March 7th 2025 latest trending topics current affairs

Sakshi Education

NATIONAL
PM Modi Conferred ‘Honorary Order of Freedom of Barbados’
•   Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been honored with the ‘Honorary Order of Freedom of Barbados’, a prestigious award recognizing his strategic leadership and assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic.
•   Union Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita accepted the award on his behalf at a ceremony held at Government House in Bridgetown, in the presence of Barbadian President Dame Sandra Mason, Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, and Foreign Minister Kerrie Symmonds.
•   This honor highlights India’s strong diplomatic ties with Barbados, emphasizing cooperation in times of crisis and shared commitment to global development.

INTERNATIONAL
China Increases Defence Budget by 7.2% in 2025 Amid Rising Regional Tensions
•   China has announced a 7.2% increase in its defence budget for 2025, continuing its efforts to modernize and expand its military capabilities. The budget, which amounts to approximately $245 billion, was revealed at the National People’s Congress (NPC), the annual legislative meeting of the country. With this move, China aims to reinforce its territorial claims, enhance military technologies, and counter the United States’ military presence in Asia.
•   Despite being the second-largest defence spender globally, after the U.S., many analysts believe China’s actual military expenditure could be 40% higher than the official figure due to unaccounted expenses in other budgetary sectors.
•   The 7.2% growth in military spending remains the same as last year, indicating a slowdown compared to past double-digit increases. This reflects China’s broader economic deceleration, as the government has set a GDP growth target of 5% for 2025. The increase in defence spending aligns with China’s strategy to prioritize military advancements despite economic challenges.

ECONOMY
SEBI issues warning to Nestle India for insider trading violation
•   The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has issued an administrative warning to FMCG major Nestle India for violating insider trading regulations, the company informed exchanges on Friday.
•   The warning, issued by SEBI’s Deputy General Manager, was addressed to the company’s Compliance Officer (CCO).
Nestle India disclosed in a stock exchange filing that it received SEBI’s letter on March 6, 2025.
•   The violation was committed by a designated person within the company. However, Nestle India clarified that this issue does not have any material impact on its financial, operational, or other business activities.
•   According to SEBI, the violation involved a “contra trade.” This happens when an insider buys or sells shares within six months of a previous transaction in the same security, aiming for short-term profits.
•   SEBI regulations strictly prohibit such trades for insiders and their immediate relatives to prevent the misuse of unpublished price-sensitive information. The six-month restriction period is counted from the date of the initial transaction.
•   Despite the warning, Nestle India’s stock showed resilience in the market. On Friday, the stock rose over 2 per cent to Rs 2,245.80 on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) before giving up some gains.
•   Meanwhile, the FMCG company posted a 5 per cent increase in its consolidated net profit to Rs 688 crore in Q3 of the current financial year (FY25), compared to Rs 655 crore in the same period of the previous fiscal (Q3 FY24).
•   According to its exchange filing on January 31, the key reason behind the profit was higher sales of its powdered and liquid beverages, including the popular Nescafe coffee brand.

S&T
MeitY Unveils AIKosha: A Secure Hub for AI Innovation
•   The Union Minister for Electronics & Information Technology, Railways, and Information & Broadcasting, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, marked a major milestone in India’s AI journey by launching several key initiatives under the IndiaAI Mission during its anniversary celebration in New Delhi. These initiatives aim to strengthen AI-driven research, innovation, and skill development, further advancing India’s position as a global AI leader.
•   Provides AI compute, storage, and cloud services at subsidized rates.
•   Features high-end GPUs such as NVIDIA H100, AMD MI300x, AWS Tranium.
•   Up to 40% subsidy on AI compute services for eligible users.
•   Focuses on AI solutions in healthcare, climate change, governance, agriculture, and learning disabilities.
•   Over 900 AI solutions submitted; 30 shortlisted for further development.