Daily Current Affairs and GK | 26 March 2025

Topic: Art and Culture

1. More than 100 megaliths near Malampuzha dam in Palakkad, Kerala have been found by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

• Megalithic structures were built for burials. They were built using large, frequently rough stones.
• They may be built without mortar or cement. They were common at the time of Neolithic and Bronze Ages.
• The excavations are ongoing at Ratnagiri at around 100 km from Bhubaneswar and buried world of ancient art, architecture and culture is being revealed.
• During these ongoing excavations, ASI found large collection of antiquities.
• The excavations are focused on development of the Vajrayana monastic complex in Eastern India at the time of early medieval period.
• A rectangular chaitya complex having brick and stone masonry has also been found.
• It has been found along with three colossal Buddha heads.
• It has been found along with monolithic stupas featuring Buddhist deities such as Tara, Chunda, Manjusri, Dhyani Buddha etc.

Topic: Indian Economy

2. India's GDP growth projections have been cut by S&P Global Ratings to 6.5% for the next fiscal.

• In its Economic Outlook for Asia-Pacific, S&P expects solid domestic demand momentum in most emerging-market economies.
• S&P’s forecast is less than its earlier forecast of 6.7 per cent.
• As per S&P’s projection, RBI will cut interest rates by another 75 bp-100 bp in the current cycle.
• Last month, repo rate was reduced by RBI by 25 basis points from 6.50 per cent to 6.25 per cent in its monetary policy review.
• S&P’s view is that the import tariffs will reduce growth in US and abroad. They will raise US inflation.

Topic: Defense

3. Indian Navy to participate in the maritime exercise with African nations.

• The Indian Navy will participate in the exercise ‘Africa-India Key Maritime Engagement’ (AIKEYME) with African countries.
• AIKEYME's aim is to enhance interoperability between the navies and maritime agencies of participating countries.
• The first edition of this exercise is being co-hosted by the Indian Navy and the Tanzania People’s Defence Force (TPDF).
• This exercise will be conducted in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. It will be inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in mid-April 2025.
• Eight nations, including Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, and South Africa will participate in this exercise.
• The Harbour Phase of the exercise will include Tabletop and Command Post exercises focused on piracy and information sharing, along with training sessions on seamanship.
• Search and rescue (SAR) drills, VBSS exercises, small arms firing, and helicopter operations will be part of the Sea Phase of the exercise.

Topic: Biotechnology and Diseases

4. India developed its first indigenous MRI machine.

• India has developed its first indigenous Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine.
• It will be installed at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi by October.
• The main aim is to reduce treatment costs and reliance on imported medical devices.
• This 1.5 tesla MRI machine will help make India more self-reliant in medical technology.
• Currently, around 80 to 85 per cent of India’s medical device requirements are met through imports.
• It will be run under a partnership with the Society for Applied Microwave Electronic Engineering and Research (SAMEER).
• The initiative aims to cut MRI costs by 50 per cent and to reduce reliance on imports.
• This initiative will help various companies and institutions to make necessary changes.

Topic: Indian Polity

5. Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill 2024 has been passed by the Parliament.

• Rajya Sabha approved the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill 2024 on 25 March 2025.
• It was passed by the Lok Sabha in December 2024. The Bill amends the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
• Its main aim is to strengthen the efficient working of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMA).
• The bill empowers the NDMA and SDMA to prepare the disaster plan at the national and state levels.
• The bill also empowers the state government to constitute a separate Urban Disaster Management Authority for state capitals and cities with a municipal corporation.
• The Bill also has a provision to create a disaster database at the national and state levels.
• The bill will help in moving from a government-led response to a multi-dimensional response.

Topic: National Appointments

6. Rajiv Gauba has been appointed NITI Aayog’s full-time member.

• He is former cabinet secretary and a 1982-batch IAS officer of the Jharkhand cadre.
• He served as the Cabinet Secretary for five years from 30 August 2019 till 30 August 2024.
• He has also served as Union home secretary. He has also served as secretary in the Ministry of Urban Development and chief secretary of Jharkhand.
• PM has approved his appointment. He will serve as NITI Aayog’s full-time member under the same terms as other full-time members of the NITI Aayog.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

7. Baalpan ki Kavita initiative has been launched by Government.

• This initiative has been launched to promote Indian languages in early education.
• The initiative has been launched by Ministry of Education, through the Department of School Education & Literacy.
• The initiative is aligned with the National Education Policy 2020.
• The aim of the initiative is to create a comprehensive compendium of nursery rhymes and poems in all Indian languages as well as in English.
• Its objective is to provide young learners with joyful and contextually relevant learning material.
• Contributions to this initiative has been invited by the Department of School Education & Literacy in collaboration with MyGov.
• Existing poems and rhymes from folklore or newly composed joyful poems and rhymes can be submitted by participants.

Topic: MoUs and Agreements

8. A Letter of Intent (LoI) for a Green & Digital Shipping Corridor signed by India and Singapore.

• On 25 March, a Letter of Intent (LoI) for the Green and Digital Shipping Corridor (GDSC), with a focus on digitalization and decarbonization, was signed by India and Singapore.
• The Singapore-India Green and Digital Shipping Corridor will enhance cooperation between the two countries.
• This corridor will help accelerate the development and adoption of zero or near-zero GHG emission technologies and the adoption of digital solutions.
• R. Lakshmanan, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) of India, and Teo Eng Dinh, Chief Executive of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, signed the LoI.
• The signing ceremony was held during the Singapore Maritime Week, which is being held from March 24-28, 2025.
• Furthermore, the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership will deepen and broaden cooperation between the two countries.
• The Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, is on a three-day visit to Singapore to attend the Maritime Week, which is expected to be attended by 20,000 delegates and exhibitors from across the world.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

9. A social protection data pooling initiative for better coverage launched by the Labour Ministry and ILO.

• A social security data pooling exercise has been initiated in the country by the Ministry of Labor and Employment in collaboration with states and the International Labor Organization (ILO).
• The aim of this exercise is to get a holistic picture of social protection coverage in India.
• In the first phase, the ministry has identified 10 states, including Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Odisha, for data consolidation at the central level.
• Over 200 crore records were processed to identify unique beneficiaries using encrypted Aadhaar as a unique identifier across 34 major central schemes such as MGNREGA, EPFO, ESIC, APY, and PM-POSHAN.
• About 65% of India's population receives at least one social security benefit, both in cash and in kind, of which 48.8% receive cash benefits.
• The objective of this data pooling exercise is to facilitate the Central Government, States and Union Territories to optimise welfare expenditure and move closer to sustainable financing of social security.
• It also aims to assist states in identifying specific beneficiaries under state-specific social security schemes.
• According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), India's social security coverage has doubled from 24.4% in 2021 to 48.8% in 2024.
• The unemployment rate has declined from 6% in 2017-18 to 3.2% in 2023-24, while female workforce participation has seen a significant increase from 22% to 40.3%.
• International Labour Organization (ILO):
  • It is a specialized agency of the United Nations consisting of 187 countries.
  • It was formed in 1919 with its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
  • It develops international labour standards and advances social justice.
  • Current Director General of ILO: Gilbert F. Houngbo (11th DG of ILO)

Topic: National News

10. DEA Secretary Ajay Seth will replace Tuhin Kanta Pandey as the new Finance Secretary.

• An official order issued by the Personnel Ministry confirmed that Ajay Seth, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), has been appointed as the new Finance Secretary of India.
• He succeeded Tuhin Kant Pandey, who was appointed Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
• Currently, he is the Secretary of the Department of Economic Affairs.
• Earlier this month, the central government had announced that Ajay Seth has been given the additional charge of Secretary, Department of Revenue.
• Tuhin Kanta Pandey was appointed the 11th Chairman of SEBI in February this year for a three-year term.
• He replaced Madhabi Puri Buch, who completed her term on February 28, 2025.

Topic: Banking and Finance

11. BAANKNET and e-BKray launched by the government to enhance PSU Bank e-auctions for asset sales.

• A revamped e-auction portal named 'BAANKNET' has been launched by the Finance Ministry to further streamline the listing and auctioning of banks' assets.
• “BAANKNET” was launched on January 03, 2025.
• On 28th February, 2019, the platform “e-BKray” was launched.
• The BAANKNET portal is specially designed to enhance transparency and expedite the process of resolution of non-performing asset (NPA) cases.
• By leveraging cutting-edge technology and integrating automated KYC tools, secure payment gateways, and bank-verified property titles, the platform ensures a high level of transparency in the property auction process.
• It provides a quick and efficient way to apply for a loan and get approval based on digital evaluation of the applicant's data.
• All 12 public sector banks and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) are using the platform to list and auction properties across the country.

Topic: State News/Kerala

12. Senior Citizens Commission has been established by Kerala.

• Kerala becomes the first Indian state to establish a senior citizens commission.
• The commission will address the hardships faced by the elderly, including neglect, exploitation, and loneliness.
• The commission will take the lead in implementing initiatives to utilise the skills of senior citizens for the benefit of society.
• This new commission would focus on protecting the rights, welfare, and rehabilitation of the elderly.
• The commission would act as a driving force in enhancing elderly welfare more effectively.
• The Kerala Legislative Assembly passed the Kerala State Senior Citizens Commission Bill.

Topic: Defence

13. Stealth frigate INS ‘Tavasya’ has been commissioned at Goa Shipyard by the Indian Navy.

• Krivak-class stealth frigate INS ‘Tavasya’ has been commissioned at Goa Shipyard.
• Krivak-class stealth frigates are contracted from Russia and is constructed at Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL).
• The first of the two frigates, Triput, was launched at GSL in July last year.
• Triput and Tavasya have a large percentage of indigenous equipment, weapons, and sensors.
• As per schedule, GSL is set to deliver the first ship to the Indian Navy in 2026 and the second six months later.
• In October 2016, India and Russia signed an Inter-Governmental Agreement for four additional follow-on stealth frigates.
• The second frigate, Tamal, is in advanced trials and is expected to be commissioned in June.