Current Affairs Today: 16th & 17th March 2025 | Daily GK Update
National News
1. Who laid the foundation stone for NECTAR’s permanent campus in Shillong?
Answer: Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh laid the foundation stone for NECTAR’s campus at Mawdiangdiang, Shillong, highlighting its work in saffron cultivation, drone tech, and STEM education.
2. What was the purpose of the Fit India Carnival 2025?
Answer: Inaugurated by Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, the three-day event promoted physical fitness and mental well-being, featuring Ayushmann Khurrana, Sangram Singh, Mickey Mehta, and others.
3. What announcement did Ashwini Vaishnaw make at IIT Madras?
Answer: He revealed that the 410-meter Hyperloop tube will be the world’s longest high-speed tube, supported by Indian Railways and ICF Chennai.
State News
4. What healthcare initiative will Delhi implement under PM-ABHIM?
Answer: Delhi will sign an MoU to set up 1,139 Urban Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, upgrade 553 mohalla clinics, and establish 413 new U-AAMs to enhance primary healthcare.
International News
5. What peace treaty was finalized between Armenia and Azerbaijan?
Answer: They finalized a treaty to end the 40-year Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, though Azerbaijan’s demand for constitutional changes in Armenia delayed the signing.
Business News
6. Who acquired Magma General Insurance from Adar Poonawalla?
Answer: Patanjali Ayurved and DS Group acquired a 98% stake for ₹4,500 crore, aiming to expand rural reach and financial strength.
Economy News
7. What was India’s wholesale inflation rate in February 2025?
Answer: It rose slightly to 2.38%, driven by manufactured food products and textiles, while the Food Index declined.
8. How much did India’s forex reserves increase in early March 2025?
Answer: Reserves jumped by $15.267 billion to $653.966 billion, the sharpest rise in two years, due to RBI’s $10 billion forex swap.
9. What trade agreement did India launch with New Zealand?
Answer: India and New Zealand began negotiations for a Comprehensive FTA to boost supply chains and market access.
Defence News
10. What radar system did BEL contract with MoD for?
Answer: BEL signed a ₹2,906 crore deal for the indigenous LLTR (Ashwini) radar, featuring ECCM and IFF systems for 4D surveillance.
Summits & Conferences
11. What was India’s focus at the 353rd ILO Governing Body Meeting?
Answer: India emphasized social protection, fair migration, and showcased schemes like EPFO, ESIC, e-Shram, and PM Jan Arogya Yojana.
12. What is the Raisina Dialogue 2025?
Answer: India’s flagship geopolitical conference held from March 17–19, inaugurated by PM Modi, with New Zealand PM Christopher Luxon as Chief Guest.
Sports News
13. Who won top honors at the Hockey India Awards 2024?
Answer: Harmanpreet Singh and Savita Punia won Player of the Year awards; the 1975 World Cup team received the Lifetime Achievement Award.
14. How did India perform at the Special Olympics World Winter Games 2025?
Answer: India won 33 medals (8 gold, 18 silver, 7 bronze), with Snowshoeing contributing 10 medals.
15. Who won the IML 2025 title?
Answer: India Masters, led by Sachin Tendulkar, defeated West Indies Masters by six wickets to win ₹1 crore prize money.
16. Which team won the 15th Hockey India Senior Women National Championship?
Answer: Hockey Jharkhand won their first title, defeating Hockey Haryana in a penalty shootout.
Science & Technology
17. What is the Chandrayaan-5 mission’s objective?
Answer: Approved by the Centre, it will deploy a 250 kg rover in collaboration with Japan’s JAXA for advanced lunar surface study.
18. How much revenue has India earned from launching foreign satellites?
Answer: Since 2015, India earned $143 million by launching 393 foreign satellites from 34 countries via ISRO’s launch vehicles.
Important Days
19. What is the significance of National Vaccination Day?
Answer: Observed on March 16, it commemorates the first oral polio vaccine dose in 1995 and highlights India’s immunisation success.
Obituaries
20. Who were the notable personalities that passed away recently?
Answer:
- Arvind Singh Mewar, descendant of Maharana Pratap, aged 81
- Bindu Ghosh, veteran Tamil actor-comedian, aged 76
- Ramakanta Rath, renowned Odia poet and Padma Bhushan awardee, aged 90