Daily Current Affairs and GK | 11 March 2025

Topic: National Appointments

1. Justice Joymalya Bagchi became a judge of the Supreme Court.

• The Centre notified the President’s appointment of Calcutta High Court judge.
• On March 6, the Supreme Court Collegium had recommended Justice Bagchi’s name to the government.
• Justice Bagchi would have a tenure of more than six years before he assumed the office of the Chief Justice of India.
• According to the seniority norm, Justice Bagchi would take over the office of the CJI in May 2031.
• Justice Bagchi was appointed judge of the High Court at Calcutta on June 27, 2011.
• The Supreme Court of India comprises the Chief Justice of India and not more than 33 other Judges.
• The Chief Justice of India and the Judges of the Supreme Court are appointed by the President under Article 124 of the Constitution.
• Supreme Court Judges retires at the age of 65.

Topic: State News/Assam

2. Assam government will launch its own satellite.

• The Assam state government announced to launch its own satellite named ‘ASSAMSAT’.
• Assam will be the first state in the country to have its own satellite.
• Assam will develop this satellite with IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre) of the Department of Space.
• This satellite’s aim is to strengthen data access for key socio-economic initiatives and enhance border surveillance.
• The satellite will help in providing dedicated services for agriculture, disaster management, infrastructure development and border security management and police operations.
• It will also ignite the imagination of students of the states, who will be involved in building experimental satellites with the support of INSPACe and ISRO.

Topic: Agriculture and Allied Sectors

3. India's agricultural production reached record high in 2024-25.

• The Second Advance Estimates of production of Major Agricultural Crops for the year 2024-25 have been released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
• The estimated Kharif food grain production is approximately 664 lakh metric tonnes, while the Rabi food grain production is estimated to be more than 645 lakh metric tonnes.
• Kharif rice production is estimated to exceed 1,206 lakh metric tonnes, up from about 1,132 LMT in 2023-24.
• Rabi rice production is estimated at 157.58 lakh tonnes.
• The production of tur and gram is estimated at 35.11 lakh metric tons and 115.35 lakh metric tons, respectively.
• Wheat production is estimated at 1154.30 lakh tonnes, which is 21.38 lakh tonnes higher than last year's production of 1,132.92 lakh tonnes.
• The production of millet (kharif) is estimated at 137.52 lakh tonnes, and that of millet (rabi) is estimated at 30.81 lakh tonnes.
• Cotton production is estimated at 294.25 lakh bales (of 170 kg each), and sugarcane production is estimated at 4350.79 lakh tonnes.

Topic: Personality in News

4. Classical singer Garimela Balakrishna Prasad passed away at the age of 76.

• On March 9, renowned classical singer and former Asthana Vidwan (court musician) of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) Garimela Balakrishna Prasad passed away in Tirupati.
• Balakrishna Prasad, who served the TTD from 1978 to 2006, became famous for composing tunes for over 1,000 compositions of saint-poet Tallapaka Annamacharya.
• Some of his compositions, like Vinaro Bhagyamu Vishnukatha and Jagadapu Chanavula Jajara, were featured in the popular Telugu film Annamayya.
• His contributions to devotional music, especially in disseminating the literature of Annamacharya, have left a lasting legacy in the world of classical and Carnatic music.

Topic: MoUs and Agreements

5. Syria's interim president signed a deal to merge the army with the Kurdish-led SDF.

• On 10 March, a deal to join Syria’s new state institutions was signed by the Kurdish-led and U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, which control much of Syria’s oil-rich northeast, with the Damascus government.
• The agreement calls for integrating SDF-controlled civilian and military institutions in northeastern Syria with the state.
• The agreement comes as Shara is grappling with the fallout from mass killings of members of the Alawite minority in western Syria.
• He said the violence threatened his efforts to unify Syria after 14 years of conflict.
• The signed agreement calls for SDF-controlled border crossings, an airport, and oil and gas fields in eastern Syria to become part of the Damascus administration.

Topic: Indian Economy

6. Anti-dumping duty up to $986/tonne on water treatment chemical from China and Japan has been imposed by India.

• India has introduced an anti-dumping duty of up to 986 US dollars per tonne for five years on Trichloro isocyanuric acid imported from China and Japan. 
• The measure is designed to shield the domestic industry from low-cost imports. 
• The Ministry of Finance issued this decision based on recommendations from the Directorate General of Trade Remedies. 
• The Directorate’s investigation concluded that the domestic market had been harmed by the influx of unfairly priced imports. 
• The imposition of this duty aims to promote fair competition and support the domestic sector.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

7. India and Armenia have entered into a MoU for collaboration in regulating medical products. 

• The agreement was signed in Delhi in the presence of India’s External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar, and Armenia’s Foreign Minister, Ararat Mirzoyan. 
• The two sides discussed potential cooperation in the fields of digital technology and pharmaceuticals. 
• They also assessed the expanding India-Armenia relationship, including areas like political exchanges, trade, economics, connectivity, education, culture, and people-to-people ties. 
• A separate MoU was signed between the Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service and Armenia's Diplomatic School. 
• Dr. Jaishankar reiterated India’s commitment to strengthening its historical ties with Armenia. 
• He highlighted the positive political relations, growing trade, and deepening defense cooperation between the nations. 
• Dr. Jaishankar also exchanged views with Mr. Mirzoyan on regional and global issues of mutual concern. 

Topic: Indian Polity

8. Parliament passed Railways (Amendment) Bill 2024 for better functioning and Independence of Railway Board.

• The Railways (Amendment) Bill 2024 has been passed in Rajya Sabha with a voice vote.
• The Railways (Amendment) Bill 2024 will amend the Railways Act 1989.
• Its main aim is to enhance the power of the Railways Board and enhance the functioning and independence of the body.
• The bill proposes to simplify the legal framework by incorporating all the provisions of the Indian Railway Board Act, 1905, and the Railways Act, 1989.
• The provisions of the bill will reduce the need to refer to two laws, and instead, reference will be required to only one law.
• This new act will not affect the functioning of the Railway Board, Zones, and Divisions.

Topic: Important Days

9. 54th National Safety Week has been observed from 4^th-10^th March.

• The 54th National Safety Week is celebrated between the 4th to 10th of March annually.
• National Safety Week celebrations started with a safety awareness march from NTR Stadium to Pentakota Convention Center.
• ‘Safety and Well-being Crucial for Viksit Bharat’ is the theme of the 54th National Safety Week.
• The National Safety Council of India leads the National Safety Week Campaign.
• In 1972, National Safety Day was formally celebrated for the first time, and the week-long event.
• It is focused on the importance of safety for a developed India.

Topic: National Appointment

10. Vikas Kaushal appointed CMD of HPCL.

• On 7 March, Vikas Kaushal was appointed as the chairman and managing director of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL) for a period of five years by the government.
• He replaced Director (Finance) Rajnish Narang, who was holding the additional charge of CMD from September 1, 2024.
• With over 30 years of experience in the energy, oil and gas, and power sectors, Kaushal is a distinguished global leader.
• He was the only Indian deemed competent for Kearney’s global board selection and served two full terms as a board member.
• Additionally, he held the position of Managing Director and country head for Kearney India for five years.
• Hindustan Petroleum Corporation is a subsidiary of ONGC. It is headquartered in Mumbai, and it was founded on 5 July 1952.

Topic: Important Days

11. International Day of Women Judges 2025: 10 March

• Every year on March 10, International Day of Women Judges is observed.
• This day was started to highlight the contribution of women in the judiciary and to encourage more and more women to take up judicial roles.
• In 2021, the United Nations General Assembly established the day, and it was first observed globally in 2022.
• The induction of Anna Chandy, the first woman High Court judge, in 1937 marked the way for equal representation of the sexes in all spheres of civil society in India.
• Then, in 1989, Fatima Beevi became the first woman judge of the Supreme Court of India.
• India is one of the largest democracies in the world and has a huge judicial system.
• According to the Supreme Court Observer report, by August 1, 2024, about 14% of judges serving in India's high courts were women, but only two high courts had female chief justices.
• In August 2024, out of 754 judges in the High Courts, 106 were women.

Topic: State News/Gujarat

12. Surat Food Security Saturation Campaign has been launched by PM Modi.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Surat Food Security Saturation Campaign.
• Under this campaign, efforts have been made to identify eligible poor beneficiary families.
• The special focus will be on Ganga Swaroopa (widowed) women, elderly individuals, Divyangs, and marginalized daily wage earners.
• Prime Minister also distributed benefits to approximately 2 lakh eligible beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY).
• The main aim of the initiative is to ensure comprehensive food security coverage.
• It will also help the government in achieving the goal of providing essential food grains to the underprivileged.
• 'Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana' (PMGKAY) was launched in 2020 to provide free, quality food grains to poor families.

Topic: Infrastructure and Energy

13. India's first hydrogen train is to be launched on the Jind-Sonipat route by March 31.

• India is ready to achieve a historic milestone in its railway sector with the launch of its first hydrogen-powered train.
• The train is scheduled to commence operations by March 31, 2025, on the Jind-Sonipat route in Haryana.
• Hydrogen trains are the future of eco-friendly rail transport.
• Hydrogen trains use hydrogen fuel cells, which produce only water and heat as by-products.
• These trains will cut the carbon emissions and noise pollution. It will make them a cleaner alternative for passenger travel.
• The train can achieve a top speed of 110 km/h and can accommodate 2,638 passengers.
• The train will be equipped with a 1,200 HP engine, which will make it the highest-capacity hydrogen-powered train in the world.