Current Affairs | National | International | SSC | UPSC 13th February 2025

 National News 

2nd India-France AI Policy Roundtable held on the sidelines of AI Action Summit 2025 in Paris 

• The Second India-France AI Policy Roundtable was held at Sciences Po University, Paris, as a side event to the AI Action Summit 2025. 
• The event was organized by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India, in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, the IndiaAI Mission, and Sciences Po Paris. 
• Experts emphasized collaboration between India and France on indigenous AI models, multilingual large language models (LLMs), federated AI infrastructure, and sustainable AI practices.
•  The Second Roundtable built upon key objectives from the First Roundtable held in Bengaluru during Technology Dialogue 2025, focusing on inclusive AI frameworks, diverse datasets, governance, public-private partnerships, and foundational models. 

Amit Shah chairs Parliamentary Consultative Committee for Ministry of Home Affairs on ‘Cyber Security and Cyber Crime’

•  Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah chaired a meeting of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Home Affairs on the topic of ‘Cyber Security and Cyber Crime’ in New Delhi. 
• The meeting was attended by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Shri Nityanand Rai, Shri Bandi Sanjay Kumar, members of the Committee. 
• Cyber Crime Forensic Training Labs have been established in 33 states and union territories. On the ‘CyTrain’ platform, a “Massive Open Online Course (MOOC)” platform, 101,561 police officers have registered, and over 78,000 certificates have been issued. 
• Union Home Minister emphasized the importance of raising awareness among the public to prevent cybercrime and requested all the members of the committee to promote the I4C helpline number 1930. India has become the third-largest country in terms of digital landscape in the world. The digital economy contributes 20 per cent to the total economy of India. 

West Bengal announced an allocation of ₹1,500 crore for roads, and the New ‘Nadi Bandhan’ Scheme in Budget 2025. 

• On 12 February, the West Bengal Budget 2025 was presented in the State Assembly by West Bengal Finance Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya. 
• West Bengal's Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) crossed Rs 18 lakh crore. The revenue deficit in the budget is Rs 35314 crore. 
• The government has proposed ₹1,500 crore under the Pathashree scheme for road development. 
• The West Bengal government has announced a 4% hike in dearness allowance (DA) to assuage the anger of state government employees embroiled in a legal battle over the allowance. 
• A new scheme called "Nadi Bandhan" has been announced for people living on river banks. Rs 200 crore has been allocated to prevent river bank erosion.
• ₹200 crore was allocated by the West Bengal government for the purchase of smartphones for about 70,000 ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activists) and Anganwadi workers. 
• On the infrastructure front, ₹500 crore was sanctioned in the budget for the construction of a 4.75 km-long bridge over the Ganga River to connect Sagar Island, where the Gangasagar Mela is held every year. 
• The Lakshmir Bhandar scheme has about 2.21 crore beneficiaries, with an allocation of ₹50,000 crore, while the Kanyashree Prakalpa scholarship for school-going girls has about 1 crore beneficiaries, with an allocation of ₹15,000 crore. 
• The number of beneficiaries under the Sabuj Sathi Scheme (distribution of bicycles to school-going students) is 1.26 crore and an allocation of Rs 4,600 crore has been made for it.

 Ministry of Ayush & Social Justice Department signed an MoU to boost senior citizen care & combat substance abuse. 

• The main aim of the MoU is to improve the well-being of senior citizens and address the growing concern of substance abuse. 
• This strategic partnership will implement Ayush-based interventions to promote geriatric healthcare and combat substance abuse. 
• This collaboration is an important step towards resolving the challenges related to senior citizen care. 
• The government has taken several steps to ensure the welfare of senior citizens.

 International News 

Dubai hosts largest MRO Middle East and AIME 2025 edition 

• MRO Middle East and AIME 2025 is the largest edition ever, hosted in Dubai, focusing on aircraft modernization and MRO services. 
• Over 250 international exhibitors participated, reflecting strong aviation sector growth amid record-high passenger demand. 
• GE Aerospace announced a $10 million investment to expand engine service capacity in the Middle East. 
• Airbus’ Middle East Services Forecast 2024-2043 projected global services demand to reach $32 billion, with a 4.5% CAGR over 20 years. 
• Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum inaugurated the event, reinforcing its importance as the region’s premier aerospace innovation platform. 

FAO Launches $95M Climate Resilient Agriculture Project in Somalia 

• The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) officially launched a seven-year project with Somalia that aims to enhance climate adaptation and resilience for vulnerable communities in the country. 
• The 95 million dollar “Climate Resilient Agriculture in Somalia” project, dubbed “Ugbaad,” which means hope in Somalia, will tackle climate change challenges and strengthen agrifood systems through large-scale investment. 
• In Somalia, the agricultural sector is the main economic activity for an estimated 65 percent of the population, contributing about 75 percent of the gross domestic product. 

About Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) 

•  Founded- 16 October 1945 
•  Headquarters- Rome, Italy 
• Parent organization- United Nations Economic and Social Council 
• Director General – Qu Dongyu 

14th Asian Fisheries and Aquaculture Forum on “Greening the Blue Growth in Asia-Pacific” held in Delhi 

• The 14th Asian Fisheries and Aquaculture Forum (14AFAF), with the theme “Greening the Blue Growth in Asia-Pacific” has been organized in New Delhi. 
• The Asian Fisheries and Aquaculture Forum (AFAF) is a triennial event of the Asian Fisheries Society with its Headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 
• This 14th AFAF is being jointly organized by the Asian Fisheries Society (AFS), Kuala Lumpur; Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi the Department of Fisheries (DoF), Government of India; and the Asian Fisheries Society Indian Branch (AFSIB), Mangalore. 
• This prestigious event is being hosted in India for the 2nd time after the 8AFAF held at Kochi in 2007. 

India may revive plan to procure six more P-8I aircraft from the U.S. 

• India is looking to revive the proposal to procure six more P-8I long-range maritime patrol aircraft from the U.S. and the matter is expected to figure in the talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump, sources in the know said. 
• Other big-ticket deals in the pipeline with the U.S. that could figure in the talks are the co-production of General Electric F414 jet engines and Stryker infantry combat vehicles in India under technology transfer. 
• The Navy had projected a requirement for more P-8Is sometime ago but it was deferred for a few years. The P-81, which can hunt submarines lurking in the deep oceans, is the primary platform for the Indian Navy for longrange surveillance and has become particularly critical as the Chinese naval presence has significantly expanded in the Indian Ocean Region.
• India is keen to procure six additional P-8Is and preliminary discussions have commenced regarding pricing and other aspects, two sources in the know confirmed. There is a possibility that the intent to commence discussions. 
• It is expected to figure in the talks between Prime Minister Modi and U.S. President Trump could find mention among the outcomes of Mr. Modi's visit, the sources added. 
• India has contracted 12 P-8Is in two batches, eight under a $2.2-billion deal in 2009 and four more in 2016, under the optional clause in a deal worth over $1billion. 
• Subsequently, the Navy was keen on 10 more air craft but that got truncated later and in November 2019, the Defence Acquisi-tion Council approved the procurement of six air craft. In May 2021, the U.S. State Department ap-proved the possible sale of six additional P-8I aircraft and related equipment, a deal then estimated to cost $2.42 billion. 
• Complementing the P-8Is will be the MQ-9B Sea Guardian High Altitude Long Endurance UAVs that the Navy will begin receiv-ing from January 2029. Last October, India signed a nearly $3.5-billion contract for 31 MQ-9B, under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme of the U.S. government. 

38th. International Conference on Innovations in Unani Medicine has concluded. 

• The conference was held in New Delhi. The conference was on “Innovations in Unani Medicine for Integrative Health Solutions – A Way Forward”.
• Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM) organised the conference. 
• Conference was held as part of celebrations of the Unani Day 2025. It was inaugurated by President Droupadi Murmu.
• Both national and international experts participated in the conference. 
• Industry, academia, and research organizations took part in the conference. 
• The conference included transfer of technology to companies like Dehlvi Naturals and Hamdard Laboratories. 
• The technology was developed by CCRUM and included Unani toothpaste for dental care and a regimen for vitiligo treatment. 

On 13 February, Prime Minister Modi arrived in the USA to hold bilateral talks with President Trump. 

• On February 13, PM Narendra Modi met newly-appointed Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard upon her arrival in Washington, DC, ahead of bilateral talks with US President Donald Trump. 
• On February 12, Tulsi Gabbard was sworn in as Director of National Intelligence (DNI). 
• There will be bilateral talks between President Trump and Prime Minister Modi in both restricted and delegation-level formats in Washington, DC.
• Mr. Modi is also scheduled to meet senior US administration officials, business leaders, and members of the Indian community. 
•  The new USA administration has invited Mr. Modi to visit the U.S. within barely three weeks of taking office, highlighting the importance of the India-U.S. partnership. 
• The two countries share a convergence of interests in several areas, including trade, investment, technolog

Economy news 

Average of ₹57 lakh spent by each candidate on LS poll campaign: data 

• Candidates in the 2024 Lok Sabha election each spent an average of ₹57.23 lakh for campaigning, according to an Atlas on last year's general election released by the Election Commission of India on Wednesday. 
• While the Congress's Shashi Tharoor reported the highest individual expenditure of ₹94.89 lakh, the Trinamool Congress's Pratima Mondal spent only 12,500. 
• 'Inbuilt red flags' 
• Speaking at the release of the Atlas, Chief Election 
• Maximum limit of poll expenses was revised in 2022, considering a rise in total electors, cost inflation index, and virtual campaigns 
• Commissioner Rajiv Ku-mar reiterated that the polling data system was robust, with inbuilt "red flags" to ensure that "nothing can go wrong". 
• Lakhs of officials, in-cluding booth-level officers, feed data into the system. "As a design, nothing can go wrong... The system throws up red flags," he said, adding that this makes the EC "extremely confident" that nothing can go wrong. If someone makes an error, the system will not accept it, he said. 
• The Opposition, led by the Congress, has been raising concerns about unusual numbers of additions and deletions in voters lists in some States like Maharashtra. 
• Highs and lows 
• According to the Atlas, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi spent 92.82 lakh on his campaign trail in Wayanad. 
• Three Karnataka MPs Sunil Bose, B.Y. Raghavendra and E. Tukaram were on the list of 15 MPs with the highest campaign expenditure. DMK MP from Coimbatore, Ganapathy Rajkumar P., was in the ninth position, having spent ₹92.96 lakh on his campaign. Those who kept their expenditure low, included Baramulla MP Engineer Rashid, who spent *2.10 lakh, and Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, who spent 20.67 lakh. 
• The amount of money candidates are permitted to spend on their cam-paigns is subject to a ceil-ing. The maximum limit of election expenses was revised in 2022, owing to a rise in the number of electors, cost inflation index, and virtual campaigns. 

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has amended the Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations 2018. 

• To further strengthen consumer protection against Unsolicited Commercial Communication, the Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations 2018 has been amended. 
• The revised regulations aim to promote a more transparent commercial communication ecosystem for consumers. 
• Under the new amendment, telecoms have to accept complaints against spam after up to a week of receiving such calls. 
• Now, Customers will be able to identify the type of commercial message by just looking at its SMS sender header. 
• P”, “-S”, “-T”, and “-G” suffixed will be used as the message header for identification of promotional, service, transactional, and government messages, respectively. 
• The amendments introduced are based on stakeholder feedback and extensive internal deliberations to reinforce consumer rights. 
• It will also prevent the misuse of telecom resources while aiming for legitimate commercial communication. 

India’s retail inflation declined to 4.31% in January. 

• This is a five-month low level. In December, inflation was at 5.22%. 
• Rural areas inflation was at 4.64%. Urban regions recorded an inflation rate of 3.87%. 
• In January, food inflation stood at 6.02%.
• January food inflation fell from 8.39% in December. 
• In rural regions, food inflation stood at 6.31%. This was recorded at 5.53% in urban areas. 
• Main reasons for fall in inflation were declined prices of vegetables, eggs, pulses, cereals etc. 
• Both headline and food inflation stood at lowest level since August 2024. 
• As per RBI forecast, inflation will be 4.2% for FY 2025-26. 

India ranks 38th in the World Bank Logistics Performance Index (LPI). 

• India secured 38th place in the World Bank Logistics Performance Index (LPI) out of 139 countries. 
• Indian Ports “Turn Around Time” has improved. Indian Ports “Turn Around Time” is 0.9 days, which is better than USA (1.5 days), Australia (1.7 days).
• India moved to 22nd Rank in the Global Ranking in the International Shipments category. 
• Singapore is ranked first, while Finland is in the second position of the index. 
• Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland are in second, third, and fourth spots, respectively. 
• After Singapore, Switzerland and Denmark scored highest in the customs category.
• Afghanistan and Libya are in the bottom two spots in the index. 
• As per a report, initiatives like PM Gati Shakti and the National Logistics Policy will help India make a place among the top 25 nations on the World Bank Logistics Performance Index by 2030. 
• As per the report, the Indian freight and logistics market is projected to grow at an annual rate of 8.8 percent. It will reach USD 484.43 billion by 2029 from USD 317.26 billion in 2024. India is fast emerging as a global logistics hub. The logistics cost in India is around 13–14 percent of its GDP. 

Scheme and committees news 

The government has approved a market intervention scheme to stabilize tomato prices. 

• The Market Intervention Scheme's (MIS) transportation component is now being implemented with government approval. 
• Due to declining tomato prices in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and other tomato-producing states, the government has taken this step. 
• Central Nodal Agencies will get reimbursement under the scheme for the operational costs. 
• The reimbursed costs will concern the storage and transportation of potatoes, tomatoes, and onions from the producing state to other consuming states. 
• These agencies include the National Cooperative Consumers Federation and the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India. 

Appointment 

Charanjot Singh Nanda elected as ICAI President for term 2025-26 

• The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), which is the world’s largest accountancy body, has a new President in Charanjot Singh Nanda for the term 2025-26. 
• Nanda, who was hitherto Vice-President of ICAI, was elected as the 73rd President at a meeting of the Central Council in New Delhi. 
• D Prasanna Kumar, a Chartered Accountant from Andhra Pradesh (Southern India Regional Council) was elected as Vice President.
• Nanda, a practising Chartered Accountant for over three decades, has been associated with ICAI’s Central Council since 2004 and has served multiple terms. 
• Nanda had completed his Bachelor of Commerce degree from M.L.N. College in 1987, consistently securing a position on the Merit List at Kurukshetra University throughout his undergraduate studies. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1991.

 Recent Appointments 

• CEO of Nokia -Justin Hotard (replace Pekka Lundmark) effect from 1 April 
• Chairman of Groupe Spécial Mobile Association board – Gopal Vittal (replace Jose Maria Alvares-Pallete) 
• DG of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) – Rajesh Nirwan 
• CEO of Vedanta Resources Ltd. – Deshnee Naidoo 
• CEO of Reliance Power – Neeraj Parakh 
• President of Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) for 2025 – Dhananjay Shukla 

Shikhar Dhawan appointed as Brand Ambassador of ICC Championship Trophy 2025 

• The International Cricket Council (ICC) has been appointed as the brand ambassador of the Champions Trophy 2025. The left-handed batter Shikhar Dhawan named as one of the four ambassadors for the event. 
• The other three ambassadors for the event are former Australia all-rounder Shane Watson, New Zealand pacer Tim Southee and former Champions Trophy-winning captain Sarfaraz Ahmed. 
• The tournament will be played in Pakistan and Dubai from February 19 to March 9. 
• India will play their matches in Dubai as they have refused to travel to Pakistan for security reasons. India will start their Champions Trophy campaign against Bangladesh on February 20. 

Sports

 India won 6 Golds in Para Archery Asia Cup 2025 

• India topped the medal tally at the 2025 Para Archery Asia Cup in Thailand, winning a total of 12 medals — six gold, three silver, and three bronze. 
• Sarita and Shyam Sundar Swami won gold medals in the women’s compound open and men’s compound open categories, respectively. 
• Sarita defeated Singapore’s Nur Syahidah Alim 143-142 in a closely contested women’s compound open final. Shyam Sundar Swami beat Indonesia’s Ken Swagumilang 143-141 to secure India’s sixth gold medal in the men’s compound open final. 
• Reigning Paralympic champion Harvinder Singh won a bronze medal in the men’s recurve open with a 6-2 victory over Malaysia’s Nurfaizal Hamzah.
• India’s Adil Mohamed Nazir Ansari clinched a bronze medal in the men’s W1 (Rec/Comp) event with a 120-116 win over Hong Kong’s Yung Man Tai. 

Important day 

12 February – International Day for the Prevention of Violent Extremism as and when Conducive to Terrorism 

• International Day for the Prevention of Violent Extremism as and when Conducive to Terrorism is observed annually on 12 February. 
• The day aims to raise awareness and strengthen global efforts to prevent violent extremism that can lead to terrorism. 
• In its resolution 77/243, the General Assembly decided to declare 12 February the International Day for the Prevention of Violent Extremism as and when Conducive to Terrorism, in order to raise awareness of the threats linked to violent extremism, as and when conducive to terrorism, and to enhance international cooperation in this regard. 

12 February – National Productivity Day 

• National Productivity Day is observed annually on February 12 in India, to generate awareness about the importance of productivity in achieving economic growth and sustainability, under the guidance of the National Productivity Council (NPC). It is a part of a week-long event, taking place from February 12 to 18. 
• This day raises awareness that productivity is more than just increasing output; it is a comprehensive concept that considers environmental problems, human resource development and quality of work
• .Theme 2025 – From Ideas to Impact: Protecting Intellectual Property for Competitive Startups 
• The National Productivity Day commemorates the establishment of the National Productivity Council (NPC) which was registered on February 12, 1958, under the Societies Registration Act, of 1960. Notably, it is an autonomous body that was introduced to promote India’s productivity culture. 

World Radio Day: 13 February 

• World Radio Day is celebrated every year on 13th February. 
• This day is celebrated to raise public awareness about the importance of radio. 
• This day is also observed to encourage access to information through radio. 
• The theme of World Radio Day 2025 is Radio and Climate Change. 
• World Radio Day 2025 is 14th edition of World Radio Day. 
• The 13th of February was designated as World Radio Day by UNESCO member nations in 2011. 
• The United Nations General Assembly declared it an international event in 2013. 
• Another name for Ram Singh Buddh is Radio Man. He lives in Gajraula, which is in Uttar Pradesh's Amroha district. 
• His Mann Ki Baat Radio Museum is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. 
• In his "Mann Ki Baat" program, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also made reference to him. 

Science and Technology news 

Indian scientists discovered genomic factors responsible for breast cancer therapy resistance. 

• Tata Memorial Centre (TMC), Mumbai, and the National Institute of Biomedical Genomics (NIBMG), Kalyani discovered genomic factors responsible for resistance to hormone (endocrine) therapy in oestrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer. 
• These findings will provide crucial insights into why some patients do not respond or stop responding to hormone therapy. 
• It will help in developing new targeted treatment strategies. 
• These findings offer significant clinical implications, including the potential repurposing of DNA-damaging drugs for patients who develop hormone therapy resistance. 
• Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women in India. 28.2% of all female cancer cases are breast cancer. 
• Around 50-60% are oestrogen receptor-positive, meaning the cancer cells releases a protein called oestrogen receptor (ER), which makes them susceptible to hormone therapy. 

An indigenous semiconductor chip developed by ISRO and IIT Madras. 

• This is an important step towards self-reliance in semiconductor technology. 
• The developers created the ‘IRIS’ (Indigenous RISCV Controller for Space Applications) chip from the ‘SHAKTI’ processor baseline, enabling its use in IoT and compute systems. 
• As part of ISRO's effort, semiconductors are being indigenized for their applications, command and control systems, and critical functions, aligning with the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' initiative in space technologies. 
• ISRO Inertial Systems Unit (IISU) in Thiruvananthapuram collaborated with IIT Madras to define the specifications and design the semiconductor chip. 
• The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology backs the project under the ‘Digital India RISC-V’ (DIRV) initiative. 
• This initiative promotes the indigenous development of microprocessor-based products with best-in-class security and visibility for users adopting RISC-V technology. 

Miscellaneous news 

Over 19 million people take holy dip on Maghi Purnima at Maha Kumbh 

• More than 19 million peo-ple took a dip in the San-gam, the confluence of the Ganga, the Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati, till 6 p.m. on Wednesday on the occasion of Maghi Pur-nima as part of the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj. 
• "This is a tribute to pu-blic faith. Salutation to the eternal consciousness of Sanatan. There is respect for the unity and equality of India. Hail Mother Gan-ga!" Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said in a post on X.
•  Uttar Pradesh Director-General of Police Prashant Kumar said that by learn-ing lessons from the stam-pede on Mauni Amavasya, the successful completion of the Maghi Purnima bath was ensured.
•  "Today was the fifth snan of Maha Kumbh 2025, with the Maha Shivratri snan being the final one. Taking lessons from the unfortunate incident on Mauni Amavasya, the ap-proach of 'Build Back Bet-ter' was adopted to ensure even more efficient man-agement. Community feedback from officials and devotees present at the site was incorporated to en-hance arrangements, leading to safe and smooth participation," Mr. Kumar said. 
• However, amid the in-flux of millions of pilgrims, chaos and congestion prevailed in the entire Maha Kumbh area and the Prayagraj region. 
• The Samajwadi Party ac-cused the State Police of misbehaving with devotees stuck in traffic jams.
•  "U.P. Police is misbehave- 
• Amid the influx of millions of pilgrims, chaos and congestion prevailed in Maha Kumbh area and Prayagraj regioning with devotees stuck in the jam due to the mismanagement of the BJP (Bhara-tiya Janata Party) govern-ment. In Sultanpur, the S.O. (Station Officer) pushed the devotees stuck in the traffic jam, constables beat them with sticks, [they] misbehaved with women. Condemnable and shameful. On the basis of the video, strict action should be taken against the accused S.O. and constables," the Opposition party said, sharing a video in which some police personnel can be seen getting into an altercation with a few people.