Current Affairs | National | International | SSC | UPSC 4th February 2025

 

 Budget 2025-26: At a Glance 

1. Union Budget 2025-26: Rs 600 crore allocated for Samudrayaan 

• In a big boost for India’s ambitious Deep Ocean Mission, Union nance minister Nirmala Sitharaman has allocated Rs 600 crore for the Samudrayaan project, under which scientists will be sent to the depths of the ocean in a specially-designed submersible to explore the ocean oor, including the country’s continental shelf and exclusive economic zones. 
• The earth sciences ministry, which is spearheading the mission, received an allocation of Rs 3,649.8 crore in the budget, as against Rs 3,064.8 crore in the ongoing scal year. 
• India plans to send a manned-submersible, developed by the Chennai-based National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), up to a depth of 500 metres in the ocean later this year, and gradually explore the seabed at the depth of 6,000 metres next year. 
• The Deep Ocean Mission aims to explore deep-oceanic resources and develop technologies for their sustainable use. The mission consists of six major themes, namely development of technologies for deep sea mining, manned submersible, and underwater robotics; development of ocean climate change advisory services; technological innovations for exploration and conservation of deepsea biodiversity; deep ocean survey and exploration; energy and freshwater from the ocean; and advanced marine station for ocean biology. 

2. Budget 2025-26: ₹8,900 crore additional allocation for residential rooftop solar 

• The Budget 2025-26 makes an allocation of ₹20,000 crore, under ‘revenue expenditure’ for the PM Surya Garh Muft Bijli Yojana (PMSGMBY) — a scheme that provides incentives for setting up small-scale rooftop solar plants on residential roofs. 
• This is a huge jump from the ₹6,250 crore allocation made in the Budget for 2024-25, which stood increased to ₹11,100 crore in the revised estimates for the year. The near doubling of revised estimates over the budgeted amount for 2024-25 indicates the scheme took o quite well. 
• As such, the government has once again increased the allocations to the scheme this year, by 80 per cent over the revised estimates for last year. 
• The PMSGMBY was launched in February 2024 with a 4-year outlay of ₹75,021 crore, with a view to engendering 10 million small-size residential rooftop installations. As of December 2024, about 700,000 installations have been completed. 
• If the money allocated for 2025-26 is fully spent, it would mean that as much as ₹31,100 crore, or 41 per cent of the scheme outlay would have been spent in the rst two years. 

3. Budget 2025-26: Nirmala Sitharaman announces PM Dhan Dhanya Krishi Yojana for farmers 

• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced the Pradhan Mantri Dhan Dhanya Krishi Yojana, or the developing agri-districts programme, in her record 8th Union Budget presentation. 
• The Pradhan Mantri Dhan Dhanya Krishi Yojana will be implemented in collaboration with the states and will integrate current programs. It will include 100 districts with below-average characteristics, moderate crop intensity, and low productivity. 
• This programme is likely to help 1.7 crore farmers. 
• The scheme focuses on ve key areas including:
• Enhance agricultural productivity 
•  Improve irrigation facilities 
• Improve credit availability
• To adopt crop diversification and sustainable agriculture practices
• To augment post-harvest storage at Panchayat and block levels.

 

 4. Budget 2025-26: New Makhana Board and Food Institute to be opened in Bihar 

• Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced, a special Makhana Board will be established in Bihar to enhance the production, marketing, and value addition of Makhana. 
• Farmers engaged in Makhana cultivation will be categorized as Follow-On Public Oers (FPOs) and receive training and support. 
• The Board will ensure that Makhana farmers benet from government schemes and receive necessary assistance. 
• A National Institute of Food Technology, Processing, and Innovation will also be established in Bihar to promote the food sector. 
• This initiative aims to increase farmers’ income, promote value addition, and create skilling and employment opportunities in eastern India. 

5. Budget 2025-26: Cotton Mission gets a boost to improve productivity 

• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced an ambitious Rs 500 crore ve-year plan to boost cotton production and promote extra-long staple cotton varieties, at a time when India has no surplus in cotton and its yield at 450-kilogram per hectare is one of the lowest, against a global average of 800- kilogram plus. 
• The Cotton Mission will focus on the production of extra-long staple cotton varieties, aiming to enhance quality cotton and rejuvenate India’s traditional textile sector. 
• The Cotton Productivity Mission is a vital initiative to improve cotton yield in India from the current 450-500 kg per hectare to 1,000 kg per hectare. This ve-year, time-bound mission, driven by advanced technology and scientic support, aims to boost farmer income and ensure raw material security for the Indian textile and apparel sector. 

6. Budget 2025-26: Kisan credit card limit raised to ₹5 lakh to boost farmer credit access 

• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has annouced, the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) interest subsidy program has been heightened, with the loan limit increased from ₹3 lakh to ₹5 lakh. 
• The move is aimed at providing support to the 7.7 crore farmers, shers, and dairy producers who are beneciaries of this program. 

7. What is a Kisan Credit Card? 

• The Kisan Credit Card-KCC- is a government scheme introduced in 1998 for smooth disbursement of loans to farmers. Available at around 4% interest, it is a short-term, reasonably-priced loan for the purposes of agriculture. This program allows farmers easy access to nancing while attaining nancial independence. 

8. Key features of the Kisan Credit Card scheme 

• Loan limits and terms: Under the new interest subsidy program, farmers can now borrow money of up to ₹5 lakh. An earlier scheme had specied a maximum term of 5 years with the ceiling amount being 3 lakh. 
• Eligibility: The applicants have to be tenant farmers, owner-cultivators, sharecroppers, or members of joint liability or self-help organizations engaged in farming or other producer activities like shing or animal husbandry. 
• Collateral-free loan: Loans amounting to ₹2 lakh or less will in future not require collateral. The RBI has taken one of those steps in favor of making credit easy for farmers. 

9. Budget 2025: Govt Launches ‘Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses’ to Increase Production and Farmers’ Income 

• The Union budget 2025-26 has proposed Aatmanirbharta or self-suciency in pulses and the farmers of Rajasthan are seeing a silver lining in this as special attention would be given to the production of Tur, Urad and Masoor. 
• The government will now launch a 6-year ‘Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses’ with a special focus on Tur, Urad and Masoor. Central agencies (NAFED and NCCF) will be ready to procure these 3 pulses, as much as oered during the next 4 years from farmers who register with these agencies and enter into agreements. 
• The pulse-producing farmers of Rajasthan will be directly beneted by this scheme. Lentils are produced in large quantities in Western Rajasthan and Kota. It is cultivated in about 38 lakh hectares in the entire state, which makes this region prominent in pulse yield.
• The mission will emphasize the development and commercial availability of climate-resilient seeds, enhancing protein content, increasing productivity, improving post-harvest storage and management and assuring remunerative prices to the farmers. 

National News 

10. Maharashtra to establish country’s rst Articial Intelligence university 

• Maharashtra will establish the rst Articial Intelligence (AI) university in the country and a task force has been formed for the planning and implementation of the project. 
• The task force includes experts from the academia, industry and government. The task force will be chaired by the Information Technology department’s principal secretary. 
• The university will promote research and development in AI and related elds and will be a centre of excellence, encouraging collaboration between the industry, academia and government. 
• It includes directors of the IIT Mumbai and IIM Mumbai, representatives from organisations like Google India, Mahindra Group, and L&T, and ocials from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India. 
• Experts from the Rajiv Gandhi Science and Technology Commission and the Data Security Council of India are also part of the task force. 

International news 

11.Mount Taranaki has been recognized as a legal person in New Zealand 

• Mount Taranaki also known as Taranaki Maunga has received all the rights and responsibilities of a human being. 
• Mount Taranaki is considered sacred and an ancestor of the local Māori people. 
• After years of negotiations, a settlement has been achieved to grant Mount Taranaki as a legal person. 
• The agreement aims to compensate Māori from the Taranaki region for injustices done to them during colonization. 
• This mountain is not the rst of New Zealand's natural places to be granted legal personhood. 
• The Urewera native forest was the rst natural place to get recognition as a legal person in 2014, followed by the Whanganui River in 2017. 

12. Exercise ‘Ekuverin’ has started in Maldives on 2 February 2025 

• This is the 13th edition of joint military exercise between the Indian Army and the Maldives National Defence Force. 
• This is a bilateral annual exercise. It is carried out alternatively in India and Maldives. 
• In 2023, the exercise was carried out at Chaubatia in Uttarakhand from June 11 to 24. 
• Ekuverin meaning ‘Friends’ in Dhivehi language (spoken in Maldives). 

13. Framework Agreement on International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) has ocially become operative 

• From 23 January, IBCA and its Secretariat are full-edged, treaty-based, inter-governmental international organization and legal entity. 
• Under the IBCA Framework Agreement, ve countries have submitted their instruments of ratication. 
• These ve countries are Nicaragua, Eswatini, India, Somalia, and Liberia. 
• 27 countries have consented to join the IBCA. These countries include India. 
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched IBCA on April 9, 2023 during ‘Commemorating 50 years of Project Tiger’ event.
• In 2024, the establishment of the IBCA, with its headquarters in India was approved by Union Cabinet. 
• Its aim is to conserve seven big cats. These big cats are Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Cheetah, Jaguar, and Puma. 

Defence News 

14. DRDO successfully conducted three successive ight trials of the Very Short-Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS).

• These tests were carried out against high-speed targets ying at very low altitudes from Chandipur o the coast of Odisha. 
• During the test, missiles intercepted and completely destroyed the targets. 
• VSHORADS is a fourth-generation technically advanced miniaturised Man Portable Air Defence System (MANPAD). 
• It has been designed and developed by DRDO’s Hyderabad-based premier facility Research Centre Imarat (RCI) in association with other DRDO laboratories and Indian Industry partners. 
• The ight data was captured by various range instruments such as Telemetry, Electro-Optical Tracking System and Radar deployed by Integrated Test Range, Chandipur. 

Award News 

15.Karnataka Bank has won six awards for excellence in banking technology by Indian Banks’ Association.

•  The bank won these awards at the 20th Annual Banking Technology Conference, Expo & Citations, 2024. 
• The bank was declared as runner-up in several other categories. These categories include ‘Best Tech Talent and Organization,’ ‘Best IT Risk Management,’ and ‘Best Technology Bank,’. 
• The awards won by bank are ‘Best Tech Talent and Organization’, ‘Best IT Risk Management’, ‘Best Technology Bank’, and ‘Best Fintech and DPI Adoption’ (all runner-ups); and ‘Best Digital Sales, Payments and Engagement’ and ‘Best AI and ML Adoption’ (special mention). 

Agreement News 

16.An MoU has been signed between Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA) and Association of Chartered Certied Accountants. 

• An MoU has been signed between IEPFA and Strategic Educational Professionals Pvt Ltd. 
• Strategic Educational Professionals Pvt Ltd is a subsidiary of Association of Chartered Certied Accountants (ACCA). 
• The MoU has been signed for developing a digital programme.
• The digital programme focusses on experiential learning targeting nancial literacy for school children. 
• This content will be provided to select schools, which will include rural schools, through a pilot project. 

Economy news

 17. FDI limit in the Insurance sector has been raised from 74 per cent to 100 per cent. 

• In the budget FY25, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman raised FDI limits in the insurance sector from 74 per cent to 100 per cent.
• This enhanced limit will be for those companies who will invest the entire premium in India. 
• It will attract foreign investment, enhance competition, improve insurance penetration, and align with global practices. 
• At present, there are 26 life insurers and 27 general insurers including 2 specialized insurers. 
• The insurance sector has registered approximately 10% CAGR in the last ve years. 
• The FDI limit in insurance was introduced in 2000 with a cap of 26%. It was gradually raised to 49% in 2015 and 74% in 2021.
• In 2019, the Insurance intermediaries, such as brokers, were allowed 100% FDI.
• The Government aims to use the full potential of the Indian insurance sector, which is projected to grow at 7.1% annually over the next ve years. 
• Countries like Canada, Brazil, Australia, and China have allowed 100% FDI in their insurance sectors. 

18.India’s manufacturing PMI reached a six-month high in January 

• India’s manufacturing sector witnessed a strong start in January. 
• The employment PMI indicate that job has been created in the manufacturing sector. 
• Input cost ination declined for the second consecutive month by reducing the need for manufacturers to increase nal output prices. 
• The Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose from December’s 56.4 to 57.7 in January. 
• PMI values range between 0 and 100 and reading above 50 indicate expansion and below 50 indicate contraction. 
• International demand for Indian goods also strengthened in January. The growth rate in new export orders was the highest recorded in nearly 14 years. 
• Cost pressures eased to their lowest level in 11 months and selling prices continued to rise due to buoyant demand and strengthened business condence. 

19. India accelerated Nuclear Power expansion in Union Budget 2025-26 

• The Union Budget 2025-26 has given a major push for nuclear energy as part of India’s long-term strategy. 
• It will ensure energy security and transition towards cleaner power sources.
• It set an ambitious target of achieving 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047. 
• The government is aiming to reduce dependence on fossil fuels while ensuring a stable and reliable power supply. 
• Nuclear Energy Mission has been announced in the budget with a focus on research and development (R&D) of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).
• The government has allocated ₹20,000 crore for developing at least ve indigenously designed and operational SMRs by 2033.
• The government is actively expanding its nuclear energy sector by developing Bharat Small Reactors (BSRs) and exploring partnerships with the private sector. 
• The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) is developing Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) for repurposing retiring coal-based power plants and meeting power needs in remote locations. 

20. 100 Amrit Bharat, 50 Namo Bharat and 200 Vande Bharat trains will be manufactured in next 2-3 years 

• 17,500 Non-AC General and Sleeper Coaches will also be manufactured. 
• A 2:3 ratio for non-AC coaches and a 1:3 ratio for AC coaches would be maintained by Railways. 
• The 2025-26 Budget allocated Rs 2.52 lakh crore for Railways. 
• New projects of Rs 4.6 lakh crore will be completed in next 4 to 5 years. 
• 1,400 general coaches are expected to be completed by March 31. 
• For FY 2025-26, target has been kept at 2,000 new general coaches. 
• By the end of this nancial year, Indian Railways is expected to achieve 100% electrication. 
• Allocation for rail safety has been increased from Rs 1.08 lakh crore to Rs 1.14 lakh crore. 
• By March 31, Railways will achieve a cargo-carrying capacity of 1.6 billion tonnes. 
• This will make it world's second-largest cargo-carrying railway system, after China. 

Important Day News 

21. World Cancer Day: 4 February 

• World Cancer Day aims to promote awareness of cancer as a public health issue. 
• It also aims to strengthen actions towards improving access to quality care, screening, early detection, treatment and palliative care. 
• The theme for World Cancer Day 2025-2027 is 'United by Unique.' 
• The theme highlights the importance of personalized care and treatments to cater to each individual's unique needs. 
• World Cancer Day is led by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) to support the goals of the World Cancer Declaration. 
• World Cancer Day was established on 4 February 2000 at the World Cancer Summit Against Cancer for the New Millennium. 
• The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) is developing Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) for repurposing retiring coal-based power plants and meeting power needs in remote locations. 

Sports News 

22. Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers win men’s Hockey India League 2024-25 Title 

• Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers won the 6th Men’s Hockey India League 2024-25 title, beating Hyderabad Toofans 4-3 in a tense nal at a packed Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium in Rourkela.Odisha. 
• This was the rst title win for the Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers, winning them a prize of Rs 3 crore. The runners-up Hyderabad Toofan won Rs 2 crore as prize money.
•  Earlier, the Odisha Warriors won the rst edition of the Women’s Hockey India League 2024-25 title by defeating Soorma Hockey Club 2-1 in the nal. 

23. 2 crore people take Amrit Snan on Basant Panchami at Maha Kumbh 

• The third Amrit Snan at the Maha Kumbh proceeded smoothly on Monday with lakhs of people taking a dip on the occasion of Basant Panchami, and Akharas resuming the grand proces-sions curtailed last week when a stampede killed at least 30 people. 
• By 4 p.m., an estimated two crore devotees had taken the ritual dip at the Sangam, the conuence of the Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati, according to gures shared by Uttar Pradesh. government. 
• After the stampede that broke out at the Sangam on 'Mauni Amavasya (January 29), the State government mounted safety measures, with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directing ocials to adopt a "zero-error" approach. Unlike the Mauni Amavasya dip, when crowd pressure built up at the Sangam, many devotees this time took to other ghats instead of jostling for space at the conuence, exhibiting self-awareness amid heightened security and crowd control measures in the Mela area, according to ocials. 
• Mr. Adityanath had monitored the situation from his ocial residence in Lucknow since 3.30 a.m., they said. 
• Deputy Inspector-Gen-eral of Police (DIG), Maha Kumbh, Vaibhav Krishna said that in light of the Ja-nuary 29 stampede, addi-tional force had been deployed at all pressure points for crowd management. 
• "Everything is running smoothly today," Mr. Krishna said during a pre-dawn patrol in the Mela area. 
• The government said that it expected a footfall of around ve crore pilgrims E through Monday. Overall, since the beginning of the Maha Kumbh on January 13, 34.97 crore visitors have been recorded.
• While Monday's is the last of the three Amrit Sans, two more special bathing dates fall on February 12 (Maghi Purnima) and February 26 (Mahash-ivratri), before the culmination of the world's largest spiritual congregation. 

24. Travis Head won his maiden Allan Border medal at the 2025 Australian Cricket Awards 

• Travis head received 208 votes in total, 50 more than Josh Hazlewood and 61 more than Pat Cummins. 
• He scored 1427 runs across formats with four centuries. 
• Hazlewood won the Shane Warne Test Player of the Year award whereas Adam Zampa was named the Men's T20I Player of the Year. 
• Glenn Maxwell and Cooper Connolly were named joint-winners of the BBL Player of the Tournament award. 
• Annabel Sutherland won her rst-ever Belinda Clark Award in the women’s category.

 25. Bengaluru Jawans are inaugural champions in World Pickleball League 

• Bengaluru Jawans secured a 3-1 victory over Pune United in nal. 
• Jack Foster won in the men’s singles and gave Bengaluru an early lead. 
• Trang Hyunh-McClain and Alejandra Borobia secured a 13-9 victory in the women’s doubles. 
• Pune United secured 15-6 win in the men’s doubles from William Sobek and Vanshik Kapadia. 
• Bengaluru’s Katerina Stewart secured victory over Brooke Revuelta in the nal singles match. 
• Katerina Stewart earned the title of Player of the League.