Current affairs 21 March 2025

World Happiness Report 2025: India Ranked 118th.

• Finland retained its position as the world's happiest country for the eighth consecutive year, followed by Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Netherlands, Costa Rica, Norway, Israel, Luxembourg, and Mexico.
• Afghanistan ranks as the least happy country, with Sierra Leone & Lebanon following closely.
• India ranks 118th out of 147 countries, with its highest at 94 in 2022 & its lowest at 144 in 2012.

India Sends $1M Machinery to Boost Suriname's Agriculture.

• India sent $1 million worth of machinery to Suriname to support the Passion fruit industry as part of its development partnership.
• The initiative aims to enhance agricultural productivity and strengthen India-Suriname bilateral ties.
• Suriname is a small country on the northeastern coast of South America.

BPCL Launches "Emerge" Cohort to Support Energy Startups.

• BPCL launched the Emerge cohort under the Ankur Fund to support startups in Energy Efficiency & CGD.
• The initiative targets startups with PoC/MVP solutions in Oil & Gas, focusing on AI-driven energy management, predictive maintenance, and heat recovery.
• Since 2016, BPCL Ankur has funded 30 startups with Rs. 28 crores, fostering innovation in the energy sector.

Indian Railways, IIT Madras Partnered for Hyperloop R&D.

• Research Designs and Standards Organisation & IIT Madras partnered, securing Rs. 20.89 crore funding to develop Hyperloop technology.
• The initiative includes building a sub-scale model, test track & vacuum tube facility to validate Hyperloop’s feasibility.
• Hyperloop, still in its nascent stage, promises faster, energy-efficient & sustainable transportation compared to conventional modes.

ULIP Crosses 100 Crore API Transactions in Logistics.

• Unified Logistics Interface Platform recorded 100 crore API transactions, enhancing India’s logistics sector under Make in India and Viksit Bharat 2047.
• The platform enables real-time cargo tracking, automation, and regulatory compliance, improving Ease of Doing Business and fostering global competitiveness.
• ULIP is a digital gateway, aimed to improve transparency in the logistics sector.