Daily Current Affairs and GK | 23 and 24 March 2025

Topic: National News

1. Revised criteria for classifying MSMEs notified by the government.

• Significant revisions to turnover and investment criteria for classifying MSMEs have been notified by the government and will take effect from April 1.
• The government will now classify MSMEs with investments up to 2.5 crore rupees as micro-enterprises, raising the threshold from the previous 1 crore rupees.
• The government has revised the turnover limit from 5 crore rupees to 10 crore rupees.
• The government will classify units with investments up to 25 crore rupees as small enterprises, increasing the limit from the earlier 10 crore rupees.
• The turnover limit for such enterprises has been increased from Rs 50 crore to Rs 100 crore.
• The government will now classify MSMEs with investments up to 125 crore rupees as medium enterprises, raising the limit from the earlier 50 crore rupees.
• The turnover limit for medium enterprises has been doubled to Rs 500 crore.
• Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced new classification norms for MSMEs during her budget speech.
• It proposed to increase the investment and turnover limits by 2.5 times and 2 times, respectively.

Topic: Miscellaneous

2. Goli Pop Soda, India's iconic Goli Soda flagged off by APEDA for global markets.

• The global resurgence of the traditional Indian Goli Soda, rebranded as Goli Pop Soda, has been proudly announced by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
• A remarkable comeback on the global stage is being made by this iconic beverage, once a household staple, driven by its innovative reinvention and strategic international expansion.
• The product has already made strong inroads in the global markets, with successful trial launches in the US, UK, Europe and Gulf countries.
• A strategic partnership with Fair Exports India has ensured regular deliveries to Lulu Hypermarket, one of the largest retail chains in the Gulf region.
• Thousands of bottles are stocked in Lulu outlets and have received an overwhelmingly positive response from the people.
• Combining nostalgia with modern packaging, Goli Pop Soda has successfully reintroduced this beloved beverage to contemporary consumers around the world.
• Additionally, APEDA showcased Goli Pop Soda at the International Food & Beverage Event (IFE) London 2025, held from 17-19 March 2025.

Topic: Important Days

3. Martyrs’ Day: 23 March

• Martyrs’ Day is celebrated annually on 23 March to pay tribute to Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev.
• Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru and Sukhdev Thapar were executed at Central Jail in Lahore on this day in 1931.
• They tried to assassinate British police officer J.P. Saunders on 17th December 1928 in Lahore. They were sentenced to death.
• Bhagat Singh was the founder of the Naujawan Bharat Sabha.
• He joined the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association.
• Sukhdev Thapar was an Indian revolutionary.
• He was a senior member of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association.
• Shivaram Rajguru is known for his involvement in the assassination of John Saunders.
• He was also a member of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association.

Topic: Geography

4. A panel in Japan has proposed measures to prepare for a potential eruption of Mount Fuji. 

• The report warns that a major eruption could deposit more than 10 centimetres of ash over areas such as Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefecture. 
• The report is released by volcanologists and disaster-preparedness experts.
• As there is dense population around Mount Fuji, mass evacuations from Tokyo and nearby regions are not feasible. 
• Residents in areas with less than 30 centimetres of ash have been advised to stay indoors. 
• In regions with over 30 centimetres of ash, evacuation has been advised. 
• Professor Fujii Toshitsugu, who leads the government-appointed panel, stressed on the need for Japan to start preparations. 
• Japan has not faced widespread ash distribution in the last century.
• Mount Fuji last erupted over 300 years ago. It last erupted from 1707 to 1708.
• Mount Fuji is an active stratovolcano. It is located on Japanese island of Honshu. It is Japan’s highest mountain.
• Mount Fuji, Mount Tate and Mount Haku are Japan’s Three Holy Mountains.

Topic: Infrastructure and Energy

5. East Coast Railway has become India’s first railway zone, reaching 250 million tons of freight handling in 2024-25 financial year.

• East Coast Railway achieved the historic milestone 11 days ahead of the plan.
• The historic milestone was reached by March 21, 2024, well before the financial year concluded. 
• East Coast Railway has surpassed 250 million tons threshold in second consecutive year.
• East Coast Railway surpassed 200 million tons in freight loading for sixth year in a row during 2024-25.
• East Coast Railway handled 228.3 million tons of freight in 2024-25.
• This is a growth of 2.6% from the previous year. 
• Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) at Talcher and five important ports contributed to this achievement of East Coast Railway. 
• Paradeep, Dhamara, Visakhapatnam, Gangavaram, and Gopalpur are five major ports under jurisdiction of East Coast Railway. 
• Iron ore mines in Bailadila (Chhattisgarh) and Keonjhar (Odisha) also contributed to the freight operations of East Coast Railway. 
• East Coast Railway is headquartered at Bhubaneswar. It is one of the 19 railway zones of Indian Railways. It is operational since 1 April 2003.

Topic: Sports

6. ISTAF Sepak Takraw World Cup 2025 is being hosted by Bihar for first time.

• The venue for the tournament is Pataliputra Sports Complex Indoor Stadium in Kankarbagh, Patna. 
• ISTAF Sepak Takraw World Cup 2025 is a six-day event and 20 countries, including India, are competing in it.
• Thailand won over Singapore in the opening men’s quad match. 
• Indian women’s team won both matches in the quad category. 
• The number of matches to be played during the World Cup is 150. These matches include quad, regular, and doubles formats. 
• Mixed doubles matches will also be played in the competition. 
• Sepak Takraw, originally from Southeast Asia, is becoming famous worldwide. This is because of its inclusion in the Asian Games.
• Sepak Takraw is also called buka ball, kick volleyball or foot volleyball. Sepak Takraw is a team sport.
• International Sepaktakraw Federation (ISTAF) is the international governing body. It was formed in 1988. It is headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

7. Hindi writer Vinod Kumar Shukla won the Jnanpith Award.

• Famous Hindi poet and writer of Chhattisgarh, Vinod Kumar Shukla, has been selected for the Jnanpith Award.
• This award, considered the country’s highest literary honour, was announced in New Delhi on 22 March.
• Mr. Shukla, who lives in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, was born on January 1, 1947, in Rajnandgaon.
• His first collection of poems, 'Labhaag Jai Hind,' was published in the year 1971.
• His novels "Naukar ki Kameez," "Khilega to Dekhenge," and "Deewar Mein Ek Khidki" are considered to be the best novels in Hindi.
• Earlier, Vinod Kumar Shukla received awards like the Gajanan Madhav Muktibodh Fellowship, the Raza Award, and the Sahitya Akademi Award.

Topic: State News/Uttarakhand

8. Ganga and Sharda River corridors announced by Uttarakhand CM Dhami to boost tourism.

• Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami stressed the religious and cultural significance of the Ganga and Sharda rivers and announced plans to develop corridors along these holy rivers to promote religious tourism in the state.
• The aim of these proposed river corridors is to enhance infrastructure and provide better facilities for pilgrims visiting Uttarakhand, thereby strengthening the state's position as a major spiritual destination.
• This initiative is in line with the Government's comprehensive vision to promote tourism while preserving the cultural and religious heritage of Uttarakhand.
• The rivers Ganga and Sharda are not only an integral part of our lives but also represent the faith of crores of countrymen.
• He said that the government is committed to developing corridors along these rivers to make religious tourism more accessible and convenient for devotees from India and abroad.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

9. On 22nd March 2025, the much-anticipated Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain—2025 was launched on World Water Day.

• It was launched by the Ministry of Jal Shakti in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change and the Government of Haryana at Panchkula, Haryana.
• The programme aims to emphasize water conservation and management through community participation and innovative strategies.
• The campaign, with the theme “जल संचय जन भागीदारी: जन जागरूकता की ओर” (Peoples' Action for Water Conservation—Towards Intensified Community Connect), highlights the importance of water security, rainwater harvesting, and groundwater recharge.
• It emphasizes these issues in the wake of climate change and increasing water challenges.
• The initiative will focus on 148 districts across the country.
• This will promote greater synergy between government agencies, communities and stakeholders in ensuring sustainable management of water resources.
• The Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain – 2025 campaign aims to drive nationwide awareness and action for water conservation, making the vision of ‘हर बूंद अनमोल’ (Every Drop Counts) a reality.

Topic: Important Days

10. World Water Day 2025: 22 March

• World Water Day is observed annually on 22 March since 1993.
• The purpose of World Water Day is to increase awareness of the crisis of water and sanitation and to encourage action toward solving it.
• The major goals are to increase public awareness of water-related concerns and to motivate individuals to manage freshwater resources sustainably.
• The theme of World Water Day 2025 is ‘Glacier Preservation’.
• On December 22, 1992, the UN General Assembly initially adopted the resolution that established World Water Day.
• The first World Water Day was celebrated in 1993.
• Glaciers are vital for life—their meltwater is essential for drinking water, agriculture, industry, clean energy production, and healthy ecosystems.
• Today, 2.4 billion people live in water-stressed countries, defined as nations that withdraw 25% or more of their renewable freshwater resources to meet water demand.
• According to a NITI Aayog report, nearly 600 million Indians face high to extreme water stress, and approximately 200,000 people die every year due to inadequate access to safe water.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

11. Rashtrapati Bhavan hosted Purple Fest 2025 on March 21.

• The Rashtrapati Bhavan hosted the Purple Fest 2025 to promote inclusion and accessibility of persons with disabilities (PwDs) on March 21.
• It has been organized by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DePwD), Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
• 23,500 participants attended the event. It will foster an inclusive society.
• It witnessed groundbreaking partnerships with Tata Power, American India Foundation (AIF), Hans India, Tech Mahindra Foundation, and other key stakeholders.
• Adaptive sports such as Blind Cricket, Boccia, Wheelchair Basketball etc. were organized at this event.
• ‘Meet the Director’ and ‘Author Sessions’ under the Literary Zone were also organized.

Topic: Important Days

12. World Meteorological Day: 23 March

• Every year, 23 March is observed as the World Meteorological Day.
• World Meteorological Day is to commemorate the establishment of the World Meteorological Organization on 23 March 1950.
• The theme for World Meteorological Day 2025 is "Closing the early warning gap together".
• The themes chosen for World Meteorological Day show topical weather, climate or water-related issues.
• The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is responsible for promoting international cooperation in atmospheric science, climatology, hydrology and geophysics.
• WMO started its operations as an intergovernmental organization within the UN system.

Topic: Indian Economy

13. Most of the major states, excluding Karnataka, are not likely to achieve their FY25 capital expenditure (capex) targets.

• States have planned a sharp increase in capital spending for FY26. This will take effect from April 1, 2025.
• The central government has reduced the 50-year interest-free loan under ‘Special Assistance to the States for Capital Investment/Expenditure (SASCI)’.
• The amount has been reduced from ₹1.5 lakh crore to ₹1.25 lakh crore.
• Maharashtra and Karnataka have increased their revised capital expenditure estimates for FY25.
• For FY26, all major states excluding Maharashtra have projected higher capital spending.
• Tamil Nadu revised its FY25 capital expenditure estimate downward.
• It lowered the estimate to ₹46,766 crore from ₹47,681 crore.
• Maharashtra is the only state among the top eight to reduce its FY26 capital expenditure estimate.
• States have significantly raised their borrowings in March 2025.
• Total borrowings for March stood at ₹1.5 lakh crore.
• This surpassed the indicative target of ₹1.2 lakh crore.
• States have been slow in meeting conditions for additional SASCI loans.
• This slow progress led to a downward revision of the SASCI loan allocation.
• The revised FY25 amount now stands at ₹1.25 lakh crore.