The following are the most significant current affairs from India over the last 24 hours, curated for competitive exam preparation:
1. Economy & Governance
- World Bank’s 'Viksit Bharat' Projection: According to the World Bank’s latest India Country Economic Memorandum, India needs to maintain an average growth rate of 7.8% over the next 22 years to achieve high-income status by 2047.
- Record GST Collections: India's Gross GST collections for February 2025 surged by 9.1% year-on-year, reaching ₹1.84 lakh crore. This marks the 12th consecutive month where collections exceeded ₹1.7 lakh crore.
- India-EU FTA Progress: India and the European Union have reaffirmed their commitment to finalizing a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) by the end of 2025, focusing on resolving issues in investment and intellectual property rights.
- Aadhaar Good Governance Portal: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) launched a new portal to streamline Aadhaar authentication requests for social welfare and innovation.
2. National & Politics
- BSP Political Shake-up: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati has officially expelled her nephew, Akash Anand, from the party and all its positions "in the interest of the party."
- Legal Action Against Former SEBI Chief: A Mumbai court has ordered the registration of an FIR against former SEBI Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch and five others regarding alleged regulatory misconduct.
- State Budgets: Andhra Pradesh presented a ₹3.2 lakh crore budget for FY 2025-26, while the Jharkhand government tabled a ₹1.45 lakh crore budget.
3. Environment & Science
- World Wildlife Day (March 3): PM Narendra Modi chaired the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) meeting at Sasan Gir, Gujarat. The theme for 2025 focuses on digital innovation in wildlife conservation.
- Aditya-L1 Milestone: India's solar mission, Aditya-L1, successfully captured the first-ever high-resolution image of a solar flare 'kernel', providing new insights into solar atmospheric heating.
- MISHTI Scheme Success: Gujarat has emerged as the national leader in mangrove afforestation under the MISHTI scheme, covering over 19,000 hectares in two years.
4. Sports
- Ranji Trophy 2024-25: Vidarbha claimed their third Ranji Trophy title by defeating Kerala in the final held in Nagpur, based on a decisive first-innings lead.
- Tennis Success: Indian player Rithvik Bollipalli won the ATP doubles title at the Chile Open, while Yuki Bhambri secured the doubles title at the Dubai Championships.
5. Important Days
- March 3: Observed globally as World Wildlife Day to celebrate and raise awareness of the world's wild fauna and flora.