IMPORTANT DAYS

International Women’s Day 2025 celebrated on March 8

• International Women’s Day is celebrated annually on March 8th to promote gender equality and honour women’s achievements across all sectors of life.

• The day recognizes women’s economic, social, political, and cultural contributions globally.

• The theme for International Women’s Day 2025 is “For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.”

• Women's Day was first observed as National Women's Day in 1909, celebrated on February 28, and later became International Women's Day on March 19, 1911.

• In 1913, the date for International Women’s Day was officially changed to March 8, according to the Gregorian calendar.

• The United Nations officially recognized March 8th as International Women’s Day in 1975.

• The year 2025 holds special significance as it marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a global framework for advancing women’s and girls’ rights, legal protection, and equality.

APPOINTMENTS

Anju Rathi Rana Appointed First Woman Union Law Secretary

• Anju Rathi Rana has made history as the first woman appointed as Union Law Secretary.

• An Indian Legal Service officer, she previously served as a public prosecutor with the Delhi government for 18 years.

• Rana joined the Ministry of Law and Justice in 2017 as a Joint Secretary.

• The position of Union Law Secretary had been vacant for a few months following the tenure of Niten Chandra.

RANKING AND INDEX

Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2025 Report

• Burkina Faso tops the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2025, ranking first due to the severe impact of terrorism.

• India is ranked 14th on the GTI 2025, reflecting the country's challenges with terrorism.

• Pakistan holds the second position, with a significant increase in terrorist attacks, marking a 45% rise.

• Syria and Mali follow in third and fourth places, respectively, in terms of terrorism impact.

• For the first time, Pakistan suffered from over 1,000 terrorist attacks in a single year, with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) becoming the fastest-growing terror group.

• GTI evaluates terrorism based on indicators like the number of attacks, fatalities, injuries, and overall impact.

• The report highlights trends over the last decade, with the Islamic State (IS) and its affiliates remaining the deadliest terror group, responsible for 1,805 deaths in 2024.

• Other active terror organizations include Jamaat Nusrat Al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM), TTP, and al-Shabaab.

STATE NEWS

Launch of 'Project Hifazat' by Punjab to Support Women Facing Violence

• Punjab’s Minister for Social Security, Women, and Child Development, Baljit Kaur, launched ‘Project Hifazat’ on March 6 to support women and children experiencing violence.

• The initiative aims to strengthen response mechanisms and provide a safer environment for reporting domestic violence and harassment, with the 181 helpline always available.

• Under Mission Shakti and Mission Vatsalya, a 24x7 women and child helpline will form the core of Project Hifazat, offering both emergency and non-emergency support.

• Urgent cases will be promptly redirected to the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS-112).

• The project promotes coordination between key departments such as Social Security, Women and Child Development, Punjab Police, and Health and Family Welfare to ensure effective victim support.

• Non-emergency cases will be directed to One Stop Centres (OSCs), District Child Protection Units (DCPUs), and District Centres for Women Empowerment for services like psychological counselling, legal aid, and rehabilitation.

Maharashtra Government to Set Up Media Monitoring Center

• The Maharashtra government will establish a media monitoring center with a budget of Rs 10 crore to analyze news content across print, electronic, and digital media.

• The center will collect and analyze news reports, identifying both factual and misleading content, and prepare accurate reports.

• Any misleading or negative news will be clarified promptly, ensuring accurate information is provided.

• The need for the center arose from the growing number of publications, channels, and digital platforms, requiring a unified system to monitor news related to government schemes and policies.

• The center will be managed by the Directorate of Information and Publicity.

• A professional consultant will be hired to gather government-related news in PDF format, categorizing it by positive/negative news, departments, issues, incidents, and individuals.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

India and Ireland Strengthen Trade, Investment, and Technology Ties

• External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar met his Irish counterpart, Simon Harris, in Dublin to discuss bilateral cooperation.

• This marks the first visit by an Indian Foreign Minister to Ireland and the first high-level political visit from India since Prime Minister Modi's 2015 visit.

• The two ministers discussed a new action plan to revitalize India-Ireland relations.

• They agreed to form a Joint Economic Commission to boost trade, investment, and technology collaboration.

• Both leaders exchanged views on global and regional developments, including the Ukraine conflict, West Asia, Afghanistan, and the Indo-Pacific region.

• Bilateral trade between India and Ireland has already reached €16 billion, with both countries focused on exploring further opportunities for growth and cooperation.

US President Signs Executive Order to Create Strategic Bitcoin Reserve

• President Donald Trump signed an executive order to establish a strategic Bitcoin Reserve managed by the U.S. Treasury Department.

• The Bitcoin Reserve will not involve selling any of the bitcoins; instead, they will be kept as a store of value.

• The U.S. government is estimated to hold about 200,000 Bitcoins.

• The reserve will be funded by bitcoins seized through criminal and civil forfeitures.

• Additionally, the U.S. will create a Digital Asset Stockpile to manage other confiscated cryptocurrencies, also overseen by the Treasury Department.

• This executive order reflects the U.S. government’s strong stance on the future of digital assets.

SUMMIT AND CONFERENCE

Mobile World Congress 2025 Held in Barcelona, Spain

• The Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025 took place from March 3-6 at the Fira Gran Via exhibition center in Barcelona, Spain.

• Hosted by the GSM Association (GSMA), the event focused on the theme "Converge, Connect, Create," highlighting the integration of mobile and AI technologies.

• MWC 2025 brought together industry leaders, policymakers, and tech innovators to discuss advancements in 5G, AI, and advanced connectivity.

• Major tech companies like Samsung, Google, Qualcomm, LG, Sony, AMD, Meta, Nvidia, and Lenovo participated in the event.

• Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, the Union Minister for Communications, represented India at the conference.

• The Pixel 9 Pro was awarded "Smartphone of the Year," while Gemini won the "Breakthrough Device Innovation" award.

• The MWC is an annual trade show dedicated to the mobile communications industry.

SPORTS

Aravindh Chithambaram Wins Prague Masters 2025 Chess Title

• Indian Grandmaster Aravindh Chithambaram clinched the Prague Masters 2025 chess title with a score of six points.

• In the final round, Chithambaram drew with Turkey’s Ediz Gurel, but still secured the title.

• His victory was confirmed after Dutch Grandmaster Anish Giri defeated India’s R. Praggnanandhaa.

• Chithambaram finished one point ahead of the other competitors, taking the lead.

• Praggnanandhaa ended the tournament with 5 points out of 9 after his loss to Giri.