In Current Affairs for 20 March 2025, we will see the latest national and international current affairs news. These important current affairs will be beneficial for your upcoming NDA, CDS, CDS OTA, AFCAT, TA, Agniveer Army, Agniveer Navy, Agniveer Air Force, Women Military Police, INET, MNS, ACC exams, SCO, PCSL, CAPF, and SSB interviews, and direct entries for Army, Navy, and Air Force like SSC Tech, TGC, JAG, NCC, TES, 10+2 Cadet. Download a PDF file about current events at the end of this article. Let us now see the Current Affairs.
Current Affairs 20 March 2025
Rashtriya Gokul Mission
- Government has approved the revised Rashtriya Gokul Mission to boost growth in the livestock sector. The implementation of the revised mission is being carried out with an additional outlay of one thousand crore rupees.
- Briefing the media in New Delhi on the Union Cabinet’s decisions, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that the scheme is set to significantly enhance milk production and productivity, thereby increasing farmers’ incomes.
- The Cabinet also approved the revised National Program for Dairy Development. Mr Vaishnaw said this initiative focuses on modernizing and expanding dairy infrastructure, ensuring the sector’s sustained growth and productivity.
- The Union cabinet has also approved an incentive scheme for the promotion of low-value BHIM-UPI transactions. Minister Vaishnaw said, the scheme will enable small merchants to avail of UPI services at no additional cost. He said an incentive at the rate of 0.15 per cent per transaction value will be provided for transactions up to two thousand rupees to small merchants.
- Mr Vaishnaw also informed us that the government has decided to set up a new Brownfield Ammonia-Urea Complex Fertilizer Plant within the existing premises of Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Corporation Limited at Namrup in Assam. He said the project will increase the domestic Urea production capacity in the country, especially in the North-Eastern region and meet the growing demand for Urea fertilizers of North East, Bihar, West Bengal, Eastern Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand.
India AI Mission & Bill Gates Foundation
- Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ashiwini Vaishnaw said that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed soon between India AI mission and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Mr Vaishnaw made this remark after meeting the founder of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates in New Delhi.
- Mr Vaishnaw emphasised the AI solutions for better crops, stronger healthcare, smarter education and climate resilience. Minister of Health and Family Welfare Jagat Prakash Nadda also held a meeting with Mr Gates. During the meeting, Mr Nadda acknowledged the Foundation’s valuable support in strengthening health systems and driving impactful initiatives. In a social media post, Mr Nadda said that they discussed the remarkable progress India has achieved in healthcare, particularly in maternal health, immunization, and sanitation, through collaboration with the Foundation.
- The two sides also look forward to renewing their Memorandum of Cooperation, furthering the shared commitment to ensuring affordable, accessible, and quality healthcare for all citizens.
Meghalaya Inaugurates First Scientific Coal Mine
- Meghalaya initiated the scientific mining of coal after almost a decade of ban on rat-hole coal mining imposed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT). Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma virtually inaugurated the first scientific coal mining block at Saryngkham-A block in the Byndihati area of East Jaintia Hills district.
- NGT enforced the ban on rat-hole coal mining in 2014 after a series of coal mine tragedies in Meghalaya over the years. Later, the Supreme Court had upheld the ban order.
Russia, Ukraine
- Russia and Ukraine said, they had each swapped 175 prisoners in one of the largest exchanges since the Russian military operation started three years ago. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said, that releasing all prisoners of war as well as captured civilians would be an important step toward peace and could help build trust between the two countries.
- Russia’s Defense Ministry said it had released an additional 22 severely wounded Ukraine captives as a goodwill gesture. Prisoner exchanges have happened throughout the war, and yesterday’s exchange had been planned before the call with the U.S. president.
Rajiv Yuva Vikasam’ Scheme
- In a significant move to promote self-employment and economic development, Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy launched the ‘Rajiv Yuva Vikasam’ Scheme on the premises of the Telangana Legislative Assembly. The scheme is designed to provide financial assistance to unemployed youth from Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Backward Classes (BC), and Minority communities.
- With a substantial budget allocation of ₹6,000 crore, the government aims to create self-employment opportunities for five lakh youth across the state. The primary objective of the scheme is to empower unemployed youth by providing them with financial aid to establish their own businesses.
- This initiative also aligns with the government’s larger vision of economic growth and social upliftment, particularly for marginalized communities. Under the Rajiv Yuva Vikasam Scheme, beneficiaries will receive financial assistance of up to ₹3 lakh for establishing self-employment units. The subsidy structure is designed to offer significant financial relief, ensuring that loans remain affordable and accessible.
- Subsidy Breakdown:
- Loans up to ₹1 lakh – 80% subsidy provided by the government.
- Loans up to ₹2 lakh – 70% subsidy provided.
- Loans up to ₹3 lakh – 60% subsidy provided.
- This tiered structure allows greater financial support for smaller loans, encouraging youth to take up small and medium-scale entrepreneurial ventures.
India’s Free Speech Ranking In Global Index
- A recent global survey by the U.S.-based think tank The Future of Free Speech ranked India 24th out of 33 countries in its Free Speech Index. The survey, conducted in October 2024, found that although free speech support in India has declined since 2021, a majority of Indians believe it has improved. The report, titled “Who in the World Supports Free Speech?”, highlights the gap between public perception and actual protections for free speech in India, alongside broader global trends showing democratic backsliding in various nations.
- Ranking & Score: India ranked 24th out of 33 countries, scoring 62.6, placing it between South Africa (66.9) and Lebanon (61.8).
- Public Perception vs. Reality: Indians believe free speech has improved, but global rankings and observations suggest a decline.
‘Shishtachar’ Squad
- To enhance women’s safety in public spaces, the Delhi Police has launched ‘Shishtachar’ squads across all districts. These anti-eve-teasing squads aim to curb harassment through active patrolling, surprise checks, and public outreach. Supervised by senior officials, the initiative focuses on prevention, intervention, and victim assistance to create a secure environment for women in the capital. Each district will have at least two squads.
- Supervised by the ACP of the Crime Against Women (CAW) cell in the respective district. Squad Composition
- 1 Inspector & 1 Sub-Inspector.
- 4 Female officers & 5 Male officers.
- 1 Technical personnel from the anti-auto theft squad for surveillance support.
India Innovation Summit
- Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel has inaugurated the India Innovation Summit – Pioneering Solutions to End TB, at Bharat Mandapam Convention Centre. The Summit was organized jointly by the Department of Health Research-Indian Council of Medical Research (DHR-ICMR) and the Central TB Division (CTD), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
- The summit aims to accelerate India’s progress towards TB elimination by 2025. The Program is steadily progressing towards the goal of eliminating TB by 2025. The number of missing cases has been reduced from 15 lakh in 2015 to 2.5 lakhs in 2023. The programme was able to notify 25.5 lakh TB and 26.07 lakh cases in 2023 and 2024-the highest ever.
- A shorter and safer oral Bedaquiline-containing drug resistant TB treatment regimen has been rolled out across all State/ UTs that has improved treatment success rates of drug-resistant TB patients from 68% in 2020 to 75% in 2022.
Current Affairs 20 March 2025 Question
- Which Indian State Initiated Scientific Coal Mining
A. Assam
B. Nagaland
C. Meghalaya
D. Arunachal Pradesh
ANSWER: C - Rajiv Yuva Vikasam Scheme Has Been Introduced By Which State Government
A. Maharashtra
B. Telangana
C. Gujarat
D. Rajasthan
ANSWER: B - Maharashtra Government Inaugurated The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s First
Temple In Which District
A. Wardha
B. Thane
C. Satara
D. Latur
ANSWER: B - A Rare Caracal Has Been Recently Spotted At Which Tiger Reserve In Rajasthan
A. Ranthambore Tiger Reserve
B. Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve
C. Sariska Tiger Reserve
D. Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve
ANSWER: D - Kanger Valley National Park Is Located In Which State
A. Tamil Nadu
B. Rajasthan
C. Kerala
D. Chhattisgarh
ANSWER: D - Who Launched The Mobile App For The Prime Minister’s Internship Scheme
A. Rajnath Singh
B. Piyush Goyal
C. Nirmala Sitharaman
D. Amit Shah
ANSWER: C - Which Airport Won The Air Service Quality Award For Third Consecutive Year
A. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport
B. Indira Gandhi International Airport
C. Kempegowda International Airport
D. Rajiv Gandhi International Airport
ANSWER: C - Which Organization Has Developed High-speed Microprocessors Vikram 3201
And Kalpana 3201 For Space Missions
A. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)
B. DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation)
C. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
D. BEL (Bharat Electronics Limited)
ANSWER: C - India’s Rank In Free Speech Ranking In Global Index
A. 21
B. 11
C. 24
D. 32
ANSWER: C - Which Country Will Host The SCO Defence Officials’ Meeting In March 2025
A. India
B. Russia
C. Indonesia
D. China
ANSWER: D - Which Company Has Won Two Gold Awards At The SKOCH Awards 2025
A. Bajaj Finserv
B. Muthoot Microfin
C. Mahindra Finance
D. HDFC Bank
ANSWER: B - Who Will Be Sworn In As New Prime Minister Of Trinidad And Tobago
A. Kamla Persad-Bissessar
B. Stuart Young
C. Patrick Manning
D. Basdeo Panday
ANSWER: B - Who Has Inaugurated The India Innovation Summit
A. Anupriya Patel
B. Harsh Vardhan
C. Nirmala Sitharaman
D. Amit Shah
ANSWER: A - Which Sport Has Been Approved For Inclusion In The 2028 Los Angeles
A. Weightlifting
B. Cricket
C. Karate
D. Boxing
ANSWER: D - When Is The International Day To Combat Islamophobia Observed
A. March 10
B. March 15
C. March 18
D. March 17
ANSWER: B - Which Company Introduced The Gemma 3 AI Model
A. Microsoft
B. Apple
C. Amazon
D. Google
ANSWER: D - Primary Focus Of Indian Railways’ Involvement In Mission Amrit Sarovar
A. Climate Change
B. Water Conservation
C. Infrastructure Development
D. Community Engagement
ANSWER: B - Which Organization Launched SPHEREx Space Telescope To Map The
Universe’s Cosmic Glow
A. SpaceX
B. European Space Agency
C. Indian Space Research Organisation
D. NASA
ANSWER: D - Which Act Is Being Amended By The Bill To Delink Petroleum From Mining
Operations And Ensure Lease Stability
A. Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Act, 1958
B. Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Act, 1968
C. Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Act, 1978
D. Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Act, 1948
ANSWER: D - Which One Of The Following Places Was A Mint Centre Of The Yaudheyas
A. Bayana
B. Rohtak
C. Bareilly
D. Mathura
ANSWER: B
