Mar 12, 2025 | Current Affairs for UPSC, State PCS & other Govt. Exams

The 6th edition of the Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) and the 4th edition of the bilateral exercise ‘BONGOSAGAR’ between the Indian Navy and the Bangladesh Navy commenced on March 10, 2025, and will continue until March 12, 2025.

These naval exercises are being conducted in the designated maritime areas of the Bay of Bengal, near the maritime borders of Bangladesh and India. The Indian Navy is participating with the warship INS Ranvir, while the Bangladesh Navy is represented by BNS Abu Ubaidah.

Elon Musk-owned SpaceX has struck key business deals with two of India's telecom giants, setting the stage for the long-anticipated entry of its satellite internet service, Starlink, into the country.

Bharti Airtel and Reliance Industries' Jio Platforms have signed separate, non-exclusive agreements with SpaceX to bring Starlink to India.

Starlink has over 7,000 satellites in orbit, making it the largest LEO constellation in the world. Meanwhile, Jeff Bezos's Amazon plans to launch 3,236 satellites under Project Kuiper.

Starlink is available in most of North America, South America, Australia, and parts of Europe. Last month, Bhutan became the first South Asian country where Starlink is operating legally.

A recent study found that Starlink's second-generation satellites—which currently account for less than a third of the network—emit unintended electromagnetic radiation (UEMR) at levels 32 times brighter than its first-generation satellites.

In the U.S., Starlink has so far failed to reach download speeds of 100 megabits per second and upload speeds of 20 Mbps—the benchmark set by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for a service to be classified as broadband.

Gas-based plants in the country are operating at a very low Plant Load Factor (PLF).

To enhance the availability of natural gas for power generation, the government has placed Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) under the Open General License (OGL) category, allowing power plants to import LNG as per their requirements on mutually agreed commercial terms with suppliers.

The government has taken various steps to increase the share of natural gas in the energy basket, including:

- Expansion of the National Gas Grid Pipeline to improve gas connectivity.
- Expansion of the City Gas Distribution (CGD) network to increase access.
-Setting up of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminals to boost supply.
- Prioritizing the allocation of domestic gas for Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) in transport and Piped Natural Gas (PNG) for domestic use.
- Allowing marketing and pricing freedom (with a ceiling price) for gas produced from high-pressure/high-temperature fields, deep water, ultra-deep water, and coal seams.
- Implementing the SATAT initiative (Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation) to promote Bio-CNG.

The International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) 2025 marked a spectacular silver jubilee edition, celebrating 25 years of honoring the best in Bollywood. The event was held in the city of Jaipur, Rajasthan, on March 8 and March 9, 2025.

Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies swept 10 awards, including:

Award Category	Winner
Best Picture	Laapataa Ladies
Best Director	Kiran Rao (Laapataa Ladies)
Best Performance in a Leading Role (Male)	Kartik Aaryan (Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3)
Best Performance in a Leading Role (Female)	Nitanshi Goel (Laapataa Ladies)
Best Music Director	Ram Sampath (Laapataa Ladies)
Outstanding Achievement in Indian Cinema	Rakesh Roshan

Ukraine has emerged as the world's leading arms importer, accounting for 8.8% of total global arms imports between 2020 and 2024, according to the latest report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

Nearly half of Ukraine’s arms imports came from the United States. Due to the ongoing conflict with Russia, Ukraine significantly increased its arms imports in 2023 and 2024, sourcing weapons from at least 35 countries.

The top five arms importers during this period were Ukraine, followed by India, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan.

PM Modi embarked on a two-day state visit to Mauritius on March 11, 2025. During his visit, he oversaw several key initiatives, including the issuance of Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards to Mauritian leaders and the inauguration of over 20 India-funded projects.

These projects included the Civil Services College Building, constructed at a cost of $4.75 million, an Area Health Centre, and 20 community projects costing approximately ₹7 crores.

Additionally, various sports and community-linked infrastructure projects were launched to strengthen local development initiatives.

A significant highlight of the visit was PM Modi receiving Mauritius' highest civilian honor, The Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean.

He became the first Indian to receive this prestigious award, and Mauritius' PM Navinchandra Ramgoolam noted that Modi is only the fifth foreign national to be honored with it.

PM Modi's itinerary included a sapling planting ceremony, paying homage at the Samadhi of Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, the founding father of Mauritius, and a tribute at the Samadhi of Anerood Jugnauth, former President and Prime Minister of Mauritius.

As a gesture of cultural appreciation, women from the Indian community honored PM Modi with a traditional Bhojpuri performance called Geet Gawai, which UNESCO recognized as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2016.

Additionally, he presented special gifts, including Makhana (a superfood from Bihar) to Mauritius’ President and a Banarasi saree in a Sadeli box to First Lady Brinda Gokhool.