal and enhance in-orbit mobility, contributing to a cleaner and safer space environment while expanding into international markets.
- India won a bronze medal in the mixed quad category at the ISTAF Sepak Takraw World Cup 2025 on March 21, 2025, held in Patna, Bihar, India. The team shared the bronze with Vietnam after losing to Myanmar in the semifinals. Thailand secured gold by defeating Myanmar in the final.
- India achieved its highest-ever growth in indigenous defence production in 2023-24, reaching ₹1.27 lakh crore, a 174% increase from 2014-15. Initiatives like Make in India and iDEX contributed to this milestone. Defence exports also hit a record ₹21,083 crore, marking a 30-fold increase over the past decade.
- Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) launched the second frigate, 'Tavasya,' under Project 1135.6 for the Indian Navy on March 22, 2025. 'Tavasya' is a multi-role stealth frigate equipped for surface, sub-surface, and air combat. This launch highlights India's growing self-reliance in naval defense.
- The Bank of Baroda (BoB) launched the Baroda mDigiNext Mobile App on March 21, 2025, to improve corporate cash management using Baroda Cash Management Services (BCMS). The app provides real-time transaction tracking, bulk upload authorization, and a dashboard for group entities.
- World Puppetry Day 2025 was observed on March 21, 2025, celebrating puppetry's cultural significance and honoring puppeteers worldwide. This year's theme, "Robots, AI, and the Dream of the Puppet?", explored the fusion of technology and traditional art.
- Earth Hour 2025 was observed on March 22, 2025, from 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM IST. Organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), it encourages turning off lights to raise awareness about climate change. This year's theme, "The Power of Nature", emphasized nature's role in combating climate issues.
- The Government of India has appointed Rahul Bhave as the MD & CEO of Industrial Finance Corporation of India (IFCI) for a tenure of three years, announced on March 21, 2025. Rahul Bhave, previously Deputy Managing Director, will lead IFCI during its consolidation phase.
- Ajay Seth was appointed as India’s new Finance Secretary on March 24, 2025. He succeeded T. V. Somanathan and will play a key role in managing India's financial policies. Seth previously held significant roles, including Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs.
- Gopal Vittal, Bharti Airtel's CEO, was elected GSMA (Global System for Mobile Communications Association) Chairman on March 24, 2025, becoming the second Indian to hold this role after Sunil Bharti Mittal. He will guide the GSMA, which represents over 1,000 mobile companies globally, until the end of 2026.
- S. K. Majumdar has been appointed as the Executive Director of Canara Bank, effective March 24, 2025. Prior to this, he served as the Chief General Manager and Group Chief Financial Officer (GCFO) of the bank.
- Parminder Chopra, currently the CMD of Power Finance Corporation Ltd. (PFC), has been assigned the additional charge as Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) of REC Ltd.. She assumed this role on March 21, 2025, for a period of three months or until further orders.
- Tamil Nadu won the National Award for Excellence in Integrated Water Resources Management 2024 on March 21, 2025, for the successful Tamil Nadu Irrigated Agriculture Modernisation Project (TNIAMP). The project improved irrigation across 47 river sub-basins, benefiting 117,290 hectares of farmland.
Questions:
Q.1 Who was appointed as India’s new Finance Secretary in March 2025?a) T. V. Somanathan
b) Ajay Seth
c) Rahul Bhave
d) Gopal Vittal
Answer: b) Ajay Seth was appointed as India’s new Finance Secretary on March 24, 2025.
Q.2 Which state won the National Award for Excellence in Integrated Water Resources Management 2024?
a) Karnataka
b) Maharashtra
c) Tamil Nadu
d) Rajasthan
a) Karnataka
b) Maharashtra
c) Tamil Nadu
d) Rajasthan
Answer: c) Tamil Nadu won for the Tamil Nadu Irrigated Agriculture Modernisation Project (TNIAMP).
