Current Affairs 18 March 2025

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 18 March 2025, which have unique updates of Latest Current Affairs 2025 events from all newspapers such as The Hindu, The Economic Times, PIB, Times of India, PTI, Indian Express, Business Standard and all Government official websites.

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

DGCA Grants License to Amravati Airport in Maharashtra for Flight Operations
In March 2025, the Amravati Airport in Belora, Maharashtra, was granted an aerodrome license by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) under the Ministry of Civil Aviation(MoCA), officially designating it as a licensed Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) airport. This license signifies that the airport is now ready to commence flight operations.

• Mumbai (Maharashtra) based Alliance Air Aviation Limited will operate flights on the Mumbai-Amravati-Mumbai route with an ATR-72 aircraft three times a week. Operations are expected to begin by the end of March 2025.

i.Once operational, it will be the third commercial airport under the Maharashtra Airport Development Company Limited (MADC), after Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport (Nagpur) and Shirdi Airport (Shirdi).
ii.The airport was developed by the Public Works Department (PWD) in 1992 but remained non-operational for public use.
iii.MADC upgraded the airport with an extended runway and other facilities to meet DGCA licensing requirements.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

GoI & UN-Women Co-hosted Ministerial Roundtable on Women’s Empowerment at 69th CSW
In March 2025, the Government of India (GoI) in partnership with United Nations (UN)-Women, hosted a Ministerial Roundtable which was organised on the sidelines of the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) held at UN headquarters in New York, the United States of America (USA). The session was co-chaired by Union Minister Smt. Annpurna Devi, Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) and Sima Bahous Executive Director(ED) of UN Women.

• The roundtable underscored the critical importance of digital and financial inclusion to women’s empowerment and leadership.
• The event emphasized that investments in women’s education, health, and economic autonomy will help in fixing gender gaps, which will further accelerate drive development, overcome poverty, and nurture leadership across sectors.

i.The event provided an international platform for sharing of experiences on emerging issues and strategies to implement the 12 important areas of concern in the Beijing Platform for Action, through two ministerial roundtables on interconnected themes of: ‘Digital Public Infrastructure to accelerate women-led development ’ and ‘Financing inclusion: Criticality of Core resources’.
ii.The roundtable saw participation from Ministers and high-level representatives across the world, including members of Group-20 (G20) countries such as: Indonesia, Australia, South Africa, Indonesia  and other countries like Panama and Qatar.

• During the event, ministers shared their respective countries’ experiences and perspective on promoting women’s rights.

BANKING & FINANCE

APCRDA & HUDCO Sign Rs 11,000 Crore Loan Agreement for Amaravati DevelopmentIn March 2025, Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh, AP) based Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) and New Delhi (Delhi) based Housing and Urban Development Corporation Limited (HUDCO) under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) signed a Rs 11,000 crore loan agreement for the construction of Amaravati, the greenfield capital city of AP.

• The Rs 11,000 crore loan is part of the Rs 26,000 crore required for Phase-1 of Amaravati’s construction.
• The loan aims to bridge the funding gap for Amaravati’s development, accelerating the construction of AP’s new capital city.

Key People: The agreement was signed by Nara Chandrababu Naidu, the Chief Minister (CM) of AP, in the presence of P Narayana, the Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) of AP, Sanjay Kulshrestha, the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of HUDCO, and other officials.
Funding for Amaravati Development:
i.The total estimated cost for Amaravati’s development is Rs 50,000 crore.
ii.The World Bank (WB) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) committed Rs 15,000 crore for the project.

• Additionally, HUDCO has sanctioned Rs 4,400 crore for Township and Infrastructure Development Corporation( TIDCO) housing projects in AP.

About Housing and Urban Development Corporation Limited (HUDCO):
HUDCO is a Navratna Central Public Sector Undertaking (CPSU) under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) of the Government of India (GoI) involved in housing finance and infrastructure project financing.
Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) – Sanjay Kulshrestha
Headquarters – New Delhi (Delhi)
Founded – 1970
About Andhra Pradesh (AP):
Chief Minister (CM) – Nara Chandrababu Naidu
Governor – Syed Abdul Nazeer
Capital – Amaravati
Stadium – Indira Priyadarshini Stadium (Cricket), Y S Raja Reddy Stadium (Cricket)

REC Signed MoU Worth Rs 18,360 Cr with Kerala’s EMC for Pumped Storage Projects
REC Limited (formerly Rural Electrification Corporation Limited), a Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) under the Ministry of Power (MoP), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Energy Management Centre (EMC), Government of Kerala for collaboration and financing of Pumped Storage Projects (PSP) in Kerala.

• Under this MoU, REC will finance Rs18,360 crore in the PSP segment in Kerala over the next 5 years.
• The MoU was signed during the Global Green Hydrogen & Renewable Energy Summit 2025 held in Kochi, Kerala from 12 to 13 March 2025.
• The summit was organized by the Government of Kerala with support from the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) and EMC.

Signatories: The MoU was exchanged by Saurabh Rastogi, Executive Director (ED), REC, and Dinesh Kumar, Joint Director (JD), EMC, in the presence of key officials.
Note:
i.REC Limited based in New Delhi, Delhi was incorporated in 1969 and is registered with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as a Non-Banking Finance Company (NBFC), Public Financial Institution (PFI) and Infrastructure Financing Company (IFC).
ii.EMC based in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala was established in February 1996. EMC is an autonomous organization under the Department of Power, Government of Kerala.

• Kerala Government became the 1st State Government in India to establish an EMC at the State level.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

RBI Wins UK’s Digital Transformation Award 2025 for Tech Initiatives In March 2025, Mumbai (Maharashtra)-based India’s central bank, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has been selected as the recipient of Digital Transformation Award 2025 by London (the United Kingdom, UK)-based Central Banking Publications.

• The RBI received this award in recognition of its technology driven initiatives, specifically ‘Sarthi’ and ‘PRAVAAH (Platform for Regulatory Application, Validation and AutHorisation)’ systems, which were developed by the in-house developer team.
• The award committee highlighted how these initiatives have helped in reducing the use of paper-based submissions, thereby, transforming internal and external processes of the RBI.

About Sarthi:
i.The word ‘Sarthi’ is derived from hindi, means ‘Charioteer’. The system was formally launched in 2023.
ii.It was designed to digitize all internal workflows of RBI and allows employees to store and share documents securely, thus enhancing record management and increasing the options for data analysis through reports and dashboards.
About PRAVAAH Portal:
i.In 2024, the RBI launched  ‘PRAVAAH’,  means a ‘smooth flow’ in Hindi. It is a centralised, secure web-based platform that will allow individuals or entities to apply online for regulatory approvals, licenses and authorisations from the RBI.
ii.All the documents submitted and processed through this platform are then stored into the Sarthi database, where they are handled digitally across RBI’s offices, with centralised cyber security systems and digital tracking.
iii.Since its launch, the platform has allowed over 70 different regulatory applications to be digitized, supporting the work of 9 departments.
iv.By the end of 2024, more than 2,000 applications had been filed through the system, showing an increase of 80% in monthly applications which is partly attributed to the increased ease of use provided by the portal.
About Central Banking Awards 2025:
i.The 12th annual industry awards recognising excellence in the central banking community. This year’s awards feature 16 central bank categories and 15 partner and services provider categories.
ii.The official ceremony of these awards are scheduled to be held in June 2025 at One Whitehall Place, London (UK).
About Central Banking Publications:
Chairman- Robert Pringle
Headquarters- London, United Kingdom (UK)
Founded- 1990

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Mark Joseph Carney Sworn in as 24th PM of CanadaIn March 2025, Mark Joseph Carney, a former central banker and Canadian politician, was appointed as the 24th Prime Minister (PM) of Canada. He secured the ‘Liberal Party’ leadership with 85.9% of the vote, succeeding Incumbent PM Justin Pierre James Trudeau, after his 9 years tenure as PM.

• The swearing-in ceremony was held at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, Canada. He is the first Canadian PM to reach this position without having been elected to a political position.
• Prior to his appointment, he served as the Governor of both the Bank of Canada (Canada) and the Bank of England (the United Kingdom, UK).

Cabinet Appointments: 
His cabinet comprises 24 members, reduced from 37 under Trudeau’s administration. Key appointments include:

• François-Philippe Champagne as Finance Minister, Mélanie Joly as Foreign Minister, Dominic LeBlanc, transitioned from Finance to International Trade and Chrystia Freeland, former Deputy PM, now serving as Transport Minister.

About Mark Joseph Carney:
i.Mark Joseph Carne is an economist with a distinguished career in central banking and crisis management.

• He played a significant role in South Africa’s post-apartheid reentry into international bond markets and was involved in addressing the 1998 Russian financial crisis.

ii.He served as the 8th Governor of the Bank of Canada (2008-2013) and 120th Governor of Bank of England (2013-2020) managing the global financial crisis and Brexit’s economic fallout.
iii.He served as the Chair of the Financial Stability Board(FSB) from 2011 to 2018. He also had a distinguished 13-year career at Goldman Sachs where he held various senior positions across multiple international offices.
iv.Between 2020 and 2025, he held the position of United Nations (UN) Special Envoy for Climate Action & Finance and co-chaired the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ).
Awards and Honors:
i.Officer of the Order of Canada (2014): Awarded for his leadership in financial policy development both nationally and globally.
ii.Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012): Presented in recognition of his significant contributions to public service in Canada.
iii.Euromoney’s Central Bank Governor of the Year (2012): Bestowed for his exceptional leadership during his tenure at the Bank of Canada.
About Canada:
Head of State- King Charles III (represented by Governor General)
Prime Minister (PM)– Mark Carney
Capital– Ottawa
Currency– Canadian Dollar (CAD)

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

ISRO Conducted Flight Acceptance Hot Test of Cryogenic Engine for LVM3-M6 MissionIn March 2025, Bengaluru (Karnataka)-based Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully conducted the flight acceptance hot testing of the indigenous (CE20) cryogenic engine identified for the 6th operational mission of the LVM3 launch vehicle (LVM3-M6) at the ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC) in Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu (TN).

• It is mandatory that cryogenic engines for every mission will undergo hot testing as part of its acceptance for the flight.

i.In the latest test, the engine was fired for a maximum duration of 100 s for the 1st time under non-vacuum conditions using Nozzle Protection System.
ii.V. Narayanan, chairman of ISRO announced that the Government of India (GoI) has approved the ambitious ‘Chandrayaan-5/ LuPEX’ mission during an event held in Chennai, TN. For this mission, GoI has collaborated with Japan.

• The mission will be launched as part of building capability towards achieving the target of an Indian landing on Moon by 2040.

About Indian Space Research Organisation(ISRO):
Chairman- V. Narayanan
Headquarters– Bengaluru, Karnataka
Established– 1969
>> Read Full News

ISRO and SCL Develop 32-bit Microprocessors for Space ApplicationsIn March 2025, the Bengaluru (Karnataka) based Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Chandigarh (Punjab) based Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL) handed over the first production of two 32-bit microprocessors,’VIKRAM3201’ and ‘KALPANA3201’, for space applications.

• These microprocessors were designed and developed by the Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) based Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) of the ISRO in partnership with the SCL.
• It was handed over to Dr. V. Narayanan, Secretary of the Department of Space (DOS) and Chairman of ISRO, by S. Krishnan, Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in New Delhi (Delhi).

i.VIKRAM3201 is India’s first fully “Make-in-India” 32-bit microprocessor, designed for the extreme environmental conditions of launch vehicles.

• It was fabricated at SCL’s 180 nanometers (nm), Complementar Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) semiconductor facility.

ii.Kalpana 3201 is a 32-bit microprocessor based on the SPARC V8 (Scalable Processor Architecture, version 8) Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC) microprocessor and is based on the IEEE 1754 Instruction Set Architecture.
>> Read Full News

ENVIRONMENT

New Eel Species Discovered of Thoothukudi Coast Named After Tamil Language
In March 2025, researchers at Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh, UP)-based Indian Council of Agricultural Research-National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBFGR) have discovered a new species of Congrid eel, found off the Thoothukudi coast in Tamil Nadu (TN).

• It belongs to the genus ‘Ariosoma’ and was named Tamilicum after the world’s oldest language, ‘Tamil’.

i.The newly discovered eel species has some unique features like: dorsal surface of head with single whitish band across anterior eye margin; long, vomerine teeth patch, reaching half the length of maxillary, and have 120-129 total vertebrae, among others.
ii.This is the 14th eel species found from the Indian water by the NBFGR team.
iii. The identity of the species was validated by international experts in the field of eel taxonomy, and the finding was published in the international peer-reviewed journal, Zootaxa.

SPORTS

KIWG 2025: Fifth Edition Takes Place in Ladakh and J&K, IA Tops Medal TallyThe fifth edition of the Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG) started on January 23, 2025, in Leh, Ladakh. This event, funded by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS), is part of Government of India’s (GoI) Khelo India initiative, which promotes sports across the country.

• In the 2025 edition of KIWG, more than 400 athletes from states, Union Territories (UTs), and institutions, participated as 19 teams in six winter sports.

Key Highlights:
i.Chief Minister (CM) of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Omar Abdullah unveiled the mascot for the KIWG 2025, featuring a snow leopard.
ii.CM Omar Abdullah also launched the official website for KIWG 2025 at the Civil Secretariat in Jammu, with the platform accessible at winter.kheloindia.gov.in.
iii.The first phase of the KIWG 2025 took place at the Nawang Dorjay Stobdan (NDS) Sports Complex and Guphuk Pond in Leh, Ladakh from January 23 to 27, 2025.
iv.The second phase of the KIWG 2025 took place from March 9 to 12 at Kangdoori Phase 1 and the Golf Course Club in Gulmarg, J&K
v.The Indian Army (IA) won KIWG 2025 title, finishing at the top with 18 medals, including seven gold, five silver, and six bronze.
About Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS):
Union Minister– Mansukh Mandaviya (Constituency- Porbander, Gujarat)
Minister of State (MoS)– Raksha Nikhil Khadse ( Constituency- Raver, Maharashtra)
>> Read Full News

Lando Norris wins F1’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix 2025On 16 March 2025, British Formula one (F1) driver Lando Norris of McLaren claimed victory at the 2025 season opener Australian Grand Prix, held at the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne, Australia.

• Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen. George Russell of Mercedes secured second and third place respectively

Race Highlights:
i.Norris started from pole position and led the race despite intense pressure from teammate Oscar Piastri and Verstappen.
ii.Norris’s victory earned him 25 points, placing him at the top of the 2025 Formula 1 (F1) Drivers’ Championship standings. The race highlighted the challenges of wet-weather racing and strategic tire management.
iii.British driver Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) finished 10th in a disappointing debut for the team.
Key Performances:

India Masters clinch Inaugural IML 2025 Title, beat West Indies Masters by 6 wicketsIn March 2025, India Masters Cricket Team clinched the inaugural International Masters League (IML) 2025 by defeating West Indies Masters Cricket Team by 6 wickets in the final at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur, Chhattisgarh. This victory marked India Masters’ first title in the tournament, successfully chasing down a target of 149 runs with 17 balls to spare.

• India Masters was led by Captain Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar and the West Indies Masters was led by Captain Brian Charles Lara.
• The tournament was held from February 22 to March 16, 2025, with matches played in Navi Mumbai (Maharashtra), Raipur (Chhattisgarh), and Vadodara (Gujarat).

Prize Money:
The Winners, India Masters, were awarded Rs.1,00,00,000 (1 crore rupees) and the Runners-up, West Indies Masters, received Rs.50,00,000 (50 lakh rupees).
About International Masters League (IML) 2025:
i.The International Masters League (IML) is a Twenty20 Internationals (T20I) cricket tournament featuring former international cricketers.
ii.The inaugural season took place in 2025, with 6 teams participating: Australia Masters, England Masters, India Masters, South Africa Masters, Sri Lanka Masters and West Indies Masters.
iii.IML 2025 featured a tournament structure comprising a round-robin group stage, followed by knockout semifinals and a final.
>> Read Full News

OBITUARY

Renowned Odia Poet & Padma Bhushan Awardee Ramakanta Rath Passed Away In March 2025, Ramakanta Rath, renowned Odia poet and Padma Bhushan awardee passed away at the age of 90 in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha. He was born on 13 December 1934 in Cuttack, Bihar and Orissa Province, British India (now Odisha).

• He has won numerous awards including the ‘Padma Bhushan’ award.

About Ramakanta Rath:
i.Ramakanta Rath was a distinguished modernist poet and former civil servant.
ii.In 1957, he joined the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), held several significant positions, and retired as chief secretary(CS) of Odisha in 1992.
iii.He was renowned for his modernist and philosophical approach to Odia poetry, exploring themes such as mysticism, existentialism, and the human condition.

• His notable poetry collections include: Kete Dinara (1962), Aneka Kothari (1967), Sandigdha Mrigaya (1971), Saptama Ritu (1977), Sachitra Andhara (1982), Sri Radha (1984) and Sri Palataka (1997).

iv.His magnum opus, “Sri Radha“ (1984), delves into the spiritual and emotional complexities of Radha’s devotion to Krishna and earned him the  Saraswati Samman in 1992.
v.He also served as Vice-President (VP) of the Sahitya Akademi from 1993 to 1998 and as its President from 1998 to 2003, advocating for regional languages and Indian literature on national and international platforms.
Awards and Honors:
i.He received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1977 for “Saptama Ritu,” the Sarala Award in 1984, the Bishuva Samman in 1990, and the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship in 2009 for his significant contributions to Odia literature.
ii.In 2006, he was honored with the ‘Padma Bhushan’, India’s 3rd-highest civilian award, in the field of Literature and Education for his exceptional contributions to Literature.

Member of Erstwhile Royal Family of Mewar & Chairman of HRH Group of Hotels Arvind Singh Mewar Passed AwayIn March 2025, Arvind Singh Mewar, a member of the erstwhile royal family of Mewar and a descendant of the Rajput king Maharana Pratap, died at the City Palace in Udaipur, Rajasthan at 81. He was born on 13 December 1944, in Udaipur. He was the Chairman of the Historic Resort Hotels (HRH) group of hotels in Udaipur and the Chairman and Managing Trustee of the Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF), Udaipur.

• He remained an active cricketer through the 1960s and 1970s and made his debut in the Ranji Trophy tournament (Rajasthan) in December 1961.
• He was the 2nd son of the late Bhagwat Singh Mewar and was the 76th Custodian of the House of Mewar. He was Popularly known as Shriji.
• Under his leadership, ‘The Cricket Institute, Udaipur’ was established. It is a unique body and the only institute of its kind in Rajasthan, promoting the sport and sportsmen.
• To promote professional polo in the UK, he instituted ‘The Udaipur Cup’ at the Cambridge and Newmarket Polo Club in England (UK). He formed the Mewar Polo team in Udaipur.
• In the 1991 President’s Cup, his Mewar Polo team made history by defeating the 61st Cavalry players, connecting his legacy in Indian polo.

Awards:
i.‘Lifetime Achievement Award (2021) from Hotelier India.
ii.VIII Annual Gala WT Institution Award (2012) for his ‘Contribution to Universal Culture’ at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, the United States of America (USA).
iii.‘Agastya Award’ by the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) for 2001.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Sleep Day 2025 – March 14World Sleep Day (WSD) is an international campaign annually observed across the globe on the Friday before Spring Vernal Equinox to raise awareness about the importance of sleep health, the impact of good sleep on overall well-being, and promote the management and prevention of sleep disorders and treatment options.

• WSD 2025, the 18th annual Sleep Day was observed on 14 March 2025.

WSD 2024 was observed on 15 March 2024; WSD 2026 will be observed on 13 March 2026.

• The theme and slogan for the WSD 2025 is, “Make Sleep Health a Priority“.

WSD is annually organized by the World Sleep Day Committee of the World Sleep Society (WSS), aiming to lessen the burden of sleep problems on society.
Background:
i.WSD is an awareness event of the WSS, an international organization with a fundamental mission to advance sleep health worldwide.
ii.WSS was founded in 2016 by the merging of its two founding organizations, the World Association of Sleep Medicine (WASM) and the World Sleep Federation (WSF).
iii.The 1st WSD was held on 14 March 2008 under the slogan “Sleep Well, Live Fully Awake.”
About World Sleep Society (WSS):
Secretary– Lourdes DelRosso
President– Raffaele Ferri (Italy)
Headquarters– Rochester, Minnesota, United States of America (USA)
Established– 2016
>> Read Full News

National Vaccination Day 2025 – March 16National Vaccination Day (also known as National Immunisation Day (NID)) is annually observed across India on 16 March to raise awareness about the importance of timely vaccinations, highlight the significance of vaccines in public health, and focus on immunization as a critical measure to prevent life-threatening diseases.

• National Vaccination Day commemorates the 1st dose of the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) administered in India in 1995.

Background:
i.In 1988, the World Health Assembly (WHA) adopted a resolution for the worldwide eradication of Polio (poliomyelitis), marking the launch of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), spearheaded by national governments, the World Health Organisation (WHO), etc.
ii.On 16 March 1995, the 1st dose of the OPV was administered in India as part of the WHO’s GPEI.

• Since then, India has been celebrating National Vaccination Day annually.

Key Points:
i.On 27 March 2014, the WHO South-East Asia Region (SEAR), including India, was certified polio-free by the Regional Polio Certification Commission (RCC).
ii.Gujarat has achieved 95.95% vaccination coverage under the UIP as part of the Sustainable Development Goal(SDG)-3 Index, surpassing the national average of 93.23%.
>> Read Full News

Ordnance Factories Day 2025 – March 18Ordnance Factory Day is observed annually on 18 March across India by the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) to commemorate the establishment of the 1st Ordnance Factory in India at Cossipore near Kolkata, West Bengal (WB) in 1801.

• This Day honors the significant contributions of the Indian Ordnance Factories (IOFs) in strengthening India’s defence capabilities.

About Indian Ordnance Factories:
i.The Indian Ordnance Factories (IOFs) is a conglomerate of 41 Factories, 9 Training Institutes, 3 Regional Marketing Centres and 4 Regional Controller of Safety under the Department of Defence Production (DDP), Ministry of Defence (MoD).

• The 41 IOFs in India are divided into 5 operational divisions based on the type of main products or technologies used: Ammunition and Explosives; Weapons, Vehicles, and Equipment; Materials and Components; Armoured Vehicles and Ordnance Equipment.

ii.These factories are involved in the production, testing, logistics, research, development, and marketing of a wide range of products related to land, sea, and air systems.
iii.In 2021, the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) was dissolved, and the factories were corporatized into 7 Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) to enhance efficiency and quality in defence production.
About Ordnance Factory Board (OFB):
Director-General (DG) Ordnance- Sanjeev Gupta
Headquarters– Kolkata, West Bengal
Established– 1979
>> Read Full News

STATE NEWS

TN FM Thangam Thennarasu Presented a Budget for FY26 with a Total Expenditure of Rs 4,39,293 CrOn 14 March 2025, Thangam Thennarasu, Finance Minister (FM) of Tamil Nadu (TN) presented the Budget for the Financial Year 2025-26 (FY26) with a total disbursement outlay of Rs 4,39,293 crore, and a total receipt of Rs 3,32,330 crore, excluding public debt. The total expenditure (Rs 4,39,293 crore) is an increase of 99.5% over the Revised Estimate (RE) of 2024-25.

• Among major sectoral allocations, Rs 55,261 crore was allocated to education, followed by Urban Development (Rs 34,396 crore) and Rural Development (Rs 29,465 crore).

Fiscal Indicators:
i.The Government has projected its total Revenue Receipts at Rs 3,31,569 crore.

• Of this, the State’s Revenues (State Owned Tax Revenue(SOTR) of Rs 2,20,895 crore and Non-Tax Revenue of Rs 28,818 crore) account for 75.3%.

ii.The Fiscal Deficit (FD) is estimated at Rs 1,06,963 crores, the highest since 2021-22, and is estimated to reduce to 3% of GSDP next year (Budget Estimate (BE) FY26) from 3.26% this year (RE FY25).
Highlights:
i.A sum of Rs.133 lakh has been allocated for the translation of Thirukkural into 45 world languages. This translation project will be completed within the next 3 years.

• When it is translated, Thirukkural will achieve the distinction of being translated into all official languages of 193 member nations recognized by the United Nations (UN).

ii.Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu Limited (ELCOT) will set up an Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality (AVGC-XR) Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Chennai named ‘Viyan AVGC-XR Hub’ at an estimated cost of Rs 50 crore.
>> Read Full News

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