National News

Aadhaar Good Governance Portal

• The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has launched the Aadhaar Good Governance Portal (http://swik.meity.gov.in) to simplify the approval process for Aadhaar authentication requests.

Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) :

Recommendation for Appointment of Five New Judges

• The Supreme Court Collegium has recently recommended the appointment of five new judges to the Calcutta High Court.
• The Calcutta High Court has a sanctioned strength of 72 judges, out of which 44 positions are currently filled, while 28 positions remain vacant.

Related Facts:

'Jahan-e-Khusrau 2025'

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the Sufi music festival 'Jahan-e-Khusrau 2025' held at Sunder Nursery in New Delhi.
• 'Jahan-e-Khusrau' is an international festival of Sufi music, poetry, and dance, organized to celebrate the legacy of the great Sufi saint and poet Amir Khusrau.

Related Facts:

Launch of 'Udaan Yatri Café'

• The 'Udaan Yatri Café' has been launched at Chennai Airport to provide passengers with affordable and hygienic food options.

'Udaan Yatri Café':

President of the European Union on India Visit

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi held delegation-level talks with European Union President Ursula von der Leyen at Hyderabad House in New Delhi.
• European Union President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in New Delhi on February 27, 2025, for her two-day visit to India.

European Union (EU):

State Special

Punjabi as a Mandatory Subject

• The Punjab government has made Punjabi a compulsory subject in all schools across the state.
• The objective of this decision is to preserve the state's cultural heritage and language while raising awareness about Punjabi among the younger generation.

Punjab :

Defense News

Tribute to Indian Soldiers: France

• Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi paid tribute to Indian soldiers who sacrificed their lives during World War I at the Neuve-Chapelle War Memorial in France.
• During his visit to France, General Dwivedi also visited the military center of the French Army’s 3rd Division, Fort Ganteaum.

India-France Military Exercises:

International News

Economic Assistance to Laos

• The Government of India has provided $1 million in aid to the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Laos) for nutrition improvement.
• This assistance has been provided under the India-UN Development Partnership Fund.

Related Facts:

Birth Rate in Japan

• In 2024, Japan recorded another historic decline in its birth rate. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, only 720,988 babies were born this year, marking a 5% decrease compared to 2023.
• This is the ninth consecutive year of declining birth rates and the lowest number since record-keeping began in 1899.

Japan:

Economy and Banking

Reduction in risk weighting

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to reduce the risk weight on loans provided by banks to Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) and Microfinance Institutions (MFIs).

Related Facts:

SIDBI Signed Agreement with TCL

• The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tata Capital Limited (TCL) to strengthen financing for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI):

Unveiling of ONOP

• Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal unveiled 'One Nation-One Port' (ONOP), aimed at integrating all ports in the country onto a single unified platform, streamlining trade and logistics activities.

Major Ports of East Coast:

Honors and Awards

Banaras Lit Fest Award

• Raj Kamal Jha won the Banaras Lit Fest Award in the Ruskin Bond Fiction Book Award category for his novel 'The Patient in Bed Number 12'.
• The award was presented to him at the curtain-raiser event of Banaras Lit Fest 2025. The main festival will be held from March 7-9 at Hotel Taj, Varanasi.

Related Facts:

‘Prani Mitra’ National Award

• Anant Ambani’s Vantara has been honored with India’s highest award for animal welfare, the prestigious ‘Prani Mitra’ National Award, under the ‘Corporate’ category by the Government of India.
• This award recognizes the exceptional contributions of the Radhe Krishna Temple Elephant Welfare Trust.

Famous Person

Uttam Mohanty Passes Away

• Renowned Odia actor Uttam Mohanty passed away on February 28, 2025, at the age of 66.
• Born in 1958 in Baripada, Mayurbhanj district, he starred in over 135 Odia films, along with 30 Bengali films and a Hindi film, ‘Naya Jharna’.

Oriya Film Industry (Ollywood):

Nanaji Deshmukh

• Every year on February 27, tribute is paid to the renowned social reformer and thinker, Nanaji Deshmukh, on his death anniversary.
• In 2025, his 15th death anniversary is being observed.

Nanaji Deshmukh:

Narendra Modi Tops Global Approval Ratings

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi leads with a 75% approval rating, followed by Mexico’s Claudia Sheinbaum (66%) and Argentina’s Javier Milei (65%).

Related Facts:

Appointments

Tuhin Kanta Pandey

• The Government of India has appointed Finance Secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandey as the new Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
• He will succeed Madhabi Puri Buch, whose tenure is ending this month. Pandey’s tenure will be for three years.

Introduction of Tuhin Kanta Pandey:

N. Chandrasekaran

• Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran has been appointed as the head of the Ratan Tata Endowment Foundation (RTEF).
• This foundation, established as a Section 8 company by the late Ratan Tata, focuses on social service and technological research to contribute to India's development.

Ratan Tata:

Miscellaneous

Rajaditya Cholan (RTC), Thakkolam

• The CISF Recruit Training Centre (RTC) in Arakkonam has been renamed Rajaditya Cholan (RTC), Thakkolam in honor of the Chola prince.

Central Industrial Security Force-CISF: