Daily Current Affairs – 25-03-2025
Tamil Nadu
Sharp Decline in
Net FDI Inflows in FY 2024–25
® Net FDI inflows into India dropped by 96% in FY 2024–25, reaching just $0.4 billion, compared to $10.1 billion in FY 2023–24. ® Despite the fall in net FDI, gross inward FDI rose by 13.7%, reaching $81 billion, up from around $71 billion in FY23 and FY24. ® For context, India received $84.83 billion FDI inflows in FY22. ® Net outward FDI (OFDI) increased significantly by 75% YoY, reaching $29.2 billion in FY25. ® Key destinations for increased OFDI included Singapore, the US, UAE, Mauritius, and the Netherlands. ® Repatriations and disinvestments rose by 15.7%, touching $51.5 billion, up from $44.5 billion in FY23. ® The data reflects a decline in net FDI despite increased gross inflows, due to higher outward investments and disinvestments.
Mizoram Declared
India’s First Fully Literate State
® Mizoram has become the first Indian state to be officially declared fully literate under the ULLAS (Understanding Lifelong Learning for All in Society) initiative. ® The state had a 91.33% literacy rate as per the 2011 Census, ranking third in the country. ® According to the PLFS 2023–24, Mizoram has now achieved a 98.2% literacy rate, leading to this milestone recognition.
Revamped Multi
Agency Centre (MAC) Launched for Enhanced Counter-Terrorism Coordination
® The revamped Multi Agency Centre (MAC), operated under the Intelligence Bureau (IB), was inaugurated in New Delhi to strengthen India’s counter-terrorism framework. ® Originally conceptualised after the Kargil War in 2001, the updated version now connects all police districts across India through a secured network. ® The MAC functions as a centralised intelligence-sharing platform, involving 28 agencies including RAW, the armed forces, and various State police units. ® This upgraded system aims to enhance real-time coordination and intelligence sharing among security agencies.
Amrit Bharat
Railway Stations Redevelopment
® PM inaugurated 103 redeveloped railway stations across 86 districts in 18 states/UTs under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, launched in 2022. ® The scheme aims to transform 1,300 stations into modern “city centres.” ® Uttar Pradesh (157), Maharashtra (132), and West Bengal (101) have the highest number of stations identified. Nine railway stations in Tamil Nadu were redeveloped under the scheme: ® St Thomas Mount (Chennai division) ® Samalpatti (Salem division) ® Srirangam (Tiruchi division) – design inspired by Ranganatha Swamy temple ® Tiruvannamalai – designed with Dravidian architectural style ® Polur, Chidambaram, Vriddhachalam, Mannargudi, and Kulitturai (Kanniyakumari)
NITI Aayog releases
report on HE
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NITI Aayog has released a report titled ‘ Expanding Quality Higher Education through States and State Public Universities ’.
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It is the first policy document to focus specifically on states and State Public Universities (SPUs) .
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The report is based on the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) report 2021-22 , prepared by the Ministry of Education, and includes nearly 80 policy recommendations across 4 key indicators .
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Based on the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in
2021-22 , states are categorized as:
Achievers:
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Tamil Nadu
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Himachal Pradesh
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Uttarakhand
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Kerala
Front-runners:
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Sikkim
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Andhra Pradesh
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Karnataka
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Kerala, Chhattisgarh, and HP have higher female enrolment rates than males.
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The Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR) was lowest
in universities of Tamil Nadu , and highest in Jharkhand .
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Arunachal Pradesh showed the highest decadal improvement in PTR
(2011-12 to 2021-22).
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Bihar spends the highest percentage of its Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) on higher education (1.56%), while Telangana
has the lowest (0.18%).
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Maharashtra has the highest higher education budget (₹11,421 crore), while Sikkim (₹142 crore) have the lowest .
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The mean per youth expenditure on HE rose to ₹4,921 (2019-20).
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Karnataka has the highest college density (66), while Manipur (3) have the lowest .
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Sikkim has the highest average university density (10.3). The national average is 0.8 and Bihar (0.2) have the lowest .
Devolution Index
ranking
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According to the report titled ‘ Status of Devolution to Panchayats in States – An Indicative Evidence-Based Ranking’ (2024) released by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and the Indian Institute of Public Administration (New Delhi), Karnataka is ranked top in the overall Devolution Index (DI) rankings of the Panchayat Raj system with a score of 72.2.
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It is followed by Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat.
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Bihar, Assam, Sikkim, and Uttarakhand emerged as moderate scorers, with values above the national average of 43.89 .
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Tamil Nadu has been ranked third at the all-India level under the Panchayat Devolution Index (PDI).
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The State has received a score of 68.38 next to Karnataka (72.23) and Kerala (70.59).
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Tamil Nadu has the highest score at the national level with 60.24 with regard to the dimension of “functions.”
Forbes India 30
Under 30 Class of 2025
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According to the 12th edition of the ” Forbes India 30 Under 30 Class of 2025 ” released Forbes India, which features 42 individuals (12 women) across 19 categories (including a new category - AI).
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D Gukesh , the 2024 World Chess Champion , is the youngest achiever on the list.
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Devan Chandrasekharan was recognized for his contributions to Fuselage Innovations.
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Actress Aparna Balamurali was recognized for her performances in the South Indian film industry.
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Rajat Arya and Chirag Arya , the Co-founders of 169Pi AI , were recognized for their contributions to the field of AI.
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“ Bhanzu ” of Neelakantha Bhanu was recognized for offering personalized math learning experiences aimed at addressing math anxiety.
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Bhanu, the world’s fastest human calculator , was also featured in Forbes Asia’s 30 Under 30 list in 2022.
Corruption
Perceptions Index 2024
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According to the “ 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI 2024) ” released by Transparency International (TI), India is ranked 96th
with a score of 38, sharing the spot with Gambia and Maldives.
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Denmark topped the CPI for the 7th consecutive time with a score of 90, followed by Finland (88) and Singapore (84).
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South Sudan is ranked the least.
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The global average remained unchanged at 43. The report highlights that 85% of the world (6.8 billion people) live in countries with high corruption .