Daily Current Affairs for UPSC IAS: 24th March 2025

Anthurium:

India successfully exported Anthurium flowers from Mizoram to Singapore for the first time, marking a milestone in the country’s floriculture sector.

• Anthurium is a tropical flowering plant known for its ornamental value and air-purifying properties.
• It is grown mostly indoors and helps remove toxins like formaldehyde, ammonia, toluene, xylene and allergens from the air.
• Anthurium was included in NASA’s list of air-purifying plants due to its ability to improve indoor air quality.
• APEDA is a statutory body under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India.
• It is responsible for:
  • Developing and promoting exports of agricultural and processed food products.
  • Facilitating market linkages for Indian agricultural products worldwide.

Chief Justice of India (CJI):

CJI Forms Three-Member Committee to Probe Allegations Against Delhi High Court Judge.

• Qualifications of CJI:
  • A person is eligible to be appointed as Chief Justice of India if they:
  • Are a citizen of India.
  • Have served as a Judge of a High Court for at least five years.
  • Have been an advocate in a High Court for at least ten years.
  • Are considered a distinguished jurist by the President of India.
• Appointment of CJI
  • The President appoints the CJI under Article 124(2) of the Constitution.
  • The outgoing CJI recommends their successor based on seniority.
  • The Union Law Minister forwards the recommendation to the Prime Minister, who then advises the President.
  • As per the Second Judges Case (1993), the senior-most Supreme Court judge is appointed as the CJI.
• Role and Powers of the CJI
  •  The CJI allocates cases to Supreme Court benches and decides the composition of benches.
  • The CJI leads the Supreme Court Collegium, responsible for appointing and transferring judges.
  • The CJI supervises court administration, staff appointments, and judicial proceedings management.
  • The CJI is first among equals and does not hold superior judicial power over other judges.
• Removal of CJI or Judges
  • A Supreme Court judge, including the CJI, can be removed by the President after an address by Parliament supported by a special majority.
  • Grounds for removal (Article 124(4)):Proven misbehavior ,Incapacity

Collegium System:

• A mechanism for appointing and transferring judges in the Supreme Court and High Courts.
• Not established by an Act of Parliament, but evolved through Supreme Court judgments (Judges Cases).
• For SC Appointments: CJI + four senior-most judges.
• For HC Appointments:
  • HC-level Collegium: Chief Justice of HC + two senior judges.
  • SC-level Collegium: CJI + two senior-most SC judges.

Nano Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP):

Parliamentary Committee Warns Against Underfunding of Fertilizer Subsidy Schemes.

• Nano DAP is a liquid nano-fertilizer developed to improve nutrient absorption and enhance plant growth.
• It was launched by the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative (IFFCO) in 2023.
• It contains 8% Nitrogen and 16% Phosphorus by volume.
• Unlike conventional DAP, which is granular, Nano DAP is in liquid form, improving its efficiency and absorption by crops.
• Due to its nano-size (less than 100 nm), it has a higher surface area-to-volume ratio, making it more effective than traditional fertilizers.

Tavasya : Stealth Frigate

Stealth Frigate ‘Tavasya’ Launched at Goa Shipyard.

• ‘Tavasya’, the last of the four Krivak-class stealth frigates, was launched at Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) on March 22, 2025.
• It is the second ship under construction at GSL under a technology transfer agreement with Russia.
• The launch marks a milestone in India’s naval self-reliance and defence production capabilities.
• India and Russia signed an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) in October 2016 for four additional Krivak-class stealth frigates.
• Under the agreement Two ships were imported directly from Russia and Two ships were manufactured at Goa Shipyard under technology transfer.
• First ship manufactured in India: Triput, launched in July 2024, set for delivery in 2026.
• First ship commissioned from Russia: Tushil, commissioned on December 9, 2024, now based in Karwar.
• Second Russian-manufactured frigate: Tamal, in advanced trials, expected to be commissioned in June 2025.
• Tavasya is expected to be the last warship built under foreign license, as India transitions to indigenous warship construction.

SwaYaan Initiative:

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and Drone Federation of India launched the National Innovation Challenge for Drone Research (NIDAR) under the SwaYaan initiative.

• National Innovation Challenge for Drone Application and Research (NIDAR) Part of SwaYaan – Capacity Building for Human Resource Development in Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) initiative under Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in collaboration with Drone Federation of India (DFI).
• Aim is to Encourage research, innovation, and real-world drone applications in disaster management and precision agriculture. Engage over 100 student teams for developing autonomous drone solutions. Foster startup incubation, cloud credits, software support, and internships.
• SwaYaan Initiative is a comprehensive capacity-building program for drone and allied technologies in India.
• Launched in Approved by MeitY in July 2022 under Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
• Aim is to Train 42,560 participants to create a skilled drone technology workforce.
• Implemented via a hub-and-spoke model with participation from 30 top institutions including IISc, IITs, IIITs, NITs, CDAC, and NIELIT.
• Focus areas include Drone Electronics, GNC Algorithms Simulation, Aeromechanics, Drone Applications, and Allied UAS Technologies.
• Initiation of minor degree programs, bootcamps, and workshops.
• Active industry participation through challenges and innovation platforms.

UNDP Report on Forest Conservation Funding:

A UNDP report highlights a significant funding imbalance, revealing that for every $1 invested in forest conservation, $6 is funnelled into industries that contribute to deforestation.

Highlights:

• Funding Gap: $460 billion per year is required to stop deforestation, but current funding falls far short.
• Misaligned Investments: For every $1 spent on forest protection, $6 is directed toward deforestation-causing industries such as industrial agriculture and logging.
• Ineffective REDD+: Current payments under the REDD+ program range from $5–10 per tonne of CO2, while the actual mitigation cost is $30–50 per tonne.
• Debt Burden on Developing Nations: With $11 trillion in debt, developing countries are pressured to exploit forests for short-term financial relief.
• Successful Models: Direct funding to Indigenous communities, like the Mesoamerican Territorial Fund, has proven to deliver stronger forest conservation outcomes.

Ramadevara Betta Vulture Sanctuary:  Indian Long-Billed Vulture Spotted

The rare sighting of the Indian Long-Billed Vulture (Indian Vulture) at Ramadevara Betta Vulture Sanctuary underscores the success of protected area-based conservation efforts.

• Ramadevara Betta Vulture Sanctuary is situated in the Ramadevara Betta Hill Range in Ramanagara, Karnataka.
• It is India’s first and only vulture sanctuary established in 2012 and notified Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZ) in 2017 to safeguard endangered vulture species.
• The Sanctuary is home to three of the nine vulture species found in India — the Indian Long-Billed Vulture, Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus), and White-Backed Vulture (Gyps bengalensis).
• Indian Long-Billed Vulture (Gyps indicus) is a medium-sized, bulky scavenger native to Asia (India, Pakistan, and Nepal), primarily feeding on animal carcasses, with females being smaller than males.
• They prefer savannas, open landscapes near villages, cities, and cultivated areas.
• Their population has declined by 97-99% due to poisoning from diclofenac, a veterinary drug once used for livestock.
• IUCN Status: Critically Endangered

Hemavati River : Two Youth Drowned

Two youths, who went swimming in the Hemavati River near Henli village in Sakleshpur, drowned recently.

• Hemavati River is an important tributary of the Kaveri
• The river begins its journey in the Western Ghats at an elevation of about 1219 m above sea level, near Ballala Rayana Durga in the Chikmagalur District of Karnataka.
• It flows through Tumkur, Hassan District, where it is joined by its chief tributary, the Yagachi River and then into Mysore District before joining the Kaveri
• It is approximately 245 km long and has a drainage area of about 5,410 sq km.
• The Hemavati Reservoir is a masonry dam with a central spillway and earthen flanks built across the river near Gorur village.
• It has a storage capacity of 37.1 tmcft. The water from the reservoir is used to irrigate 6.55 acres of land in Mandya, Hassan and Tumkur.

Eurasian Goshawk : Spotted

A Eurasian goshawk, a medium-large raptor, was recently spotted at Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary by a forest guard.

• Eurasian Goshawk is a large, powerful bird of prey belonging to the Accipitridae family, which also includes other extant diurnal raptors, such as eagles, buzzards and harriers.
• Scientific Name: Accipiter gentilis
• It is widely distributed across Europe, Asia, and parts of North America (where it is simply called the Northern Goshawk).
• It is Found in dense forests, particularly coniferous and mixed woodlands.
• It has relatively short, broad wings and a long tail.
• It is blue-grey above or brownish-grey with dark barring or streaking over a grey or white base color below, but Asian subspecies in particular range from nearly white overall to nearly black above.
• Females are significantly larger than males.
• Conservation Status: IUCN Red List: Least Concern
• Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Thane District of Maharashtra, 90 km northeast of Mumbai in the foothills of the Western Ghats.

Raisina Dialogue 2025:

India hosted the 10th edition of the Raisina Dialogue 2025 in New Delhi, with New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, as the Chief Guest.

• Theme for 2025: “Kālachakra – People, Peace and Planet”.
• Raisina Dialogue 2025:
  • India’s External Affairs Minister (EAM) raised concerns against the weaponization of trade through tariffs, sanctions, and financial controls, emphasizing the need for trust-based partnerships.
  • India is re-evaluating trade partners for reliability, transparency, and strategic alignment, especially amid ongoing negotiations with the US, EU, and UK.
  • Indo-Pacific Concerns: Quad defence leaders expressed serious concerns over China’s assertive maritime presence in the Indian Ocean Region(IOR).
  • India highlighted its intent to maintain the IOR as a peaceful, secure trade conduit while working with small island nations and external partners.
  • The Philippines wants India to join the Squad alliance (comprising the US, Japan, Australia, and Philippines) to counter China’s tactics in the South China Sea.
  • India is cautious about data flow, Artificial Intelligence (AI) development, and digital regulation in trade negotiations.
  • Regulatory frameworks for big data and AI are now integral to India’s economic diplomacy.

Raisina Dialogue:

• Launched in 2016 by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Raisina Dialogue is named after Raisina Hills in New Delhi, it is organized annually by the Ministry of External Affairs in collaboration with Observer Research Foundation (ORF).
• It is India’s premier geopolitics and geo-economics conference, comparable to the Munich Security Conference (Germany) and Singapore’s Shangri-La Dialogue.
• The Raisina Dialogue brings together global leaders, policymakers, academics, industry experts, and journalists to address global challenges.

Dog-Faced Water Snake : Recorded For The First Time In Northeast India

A dog-faced water snake (Cerberus rynchops) has been recorded for the first time in Northeast India, far from its known coastal habitat.

• Dog-Faced Water Snake is a rear-fanged, mildly venomous, semi-aquatic
• It belongs to the family Homalopsidae, which refers to Indo-Australian rear-fanged water snakes.
• Scientific Name: Cerberus rynchops
• It typically resides in mangroves, coastal mudflats and estuarine habitats throughout Southeast Asia and northern Australia.
• In India, it has been recorded in coastal regions such as Gujarat, Maharashtra, Kerala, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• They spend the majority of their life in some type of water. Salt glands allow them to live in marine environments because they can expel salt through them in order to survive.
• The species hunts fish and crustaceans in shallow waters employing a ‘sit-and-wait’ strategy to ambush prey.
• They can grow to about 1m long.
• They are characterized by a wide head and snout, which is where the epithet “dog-faced water snake” comes from.
• They are striped and dark brown with a white underbelly.
• The snake is adapted for slow-moving, shallow, and murky waters.
• Conservation Status:IUCN Red List: Least Concern

United Nations World Water Development Report (WWDR) 2025:

The 2025 UN World Water Development Report says that Retreating glaciers threatens the food and water supply of 2 billion people around the world.

Highlight of the WWDR 2025:

• Theme: Mountains and glaciers – Water towers
• The report says that “all mountain ranges” have shown evidence of warming since the early 20th century.
• It warns that, as global temperatures rise, more mountain precipitation will fall as rain instead of snow, causing snowpacks to thin and melt earlier in the year.
• It finds that receding snow and ice cover in mountain regions could have “severe” consequences for people and nature.
• This acceleration in snowpack melt often causes river flow to increase in glacier-fed water basins and rivers in the short term.
• However, once the snow melts beyond a certain threshold, a “peak water” point is passed and river flow declines again.
• The report says there is “strong evidence” that this “peak water” point has already been passed in the glacial-fed rivers of the tropical Andes, western Canada and the Swiss Alps.
• Meanwhile, many glaciers have disappeared entirely. For example, Colombia has lost 90% of its glacial area since the mid-19th century, according to the report.
• It warns that, as the climate warms, many glaciers will “inevitably” disappear over the coming decades. It points to projections that suggest that warming of 1.5-4C will cause glaciers to lose 26-41% of their 2015 mass by 2100.
• The report highlights a wide range of impacts, including reduced water for drinking and agriculture, stress on local ecosystems and increased risk of “devastating” glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs).
• Retreating glaciers threatens the food and water supply of 2 billion people around the world.
• Two-thirds of all irrigated agriculture in the world is likely to be affected in some way by receding glaciers and dwindling snowfall in mountain regions, driven by the climate crisis.

Lok Sabha Approves ₹50 Lakh Crore in Demands for Grants for 2025-26:

Demands for Grants refer to expenditure estimates that require Lok Sabha approval under Article 113 of the Constitution.Article 113: No demand for a grant can be made without the President’s recommendation. Constitutional Provisions on Demands for Grants:

• Article 114: Money cannot be withdrawn from the Consolidated Fund of India without Parliamentary approval.
• Article 115: Allows for supplementary, additional, or excess grants when the original budget allocation is insufficient.
• Article 116: Provides for Vote on Account, Vote of Credit, and Exceptional Grants if the budget is not passed before the financial year begins.

14th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus:

The 14th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) Experts’ Working Group on Counter-Terrorism (EWG on CT) was recently held in New Delhi. It Highlights Table-top counter-terrorism exercise is to be held in Malaysia (2026) and a field training exercise in India (2027) under the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) Experts’ Working Group on Counter-Terrorism (EWG on CT). India and Malaysia have assumed co-chairmanship of EWG on CT (2024-2027).

Anuj Kumar Singh Appointed as Joint Secretary in UPSC:

Anuj Kumar Singh, an officer of the Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers (IRSEE) from the 2009 batch, has been appointed as the Joint Secretary (Director level) in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), Delhi. His appointment, made under the Central Staffing Scheme, will be for five years or until further orders. Singh, selected for Central deputation on the Ministry of Railways’ recommendation, is expected to bring his technical and administrative expertise to enhance UPSC’s operational efficiency and strategic framework.

Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) Scheme : Extension

The extension of the Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) Scheme till March 2026 aims to ensure speedy and time-bound justice in cases of rape and offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.It is a centrally sponsored scheme under the Ministry of Law & Justice that aims to establish FTSCs under the Nirbhaya Fund. In 2019, the Supreme Court ordered fast disposal of POCSO cases, prompting the launch of the FTSC Scheme on 2nd October, 2019. The Centre contributes 60%, and States 40%, except for Northeastern, Sikkim, and hilly states, where it’s 90:10. UTs with legislatures follow a 60:40 ratio, while those without legislature get full central funding.

Shaheed Diwas 2025:

Shaheed Diwas, also known as Martyrs’ Day, is observed every year on March 23 to honor the sacrifices of India’s great revolutionaries Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru, and Sukhdev Thapar. These young freedom fighters were executed by the British colonial government on March 23, 1931, for their role in the freedom movement. As India observes Shaheed Diwas 2025, the nation remembers their heroic contributions and revolutionary thoughts, which continue to inspire generations.

Vinod Kumar Shukla Selected for 59th Jnanpith Award:

Eminent Hindi writer Vinod Kumar Shukla has been named the recipient of the 59th Jnanpith Award, India’s highest literary honour. At 88 years old, he is recognized for his outstanding contribution to Hindi literature, with a unique writing style that blends linguistic creativity and emotional depth. Notably, he is the first author from Chhattisgarh to receive this prestigious award and the 12th Hindi writer to be honored with it.

Goibibo Appoints Rishabh Pant as Brand Ambassador in a Campaign Featuring Sunil Gavaskar:

Online travel platform Goibibo has onboarded Indian cricketer Rishabh Pant as its new brand ambassador, unveiling a campaign that also features legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar. The campaign adds a playful twist to one of Gavaskar’s famous commentary phrases, aligning with Goibibo’s fun and youth-centric marketing strategy.

Purple Fest 2025:

The Purple Fest 2025 was held at Rashtrapati Bhavan and organized by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DePwD), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. With an enthusiastic participation of 23,500 attendees, the event aimed to promote inclusivity, accessibility, and empowerment for Divyangjan (Persons with Disabilities). The fest featured literary discussions, sports activities, corporate collaborations, and cultural performances, all focused on creating opportunities and fostering an inclusive society.

World’s First ‘Supersolid’ Created from Light:

Researchers have successfully transformed light into a supersolid—a new phase of matter that combines properties of both superfluids and solids. This discovery, published on March 5 in Nature, has profound implications for quantum computing, materials science, and energy storage. Scientists at CNR-INO, CNR-Nanotec, and the University of Pavia have demonstrated that this light-based supersolid maintains a coherent quantum droplet structure while allowing friction-free flow, a property unique to superfluids. This milestone opens new avenues in understanding light-matter interactions and may lead to advanced photonic applications in the future.