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Journalism of Courage
Every Monday, UPSC Current Affairs Pointers in UPSC Essentials aim to go beyond the headlines and provide content relevant to your UPSC Prelims, State PCS, and other competitive examinations.
If you missed the UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | March 24 to March 30, 2025, from the Indian Express, read it here.
(FYI: The data provided in these reports can be used to substantiate your Mains answer and create a broad understanding of the topic.)
— The 2025 Technology and Innovation Report is issued by UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
— According to the report, India ranked 36th in 2024 on the ‘Readiness for Frontier Technologies’ index, improving its position from 48th in 2022.
— The index combines indicators for ICT deployment, skills, research and development (R&D) activity, industrial capacity, and access to finance.
— The report noted that Brazil, China, India, and the Philippines are developing countries outperforming in technology readiness.
— The only developing countries with significant investments were China in second position, with USD 7.8 billion, and India in tenth position, with USD 1.4 billion.
— According to the United Nations Climate Change website, “Frontier technology can be defined as technology that will reshape industry and communications and provide urgently needed solutions to global challenges like climate change and have the potential to displace existing processes.”
— It encompasses a range of technologies, including blockchain, Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and Virtual Reality (VR). Learn more about such technology.
— The Amalsad Chikoo, which takes its name from a village in Gujarat’s Navsari district, was awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) tag in recognition of its “unique characteristics and deep rooted connection to the region
— The Amalsad Chikoo is the third fruit in the state after the Gir Kesar Mango and Kutchhi Kharek (date) to get the GI tag.
— Gujarat alone contributes 98 per cent of chikoo exports from India, and Navsari district is the largest producer of chikoos. The leading importers of Indian chikoo include the UAE, the UK and Bahrain.
— A Geographical Indication (GI) is a tag used on products that originate from a specific geographical area and have qualities or a reputation that are characteristic of that region. This tag signifies the product’s unique identity and authenticity. It helps to raise awareness and build trust among consumers.
— The Green Credit Programme (GCP) rolled out by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in 2023 was flagged by the Ministry of Law and Justice before its rollout, over legality of the business model built into it.
—Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the UAE, officially unveiled the GCP on December 1, 2023, during the annual United Nations climate conference in Dubai.
—It seeks to invite voluntary participation in sectors ranging from plantations to water conservation in exchange of tradable credits.
— The Centre informed the Karnataka High Court that Elon Musk-owned X’s description of the government’s Sahyog portal as a “censorship portal” is “unfortunate” and “condemnable”.
— The Sahyog portal was launched in 2024 by the Union Home Ministry to expedite orders to block objectionable content. It is maintained by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C).
— Kerala has been witnessing protests over the proposed mining off its coast. Last week, MPs and legislators staged a protest in Delhi against the move.
— The Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act, 2002, (OAMDR Act), which deals with the development of mineral resources in the country’s maritime zones, was amended in 2023.
— In the past, offshore excavation was under the aegis of central government bodies. But this amendment opened up offshore mining to the private sector.
— As per the OMDR Act, ‘offshore area’ means the territorial waters, continental shelf, exclusive economic zone and other maritime zones of India. Section two of the Act arms the Centre with the right to control mines and minerals in offshore areas.
— At the same time, fishing and related developmental activities up to 12 nautical miles in the sea is a State subject.
Why is Kerala opposing offshore mining?
— Kerala wants the Centre to drop the mining plan as it will lead to irreparable damage to the fisheries sector.
— Kollam parappu, which is also known as Quilon Bank, is among the highly productive fishing grounds along the south-west coast of India. Mining in this sector will lead to a decline in marine catch.
— Mining could also lead to the release of toxic substances into the sea. Huge vessels deployed for mining will hamper fishing activities and pose a threat to fishermen’s lives and vessels.
— The entire royalty from the mining will go to the Centre.
— Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched the “NITI NCAER States Economic Forum” portal.
— The portal is developed by NITI Aayog in collaboration with the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER). It is a repository of data on social, economic, and fiscal parameters, research reports, papers, and expert commentary on state finances for a period of over 30 years (1990-91 to 2022-23).
— According to the Finance Minister, the portal will help States to make more meaningful interventions, raising revenues, managing debts, and learning from peer experiences.
— Sarhul festival is being celebrated by adivasis in Jharkhand and the larger Chhotanagpur region.
— Sarhul, literally “worship of the Sal tree”, is among the most revered Adivasi festivals. It is rooted in nature worship and celebrates the symbolic union of the Sun and the Earth.
— The main rituals happen on day two of the three-day festival at Sarna Sthals. These communally protected “sacred groves” can be found near villages across Chhotanagpur, which includes Jharkhand, parts of Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Bihar.
— Sarhul has been celebrated by tribes such as the Oraon, Munda, Santal, Khadia, and Ho, with unique names for the festival and particular ways of celebration.
— Mythologically, sacred groves have been regarded as a place of retreat and a source of Inspiration where sages would be enlightened.
— The 6th Summit of the Heads of State/Government of the member States of BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal
Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) held in Thailand on 4th April, 2025. The theme of the summit is “Prosperous, resilient, and open BIMSTEC (PRO BIMSTEC).”
— The summit saw the following outcomes: adoption of BIMSTEC Bangkok Vision 2030, signing of the agreement on Maritime Transport Cooperation, and signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
— BIMSTEC comprises seven countries of the Bay of Bengal region: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. This region is home to around 1.8 billion people, nearly 22 percent of the global population, and has a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of US$3.6 trillion.
UPSC has asked a question on the difference between BIMSTEC and SAARC. Click here to know more.
— Prime Minister Narendra Modi was awarded the ‘Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushana’, the country’s highest civilian honour, by Sri Lankan President Anura Kumar Dissanayake on April 5. This is the Prime Minister’s 22nd international honour.
— The Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushana honours Heads of State and government heads with whom Sri Lanka has cordial relations. It appreciates “their friendship towards and solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka”.
— Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said, “I reaffirmed Sri Lanka’’s stand that it will not permit its territory to be used in any manner inimical to the security of India as well as towards regional stability.”
— According to data from the National Securities Depository Ltd (NSDL), foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) have made a significant investment in Indian bonds through the Fully Accessible Route (FAR) since January this year.
— FAR bonds are government securities designated under the fully accessible route, which allows foreign investors unrestricted access to invest in these bonds without any investment caps.
— It was introduced in March 2020 by the RBI to increase foreign participation in India’s bond market.
— A bond is an instrument to borrow money. A bond could be floated/issued by a country’s government or by a company to raise funds. Since government bonds (referred to as G-secs in India, Treasury in the US, and Gilts in the UK) come with the sovereign’s guarantee, they are considered one of the safest investments.
Do you know what Blue bonds and Masala bonds are?
— According to a study published in the journal Nature, a strip of the Pacific Ocean seabed that was mined for metals more than 40 years ago has still not recovered.
— Deep sea mining involves removing mineral deposits and metals from the ocean’s seabed. There are three types of such mining: taking deposit-rich polymetallic nodules off the ocean floor, mining massive seafloor sulphide deposits, and stripping cobalt crusts from rock.
— These nodules, deposits and crusts contain materials, such as nickel, rare earths, cobalt and more, that are needed for batteries and other materials used in tapping renewable energy and also for everyday technology like cellphones and computers.
— Countries manage their own maritime territory and exclusive economic zones, while the high seas and the international ocean floor are governed by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas. It is considered to apply to states regardless of whether or not they have signed or ratified it.
— The Union environment ministry has “given up” on a star-rating system it had introduced in January 2022.
— The star rating system evaluates expert environmental bodies in states on their efficiency and promptness in granting prior environmental clearances to industry and infrastructure projects.
— According to the ministry, the star-rating system was to be aligned with the Parivesh 1.0 portal, which is a single-window hub for obtaining, monitoring and streamlining various clearance processes.
— A rare long-snouted vine snake (Ahaetulla longirostris) has been rediscovered in the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve here, marking its first documented sighting in the state and only the second recorded instance in India, forest officials said.
— Ahaetulla longirostris had only been recorded once in Bihar and Odisha last year. The species is commonly found in Southeast Asia, officials said.
— Elon Musk-owned SpaceX launched its maiden polar orbit mission, dubbed Fram2, using Dragon spacecraft on March 31 at 9:46 PM ET.
— The Fram2 mission took four astronauts into polar orbit, also known as low Earth orbit, for the first time in human history.
— The astronauts will conduct 22 research studies focused on understanding human health in space.
— The objective of the spaceflight is to study the polar regions of Earth from the Dragon capsule which will be orbiting at 425-450 kilometres above the surface. Specifically, the astronauts will be observing unusual light emissions similar to auroras i.e. the Northern lights (Aurora borealis) and Southern lights (Aurora australis).
(Just FYI: UPSC has consistently included questions on health and diseases in its examinations over the years. For instance, in 2014, a question about the Ebola virus appeared in the Prelims, and in 2017, a question about the Zika virus was featured. Therefore, it is crucial to stay updated on diseases that are currently in the news.)
— According to a recent report by the UP Water authority, Sonbhadra, UP’s second-largest district, where rich deposits of granite, an igneous rock, have leached “excess” fluoride into the groundwater, making it unfit for human consumption.
— Fluoride levels in 12 villages of the district exceeded the safe limit of 1-1.5 mg/L, with some recording 2 mg/L or more. The nationally permissible limit is 1.50 milligrams/litre. Contamination over 1.50mg/litre is deemed unfit for drinking purposes.
— Excess fluoride increases the risks of disease conditions like skeletal fluorosis, accelerates the rate of dental decay, and can cause other human health hazards, especially among children.
(Just FYI: Noting historical personalities’ anniversaries aids UPSC prep. UPSC often includes such personalities in questions, so revisiting their lives refreshes your static syllabus.)
— Poonam Gupta has been appointed as Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Deputy Governor for a period of three years. She is currently the director general of the economic policy think tank National Council of Applied Economic Research.
— With Gupta’s appointment, the RBI now has four deputy governors, including M Rajeshwar Rao, T Rabi Sankar and Swaminathan J.
Do you know about the process of appointment of the Governor of the RBI? In 2021, UPSC asked a question in Prelims on the appointment of the RBI governor.
(Just FYI: The location of the place is important, considering that UPSC has asked several questions about places that were in the news, such as Aleppo and Kirkuk, in the 2018 UPSC Prelims. The best way to remember them is to plot them on a world map.)
— The Naini Lake, one of Nainital’s key attractions, has recorded a water level of 4.7 feet — marking a five-year low.
— The Naini Lake is a natural kidney-shaped lake in the heart of Nainital, surrounded by seven hills popularly known as ‘Sapta-Shring’ – Ayarpata, Deopata, Handi-Bandi, Naina, Alma, Lariya-Kanta and Sher-Ka-Danda.
— Over the past two months, large-scale demonstrations have erupted across India demanding that the control over the Mahabodhi temple in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, be handed over to Buddhists.
— It is in Bodh Gaya, while meditating under the Bo tree, that Prince Siddhartha attained enlightenment to become the Buddha (literally, “the Enlightened One”) in 589 BCE.
— A simple shrine was constructed to mark the site by Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE, of which only the Vajrasana (Diamond Throne), a stone slab under the Bodhi tree next to the temple, remains.
— Donald Trump has imposed a 10% tariff on imports from the Heard and McDonald Islands. Three other Australian external territories, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Christmas Island, and Norfolk Island are also in the list of countries on which Trump imposed tariffs.
— The population on Heard and McDonald Islands are zero and they are home to only penguins, seals, and seabirds.
— Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new Pamban Bridge, India’s first vertical lift railway sea bridge, in Tamil Nadu.
— Built with stainless steel reinforcements and Polysiloxane Paint, the bridge is designed to withstand harsh marine conditions. Its expected lifespan is up to 58 years. It has an automated electro-mechanical lift system, which will help the bridge rise to 17 meters, allowing smooth ship passage.
— It will replace the British-era Pamban bridge of 1914, which connects Rameshwaram, located on Pamban Island, with the mainland of Tamil Nadu.
— PM Narendra Modi, during his visit to Sri Lanka, went to Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi temple at the historic city of Anuradhapura. This tree is considered the oldest living cultivated plant in the world. Anuradhapura is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
— This Bo (Ficus religiosa, Pipal in Hindi) tree is believed to have grown from a branch of the tree in Bodhgaya (in present-day Bihar) under which Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment. The branch was carried to Sri Lanka by Sanghamitta (or Sanghamitra), the Mauryan king Ashoka’s daughter and Buddhist nun.
— Her arrival in Sri Lanka with the tree is still celebrated as Uduvapa Poya, an annual festival observed on a full moon night in December.
(Note: The best way to remember facts for UPSC and other competitive exams is to recall them through MCQs. Try to solve the following questions on your own.)
(1) Consider the following statements:
1. The right to control mines and minerals in offshore areas is under the aegis of the Union government.
2. Fishing and related developmental activities up to 12 nautical miles in the sea are a State subject.
Which of the following statements is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
(2) Consider the following countries :
1. Bangladesh
2. Bhutan
3. Pakistan
4. Thailand
5. Sri Lanka
Which of the above are members of both SAARC and BIMSTEC?
(b) 1 and 4 only
(c) 2 and 5 only
(d) 1, 2 and 5 only
(3) Consider the following statements about the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi temple:
1. The temple is located at the sacred Buddhist site, popularly known as the city of Senkadagalapura.
2. It is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage site.
3. It is believed that this tree has grown from a branch of the tree in Bodhgaya (in present-day Bihar) under which Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment.
How many of the above statements are correct?
(a) None of the pairs
(b) Only one pair
(c) Only two pairs
(d) All three pairs
| Answer Key |
| 1. (c) 2. (d) 3. (c) |
Previous Articles
UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | March 24 to March 30, 2025
UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | March 17 to March 23, 2025
UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | March 10 to March 16, 2025
UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | March 3 to March 9, 2025
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