CURRENT AFFAIRS
08 March, 2025
1. EVERY YEAR, MARCH 7TH IS CELEBRATED AS JAN AUSHADHI DIWAS TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT AFFORDABLE GENERIC MEDICINES UNDER THE PRADHAN MANTRI BHARTIYA JANAUSHADHI PARIYOJANA (PMBJP) –
• Jan Aushadhi Diwas- Initiated on 7th March 2019, under the PMBJP. The initiative includes a week-long celebration, ‘Janaushadhi Week,’ from 1st-7th March across the nation.
• 2025 Theme- “Daam Kam – Dawai Uttam,” emphasizing affordable and high-quality medicines for all.
• PMBJP- The PMBJP was originally launched in 2008 as the Jan Aushadhi Scheme under the Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers to provide affordable medicines through outlets called Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJKs).
• In 2015, the scheme was revamped as the Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Yojana, and in 2016, it was renamed as the PMBJP.
2. THE JAMMU AND KASHMIR GOVERNMENT AIMS TO PROMOTE BANGUS VALLEY AS AN ECOTOURISM DESTINATION. –
• Bangus Valley is located near the Line of Control (LoC) in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district.
• It consists of two bowl-shaped valleys, known as Bodh Bangus (Big Bangus) and Lokut Bangus (Small Bangus).
• It is surrounded by Rajwar and Mawar Mountains in the east, Shamasbury and Dajlungun in the west, and Chowkibal and Karnah Guli in the north.
• The landscape includes grasslands at lower altitudes and dense coniferous forests (Taiga biome).
• It offers lush green meadows, low-lying mountains covered with dense forests, and a serene environment.
3. LIC RANKED WORLD’S 3RD STRONGEST INSURANCE BRAND –
• Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has been ranked the third strongest insurance brand globally, with a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 88 out of 100, according to the Brand Finance Insurance 100 (2025) report.
• Poland-based PZU topped the rankings with a BSI score of 94.4, followed by China Life Insurance in second place with 93.5. LIC also holds the 12th position in brand value among global insurers, while SBI Life ranks 76th, making them the only two Indian insurers in the top 100.
4. BANGALORE CITY UNIVERSITY TO BE RENAMED AFTER DR. MANMOHAN SINGH –
• Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced that Bangalore City University will be renamed as Dr. Manmohan Singh Bengaluru University in honor of the late former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
• The government aims to make it a model university, incorporating Government Arts College and Government RC College as constituent colleges.
• Additionally, the Karnataka government has pledged significant investments in higher education, including filling 2,000 vacant teaching posts, enhancing infrastructure, and improving government engineering colleges and polytechnics.
5. WORLD’S LARGEST ICEBERG A23A RUNS AGROUND NEAR SOUTH GEORGIA ISLAND –
• The world’s largest iceberg, A23a, has run aground near South Georgia, a remote British overseas territory known for its diverse wildlife. Scientists are closely monitoring the situation to understand its impact on local ecosystems.
• While the iceberg may disrupt wildlife feeding routes, it could also enhance ocean productivity by releasing nutrients as it melts. A23a, which broke off from Antarctica in 1986, has been drifting for decades and finally became lodged on the continental shelf near South Georgia.
• Scientists remain uncertain whether it will remain in place or move again due to oceanic conditions.
MCQ QUIZ
Q1. Which ministry has launched the India AI compute portal and dataset platform AIKosha ?
a) Ministry of Home Affairs
b) Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
c) Ministry of Communications
d) Ministry of Science and Technology
Q2. The term “Doubtful voter” or “D-voter” has been primarily used in which northeastern state ?
a) Assam
b) Manipur
c) Nagaland
d) Tripura
Q3. Where was the World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS) 2025 organized ?
a) Mumbai
b) New Delhi
c) Chennai
d) Hyderabad
Q4. Consider the following statements about AI Kosha:
1. AI Kosha is a platform launched by the Indian government to provide access to crucial datasets, computing resources, and tools for AI application development.
2. AI Kosha offers access to over 14,000 Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) for shared use.
3. The cost of using GPUs on AI Kosha is set at Rs 100 per hour.
Which of the above statements is/are correct ?
a) Only 1 and 2
b) 2 and 3 only
c) Only 1
d) All of the above
Explanation-
• Statement 1 is correct. AI Kosha is indeed a platform launched by the Indian government to provide essential datasets, computing resources, and tools for AI development, targeting researchers and startups.
• Statement 2 is correct. The platform offers access to over 14,000 GPUs for shared use, with plans to add more GPUs quarterly.
• Statement 3 is incorrect. The cost of using GPUs on AI Kosha is Rs 67 per hour, not Rs 100.
Q5. Consider the following statements with reference to Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY):
1. It has been launched to achieve Universal Health Coverage.
2. It is the world’s largest health assurance scheme fully financed by the government, and the cost of implementation is shared between the Central and State Governments.
3. It is only applicable to the people aged 60 and above.
Which of the statements given above are correct ?
a) 1 and 2 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 1 and 3 only
d) 1, 2 and 3
Explanation-
• Statement 1 is correct. Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) was launched in 2018 with the goal of achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
• Statement 2 is correct. It is the world’s largest health assurance scheme, fully financed by the government, with the cost of implementation shared between the Central and State Governments.
• Statement 3 is incorrect. The scheme is not restricted to people aged 60 and above. It applies to eligible families across various age groups, regardless of gender, size, or age.
Answer Key
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
B | A | B | A | A |