Daily Current Affairs 20th March 2025: Your guide for daily General Knowledge Preparation
Dear Readers,
This post contains daily current affairs 20th March 2025. It includes all National, International, Business & Sports related current affairs 20th March 2025. A brief explanation of every current affair is provided to further enhance your general knowledge. Once you have gone through these current affairs we would recommend to you to try 20th March, 2025 Current affairs test.
National News
MeitY and Drone Federation of India Introduce National Innovation Challenge for Drones
- The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, in partnership with the Drone Federation of India, has launched the National Innovation Challenge for Drone Application and Research.
- This initiative is part of the SwaYaan – Capacity Building for Human Resource Development in Unmanned Aircraft Systems program.
- The launch event took place at Electronics Niketan, with participation from government officials, industry professionals, and students via video conferencing.
Indore to Set Up India’s First Green Waste Processing Plant through Public-Private Partnership
- Indore is set to establish India’s first green waste processing plant under a Public-Private Partnership model.
- The initiative is part of the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban and is focused on converting green waste into useful resources.
- The project aims to enhance environmental sustainability while reducing pollution levels.
Telangana Chief Minister Launches ‘Rajiv Yuva Vikasam’ to Promote Youth Self-Employment
- Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy inaugurated the ‘Rajiv Yuva Vikasam’ scheme at the State Assembly premises.
- The program offers self-employment loans to youth belonging to SC, ST, BC, and Minority categories.
- The government has earmarked ₹6,000 crore for this scheme, which aims to generate employment for 5 lakh youth in Telangana.
Maharashtra’s Rural Local Bodies Receive Over ₹620 Crore in Grants from the XV Finance Commission
- The Union Government has disbursed the Fifteenth Finance Commission (XV FC) Grants for Maharashtra’s rural local bodies for the financial year 2024–25.
- The funding includes the 2nd installment of Untied Grants worth ₹611.69 crore and the withheld portion of the 1st installment amounting to ₹8.42 crore.
Appointments News
Jasprit Bumrah Becomes Brand Ambassador for Skechers, Strengthening Its Cricket Presence
- Indian cricketer Jasprit Bumrah has partnered with Skechers as its brand ambassador.
- He joins the Skechers cricket lineup alongside Ishan Kishan and Yastika Bhatia.
- Bumrah will wear Skechers Cricket footwear and will be featured in brand campaigns.
- Skechers, which is also the official kit sponsor for Mumbai Indians, is expanding its influence in cricket.
Bajaj Auto Reappoints Rajiv Bajaj as MD & CEO, Approves ₹1,500 Crore Infusion in Bajaj Auto Credit
- Rajivnayan Rahulkumar Bajaj has been reappointed as Managing Director & CEO of Bajaj Auto for another five-year term, effective from April 1, 2025 (subject to shareholder approval).
- The company has sanctioned a ₹1,500 crore capital infusion into Bajaj Auto Credit Ltd (BACL), a wholly-owned subsidiary.
Defence News
India and France to Conduct 23rd Edition of VARUNA Naval Exercise
- The Indian Navy and French Navy will participate in the 23rd edition of the bilateral naval exercise VARUNA from March 19 to 22, 2025.
- VARUNA was first conducted in 1993 as part of Indo-French cooperation and was officially renamed in 2001.
- The exercise symbolizes the strong maritime partnership between India and France and plays a crucial role in strengthening naval cooperation.
Ranks & Reports News
India Ranks 24th in the Global Free Speech Index
India has been ranked 24th out of 33 countries in the Free Speech Index conducted by The Future of Free Speech organization.
India’s score in the index stands at 62.6, reflecting a decline in free speech protections since 2021.
Despite this, a majority of Indians perceive an improvement in free speech, though only 63% support criticism of government policies, which is lower than the global average.
Science & Technology News
NASA’s Nine-Month Space Mission Concludes as Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore Return to Earth
- Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have successfully returned to Earth aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.
- Their return was significantly delayed by nine months due to technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.
- Originally intended as an eight-day test mission, their stay on the International Space Station lasted 286 days.
Sansad Bhashini Initiative: AI-Based Real-Time Parliamentary Translations
- The Lok Sabha Secretariat has signed an MoU with MeitY to develop the Sansad Bhashini initiative.
- This project aims to integrate AI-powered multilingual support to facilitate real-time parliamentary translations and documentation.
- The agreement was signed in the presence of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
India-Malaysia Bilateral Meeting Strengthens Trade & Investment Cooperation
- Shri Jitin Prasada, Union Minister of State for Commerce & Industry and Electronics & IT, met with Liew Chin Tong, Malaysia’s Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi.
- The meeting was attended by senior officials from:
- Malaysia’s Ministry of Investment, Trade & Industry
- India’s Ministry of Commerce & Industry
- Ministry of Electronics & IT
- Ministry of External Affairs
- Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)
Sports News
England to Host Kabaddi World Cup 2025 – First Edition Outside Asia
- For the first time in history, the Kabaddi World Cup 2025 will be hosted outside Asia, with England as the official host.
- The tournament begins this evening, and India’s men’s team will play its opening match against Italy in Wolverhampton, West Midlands.
Important Days
World Sparrow Day 2025 – Date, Significance & History
- World Sparrow Day is observed on March 20 every year to raise awareness about the declining population of house sparrows.
- The initiative was launched in 2010 by Nature Forever Society (India) and has gained global recognition, with participation from over 50 countries.
