Daily Current Affairs- 28th March 2025

Daily Current Affairs 28th March 2025

Union Minister of Cooperation Announces Sahkar Taxi

In the News: The Government of India has announced the upcoming launch of 'Sahkar Taxi,' a cooperative-based ride-hailing service designed to provide direct earnings to drivers by eliminating intermediaries.

Key Details:

• Announcement: Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah introduced the 'Sahkar Taxi' initiative in Parliament, emphasizing its alignment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Sahkar se Samriddhi' (Prosperity through Cooperation).
• Service Scope: The platform will register and facilitate services for two-wheeler taxis, auto-rickshaws, and four-wheeler cabs across India.
• Driver Benefits: Unlike private ride-hailing companies, 'Sahkar Taxi' aims to ensure that all profits go directly to the drivers, enhancing their financial security and eliminating the need to share earnings with large corporations.
• Implementation Timeline: The service is expected to roll out in the coming months, with the government actively working on its establishment.
• Additional Initiatives: Plans are underway to establish a cooperative insurance company to provide financial protection to individuals within the cooperative sector. 

Kunal Kamra gets anticipatory bail in the row related to Maharashtra deputy CM

In the News: The Madras High Court has granted interim anticipatory bail to stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra until April 7, 2025, in connection with an FIR filed against him in Mumbai over alleged remarks about Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Key Details:

• Background of the Case:
  • Kamra performed a stand-up comedy show titled "Naya Bharat" at Mumbai's Habitat Comedy Club in February 2025, which was uploaded to his YouTube channel on February 23, 2025.
  • The performance included a parody song that, according to complainants, defamed Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde by referring to him as a "traitor," alluding to his 2022 split from the Shiv Sena.
• Legal Actions and Threats:
  • Following the video's release, Kamra reported receiving numerous threats of physical harm and death via social media, email, and phone.
  • On March 23, 2025, Shiv Sena workers vandalized the Habitat Comedy Club in response to Kamra's performance; twelve individuals were arrested and later granted bail.
  • A Zero FIR was filed against Kamra on March 24, 2025, under Sections 353(1)(b), 353(2) (public mischief), and 356(2) (defamation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, based on a complaint from Shiv Sena MLA Muraji Patel. The FIR was later transferred to the Khar Police Station in Mumbai.
• Court Proceedings:
  • Kamra, residing in Villupuram, Tamil Nadu, since February 2021, approached the Madras High Court seeking transit anticipatory bail, citing fears for his safety and inability to approach courts in Maharashtra.
  • Justice Sunder Mohan granted interim anticipatory bail until April 7, 2025, directing Kamra to execute a bail bond before the jurisdictional magistrate. 

Cell to deal with mercy petitions for death row convicts

In the News: The Maharashtra government has established a dedicated cell to expedite the processing of mercy petitions for death row convicts, aiming to prevent delays that could lead to the commutation of death sentences.

Key Details:

• Formation of the Dedicated Cell:
  • Following a Supreme Court directive, the Maharashtra Home Department convened a meeting on February 30, 2025, resulting in the decision to create this specialized cell.
  • The nine-member committee comprises senior officials from the prisons department and court officials, tasked with meeting quarterly to address pending mercy petitions promptly.
• Supreme Court Directive:
  • The Supreme Court emphasized the necessity for state governments and union territories to establish dedicated cells for handling mercy petitions efficiently.
  • The Court highlighted that undue and unexplained delays in executing death sentences violate the fundamental rights of convicts under Article 21 of the Constitution.
• Case Reference:
  • The initiative was influenced by a case involving the rape and murder of a Wipro BPO employee in Pune in 2007. In this case, the convicts' death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment due to a nearly four-year delay in processing their mercy petitions.
• Operational Guidelines:
  • Upon receiving a mercy petition, the Superintendent of Prison is required to forward copies to the dedicated cell and request specific information from the relevant police station or investigation agency.
  • The dedicated cell is responsible for promptly processing these petitions within the timeframes established by the government, ensuring that convicts are informed of their petition statuses without undue delay. 

Earthquake in Myanmar

In the News: A powerful earthquake struck central Myanmar on March 28, 2025, causing widespread devastation and loss of life in both Myanmar and neighbouring Thailand.

Key Details:

• Magnitude and Epicentre: The earthquake registered a magnitude of 7.7, with its epicentre near Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city.
• Casualties:
  • Myanmar: At least more than 600 people were confirmed dead, with more than 1600 injured. Authorities anticipate the death toll may rise as rescue operations continue.
  • Thailand: In Bangkok, approximately 10 fatalities were reported, and dozens were injured following the collapse of a high-rise building under construction.
• Structural Damage:
  • Myanmar: Significant destruction occurred in Mandalay and surrounding regions, including the collapse of residential buildings, bridges, and religious sites.
  • Thailand: The earthquake's tremors led to the collapse of a 30-story building in Bangkok, resulting in casualties and trapping numerous individuals under debris.
• Aftershocks: A 4-magnitude aftershock occurred 11 minutes after the initial quake, followed by several smaller tremors, exacerbating the damage and complicating rescue efforts.
• Government Response:
  • Myanmar: The military junta declared a state of emergency in affected areas and issued a rare appeal for international aid to assist in relief and recovery operations.

Elon Musk Sells X to his own AI Company xAI

In the News: Elon Musk has sold his social media platform, X (formerly known as Twitter), to his artificial intelligence company, xAI, in a $33 billion all-stock transaction.

Key Details:

• Transaction Structure: The deal is an all-stock transaction, valuing xAI at $80 billion and X at $33 billion.
• Purpose of the Merger: Musk stated that the merger aims to "unlock immense potential by blending xAI's advanced AI capability and expertise with X's massive reach."
• Background on X: Elon Musk acquired Twitter in 2022 for $44 billion, rebranding it as X and implementing significant changes to its policies and operations.
• Background on xAI: Musk launched xAI in 2023, focusing on artificial intelligence advancements. The company has developed Grok, an AI chatbot integrated into X for paying subscribers, and has utilized data from X user posts to train its AI models.
• User Impact: It remains unclear how this merger will affect X users. xAI already uses data from X posts for AI training, and paying users have access to xAI's chatbot, Grok 

Ghiblification of Art

In the News: The release of OpenAI's latest image generation model, GPT-4o, has enabled users to create images emulating the distinctive style of Studio Ghibli, the renowned Japanese animation studio co-founded by Hayao Miyazaki. This trend, often referred to as "Ghiblification," has sparked both fascination and controversy within the art and AI communities.

• Studio Ghibli: Studio Ghibli is a renowned Japanese animation studio founded on June 15, 1985, by directors Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, along with producer Toshio Suzuki. The studio was established following the success of Miyazaki's 1984 film Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. The name "Ghibli" was inspired by the Italian word for a hot desert wind, symbolizing the studio's intent to "blow a new wind through the anime industry."
• AI-Generated Ghibli-Style Images: Users have been utilizing AI tools to transform personal photos and popular memes into illustrations reminiscent of Studio Ghibli's aesthetic. This surge in AI-generated art has led to widespread sharing on social media platforms, showcasing the technology's ability to replicate the studio's unique visual style.
• Hayao Miyazaki's Stance on AI: Hayao Miyazaki, known for his meticulous hand-drawn animation, has been a vocal critic of artificial intelligence in art. In a 2016 documentary, he described AI-generated animation as "an insult to life itself," emphasizing his belief in the irreplaceable value of human creativity and effort in the artistic process.
• Ethical and Legal Considerations: The replication of Studio Ghibli's style by AI has raised questions about copyright infringement and the potential exploitation of artists' work. Legal experts and artists are debating whether AI models have been trained on copyrighted materials without proper authorization, highlighting the need for clearer regulations in the intersection of AI and creative industries.  

Israel strikes Beirut first time since ceasefire end of Israel-Hezbollah war

In the News: On March 28, 2025, Israel conducted an airstrike on Beirut's southern suburb of Dahiyeh, marking the first such action since the November 2024 ceasefire with Hezbollah. The strike targeted a building purportedly housing Hezbollah's drone storage facilities.

Key Details:

• Triggering Incident: The airstrike was a response to rocket fire from Lebanon into northern Israel. Israel attributed the attacks to Hezbollah, though the group denied involvement.
• Casualties and Damage: In addition to the Beirut strike, Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon resulted in three deaths and 18 injuries in the village of Kfar Tibnit.
• International Reactions:
  • France: President Emmanuel Macron condemned the Israeli airstrike as unjustified, stating there was no activity warranting such an attack. He emphasized the importance of adhering to the ceasefire agreement brokered in November 2024.
  • Spain: The Spanish government condemned the violations of the ceasefire agreement, highlighting the attacks as serious breaches of international law due to their impact on densely populated areas.
• Regional Impact: The escalation has heightened tensions in the region, with concerns that the fragile ceasefire may collapse. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned of further strikes if hostilities continue.