Current Affairs - March 16, 2025 Current Affairs

The Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Act, of 1948, is a crucial legislation that regulates the oil and gas sector in India. The Bill aims to amend this Act to delink petroleum from mining operations, ensure lease stability, and decriminalize certain offences. This amendment is expected to attract foreign investments and provide regulatory clarity, but critics argue that it lacks a long-term vision for energy security and domestic exploration incentives.

The PM-YUVA 3.0 scheme, launched by the Ministry of Education, targets young authors below the age of 30 years. The scheme aims to promote reading, writing, and the book culture in India while projecting Indian literature on a global scale. It focuses on training young authors to contribute to national and international literary conversations. By supporting themes like the contribution of the Indian diaspora, Indian knowledge systems, and modern Indian history, the program aligns with NEP 2020, empowering young minds to become future leaders.

Hantavirus is a rare but severe virus that primarily spreads through rodent waste, including urine, droppings, and saliva. It can cause serious illnesses such as Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) and Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS). The virus is typically transmitted through aerosolization of rodent waste, direct contact, or rarely through bites. Preventive measures, such as keeping homes free of rodents and wearing protective gear, are crucial to reduce the risk of infection, particularly for high-risk groups like farmers and hikers.

According to the World Air Quality Report 2024, India was ranked as the 5th most polluted country globally, showing a slight improvement from its 3rd place position in 2023. Despite the improvement, pollution levels in India remain concerning, with cities like Delhi continuing to suffer from extremely high particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations. This persistent pollution has significant health and environmental impacts, with major contributors including vehicle emissions, industrial pollution, and biomass burning, particularly in northern India.

The 6th edition of Exercise Dharma Guardian, a bilateral military exercise between India and Japan, was successfully held in Japan. This exercise is aimed at enhancing defence cooperation and interoperability between the two countries, focusing on counter-terrorism training in urban settings, as well as United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (UNPKO) and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) drills. The exercise is conducted alternately in India and Japan to improve combat readiness and strengthen bilateral military ties.

The highest MGNREGS wage rate, currently ₹374 per day, is paid in states like Haryana and Sikkim. These wages are linked to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for agricultural labourers but have not been fully adjusted for inflation. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development has recommended revising these wages to ensure they better reflect the rising cost of living and make the scheme more effective in supporting rural livelihood security. Additionally, pending wage dues and budget constraints have impacted the scheme's overall effectiveness.

India's Patents Act, of 1970, includes Section 3(d), which was designed to prevent the evergreening of patents. Evergreening refers to the practice of making slight modifications to existing drugs to extend their patent life, thus hindering the production of generic versions. The introduction of this section has been a key policy to protect the generic pharmaceutical industry in India, making medications more affordable and available, especially in the global market.

NASA is responsible for the PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) mission, which focuses on studying the Sun's corona, an important aspect of solar activity. The mission is part of a broader trend of increasing solar studies due to the Sun's nearing solar maximum. Solar maximum, when solar activity is at its peak, can affect satellite communications and power grids. NASA's PUNCH mission is one of the three major solar missions initiated since 2023 to better understand solar phenomena such as sunspots, solar flares, and coronal mass ejections.

India and the United Kingdom have partnered to advance research on healthy brain ageing through the integration of AI, biomarkers, and diverse population studies. The collaboration involves the Centre for Brain Research (CBR) at IISc and the UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI). Their focus is on understanding brain health, preventing cognitive decline, and improving early diagnosis and treatments for neurodegenerative diseases. The partnership also includes cross-institutional collaborations, structured internships, and resource-sharing to enhance global brain health research.

The Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR) ID is designed to standardize student records by assigning a unique 12-digit ID to each student. This ID links academic records to platforms like DigiLocker and the Academic Bank of Credits, ensuring streamlined access and verification of records across various educational institutions. While APAAR aims to simplify academic transitions, it has raised concerns about data privacy and implementation, particularly regarding its integration with Aadhaar and the handling of sensitive personal information.