Daily & Latest Current Affairs in 2025

Correct Answer :   March 18

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Global Recycling Day is observed every year on March 18 with an aim to spread awareness about the rapid pace at which our natural resources are depleting and the need for recycling to slow it down. The day promotes the concept and practice of recycling and encourages the limited use of natural resources to save the planet.

Global Recycling Day Theme 2023 : The Global Recycling Day 2023 will be celebrated around the theme “Creative Innovation” to encourage people to think out of the box and find new ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle.

Global Recycling Day History and significance :

* Global Recycling Day was first announced in 2015 after the president of the Bureau of International Recycling, Ranjit S. Baxi, brought it to the attention of the World Recycling Convention that same year.

* The first celebration of Global Recycling Day took place on March 18, 2018, and the date was chosen as it coincided with the 70th anniversary of the Bureau of International Recycling.

* The celebration marks the importance of recycling in preserving the Earth’s natural resources and educates people on the importance of recycling.
On Global Recycling Day 2023, here are 10 easy ways to start recycling at home..

Source : CNBC

Correct Answer :   March 18

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Ordnance Factory Day is observed in India on March 18 every year to commemorate the founding of the first ordnance factory in colonial India near Kolkata, in 1801.

* The day starts with the hoisting of the national flag and the singing of the national anthem in various events across India in recognition of the service of the Ordnance Factories Board (OFB).


* The Indian ordnance factories, Ministry of Defence, observe the day to highlight the ordnance factories' research, development and production capabilities for guns and ammunition.

History of OFB and significance of the day :

* The Ordnance Factories Board was founded in 1775 and now it has 41 ordnance factories, nine training institutes, three regional marketing centres and five regional controllerates of safety, spread across India.

* The origin of ordnance manufacturers goes back to the colonial era.

* In 1775, the East India Company established a Board of Ordnance in Kolkata, to expand their economic and political might in the country. A gunpowder plant was established in Ishapore in 1787, which began production in 1791.

* Established a Gun Carriage Agency in 1801 in Kolkata, which began production on March 18, 1802. These were the first industrial ordnance factories in India, which are still functioning today.

* Following India’s Independence, 21 more ordnance factories were built.

* Thus, the Ordnance Factory Day was established to commemorate and recognise the OFBs' commitment to the defence sector and the development of the country..

Source : CNBC

Correct Answer :   India-Bangladesh

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina on Saturday (18th March 2023) jointly inaugurated the India-Bangladesh friendship diesel pipeline.

The pipeline will start a new chapter in India-Bangladesh relations, PM Modi said at the inauguration.

The foundation stone for the construction of this pipeline was laid by both the prime ministers in September 2018.

Numaligarh Refinery Limited has been supplying petroleum products to Bangladesh since 2015. This is the second cross-border energy pipeline between India and its neighbours.

According to the Prime Minister Office, the cooperation in the power and energy sector has become one of the hallmarks of India-Bangladesh relations.

Bangladesh is India’s top-most development partner and its largest trade partner in the region.

The operationalisation of the Friendship Pipeline will enhance ongoing energy cooperation between the two countries and will further growth in Bangladesh, particularly in the agriculture sector..

Source : Mint

Correct Answer :   Punjab

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The Punjab AAP government has cancelled the 813 gun licenses across the state in a bid to clamp down on the “gun culture” in the state, Punjab Urban Housing, and Development Minister Aman Arora said during a press conference on 12th March 2023.

* Rules have to be followed for keeping a gun. Now there is a ban on carrying and displaying weapons in public functions, religious places, marriage ceremonies, or any other events in Punjab. Random checking will be done in different areas in the coming days,” the AAP leader said, hinting at a “complete ban on those glorifying violence and weapons.

* Arora added that as of date there are a total of 3,73,053 arms licenses in Punjab but the government is continuously taking action to end gun culture.


Why is Punjab clamping down on gun culture?

The Punjab government has been under pressure from the opposition over “worsening” law and order after the murders of kabaddi player Sandeep Nangal Ambian in March 2022, singer Sidhu Moosewala in May 2022, the November 2022 killings of Shiv Sena leader Sudhir Suri and Dera Sacha Sauda follower Pardeep Singh.

The state’s recent move to suspend licenses is one in a series of similar measures undertaken by the state previously. On November 13, 2022, the Punjab government ordered a complete ban on the public display of weapons and songs glorifying violence..

Source : Indian Express

Correct Answer :   Brazil

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The geology of Brazil’s volcanic Trindade Island has fascinated scientists for years, but the discovery of rocks made from plastic debris in this remote turtle refuge is sparking alarm.

Melted plastic has become intertwined with rocks on the island, located 1,140 km (708 miles) from the southeastern state of Espirito Santo, which researchers say is evidence of humans’ growing influence over the earth’s geological cycles.

The pollution on this island comes from fishing nets, which are very common debris on Trinidad Island’s beaches..

Source : Indian Express

Correct Answer :   GAIL India

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GAIL (India) Limited has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Shell Energy India Private Limited to explore prospects of importing and handling of ethane and other hydrocarbons.

* It is primarily used as petrochemical feedstock and is separated from the other components of natural gas in most well-developed gas fields.

* In a bid towards diversification of the feedstock for its petrochemical plant, country’s largest gas firm is looking to import ethane from ethane-surplus countries with matured export terminal infrastructure, GAIL announced on Friday (17th March 2023).

* It will be transported further through GAIL’s 14,830 km of natural gas pipelines to demand centres.

* Reliance Industries has also begun to import ethane from the United States (US) to replace natural gas and naphtha as fuel at its petrochemical plants. Ethane is expected to be produced in large volumes in North America due to the shale gas revolution, which has generated an abundance of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

* Ethane is mainly used to produce ethylene, which is then used by the petrochemical industry to produce a range of intermediate products, most of which, are converted into plastics, packaging films, wire coatings, squeeze bottles and synthetic rubber, among others...

Source : Business Standard

Correct Answer :   G Krishnakumar

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G Krishnakumar has taken over as the new chairman and managing director of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL), the company said on Friday (17th March 2023).

* Krishnakumar, an electrical and electronics engineer from National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli and a postgraduate in finance management from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai, was executive director in the company before his elevation.

* Government headhunter, the Public Enterprise Selection Board (PESB) had, in December last year, picked up Krishnakumar over company's Director (Finance) Vetsa Ramakrishna Gupta, Director (Refineries) S Khanna, and Director (Marketing) Sukhmal Kumar Jain.

* A company statement said Krishnakumar has taken over as the chairman and managing director of the company.

* He is an avid quizzer and a voracious reader. He is also a passionate cricket fan and a golfer.

* Krishnakumar replaces Arun Kumar Singh, who retired as chairman in October 2022. Post that, Gupta was holding additional charge of the chairman.

* Krishnakumar will hold the position of chairman and managing director till April 2025 or until any further notice, whichever is earlier, according to an official order..

Source : Business Standard

Correct Answer :   Kerala

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According to the Ministry of Education, Bihar has the lowest literacy rate in India at 61.8%, followed by Arunachal Pradesh at 65.3% and Rajasthan at 66.1%.

* Kerala has the highest literacy rate in India at 94%, followed by Lakshadweep at 91.85% and Mizoram at 91.33%.

* Union Minister of State for Education Annapurna Devi shared this information in response to a written question in Lok Sabha.

* The literacy rate in rural India is 67.77% compared to 84.11% in urban India.

The Adult Literacy Rate: The Samagra Shiksha Scheme :

* To improve adult literacy rates, a centrally sponsored scheme called Saakshar Bharat was implemented in rural areas of 404 districts in 26 states and one union territory, which had a female literacy rate of 50% or below according to Census 2001.

* The scheme aimed to raise the overall literacy rate of the country to 80% and reduce the gender gap to 10% points by the end of the XII five year plan. The programme was prolonged to March 31, 2018.

* The Samagra Shiksha Scheme aims to provide universal access and retention in education, bridging gender and social category gaps, and enhancing learning levels from pre-school to senior secondary levels.

* The central government assists states and union territories in implementing the Samagra Shiksha Scheme as a program...

Source : India Today

Correct Answer :   Svaya Robotics

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The indigenous robots and wearable exoskeletons were developed by Hyderabad-based Svaya Robotics in collaboration with the DRDO Labs,  Research and Development Establishment (R&DE), Pune, and the Defence Bioengineering and Electromedical Laboratory (DEBEL), Bengaluru, as technology demonstrators with their design inputs.

* Both are dual-use robots and have multiple use cases in both Industry and healthcare.

Quadruped robots :

* They are four-legged robots that can walk or run on uneven and rough terrains.
* The robots can carry 25 kg in payload and walk along with the soldier.
* It is made for navigating in unstructured terrains to provide remote reconnaissance and inspection, which otherwise are not safe for humans to operate in.

Exoskeleton :

* It is developed to suit Indian soldiers’ anthropometry and augment soldier strength for walking long distances.
* These active exoskeletons, when worn by soldiers, can carry heavy loads without expending much effort..

Source : New Indian Express

Correct Answer :   Kavilmadam Ramaswami Parvathy

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India’s Kavilmadam Ramaswami Parvathy, who has served in leading roles at the World Food Programme in Türkiye and Afghanistan, has been appointed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Tajikistan.

* Parvathy took up her new post as Resident Coordinator in Tajikistan Wednesday (15th March 2023), following the appointment by the Secretary-General and confirmation from the host Government, Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

* “We remain with full gender parity among our 130 Resident Coordinators,” Dujarric said.

* Parvathy brings more than 30 years of experience in development and humanitarian sectors, focusing on strategic planning, performance, risk management, people management, conflict analysis and humanitarian access negotiations, a statement issued here said.

* Prior to her appointment as United Nations Resident Coordinator, Parvathy served as Representative and Country Director for the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in Türkiye, addressing the food and nutrition needs of the most vulnerable people.

* In this role, she led the emergency response of WFP, providing much-needed food assistance to hundreds of thousands of earthquake-affected people immediately in the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes in the southeast region of Türkiye.

* Parvathy actively contributed to the UN multi-sectoral response in support of the efforts of the government to provide emergency assistance to the earthquake-affected people.

* Previously, Parvathy has worked as Representative and Country Director for WFP in Liberia and as Deputy Country Director (Programme and Operations) for WFP in Afghanistan. In other career assignments, Parvathy has served in the Asia Pacific, West Africa, and the regional and global headquarters of WFP, further contributing to ending hunger in the world..

Source : The Print