25th March, 2025 Current Affairs

NATIONAL
Ajay Seth Appointed as India’s New Finance Secretary

• The Indian government has appointed Ajay Seth, the current Economic Affairs Secretary, as the new Finance Secretary on March 24, 2025. His appointment comes at a critical time as the government aims to balance fiscal discipline with economic growth. With over three decades of experience, Seth has played a pivotal role in shaping India’s economic policies and spearheading financial reforms.
• Led infrastructure financing, public-private partnerships, and external borrowings.
• Spearheaded Karnataka’s tax reforms, winning the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration (2013).
• Instrumental in shaping India’s economic reform policies and financial strategies.

Kerala Became First State To Establishes Senior Citizens Commission

• Kerala has become the first state in India to establish a Senior Citizens Commission by passing the Kerala State Senior Citizens Commission Bill, 2025. This statutory body aims to safeguard the rights and welfare of elderly citizens and act as an advisory body for policymaking. The initiative underscores Kerala’s commitment to ensuring the protection, rehabilitation, and empowerment of senior citizens.
• A statutory body established under the Kerala State Senior Citizens Commission Act, 2025.
• First-of-its-kind in India, focusing exclusively on senior citizens’ welfare.
• Functions as an advisory body for state policies concerning the elderly.

INTERNATIONAL
Japan raises concern over longest Chinese intrusion near Senkaku islands

• Japan has voiced serious concerns over a prolonged incursion by Chinese Coast Guard ships near the disputed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, marking one of the longest intrusions into Japan’s territorial waters. The Chinese ships, which claim the islands for Beijing, left on Monday night after remaining in the area for 92 hours and 8 minutes.
• The dispute over the Senkaku Islands, known as Diaoyu in China and Diaoyutai in Taiwan, has persisted for decades. Administered by Japan, the uninhabited islets hold strategic importance due to their proximity to shipping lanes, rich fishing grounds, and potential oil reserves. The islands are also seen as a focal point in the broader geopolitical rivalry between China and the US, with Japan being a key US ally.
• Japan maintains that no agreement exists with China to “shelve” the issue of the Senkaku Islands, and asserts that China’s actions, such as sending ships into the waters since 2008, have contradicted any notion of compromise on the matter.

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ECONOMY
India’s GDP Doubles in a Decade: A Remarkable Economic Milestone

• India has achieved a historic economic milestone by doubling its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from $2.1 trillion in 2015 to $4.3 trillion in 2025, marking a 105% increase. This extraordinary growth rate is the fastest among major global economies.
• The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reported that India’s inflation-adjusted GDP growth over the decade stands at 77%, making it one of the world’s most rapidly expanding economies. With this achievement, India is set to surpass Japan in 2025 and may overtake Germany by 2027, further strengthening its global economic standing.
• India’s economic transformation over the last decade has been phenomenal. From a GDP of $2.1 trillion in 2015, the nation has now doubled its economy to $4.3 trillion in 2025, marking an absolute increase of $2.2 trillion. According to the IMF, the inflation-adjusted growth rate stands at 77%, reflecting the strength of India’s economic policies and structural reforms.
• This accelerated growth has propelled India into the top five global economies, and it is on track to overtake Japan by 2025 and Germany by 2027, potentially positioning itself as the world’s third-largest economy.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Travel of magnetic pole from Canada to Siberia, disallows deeper dive of particles

• The drift of the Earth’s north magnetic pole from Canada to Siberia has influenced the penetration altitudes of charged particles in the mid-high latitudes in the Earth’s magnetosphere, shows a new study. Understanding the behavior of these particles with an electric charge, such as electrons, quarks, protons, and ions that are responsible for the Northern lights or aurora, can better predict space weather and safeguard our satellite systems.
• Earth’s magnetic field, a protective shield created by the planet’s core, is quietly changing. This invisible force field, which helps guide compasses and protect us from harmful solar winds, has been shifting for over a century. Scientists noticed that the north magnetic pole, which used to be nestled in Canada, till 1990, had slowly but steadily drifted toward Siberia. By 2020, it was moving at a surprising speed of about 50 kilometers per year. While this might sound like a minor geographic adjustment, the shift had significant consequences for the way charged particles behaved in space.
• In Earth’s magnetosphere, a region called the radiation belts, hold energetic charged particles like protons and electrons. These particles, influenced by Earth’s magnetic field, gyrate, bounce, and drift around the planet. But where these particles end up—and how close they get to Earth—depends on the strength and shape of the magnetic field. Scientists have been trying to investigate how does the movement of the north magnetic pole change the paths of these particles.

AWARDS
Violinist R.K. ShriramkumarHonored with Sangita Kalanidhi Award

• Violinist R.K. Shriramkumar has been selected for the prestigious Sangita Kalanidhi award for 2025, presented by the Music Academy. The award will be conferred during the Academy’s 99th annual conference and concerts, scheduled from December 15, 2025, to January 1, 2026. This recognition comes in the 250th anniversary year of the legendary composer Muthuswami Dikshitar.
• The Sangita Kalanidhi award is among the most esteemed recognitions in Carnatic music. Established by the Music Academy, Chennai, it is awarded annually to a musician who has made significant contributions to the field. The awardee presides over the Academy’s annual conference, delivering insights into musicology and performance traditions.

Published date : 25 Mar 2025 05:07PM