Current Affairs | National | International | SSC | UPSC 8th March 2025

1. Omar Abdullah announces slew of welfare measures in 1.12 lakh cr. budget for J&K 

• Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday presented ₹1.12 lakh crore budget for the Union Territory and announced a slew of sops for the poorest of the poor. 
• The Opposition parties, however, expressed disappointment over the government's failure to reach out to the middle class and unemployed youth. 
• "This Budget is a road map for a new and prosperous J&K," Mr. Abdullah said.
• The total budget estimates for the fiscal 2025-26 was pegged at 1,12,310 crore. 
• Presenting his maiden Budget as the Finance Minister, he reached out to those registered under the Antyodaya Anna Yojna (AAY). Among the sops announced included free ration of 10 kilogram per person to AAY beneficiaries, enhancement in financial assistance under the Marriage Assistance Scheme from ₹50,000 to ₹75,000 for AAY category girls, 200 units of free electricity per month to all AAY families. 
• Mr. Abdullah announced an enhancement in pension amounts, benefiting 10,07,324 individuals. For women, all government-owned public transport buses, including e-buses, will be free. Stamp duty on property gifted to blood relatives has been reduced to zero. 
• The PDP said the budget "exposes a massive gap between promises made in the election manifesto and the reality. The promise of 200 units of free electricity for every household was nothing but an election gimmick". 

2. Aravindh Chithambaram won the Prague Masters 2025 Chess title. 

• Indian Grandmaster Chithambaram scored six points in the tournament. 
• He finished with draw against Turkey's Ediz Gurel in the final round. 
• Despite draw, Chithambaram’s victory was secured after Dutch Grandmaster Anish Giri defeated R. Praggnanandhaa of India. 
• Chithambaram finished one full point ahead of the rest of the players. 
• Praggnanandhaa ended with five points out of nine after losing to Giri. 

3. Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2025 has been released by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP). 

• Burkina Faso ranks first on the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2025 based on the impact of terrorism. 
• India ranked 14th in the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2025. 
• Pakistan has been second on the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2025. 
• Syria and Mali secured third and fourth positions respectively. 
• After the first edition of this Index, this is the first time that Pakistan suffered from 1,000 terrorist attacks in a single year. 
• Terrorist attacks in Pakistan have increased by 45 percent. Afghan affiliate Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has become the fastest-growing terror group in Pakistan. 
• GTI evaluates terrorism through various indicators, such as the number of attacks, fatalities, injuries and the overall impact on the country. 
• The report provides a comprehensive summary of the key global trends and patterns in terrorism over the last decade. 
• According to this report, the Islamic State (IS) and its affiliates remained the deadliest terrorist organization in 2024. They were responsible for 1,805 deaths across 22 countries. 
• IS, Jamaat Nusrat Al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM), TTP and al-Shabaab activity have increased. 
• Rank Country Value Change 

4. Anju Rathi Rana became the first ever woman Union law secretary. 

• Anju Rathi Rana, an Indian Legal Service officer, has been appointed as the new Union law secretary. 
• She is the first woman to be appointed as the law secretary. 
• She was a public prosecutor in the Delhi government for 18 years. 
• She joined the law ministry as a joint secretary in 2017. 
• Niten Chandra was the last law secretary. The post was vacant for a few months. 

5. Mobile World Congress 2025 was held in Barcelona, Spain. 

• This four-day event was hosted by the GSM Association (GSMA) at the Fira Gran Via exhibition centre. 
• It was organized from 3 March – 6 March 2025. 
• This is organized under the theme "Converge, Connect, Create". It emphasized the fusion of mobile and AI-driven technologies. 
• The 2025 Mobile World Congress (MWC) brought together industry leaders, policymakers, and technology innovators to explore advancements in 5G, artificial intelligence (AI), and advanced connectivity. 
• This was attended by most major tech companies, including Samsung, Google, Qualcomm, LG, Sony, AMD, Meta, Nvidia, and Lenovo. 
• Union Minister for Communications, Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, represented India at the prestigious Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025. 
• Pixel 9 Pro has been named “Smartphone of the Year” and Gemini won the "Breakthrough Device Innovation" award. 
• Mobile World Congress) is an annual trade show dedicated to the mobile communications industry. 

6. US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to create a strategic bitcoin reserve. 

• The Treasury Department will set up an office to administer the Bitcoin Reserve.
• The U.S. will not sell any bitcoin deposited into the Reserve. It will be kept as a store of value. 
• As per the estimate, the US government owns about 200,000 Bitcoins. 
• This reserve will be funded by bitcoin confiscated in criminal and civil forfeiture cases. 
• The US government will also establish a Digital Asset Stockpile to hold other confiscated cryptocurrencies. This stockpile will be managed by the Treasury Department. 
• Through this executive order, the U.S. government made a strong statement about the future of digital assets. 

7. India and Ireland agreed to increase trade, investment, and technology linkages. 

• On 7 March, External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar met his Irish counterpart, Simon Harris, in Dublin. 
• It was the first visit by an Indian Foreign Minister to Ireland and the first high-level political visit from India since Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit in 2015 
• The two ministers discussed India-Ireland bilateral cooperation, including a new action plan to revitalize relations. 
• They agreed to establish a Joint Economic Commission to enhance trade, investment, and technology ties. 
• The two leaders exchanged views on recent developments in their respective regions and globally, including the Ukraine conflict, West Asia, Afghanistan, and the Indo-Pacific region. 
• Bilateral trade between the two countries has already reached 16 billion Euros, and they are committed to strengthening every opportunity for growth, investment, and cooperation. 

8. A contract to supply engines for T-72 tanks signed by India with a Russian firm. 

• A $248 million deal has been signed by the Defence Ministry with Russia's Rosoboronexport to procure 1,000 hp engines for the Indian Army's T-72 tanks. 
• These engines will be in a semi-finished and ready-to-be-assembled state. 
• To promote the Make in India initiative in the defense sector, the deal also includes the transfer of technology from Rosoboronexport to Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (Heavy Vehicles Factory) at Avadi, Chennai. 
• This will enable the assembly of engines under the Transfer and Share of Technology and subsequent licensed production. 
• T-72 is the main tank in the Indian Army fleet, which is currently equipped with a 780 HP engine. 
• Equipping the existing fleet of T-72 tanks with 1000 HP engines will enhance the combat mobility and offensive capability of the Indian Army. 

9. International Women’s Day 2025: 8 March 

• On 8 March every year, International Women’s Day is celebrated. 
• The day is celebrated to help create a gender-equal world and to celebrate the achievements of women and their growing visibility in every walk of life. 
• The day celebrates the economic, social, political, and cultural achievements of women worldwide. 
• The theme of International Women's Day 2025 is “For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.” 
• In 1909, Women's Day first came into existence as National Women's Day and was initially celebrated on 28 February 1909. 
• Later, International Women's Day was first celebrated on 19 March 1911. 
• In 1913, International Women's Day was moved to March 8 according to the Gregorian calendar. 
• In 1975, the United Nations began celebrating 8 March as International Women's Day. 
• Furthermore, the year 2025 is a significant moment as it marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. 
• This document is a globally endorsed blueprint for women's and girls' rights, transforming legal protection, service access, youth engagement, and outdated social norms. 

10. An MoC signed for India's first API, green hydrogen, and ethanol facility in Himachal Pradesh. 

• On March 5, a Memorandum of Commitment (MoC) was signed by the Himachal Pradesh government with Chandigarh-based Spray Engineering Devices Ltd. 
• The agreement aims to establish India’s first integrated manufacturing facility for Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API), Green Hydrogen, and 2G Ethanol. 
• The government will set up the Rs 1,400 crore project in Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh (BBN), Solan district, expecting to create 1,000 jobs. 
• The project will initially require 30 MW of green hydrogen, and the demand is expected to increase to 50 MW. 
• Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu reaffirmed the state's commitment to making Himachal Pradesh a green energy state by March 2026 and urged the company to complete the project within a year. 

11. Jan Aushadhi Diwas: 7 March 

• Jan Aushadhi Diwas is celebrated every year on 7th March. It was first observed in 2019. 
• This day is celebrated to raise awareness about Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana and promote generic medicines. 
• Jan Aushadhi Diwas 2025 is 7th Jan Aushadhi Diwas. 
• This year, 1st March to 7th March is being celebrated as Janaushadhi Week with theme “Daam Kam - Dawai Uttam”. 
• Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers launched Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana in November 2008 in collaboration with Central Pharma Public Sector Undertakings. 
• This scheme aims to make quality generic medicines available at affordable prices to all. 
• Under the scheme, medicines are provided at prices 50 to 80 per cent less than the market. 
• Jan Aushadhi Suvidha Oxo-biodegradable Sanitary Napkins were launched on 27th August 2019 at Rs.1/- per pad only. 
• At present, more than 15 thousand Janaushadhi Kendras are operational across all districts of the country. 

12. HDFC Bank has launched Project HAKK (Hawai Anubhavi Kalyan Kendra). 

• This project has been launched to support Indian Air Force (IAF) pensioners, veterans, and their families. 
• A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed by the bank with IAF and CSC Academy to set up 25 support centres across main Air Force units in India.
• These centres will be in cities such as New Delhi, Bengaluru, Gurgaon, Pune, Secunderabad, Guwahati, Jodhpur, and Chandigarh. 
• Skill development and training in financial products and services will be provided by HDFC Bank in collaboration with CSC Academy to empower defence veterans and their families. 
• The initiative will provide more than 500 Government to Citizen and Business to Customer services. 
• These services include Aadhaar service, NPS, PAN Card, passport, and bill collection. 

13. Ladki Bahin Yojana: Rs 17,500 crore disbursed to 2.38 crore women 

• The Maharashtra government disbursed ₹17,500 crore to 2.38 crore women under the Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana till December 2024, stated the Economic Survey tabled in the State Assembly on Friday. 
• "The State launched the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana in June 2024 with the objective of promoting rehabilitation, economic development, and empowerment of women and girls in the 21 to 65 age group. Under this scheme, financial aid of ₹17,505.90 crore was provided to 2.38 crore women beneficiaries up to December 2024," the Economic Survey stated. 
• Through disbursement of monthly aid of ₹1,500, the scheme intends to rehabilitate women economically and socially to make them self-reliant, promote empowerment, and improve the health and nutritional status of the women and children dependent on them, the report stated. 
• The details come amid criticism that the scheme was introduced by the ruling Mahayuti for electoral gain ahead of last year's Assembly election and a dip in the number of eligible beneficiaries in the State. 
• The Economic Survey stated that the allocation for the gender budget was increased. "The share of the gender budget in the total State budget was 3.1% in 2023-24 and 3.3% in 2024-25," it stated. In 2023-24, the allocation was 20,391 crore, which in-creased marginally to ₹21,951 crore in 2024-25. to Dip in expenditure 
• However, expenditure on certain women-specific schemes in the State saw a dip. For example, expendi-ture on women shelter homes, government women hostels, and protective homes recorded a drop from 15.31 crore in 2023-24 to ₹9.82 crore in 2024-25 (up to December 2024). Beneficiaries also dipped from 6,654 in 2023-24 to 4,527 in 2024-25.