Current Affairs Roundup: January to March 2025
Supreme Court
In Re: CAG Appointment (January 2025): The Court directed that the Comptroller and Auditor General of India shall be appointed on the recommendation of a three-member committee comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of Opposition, and the Chief Justice of India. The Court held that the CAG is a constitutional authority whose independence must be institutionally guaranteed, not left to executive discretion. This follows the pattern of the Court's interventions in the appointment processes for the CEC (2023, 2025) and the CBI Director (2014).
In Re: CBI Independence (March 2025): The Court directed that the Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation shall have a fixed tenure of two years, which cannot be curtailed except through the same process as appointment (the three-member committee). The Court also held that the CBI must obtain prior judicial approval for investigating offences under state laws , this limits the CBI's jurisdiction and addresses states' complaints about the agency being used as a political tool by the central government.
Schemes & Budget
Union Budget 2025-26 (February 1, 2025) : Key provisions:
| Provision | Details |
|---|---|
| Fiscal deficit target | 4.9% of GDP for 2025-26 (revised from the interim budget's 5.1%) |
| Capex | ₹11.1 lakh crore (3.4% of GDP), an 11% increase over 2024-25 |
| Income tax | The new tax regime made more attractive: standard deduction raised to ₹75,000. The old tax regime retained |
| National Manufacturing Mission | A new umbrella mission to coordinate PLI schemes across sectors. Focus: MSME credit, technology adoption, and green manufacturing |
| PM Surya Ghar extension | Rooftop solar target increased from 1 crore to 2 crore households by 2027 |
Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN) Phase II: Expansion of the scheme for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs). Phase I targeted 75 PVTG communities across 18,000 villages. Phase II adds: mobile medical units for each PVTG habitation, hostels for PVTG students in district headquarters, and land titles for PVTGs under the Forest Rights Act, 2006. Budget: ₹24,000 crore.
National Quantum Mission progress: The Mission, launched in 2023, announced its first four Thematic Hubs (THubs) in January 2025: Quantum Computing (IISc Bengaluru), Quantum Communication (IIT Madras), Quantum Sensing and Metrology (IIT Bombay), and Quantum Materials and Devices (IIT Delhi). Budget: ₹6,000 crore over eight years. India is the seventh country to launch a dedicated quantum mission.
Economy
GDP growth (advance estimates, 2024-25): 7.3%, above the RBI's projection of 7.0%. India remained the fastest-growing major economy. The growth was broad-based: agriculture (3.5%), industry (7.8%), services (8.1%). Private consumption grew by 6.8%, investment (gross fixed capital formation) by 10.5%. The investment rate (GFCF as % of GDP) was 33.7%, the highest since 2012.
RBI February 2025 policy: Repo rate unchanged at 6.50%. The MPC voted 5:1. The RBI projected GDP growth of 7.0% and CPI inflation of 4.5% for 2025-26. A new feature: the MPC announced a "nowcasting" framework that uses high-frequency data (vehicle sales, GST collections, PMI) to estimate GDP growth in real-time between quarterly GDP releases.
Rupee internationalisation update: The RBI permitted the opening of rupee vostro accounts with 22 countries for trade settlement. Russia was the largest user (oil imports settled in rupees), followed by Sri Lanka, Mauritius, and Iran. India's rupee trade settlement mechanism, launched in July 2022, has grown from $2 billion in 2022-23 to $45 billion in 2024-25.
India's inclusion in global bond indices: JP Morgan included Indian government bonds in its Government Bond Index-Emerging Markets (GBI-EM) from June 2024. Bloomberg added India in January 2025. FTSE Russell added India in March 2025. This is expected to bring $40-50 billion in passive foreign inflows over the next two years. The inclusion is a recognition of India's improved macroeconomic stability and market accessibility.
International Relations
Republic Day Chief Guest: President Prabowo Subianto of Indonesia (January 2025) . This was the fourth time an Indonesian President was the chief guest (the highest for any country). The visit produced: (a) a joint statement on "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership," (b) an agreement on defence cooperation (joint production of BrahMos missiles in Indonesia), and (c) a maritime cooperation framework for the Andaman Sea and the Malacca Strait. The strategic context: both India and Indonesia are concerned about China's maritime assertiveness. The Malacca Strait is a critical chokepoint for global trade (40% of global trade passes through it).
India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) : The IMEC, announced at the G20 Delhi Summit (September 2023), held its first investment conference in Riyadh in February 2025. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and the EU committed $25 billion in initial funding. India committed to developing the JNPT (Mumbai) and Mundra (Gujarat) ports as the corridor's Indian nodes.
India-Maldives: President Muizzu's "India Out" campaign resulted in the withdrawal of Indian military personnel operating two helicopters and a Dornier aircraft. India replaced military personnel with civilian technical staff. The relationship stabilised after Muizzu's visit to New Delhi in October 2024.
India-China border: The standoff completed five years in April-May 2025 (Galwan, June 2020). Buffer zones created by disengagement in 2022-23 remain in place. No further disengagement on Depsang or Demchok. The relationship remains frozen at the political level but functional at the economic level: bilateral trade in 2024-25 was $130 billion, a trade deficit of $98 billion in China's favour.
Species & Environment
| Development | Details |
|---|---|
| Namibian cheetah mortalities | Four adult cheetahs died at Kuno National Park between January-March 2025: two from septicemia, one from a road accident, one from a fight with another cheetah. Total cheetah deaths since reintroduction: 10. Survival rate: 50% (10 of 20). The project remains controversial |
| New Ramsar sites (Q1 2025) | Four sites added on World Wetlands Day (February 2, 2025): Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary (UP), Nanda Lake (Goa), Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary (Karnataka), and Vaduvur Bird Sanctuary (Tamil Nadu). Total: 80 |
| GIB breeding programme update | The first successful artificial insemination of a Great Indian Bustard was achieved at the Jaisalmer breeding centre in March 2025. The chick is expected to hatch in May 2025. GIB population in the wild: approximately 140 (up from 120 in 2022) |