Daily Current Affairs Quiz: March 8, 2025

Notes:
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology launched the IndiaAI Mission’s compute portal and AIKosha platform. The compute portal offers access to over 18,000 GPUs, cloud storage, and AI services for students, startups, researchers, and government bodies. AIKosha is a dataset platform providing resources, tools, and expert guidance for turning ideas into industry solutions. The platform aims to offer high-quality non-personal datasets to foster AI innovation and help developers create India-specific AI models.

Notes:
Assam’s opposition raised concerns over the plight of ‘D’ (Doubtful) voters and demanded the closure of the state’s only detention centre. D-voters are individuals who couldn’t prove their Indian nationality and have cases pending with the Foreigners Tribunals. The D-Voter concept is specific to Assam, where migration and citizenship are major political issues. The Election Commission of India introduced the D-voter category in 1997. D-voters cannot vote or contest elections as their citizenship is unverified. The Citizenship Act, 1955, and Citizenship Rules, 2003, do not define ‘doubtful voter.’ A decision on D-voters must be made within a specific timeframe, and they may be deported or detained if found to be foreign nationals.

Notes:
The Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) monitoring committee decided to ban new commercial construction within 1 km of the BRT Tiger Reserve boundary or up to the ESZ, whichever is nearer. Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple (BRT) Tiger Reserve is in Chamarajanagar district, Karnataka. It serves as a bridge between the Western and Eastern Ghats in South India. It was declared a Tiger Reserve in 2011, covering 574.82 sq. km. The reserve is named after “Biligiri,” meaning “white rocky cliff,” home to the ancient Rangaswamy Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu.

Notes:
Maharashtra government appointed a panel to investigate pollution in the Panchaganga River. It is a major tributary of the Krishna River, flowing through Maharashtra. The river originates from Prayag Sangam in the Sahyadri mountains, Kolhapur district. It is formed by the confluence of five rivulets—Kasari, Kumbhi, Tulsi, Bhogawati, and Saraswati. The river flows about 80 km before joining the Krishna River. It holds spiritual significance, with many temples along its banks. Pollution has risen due to untreated sewage from Kolhapur, affecting agriculture and water quality.

Notes:
The government will open “Pashu Aushadhi” stores nationwide to provide affordable veterinary medicines. It follows the model of Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJK) for low-cost generic medicines. The initiative is part of the revised Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme (LHDCP). Stores will be run by cooperative societies and Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samriddhi Kendras (PMKSK). Ethnoveterinary medicines based on traditional knowledge will also be available. ₹75 crore has been allocated to ensure affordable, high-quality veterinary medicines for farmers.