15th March, 2025 Current Affairs

Stay updated with the latest national and international current affairs covering government schemes, economic reforms, scientific breakthroughs, and global collaborations. In this edition, we explore Indian Railways' role in Mission Amrit Sarovar, the India-Chile agriculture partnership, India's first exploration license auction, and advancements in next-generation lighting technology.

NATIONAL
Indian Railways Joins Mission Amrit Sarovar to Tackle Water Scarcity

• The Indian Railways has been integrated into the Union Government’s Mission Amrit Sarovar, launched in April 2022, to combat water scarcity and enhance groundwater recharge across the country. The mission aims to construct or rejuvenate 75 ponds in each district, with a focus on community participation (Jan Bhagidari) and climate resilience.
•  By October 2024, over 68,000 ponds have been rejuvenated. In Phase 2, the Indian Railways will assist in desilting, excavating, and constructing new water bodies near railway lines, while using the excavated material for railway embankments.

Mission Amrit Sarovar

• Launched: April 2022
• Objective: Construct or rejuvenate 75 ponds in each district to address water scarcity.
• Progress so far: 68,000+ ponds completed by October 2024.
• Phase 2 focus: Strengthening climate resilience and community participation (Jan Bhagidari).

Role of Indian Railways

• Desilting and excavating water bodies.
• Constructing new ponds near railway lines.
• Using excavated soil for railway embankments and other infrastructure projects.
• Collaboration with: Rural Development Ministry and State/District authorities to identify suitable sites.

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INTERNATIONAL
India-Chile 1st JWG meeting on Agriculture held

• The 1st Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting on Agriculture was held between India and Chile on 12th March 2025 in virtualmode.
• It provided an overview of the agriculture and allied sectors emphasizing India’s remarkable agricultural achievements and a series of innovative initiatives launched by the government to strengthen the agricultural sector. These include the Digital Agriculture Mission, the Women-led Development initiatives such as the Lakhpati Didi Program and Krishi Sakhi, as well as efforts to empower farmers through Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs). Other noteworthy programs mentioned by him included Natural and Organic Farming, Crop Insurance, e-NAM, and AgriSURE, which aims to foster growth in the agriculture sector and rural development.

ECONOMY
India's First Exploration Licence Auction and AI-Driven Mineral Targeting Hackathon Launched in Goa

• Ministry of Mines, in collaboration with the Government of Goa, organized a landmark event graced by Union Minister for Coal and Mines, Shri G. Kishan Reddy, and Chief Minister of Goa, Dr. Pramod Sawant. This event marked the launch of India's first-ever auction of Exploration Licences (ELs), a significant reform aimed at unlocking the nation's untapped critical and deep-seated mineral resources. The program also featured a Roadshow on the 5th Tranche of Auction of Critical Mineral Blocks and the inauguration of AI Hackathon 2025, focusing on 'Mineral Targeting using AI'.
• The program launched the auction of 13 Exploration Licence blocks, covering critical minerals such as Rare Earth Elements (REE), Zinc, Diamond, Copper, and Platinum Group Elements (PGE). This initiative, facilitated through a transparent online bidding process, is set to accelerate systematic mineral exploration, enhance private sector participation, and reduce import dependency.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Novel technique unearthed to enhance next-generation lighting

• An innovative method to minimize anion migration in perovskite nanocrystals, thereby reducing their sensitivity to heat and moisture, as well as colour instability, paving the way for efficient, durable optoelectronic devices.
• Lighting consumes nearly 20% of global electricity, and advancements in lighting technology have significantly improved energy efficiency. From the incandescent and fluorescent lamps of the past to the invention of LEDs in the 1960s, lighting has come a long way.
• A pivotal breakthrough occurred in 1993 when Shuji Nakamura and his team members developed high-brightness blue LEDs, enabling energy-efficient white LEDs (WLEDs), a feat recognized with the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics. Today, LEDs lead the market in efficiency and lifespan.
• Currently, emerging light related technologies like OLEDs that offer vibrant colors, QLEDs that provide precise colour control and durability and micro/mini-LEDs that deliver high brightness and stability, are shaping the future of lighting.
• While thin and flexible OLEDs (Organic LEDs) are costly and have shorter lifespans, QLEDs (Quantum Dot LEDs) are toxic and their production is challenged by resource scarcity and Micro/Mini-LEDs are limited in their application due to high production costs.
• Perovskite (class of compounds which have the same type of crystal structure as CaTiO3 – Calcium Titanate)  LEDs (PeLEDs) combine the advantages of OLEDs and QLEDs, positioning them as an excellent choice for next-generation lighting. However, their widespread application is limited by challenges such as sensitivity to heat and moisture, as well as colour instability caused by anion migration (which occurs when halide ions -- chloride, bromide, or iodide move between quantum dots in mixed layers).
• To tackle this issue, researchers at the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS) in Bengaluru, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), have developed an innovative method to minimize anion migration in CsPbX₃ perovskite nanocrystals.

Published date : 15 Mar 2025 05:09PM