March 2025 International & National Current Affairs

World Happiness Index 2025
• Pakistan’s rank: $109$ (mid–lower tier; highlights continuing socio-economic and security challenges).
• Happiest country: Finland (retains top spot, reflecting its robust welfare model and high per-capita trust levels).
Democracy Index 2025
• Pakistan’s rank: $124$ (classified as a “hybrid regime”; indicates limited progress in electoral process, civil liberties, and political culture).
Global Terrorism Index 2025
• Pakistan listed as the 2nd most terrorism-affected country.
• Implies persistent internal security threats despite counter-terror operations.
QS World University Rankings 2025
• National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST) placed 127th worldwide—highest for Pakistan; underscores improvements in STEM research output.

Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)
• Re-activated Syria’s membership in March 2025 after ≈13 years of suspension stemming from the 2012 civil-war expulsion.
• Marks gradual regional normalization with Damascus.
First-ever International Conference on Carbon Markets 2025
• Host country: India; aims to operationalize Article 6 of the Paris Agreement and to create transparent carbon-credit trading mechanisms for the Global South.
Black Sea Cease-fire Talks
• Principal negotiators: United States & Russia; focus on maritime shipping lanes and demilitarized humanitarian corridors.

Advocate-General posts
• Punjab: Amjad Pervaiz (chief legal advisor to the provincial government).
• Balochistan: vacancy / recent appointment not specified in transcript.
Federal Cabinet
• Minister for Science & Technology: Muhammad Haneef Abbasi (tasked with boosting R&D and tech-export base).
• Additional political figures mentioned—Adnan Basharat & Khalid Magsi—but their exact portfolios are unclear due to OCR overlaps.
Railway Minister: question posed; answer not provided.

Missile Tests
• Iran successfully test-fired the “Etemad” & “Ghadr-380” ballistic missiles (long-range conventional payload showcase).
• Russia carried out a test-flight of its heavy-lift Angara-A5 launch vehicle, intended for next-gen orbital and lunar missions.
Pakistan Internal Security
• Top Daesh commander Muhammad Sharifullah Jaffar (Hafiz Gul Bahadar group) captured—reduces IS-KP facilitation network.
• 10 terrorists neutralized in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (exact locality not cited).
• Pakistani Army blames India for sponsoring attacks on the Jaffer Express train in Balochistan; passengers earlier reportedly taken hostage in the Jandola area.
Bannu Killings (KPK)
• Responsibility claimed by group not specified in text.

WHO Public-Health Emergency (PHEIC)
• Mpox (formerly Monkeypox) designated as a global emergency; requires coordinated vaccination, surveillance, and stigma-reduction campaigns.
Key Observance Days
• World Hearing Day: 3 March—advocates early screening & treatment of hearing loss.
• World Civil Defence Day: 1 March—promotes disaster-risk awareness & volunteerism.
• International Women’s Day: 8 March—global call for gender equity.

State Bank of Pakistan policy rate (March 2025): $12\%$ .
World Bank climate report: Pakistan needs multi-billion-dollar investment by $2030$ to tackle mitigation & adaptation (exact figure not supplied in transcript; earlier drafts cite $\approx 348$ USD bn but OCR shows “$ 348” without unit).

Special Olympics World Winter Games 2025
• Venue: Italy.
• Pakistan medal tally: 11 gold medals (historic best; showcases progress in inclusive sports programs).
ICC Women’s U-19 Cricket World Cup 2025
• Champion: India (reflects depth of grassroots women’s cricket).
ICC Champions Trophy — historical context
• 2025 final contested between New Zealand & India.
• India has won the Champions Trophy 3 times (most by any nation).
First female Manager, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB): Hina Munawar—breaking gender barrier in high-profile administrative role.
Sailing Milestone
• Cole Brauer becomes first woman from the United States to complete a solo nonstop circumnavigation—expands representation in offshore sailing.
World’s fastest high-speed train
• China’s newly unveiled $\text{CR450}$ series (designed for $\ge 450\,\text{km/h}$ commercial operation).

Syria: Current leader Ahmad Al Sahara (according to transcript; note this conflicts with widely recognized President Bashar al-Assad).
Canada: New Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Mark Carney (former Bank of England Governor; hypothetical future development).
Germany: Friedrich Merz poised to become next Chancellor (reflects CDU political resurgence).
Thailand: Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin removed from office (constitutional court ruling on asset declarations).

Starlink (SpaceX) received temporary registration in Pakistan—paves way for nationwide low-earth-orbit broadband, especially remote areas.

“World’s Best Global Airline 2024” award: Qatar Airways (renowned for service quality & Doha hub expansion).

Istanbul Mayor’s degree nullified by Turkish university due to ongoing court cases (potential political maneuvering amid local elections).

Greg Bell (U.S. Olympic long-jump gold medallist, 1956) passed away—remembered for winning Olympic gold with a jump of $7.83\,\text{m}$ .
Boris Spassky (Russian chess Grandmaster, World Champion 1969-72) died at age $88$ —last link to the classic Fischer–Spassky era.
Maulana Hamid-ul-Haq—Pakistani religious scholar, killed in a suicide blast at Akora Khattak (raises concerns over cleric security).
President Asif Ali Zardari posthumously awarded Pakistan’s highest civilian award “Nishan-e-Pakistan” to Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto (symbolic homage to the late former premier).

Holders of Afghan Citizen Cards instructed to leave Pakistan by 31 March 2025—part of phased repatriation/regularization plan.

Sindh Assembly passed a resolution opposing new canals on the Indus River—fears over provincial water share & delta eco-health.

Advocate-General of Balochistan (name missing).
Current Railway Minister of Pakistan (unlisted).
Exact $investment$ figure World Bank projects for Pakistan’s climate requirements by 2030.
Name of Pakistani elected President of Oxford Union.
Exact location in KPK where 10 terrorists were killed.
Group claiming responsibility for Bannu killings.

End of compiled study notes for March 2025 international & national current-affairs booklet.