Current Affairs Quiz - March 2025

Notes:
Tuhin Kanta Pandey, currently Finance and Revenue Secretary, replaces Madhabi Puri Buch as SEBI Chairman after her term ends on February 28, 2025. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, chaired by PM Modi, approved his appointment for three years or until further orders. A 1987-batch IAS officer from Odisha cadre, Pandey served as Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) Secretary from 2019 and became Finance Secretary in September 2024. He played a key role in Air India’s sale and LIC’s public listing.

Notes:
Gujarat leads India in mangrove afforestation, covering 19,020 hectares in two years under the MISHTI scheme. MISHTI (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Incomes) was launched in 2023 to expand mangrove forests and support coastal livelihoods. The initiative aims to strengthen coastal ecosystems across India’s coastal states and union territories. Gujarat’s rapid afforestation efforts have made it the top performer in the scheme.

Notes:
Forest officials restricted entry along a 5-km stretch from Gokharakuda to Bateswar near the Rushikulya river mouth in Ganjam to protect Olive Ridley turtle eggs. The Rushikulya River is a major river in Odisha, flowing through Kandhamal, Ganjam, and Boudh districts. It originates from the Daringbadi hills in the Eastern Ghats at about 1000 meters elevation. The river flows 165 km before entering the Bay of Bengal near Ganjam without forming a delta. Its basin covers around 7500 sq. km, with tributaries like Baghua, Dhanei, and Badanadi. Rushikulya Beach is a key nesting site for Olive Ridley turtles.

Notes:
March 3 is observed as World Wildlife Day to promote the conservation of flora and fauna. The 2025 theme is ‘Wildlife Conservation Finance: Investing in People and Planet.’ The day highlights the need for financial investment in wildlife conservation amid a crisis threatening over one million species. It was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2013. The date marks the adoption of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 1973.

Notes:
Mission 300 is an ambitious initiative to electrify 300 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2030. It was launched in 2025 by the World Bank and African Development Bank (AfDB) in collaboration with key global energy partners. The initiative aims to provide affordable, reliable, and sustainable electricity to millions in Africa. It will achieve this through a mix of grid expansion, mini-grids, and off-grid solar solutions to ensure widespread electrification. Mission 300 will help accelerate Africa’s transition to clean energy, reducing dependency on fossil fuels.

Notes:
Microsoft has launched a new AI assistant called Dragon Copilot for healthcare. It is part of Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare and helps doctors with clinical documentation. It transcribes clinical notes, drafts paperwork, and searches medical sources. It integrates with Dragon Medical One (DMO) and DAX for speech recognition. It allows voice-to-text transcription, AI-generated notes, and medical searches. It automates tasks like referral letters, visit summaries, and clinical evidence documentation.

Notes:
The Wallace Line is an invisible boundary separating Asian and Australian animal species. It was first identified by English naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace in the 19th century. The line runs through the Malay Archipelago, between Bali and Lombok, and between Borneo and Sulawesi. Asian side species (Borneo, Bali) resemble mainland Asian animals like tigers and monkeys. Australian side species (Sulawesi, Lombok) resemble Australian wildlife like kangaroos and cuscuses. Scientists now view it as a transition zone rather than a strict boundary. Climate change and habitat destruction threaten these ecosystems and species adaptation.

Notes:
The Khelo India Para Games (KIPG) 2025 will be held in New Delhi from March 20-27. Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya announced that several international para athletes will participate. This is the second edition of KIPG; the first was held in December 2023 in Delhi. Around 1,230 para athletes will compete in six sports disciplines. Many participants are medallists from the 2024 Paris Paralympics and 2022 Asian Para Games. KIPG is part of the Khelo India mission to promote para sports and provide a platform for talented athletes.

Notes:
The United States plans to build a Golden Dome missile defense system. Golden Dome is a missile defense program of the USA. It aims to protect against ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise missiles and other advanced aerial threats. The system is inspired by Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system. Iron Dome is a multi-layered system designed to intercept short-range threats effectively.

Notes:
IIT Bombay and Monash University, Australia, have developed a cost-effective sensor to detect toxic metals in water. The project received funding from the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), India. The sensor uses a copper-based metal-organic framework (MOF) called copper-tetra carboxyphenyl porphyrin (Cu-TCPP) for efficient detection. It can detect lead, cadmium, and mercury even in trace amounts. The MOF structure allows metal ion replacement without collapsing, improving detection capability. Tests on tap and lake water confirmed its accuracy. The sensor performs as well as or better than DNA-based sensors, with simpler design and efficiency.