Current Affairs One - Liner : 2nd & 3rd March 2025

National:

• Under the MISHTI scheme, Gujarat planted mangroves across 19,020 hectares in two years. The scheme was launched on June 5, 2023, World Environment Day, to enhance coastal resilience and ecosystems. Gujarat leads the nation in this initiative.

• Indian-origin Tushar Mehta joined Blue Origin's 10th space tourism mission on February 25, 2025. The mission, named "Perfect 10," launched from Blue Origin's West Texas facility.
• The International Olympic Committee (IOC) granted provisional recognition to World Boxing (WB) on February 26, 2025. This step is significant for the sport's inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Banking:

• The banking system's non-food credit growth declined to 12.5% year-on-year in January 2025, compared to 16.2% the previous year. This decline is due to slower credit growth in services and personal loans, despite an increase in agriculture and industry credit growth. This was reported on February 28, 2025.
• In February 2025, the volume of Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions decreased by 5% month-on-month, dropping to 16.11 billion from 16.99 billion in January. The value of transactions also fell by 6.5% to ₹21.48 trillion, down from ₹23.48 trillion in January. This decline was primarily due to the shorter number of days in February.
• The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) decided to retain the interest rate on provident fund deposits at 8.25% for the financial year 2024-25. This decision was made during the Central Board of Trustees (CBT) meeting on February 28, 2025.
• Federal Bank launched the 'Annuity Deposit' scheme for resident customers on February 25, 2025. It provides fixed income at regular intervals by allowing withdrawal of a consistent portion of the principal with interest. The scheme offers flexible tenures from 5 to 20 years and multiple payout options, including monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, and yearly.

Economy:

• India's Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) declined from 57.7 in January to 56.3 in February 2025, marking the slowest expansion since December 2023. Despite the decline, the PMI remained in expansionary territory due to strong domestic and global demand.
• The Andhra Pradesh government presented a ₹3.2 lakh crore Budget for 2025-26 on February 28, 2025. The budget focuses on welfare schemes, infrastructure projects, and development initiatives to boost the state's growth and development.

MoUs:

• TRIFED (Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India) signed MoUs with NIFT (National Institute of Fashion Technology) and HPMC (Himachal Pradesh Horticulture Produce Marketing and Processing Corporation Ltd.) on February 24, 2025 in New Delhi, aiming to enhance tribal entrepreneurship by focusing on product curation, design development, and horticulture processing.
• India and Thailand signed three MoUs on February 22, 2025, during the Bangkok Gem and Jewelry Fair in Bangkok, Thailand. The aim of these MoUs is to enhance gem and jewellery exports, harmonize gemstone standards, boost trade in coloured gemstones, and foster innovation in silver jewellery between the two nations.
• Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Army on February 27, 2025, for the construction of a 130-foot-long Single Lane Modular (SLM) Steel Bridge (70R) in Arunachal Pradesh. The aim of this initiative is to strengthen infrastructure in the region by providing quick and reliable connectivity.

Science & Technology:

• China launched two satellites with the highest spatial resolution on February 28, 2025, using a Long March 2C carrier rocket. These satellites are equipped with high-resolution optical imagers and will be used for managing natural resources, city construction planning, and emergency response.

Sports:

• Aleksandra Goryachkina won the Monaco Grand Prix 2025, held from February 18 to 27, 2025, in Monte Carlo, Monaco. The event was part of the FIDE Women's Grand Prix series, and she clinched the title in the chess category.
• Vidarbha won their third Ranji Trophy title by defeating Kerala on March 2, 2025. The final match was held at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur. The event was the Ranji Trophy, a premier domestic first-class cricket championship in India.
• Rithvik Bollipalli won the ATP doubles title at the Chile Open on March 1, 2025. The event took place in Santiago, Chile. He partnered with Nicolas Barrientos to win the men's doubles title in the ATP 250 category of tennis.

Important Days:

• Civil Accounts Day 2025 was celebrated on March 1. The theme was "Digitalisation of Public Financial Management in India: The Transformative Decade (2014-24)". The event included the release of a compendium on PFMS and a short film on the Indian Civil Accounts Organisation's achievements.
• World Hearing Day is observed annually on March 3 to raise awareness about hearing loss, ear health, and the importance of early intervention. Organized by the World Health Organization (WHO), the theme for 2025 is "Changing mindsets: Empower yourself to make ear and hearing care a reality for all!"

Appointments:

• Senior Advocate Manan Kumar Mishra has been re-elected as the Chairman of the Bar Council of India (BCI) for a historic seventh consecutive term on March 1, 2025. Mishra, a Rajya Sabha member from Bihar and BJP.
• PB Fintech Limited appointed Santosh Agarwal as CEO of Paisabazaar, effective March 1, 2025. Agarwal, previously Chief Business Officer of Life Insurance at Policybazaar, succeeds Naveen Kukreja. Kukreja transitions to Group President at PB Fintech while remaining a Non-Executive Director.
• Ajay Seth, the Secretary of the Department of Economic Affairs, took additional charge as Revenue Secretary on March 1, 2025. This appointment follows the vacancy left by Tuhin Kanta Pandey, who was appointed as the chairman of SEBI on February 27, 2025.

Awards & Honours:

• Anora won the award for Best Picture at the 97th Academy Awards on March 2, 2025. Directed by Sean Baker, it also won Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, and Best Actress for Mikey Madison.
• Jay Shah, the youngest-ever Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC), was honored with the prestigious Icon of Excellence Award at the 14th edition of the Forbes India Leadership Awards (FILA) 2025. The award ceremony took place on February 28, 2025, at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai.

Obituaries:

• Renowned Indian artist Himmat Shah passed away at the age of 92 on March 2, 2025, in Jaipur. Shah was celebrated for his pioneering work in sculpture and modern art.

Questions:

Q.1 Who was re-elected as the Chairman of the Bar Council of India (BCI) for the seventh consecutive term in 2025?
a) Kapil Sibal
b) Manan Kumar Mishra
c) Harish Salve
d) Arun Jaitley

Answer: b) Senior Advocate Manan Kumar Mishra, a BJP Rajya Sabha MP from Bihar, was re-elected for a record seventh term.

Q.2 Which film won Best Picture at the 97th Academy Awards on March 2, 2025?
a) Oppenheimer
b) Killers of the Flower Moon
c) Anora
d) The Holdovers

Answer: c) Directed by Sean Baker, "Anora" won multiple Oscars, including Best Director and Best Actress.