CURRENT AFFAIRS
19 March, 2025
1. THE ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA (ECI) HAS INVITED POLITICAL PARTIES TO DISCUSS STRENGTHENING ELECTIONS AMID ALLEGATIONS OF ELECTORAL ROLL MANIPULATION AND DUPLICATE ELECTORS PHOTO IDENTITY CARD (EPIC) NUMBERS –
What Are the Legal Provisions Governing Elections-
• Article 324: Grants the ECI the authority to supervise, direct, and control the preparation of electoral rolls and the conduct of elections to Parliament and State legislatures.
• Representation of the People Act, 1950: It includes provisions for election officers such as chief electoral officers, district election officers, and electoral registration officers, as well as electoral rolls for Parliamentary, Assembly, and Council constituencies.
• Representation of the People Act, 1951 (RPA): Deals with the pre-election process, mainly the preparation and maintenance of electoral rolls.
• Registration of Electors Rules, 1960: Lays down detailed procedures for the implementation of electoral roll-related provisions under RPA, 1951.
• E.g., Guidelines for the inclusion, correction, or deletion of names in electoral rolls.
• Delimitation Act, 2002: It was enacted to redraw the boundaries of parliamentary and assembly constituencies based on the latest Census data.
2. 4TH CONFERENCE OF GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE & SECURITY CHIEFS –
• The National Security Advisor (NSA) of India hosted the 4th Conference of Global Intelligence and Security Chiefs which was organized by India’s external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), along with the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS).
• The event witnessed the participation of intelligence officials from over 20 countries including the chiefs of the Five Eyes Alliance.
What is the Conference of Intelligence and Security Chiefs?
• It is a high-level annual security dialogue organized as part of the Raisina Dialogue which is organised by the Ministry of External Affairs in collaboration with think-tank Observer Research Foundation (ORF).
• It was held for the first time in 2022.
• It is modeled on the lines of the annual Munich Security Conference and Singapore’s Shangri-La Dialogue.
3. KABADDI WORLD CUP 2025 BEGINS IN ENGLAND –
• The much-anticipated Kabaddi World Cup 2025 is set to commence in England this evening, marking a historic milestone as the tournament is being hosted outside Asia for the first time.
• The Indian men’s team will begin their journey against Italy at Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region of the United Kingdom.
• The tournament will span seven days, featuring over 60 matches across multiple venues, including Birmingham, Coventry, Walsall, and Wolverhampton.
4. AYUSHMANN KHURRANA NAMED ‘FIT INDIA ICON’ BY UNION SPORTS MINISTER MANSUKH MANDAVIYA –
• Renowned Bollywood actor Ayushmann Khurrana has been officially named as the ‘Fit India Icon’ by Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.
• The announcement was made during the inaugural ceremony of the Fit India Movement in New Delhi.
• With this, the 40-year-old actor has joined hands with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Fit India Movement, which aims to inspire citizens to prioritize their health and well-being.
5. SUNITA WILLIAMS’ RETURN: WHAT HAPPENS AFTER NASA ASTRONAUTS’ LANDING ON EARTH –
• NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams safely returned to Earth on March 18, 2025 (March 19 in India) after spending over nine months in space due to delays in the Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission. Their SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, Freedom, splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico near Tallahassee, Florida, concluding a mission that garnered global attention.
NASA Astronauts’ Return: A Detailed Overview
1. Background of the Mission
• NASA’s Crew Flight Test (CFT) aimed to assess Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft for future routine astronaut transport.
• The Starliner was launched aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
• The original mission plan was for a 10-day stay on the International Space Station (ISS).
• However, technical malfunctions extended their mission to over nine months.
2. Starliner’s Malfunctions and Delays
• The mission was plagued by technical issues, leading to multiple delays:
• June 6, 2024: Starliner faced thruster malfunctions that delayed docking with the ISS. Four out of five failed thrusters were later restored, allowing a successful second attempt at docking.
• June 18, 2024: NASA postponed Starliner’s return to investigate helium leaks and other technical concerns.
• July 2, 2024: NASA extended the mission beyond the original 45-day limit to further evaluate Starliner’s performance.
• August 24, 2024: NASA announced that Starliner would return to Earth without astronauts due to safety concerns.
3. Decision to Return via SpaceX Crew Dragon
• Since Starliner was deemed unsafe for astronaut transport, NASA decided to bring Wilmore and Williams back using Crew-9’s SpaceX Dragon capsule:
• August 30, 2024: NASA adjusted Crew-9’s manifest to reserve two seats for Wilmore and Williams.
• September 22, 2024: Sunita Williams took over as Commander of the ISS, following the departure of Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko.
• September 28, 2024: Crew-9 launched aboard SpaceX Falcon 9, with Nick Hague (NASA) and Aleksandr Gorbunov (Roscosmos), ensuring return seats for Wilmore and Williams.
MCQ QUIZ
Q1. Which organization has developed high-speed microprocessors Vikram 3201 and Kalpana 3201 for space missions ?
a) Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)
b) DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation)
c) Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
d) BEL (Bharat Electronics Limited)
Q2. The Maharashtra government inaugurated the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s first temple in which district ?
a) Wardha
b) Thane
c) Satara
d) Latur
Q3. Kanger Valley National Park is located in which state ?
a) Tamil Nadu
b) Rajasthan
c) Kerala
d) Chhattisgarh
Q4. The Nagorno-Karabakh region is internationally recognized as a part of which country ?
a) Armenia
b) Azerbaijan
c) Russia
d) An independent entity recognized by the United Nations
Explanation-
• Option a is incorrect – Although the majority of the population in Nagorno-Karabakh is ethnic Armenian, it is not internationally recognized as part of Armenia.
• Option b is correct – Nagorno-Karabakh is legally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, even though it had de facto control by ethnic Armenian forces for decades.
• Option c is incorrect – Russia plays a mediatory role but does not claim the territory.
• Option d is incorrect – The UN does not recognize Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent entity.
About Nagorno-Karabakh-
• Location: A landlocked mountainous region in the Caucasus between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea.
• Political Status:
• Internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but populated mostly by ethnic Armenians.
• It had an unrecognized separatist government closely linked to Armenia.
• Historical Conflict:
• Declared independence from Azerbaijan in the late 1980s, leading to the First Nagorno-Karabakh War (1988-1994).
• In September 2023, Azerbaijan regained full control after a 24-hour military operation, forcing 120,000 ethnic Armenians to flee.
Q5. Consider the following statements regarding the importance of Aditya-L1’s position at Lagrange Point 1 (L1):
Statement-I: L1 allows Aditya-L1 to continuously observe the Sun without any interruptions from Earth’s shadow.
Statement-II: L1 is located within Earth’s magnetosphere, which protects the spacecraft from solar radiation.
Which one of the following is correct ?
a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I.
b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I.
c) Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect.
d) Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct.
Explanation-
• Statement-I is correct – The L1 point provides an uninterrupted view of the Sun.
• Statement-II is incorrect – L1 is not within Earth’s magnetosphere; it is outside its protective influence.
About Aditya-L1 Mission-
• Launched in: September 2, 2023.
• Developed by: ISRO, with contributions from Indian academic institutions.
• Mission Type: India’s first solar observation mission positioned at Lagrange Point 1 (L1).
• Distance from Earth:5 million km (1% of Earth-Sun distance).
Primary Aim:
• Study the Sun’s corona, chromosphere, and solar emissions.
• Monitor solar wind, magnetic storms, and space weather impacts on Earth.
Answer Key
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
C | B | D | B | C |