Daily Current Affairs – 22-03-2025
Tamil Nadu
RBI to Issue ₹ 20 Banknotes with New Governor’s Signature
® The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will soon issue ₹ 20 denomination banknotes in the Mahatma Gandhi (New) Series, bearing the signature of Sanjay Malhotra, the newly appointed Governor of RBI. ® The design and features of the banknotes will remain the same as the existing ₹ 20 notes in circulation.
S Mahendra Dev Appointed Chairman of Economic Advisory Council to
the PM
® Economist S Mahendra Dev has been appointed as the new Chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM). ® He resigned from his role as an independent director on the board of Axis Bank following this appointment. ® Currently, Niti Aayog Vice-Chairman Suman Bery heads the EAC-PM.
ECI Introduces Automated Voter Turnout Reporting via ECINET App
® The Election Commission of India (ECI) will roll out a new automated voter turnout reporting feature through the ECINET mobile app, starting with the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections. ® The app enables presiding officers (PROs) to directly enter voter turnout data every two hours, eliminating manual collation and delays. ® Constituency-wise turnout will now be calculated and displayed automatically for public access. ® This replaces the current process of reporting via phone or message to sector officers. ® As per Rule 49S of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, PROs are mandated to submit Form 17C detailing polling figures
Madras High Court
Upholds Night Ban on Real Money Online Games
® Upheld Tamil Nadu Online Gaming Authority’s ban on Real Money Games (RMG) between 12 AM and 5 AM ® Mandatory Aadhaar verification for RMG players also upheld ® Court affirmed State’s legislative power under Entry 6 and Entry 26 of List II (Seventh Schedule) ® 2025 Regulations deemed a response to public health concerns, aligned with Article 39 of DPSP ® Restrictions considered reasonable and protected under Articles 19(2) and 19(6) of the Constitution
Edelman Trust
Barometer 2024
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According to the 25th edition of the “ Edelman Trust Barometer ” released at the 55th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, India is ranked 3rd globally in terms of public trust in government, businesses, media, and NGOs.
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China topped the rank, followed by Indonesia .
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India ranked 13th in terms of public trust in companies that are headquartered in India.
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Among high-income countries, India ranked 4th after Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and China.
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Despite the decline, India (75%) is among the top trusted developing nations , after China (77%), Indonesia (76%), and the UAE (72%).
World University
Rankings by Subject 2025
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According to the ‘ World University Rankings by Subject 2025 ’ released by the Times Higher Education (THE), IISc Bengaluru is ranked 96th in Computer Science .
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Oxford University is ranked top overall, followed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University .
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US universities dominated the top 10 lists across all 11 subjects .
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53 Indian universities were ranked globally in Computer Science.
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Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Science s is ranked in the 251-300 band for Medical & Health.
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Delhi University (DU) is ranked in the 301+ band for Law and Psychology.
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Jadavpur University, Kolkata is ranked for the first time (601+ band) for Arts and Humanities.
India’s RE growth
in 2024
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According to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, India’s total renewable energy installed capacity has reached 209.44 gigawatts (GW) as of 2024.
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It is a 15.84% increase compared to 180.80 GW in 2023.
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28.64 GW of RE capacity was added in 2024 , with 119.46% year-on-year increase .
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Solar energy installations topped with 24.5 GW of new capacity, taking the total installed capacity to 97.86 GW .
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18.5 GW was added from utility-scale solar installations, among which 71% was from Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu.
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Rooftop solar installations increased by 4.59 GW .
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Wind energy capacity increased by 3.4 GW in 2024 to 48.16 GW .
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98% of the wind capacity additions were in Gujarat, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.
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Bioenergy installed capacity increased by 4.70% to 11.35 GW from 10.84 GW in 2023.
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Small hydro power capacity increased by 2.20% to 5.10 GW from 4.99GW in 2023.
2025 World
Monuments Watch List
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According to the “ 2025 World Monuments Watch List ” released by the World Monuments Fund (WMF), 25 endangered cultural heritage sites across 29 countries have been listed.
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It includes the Moon for the first time.
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Two Indian sites are part of the list:
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Bhuj Historic Water Systems (Gujarat)
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Musi River Historic Buildings (Telangana)