Current Affairs | National | International | SSC | UPSC 29th March 2025

 National News 

1. Govt. passes Bill to simplify maritime regulations 

•  The Lok Sabha on Friday passed a Bill, which seeks to modernise provisions governing the carriage of goods by sea and simplify maritime regulations. 
• The Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2024, was passed by a voice vote. The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 9, 2024. 
•  It seeks to replace the Indian Carriage of Goods by Sea Act, 1925, which establishes the responsibilities, liabilities, rights, and immunities in case of goods carried from one port to another port in India or abroad. 
•  The new Bill retains all provisions of the Act. 
•  "This new legislation is a part of the greater initiative of the government to rid ourselves of all vestiges of the colonial mindset and ensure ease of understanding and ease of doing business through simple and rationalised law," Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal had said in the Parliament before the Bill was passed.

 2. Government increased MGNREGS wages by 2-7% for FY26 

•  For the financial year 2025-26, the government has increased wages under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) by 2-7%. 
•  The Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) issued a notification revising the NREGS wages for FY 2025-26. 
•  In absolute terms, the NREGS wages would increase in the range of Rs 7 to Rs 26. 
•  The NREGS wages have been hiked by ₹7 in five states, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, and Telangana. 
• The highest increase will be of Rs 26 in Haryana, where NREGS wages will touch the Rs 400-mark during 2025-26. 
•  It will be the first time the NREGS wages will touch Rs 400 per day in any state. 
•  The NREGS wage rates are fixed according to changes in the CPI-AL (Consumer Price Index for Agricultural Labourers). 

3. Lok Sabha passed the Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill,2024 

•  The Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill,2024 will replace the Indian Carriage of Goods by Sea Act, 1925. 
•  It aims to modernize regulations governing the responsibilities, liabilities, rights, and immunities of carriers involved in the transportation of goods by sea. 
•  It will consolidate the law relating to ports, and promote integrated port development. 
•  It will facilitate ease of doing business and ensure the optimum utilisation of India’s coastline by establishing and empowering State Maritime Boards. 
•  The Maritime State Development Council will also be formed to foster structured growth development of the port sector.
•  It empowers the central government to amend the schedule specifying rules applicable to bills of lading. 
• The Act applies to ships transporting goods from an Indian port to a foreign port and between Indian ports. 

4. Cabinet increases DA, DR for Central sta and pensioners 

•  The Union Cabinet on Friday approved an additional instalment of dearness allowance (DA) to Union government employees and dearness relief (DR) to pensioners effective from January 1. 
•  The Centre said 48.66 lakh employees and 66.55 lakh pensioners will get a 2% increase over the existing rate of 53% of the basic pay or pension. 
•  It will cost ₹6614.04 crore a year to the exchequer. 
•  Trade unions have alleged that it was done without holding any discussion with the stakeholders. All India Trade Union Congress general secretary Amarjeet Kaur said on Friday that the Central Civil Service-Pension Rules amendments betrayed 48.66 lakh Union govt. staff and 66.55 lakh pensioners will get a 2% increase over the existing rate of 53% of basic pay or pension, says Centre lakhs of pensioners. 
•  Ms. Kaur said the amendments exclude existing pensioners from benefits of the proposed Eighth Pay Commission and make it applicable only to those employees who retired after implementation of the Pay Commission recommendations. 
•  Union Information Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told reporters that the increase is in accordance with the aас-accepted formula, which is based on the recommendations of the seventh Central Pay Commission.

 International News 

5. The Australian government appointed Steve Waugh to the Australia-India relations advisory board 

•  Former cricketer Steve Waugh has been appointed to the Centre for Australia-India Relations Advisory Board by the Australian government. 
• In 2023, the Australian Government established the Centre for Australia-India Relations to support and facilitate greater collaboration and engagement with India. 
•  It works across all levels of government, industry, academia, and the community to build a better understanding of the Australia-India relationship and encourage businesses to take advantage of opportunities related to the economic partnership. 
•  The Advisory Board guides strategic priorities for the Center's programs and activities and improves partnerships across business, the arts, education, health, science, technology, and sports.

 6. Junta seeks aid as 7.7-magnitude earthquake kills 144 in Myanmar 

•  A huge earthquake killed nearly 150 people and injured hundreds across Myanmar and Thailand on Friday, with dozens trapped in collapsed buildings and the death toll expected to rise. 
• The 7.7-magnitude tremor hit near Mandalay, second-largest city in Myanmar, and was followed minutes later by a 6.4-magnitude aftershock. 
• Chief of Myanmar's isolated junta Min Aung Hlaing invited "any country, any organisation" to help with relief, saying at least 144 people had been killed, and 730 injured following the earthquake. A state of emergency was declared across the six worst-affected regions in the country. 

State News 

7. Telangana releases 3.3 cr. to kin of those who died in Gulf

•   The Telangana government on Friday deposited 3.3 crore ex gratia into the bank accounts of the family members of the 66 people who died in the Gulf countries. 
•  Each family member was given 5 lakh and 66 families got the benefit from the government, said former MLA and State Mineral Development Corporation Chairman Anil Eeravatri. 
•  He met Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and thanked him for clearing the file. He said as per the CM's instructions, Special Chief Secretary (Finance and Planning) K. Ramak-rishna Rao released the funds. 
•  Mr. Eeravatri said that money was deposited in the accounts of 28 people in Nizamabad district, 19 in Jagityal, 9 in Kamareddy, 7 in Nirmal, and one each in Medak, Ranga Reddy and Rangareddy districts totalling 66 people. He said this is the second such distribution by the Congress government. 
•  Earlier, ₹5.15 crore was released to 103 people. So far, ₹8.45 crore was paid to 169 people in the financial year 2024-25, he said.

 Defence News 

8. Centre signs ₹62,700-crore deals with HAL for 156 LCH 

•  The Defence Ministry on Friday signed two contracts with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) to buy 156 indigenous Light Combat Helicopters (LCH) and training and associated equipment for a total of over ₹62,700 crore, excluding taxes.
• The Army will get 90 of the helicopters, while the remaining 66 are meant for the Air Force. The contracts were signed soon after the deal got final sanc-tion from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS). 
•  "The supply of these helicopters shall commence from the third year and will be spread over the next five years. The contracts will enhance the combat capability of Armed Forces at high altitudes," a Defence Ministry statement said. 
•  This is India's first indigenously designed and developed combat helicopter designed to operate at an altitude of over 5,000 metres. The helicopter has a large number of components designed and manufactured in India and it is planned to achieve an overall indigenous content of over 65% during the execution of this procurement, the Ministry said. "This will involve over 250 domestic companies mostly MSMEs and will generate over 8,500 direct & indirect jobs." 
•  The Ministry also signed a contract with Metrea Management for Wet Leasing of one flight refuelling aircraft for providing air-to-air refuelling training to pilots of the IAF and Navy. "Metrea will provide one KC135 aircraft within six months which will be the first FRA to be wet leased by IAF," the statement added. Another major deal, an order for 97 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)-MkIA, is set to be concluded in the next few months. 
•  The Army and IAF have already inducted 15 Limited Series Production models of the LCH which were approved at a cost of ₹4264 crore. 
• The IAF inducted the LCH in October 2022 into 143 Helicopter Unit 'Dhanush' at Jodhpur Air Force Station. 
•  The Army raised its first LCH Squadron on June 1, 2022 at Bengaluru and it was later moved to Misamari in Assam. 

9. CDS Gen Anil Chauhan inaugurated Techkriti 2025 at IIT Kanpur 

•  Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan inaugurated Techkriti 2025, Asia’s largest intercollegiate technical and entrepreneurial festival, at IIT Kanpur. 
•  He discussed the necessity of technological advancement and modernization within the Indian Armed Forces. 
•  He said the focus will be on preparing for future wars in domains such as Cyber, Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Computing, and Cognitive Technologies. 
•  The main highlight of the event is Rakshakriti, a Defence Expo, to showcase cutting-edge defence technology. 
•  The event provided a platform for researchers to connect with industry leaders. 
•  It will also help in promoting the development of advanced technologies like autonomous drones. 

Business News 

10. ₹22,919 crore electronics component manufacturing scheme announced by the Union Cabinet 

•  On March 28, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that the Union Cabinet has approved the Non-Semiconductor Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme. 
•  The production-linked incentive scheme will have an outlay of Rs 22,919 crore. 
• Electronics manufacturing has seen historic growth, with production increasing fivefold in CAGR and exports growing sixfold, making electronics one of the top three exported goods. 
•  He said that capacitors, inductors, resistors, connectors, etc. would be manufactured in the country. 
• This will significantly enhance value addition in India, generating ₹4,56,000 crore in production and 91,600 direct jobs. 

Economy News 

11.India became the highest milk producer in the world 

•  India became top milk producer in the world with 239 MMT milk production. 
•  India has set a target of producing 300 million metric tons of milk in next five years. 
•  About 10 crore people in the country are engaged in milk production. 
•  In India, per person consumption of milk is 471 gram. 
•  Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying is implementing the Rashtriya Gokul Mission. 
•  Its main aim is the development and conservation of indigenous breeds, genetic upgradation of bovine population and enhancement of milk production. 
•  Rashtriya Gokul Mission was launched in 2014. Its main objective is to enhance the productivity of bovines and increase milk production in a sustainable manner. 
•  It also aims to enhance artificial insemination coverage by strengthening the breeding network.. 

Schemes and Committees News 

12. Plans to set up second National Gene Bank (NGB) has been announced by the government 

•  This is part of governments’ efforts to enhance long-term food and nutrition security. 
• The initiative comes under the "Investing in Innovations" theme in the Union Budget for 2025-26.
•  NGB aims to conserve 10 lakh crop germplasm for future use.
•   The first National Gene Bank is located at ICAR- National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR) in New Delhi. 
•  It is the second-largest gene bank worldwide. 
•  The first NGB holds 4,71,561 accessions from 2,157 species.
•  These accessions are vital for crop improvement and genetic resource management.
•   They are available to both public and private organizations carrying out agricultural research and development. 
•  The new Gene Bank will feature advanced infrastructure. 
• The initiative is a significant step toward promoting sustainable agriculture. It also aims to secure food resources for future generations.

 Appointment News 

13. S.K. Majumdar appointed as the Executive Director of Canara Bank 

•  The Central Government has appointed SK Majumdar as the Executive Director of the Bank for a term of three years with effect from March 24, 2025. 
•  56-year-old Majumdar is a Chartered Accountant and Cost Accountant with over 25 years of experience in the banking sector. 
•  He has been associated with Canara Bank since January 2000 and has held key leadership roles in branches and administrative offices including Project Finance, Large Corporate Lending and International Operations. 
•  Prior to his promotion, Majumdar was the Chief General Manager and Group Chief Financial Officer (GCFO) of Canara Bank.. 

Science and Technology News 

14. India’s first Nano Electronics Roadshow inaugurated at IISc Bengaluru by the MeitY secretary 

• On March 27, India’s first Nano Electronics Roadshow was successfully hosted at the National Science Seminar Complex, IISc Bengaluru. 
•  The event was organized by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in partnership with IISc Bengaluru, IIT Bombay, IIT Madras, IIT Delhi, IIT Kharagpur, and IIT Guwahati. 
•  The event proved to be a significant milestone in the vision of India’s self-reliant semiconductor ecosystem. 
•  The roadshow showcased over 100 intellectual properties (IP), over 50 innovative technologies and innovations from over 35 emerging startups supported by six state-of-the-art nanoelectronics centres across the country. 
•  The roadshow brought together over 700 industry leaders, policy makers, and academia on a single platform to discuss strategies to strengthen India’s nanoelectronics ecosystem. 
•  India's semiconductor demand is currently at $45-50 billion, which is expected to reach $100-110 billion by 2030.

 Infrastructure and Energy News 

15.Government approved Patna-Arrah-Sasaram Corridor and Kosi-Mechi Intra-State link project 

•  The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved two major infrastructure projects in Bihar—the Patna-Arrah-Sasaram Corridor and the Kosi-Mechi Intra-State Link Project. 
•  Patna-Arrah-Sasaram Corridor will be a 4-lane access-controlled 120.10 km long highway. 
•  This project will be developed under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) at a capital cost of Rs. 3,712.40 crore. 
• This corridor will have greenfield and brownfield developments. 
•  It will generate 48 lakh man-days of employment and contribute to socio-economic growth in the region. 
• Kosi-Mechi Intra-State Link Project will receive central support of Rs. 3,652.56 crore and will be completed by March 2029. 
•  The main aim of the project is to divert surplus water from the Kosi River to irrigate the Mahananda basin in Bihar. 
•  It will create an additional irrigation potential of 2.10 lakh hectares across four districts: Araria, Purnea, Kishanganj, and Katihar.

 Ranks & Reports News 

16. The ranking of Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) has improved in Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI 37) 

• GIFT City ranked first in the 'Reputational Advantage' category. It improved its FinTech ranking from 45th to 40th. 
• Overall position of GIFT City improved from 52nd to 46th.
•   GIFT City remains among top 15 financial centres in the Asia-Pacific. 
•  The GFCI is produced by Z/Yen Group. It evaluates global financial hubs. 
•  The evaluation is based on 140 factors from organizations like the World Bank and OECD. 
•  These factors assess financial centres on aspects such as business environment, infrastructure, human capital, financial development, and overall competitiveness. 
• The GFCI 37 report reviewed 133 financial centres, with 119 included in the main index.

 Miscellaneous News 

17. One in five parents in India faces parenting challenges: CBSE survey 

•  With a view to strengthen parent-child-school partnerships across India, the Central Board of Secon-dary Education (CBSE) has designed a parenting calendar that proposes a series of orientations and initiatives to provide holistic support to students and parents, aligning with the National Education Policy, 2020. The calendar was designed based on a survey of parents. 
•  The survey conducted by the CBSE garnered responses from 13,000 parents across India, including from Delhi, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Ladakh and Manipur, with 69.6% of the res-pondents being mothers, 28.2% being fathers and 2.1% guardians. 
•  The survey indicated that while the parents felt confident in managing their children's education and behaviour, many still required structured guidance, resources, and support from schools. Strengthening parent-school collaboration through workshops, teacher engagement, and accessible parenting resources can bridge the existing gaps, ensuring a more holistic approach to child development, it said. 
• Other areas of concern where parents sought guidance were guiding the child with patience and positive feedback (12.1%), communicating effectively with children (11.1%), guiding their child with patience and positive feedback (7.5%), saying no respectfully without causing conflict (9.5%), supporting academic learning (13.7%), and time management as well as study habits (11.8%). 
•  According to the survey, 19.7% of parents, or around one in five, indicated that they were still navigating challenges of parenting; 43.5% believed they fully understood the impact of their parenting choices on their child's growth; 36.8% expressed a desire to learn more; 12.3% said they sought guidance to help their child build social skills and relationships; 10.9% sought help in managing their own emotions and their children, and 11% said they sought help in setting rules, boundaries and encouraging the child. 
• While 54.4% of parents felt confident in managing behavioural issues, 40.1% struggled at times, and 5.5% required more support. In academics, 53.5% of parents felt assured, while 40.9% reported occasional difficulties, and 5.6% needed additional help. Sports News 18. Haryana topped the table in the Khelo India Para Games 2025 
•  Khelo India Para Games 2025 concluded at JLN Stadium, New Delhi. 
•  The second edition of the Khelo India Para Games ended with para-athletes securing more than 550 medals. 
•  In the medal tally, Haryana topped the chart with 34 gold, 39 silver, and 31 bronze medals. 
•  Tamil Nadu secured second place with 28 gold, 19 silver, and 27 bronze medals. 
•  Uttar Pradesh finished third with 23 gold, 21 silver, and 20 bronze medals. 
•  More than 1,300 para-athletes compete across six sports, including Para Archery, Para Athletics, Para Badminton, Para Powerlifting, Para Shooting, and Para Table Tennis.