Daily Current Affairs – 22-03-2025

Tamil Nadu

2025 World Monuments Watch List

® 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. ® It includes the Moon for the first time. ® Two Indian sites are part of the list: ® Bhuj Historic Water Systems (Gujarat) ® Musi River Historic Buildings (Telangana)

World University Rankings by Subject 2025

® According to the ‘ World University Rankings by Subject 2025 ’ released by the Times Higher Education (THE), IISc Bengaluru is ranked 96th in Computer Science . ® Oxford University is ranked top overall, followed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University . ® US universities dominated the top 10 lists across all 11 subjects . ® 53 Indian universities were ranked globally in Computer Science. ® Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Science s is ranked in the 251-300 band for Medical & Health. ® Delhi University (DU) is ranked in the 301+ band for Law and Psychology. ® Jadavpur University, Kolkata is ranked for the first time (601+ band) for Arts and Humanities.

India’s RE growth in 2024

® 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. ® It is a 15.84% increase compared to 180.80 GW in 2023. ® 28.64 GW of RE capacity was added in 2024 , with 119.46% year-on-year increase . ® Solar energy installations topped with 24.5 GW of new capacity, taking the total installed capacity to 97.86 GW . ® 18.5 GW was added from utility-scale solar installations, among which 71% was from Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu. ® Rooftop solar installations increased by 4.59 GW . ® Wind energy capacity increased by 3.4 GW in 2024 to 48.16 GW . ® 98% of the wind capacity additions were in Gujarat, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. ® Bioenergy installed capacity increased by 4.70% to 11.35 GW from 10.84 GW in 2023. ® Small hydro power capacity increased by 2.20% to 5.10 GW from 4.99GW in 2023.

Edelman Trust Barometer 2024

® 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. ® China topped the rank, followed by Indonesia . ® India ranked 13th in terms of public trust in companies that are headquartered in India. ® Among high-income countries, India ranked 4th after Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and China. ® Despite the decline, India (75%) is among the top trusted developing nations , after China (77%), Indonesia (76%), and the UAE (72%).

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

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.

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.

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