Daily Current Affairs (18 – Mar – 25)
1. India has become the 4th country—after the US, Russia, and China—to demonstrate space docking and undocking capabilities –
• ISRO autonomously undocked two satellites i.e., SDX01 (the Chaser) and SDX02 (the Target) in space, reinforcing India’s ability to conduct complex orbital maneuvers essential for future space missions.
• Space Docking is a process where two spacecraft in orbit are progressively brought closer and joined together.
• It allows for assembling heavy spacecraft in space, which cannot be launched in a single mission due to weight limitations.
• Space undocking refers to the process of separating a spacecraft from a space station or another spacecraft.
• It is crucial for India’s planned Bhartiya Antriksh Station (by 2035) and human mission to the Moon (by 2040).
• Chandrayaan-4, which will bring back lunar soil and rock samples, will rely on this technology.
2. U.S. President Donald Trump launched large-scale military strikes against Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis
• Location: Southwestern part of the Arabian Peninsula.
• Capital: Sana’a (under Houthi control).
Borders-
• North → Saudi Arabia
• East → Oman
• South → Arabian Sea & Gulf of Aden
• West → Red Sea
• Strategic Importance-
• Controls eastern shore of Bab el Mandeb Strait, crucial for maritime trade.
• Located at a vital chokepoint connecting Red Sea → Gulf of Aden → Indian Ocean.
• Civil War Background-
• About Houthi: They are a large clan belonging to the Zaidi Shia sect, with roots in Yemen’s northwestern Sa’dah province.
• They are a militant group that has been fighting the civil war in Yemen for a decade.
• Houthi Movement-
• It originated in the 1990s against President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s regime.
• Currently controls northern Yemen and has a significant presence across regions.
3. India’s GDP to Reach $5.7 Trillion, Becoming Third Largest by 2028: Morgan Stanley –
• According to Morgan Stanley, India’s GDP is projected to expand to $5.7 trillion by fiscal 2028, making it the third-largest economy in the world, surpassing Germany and Japan.
• Currently the fifth-largest economy, India is expected to overtake Japan by 2026 to become the fourth-largest. The country’s share in global GDP is set to rise from 3.5% in 2023 to 4.5% in 2029, driven by strong macroeconomic policies, improved infrastructure, and a growing consumer market.
• The report also outlines different growth scenarios, with GDP potentially reaching $10.3 trillion by 2035 in a bullish case.
4. Armenia and Azerbaijan Finalize Peace Treaty to End 40-Year Conflict –
• In a historic breakthrough, Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed on the text of a peace treaty, ending almost four decades of conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The peace agreement was finalized on March 13, 2025, marking a significant step toward establishing stability in the South Caucasus region.
• However, Azerbaijan demands a change in Armenia’s constitution before signing the treaty, which has created uncertainty regarding the timeline for its official signing.
5. India’s Forex Reserves See Sharpest Jump in Two Years: RBI Data –
• In a significant development, India’s foreign exchange reserves surged by $15.267 billion to reach $653.966 billion during the week ending March 7, 2025, marking the sharpest rise in over two years.
• This sudden spike is primarily attributed to the $10 billion forex swap conducted by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on February 28, 2025, where the central bank purchased dollars against the rupee to inject liquidity into the system.
MCQ Quiz
Q1. Which of the following countries are a member of the Five Eyes Alliance ?
a) Russia, Ukraine, Australia, India and Myanmar
b) United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand
c) China, India, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar
d) Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Australia, Russia and China
Q2. National Vaccination Day is observed on which day?
a) March 15
b) March 16
c) March 17
d) March 18
Q3. Low-level Transportable Radar, LLTR (Ashwini) is jointly developed by which organizations ?
a) Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)
b) Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL)
c) Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) and Ministry of Defence
d) Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL)
Q4. What is the primary purpose of the recall guidelines announced by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) ?
a) To regulate the pricing of pharmaceutical drugs
b) To promote international trade of Indian drugs
c) To improve the manufacturing process of drugs
d) To ensure quick removal of drugs that fail testing from the
Explanation-
• The recall guidelines announced by the DCGI are intended to safeguard public health by ensuring that drugs which fail quality tests in government laboratories are swiftly removed from the market.
• This step is critical in preventing harmful drugs from being consumed by the public, thus reducing the risk of adverse health effects and ensuring that only safe and effective medications are available to patients.
• The guidelines are a proactive measure to enhance drug safety standards in India.
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.