Current Affairs | National | International | SSC | UPSC 3rd March 2025

 National News 

1. Maharashtra govt collaborates with Meta to launch WhatsApp-based citizen services 

• The Government of Maharashtra has partnered with Meta (formerly Facebook) during the Mumbai Tech Week 2025. 
•  The aim of this collaboration is to provide all citizen services via WhatsApp on a single number, empowering 125 million citizens to access government services from anywhere, at any time. 
•  The chatbot, ‘Aaple Sarkar’, will be available in three languages – Marathi, English, and Hindi and will offer service through both text and voice. 
• The chatbot will offer services like addressing grievances, downloading critical documents and certificates, convenience services like booking bus tickets via Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) or Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) and providing timely information to farmers and citizens across Maharashtra. 

2. Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the workshop on sustainability and circularity in the dairy sector. 

• The workshop was focused on policies and initiatives of the Ministry of Cooperation and the Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries. 
• Its main aim is to promote sustainable dairy farming while ensuring economic growth with environmental responsibility. 
• It witnessed the signing of Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) for the establishment of biogas plants across multiple states.
•  Technical sessions on sustainable manure management models which convert dairy waste into biogas, compressed biogas, and organic fertilizers were also organized. 
• Experts from the National Dairy Development Board, industry, and global organizations discussed ways to expand circular dairy practices and explore financing options, carbon credit opportunities, and waste-to-energy solutions. 

3. Amit Shah inaugurate Workshop on Sustainable Dairy Sector in New Delhi 

• Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah has inaugurated the workshop on sustainability and circularity in the dairy sector in New Delhi. 
• The workshop focused on policies and initiatives of the Ministry of Cooperation and the Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Dairying, and Fisheries aimed at promoting sustainable dairy farming while ensuring economic growth with environmental responsibility. 
•  During the workshop, experts from the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), industry, and global organisations discussed ways to expand circular dairy practices and explore financing options, carbon credit opportunities, and waste-to-energy solutions. 

4. NHRC & MEA to Host ITEC Executive Programme on Human Rights for Global South in New Delhi 

• The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), in partnership with the Ministry of External Affairs, will organize the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Executive Capacity Building Programme on human rights in New Delhi. 
•  This six-day programme for senior-level functionaries of the National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) of the Global South will commence from 3 March. 
•  The programme aims to provide insights into various dimensions of human rights and international perspectives and share the NHRC experience to enhance awareness among participants of various NHRIs. 
• It seeks to strengthen South-South cooperation, enhance collaboration and networking, and improve human rights protection mechanisms through comprehensive capacity building and experience sharing. 
• The programme will be inaugurated by the Chairperson of the NHRC Justice V. Ramasubramanian. Nearly 47 participants from the NHRIs of 14 countries of the Global South are likely to attend this event. These countries include Madagascar, Uganda, Samoa, Timor Leste, DR Congo, Togo, Mali, Nigeria, Egypt, Tanzania, Mauritius, Burundi, Turkmenistan, and Qatar.

 5. PM Modi chaired NBWL meeting at Sasan Gir on World Wildlife Day 

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has chaired a meeting of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) at Sasan Gir in Junagadh district of Gujarat on the occasion of World Wildlife Day. 
• The NBWL has 47 members, including the Chief of Army Staff, members from different states, representatives from NGOs working in this field, chief wildlife wardens and secretaries from various states. 
• This board works for the promotion of the conservation and development of wildlife and forests with the Prime Minister as its chairperson. 

International News 

6. After 30 years, Cape Vultures have been spotted in South Africa’s Eastern Cape.

• The Cape Vulture (Gyps coprotheres) is an Old-World vulture species. It is mainly found in Southern Africa.
•  Eighty-five wild Cape Vultures have been spotted on a farm near Mountain Zebra National Park. 
• Since the 1980s, the number of Cape Vultures has been steadily declining. 
• Between 1992 and 2007, the population of Cape Vultures has reduced in South Africa by 60-70%.
•  There are 23 species of vulture globally. These are divided into two families: Accipitridae or Old-World vultures and Cathartidae or New-World vultures.
•  The 16 species of Old-World vultures are spread across nine genera. 

State News 

7. Farmers to receive power connections for ₹5: M.P. CM 

•  Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced on Sunday that permanent power connections would be provided to the State's farmers for just 5. 
•  Mr. Yadav addressed a farmers' meet, the 'Kisan Abhaar Sammelan', in Bhopal. "The farmers who do not have a power connection, we will give them permanent connections for ₹5. You just apply," he said. Directing the officials present at the event, Mr. Yadav said that the Madhya Pradesh Central Power Distribution Company would start issuing the connections soon. 
•  Mr. Yadav also said the government was planning on distributing 30 lakh solar pumps in the next three years. "We will also take the initiative of purchasing electricity produced by them," he said. 

8. The Uttar Pradesh government developed five major spiritual corridors.

•  These corridors have been developed for devotees to travel easily to various religious places across the state.
•  Five major spiritual corridors' names are given below
• :  Prayag- Vindhyachal-Kashi Corridor 
•  Prayagraj-Ayodhya-Gorakhpur Corridor
•   Prayagraj-Lucknow-Naimisharanya Corridor 
•  Prayagraj-Rajapur (Banda)-Chitrakoot Corridor
•   Prayagraj-Mathura-Vrindavan-Shuktirtha (via Bundelkhand Expressway) 
• Prayag- Vindhyachal-Kashi Corridor will be the main route of Shakti (Parvati) and Shiva (Lord Shiva) worship. The devotees will be able to travel from Prayagraj to Vindhyachal Devidham and then to Varanasi
• .Prayagraj-Ayodhya-Gorakhpur Corridor is associated with Lord Rama and the Gorakhnath tradition. 
• The Prayagraj-Lucknow-Naimisharanya Corridor will take devotees to Naimisharanya Dham via Lucknow. Naimisharanya Dham is one of the 88 Mahatirthas of Hinduism and it is famous for the penance of 88 thousand sages. 
• Prayagraj-Rajapur (Banda)-Chitrakoot Corridor will be associated with the exile of Lord Rama. 
• Under the Prayagraj-Mathura-Vrindavan-Shuktirtha, devotees will be able to go to Mathura-Vrindavan. 

Banking and Financial 

9. World Bank: India needs 7.8 % growth to become Viksit Bharat by 2047 

• A new World Bank report, India will need to grow by 7.8 per cent on average over the next 22 years to achieve the country’s aspirations of reaching high-income status by 2047. 
• The new India Country Economic Memorandum titled ‘Becoming a High-Income Economy in a Generation,’ finds that this target is possible.
•  The World Bank classifies the economy based on Gross National Income (GNI) per capita. GNI is measured in United States dollars (USD) and is determined using conversion factors derived according to the World Bank Atlas method. 
• The classifications are updated each year on 1st July and are based on the GNI per capita of the previous year. 
• The World Bank classifies the countries into Low Income, Middle Income, and High Income. The Middle income is again subdivided into Lower -Middle Income and Upper -Middle Income. 
• According to the World Bank, India is a low-middle-income country, while China is a high-middle-income economy. The GDP per capita of India in 2023 was $2,480. 

Defence 

10. GRSE Signs Landmark MoU with Army for Modular Steel Bridge in Arunachal Pradesh 

• Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd signed an MoU with the Indian Army for the construction of a 130-foot-long Single Lane Modular (SLM) Steel Bridge (70R) in Arunachal Pradesh. 
•  In 2022, GRSE earned the distinction of being the only Indian company to receive the Green Channel Certification for Portable Steel Bridges (Bailey Type) from the Indian Army. 
• Earlier, GRSE delivered Modular Bridges to the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and the National Highway Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL), apart from several state governments and friendly countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka.

 Exercise Desert Hunt 2025 

• An integrated Tri-Service Special Forces exercise named Exercise Desert Hunt 2025 was conducted by the Indian Air Force at Air Force Station Jodhpur. 
•  The exercise involved elite Para (Special Forces) from the Indian Army, the Marine Commandos from the Indian Navy along with the Garud (Special Forces) from the Indian Air Force. 
•  This high-intensity drill was aimed at enhancing interoperability, coordination and synergy among the three Special Forces units to ensure swift and effective response towards emerging security challenges. 

Recent Exercise 

•  6th edition of Exercise Dharma Guardian between Indian Army and Japan Ground Self-Defence Force (JGSDF) – Mount Fuji, Japan. 
•  3rd edition of military exercise “Cyclone 2025” between India and Egypt – Mahajan Field Firing Range in Rajasthan. 
•  EX Winged Raiders between Indian Army and the Indian Air Force – Eastern Theater. 
• 13th edition of military exercise ‘Ekuverin’ between the Indian Army and the Maldives National Defence Force – archipelago nation. 
• Indian Army and the Indian Air Force conducted a major military exercise, Exercise Devil Strike 

11. Indian Air Force carried out Exercise Desert Hunt 2025 at Air Force Station Jodhpur from 24 to 28 February 2025. 

•  It is an integrated Tri-Service Special Forces exercise. 
•  Para (Special Forces) from the Indian Army, the Marine Commandos from the Indian Navy along with the Garud (Special Forces) from the Indian Air Force took part in the exercise. 
• The aim of drill was to enhance interoperability, coordination and synergy among the three Special Forces units. 
•  Airborne insertion, precision strikes, hostage rescue, counter-terrorism operations, combat free falls and urban warfare scenarios were parts of the exercise. 

Award News 

12. Anora wins the award for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. 

•  Baker won Best Director and Mickey Madison won Best Actress award for the film Anora. 
• Anora is a story of a sex worker who marries a wealthy client. 
•  Baker’s other films include Tangerine, The Florida Project and Red Rocket. 
• Adrien Brody secured second Academy Award. 
• He won Best Actor award for his portrayal of Laszlo Toth in The Brutalist. He earlier won Best Actor for The Pianist. 
• Mikey Madison won her first Academy Award. 
• Zoe Saldana won Best Supporting Actress for performance in Emilia Perez. 
• Kieran Culkin won Best Supporting Actor award for role in A Real Pain. 

13. Vidarbha won the third Ranji Trophy title by defeating Kerala. 

•  Vidarbha claimed their third Ranji Trophy title by defeating Kerala in the final in Nagpur. 
• Vidarbha scored 379 in their first innings and secured the decisive first-innings lead where Kerala were bowled out for 342. 
• Vidarbha secured the title based on a decisive first-innings lead in Nagpur. 
• In 2017-18, Vidarbha won their maiden Ranji Trophy title. 
• Vidarbha emerged as the best team across all four groups in the league stage with six wins in seven matches giving them 40 points. 
• Vidarbha defeated Mumbai by 80 runs in the semifinal. 
• The Ranji Trophy title was established in 1934-35 and was initially called the Cricket Championship of India. 

14. Rithvik Bollipalli won the ATP doubles title in Chile. 

• Indian tennis player Ritwik Bolippalli and Nicolas Barrientos (Colombia) won the doubles final of the $710,735 ATP tennis tournament played on clay in Santiago, Chile. 
• They defeated top seeds Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni of Argentina 6-3, 6-2.
•  This was the 14th doubles title for 24-year-old Ritwik, ranked 74th in the world rankings. Last year, he won four titles. 
•  The champion team receives 250 ATP points and $35,980. The runner-up receives 150 points and $19,330. 
•  In singles title, Laslo Djere of Serbia won the Chile Open (ATP 250) title defeating Sebastian Báez of Argentina in the final. 
• The 2025 Chile Open, a men's tennis tournament, was the 27th edition of the event. 
• It was part of the ATP 250 tournaments on the 2025 ATP Tour that took place from 24 February to 2 March 2025. 

15. Kannada book included in the list of International Booker Prize for the first time. 

•  Kannada writer Banu Mushtaq's short story collection “Heart Lamp” is one of the 13 books longlisted for this year's International Booker Prize. 
•  In a historic moment for Kannada literature, it has become the first Kannada book to be longlisted for the award, which is given to books translated into English. 
•  She is renowned as an advocate of Dalit and Muslim women's rights. 
• She was awarded the Karnataka Sahitya Academy and Dana Chintamani Atimbhe awards.
•  Deepa Bhasthi has translated this short story from Kannada to English. 
• Deepa Bhasthi is a writer and literary translator based in Kodagu. 
• Heart Lamp has previously been translated into Urdu, Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam.
•   The list of 13 books – 11 novels and two short story collections – was selected by the 2025 judging panel, chaired by bestselling Booker Prize-winning author Max Porter. 
• Late Kannada veteran writer UR Ananthamurthy was nominated for the Man Booker International in 2013, the first edition of the award. 

Important Days 

16. World Wildlife Day 2025: 3 March 

•  Every year on 3 March, World Wildlife Day is celebrated. 
• World Wildlife Day is observed to raise awareness about protecting wild animals and plants.
•   The theme of World Wildlife Day 2025 is “Wildlife Conservation Finance: Investing in People and Planet.” 
•  In 2013, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) proclaimed March 3 as the UN World Wildlife Day. 
• In 1973, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was signed on 3 March. 
• CITES is an international agreement between governments. Its main aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species. 
• In India, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau is a statutory body for combating wildlife crime. 
• The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau assists customs authorities in the inspection as per the provisions of the Wild Life Protection Act of 1972.

 Appointment News 

17. Ajay Seth took additional charge as Revenue Secretary. 

• On March 1, 2025, the government assigned the additional charge of the Revenue Secretary to Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) Secretary Ajay Seth. 
• This decision followed the departure of Tuhin Kanta Pandey, who has been appointed as the new SEBI Chairperson. 
•  Seth will hold the additional responsibility until regular appointment is made or until further orders, whichever is earlier. 
•  Ajay Seth, a 1987 batch IAS officer of Karnataka cadre, is serving as the DEA secretary since 2021. 
•  On March 1, 2025, Tuhin Kanta Pandey took over as the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) at the market regulator's headquarters in Mumbai. 

Obituary News 

18. Renowned artist Himmat Shah dies of heart attack at 92

•  Renowned artist and sculptor Himmat Shah died at Jaipur's Shalby Hospital after a heart attack on Sunday, his close friend Himanshu Jangid told PTI. Mr. Shah was 92. 
•  "Although he was not feeling well for the last week, he was actively working in his studio. On Monday, he had a heart attack following which he passed away," Mr. Jangid said. 
•  He is survived by two sisters, who will take part in his last rites on Monday in Jaipur. 
• Born in Gujarat's Lothal in 1933, Mr. Shah was inadvertently introduced to terracotta art and other objects from the Indus Valley Civilisation. 
•  He was later sent to Gharshala, a school affiliated to Dakshinamurthy, where he studied under artist-educator Jagubhai Shah before joining the J.J. School of Art in Bombay, and moving on to Baroda on a government scholarship from 1956 to 1960. 
•  In Baroda, he was influenced by N.S. Bendre and K.G. Subramanyan. Later in 1967, he received a French government scholarship to study etching under S.W. Hayeter and Krish-na Reddy at Atelier 17, Paris. 
•  Mr. Shah shared his days at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Baroda with one of his contemporaries and renowned painter Gulammo-hammed Sheikh. 
•  Remembering Mr. Shah as an "ebullient and jovial" person, Mr. Sheikh said he developed a "highly individualised approach" to sculpture, "...changing the idea of making a human head in multiple ways with ingenious dexterity and creative spirit".