Current Affairs | National | International | SSC

1. Trump announced to make English the official language of the US.

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to make English the official language of the United States.
English as the official language will not only streamline communication but also reinforce shared national values.
Now, government agencies and organisations that receive federal funding can choose whether they want to offer documents and services in languages other than English.
For the first time, the US has designated an official language at the federal level.
Nearly 68 million of the USA speak a language other than English. More than 160 Native American languages are present in the US.
In the USA, Spanish, Chinese and Arabic are the other languages that are most spoken after English.
Approximately 180 countries around the world have official national languages.
More than 30 US states have designated English as the official language.

2. India is likely to induct into its Navy, Tamal, by June 2025.

Tamal is a multi-role stealth guided missile frigate. It is built at Russia’s Yantar Shipyard.
It is equipped to launch BrahMos anti-ship missile.
It is part of a 2016 Indo-Russian deal. The deal involved the construction of four Talwar-class stealth frigates.
Two were to be constructed in Russia and two in India as per the deal.
INS Tushil was the first Russian-built frigate.
It was inducted into the Navy during Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s visit to Russia on December 9, 2024.
Tamal is currently undergoing trials in Russia.
Tamal can reach speeds of up to 30 knots (55 km/h). Its weight is 3,900 tons.
It has a range of 3,000 kilometers on a single mission.
Its key features are BrahMos missile capability, advanced anti-submarine rockets, and torpedoes for underwater threats.
Tamal can carry and deploy a multi-role helicopter and evade enemy radar.
INS Tushil and Tamal are part of the third batch of Talwar-class frigates.
Tamal will be the last imported warship for the Navy.

3. IRCTC and IRFC have been given Navaratna status by the Centre.

On March 3, Navratna status has been granted to two public sector companies—Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC) by the central government.
The elevation of IRCTC and IRFC to Navratna CPSEs has been approved by the government, making them the 25th and 26th 'Navratnas' among Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs).
With the inclusion of the latest companies, the number of Navaratna companies in the country has reached 26.
IRCTC and IRFC are a Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) under the Ministry of Railways.
In the financial year 2023-24, IRCTC recorded an annual turnover of Rs 4,270.18 crore along with a profit after tax of Rs 1,111.26 crore and a net worth of Rs 3,229.97 crore.
Similarly, in FY 2023-24, IRFC reported an annual turnover of Rs 26,644 crore, a profit after tax of Rs 6,412 crore, and a net worth of Rs 49,178 crore.
Of the 12 railway CPSEs, Concor, RVNL, IRCON, RITES, and RailTel were classified as Navratna companies earlier.
Since 2014, all seven listed railway CPSEs have been upgraded to Navratna status, with Concor being the first to join the list in July 2014.

Navratna status:

The Government of India grants Navratna status to top-ranked public sector undertakings (PSUs).
This status allows organisations to make large investments of up to Rs 1,000 crore without approval from the Centre.
These companies have the freedom to invest up to 30% of their total assets within a year, provided it is less than ₹1,000 crore.
They can also form joint ventures, tie-ups, and set up subsidiaries abroad.
For a company to be granted Navratna status, it must already have Miniratna Category I status and be listed under Schedule A of CPSEs.

4. India emerged as the 3rd largest biofuel producer in the world.

As of January, India has achieved 19.6 per cent ethanol blending in petrol.
It is a significant step toward a shift to cleaner and renewable energy.
India will very soon have 20 per cent ethanol blending five years ahead of the target of 2030.
In the last 10 years, the ethanol blending initiatives have enhanced farmer incomes.
It has also helped in reducing CO2 emissions equivalent to planting 1.75 crore trees.
To support ethanol blending, the oil marketing companies have signed agreements with 131 dedicated ethanol plants.
These plants will produce 745 crore litres of ethanol annually.

5. "Sashakt Panchayat-Netri Abhiyaan" launched by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.

A national workshop of women elected representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions is being organized by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
In this, "Sashakt Panchayat-Netri Abhiyan" (सशत पंचायत-नेी अभियान) was launched on 4 March 2025 at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi.
Sashakt Panchayat—Netri Abhiyaan is a flagship initiative aimed at strengthening capacity building for women elected representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions across the country.
It focuses on enhancing their leadership capacity and decision-making abilities and strengthening their role in governance at the grassroots level.
Recognizing the important role of women elected representatives in rural local governance, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj has formulated a strategy to enhance their leadership capacity and ensure their active participation in decision-making.
More than 1,200 Panchayat women leaders from different backgrounds participated in this historic event.
The National Workshop featured carefully curated panel discussions on important topics related to women's participation in local governance, such as “Women’s Participation and Leadership in PRIs: Changing the Dynamics in Local Self-Governance."

6. International Wheelchair Day 2025: 1 March

On March 1, people around the world celebrate International Wheelchair Day.
The day gives a voice to people who experience mobility on wheels and highlights the importance of this device in ensuring independence.
On March 1, 2008, International Wheelchair Day was established by Steve Wilkinson, a dedicated advocate for wheelchair users who lived with spina bifida.
On International Wheelchair Day 2025, various national institutes and Composite Regional Centres (CRCs) under the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment organised several events across the country.
These initiatives spearheaded by the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment were aimed at promoting accessibility, independence, and inclusion for persons with disabilities.
The day highlights the importance of wheelchairs in the lives of users and serves as an important opportunity to raise awareness and inclusiveness in society.

7. India's First World Peace Centre has been inaugurated in Gurugram.

World Peace Centre has been established under the leadership of Jain Acharya Lokesh Muni and the efforts of Ahimsa Vishwa Bharti at Sector 39, Gurugram.
Ram Nath Kovind, the former President of India, along with dignitaries attended the inaugurating ceremony.
The World Peace Centre will act as a beacon of spirituality and social unity, providing a platform for peace education, environmental preservation, equality, and institutional peace-building processes.
It will play a key role in fostering awareness, social responsibility, and sustainable development.
It will also help in strengthening institutional networks for peace and harmony.
World Peace Centre will have peace ambassadors around the world. They will be responsible for service for the peace in the world if conflict erupts in any part of the world.

8. Dr Mayank Sharma assumed office as Controller General of Defence Accounts.

Mayank Sharma takes charge as Controller General of Defence Accounts.
He is a 1989-batch officer of the Indian Defence Accounts Service (IDAS).
He has served in various positions within the Government of India, including the Defence Accounts Department.
He had also represented India at the International Anti-Corruption Academy and the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna.
The Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA) heads the Defence Accounts Department.

9. Tesla to open India’s first showroom at Maker Maxity in BKC Mumbai

Elon Musk’s automotive company Tesla has finalized its showroom space in Mumbai’s Maker Maxity, a mixed-use development located in the Bandra Kurla Complex, at a monthly rent of around ₹35 lakh.
The car showroom space spread across an area of around 3000 sq ft is located on the ground floor of the commercial tower in Maker Maxity and the rent is around ₹35 lakh per month.
BKC is the country’s most expensive commercial real estate hub.

10. Manan Kumar Mishra re-elected as Chairman of Bar Council of India

Senior Advocate Manan Kumar Mishra has been re-elected chairman of the Bar Council of India (BCI) for the seventh consecutive term. He was elected unopposed.
Mishra is a Rajya Sabha member from Bihar and represents the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

About Bar Council of India (BCI)

BCI is a statutory body established under the Advocates Act of 1961, responsible for regulating the legal profession and education in India.
Headquarters – New Delhi

Recent Appointments

Chairman of Ratan Tata Endowment Foundation – N Chandrasekaran
Head of Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) – Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi (extension one year)
CEO of NITI Aayog – B V R Subrahmanyam (extension one year)
Managing Partner and Global Head of Wipro Consulting – Amit Kumar
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) – Gyanesh Kumar;26th (replace Rajiv Kumar).

11. Economic Affairs Secretary Ajay Seth gets additional charge of Revenue Department

Economic Affairs Secretary Ajay Seth was given additional charge of the post of Secretary, Department of Revenue.
The vacancy was necessitated following the appointment of Revenue Secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandey as the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
The competent authority has approved the assignment of the additional charge of the secretary of the Department of Revenue to Ajay Seth, secretary of the Department of Economic Affairs till the appointment of a regular incumbent.

Other Important Secretaries

Principal Secretary to PM – PK Mishra (I) & Shaktikanta Das (II)
Secretary in Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) – Arunish Chawla
Ministry of Corporate Affairs Secretary – Deepti Gaur Mukherjee
Foreign Secretary – Vikram Misri
Home Secretary – Govind Mohan
Cabinet Secretary – T V Somanathan
Secretary of DPIIT – Amardeep Singh Bhatia
Expenditure Secretary – Manoj Govil
Defence Secretary – Rajesh Kumar Singh
Economic Affairs Secretary – Ajay Seth
MoSPI Secretary – G. P. Samanta

12. ICC chairman Jay Shah conferred with Icon of Excellence award at FILA 2025

Jay Shah, chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC), has been honoured with the prestigious Icon of Excellence award at the 14th edition of the Forbes India Leadership Awards (FILA 2025).
This award recognises his exceptional contributions to cricket administration and his role in driving innovation and inclusivity in the sport.
Under his leadership, cricket has witnessed a remarkable transformation, making the game more accessible and globally competitive.
At the age of 36, Jay Shah made history by becoming the youngest-ever chairman of the ICC.

About International Cricket Council (ICC)

The International Cricket Council is the global governing body of cricket.
Formation – 15 June 1909
Headquarters – Dubai, UAE
Chairman – Jay Shah (replace Greg Barclay)
Deputy Chairman – Imran Khwaja (Singapore)
CEO – Geoff Allardice (Australia)
General Manager – Wasim Khan
Membership – 108 members

13. 97th Academy Awards announced

The 97th Academy Awards took place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angele

All eyes were on Jacques Audiard’s audacious musical Emilia Perez as it was leading with 13 nominations. But it was the night for Sean Baker’s Anora.

The film took home five Oscars including

14. Tennis: Brandon Holt wins Bengaluru Open Title, Beats Shintaro Mochizuki in Final

In tennis, Brandon Holt of the USA clinched his second ATP Challenger singles title of the season after beating Japan’s Shintaro Mochizuki 6-3, 6-3 in the Bengaluru Open 2025 tennis tournament’s singles final.
Consequently, the 26-year-old Holt became the first American winner in the Bengaluru Open history.
This was the ninth edition of the ATP Challenger 125 tennis tournament. Indian tennis player Anirudh Chandrasekar and Chinese Taipei’s Ray Ho beat Blake Bayldon and Matthew Christopher Romios 6-2, 6-4 to win the doubles title.

15. Kohli becomes seventh Indian player to play 300 ODIs

One of India’s greatest cricketers, Virat Kohli has reached a historic milestone. During the Champions Trophy match against New Zealand in Dubai, he played his 300th One Day International (ODI) match.
With this achievement, Kohli became the seventh Indian and 22nd player in the world to reach this milestone.
The list is led by Sachin Tendulkar, who played 463 matches, followed by MS Dhoni with 347 matches.

16. 4 March – National Safety Day

National Safety Day is observed every year on March 4th in India to promote awareness about workplace safety, health, and environmental protection.
Theme 2025 – Safety & Well-being Crucial for Viksit Bharat” (Developed India)
It marks the foundation day of the National Safety Council (NSC), which was established in 1966 by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India.

17. ISRO releases second set of scientific data from Aditya mission

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has released the second set of scientific data from the Ad-itya-L1 solar mission.
"The datasets comprise valuable scientific informa-tion about the Sun's photosphere, chromosphere and its outer atmosphere (corona) along with the in situ particles and magnetic field measurements at first Earth-Sun Lagrange Point L1," the ISRO said.
Widely accessible The Aditya L1 datasets will be accessible from the Indian Space Science Data Centre (ISSDC) portal.
To access the Aditya-L1 data via the ISSDC website, visit www.issdc.gov.in/adityal1.html, and navigate to the data download section. Data may be accessed directly on PRADAN portal links pradan.issdc.gov.in/all or pradant.issdc.gov.in/all.
"ISRO encourages the community of researchers and students to utilise these datasets. The user manuals to analyse Aditya-L1 payload data are also available on the above web address after registration," the ISRO said.
The maiden datasets from Aditya-L1 were released by the ISRO on January 6, and a national meet was organised.

Third revolution

Aditya-L1, at present, is observing the sun during its third revolution in the halo orbit around the Lagrange Point (L1).
The Aditya-L1 mission was launched on September 2, 2023 by ISRO aboard the PSLV C-57 rocket.
On January 6, 2024, the spacecraft was successfully placed in a large halo orbit around the first Earth-Sun Lagrange Point known as Lagrange Point (L1).
The L1 point is 1.5 million kilometres from earth towards the Sun.

18. Jharkhand govt. tables 1.45-lakh-cr. budget

The Jharkhand government on Monday tabled a ₹1.45 lakh crore budget for the financial year 2025-26 in the State Assembly.
The budget, presented by Finance Minister Radhakrishna Kishore, has made a provision of 13,363.35 crore for the ambitious Jharkhand Mukhyamantri Maiya Samman Yojana (JMMSY) to provide financial assistance to women.
Presenting the first budget of the Heman Soren government after retaining power in the Assembly election last year, Mr. Kishore said that the State's economy is expected to grow at the rate of 7.5% in the financial year 2025-26.
He said that the fiscal deficit for the coming financial year is estimated to be 11,253 crore. A provision of 62,844 crore has been made for the social sector.
The State government. announced seven medical colleges in Ranchi, Khunti, Giridih, Jamshedpur, Dhanbad, Deoghar and Jamtara. New universities in Jamshedpur, Gumla and Sahibganj will also be set up.
Mr. Kishore informed that the State government will initiate legal action to recover its dues of ₹1.36 lakh crore pending with the Centre.
Former Chief Minister and BJP MLA Champai Soren termed the budget as aimless.

19. India launches multi-nation alliance for collaboration on sustainable development

India on Monday launched the Cities Coalition for Circularity (C-3), a multi nation alliance for city-to-city collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and private sector partnerships for sustainable urban development.
This forum would provide a critical platform for policymakers, industry leaders, researchers, and development partners to discuss and implement sustainable solutions for waste management and resource efficiency as economies in the Asia-Pacific region.

Reuse and recycle

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a special written message to delegates at the launch, said India follows and strongly advocates the P (Pro-Planet People) approach and highlighted the role of 3R (reduce, reuse and recycle) and circular economy principles in ensuring sustainable urban development and resource efficiency.
He also mentioned that India has always been more than willing to share its experiences and learning in its journey towards creating a circular economy. "We propose that a working group of member nations be formed after this forum to finalise the coalition's structure and operational framework," he said.
A key Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for CITIIS 2.0 was also signed at the launch event in Jaipur.
Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal announced that agreements worth ₹1,800 crore will be signed under this initiative, benefiting 18 cities across 14 States, and serving as lighthouse projects for other urban areas. Environmental issues
The Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum in Asia and the Pacific was launched in 2009 to promote sustainable waste management, resource ef-ficiency, and circular economy principles across the region. Recognising the environmental challenges posed by rapid economic growth, resource depletion, and rising waste generation, the forum has served as a key platform for policy dialogue and ca-pacity building.
A major milestone was the adoption of the Hanoi 3R Declaration (2013-2023), which outlined 33 voluntary goals for shifting towards a more resource-efficient and circular economy.

20. External Affairs Minister to visit U.K., Ireland to strengthen bilateral ties

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will visit the Republic of Ireland and the U.K. this week to deepen ties with both countries. The visit comes days after the EU College of Commissioners visited New Delhi and after India and the U.K. relaunched trade negotiations on February 24. The visit comes at a challenging time for European countries which have been renegotiating their relationship with the United States, since the U.S. President In Ireland, S. Jaishankar will meet his counterpart, Simon Harris, and other officials. Donald Trump's return to the White House.
In the U.K., Mr. Jaishankar is scheduled to open a consulate in Belfast (the capital of Northern Ire-land) and Manchester. Apart from the High Commission in London, India's U.K. missions include consulates in Birmingham and Edinburgh, in addition to honorary consulates in Cardiff, Belfast and New-castle Upon Tyne.
The Minister is also due to meet the U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy and other officials, the government said, previewing his visit in a statement. He is also scheduled to speak on "India's rise and role in the world" at Chatham House, the London-based think-tank, on March 5.
In Ireland, the Minister will meet his counterpart Simon Harris and other officials. Mr. Jaishankar is also expected to sign an MoU for a diplomat exchange programme. The two countries are expected to announce the India-Ire-land Joint Economic Commission, an official told The Hindu. This is the highest-level government visit since Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Ireland in September 2015.

21. Study finds 6,327 Gangetic | dolphins across four States

The first estimate of Gangetic dolphins, the only riverine dolphins in India, has found 6,327 of them in the Ganga and its tributaries. Previous attempts at mapping the population have relied on vastly different methods, and so the latest number is not useful for in-sight on whether their numbers have changed ov-er time, experts associated with the study told The Hindu.
A press report by the Environment Ministry on Monday, World Wildlife Day, said there were 6,324 Ganges river dolphins, and three Indus river dolphins (a related species). There were an average 3,275 dolphins in the main stem of the Ganga; 2,414 in the Ganga tributaries; 584 in the Brahmaputra main stem; 412 in the Brahmaputra tributaries; and 101 in the Beas river. The effort began in 2021 and spanned a cumulative distance of 8,507 km.
Unlike the counting of tigers, elephants and other land animals in the forest, counting dolphins is challenging. For one, the animals are underwater and surface only sporadically to breathe. Second, unlike the tiger's stripes and the elephants' ears that can be caught on camera and used to distinguish one animal from the other, individual dolphins cannot be uniquely identified this way. For their survey, the researchers travelled by boat at a constant speed using acoustic hydrophones, essentially underwater microphones that pick up sounds emitted by the dolphins. The animals are blind and rely on echolocation to communicate and move.
"Using hydrophones and two different sets of observers on the boat, we triangulate the presence of a dolphin, and we also have to ensure that the same dolphin isn't counted twice," Qamar Qureshi, formerly of the Wildlife Institute of India and closely connected with the survey, said.
The next survey will likely take place after four years. For the current study, many of the surveyors had to be trained in the new techniques that were required.
"The major challenge to dolphins is getting entangled in fishermen's nets, but we are now studying the effect of pollution on the dolphins' habitat," Mr. Qureshi added.
The dolphin report was officially made public on Monday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a visit to Gujarat, where he chaired a meeting of the National Board for Wildlife. He said that the local populations (in the Gangetic States) were important for conservation measures, and added that schoolchildren ought to be encouraged to visit dolphin habitat.
The highest number of dolphins were reported in Uttar Pradesh, followed by Bihar, West Bengal, and Assam.

Current Affairs | National | International | SSC | UPSC 4th March 2025