Daily Current Affairs and GK | 9 and 10 March 2025

Topic: State News/ Delhi

1. Delhi government approved the 'Mahila Samridhi Yojana' to provide Rs 2,500 to women.

• The ‘Mahila Samridhi Yojana has been launched by the Delhi government. It is a direct cash transfer scheme for women in Delhi.
• ₹5,100 crore has been allocated by the Delhi government to implement the Mahila Samridhi Yojana.
• A registration portal will be launched soon, and a committee will finalise the scheme’s terms and conditions.
• The scheme is limited to women who are not government employees or beneficiaries of other government financial aid programs.
• The scheme will use advanced technology for transparency, efficiency, and seamless financial disbursement.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

2. India and EU to begin 10th round of free trade agreement negotiations in Brussels.

• India and the EU will begin the tenth round of negotiations for a proposed free trade agreement from March 10-14 in Brussels.
• Both sides have discussed ways to accelerate efforts towards a balanced and mutually beneficial trade pact.
• Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen agreed to conclude the ambitious India-EU free trade deal by 2025.
• In June 2022, India and the 27-nation EU agreed upon the negotiations after a gap of over eight years.
• India is reluctant to reduce auto import duties and is cautious about committing to E.U. demands on sustainability and labour standards.
• At present, India's textile exports to the E.U. face tariffs between 12-16%.
• India exports $76 billion in goods and $30 billion in services to the E.U.
• Agriculture is a highly sensitive area in the trade negotiations.

Topic: Banking System

3. SBI has launched SBI Asmita to help women entrepreneurs expand their businesses.

• It is a digital, collateral-free SME loan product. A ‘Nari Shakti’ platinum debit card has also been launched by SBI.
• The card is made up from 100% recycled plastic.
• SBI will identify top women entrepreneurs who will avail SBI Asmita loan.
• These women will be given training in entrepreneurship and management.
• The loan offers a self-initiated digital process for women-led MSMEs.
• “bob Global Women NRE & NRO Savings Account” has been launched by Bank of Baroda, tailored for women NRIs.
• “bob Premium NRE & NRO Savings Account” has also been improved.  
• “bob Global Women NRE & NRO Savings Account” offers features like an auto sweep facility.
• The first public sector bank to provide insurance benefits to NRIs within their savings accounts is BoB.

Topic: Summits/Conferences/Meetings

4. GRIDCON 2025 has been inaugurated by Union Minister Shri Manohar of Power.

• On 9th March 2025, GRIDCON 2025—the International Conference cum Exhibition—inaugurated by Union Minister of Power and Housing & Urban Affairs, Manohar Lal, at IICC, Yashobhoomi, Dwarka, New Delhi.
• Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID) organized the event from 9th to 11th March 2025 under the patronage of Ministry of Power and in collaboration with CIGRE, India.
• The opening ceremony of GRIDCON 2025 was attended by a gathering of power sector professionals from across the globe.
• The GRIDCON 2025 is a premier event in the power sector for industry, utilities, professionals, researchers, and academia worldwide to shape the future of renewable integration, grid resilience, asset management, and digital transformation.
• More than 2000 conference delegates, 150 technical papers, 150 exhibiting companies, 30 country delegates participated in it.
• The conference, themed “Innovations in Grid Resilience”, focused on new technologies, infrastructure, and smart solutions that can revolutionize the way energy is produced, transmitted, distributed, and consumed.

Topic: State News/ Karnataka

5. Bengaluru City University will be renamed after Manmohan Singh in his honor.

• Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced that Bengaluru City University, formerly known as Bengaluru Central University, will be renamed after Dr Manmohan Singh.
• This will be the first university in the country to be named after Singh, who died on December 26, 2024.
• The announcement regarding the state-run Bengaluru City University (BCU) was made when Chief Minister Siddaramaiah presented his record 16th budget in the Assembly on March 7, 2025.
• The Congress-led government is once again going to change the name of the university, which was established in 2017 and was renamed in 2020.
• As part of this initiative, Government Arts College and Government RC College will be integrated as constituent colleges under the university.
• Singh, who passed away at the age of 92, was widely regarded as the architect of modern economic reforms.
• Serving as India’s 13th Prime Minister, he played a pivotal role in economic liberalization and financial reforms, significantly shaping the country's modern economy.

Topic: Environment and Ecology

6. Madhav National Park became the 58^th Tiger Reserve of India.

• Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav announced that Madhav National Park of Madhya Pradesh has become India’s 58th Tiger Reserve.
• It is also the 9th Tiger Reserve in the Madhya Pradesh.
• Tiger reserves in India are spread over an area of more than 82,836 sq km.
• India with 3,682 tigers is home to more than 70% of the world’s wild tiger population.
• These tiger reserves have been constituted by using a core/buffer method to promote tiger conservation through multiple efforts on the ground.
• Madhav National Park is located in the Shivpuri district of the Chambal region. At present, this reserve has five tigers, and two more could be released soon in this reserve. 
• In 2023, three tigers, including two females, were introduced to Madhav National Park as part of the state's tiger reintroduction project.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: International Appointments

7. Mark Carney will become the next PM of Canada.

• Former central banker Mark Carney will become the 24th Prime Minister of Canada. He belongs to the Liberal Party.
• He will replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who announced his resignation in January 2025.
• Mark Carney will be the first Canadian prime minister with no political experience.
• He served as the 8th governor of the Bank of Canada from 2008 to 2013.
• He also served as the chair of the Financial Stability Board from 2011 to 2018.
• Mark Carney won the leadership race with 131,674 votes which is about 85.9 per cent of the ballots.
• He also pledged to maintain retaliatory tariffs on US goods until Americans show respect.

Topic: Sports

8. India defeated New Zealand to win 2025 Champions Trophy.

• On 9 March, Team India registered its name in history by winning the ICC Champions Trophy for a record third time.
• They achieved an impressive four-wicket win over New Zealand in the final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
• India won in 49 overs while chasing the target of 252 against the Blackcaps at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
• Previously, India had won the Champions Trophy in 2002 and 2013.
• Captain Rohit Sharma was declared the Player of the Match for the final match.
• While New Zealand player Rachin Ravindra was declared the Player of the Series for the tournament.
• Overall, India won their seventh ICC title, behind Australia (10).
• With the title win, India surpassed Australia as the most successful team in the Champions Trophy.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Defence

9. The Joint Special Forces Exercise KHANJAR-XII commenced between India and Kyrgyzstan on March 10.

• Kyrgyzstan is hosting the 12th edition of the India-Kyrgyzstan Joint Special Forces Exercise KHANJAR-XII from 10 March to 23 March 2025.
• The Indian contingent is represented by soldiers of the Parachute Regiment (Special Forces), and the Kyrgyzstan contingent is represented by the Kyrgyz Scorpion Brigade.
• The 14-day joint exercise aims to exchange experiences and best practices in counter-terrorism and special forces operations in urban and hilly areas.
• The exercise will also focus on developing advanced special forces skills of sniping, difficult building intervention and mountain craft.
• Since its launch in 2011, Khanjar XII is an annual training event.
• The last exercise was conducted in India in January 2024.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: State News/ Punjab

10. 'Project Hifazat' launched by Punjab to help women facing violence.

• On 6 March, ‘Project Hifazat’ was unveiled by Punjab Minister for Social Security, Women, and Child Development Baljit Kaur to empower women and children facing violence.
• The aim of this initiative is to improve the response mechanism and create a safe environment for reporting domestic violence and harassment while keeping the 181 helpline readily available.
• Under Mission Shakti and Mission Vatsalya, the 24x7 women and child helpline will be the backbone of Project Hifazat, providing emergency and non-emergency assistance to women and children in distress.
• Calls will be classified as emergency, non-emergency, or informational, and emergency cases will be immediately transferred to the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS-112).
• The project will promote collaboration between key departments—Social Security, Women and Child Development, Punjab Police, and Health and Family Welfare—ensuring seamless assistance to victims.
• Non-emergency cases will be directed to One Stop Centres (OSCs), District Child Protection Units (DCPUs), and District Centres for Women Empowerment, where victims can access psychological counselling, legal aid, and rehabilitation services.

Topic: Reports and Indices

11. IndiGo Airlines ranked the world's second fastest-growing airline in terms of seat capacity.

• IndiGo Airlines has emerged as the world's second-fastest-growing airline in terms of seat capacity, increasing by 10.1% year-on-year to over 134.9 million seats in 2024.
• According to the latest data from the Official Airline Guide (OAG), India's largest airline has been placed second behind Qatar Airways, registering a 10.4% growth in seat capacity compared to the previous year.
• IndiGo has been ranked the fastest-growing airline in the world in terms of flight frequency growth at an annual rate of 9.7% in 2024.
• According to the data, the airline recorded a frequency of 749,156 flights during the year.
• OAG has recorded that IndiGo holds one of the world's largest aircraft orders, with over 900 aircraft on order, and is the largest recipient of 58 new Airbus aircraft in 2024.
• IndiGo reported a net profit of Rs 2,449 crore in the October-December quarter of the current financial year ended March 31, 2025.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

12. DPIIT and Mercedes-Benz India signed an MoU.

• To boost manufacturing, road safety and sustainability, DPIIT and Mercedes-Benz India inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
• The partnership will focus on creating structured programs and initiatives.
• It will help in providing startups with infrastructure, mentorship, funding opportunities, and market linkages.
• It will also facilitate international collaborations and ensure knowledge exchange to drive long-term impact.
• The MoU was officially signed by Dr. Sumeet Kumar Jarangal, Director, DPIIT, and Shri Santosh Iyer, Managing Director, Mercedes-Benz India.
• It will be a significant milestone in India's efforts to promote technological excellence, sustainability, and road safety.

Topic: Sports

13. India won the Asian Women’s Kabaddi Championship 2025 title.

• The Asian Women’s Kabaddi Championship 2025 title has been defended by India by beating Iran in the finals.
• India defeated Iran by 32-25 in the final.
• The sixth edition of the Asian Women’s Kabaddi Championship was held from March 6 to 8, 2025.
• So far, India has now won the title in five of the six editions held.
• Tehran was the first city to hold the Asian Women’s Kabaddi Championship twice.
• The Asian Women’s Kabaddi Championship 2025 has seven teams divided into two groups.