Current Affairs: 01 March - 10 March - GyaanBook-तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय

Tuhin Kanta Pandey, currently Finance and Revenue Secretary, replaces Madhabi Puri Buch as SEBI Chairman after her term ends on February 28, 2025. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, chaired by PM Modi, approved his appointment for three years or until further orders. A 1987-batch IAS officer from Odisha cadre, Pandey served as Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) Secretary from 2019 and became Finance Secretary in September 2024. He played a key role in Air India’s sale and LIC’s public listing.

Dr. Anju Rathi Rana has become the first woman Secretary of the Department of Legal Affairs, Ministry of Law and Justice. Her appointment marks an important step for gender diversity in top government positions. She has represented India at international forums, including the BRICS Ministers of Justice Meeting. She has contributed to legal reforms and gender representation in the judiciary.

Union Minister for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, inaugurated the World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS) 2025 in New Delhi. The summit, organized by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), focused on the theme “Partnerships for Accelerating Sustainable Development and Climate Solutions.” He highlighted India’s 7.93% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in 2020, showcasing the country’s strong commitment to fighting climate change.

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi launched India’s first AI-powered solar manufacturing line at Goldi Solar’s new facility in Kosamba, Surat, Gujarat. The AI-powered facility enhances precision, scalability, and efficiency, supporting India’s net-zero transition. The plant has a planned production capacity of 14 GW and integrates industry-first AI innovations. High-speed stringers use AI automation to produce 10,000 solar cells per hour with minimal errors and waste. AI-powered Automated Optical Inspection (AOI) ensures real-time defect detection.

The Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2025 report, published by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), shows a 45% surge in terrorism-related deaths in Pakistan in 2024. Pakistan is now the second-most terrorism-affected country, moving up from fourth place. Terrorism deaths rose from 748 in 2023 to 1,081 in 2024, marking one of the highest global increases. Terrorist attacks more than doubled, from 517 in 2023 to 1,099 in 2024, crossing 1,000 for the first time. A recent attack on Bannu Cantonment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa killed five soldiers and 13 civilians. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) intensified operations, linked to the Afghan Taliban’s rise in Kabul.

India’s Astra MK-III missile has been renamed Gandiva, inspired by Arjuna’s legendary bow from the Mahabharata. It is a beyond-visual-range (BVR) air-to-air missile designed for fighter aircraft. It is developed by DRDO, it aims to revolutionize BVR aerial combat. It will be deployed on IAF’s Sukhoi Su-30MKI and Tejas aircraft.

Indian scientists developed the Brahmastra Missile (Long Range Anti-Ship Missile), a hypersonic glide missile with a speed of 12,144 km/h. It was developed by DRDO. It surpasses missiles like China’s DF-17 in range and technology. The missile has a 1,500 km range and can destroy enemy ships within 7-8 minutes. It can be launched from land or sea, offering flexibility.

Sweden has chosen the Taurus KEPD-350 cruise missile to enhance its Gripen fighter jets’ long-range strike capabilities. The Taurus KEPD-350 is an air-launched, precision-guided missile designed for deep penetration and high-accuracy attacks. The Taurus KEPD-350 missile is developed by a joint venture between Germany and Sweden, specifically by “Taurus Systems GmbH”, which is a partnership between MBDA Deutschland GmbH (Germany) and Saab Bofors Dynamics (Sweden). The missile can bypass dense air defense systems and destroy heavily fortified ground targets. It has been in operational service since 2005 and is used by the air forces of Germany, Spain, and South Korea.

The Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) on Aditya-L1 detected an X6.3-class solar flare, a highly intense solar eruption. SUIT is a remote sensing payload on ISRO’s Aditya-L1, India’s first solar mission. The mission was launched on September 2, 2023. Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) is developed by Inter-University Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune with ISRO. SUIT captures full-disk and region-specific images of the Sun. It uses 11 calibrated filters across 200-400 nm wavelengths to study the Sun’s layers. It is positioned at Lagrange Point. It observes the Sun 24×7. SUIT studies solar atmosphere dynamics, focusing on jets, flares, filament evolution, and eruptions.

A study suggests Mars’ red color may be due to the iron-containing mineral ferrihydrite. Ferrihydrite is a poorly crystalline nanomineral made of 20% (FeO₄) and 80% (FeO₆) polyhedra. It forms through rapid oxidation and hydrolysis and exists in a disordered structure. It is an initial corrosion product of iron, leading to goethite and hematite formation. Found in soils, weathered rocks, and around iron-rich springs, especially with iron-metabolizing bacteria. It traps water, protects organic molecules, and forms rapidly in cool water. Present in meteorites as a pre-terrestrial weathering product.

The Indian senior women’s basketball team won the 3rd SABA Women’s Basketball Championship 2025, defeating Maldives 107-32 in the final. This was India’s first participation in the SABA Women’s Championship. The tournament was organised by the South Asian Basketball Association and hosted by the Basketball Federation of India. It took place at KD Jadhav Indoor Stadium, New Delhi, from 23-26 February 2025. The SABA Women’s Championship includes eight eligible countries: India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Nepal, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Bhutan.

The Indian women’s Kabaddi team won their fifth Asian Women’s Kabaddi Championship title. They defeated Iran 32-25 in the final held in Tehran on 8th March 2025. The 6th Asian Women’s Kabaddi Championship 2025 took place in Tehran from 6th to 8th March 2025. Iran hosted the tournament for the third time, previously in 2007 and 2017.

India’s Rithvik Bollipalli and Colombia’s Nicolas Barrientos won the men’s doubles title at the Chile Open 2025 tennis tournament. They defeated top-seeded Argentines Andres Molteni and Maximo Gonzalez 6-3, 6-2. This was their first ATP Tour title as a team after first pairing up in Dallas last month. Bollipalli secured his second ATP title, having won the 2024 Almaty Open with Arjun Kadhe. Serbia’s Lalso Djere won the men’s singles title, defeating Argentina’s Sebastian Baez. The tournament, with a $680,140 prize pool, was held in Santiago from 24th February to 2nd March 2025. The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) was founded in 1972.

March 3 is observed as World Wildlife Day to promote the conservation of flora and fauna. The 2025 theme is ‘Wildlife Conservation Finance: Investing in People and Planet.’ The day highlights the need for financial investment in wildlife conservation amid a crisis threatening over one million species. It was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2013. The date marks the adoption of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 1973.

Current Affairs: 01 March – 10 March