CURRENT AFFAIRS
14-15 March, 2025
1. THE WORLD AIR QUALITY REPORT 2024, RELEASED BY SWISS COMPANY IQAIR, RANKED INDIA AS THE 5TH MOST POLLUTED COUNTRY GLOBALLY –
• India is the 5th most polluted country in 2024, improving slightly from 3rd place in 2023.
• Polluted Cities: Delhi remains the most polluted capital globally with a Particulate matter (PM) 2.5 concentration of 91.6 µg/m³ (micrograms per cubic metre).
• 6 of the world’s 10 most polluted cities and 13 of the top 20 are in India, with Byrnihat (Assam-Meghalaya border) topping the list at a PM2.5 concentration of 128.2 µg/m³.
• Other polluted cities include Mullanpur (Punjab), Gurugram, Faridabad, Bhiwadi, and Noida.
• PM2.5 Reduction: India saw a 7% decrease in PM2.5 levels, averaging 50.6 µg/m³ in 2024, down from 54.4 µg/m³ in 2023.
• However, this is still 10 times higher than the World Health Organization (WHO’s) recommended safe limit of 5 µg/m³. 35% of Indian cities reported PM2.5 levels exceeding this limit.
• Pollution Sources: Major contributors include vehicle emissions, industrial pollution, and the burning of biomass.
• Northern India faced extreme pollution levels with crop stubble-burning contributing to 60% of PM2.5 levels.
2. THE AUTOMATED PERMANENT ACADEMIC ACCOUNT REGISTRY (APAAR) ID, AIMS TO STANDARDIZE STUDENT RECORDS. HOWEVER, CONCERNS OVER IMPLEMENTATION, DATA PRIVACY HAVE SPARKED DEBATES AMONG ACTIVISTS –
• APAAR ID: Introduced under the National Education Policy 2020 and aligned with the National Credit Framework, it aims to establish a “One Nation, One Student ID” system to streamline academic records and facilitate transitions between educational levels.
• APAAR assigns a 12-digit ID, linking academic records to DigiLocker and Academic Bank of Credits for storage and verification.
• Schools record data, while Higher Education Institutions & Skill Institutes access verified academic records for admissions and recruitment.
• Concerns About APAAR ID: APAAR’s Aadhaar linkage is causing issues due to spelling mismatches, necessitating updates.
• While the Education Ministry claims APAAR is voluntary, Central Board of Secondary Education’s push for 100% enrolment of APAAR raises concerns of implicit mandates, contradicting the Supreme Court ruling in Justice (Retd.) K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India (2019), which held that Aadhaar cannot be required for basic education access.
• The Advocacy groups are concerned about risks in handling minors’ sensitive personal data without robust data protection.
3. SIX NEW PROPERTIES ADDED TO INDIA’S UNESCO TENTATIVE LIST –
• India has recently added six new properties to its UNESCO Tentative List, bringing the total count of tentative sites in the country to 62.
• These sites, including Ashokan Edict Sites, Chausath Yogini Temples, and Kanger Valley National Park, were officially included in the list on March 7, 2024, as confirmed by the Permanent Delegation of India to UNESCO.
• The announcement was shared by India at UNESCO on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
4. INDIA SUCCESSFULLY TESTS ASTRA BVRAAM FROM LCA TEJAS AF MK1 PROTOTYPE –
• India’s Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) successfully conducted the test launch of the indigenous Astra Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) from the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas AF MK1 prototype off the Chandipur coast in Odisha.
• The test demonstrated the missile’s accuracy and advanced capabilities, marking a major step toward strengthening India’s indigenous defense systems.
5. PI DAY 2025: CELEBRATING THE INFINITE BEAUTY OF MATHEMATICS –
• Pi Day, celebrated annually on March 14, is dedicated to the mathematical constant π (Pi), which is approximately 3.14159.
• The date, when written in the month/day format as 3/14, mirrors the first three digits of Pi, making it a significant occasion for mathematicians, scientists, and number enthusiasts worldwide.
• Pi, pronounced “pie”, is one of the most famous irrational numbers and plays a crucial role in various fields, including geometry, physics, and engineering. While many mathematical constants exist, such as Euler’s number (e) and the golden ratio (ϕ), Pi holds a special place in both academia and popular culture.
MCQ QUIZ
Q1. Which ministry has launched the third edition of the PM-YUVA scheme ?
a) Ministry of Culture
b) Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
c) Ministry of Education
d) Ministry of Home Affairs
Q2. According to the 2024 World Air Quality Report, what is the rank of India for air pollution ?
a) First
b) Second
c) Third
d) Fifth
Q3. The Kuki tribe is primary found in which region of India ?
a) Northeastern India
b) South India
c) Western Ghats
d) Ladakh
Q4. Which of the following best explains the primary objective of Mission Amrit Sarovar ?
a) To develop large-scale reservoirs for hydroelectric projects in Himalayan states.
b) To construct and rejuvenate ponds across India for water conservation and groundwater recharge.
c) To create artificial lakes in urban areas to promote tourism and biodiversity conservation.
d) To expand irrigation networks by linking major rivers through inter-basin water transfer.
Explanation-
• Option a is incorrect – The mission focuses on pond rejuvenation, not hydroelectric projects.
• Option b is correct – The initiative aims to develop and revive 75 water bodies in each district to improve water security and sustainability.
• Option c is incorrect – While urban water conservation is beneficial, the mission primarily focuses on rural areas.
• Option d is incorrect – The mission does not involve river-linking projects; it focuses on localized water conservation.
What is Mission Amrit Sarovar?
• A nationwide water conservation programto construct and rejuvenate ponds across India.
• Aims to ensure water sustainabilityat the local level.
• Launched in:April 24, 2022, as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations.
• Ministry involved:Led by the Ministry of Rural Development, with collaboration from eight other ministries.
• Implemented by:Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG-N), providing geospatial data for site identification.
• Key Features:
• Target:Construct or rejuvenate 75 ponds per district.
• Community Participation (Jan Bhagidaari):Involves local communities in water conservation.
• Climate Resilience:Aims to strengthen groundwater levels and restore ecological balance.
• Railways’ Role:
• Identify and excavate new waterbodiesnear railway sites.
• Utilize excavated materialfor railway embankment construction.
• Coordinate with State governmentsfor implementation.
Q5. Which of the following best explains why Starlink’s satellite broadband is considered superior to traditional internet services ?
a) Starlink’s satellites orbit in geostationary orbit (GEO), allowing seamless global coverage.
b) It eliminates the need for ground stations, making it completely independent of terrestrial infrastructure.
c) Starlink uses a low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation, reducing latency compared to traditional satellite internet.
d) It operates using fiber-optic communication in space, ensuring higher speeds than terrestrial broadband.
Explanation-
Option a is incorrect – Starlink operates in low-Earth orbit (LEO), not geostationary orbit (GEO). GEO satellites remain fixed relative to Earth but suffer from high latency (~600 ms).
Option b is incorrect – Starlink still requires ground stations to relay data to the broader internet. While it reduces dependency on terrestrial infrastructure, it is not fully independent.
Option c is correct – Starlink’s LEO satellites (550 km altitude) provide lower latency (25-50 ms) compared to GEO satellites (~600 ms), making it suitable for real-time applications.
Option d is incorrect – Starlink does not use fiber-optic communication in space but relies on radio frequency (RF) signals and phased-array antennas for data transmission.
What is Starlink
A satellite-based internet service operated by SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk.
Designed to provide high-speed, low-latency broadbandglobally, especially in remote areas.
Developed by:SpaceX
Launched in 2019, aims to deploy 42,000 satellitesin low-Earth orbit (LEO).
How Does Starlink Work
Uses a constellation of LEO satellitesto provide internet access.
A Starlink dishconnects to the nearest satellite, which transmits data to and from ground stations connected to the internet.
Unlike fiber or cellular networks, Starlink does not depend on terrestrial infrastructure.
Answer Key
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
C | D | A | B | C |