Current Affairs | National | International | SSC | UPSC 8th February 2025

 National News 

1. Union Cabinet decided to extend the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis’ tenure till 2028 

• The tenure of the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis has been extended for three years until March 31, 2028. Its tenure was ending on March 31, 2025. 
• The financial burden on the extension will be approximately ₹50.91 crore. 
• The National Commission for Safai Karamcharis is responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 (MS Act 2013). 
• It investigates complaints regarding the violation of the act. It also give advice to the central and state governments on eective enforcement of the act. 
• This commission takes suo-motu notice of non-implementation of programs or schemes related to Safai Karamcharis. 
• The National Commission for Safai Karamcharis Act was formed in 1993. It led to the formation of the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis in 1994. 

International news 

2. Argentina announced to quit from the World Health Organization (WHO) 

• Argentina announced it will withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO). 
• Argentina's libertarian President Milei instructed Gerardo Werthein (foreign minister) to withdraw Argentina’s participation in the World Health Organization. 
• He took this decision due to WHO’s management of health issues, particularly its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. 
• He also highlighted the WHO’s perceived lack of independence from the political influence of other countries. 
• Milei declared the WHO a harmful organization. 
• The United States is by far the largest contributor to the WHO. It provided around $950 million (£760 million) funding to WHO in 2024. 
• Argentina’s annual contribution to WHO is around $8 million. 

Defence news 

3. Fort William, the headquarters of the Army's Eastern Command, renamed Vijay Durg 

• Fort William, the headquarters of the Indian Army's Eastern Command, has been renamed Vijay Durg, and one of its gates, St George's Gate, has been renamed Shivaji Gate. 
• Defence ocials said the decision to change the name was taken in December 2024. 
• The British built the historic Fort William located in Kolkata and named it after King William III. 
• Fort William, built in brick and mortar in 1781, has six gates: Chowringhee, Plassey, Calcutta, Water Gate, Treasury Gate, and St George Gate. 
• The fort has been renamed as Vijay Durg, based on the oldest fort along the Sindhudurg coast in Maharashtra, which served as a naval base during Chhatrapati Shivaji's time. 
• The renaming of the fort and its gates symbolises India's recognition of its military heritage. 
• After independence, control of the fort passed into the hands of the Indian Army, which substantially extended and renovated it.

 Economy news

 4. Rs 8,800 crore has been approved by the Union Cabinet to boost the Skill India Programme 

• On 7 February, the continuation and restructuring of the ‘Skill India Programme (SIP)’ till 2026, with an outlay of Rs 8,800 crore for the period from 2022-23 to 2025-26, has been approved by the Union Cabinet. 
• The government has combined three components—Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 4.0 (PMKVY 4.0), Pradhan Mantri National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (PM-NAPS), and the Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) scheme—under the composite central sector scheme, the Skill India Programme (SIP). 
• The government has launched these initiatives to provide structured skill development, on-the-job training (OJT), and community-based learning, ensuring that both urban and rural populations, including marginalized communities, have access to high-quality vocational education. 
• The government will introduce over 400 new courses on AI, 5G technology, cybersecurity, green hydrogen, and drone technology under the Rs 6,000 crore PMKVY 4.0 scheme to keep pace with evolving industry demands and the advent of new-age technologies. 
• Apart from this, a total outlay of Rs 1,958 crore has been allocated for the NAPS to support a seamless transition from education to work, ensuring that industry-specific skills are gained by apprentices through real-world exposure. 
• Under this, 25% of the stipend, up to Rs 1,500 per month, will be provided to an apprentice aged between 14 and 35 years through direct benefit transfer (DBT) by the government. 
• An outlay of Rs 858 crore has been allocated for the community-centric skilling initiative, Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS), which places special emphasis on women, rural youth, and economically disadvantaged groups aged between 15 and 45 years. 

5. Madhya Pradesh government approved the Drone Promotion and Utilisation Policy 2025 

• The Drone Promotion and Utilisation Policy 2025 has been designed to boost drone manufacturing, assembly, and maintenance in the state. 
• The policy includes several incentives for the drone sector. Under this scheme, a capital subsidy of up to 40 percent (maximum Rs 30 crore) will be provided to entrepreneurs who are setting up drone-manufacturing units in the state. 
• Units investing more than Rs 50 crore will be given customised incentives. 
• Under this scheme, up to Rs 2 crore will be provided for research and development, while stamp duty exemption is also included in the policy. 
• This policy would bring an investment worth over Rs 400 crore in the next few years.
• The government will set clear guidelines and faster approvals to facilitate operations for drone companies. 

6. Repo rate cut by 25 bps to 6.25% by the RBI after nearly five years 

• Almost after five years, the policy repo rate has been reduced by 25 basis points, from 6.50% to 6.25%, by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). 
• The announcement was made by Governor Sanjay Malhotra on 7 February in Mumbai, following a three-day meeting of the MPC. 
• As a result, the Standing Deposit Facility (SDF) rate will be fixed at 6.00%, while the Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate will both remain at 6.50%. 
• A ‘neutral’ stance has also been unanimously decided to be maintained by the MPC, with a clear focus on aligning inflation with the target while supporting growth. 
• In May 2020, the last rate cut was by 25 basis points to 6.25%. 
• The most recent revision was in February 2023, when the policy rate was raised by 25 basis points to 6.50%. 
• Mr Malhotra said inflation has moderated and is expected to decline further in 2025-26, gradually coming in line with the target. 
• Real GDP estimates have been revised from 6.9% to 6.7% for the next financial year by the bank. 
• CPI inflation for the current financial year has been projected at 4.8%, with Q4 at 4.4%, by the RBI. 
• Assuming a normal monsoon, CPI inflation for the financial year 2025–26 has been projected at 4.2%. 

7. New Income Tax Bill gets approval from Union Cabinet 

• The Union Cabinet on Friday approved the new Income Tax Bill, which will replace the six decades old IT Act, sources said. 
• The new Bill seeks to make direct law simple to understand and not to impose any new tax burden. It will not have provisos and explanations or long sentences. 
• The Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the new Bill, sources said. 
• Sources said the new Income Tax Bill will now be introduced in the Parliament next week and sent to Parliament's Standing Committee on Finance. 
• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced in the Union Budget that the new Tax Bill will be introduced in the ongoing session of Parliament. 

Scheme and committees news 

8. Multiple initiatives to empower girls under ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ launched by the Odisha government 

• A series of initiatives have been implemented under the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ scheme by the Odisha government to address the alarming gender imbalance and declining child sex ratio in India. 
• The government has designed key programs such as “Nirbhaya Kadhi” (Fearless Bud) and “Mo Gelha Jiya” (My Dear Daughter) in Ganjam, “Kalpana Avijan” in Dhenkanal, “Swarna Kalika” in Keonjhar, and “Veerangana Yojana” in Deogarh district to empower adolescent girls.
• These initiatives focus on preventing child marriage, combating sex selection and female foeticide, promoting higher education, and building self-esteem and confidence through martial arts and self-defence. 

 Summary of all Programs:

Scheme Name	District	Objective	Key Achievements
Nirbhaya Kadhi (Fearless Bud)	Ganjam	Create a just society for girls under BBBP	Reached 183,933 adolescent girls in 3,309 villages, raising awareness
Mo Gelha Jhia (My Lovely Daughter)	Ganjam	Address sex selection and female foeticide	Contributed to Ganjam being declared child marriage-free on 3rd Jan 2022
Kalpana Avijan	Dhenkanal	Monitor adolescent girls (10-19 years) to prevent child marriage	Prevented 343 child marriages; enrolled 1,13,515 adolescent girls; 4,45,000 students pledged against child marriage
Swarna Kalika	Keonjhar	Raise awareness on child marriage and promote the ADVIKA app	Involved over 2,000 stakeholders; reduced child marriages by 50% by 2024
Veerangana	Deogarh	Boost self-esteem and confidence of adolescent girls through martial arts	Trained over 500 girls in self-defense; developed 50 female master trainers to train 6,000 girls; won SKOCH Award

Infrastructure and energy News

 9. North India’s first green hydrogen plant foundation has been laid in Himachal Pradesh 

• Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu laid the foundation stone of north India's first 1-MW green hydrogen plant at Dabhota in Himachal's Solan district.
• This project will be developed by Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL) in collaboration with Oil India Limited. 
• It will be established at a cost of Rs 9.04 crore. 
• Himachal Pradesh is committed to become India's first green energy state by March 2026. 
• The Dabhota Green Hydrogen Plant is a major milestone in the state's renewable energy journey. 
• The state government had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Oil India Limited to focus on the development of solar energy, green hydrogen, geothermal energy, and compressed biogas. 10. A historic milestone of 100 GW solar power capacity has been achieved by India 
• A historic milestone of surpassing 100 GW of installed solar power capacity has been achieved by India, reinforcing its position as a global leader in renewable energy. 
• The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy said in a statement that this achievement demonstrates the nation’s commitment to a cleaner, greener future. 
• This achievement marks an important step toward achieving PM Narendra Modi’s ambitious target of 500 GW of non-fossil fuel-based energy capacity by 2030. 
• India's energy journey over the last ten years has been historic and inspiring. 
• Initiatives like solar panels, solar parks, and rooftop solar power projects have brought about revolutionary changes. 
• India's solar power sector has seen an extraordinary 3450% growth in capacity over the past decade, growing from 2.82 GW in 2014 to 100 GW by 2025. 
• As of January 2025, India's total installed solar capacity is 100.33 GW, with 84.10 GW under implementation and an additional 47.49 GW under proposal. 

11.1,600 centres will be developed by the government to train 'good drivers' and reduce accidents

•  A new policy has been issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) to set up driving training institutes across the country, noting that a significant number of road accidents occur due to driver faults. 
• Under the scheme, Rs 4,500 crore in assistance will be provided by the ministry in a phased manner to set up 1,600 institutes across all 36 states and Union Territories (UTs). 
• The new policy provides more incentives to developers and also changes the population criteria along with the allotment of more number of such centers. 
• At present, there are a total of 28 functional driving training institutes, established under the MoRTH scheme. 
• Under this scheme, three dierent types of institutes, such as Driving Training and Research Institutes (ITDRs), Regional Driving Training Centres (RDTCs), and Driving Training Centres (DTCs), will be developed. 
• Out of the total allocation of 1,600 institutions, 26 ITDRs, 134 RDTCs, and 1,427 DTCs will be established. 
• These centers will provide facilities such as automated driving test tracks, driving laboratories and workshops, driving training simulators, and modern equipment like the Innovative Driving Test System (IDTS), among other initiatives to train drivers. 
• It has been calculated by the ministry that there is a lack of 22 lakh skilled drivers in India, and in around 35,000 death cases, drivers were found to be driving without a valid license. 

Sports news 

12. 2. Lovlina Borgohain won the gold medal in the Women’s 75kg category at the 38th National Games 

• Indian boxer Lovlina Borgohain clinched a gold medal in the women's 75kg category. 
• Lovlina Borgohain defeated Chandigarh's Pranshu Rathore by 5-0. 
• Shiva Thapa bagged a silver medal in the men's 63.5kg category in the ongoing 38th National Games. 
• Shiva Thapa faced a narrow defeat against Vanshaj of Services Sports Central Board. 
• Ankushita Boro created history by beating Uttarakhand's Kajal 5-0 in the 66kg welterweight event. 
• This was her third consecutive gold medal at the National Games. 
• Uttarakhand's Nivedita Kari beat Haryana's Kalpana 5-0 in the women's flyweight 50kg event. 
• The National Games 2025 began on January 28 and will conclude on 14 February. 

Miscellaneous news 

13. 5. The 32nd session of the Indian Art History Congress started in Nodia on February 8 

• This year, the 32nd session of the Indian Art History Congress is being organized by the Indian Heritage Institute, Noida, Deemed University under the Ministry of Culture from 8 to 10 February 2025. 
• The three-day event was inaugurated by Chief Guest, Union Minister of Culture and Tourism, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
• The aim of this conference is to provide a platform that brings together conversations on various forms of artistic and performative presentations of the epics. 
• It emphasises the diversity and multiplicity of the epics in terms of their varied artistic expressions. 
• It also traces their influence as well as their representation from ancient to contemporary times. 
• The theme of this year’s event is “Rendering of Indian Epics in Art and Culture.” 
• The aim of this theme is to highlight the various forms of artistic expressions based on the epics. 
• The Indian Art History Congress is an all-India body that studies Indian art heritage. 
• Its headquarters are located in Guwahati. 

14. Surajkund International Crafts Mela kicks o in Faridabad 

• The 38th edition of the Surajkund International Crafts Mela kicked o on 7th February in Faridabad. It will run until February 23. 
• This highly anticipated event will showcase regional and international crafts, handlooms, traditions, and a variety of multi-cuisine food. 
• This year, the fair is being celebrated as ‘Shilp Mahakumbh,’ inspired by the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025. 
• An MoU has been signed between DMRC and Haryana Tourism Corporation for this event. 
• The Surajkund International Crafts Mela is being organized in partnership with the union ministries of tourism, textiles, culture, and external aairs.
•  For the first time, two states, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh, have been designated as theme states to give the fair a ‘Crafts Maha Kumbh’ identity. 
• The event will have more than 1,000 stalls and a record 648 artisans from 42 countries will participate in this event. 
• The BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) countries have been included as partner countries.