Current Affairs | National | International | SSC | UPSC 16th March 2025

 National News

 1. India signs MoU with Armenia for cooperation in field of medical products regulation 

•  India has signed an MoU with Armenia for cooperation in the field of medical products regulation. 
•  The MoU was signed in the presence of External Affairs Minister, Dr S Jaishankar and Foreign Minister of Armenia, Ararat Mirzoyan in Delhi. 
• The two ministers agreed to explore cooperation in digital technologies and pharmaceuticals. They also reviewed the whole range of growing India-Armenia bilateral cooperation including in the areas of political exchanges, trade, economics, connectivity, education, culture, and people-to-people contacts. 
• The two nations also signed an MoU on Cooperation between the Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service and the Diplomatic School of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia. 

2. Ayushman Bharat scheme expands to Delhi, millions to get Rs 5 lakh cover 

•  The Delhi government has signed an MoU with the National Health Authority (NHA) to implement the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY). 
•  With this move, Delhi became the 35th state/UT to adopt the flagship healthcare scheme. West Bengal is the only state yet to implement AB-PMJAY. 

• What is AB-PMJAY?

•   The Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) is the world’s largest government-funded health insurance scheme.
• It provides Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary hospital care to nearly 550 million beneficiaries from 123.7 million economically weaker families, covering the bottom 40 per cent of India’s population. 

International News

 3. UN chief launched ‘UN80 Initiative’ to improve eciencies amid shrinking resources, uncertainty 

•  UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres launched the ‘UN80 Initiative’ to enhance efficiency and cost-effectiveness within the 80-year-old organization, addressing concerns over dwindling resources and a liquidity crisis in an uncertain global environment. 
•  The initiative will focus on identifying quick efficiency improvements, reviewing the growing number of mandates from member states, and conducting a strategic assessment of structural changes and program realignment across the UN system. 
•  Guterres has appointed a dedicated internal task force led by Under-Secretary-General Guy Ryder and composed of principals representing the entire UN system.
•   The UN General Assembly approved a USD 3.72 billion budget for the United Nations for 2025. The US is the single largest financial contributor to the UN, paying 22% of the regular budget and 27% of the peacekeeping budget. 
• The approved budget for UN Peacekeeping operations for the fiscal year 1 July 2024 – 30 June 2025 is USD 5.6 billion and at 26.95%, the US is the largest contributor to United Nations peacekeeping operations. 

About United Nations (UN) 

•  Founded – 24 October 1945 
•  Headquarters – New York, US
•   Official languages – Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian & Spanish 
• Membership – 193 members (193rd – South Sudan) 
• 1st Secretary General – Trygve Halvdan Lie (Norway)
•  9th Secretary‑General – António Guterres (Portugal) 

Appointment News 

4. Arun Mammen elected as new ATMA chairman 

•  Arun Mammen, Vice Chairman & Managing Director of MRF Ltd, has been elected as the new Chairman of Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (ATMA), the national industry body for the automotive tyre sector in India. 
• Hiroshi Yoshizane, Managing Director of Bridgestone India, is the new Vice Chairman of ATMA. 
•  Founded in 1975, ATMA represents India’s ₹90,000 crore (approximately US$11 billion) automotive tyre industry. 
• Its members include six leading tyre manufacturers—Apollo, Bridgestone India, Ceat, Goodyear India, JK Tyre, and MRF—who collectively account for over 90% of the country’s tyre production. 

5. N G Subramaniam appointed as chairman of Tata Communications board 

• Tata Communications has appointed N Ganapathy Subramaniam as the chairman of the board of directors of the company. 
• NGS has been part of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), the IT major, for 40 years. He stepped down from TCS in May 2024 as the chief operating officer and executive director. 

Recent Appointments 

•  Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (ATMA) – Hiroshi Yoshizane 
•  President & CEO of Honda Cars India Ltd – Takashi Nakajima (replace Takuya Tsumura) South Korea brand 
•  Judge of Supreme Court – Justice Joymalya Bagchi (set to become CJI in May 2031) 
•  CMD of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL) – Vikas Kaushal (for five years) 
• Controller General of Defence Accounts – Dr Mayank Sharma 

Defence News 

6. Tejas fighter jet successfully test fires air-to-air Astra missile 

• The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) has successfully conducted the test launch of India’s homegrown Astra, a Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM), from the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) AF MK1 prototype. The test was carried out off the coast of Chandipur, Odisha.
• Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Astra missile is designed to engage targets over 100 kilometers away. 

Sports News 

7. Shubman Gill and Alana King Shine named ICC Men’s Player of the Month for February 2025 

•  The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the winners of the ICC Men’s and Women’s Player of the Month Awards for February 2025. 
• India’s Shubman Gill won the ICC Men’s Player of the Month, while Australia’s Alana King claimed the ICC Women’s Player of the Month title. 
• Alana became the third consecutive Australian cricketer to win the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award.

 ICC Men’s Player of the Month 

•  October 2024 – Noman Ali (Pakistan) 
•  November 2024 – Haris Rauf (Pakistan) 
•  December 2024 – Jasprit Bumrah (India) 
•  January 2025 – Jomel Warrican (West Indies)

 ICC Women’s Player of the Month 

• October 2024 – Amelia Kerr (New Zealand) 
• November 2024 – Danni Wyatt-Hodge (England) 
•  December 2024 – Annabel Sutherland (Australia)
•  January 2025 – Beth Mooney (Australia) 

Mumbai Indians clinch second Women’s Premier League title 

•  In the Women’s Premier League cricket summit clash, Mumbai Indians clinched their second title as Delhi Capitals choked for the third time in succession. 
• In the summit clash played at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai, Harmanpreet Kaur’s scintillating 44-ball 66 powered Mumbai Indians to a fighting 149 for the loss of 7 wickets. 
•  In reply, Delhi Capitals batters put undue pressure on themselves to finish at 141 for 9 despite late surge from Marizanne Kapp and teenager Niki Prasad. 
• Harmanpreet Kaur was awarded player of the match for her knock. Nat Sciver-Brunt was chosen as the Most Valuable Player of the tournament. She also won the Orange Cap for her 523 runs this season. 
•  Amelia Kerr won the Purple Cap for her 18 wickets this season while Amanjot Kaur won the Emerging Player of the Season award. This match was a rematch of the inaugural WPL final in 2023, where Mumbai Indians emerged victorious by seven wickets. 

Important day News 

8. 14 March – Pi Day 

•  Pi Day is celebrated annually on March 14, honours the mathematical constant Pi, which is approximately 3.14. 
•  The date, when written as 3/14, mirrors the first three digits of Pi, making it a fitting day for mathematicians and numerophiles to celebrate this important number. 
•  In 1988, physicist Larry Shaw first recognized Pi Day. In 2009, the United States House of Representatives officially designated March 14 as Pi Day. 
•  Later, in 2019, UNESCO declared Pi Day as the “International Day of Mathematics” during its general conference. 
•  Albert Einstein, the renowned physicist behind the “General Theory of Relativity,” was born on Pi Day in 1879. The value of Pi was first calculated by the ancient mathematician Archimedes of Syracuse. 
•  It was widely accepted after Leonhard Euler used the symbol Pi in 1737. Physicist Shaw linked Pi’s digits with March 14, organizing a special event for the staff at San Francisco’s Exploratorium. 

9. 14 March – World Sleep Day 

•  World Sleep Day is observed annually on March 14 to promote healthy sleep habits, raise awareness about sleep disorders, and highlight the importance of quality rest.
•   Theme 2025 – Make Sleep Health a Priority 
•  Organized by the World Sleep Day Committee of the World Sleep Society, this global initiative sheds light on the negative impact of sleep disorders on overall health while advocating for their prevention and treatment.

 10. 15 March – World Consumer Rights Day 

•  World Consumer Rights Day is observed annually on March 15 to raise awareness about consumer rights and protection. 
•  Theme 2025 – A Just Transition to Sustainable Lifestyles 
• It was inspired by former U.S. President John F. Kennedy’s speech on consumer rights in 1962, where he outlined four fundamental rights: the right to safety, the right to be informed, the right to choose, and the right to be heard. 

11.T.N. govt. presents agri budget with ₹45,661-cr. Outlay 

• Tamil Nadu Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare M.R.K. Panneerselvam on Saturday presented the agriculture budget with a total outlay of ₹45,661 crore. Agriculture, horticulture, and other farming sectors would be covered under the budget, which has been tailored to cater to the needs of seven distinct agro-climatic zones, the Minister said. The total gross cropped area increased from 146.77 lakh acres in 2019-20 to 154 lakh acres in 2023-24, he said. Moreover, the double-cropped area increased from 29.74 lakh acres to 33.60 lakh acres. 
•  “The total area under horticulture crops has touched 16.3 lakh hectares in 2023-24, making it a key driver of agriculture growth,” he said. Moreover, the double cropped area increased from 29.74 lakh acres to 33.60 lakh acres. “The total area under horticulture crops has touched 16.3 lakh hectares in 2023-24,, making it a key driver of agriculture growth,” Mr. Panneerselvam said. 
• The Agriculture Minister said in the current year, the government has proposed to take up desilting work at a cost of ₹120 crore to facilitate uninterrupted flow of water from dams to tail-end areas. 
•  He said work on farm ponds, new ponds, percolation ponds, recharge pits, shafts and wells would be taken up under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme at an estimated cost of ₹2,000 crore.
•  ‘Focused on farmers’ V. Dakshinamoorthy, Agricultural Production Commissioner and Secretary to the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department, said at a press conference this was perhaps the first budget in the State that focused on every farmer in every district. 

12. Two mega deals with France wait for Cabinet panel nod 

•  Two mega defence deals with France — for 26 Rafale-M fighter jets and three more Scorpene-class conventional submarines — worth close to $11 billion are now awaiting final approval by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) before their anticipated conclusion very soon.
•   The Indian Navy will get to see up close the performance of the Rafale-M jets on the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle as the carrier strike group currently in the Indian Ocean is scheduled to visit Goa next week for the bilateral Varuna exercise. 
•  “All formalities have been completed and the case has been put up to the CCS for a couple of weeks now,” an official confirmed on the deal for 26 Rafale-M jets. “Negotiations were done weeks back,” the official said. The Navy has been very keen that both deals be inked in this financial year ending March 31 so they are included in this year’s Budget. The Rafale-M deal is expected to be concluded in April when the French Defence Minister is expected to visit India. As reported by The Hindu earlier, deliveries of the Rafale-M for the Indian Navy would begin in four years once the contract is signed. 
•  Officials said that given that it is a government-to government deal, funds earmarked in this fiscal budget can be rolled over to the next. Follow-up agreement Sources stated that the Scorpene deal is also complete in all respects. It is a follow-up to the earlier deal for six Scorpene submarines procured under Project-75 between Naval Group of France and Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd. (MDL). 
•  If the deal is concluded next month, the Indian Navy would begin receiving from 2029 the Rafale-M jets and MQ-9B, an unmanned aerial vehicle with high altitude and long endurance features, contracted from the U.S. On July 13, 2023 as Prime Minister Narendra Modi was en route to Paris, the Defence Acquisition Council chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh accepted Acceptance of Necessity for the procurement of 26 Rafale-M fighters and three additional Scorpene-class diesel-electric submarines. The 26 Rafale deal includes 22 single-seater Rafale-M and four twin-seater Rafale trainers (which are not carrier compatible). 
•  The 26 jets are meant to fill the gap in numbers till the indigenous Twin Engine Deck-Based Fighter, which is under development, is inducted into service. The Navy currently operates two aircraft carriers — INS Vikramaditya procured from Russia and the indigenously built INS Vikrant that was commissioned in September 2022. 

13. Ocial data show reservation policy benefits Jammu more than Kashmir 

•  Official data on reserved categories shared with the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Saturday showed that the current reservation policy benefited candidates from Jammu more than those from the Kashmir region. The official data on the population which has been under different reserved categories in the Union Territory since April 2023 was tabled in the Assembly. 
• It was shared in response to a question raised by J&K Peoples Conference ( JKPC) president and MLA Sajad Lone. The data suggested 67,112 candidates from the Jammu region benefited under the Scheduled Caste (SC) category as against zero from the Kashmir region. Similarly, 4,59,493 people (85.3%) benefited under the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category from the Jammu region as against 79,813 (14.7) from the Kashmir division. It showed very few benefits under the Economic Weaker Section (EWS) from the Kashmir region — 2,273 people (7.7%) against 27,420 (92.3%) from the Jammu region. Under the Line of Actual Control (LAC) category, the data revealed that 268 people (94.3%) benefited from Jammu against 16 (5.7%) from Kashmir. Under the International Border (IB) category, none benefited from Kashmir, while 551 candidates did in Jammu. 
•  Kashmir and Jammu are two provinces or divisions of the Union Territory, with each division comprising 10 districts. The two divisions, however, have completely different demographics and topography. According to data from the 2011 census, Kashmir forms around 55% of the total population of J&K as against 45% from Jammu. 
•  Situation in 2019 Prior to 2019, when J&K was a State with special status, it had 8% reservation for SCs, 10% for STs, 4% for OBCs, 4% for residents along the Line of Actual Control/International Border, 10% for Residents of Backward Area (RBA) and 10% for Economically Weaker Section (EWS). The Centre reworked the reservation policy in the past five years. It granted 20% reservation to STs, 8% to SCs, 10% to RBA, 8% to OBCs, 4% to LAC/International Borders, 10% to EWS and 10% to children of defence personnel, sports, CDP, PWD and so on. “It’s shocking data. 
•  Within the reservation categories, the scam is bigger than the scam of 60% reservation. If 100 students appear, 50.78% are from Jammu and 9.22% from Kashmir under the reserved categories. We are even out crowded there,” Mr. Lone said. 
•  Referring to regional imbalances, Mr. Lone said these disparities reveal a greater loss of quotas to the Kashmiri-speaking population than previously anticipated. “The whole reservation concept is rigged against the Kashmiri speaking population and against ST or EWS living in Kashmir,” Mr. Lone added. Mr. Lone also criticised the government committee, formed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, to look into the reservation issue, for “lacking a specific timeline to submit its report”. 

14. Billion-dollar fund to support creators’ economy: I&B Minister 

•  The Union government has announced that it will invest $1 billion to support the “creators’ economy” in the country. The funds will be used to enable creators to enhance their skills, upgrade their production, and expand into global markets, according to Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. 
•  Earlier this week, the government hosted a high level session to engage the international community ahead of the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025, which is slated to take place in Mumbai from May 1-4. 
•  External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Mr. Vaishnaw, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L. Murugan were present at the high-level session, as were about 100 Ambassadors and High Commissioners. A key highlight of the event was a Memorandum of Understanding exchange between the I&B Ministry and the Maharashtra government for strengthening collaboration in media, entertainment, and digital outreach. 
• “The intersection of creativity, media and technology is transforming the media landscape of the world and reaching a new level of convergence...we are inviting some of the biggest names of technology, media and entertainment for WAVES 2025...,” Mr. Vaishnaw said. 
•  Fostering innovation “WAVES will serve as a pivotal platform for fostering discussions, collaboration, and innovation for the Media and Entertainment industry,” Mr. Jaishankar said in his address. He said that the economic and political rebalancing was moving towards cultural balancing. 
• “We are not truly global if we are not truly local. WAVES 2025 captures the spirit of this endeavour,” he said, urging the Ambassadors and High Commissioners to familiarise their governments regarding the opportunities of global collaborations under WAVES 2025.