20th March, 2025 Current Affairs

NATIONAL
North India's first Nuclear project coming up in Haryana

• North India's first nuclear power plant is under development in Gorakhpur, a village in Fatehabad district, Haryana, approximately 150 km north of New Delhi. Union Minister Jitendra Singh announced this significant project in February 2023, highlighting the government's commitment to expanding nuclear energy capacity beyond the southern and western regions of India.
• The Gorakhpur Haryana Anu Vidyut Pariyojana (GHAVP) is planned to have four units, each with a capacity of 700 MW, totaling 2,800 MW upon completion. Construction began in 2018, with the first two units expected to be operational by 2028 and 2029, respectively. The subsequent units aim to be completed by 2036.
• This initiative aligns with India's strategy to diversify its nuclear power infrastructure, which has traditionally been concentrated in southern states like Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, as well as in western Maharashtra.
• In addition to the Gorakhpur plant, the Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership is located in Jhajjar district, Haryana. This center facilitates international collaboration on nuclear reactor innovation, nuclear fuel cycle development, and radiation safety.
• These developments underscore Haryana's pivotal role in advancing India's nuclear energy sector, contributing to the nation's goals of sustainable and clean energy production.

Cabinet approves construction of 6- lane access controlled Greenfield Highway starting from JNPA Port (Pagote) to Chowk (29.219 km) in Maharashtra

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the construction of 6- lane access controlled Greenfield High Speed National Highway starting from JNPA Port (Pagote) to Chowk (29.219 km) in Maharashtra. The project will be developed on Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) mode at a total capital cost of Rs. 4500.62 Crore.
• Development of road connecting infrastructure to major and minor ports in India is one of the main focus areas of integrated infrastructure planning under PM Gatishakti National Master Plan principles. With increasing container volume in JNPA port and the development of the Navi Mumbai International Airport, a need was identified for augmenting National highway connectivity in the region.
• Currently, it takes 2-3 hours for vehicles to move from JNPA Port to the arterial Golden Quadrilateral (GQ) section of NH-48 and Mumbai – Pune Expressway due to heavy congestion in urban areas like PalaspePhata, D-Point, Kalamboli junction, Panvel with traffic ~1.8 Lakh PCU/day. After the operationalization of Navi Mumbai airport in 2025, the need for direct connectivity is expected to increase further.
• Accordingly, this project is designed to address these connectivity requirements and for improving the logistic efficiency of connecting JNPA port and Navi Mumbai International Airport.
• The project alignment starts at JNPA port (NH 348) (Pagote village) and ends at Mumbai-Pune Highway (NH-48) while also linking Mumbai Pune Expressway and Mumbai Goa National highway (NH-66).
• Two tunnels passing through Sahayadri are provided for ease of movement for commercial vehicles instead of ghat section in hilly terrain ensuring high speed and ease in movement for large container trucks.
• The new 6 lane green field project corridor will lead to better port connectivity help in safe and efficient freight movement. The project will open new avenues of growth, development and prosperity in developing regions in and around Mumbai and Pune.

Cabinet approves revised ₹2,790 crore dairy development scheme to boost infrastructure

• The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the Revised National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD), aimed at modernizing India’s dairy sector and ensuring its long-term growth. The scheme, classified as a Central Sector initiative, has been allocated an additional ₹1,000 crore, taking the total budget outlay to ₹2,790 crore for the duration of the 15th Finance Commission period from 2021-22 to 2025-26.
• The revised programme is focused on strengthening the dairy infrastructure across the country. It seeks to boost milk procurement and processing capacity, improve quality control systems, and ensure better market access for dairy farmers. The initiative is designed to encourage value addition in the sector, streamline supply chain efficiency, and ultimately raise rural incomes, particularly benefiting women, who represent 70% of India’s dairy workforce.
• The revised NPDD is structured around two key components. The first focuses on developing essential dairy infrastructure, including the establishment of milk chilling plants, advanced milk testing laboratories, and certification systems. It also prioritizes the formation of new village-level dairy cooperative societies and aims to bolster milk procurement and processing capacities, particularly in the North Eastern Region, hilly areas, Union Territories, and other remote regions. This component also includes financial support for the formation of two new Milk Producer Companies (MPCs).
• The second component, known as “Dairying through Cooperatives (DTC),” continues efforts to sustainably develop dairy cooperatives. This component is being implemented in partnership with the Government of Japan and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) under existing agreements. It targets improving dairy production, processing, and marketing infrastructure in nine states: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
• Since its inception, the NPDD has had a considerable socio-economic impact. The scheme has benefited over 18.74 lakh farmers and generated more than 30,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities. It has increased milk procurement capacity by an additional 100.95 lakh litres per day.
• The programme has also led to the strengthening of over 51,777 village-level milk testing laboratories and the installation of 5,123 bulk milk coolers with a combined capacity of 123.33 lakh litres. Additionally, 169 laboratories have been equipped with Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) milk analysers, and 232 dairy plants have adopted advanced adulteration detection systems.
• Under the revised NPDD, the government aims to establish 10,000 new Dairy Cooperative Societies and form two new Milk Producer Companies. The initiative is projected to generate an additional 3.2 lakh employment opportunities and further promote the use of advanced technology and quality testing infrastructure in the dairy sector.

Cabinet approves Rs 1,500 crore incentive scheme to promote low-value BHIM-UPI transactions

• The union cabinet approved the incentive scheme for the promotion of low-value BHIM-UPI transactions (P2M) for the financial year 2024-25. The scheme is designed to encourage the adoption of the BHIM-UPI platform among small merchants and aligns with the government’s broader vision of transitioning towards a less-cash economy.
• The initiative, with an estimated outlay of Rs 1,500 crore, will be implemented from April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025. The focus will be on low-value UPI transactions, specifically those under Rs 2,000, conducted by small merchants.
• Under the scheme, small merchants will receive an incentive of 0.15% per transaction for transactions up to Rs 2,000, while large merchants will not be eligible for this incentive. For each quarter, 80% of the admitted claim amount will be disbursed without any conditions. However, the remaining 20% will be contingent upon meeting specific performance criteria. This includes maintaining a technical decline rate of less than 0.75% and ensuring system uptime greater than 99.5%.
• The scheme is designed to improve financial access for small merchants, offering them greater opportunities to use digital payment solutions that can enhance cash flow and credit access. Citizens will also benefit from seamless UPI transactions with no additional charges, further encouraging the adoption of digital payments across the country. By promoting the use of UPI services like UPI 123PAY and UPI Lite, the scheme aims to reduce reliance on cash, particularly in rural and remote areas, while also contributing to the goal of financial inclusion.
• The government’s objectives for this scheme include promoting the indigenous BHIM-UPI platform, with a target transaction volume of ₹20,000 crore in FY 2024-25. It also aims to strengthen the digital payment infrastructure, especially in underserved areas, and support the wider adoption of secure and reliable payment solutions.

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INTERNATIONAL
India and Georgia explore stronger bilateral ties at Raisina Dialogue 2025

• External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili on the sidelines of the Raisina Dialogue 2025 in New Delhi.
•  The two leaders discussed enhancing cooperation between their nations across various sectors, including trade, investment, tourism, and education.
• Botchorishvili underscored Georgia’s strategic location and its economic potential as key drivers for strengthening ties with India.
• Botchorishvili highlighted Georgia’s position as a key transit hub between Europe and Asia, positioning the country as an attractive destination for both Indian tourists and students.

India-Australia Deepen Defence Interoperability Across Every Position

• India and Australia have agreed to strengthen their defence cooperation and interoperability across the maritime, land, and air domains.
• The discussions took place during the 9th India-Australia Defence Policy Talks in New Delhi. Both nations emphasized enhancing maritime domain awareness, reciprocal information sharing, and science and technology collaboration.
• The meeting also reviewed past defence dialogues and set priorities for upcoming engagements, including the next 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in Australia.
• Enhancing interoperability in maritime, land, and air domains.
• Strengthening cooperation in maritime domain awareness and reciprocal information sharing.
• Collaboration in defence industry, science, and technology.
• Deployments from each other’s territories to boost strategic engagement.

Brazil state hosting COP30 denies new road linked to climate summit

• The Brazilian state hosting a United Nations climate summit this year has denied any connection between a new road cutting through a protected area of Brazilian rainforest and the COP30 summit that will gather world leaders.
• The project, which follows the path of an existing power line through a conservation area south of the city, has not received federal funds from Brazil’s efforts preparing the city for COP30, according to the state and federal governments.
• Still, some locals tie recent progress on the long-discussed highway to the approaching UN summit, when tens of thousands of delegates are expected to swarm the Amazon city home to 1.3 million.

ECONOMY
India’s Net FDI Declines to $1.4 Billion in 2024-25 Amid Rising Outward Investments

• India’s net Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) witnessed a significant decline, dropping to $1.4 billion during April 2024–January 2025 from$11.5 billion in the same period a year ago. This decline was attributed to increased repatriation by investors and a rise in outward FDI by Indian firms. However, gross FDI remained strong, growing 12.4% year-on-year (Y-o-Y) to $67.7 billion. The latest data was published in the March 2025 bulletin of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
• Despite a surge in gross FDI inflows, India’s net FDI plummeted due to higher disinvestment and increased outward investments by Indian businesses.
• Net FDI: Decreased from $11.5 billion (April 2023–January 2024) to$1.4 billion (April 2024–January 2025).
• Gross FDI: Increased by 12.4% to $67.7 billion.
• Repatriation/Disinvestment: Jumped to $46.1 billion from$36.9 billion a year ago.
• Outward FDI (by Indian firms): Increased sharply to $20.2 billion from$11.8 billion.

MeitY and Drone Federation India launch NIDAR challenge for drone innovation

• The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), in partnership with Drone Federation India (DFI), has launched the National Innovation Challenge for Drone Application and Research (NIDAR) as part of the ‘SwaYaan’ initiative, focusing on building human resource capacity in Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).
• NIDAR under the SwaYaan project aims to inspire India’s student and research communities to create autonomous drones capable of addressing key challenges. The drones are designed to contribute to disaster management by scouting and delivering essential supplies in affected areas, as well as enhancing precision agriculture through targeted interventions like crop health monitoring and the precise delivery of pesticides and nutrients.
• The challenge offers a prize pool of INR 40 Lakhs, along with startup incubation opportunities, cloud credits, software support, and internships with India’s top drone companies. More than 100 student teams from institutions across the country are expected to participate, presenting innovative solutions to issues in agriculture and disaster response.
• As part of the Government of India’s broader effort to foster entrepreneurship and promote applied research in drone technology, the Drone Federation India (DFI), representing over 550 drone companies and 5,500 certified drone pilots, will mentor participating students and provide industry exposure.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
India Plans Chandrayaan-4 Mission with Advanced Docking, Lunar Sample Collection

• India's space agency, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), is advancing plans for Chandrayaan-4, a mission designed to return lunar samples to Earth. This mission aims to enhance India's lunar exploration capabilities by incorporating advanced docking technology, which is crucial for future interplanetary missions and the potential establishment of lunar bases.
• Launch Strategy: Chandrayaan-4 will consist of five modules, which will be launched separately aboard two LVM3 rockets. These modules will then dock in Earth's orbit to form the complete spacecraft before heading to the Moon.
• Landing Site: The mission plans to land near the Moon's south pole, specifically near Statio Shiv Shakti, the site of Chandrayaan-3's landing. This area is of particular interest due to the potential presence of water ice.
• Sample Collection: The lander module will collect approximately 2-3 kilograms of lunar regolith using advanced robotic systems. These samples will be stored in a vacuum container to prevent contamination before being returned to Earth for analysis.

Technological Innovations:

• Docking Capabilities: The mission will demonstrate both docking and undocking procedures in Earth's orbit, showcasing ISRO's proficiency in complex space maneuvers.
• Wikipedia
• Sample Return Technology: Chandrayaan-4 will feature an ascent module to lift off from the lunar surface, a transfer module to ferry samples, and a re-entry module designed to survive Earth's atmospheric re-entry and safely deliver the samples.

Mission Timeline:

• The mission received approval from the Union Cabinet in September 2024, with a planned launch around 2027. This timeline positions Chandrayaan-4 as a precursor to more ambitious missions, including the Gaganyaan crewed lunar landing mission targeted for 2040.
• By achieving the objectives of Chandrayaan-4, ISRO aims to join the ranks of nations capable of conducting lunar sample return missions, thereby reinforcing India's status as a significant player in global space exploration.

Published date : 21 Mar 2025 11:39AM