Current Affairs Weekly PDF – February 2025 – 1st Week
(1 – 7)
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
Highlights of PM Modi’s visit to Odisha
and Uttarakhand on 28th January ,2025
On January 28 2025, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra
Modi visited the states of Odisha and Uttarakhand to
inaugurate ‘Utkarsh Odisha – Make in
Odisha Conclave 2025’ and 38th National Games.
✓ PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the two-day
‘Utkarsh Odisha – The Make in Odisha
conclave’ at Janata Maidan in
Bhubaneswar(Odisha) which was conducted
from January 28 to 29, 2025. The aim of the
event was to focus on bringing Odisha amongst
the top 5 economic states in the country
by 2036.
✓ PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the
38th National Games at the Rajiv Gandhi
International Cricket Stadium in Dehradun,
Uttarakhand while celebrating 25 years of the
formation of the state.
Yoga and Mallakhamb have been included in
the National Games for the first time.
Dr. Jitendra Singh Commemorated CSIRIITR’s Diamond Jubilee in Lucknow, UP
On January 28, 2025 Union Minister of State (MoS)
(Independent Charge, IC), Dr. Jitendra Singh, Ministry
of Science and Technology (MoS&T) commemorated
the 60th anniversary (Diamond Jubilee) of CSIR-Indian
Institute of Toxicology Research (CSIR-IITR), a
constituent laboratory of Council of Scientific &
Industrial Research(CSIR), celebrated at its
headquarters in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh (UP).
Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya
Chairs National Conference with Labour
Ministers and Secretaries of States & UTs in
New Delhi
Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Ministry of
Labour & Employment (MoL&E) and Ministry of Youth
Affairs & Sports (MYAS) chaired the two-day National
level conference with Labour Ministers and
Secretaries of States and Union Territories
(UTs) in New Delhi, Delhi.
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✓ During the meeting, Union Minister Mansukh
Mandaviya launched two significant initiatives
during the conference: State & UT
Microsites and Occupational Shortage
Index (OSI) and under the e-Shram initiative.
CCS Approved Project worth over Rs
10,000 crore for Procurement of
Ammunition for IA’s Pinaka MBRL
In January 2025, the Cabinet Committee on
Security (CCS) chaired by Prime Minister (PM)
Narendra Modi approved the project to procure over Rs
10,000 crore worth of ammunition for the Indian Army
(IA)’s Pinaka Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher Systems
(MBRLs). The ammunition under this project will be
manufactured domestically to meet requirements of IA
over the next 10 years.
✓ As per the contract, two types of ammunitions
i.e. Pinaka Mk-I (Enhanced) Rocket System
(EPRS) and Area Denial Munitions (ADM) will
be produced by Pune (Maharashtra)-based
Munitions India Limited (MIL) and Nagpur
(Maharashtra)-based Economic Explosives
Limited (EEL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Solar Industries India Limited (SIIL).
MoMSME, ONDC Launches Rs.277 Crore
Initiative to Empower 5 lakh Small
Businesses
On January 28 2025, the Ministry of Micro, Small, and
Medium Enterprises (MoMSME), in collaboration with
the New Delhi (Delhi) based Open Network for Digital
Commerce (ONDC), launched Trade Enablement and
Marketing (TEAM) Initiative designed to help Small and
Micro Enterprises (SMEs) join ONDC.
✓ The initiative with a budget of Rs.277.35 crore
over 3 years, aims to onboard 5 lakh micro
and small enterprises, 50% of these being
women-led businesses.
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Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh Launches
India’s First Organic Fisheries Cluster in
Sikkim
In January 2025, Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal
Husbandry & Dairying (MoFAH&D) and Ministry of
Panchayati Raj (MoPR) Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan
Singh, has introduced India’s first Organic Fisheries
Cluster in Soreng district of Sikkim at the North
Eastern Region (NER) State Meet- 2025, held in
Guwahati, Assam.
✓ National Bank for Agriculture & Rural
Development(NABARD) is a key stakeholder
in developing the fisheries and aquaculture
organic cluster in Sikkim.
PM Narendra Modi inaugurated ‘Utkarsh
Odisha – Make in Odisha Conclave 2025’ in
Bhubaneswar
In January 2025, Prime Minister (PM) of
India, Narendra Modi inaugurated the ‘Utkarsh
Odisha – Make in Odisha Conclave 2025’ and the
‘Make in Odisha Exhibition’ in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
✓ A total of 145 Memorandums of
Understanding (MoUs) were signed during the
conclave, attracting investment commitments
worth Rs 16.73 lakh crore across various
sectors, including chemicals &
petrochemicals, textiles, mining & metallurgy,
renewable energy (RE), Information
Technology/Information Technology Enabled
Services (IT/ITeS), tourism, and food
processing.
✓ Jupiter International Limited, headquartered
in Kolkata, West Bengal (WB), has signed a
MoU with the Government of Odisha to
establish a photovoltaic(PV) solar cell and
module manufacturing facility in Khordha,
Odisha, through its subsidiary Jupiter
Renewables Private Limited, with an
investment of Rs 2,005 crore (Rs 20.05
billion).
DIID, MoSPI & IIIT-Delhi Sign MoU to
Strengthen India’s Statistical Ecosystem
On January 30, 2025, the Data Informatics and
Innovation Division (DIID), Ministry of Statistics and
Programme Implementation (MoSPI) signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the
Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology (IIITDelhi) under the Data Innovation Lab (DIL) initiative to
modernize India’s National Statistical System (NSS).
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4 New Wetlands, 2 from Tamil Nadu, 1 from
Jharkhand, and 1 from Sikkim Added to
Ramsar List
On 31 January, 2025, Union Minister Bhupender
Yadav, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate
Change (MoEF&CC) announced the inclusion of four
new wetlands from India in Ramsar Convention list,
bringing the total number of internationally recognized
Ramsar sites in India to 89.
✓ The newly added sites are the Sakkarakottai
Bird Sanctuary and Therthangal Bird
Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu (TN), Khecheopalri
Wetland in Sikkim, and Udhwa Lake in
Jharkhand. This also marks the first Ramsar
sites for both Sikkim and Jharkhand.
Newly added 4 Ramsar Sites of India:
Name of
Wetland
Location
Area (in
hectares
)
Khecheopal
ri Wetland
West Sikkim
District,
Sikkim
11.56
Udhwa Lake
Sahebganj
District,
Jharkhand
565
Therthangal
Bird
Sanctuary
Ramanathapura
m District,
Tamil Nadu
29.5
Sakkarakott
ai Bird
Sanctuary
Ramanathapura
m District, Tamil
Nadu
230.49
Total Area of the four Wetlands
836.55
IIT Indore in Collaboration
with MeitY Launched ‘AgriHub’ as
a CoE for Agritech
In January 2025, Indian Institute of Technology
Indore (IIT-I), Indore, Madhya Pradesh (MP) in
collaboration with Ministry of Electronics and
Information
Technology (MeitY) launched ‘AgriHub’, an Artificial
Intelligence (AI)-driven Centre of Excellence (CoE) to
foster technological innovation, startup incubation, and
industry collaboration in agritech sector.
✓ The CoE will utilize AI, Machine Learning (ML),
and Deep Learning (DL) which will help in
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addressing the critical agricultural challenges
such as: drought, floods, and low productivity
and will also promote sustainable agriculture
in India.
✓ This new white tiger breeding facility will be
developed as part of the revised Master
(Layout) Plan of Maharaja Martand Singh
Judeo White Tiger Safari and Zoo, Mukundpur,
Satna (MP).
Indian Armed Forces conducts TROPEX 25
to test its combat readiness
In January 2025, the senior military officers observed
the Theatre Level Operational Readiness
Exercise (TROPEX-2025), joint operations aboard
several Indian Navy Ship (INS) to witness the
operations and readiness of Indian armed forces :
Indian Navy (IN), the Indian Army (IA), and the Indian Air
Force(IAF), in the Indian Ocean Region(IOR). The
exercise was held for 2 days from January 30-31, 2025.
PM Narendra Modi Inaugurated Bharat
Mobility Global Expo 2025 from January 17
to January 22, 2025
In January 2025, Prime Minister
(PM) Narendra Modi inaugurated Bharat Mobility
Global Expo 2025, India’s largest mobility expo in India
at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, Delhi. It has
also become the world’s 2nd largest automotive expo.
✓ The expo was held from January 17 to January
22, 2025 across 3 different venues: Bharat
Mandapam; Yashobhoomi India International
Convention and Expo Centre (IIC), Dwarka in
New Delhi (Delhi) and India Expo Centre &
Mart, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh (UP).
✓ Theme: “Beyond Boundaries: Co-creating
Future Automotive Value Chain”.
✓ Vayve Mobility Launched India’s 1st Solarpowered EV named “Vavye EVA”
✓ EKA Mobility Launched “EKA Coach” India’s
1st fully Stainless Steel Luxury Electric Bus
✓ BMW India Launched 1st ever ‘Made in India’
EV named “BMW X1Long Wheelbase All
Electric”
✓ JSW MG Motor India Launched India’s 1st D+
Segment SUV, ‘MG Majestor’
✓ TVS Motor Launched India’s 1st Bluetooth
Connected e3W, TVS King EV Max.
CZA Approved Proposal to Set up India’s
White Tiger Breeding Centre in MP
In January 2025, New Delhi(Delhi) based the Central
Zoo Authority (CZA), Ministry of Environment, Forest
and Climate Change(MoEFCC), has approved the
proposal to set up India’s 1st white tiger breeding
centre in Govindgarh area of Rewa district in Madhya
Pradesh (MP).
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Maharashtra to Set up India’s 1st AI
University
Maharashtra is set to establish India’s first Artificial
Intelligence (AI) University, to become a Center of
Excellence(CoE) for AI education and innovation. The
university will focus on AI research, innovation, and
skill development.
MEA Declares IBCA as Inter-Governmental
International Organization
In February 2025, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)
announced that the New Delhi (Delhi)
based International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) and its
Secretariat have officially become a full-fledged treatybased inter-governmental international
organization and international legal entity with effect
from January 23, 2025.
✓ The MEA acting as the Depository of the
Framework Agreement on behalf of the
Government of India (GoI), confirmed
that 5 countries-Republic of India, Republic of
Nicaragua, Kingdom of Eswatini, Federal
Republic of Somalia, and Republic of Liberiahave officially deposited their instruments of
ratification, acceptance, or approval under
Article VIII (1) of the Framework Agreement.
✓ It was established through the National Tiger
Conservation Authority (NTCA), the nodal
organization under the Ministry of Environment,
Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC).
✓ It aims to conserve seven big cat species—
Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Cheetah,
Jaguar, and Puma.
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India’s First Ferret Research Facility
inaugurates at THSTI in Haryana
On February 3 2025, Dr. Rajesh Gokhale, Director
General(DG) of the Biotechnology Research and
Innovation Council (BRIC) and Secretary of the
Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of
Science and Technology (MoS&T), inaugurated
India’s first Ferret Research Facility, at the
Translational Health Science and Technology Institute
(THSTI) in the National Capital Region (NCR) Biotech
Science Cluster, Faridabad, Haryana, marking a
significant advancement in biomedical research and
innovation.
✓ He also launched the ‘GARBH-INiDRISHTI’ data repository and Information
Sharing Hub at THSTI; and witnessed the
signing of an important Technology Transfer
Agreement (TTA).
INCOIS Celebrates its 26th Foundation Day
with New Initiatives & Collaborations
On February 3 2025, the Indian National Centre for
Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), a unit of Earth
System Science Organization (ESSO) under the
Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), celebrated its ‘26th
Foundation Day’ in Medchal-Malkajgiri, Telangana.
✓ The Hilsa Fishery Advisory (HiFA)
Service uses machine learning to predict the
availability of Hilsa fish along the West Bengal
coast.
✓ The INCOIS Global Ocean Reanalysis (IGORA)
Version 1 provides critical ocean climate data
essential for research and forecasting.
IICA & CMAI Sign MoU to Boost India’s
Carbon Market
On February 04 2025, Gurugram (Haryana) based
Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with New
Delhi(Delhi) based Carbon Markets Association of
India (CMAI) during the IICA-CMAI Masterclass on
Global & Indian Carbon Markets as part of the India
Climate Week 2025 (February 3 to 7, 2025), held in
New Delhi.
✓ The partnership aims to strengthen carbon
markets and support decarbonization in India,
while equipping industry professionals,
policymakers, and academics with knowledge
on navigating India’s evolving carbon markets.
Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Launched a Nationwide Campaign
“Watershed Yatra”
In February 2025, Union
Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Ministry of Rural
Development (MoRD) launched a nation-wide
campaign “Watershed Yatra” to encourage people’s
participation and create awareness about the
watershed development activities carried out under
Watershed Development Component of
Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (WDCPMKSY 2.0) in project areas.
✓ During the event, the Union Minister also
announced ‘WatershedJanbhagidari Pratiyogita’ under WDC-PMKSY
2.0 for 2025 and 2026.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Overview of Union Minister Piyush Goyal’s
visit to Oman from January 27-28, 2025
Union Minister Piyush Vedprakash Goyal, Ministry of
Commerce and Industry (MoC&I) visited the Sultanate
of Oman from January 27 to 28, 2025. During the visit,
he participated in the the 11th Session of the IndiaOman Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) and the IndiaOman Joint Business Council (JBC) meeting in
Mascot, Oman.
✓ DTAA: Both countries also signed the Protocol
to amend the India-Oman Double Taxation
Avoidance Agreement (DTAA).
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Guinea Eliminates HAT Disease: WHO
Report
In January 2025, the World Health
Organization (WHO) announced that Guinea has
successfully eradicated the gambiense form of Human
African Trypanosomiasis (HAT), commonly known
as sleeping sickness, as a public health issue.
WHO Declares Niger as the 1st Country in
Africa to Eliminate Onchocerciasis
On January 31 2025, the World Health
Organization (WHO) declared Niger as the 1st African
country to achieve the elimination
of Onchocerciasis, also known as river blindness.
Niger’s success marks the 2nd time the country has
eliminated a Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD), having
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been certified free of dracunculiasis (Guinea-worm
disease) transmission in 2013.
✓ Niger joins 4 other countries: Colombia
(2013), Ecuador (2014), Mexico (2015) and
Guatemala (2016) that have been verified by
the WHO for eliminating onchocerciasis.
Elon Musk’s X Corp to Launch 1st Digital
Wallet with Visa Partnership
In January 2025, Elon Musk owned social media
platform, X Corp (formerly known as Twitter, Inc. ), a
wholly owned subsidiary of X Holdings Corp, unveiled
its 1st Digital Wallet , peer-to-peer (P2P) payment
service ‘X Money’ in partnership with Visitors
International Stay Admission (VISA), to launch a realtime payment system aiming to create an “everything
application (app).”
✓ VISA, one of the largest United States of
America (USA) credit card networks, will be
the 1st partner for X’s Money Account service,
set to launch later in 2025.
✓ India has surpassed the United States of
America (USA) (84.1%) and China
(83.2%), are ranked at 2nd and 3rd position
respectively.
✓ As per Directorate General of Civil
Aviation (DGCA)’s data, the aviation sector in
India witnessed 163 million passengers
boarding domestic flights in 2024.
Mali, Burkina Faso & Niger Officially
Withdraw from ECOWAS
In January 2025, Abuja(Nigeria) based Economic
Community of West African
States (ECOWAS) officially acknowledged the exit of
three West African Countries – Republic of Mali,
Burkina Faso, and Republic of Niger from the regional
economic bloc.
Forbes Top 10 Most Powerful
Countries in The World 2025: USA Topped;
India secures 12th spot
According to the list of Top 10 powerful countries in the
world 2025 released by an American business
magazine Forbes, the United States of
America (USA) secured the top spot as the most
powerful country in the world with a Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) of USD 30.34 trillion.
✓ The USA was followed by China in
the 2nd spot with a GDP of USD 19.53 trillion
and Russia in the 3rd position with a GDP of
USD 2.2 trillion respectively.
✓ India secured the 12th position with a GDP of
USD 4.27 trillion in the list as of February 2025.
✓ Note: In terms of global GDP, India is
positioned at the 5th spot behind the USA,
China, Germany, and Japan.
India Tops Global List in Passenger Loads on
Domestic Flights: IATA Report
In January 2025, Montreal (Canada)-based
International Air Transport Association (IATA) released
its ‘Full-year and December 2024 international
passenger market performance data’, showing recordhigh demand for air travel. As per the report, India’s
domestic flights have recorded a Passenger Load
Factor (PLF) of 86.4% in 2024 (down by 0.6% point
compared to 2023), the highest among all domestic
markets.
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GAL Joins UNGC Initiative to Promote
Sustainable Aviation
On February 03, 2025, GMR Airports Limited (GAL),
formerly GMR Airports Infrastructure Limited (GIL) and
India’s largest airport operator, joined the United
Nations Global Compact (UNGC), the world’s largest
corporate sustainability initiative, to advance its
commitment to becoming a global leader in
sustainable aviation.
✓ Through its membership with the UNGC, GAL
has committed to aligning its strategies and
operations with the ten principles of UNGC,
covering human rights, labour, environment,
and anti-corruption, while also promoting the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
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13th Edition of India-Maldives Joint Military
Exercise ‘Ekuverin’ Begins
UNICEF Releases National Roadmap for
Child & Adolescent Road Safety in India
Panama Becomes 1st Latin American
Nation to Exit China’s BRI
India Featured in UN’s Honour Roll for
Timely Payment of Regular Budget
Assessments
The 13th edition of the joint military
exercise ‘Ekuverin’ hosted by Maldives between the
Indian Army (IA) and the Maldives National Defence
Force (MNDF), commenced in the Archipelago Nation
(Maldives).
✓ It is a bilateral annual exercise conducted
between India and Maldives since 2009 to
strengthen military relations between the two
countries.
In February 2025, the President of
Panama, José Raúl Mulino Quintero announced that
Panama would not renew its participation in China’s
Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), making it the 1st Latin
American nation to withdraw from the global
infrastructure program.
✓ This decision follows the visit of the United
States of America’s (USA) Secretary of
State Marco Antonio Rubio, during which
Panama faced pressure over its ties with
China.
On February 4 2025, the United Nations Children’s
Fund (UNICEF), in collaboration with the World Health
Organization Collaborating Centre(WHOCC) for Injury
Prevention and Safety launched a ‘National Roadmap
to address Road Traffic Injuries (RTIs) among children
and adolescents in India’ at the National Institute of
Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS) in
Bengaluru (Karnataka).
In February 2025, The Permanent Mission of India to
the United Nations (UN-PMI ) in New York announced
that India has once again been featured in the
UN’s ‘Honour Roll’ of 35 member states who have
paid their regular budget assessments in full within the
30-day period specified in the financial regulations of
the UN.
✓ According to the UN Committee on
Contributions, as of January 31, 2025, India
contributed USD 37.64 million to the 2025 UN
Regular Budget.
BANKING & FINANCE
IPPB & PNB MetLife Partner to Expand Life
Insurance Access in India
On January 30 2025, New Delhi (Delhi) based India
Post Payments Bank Limited (IPPB) and Mumbai
(Maharashtra) based PNB MetLife India Insurance
Company Limited (PNB MetLife) entered into a
bancassurance partnership to enhance the
accessibility of Life Insurance Solutions across India.
RBI Aligns HFCs’ NCD Private
Placement Norms with NBFC Regulations
In January 2025, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
announced the alignment of regulations governing the
private placement of non-convertible debentures
(NCDs) by housing finance companies (HFCs) with
those applicable to non-banking financial companies
(NBFCs).
The minimum subscription per investor shall
be Rs.20,000. The private placement of NCDs will be
classified into two segments:
✓ NCDs with a maximum subscription of less
than Rs.1 crore per investor.
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✓ NCDs with a minimum subscription of Rs.1
crore and above per investor.
Canara Bank Launched ‘Canara Crest
Program’ to offer Premium Banking
Experience
In January 2025, Bengaluru (Karnataka)based Canara Bank, one of India’s leading Public
Sector Banks (PSBs)
launched ‘Canara Crest’ membership program, a firstof-its-kind initiative led by the bank, offering a
personalized and premium banking experience.
✓ It is designed exclusively to cater the evolving
needs of High-Net-Worth Individuals (HNWI).
ABHFL Secures Rs 830 Crore Investment from
IFC through NCDs
In January 2025, Varavel, Maharashtra-based Aditya
Birla Housing Finance Limited (ABHFL), a subsidiary of
Aditya Birla Capital Limited, a financial services
company, secured an investment of Rs 830
crore through non-convertible
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debentures (NCDs) from the International Finance
Corporation (IFC).The investment aims to improve
financial inclusion (FI) and support communities in the
affordable housing.
RBI Ombudsman Resolved 95% of
Complaints in FY24
In January 2025, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
released its latest Annual Report of the Ombudsman
Scheme, 2023-24. As per the report, RBI
resolved 95% (i.e. 2.84 lakh) complaints received
under the Reserve Bank-Integrated Ombudsman
Scheme (RB-IOS) between April 1, 2023 and March
31, 2024 and achieved a disposable rate of 95.10%.
✓ Under the RB-IOS, 2021 act, the complaints
are handled by 24 Offices of the RBI
Ombudsman (ORBIOs) and the Centralised
Receipt and Processing Centre (CRPC). During
F.Y.2023-24.
✓ The report revealed that a total
of 9,34,355 complaints were received by the
ORBIOs and CRPC as compared to 7,03,544
complaints during F.Y.2022-23, representing
an increase of 32.81 per cent.
✓ RBI received maximum complaints in
the “Loans and Advances” category , with 85,
281 complaints reported in FY24,
accounting 29.01% of total complaints. This
represents a sharp increase of 42.70%
compared to last year.
✓ ORBIOs received maximum complaints from
top 5 States/ Union Territories (UTs) based on
per lakh accounts (deposit and credit) are: UT
Chandigarh, the National Capital
Territory(NCT) of Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat,
and Uttarakhand.
RBI Tightens Norms for Imposing Penalty
under PSS Act, 2007
In January 2025, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has
tightened norms for imposing monetary penalties and
compounding offences under the Payment and
Settlement Systems Act (PSS Act, 2007). The new
norms aim to consolidate and rationalize enforcement
actions by the RBI.
✓ RBI has been empowered under Section 30 of
the PSS Act, to impose a penalty not
exceeding Rs 10 lakh or twice the amount
involved in such contravention or default
where such amount is quantifiable, whichever
is more.
✓ The monetary penalty or compounding
amount is required to be paid within 30
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days from the date of receipt of penalty or
compounding order, as the case may be.
New Investment Announcements Surged by
39%, to over Rs 32 lakh crore in 9MFY25
According to State Bank of India (SBI’s) Economic
Research Department (ERD) report, new investment
announcements in India surged by a robust 39% Yearon-Year (Y-o-Y), to over Rs 32 lakh crore in the first 9
Months(April –December) of Financial Year 202425 (9MFY25) from Rs 23 lakh crore during the same
period in the last year. This growth reflects the
sustained momentum in investment activities across
India.
✓ It also highlighted that domestic investment
announcements in India during the last two
FYs (FY23 and FY24) have witnessed a
significant increase of Rs 37 lakh crore.
SBI introduces New Term Deposit Scheme
for Super Senior Citizens
In January 2025, Mumbai (Maharashtra) based State
Bank of India (SBI) introduced a new Term Deposit
(TD) Scheme called ‘SBI Patrons’ for Super Senior
Citizens (residents aged 80 years or above).
✓ The scheme offers Term Deposit Receipt
(TDR) and Short-Term Deposit Receipt (STDR)
with a minimum deposit of Rs.1,000 and a
maximum deposit of up to Rs.3 crore. The
deposit tenure ranges from 7 days to 10
years.
KMAMC launches India’s 1st Kotak MSCI
India ETF
In January 2025, Mumbai (Maharashtra) Kotak
Mahindra Asset Management Company
Limited(KMAMC), asset manager of Kotak Mutual
Fund, launched Kotak MSCI India Exchange-Traded
Fund (ETF), India’s 1st ETF designed to track the
Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) India
Index.
NPCI Implements New Rules for UPI
Transaction ID from February 1, 2025
Mumbai (Maharashtra) based National Payments
Corporation of India (NPCI), has implemented New
Rules for Unified Payments
Interface (UPI) transactions, effective from February
1, 2025. This regulation mandates that all UPI
transaction Identifications (IDs) containing special
characters (@, #, $, %, and others) will be declined
and must use only the alphanumeric characters.
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Finvasia Partners with YES Bank Launched
AI-Driven Super App ‘Jumpp’
In January 2025, Chandigarh (Punjab) based Finvasia,
a fintech company partnered with Mumbai
(Maharashtra) based YES Bank Limited to launch
‘Jumpp’, an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled super
application (app) to simplify personal finance.
RBI Injects USD 5.1 billion Liquidity via FX
Swap Auction
In January, 2025, Mumbai (Maharashtra) based
Reserve Bank of India (RBI), conducted a dollar-rupee
buy/sell foreign exchange swap (FX swap) auction
for USD 5.1 billion. The auction saw a significant
oversubscription, with total bids amounted to USD
25.59 billion from 253 participants, exceeding the
offered amount by five times.
Gujarat CM Launched Sensex F&O Contracts
on India INX at GIFT City
In February 2025, Bhupendra Patel, Chief Minister
(CM) of Gujarat launched Sensex Future &
Options (F&O) contracts on the India International
Exchange (India INX), India’s first international stock
exchange platform and subsidiary of Bombay Stock
Exchange Limited (BSE) at Gujarat International
Finance Tech-City- International Financial Services
Centre (GIFT-IFSC) in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
capital market regulator, is planning to introduce a
new financial product that combines Mutual Funds
(MFs) investments with Term Life Insurance (TLI).
South Indian Bank Unveiled Startup Current
Accounts
In February 2025, Thrissur (Kerala)-based South Indian
Bank Limited (SIB), one of India’s leading Scheduled
Commercial Banks (SCBs), has launched two new
innovative startup Current Account (CA) products
namely, ‘SIB Business Startup Current
Account’ and ‘SIB Corporate Startup Current
Account’. This move aims to strengthen the startup
ecosystem in India.
IOB becomes Signatory of Partnership for
Carbon Accounting Financials
Chennai (Tamil Nadu, TN)-based Indian Overseas
Bank (IOB), India’s leading Public Sector Bank (PSB),
has become a signatory of the Partnership for Carbon
Accounting Financials (PCAF).
✓ With this move, IOB became one of the early
adopters in the India banking sector to join
this global initiative, reaffirming its
commitment in tackling climate change and
promoting responsible banking.
RBI Imposed Penalties on ESFBL and IPPB for
Regulatory Non-Compliance
In February 2025, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
imposed penalties on Chennai (Tamil Nadu, TN) based
Equitas Small Finance Bank Limited (ESFBL) and New
Delhi (Delhi) based India Post Payments Bank
Limited (IPPB) for failing to comply with regulatory
guidelines.
✓ ESFBL was fined Rs 65 lakh for noncompliance with directions on ‘Levy of
Foreclosure Charges/Pre-payment Penalty on
Floating Rate Term Loans’ and ‘Credit Flow to
Agriculture – Collateral-free agricultural
loans.’
✓ IPPB was penalized with Rs 26.70 lakh for
deficiencies in adhering to the ‘Customer
Service in Banks’.
SEBI Proposes New Combo Product: MFs
with TLI
In January 2025, Mumbai (Maharashtra) based
Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), the
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RBI Released Payment System Report,
December 2024
In January 2025, the Reserve Bank of
India (RBI) released Payment System Report,
December 2024, which analysed the trends in
payment transactions carried out using different
payment systems in the last 5 Calendar Years (CY) up
to CY-2024.
Copyright 2014-2025 @ AffairsCloud.com
11
✓ As per the report, 222 crore digital
transactions valued at Rs 772 lakh crore were
made in CY-2013, it has increased 94 times in
volume and more than 3.5 times in value to
more than 20,787 transactions valued at Rs
2,758 lakh crore in CY24.
✓ The report showed that the number of credit
cards in circulation has more than doubled in
the last 5 years, from 5.53 credit cards in
circulation in December 2019 to nearly
10.80 crore at the end of December 2024.
CA Grameen Receives USD 50 Million IFC
Loan to Boost Women Borrowers
In February 2025, Bengaluru (Karnataka) based
CreditAccess (CA) Grameen Limited, India’s largest
Non-Banking Financial Company-Microfinance
Institution (NBFC-MFI) received a USD 50 million loan
from Washington, D.C. (United States of America,
USA) based International Finance Corporation (IFC), a
member of the World Bank Group (WBG).
121 Finance: 1st Lender on GeM Sahay 2.0
Built on OCEN Framework
In January 2025, Jaipur (Rajasthan) based 121
Finance Private Limited, India’s 1st Reserve Bank of
India (RBI) registered Non-Banking Financial Company
(NBFC) Factor partnered with Government eMarketplace (GeM), an initiative of the Ministry of
Commerce and Industry (MoC&I), along with
Bengaluru (Karnataka) based Perfios
Software Solutions Private Limited and Mumbai
(Maharashtra) based Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)
developed GeM Sahay 2.0.
✓ GeM Sahay 2.0 aims to enhance financial
inclusion by making the platform more
accessible and effective for Micro, Small, and
Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) while ensuring
a seamless experience for lenders.
RBI Launches Regulatory Sandbox for Testing
Offline Digital Payment Solution
In January 2025, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
launched a Regulatory Sandbox (RS) to test the “On
Tap” application facility under the theme of ‘Retail
Payments’. Chennai (TamilNadu, TN) based Exto India
Technologies Private Limited was selected to
participate in the ‘Test Phase’ of this initiative.
‘The 1% Club’ Becomes First Finfluencer Firm
to Get SEBI RIA license
In February 2025, The 1% Club, a financial advisory
startup founded by internet personality
Sharan Hegde, became the first finfluencer-led
company to obtain a Registered Investment
Advisor (RIA) license from the Securities and Exchange
Board of India (SEBI).
✓ The firm must have a minimum net worth
of Rs.25 lakh to register as an RIA with the
SEBI.
NaBFID Extends Rs 2,000 crore Loan to
Blackstone-backed Data Centre
In February 2025, Mumbai (Maharashtra)-based stateowned National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and
Development (NaBFID) announced that it has
extended Rs 2,000 crore loan to Mumbai
(Maharashtra)-based Gramercy Techpark Private
Limited, backed by New York (the United States of
America, USA)-based alternative investment
management company Blackstone Inc., for setting up
of 120 MegaWatt (MW) data centre at Mahape in
Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra.
✓ This will be the second such data centre by
Gramercy in New Mumbai where the
construction is expected to start in mid of
2025.
Beacon Launches India Bill Pay for NRIs in
Canada
On February 5 2025, Beacon, a fintech firm on
financial services for immigrants in Toronto (Canada),
launched ‘India Bill Pay’, a service that allows NonResident Indians (NRIs) to pay bills directly in India
using Canadian dollars from their Beacon Money
account through the Beacon Money application(app).
✓ This first-of-its-kind service is designed to
simplify bill payments for immigrants, in
collaboration with Bharat Connect (formerly
Bharat Bill Payment System, BBPS) and
Mumbai (Maharashtra) based YES Bank
Limited.
✓ This process is seamless, secure, and uses the
Rupee Drawing Arrangement (RDA), regulated
by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
RBI’s Digital Payments Index Increases to
465.33 as of September 2024
In January 2025, the Reserve Bank of
India (RBI) revealed that its Digital Payments
Index (DPI) has increased from 445.5 in March
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Copyright 2014-2025 @ AffairsCloud.com
12
2024 to 465.33 as of September 2024, this marks
an 11.11% increase Year-on-Year (Y-o-Y).
✓ This increase in RBI’s DPI was mainly driven by
growth in payment infrastructure and
payment performance across the country
over the period.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Air India & Kenya Airways Enters Codeshare
Partnership to Expand Connectivity
In January 2025, Gurgaon (Haryana) based Air India,
owned by the Tata Group and Singapore Airlines,
formed a codeshare partnership with Kenya
Airways Limited to expand its network and offer more
travel options for passengers. The two airlines will also
continue their interline partnership.
✓ As of January 2025, Air India has 16 codeshare
agreements and around 100 interline
agreements with various airlines.
Garuda Aerospace Pledged Rs 100 Crore to
Develop India’s 1st Drone City in AP
In January 2025, Chennai (Tamil Nadu, TN)based Garuda Aerospace Private Limited, leading
drone manufacturing company in India, pledged to
invest Rs 100 crore for the development of India’s 1st
‘Drone City’ in Andhra Pradesh (AP). The proposed
drone city will be established in Orvakal village
of Kurnool district of AP.
SIDBI & TIDITSSIA Sign MoU to Support
Local Industries
In January 2025, the Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh based
Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)
signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with
The Tiruchirapalli District Tiny & Small Scale Industries
Association (TIDITSSIA) to foster mutual cooperation
and support local industries.
✓ Under the MoU, SIDBI will conduct capacitybuilding training for selected office-bearers
and staff of TIDITSSIA, offer support to the
association’s members, and organize buyerseller meetings.
Avaada Group Partners with Casale to
Develop India’s Largest Green Ammonia
Plant in Odisha
In January 2025, Mumbai (Maharashtra)based Avaada Group partnered with Casale, a
company fully owned by Casale Holding and
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headquartered in Lugano, Switzerland, to
develop India’s largest green ammonia plant
in Gopalpur, Odisha.
CRISIL: India’s GDP to grow at 6.5% in FY26;
CAD widen to 1.3%
According to the CRISIL Ratings
Limited (formerly Credit Rating and Information
Services of India Limited) latest report, India’s Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) is projected to grow
by 6.5% in the Financial Year 202526 (FY26), marginally higher than the 6.4% growth
estimated for current financial year (FY25).
T-Hub & ITFA Sign MoU to Boost IndiaTurkiye Trade & Cultural Ties
In January 2025, Hyderabad (Telangana) based startup
incubator Technology Hub (T-Hub) signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the IndoTurkiye Friendship Association (ITFA) during ITFA’s
inaugural event at the Hyderabad Turkish Consulate
General in Jubilee Hills in Hyderabad, Telangana.
MoD Signed Contract with Russia for
Procurement of Anti-Ship Cruise Missile
In February 2024, Ministry of
Defence (MoD), Government of India (GoI) signed a
contract with Russia for procurement of anti-ship
cruise missiles. The agreement was signed in the
presence of Rajesh Kumar Singh, Secretary, MoD in
New Delhi, Delhi.
NABARD Approves 127 Projects Worth
Rs.903.21 Crore in Himachal Pradesh
The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural
Development (NABARD) has sanctioned 127 projects
totaling Rs.903.21 crore for Himachal Pradesh (HP) in
the fiscal year 2024-25. Chief Minister (CM) of HP
Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced this development
during a meeting with Members of the Legislative
Assembly (MLA)s from Kangra, Kullu, and Kinnaur
districts of HP to discuss budget priorities for 2025-26.
Copyright 2014-2025 @ AffairsCloud.com
13
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri
Announces Winners of ‘Avinya’25’ &
‘Vasudha’ Startup Challenges
In January 2025, Union Minister, Hardeep Singh Puri,
Ministry of Petroleum & Natural
Gas (MoPNG) announced the winners of two startup
competitions, ‘Avinya’25’ and ‘Vasudha’ during the
‘Energize India: Catalyzing Growth Through Startup
Innovation conclave’, featured insightful panel
discussions on identifying opportunities in the energy
sector.
✓ These startup challenges are part of India
Energy Week 2025 which is scheduled to be
held in New Delhi from February 11-14, 2025.
The winners of these startup challenges will be
featured at the India Energy Week 2025.
BCCI Awards 2025: Jasprit Bumrah & Smriti
Mandhana Named Best International
Cricketers of 2023-24
On February 1 2025, Jasprit Bumrah won the Best
International Cricketer of the Year (also called the Polly
Umrigar Award) 2023-24 in the Men’s category,
and Smriti Mandhana won the Best International
Cricketer of the Year 2023-24 in the Women ’s
category at the Board of Control for Cricket in
India (BCCI) Awards 2025 (Naman Awards).
✓ Former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar,
fondly called the “God of Cricket” or “Master
Blaster,” was presented with the Colonel CK
Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award of the
Year 2024.
BCCI Awards 2025 Winners list:
S.
N
o.
Cat
ego
ry
Award
Winner
1.
Colonel
CK Nayudu Lif
etime Achieve
ment Award
Me
n
Sachin
Tendulka
r
2.
Best
International
Cricketer
(Polly Umrigar
Award)
Me
n
Jasprit Bu
mrah
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3.
Best
International
Cricketer
Wo
me
n
4.
BCCI Special Award
Ravichan
dran Ash
win
5.
Best
International
Debut
Me
n
Sarfaraz
Khan
6.
Best
International
Debut
Wo
me
n
Asha
Sobhana
7.
Highest RunGetter in ODIs
Wo
me
n
Smriti Ma
ndhana
8.
Highest WicketTaker in ODIs
Wo
me
n
Deepti
Sharma
Smriti Ma
ndhana
Noel Naval Tata Honored with Doctorate by
University of Sussex
In January 2025, England (The United Kingdom, UK)
based the University of Sussex awarded an honorary
doctorate to Noel Naval Tata, a prominent business
leader from the Mumbai (Maharashtra)-based Tata
Group and a distinguished alumnus of the university,
for his exceptional contribution to global business
leadership.
South Africa’s Tshego Gaelae Wins 40th Mrs
World Title
On 31 January 2025, Tshego Gaelae from South Africa
(SA), a 33-year-old model, made history by becoming
the first Black South African woman to win the 40th
edition of the Mrs.World title in 2025.
✓ The grand finale took place in Las Vegas,
United States of America (USA), where Gaelae
was crowned by Viktoria Horshkova, the
winner of Mrs.World 2024.
Copyright 2014-2025 @ AffairsCloud.com
14
67th Annual Grammy Awards: India’s
Chandrika Tandon Bags Grammy Award for
“Triveni“
On 2 February 2025, Chandrika
Krishnamurthy Tandon, an Indian-American
entrepreneur and vocalist won her first Grammy
Award under the category Best New Age, Ambient, or
Chant Album for “Triveni” at the 67th annual Grammy
Awards (also known as Grammy 2025), the biggest
musical awards night, at Crypto.com Arena in Los
Angeles, California, the United States of America
(USA).
Click here to know about the 2025 Special Merit
Award Honorees
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS
Ahmed al-Sharaa Appointed as
Interim President of Syria
In January 2025, an Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham
(HTS) leader Ahmed al-Sharaa was appointed interim
president of Syria after the ‘The Conference for
Announcing the Victory of the Syrian Revolution’ event
in Damascus, Syria. He succeeds former Syrian Ba’ath
Party leader Bashar al-Assad whose government fell
on December 8, 2024, ending his nearly 14-year
struggle to retain power.
Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic
Resigns
On January 28, 2025, Serbia’s Prime Minister
(PM) Milos Vucevic resigned from the position of PM
along with Novi Sad Mayor Milan Djuric following
weeks of anti-corruption protests sparked by the
deadly collapse of a concrete canopy at the Novi Sad
railway station, Serbia in November 2024, which killed
15 people.
ACC Appoints Rajesh Nirwan as DG of BCAS
In January 2025, the Appointments Committee of the
Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of a
1992-batch senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of
the Rajasthan cadre Rajesh Nirwan as the Director
General (DG) of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security
(BCAS) under the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA).
✓ He takes over from Amrit Mohan Prasad, a
1989-batch IPS officer of the Odisha cadre,
who has been serving as the DG of Sashastra
Seema Bal (SSB) and holding the additional
charge of DG, BCAS, since November 1, 2024.
Hero MotoCorp Appoints Vikram Kasbekar
as Acting CEO
In January 2025, New Delhi (Delhi) based Hero
MotoCorp (HMC) Limited,India’s largest two-wheeler
manufacturer appointed Vikram Kasbekar, Executive
Director (ED) of the company, as the acting Chief
Executive Officer (CEO), effective from May 1, 2025.
✓ He will succeed Niranjan Gupta, who will step
down as CEO of Hero MotoCorp, effective
from April 30, 2025.
Flemish Nationalist Bart Albert Liliane
De Wever sworn-in as New PM of Belgium
On February 3 2025, Bart Albert Liliane De Wever, the
first Flemish Nationalist was sworn-in as the new
Prime Minister (PM) of Belgium. His victory came after
7-months of negotiations, leading to the formation of a
new coalition that currently holds an 81-seat majority
in the 150-seat Belgian Parliament.
✓ He succeeds Alexander De Croo, who has
remained in office as a caretaker since June
2024.
ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS
CCI Approves Renew Exim DMCC’s
Acquisition of Stake In ITD Cementation
RBI Approves Findi to acquire
100% stake in TCPSL for Rs.330 crore
On January 29 2025, the Competition Commission of
India (CCI) approved Dubai, (United Arab
Emirates,UAE) based Renew Export Import (Exim)
Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC’s) proposal
to acquire up to 72.64% stake in Italian-Thai
Development (ITD) Cementation India Limited
(Engineering & Construction Company)
for Rs.5,757 crore.
In February 2025, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has
approved the Mumbai (Maharashtra) based Tata
Communications Payment Solutions Limited (TCPSL),
a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Communications
that operates white label Automated Teller Machines
(ATMs) in India to sell its 100% stake to Transaction
Solutions International (TSI), the Indian subsidiary of
Australian fintech company Findi.
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Copyright 2014-2025 @ AffairsCloud.com
15
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
GRSE Limited & AMS Private
Limited Sign MoU for Defence and
Aerospace Collaboration
On January 30, 2025, Kolkata, (West Bengal, WB)
based Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers
Limited (GRSE) and Hyderabad (Telangana) based
Apollo Micro Systems (AMS) Private Limited signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a 5-year
partnership aimed at advancing cutting-edge
technologies and strengthening India’s Defence and
Aerospace capabilities.
ISRO’s Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to Pil
ot NASA’s Private Axiom Mission 4, Marking
1st Indian Astronaut to travel to ISS
In January 2025, Indian Space Research Organisation
(ISRO)’s astronaut and the fighter pilot of Indian Air
Force (IAF), Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, has
been named the pilot for Axiom Mission 4(Ax-4), a
private spaceflight for International Space Station (ISS).
✓ With this announcement, he will become
the 1st Indian astronaut to go to the ISS on a
private mission and also the 1st Indian to go to
space in the last 40 years.
DRDO Successfully Conducted 3 Flighttrials of Indigenous VSHORADS from off the
Coast of Odisha
On February 01 2025, the Defence Research and
Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully
conducted three consecutive flight-trials of the Very
Short-Range Air Defence
System (VSHORADS) from Integrated Test Range
(ITR), Chandipur off the coast of Odisha.
✓ It is a indigenous 4th generation technicallyadvanced Man Portable Air Defence
System (MANPAD or MPADS). It is designed
and developed by DRDO’s Hyderabad
(Telangana)-based Research Centre
Imarat (RCI) in partnership with other DRDO
laboratories and Development cum Production
Partners (DcPPs).
IN Launches LSAM 23, the 9th ACTCM Barge
to Boost Logistics Capabilities
In January 2025, the Indian Navy (IN) launched
its 9th Ammunition Cum Torpedo Cum Missile
(ACTCM) Barge, named Landing Ship Ammunition 23
(LSAM 23) (Yard 133), at M/s Suryadipta Projects
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Private Limited in Thane, Maharashtra. The launching
ceremony was presided over by Commodore
(Cmde) Rakesh Anand (Retd.), Group Head of Marine
Division.
JAXA Launches ‘Michibiki 6’ Navigation
Satellite into Orbit
On February 2, 2025, the Japan Aerospace Exploration
Agency (JAXA) based in Tokyo, Japan launched
the ‘Michibiki 6’, a navigation satellite aboard its H3
rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center (TNSC) in
Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. This launch marks
Japan’s first satellite launch of 2025 and
the fourth consecutive successful launch for the H3,
reinforcing its role as Japan’s new flagship launch
vehicle.
About Michibiki 6:
The 1,900-kilogram(kg) Michibiki 6 satellite, also
known as the Quasi-Zenith Satellite (QZS-6), is part of
Japan’s Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS), a
positioning satellite network designed
to improve location accuracy for smartphones,
navigation systems, and drones.
Sunita Williams Sets New Record for
Longest Spacewalk by a Female Astronaut
During 92nd USA Spacewalk
In January, 2025, an Indian-origin astronaut from the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA) Sunita “Suni” Williams set a new record for
the longest total spacewalking time by a female
astronaut, reaching 62 hours and 6 minutes. This
milestone was achieved during the 92nd United States
of America (USA) spacewalk.
MoR Launches ‘SwaRail’ SuperApp for Beta
Testing
In January 2025, the Ministry of
Railways (MoR) introduced
the ‘SwaRail’ SuperApp (application), which serves as
a one-stop solution for Indian Railways (IRs) services.
✓ It was developed by the New Delhi (Delhi)
based Centre for Railway Information
Systems (CRIS) to improve digital
infrastructure and provide convenient access
to a wide range of railway-related services.
Copyright 2014-2025 @ AffairsCloud.com
16
kosmicheskiye sily, VKS), with support from
their space troops. This launch was the 13th
and final mission of the lightweight Soyuz-2
variant.
ISRO Unveils FEAST Software at IITHyderabad
On February 2, 2025, the Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO) launched the latest version of the
Finite Element Analysis of
Structures (FEAST) software at the 8th National Finite
Element Developers’ Meeting held at the Indian
Institute of Technology – Hyderabad(IIT-H) in
Hyderabad(Telangana).
CCS approved procurement of 31 MQ-9B
Predator from USA
In February 2025, The Cabinet Committee on
Security (CCS), chaired by Prime Minister (PM)
Narendra Modi, approved 2 strategic defence projects.
These include the procurement of 31 MQ-9B
Predator drones from the United States of America
(USA) based General Atomics(GA), valued at USD
3.99 billion, and the indigenous development of 2
nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs).
Russia Launches ‘Soyuz-2v Rocket’
Carrying Military Satellites into Orbit
On February 5 2025, a Soyuz-2.1v rocket carrying
multiple payloads was successfully launched from the
Plesetsk Cosmodrome in the Arkhangelsk Region,
Russia. This mission was carried out in the interest of
the Russian Ministry of Defence and aimed at
deploying military satellites into orbit. The Soyuz2.1v is a light-class rocket, designed for such tasks.
✓ This launch was conducted by the Russian
Aerospace Forces (Vozdushno-
US Navy Tests HELIOS Laser Weapon to
Strengthen Naval Operations
In February 2025, the United States Navy(USN)
announced that it has successfully tested the HighEnergy Laser with Integrated Optical Dazzler and
Surveillance (HELIOS) system aboard the “The Arleigh
Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS
Preble (DDG-88) in the middle of the ocean.
✓ The test was conducted in 2024 aims to
assess and confirm the functionality,
performance, and effectiveness of the HELIOS
system against an Unmanned Aerial
Vehicle(UAV) target.
✓ The HELIOS system was developed for the
USA by Lockheed Martin, an American
defense and aerospace manufacturer.
SpinLaunch Launches Satellites Into Space
Without Rocket Fuel
SpinLaunch, a California-based company, has
developed an innovative method to launch satellites
into low Earth orbit without using traditional rocket
fuel. Their system employs a ground-based, electricpowered kinetic launch mechanism, essentially a
massive rotating arm, to catapult satellites into space.
This approach aims to reduce both the cost and
environmental impact of satellite launches.
ENVIRONMENT
New Species of Phytopathogenic Fungus
‘Epicoccum indicum’ Discovered
On February 1, 2025, a new species of
phytopathogenic fungus, Epicoccum
indicum (Ascomycota, Didymellaceae), associated
with an emerging leaf spot disease in Chrysopogon
zizanioides (vetiver) was discovered by researchers at
Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Uttar Pradesh (UP).
✓ The discovery was made by Raghvendra
Singh, Senior Assistant Professor,
and Soumyadeep Rajwar, a research scholar,
from the Department of Botany at BHU, UP.
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Researchers Discover 2 New Green
Cardamom Species in Western Ghats
In February 2025, an international team of researchers
discovered two new
species, ‘Elettaria facifera’ and ‘Elettaria tulipifera’,
closely related to the “Queen of Spices,” green
cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum), in the Western
Ghats of Kerala. This discovery contributes to both
spice production and conservation efforts.
Copyright 2014-2025 @ AffairsCloud.com
17
SPORTS
Australia Wins ICC Women’s Championship
Trophy for the 3rd time
Australia won International Cricket
Council (ICC) Women’s Championship trophy 20222025. Australia secured the championship for the
third consecutive time. This was the 3rd edition of the
ICC Women’s Championship. Each Team has to
play 3 One Day International (ODI) matches against
all other teams. At the end of the cycle, Team which
secured top position will be awarded.
23rd National Para Athletics Championship :
Official Logo and Mascot Launched in TN
In January 2025, The official logo and mascot of the
23rd National Para Athletics Championship 2025 were
unveiled in an event in Chennai, Tamil Nadu (TN). The
Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT),
in collaboration with the Tamil Nadu Paralympic
Sports Association(TNPSA), is supporting the event.
✓ The mascot is an elephant, representing
strength and determination. The mascot, an
elephant, symbolizes resilience, reflecting the
unwavering spirit of para-athletes.
✓ The 23rd National Para Athletics
Championship 2025 is set to take place
from February 17 to 20, 2025, at Jawaharlal
Nehru Stadium in Chennai, with over 1,700
para-athletes from across the country.
India won ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup
2025 by defeating South Africa for 2nd
consecutive time
On February 02 2025, India won the 2nd edition of
the International Cricket Council (ICC) Under-19 (U19)
Women’s T20 (Twenty 20) World Cup 2025 for the
2nd consecutive time by defeating South Africa with 9
wickets in the final at Bayuemas Oval, Kuala Lumpur
(KL), Malaysia.
✓ India’s women cricket team was led by
captain Niki Prasad and South Africa’s women
cricket team was led by captain Kayla
Reyneke.
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R Praggnanandhaa won ‘Tata Steel Chess
Masters 2025’, Defeats World Champion
D Gukesh in Tiebreaker
On February 2, 2025, Indian Chess
Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa won the ‘Tata Steel
Chess Masters 2025’ trophy by defeating World Chess
Champion of 2024, D Gukesh in the tiebreaker held in
Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands.
✓ With this victory, Praggnanandhaa became
the 1st Indian Chess player since
Viswanathan Anand in 2006 to win the Tata
Steel Masters title.
Indian Wicketkeeper-Batter Wriddhiman
Saha Retires from All Forms of Cricket
In February 2025, Indian wicketkeeperbatter Wriddhiman Saha announced his retirement
from all forms of cricket. His retirement was marked
by his final ‘Ranji Trophy’ appearance for West Bengal
(WB) against Punjab at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, WB.
Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers Wins 6th ‘Men’s
HIL 2024-25’ Title
In February 2025, Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers won
the first ever title of the ‘Men’s Hockey India League
2024-25(HIL 2024-25)’ by
defeating Hyderabad Toofans 4-3 in the final
tournament held at the Birsa Munda International
Hockey Stadium in Rourkela, Odisha.
✓ The 6th edition of Men’s HIL 2024-25
tournament, featured 8 teams, was held from
December 28, 2024, to February 1, 2025.
✓ The Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers for the 202425 season were led by Captain Rupinder Pal
Singh, while the Hyderabad Toofans were led
by Captain Sumit Walmiki.
Romania tennis player Simona Halep
announces retirement
On February 4, 2025, Romania’s Simona Halep, a twotime Grand Slam champion and former world number
one in WTA, announced her retirement from
professional tennis at the age of 33.
✓ In 2017, achieved World No. 1 in the
Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings.
She won two Grand Slam singles titles,
winning the 2018 French Open by defeating
Sloane Stephens and the 2019 Wimbledon
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Championship with a victory over Serena
Williams.
OBITUARY
World Oldest Living Olympic Gold Medalist
in Athletics, Greg Bell, Passes Away
Horst Koehler, Former German President &
IMF’s MD Passed Away
In January 2025, Gregory Curtis Bell (Greg Bell),
the American long jump legend and the
world’s oldest living Olympic gold medalist in
athletics, passed away at the age of 94 in Indiana, the
United States of America (USA). He was born on
November 7, 1930, in Indiana.
On February 1 2025, Former German President and
the Managing Director (MD) of International
Monetary Fund (IMF) Horst Koehler passed away at
the age of 81 in Berlin, Germany. He was born on 22
February 1943, Heidenstein, General Government
(now Skierbieszów, Poland).
✓ He served as the MD of IMF in 2000, a
position he held for 4 years.
✓ He served as the 9th President of Germany
from 2004 to 2010.
Former Papua New Guinea’s PM Sir Julius
Chan Passed Away
In January 2025, Sir Julius Chan, the former Prime
Minister (PM) and the Last Founding Father of Papua
New Guinea (PNG) passed away at the age of 85 in
Huris, New Ireland Province, PNG. He was born on 29
August 1939, Tanga Islands, Territory of New
Guinea(now New Ireland Province), PNG. He served as
PM of PNG from 1980 to 1982 and from 1994 to
1997.
Navin Chawla, Former CEC Passed Away
On February 1, 2025, former Chief Election
Commissioner of India (CEC) Navin Chawla passed
away at the age of 79 in New Delhi (Delhi). He was
born on 30 July 1945 in New Delhi.
✓ He served as the Election Commissioner (EC)
from May 16, 2005, to April 20, 2009, and
then as CEC from April 2009 to July 2010.
BOOKS & AUTHORS
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IMPORTANT DAYS
Indian Coast Guard Day 2025 – 1st February
Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Day is celebrated annually
on 1st February across India to commemorate the
establishment of the ICG, India’s maritime armed force
under the Ministry of Defence (MoD). 1st February
2025 marks the observance of 49th Raising Day of the
ICG.
World Interfaith Harmony Week 2025 – 1-7
February
The United Nations (UN’s) World Interfaith Harmony
Week (WIHW) is observed annually across the globe
during the first week of February (1-7) to promote
peace, tolerance, and nonviolence among people of all
faiths. WIHW 2025 is observed from 1-7 February
2025.
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World Wetlands Day 2025 – February 2
The United Nations (UN’s) World Wetlands Day is
observed annually on February 2 across the globe to
raise awareness about the critical role wetlands play in
supporting both people and the planet.
✓ The day commemorates the Convention on
Wetlands of International
Importance (Ramsar Convention), an
intergovernmental treaty signed on 2 February
1971, in Ramsar, Iran along the shores of the
Caspian Sea.
✓ The theme for World Wetlands Day 2025,
“Protecting Wetlands for Our Common
Future”.
World Cancer Day 2025 – February 4
World Cancer Day (WCD) is observed annually
on February 4 across the globe to raise awareness of
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fundamental cancer issues and promote efforts in
prevention, detection, and treatment.
✓ The campaign theme of WCD 2025-2027 is
“United by Unique,” emphasizes the
importance of personalized, patient-centered
care in the battle against cancer.
International Day of Human Fraternity 2025
– February 4
The United Nations (UN’s) International Day of
Human Fraternity is observed annually on February
4 across the globe to foster peace, tolerance,
inclusion, understanding, and solidarity among people
of diverse faiths. The day also falls within World
Interfaith Harmony Week (WIHW), which takes place
during the 1st week of February every year, since 2010.
✓ 4th February 2025 marks the observance of
the 5th International Day of Human Fraternity.
International Day of Zero Tolerance for
Female Genital Mutilation 2025 – February 6
The United Nations (UN’s) International Day of Zero
Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is
observed annually on February 6 across the globe to
raise awareness and amplify global efforts to eliminate
the harmful practice of FGM. This day serves as a
platform for stakeholders to celebrate progress,
advocate for the abandonment of FGM, and continue
efforts to protect girls and women from this violation of
their rights.
✓ 6 February 2025 marks the 14th
observance of UN recognised International
Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM.
✓ The theme of International Day of Zero
Tolerance for FGM 2025 is: “Stepping Up the
Pace: Strengthening Alliances and Building
Movements to End Female Genital
Mutilation”.
STATE NEWS
Inland Mangrove Guneri Becomes
Gujarat’s 1st Biodiversity Heritage Site
In January 2025, the Gujarat Biodiversity Board (GBB),
under the Forest and Environment Department of the
Government of Gujarat, declared the Inland
Mangrove Guneri in Guneri village, Lakhpat taluka,
Kutch District, as the first Biodiversity Heritage Site
(BHS) of Gujarat.
Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi Launched
‘Bikashita Gaon, Bikashita Odisha’ Scheme
for Rural Development
In February 2025, the Chief Minister (CM) of
Odisha, Mohan Charan Majhi launched the
‘Bikashita Gaon, Bikashita Odisha(BGBO)
Scheme’ with a budget of Rs 5,000 crore for five years
for the rural infrastructural development project in
Odisha.
✓ The BGBO scheme aims to carry out
development activities in all 53,845 villages of
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Odisha, with an annual allocation of Rs 1,000
crore, in the next five years between the
Financial Years(FY) 2024-25 and 2028-29.
HP Government Initiates North India’s First
1-MW Green Hydrogen Plant at Dabhota
On February 5 2025, Himachal Pradesh(HP) Chief
Minister(CM) Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu laid the
foundation stone for North India’s first 1-megawatt
(MW) green hydrogen plant in Dabhota, Nalagarh
Tehsil, Solan district.
✓ The Green Hydrogen Plant is a collaborative
effort between the Himachal Pradesh Power
Corporation Limited (HPPCL) and Oil India
Limited(OIL), with an estimated investment
of Rs 9.04 crore.
✓ This initiative aligns with HP’s ambitious goal to
become India’s first Green Energy State by
March 2026.
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