Current Affairs | National | International | SSC | UPSC 18th February 2025

 National News 

APEDA facilitates first-ever sea shipments of Indian pomegranates to Australia 

• The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) in collaboration with AgroStar and Kay Bee Exports successfully completed India’s first-ever commercial trial shipments of premium Sangola and Bhagwa pomegranates respectively to Australia via sea. 
• The first air shipment took place in July 2024, following the successful market access facilitation by APEDA and National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO). 
• The first-ever sea-freight shipment departed from India on December 6, 2024 and arrived in Sydney on January 13, 2025 with 5.7 metric tons (MT) of pomegranates sourced from the Solapur region of Maharashtra, packed into 1,900 boxes, each containing 3 kg of premium fruit. 

Delhi rocked by second strongest earthquake in three decades

 

• The 4-magnitude earth-quake that originated in Delhi early on Monday was the strongest since a 4.6-magnitude temblor in 2007. 
• While of a 'moderate' intensity, the latest earthquake, accompanied by a distinct rumble, served as a rude, early morning awakening to denizens of the city at the broader National Capital Region in Noida, Ghaziabad and Gurugram because it was 'shallow,' or a mere five kilometres from the surface. 
• "The 4.6-magnitude quake in November 2007 barely registered with many because it was at a 10-km depth, meaning that most of the energy dissipated by the time that seismic waves reached the surface," O.P. Mishra, Director, National Centre for Seismology (NCS), ok told The Hindu. 
• An analysis by the institution of seismic activity in a 50-km radius of Monday's earthquake says that from 1993 to 2025, 446 earthquakes ranging in magnitude from 1.1 to 4.6 have been reported. The highest magnitude (M 4.6) of an earthquake was reported on November 25, 2007, which is about six kilometres north-west of Monday's earthquake, which originated at Jheel Park, in Delhi, according to the agency. 
• "(The quake) occurred due to normal faulting that supported the concept of hydro fracturing as the principal cause of seismo-genesis of varying strengths," an NCS report on the event noted. In other words, below Delhi's surface lie vast water channels of aquifers, ancient rivers and rivulets, and over aeons, they erode the underlying rocks causing various "fractures", triggering seismic waves in the process. 
• Mr. Mishra noted that the earthquake conformed with patterns previously reported in Delhi and that it was "highly unlikely" the city, and its surrounding suburbs, would ever experience a quake bigger than a 6 magnitude. While there were 'faults' fissures and rifts beneath the earth that release vast stores of energy in the Delhi region, the Mahendrana gar fault, or the Sohana fault among them were not large enough to release energy beyond a 6 magnitude. 
•  'Shallow quake' "In fact, the latest quake has shown that a shallow quake of magnitude 4 has not caused any serious structural damage or casualty anywhere in Delhi. This underlines that ensuring new buildings conform to the latest building codes and old ones adequately retrofitted, can insure against even serious quakes," Mr. Mishra said. 

First-ever regional dialogue on social justice on 24-25 February 2025 will be held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. 

• Ministry of Labour & Employment will host it in collaboration with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)-Employers’ Federation of India (EFI). 
• India is leading the first ‘Regional Dialogue’ under the Global Coalition for Social Justice. 
• As part of the dialogue, 80+ Coalition partners from the Asia Pacific region will come together. 
• Gilbert F. Houngbo, Director-General of the ILO, will be the keynote speaker. 
• First-ever regional dialogue on social justice will also mark 74th Foundation Day of the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation. 
• Global Coalition for Social Justice was launched by International Labour Organization (ILO) in 2023. Participation in it is voluntary. 
• Participation is open to governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations, international institutions, enterprises, non-governmental organizations, and academic institutions. 

International News 

Meta introduces subsea internet cable Project Waterworth to cross over 50,000 km 

• Meta introduced its internet subsea cable Project Waterworth, which will cross 50,000 km in length and bring enhanced connectivity to the U.S., India, Brazil, South Africa, and other locations whilst becoming the longest subsea cable project in the world.
• The investment involves billions of dollars and is set to span across years, in a bid to bring AI access to users all around the world. 
• Subsea cables projects, such as Project Waterworth, are the backbone of global digital infrastructure, accounting for more than 95% of intercontinental traffic across the world’s oceans to seamlessly enable digital communication, video experiences, online transactions, and more. 
• According to Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) data, the country hosts around 17 international subsea cables across 17 district landing stations. 

India among most affected countries by climate change from 1993-2022: CRI 

• India is among the nations hit hardest by extreme weather over the past 30 years, according to the newly released 2025 Climate Risk Index (CRI). 
• Between 1993 and 2022, the country endured more than 400 extreme events — including floods, heatwaves, and cyclones — leading to 80,000 fatalities and economic losses nearing $180 billion. 
• The CRI measures both the human and economic consequences of climate-related disasters, ranking countries based on fatalities, damages, and the number of people affected. 
• Climate Risk Index puts India in sixth place among the 10 most affected countries, showing high absolute fatalities and economic losses in addition to high absolute and relative numbers of people affected. The report highlights the country’s increasingly frequent extreme weather events over the past three decades, including floods, heat waves, cyclones, and droughts. 
• It also takes note of cyclones in Gujarat (1998), Odisha (1999), Hudhud (2014), and Amphan (2020), as well as major floods in northern India (1993) and Uttarakhand (2013), in addition to severe floods in 2019 
• Countries Most Affected by Climate-Related Extreme Weather Events

 

Rank	1993-2022 (Most Affected Countries)	2022 (Most Affected Countries)
1	Dominica	Pakistan
2	China	Belize
3	Honduras	Italy
4	Myanmar	Greece
5	Italy	Spain
6	India	Puerto Rico
7	Greece	United States of America
8	Spain	Nigeria
9	Vanuatu	Portugal
10	Philippines	Bulgaria

Border Guard Odisha u Bangladesh delegation lands in Delhi 

• A high-level delegation of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) reached New Delhi on Monday for the bi-annual Director-General-level talks with the Border Security Force (BSF). 
• The talks will take place between Tuesday and Thursday. The BSF is likely to raise the attack on its personnel by armed mis-creants. 
• The 55th Director-General-level Border Coordination Conference between the two forces will be held at the BSF headquarters. The Bangladesh delegation may also call on some senior Union Home Ministry authorities, a BSF official said. 
• The Indian delegation is led by BSF Director-General Daljit Singh Chaudhary, while the visiting Bangla-deshi team is headed by BGB D-G Major-General Mohammad Ashrafuzza-man Siddiqui. 
• The BSF said in a statement last week that the conference is being organised to discuss border-related issues and improve coordination between the border guarding forces 

France’s president Emmanuel Macron to host emergency European summit on Ukraine. 

• Many European country's leaders including Britain’s prime minister will attend the emergency summit on the Ukraine war. 
• German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa from the European Union will attend the summit. 
• Some countries are unhappy that the meeting is only for selected leaders and not a full EU summit. 
• The meeting has been called by Emmanuel Macron to discuss the tumultuous change in the U.S. approach to Ukraine and the attendant risks to the security of the European continent. 
• U.S. officials suggested Europe would have no role in any talks on ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict. 

State news

 India's first dedicated GCC policy has been released by Madhya PradeMadhya Pradesh became the first state to launch a dedicated Global Capability Centre (GCC) policy.

• The Madhya Pradesh GCC Policy 2025 is a combination of incentives for capital expenditure, payroll, upskilling, and research. 
• A designated nodal agency will be responsible for its implementation. 
• This policy targets sectors such as IT, finance, engineering, human resources, and emerging technologies. 
• This policy aims to attract over 50 GCCs and generate more than 37,000 jobs.  Madhya Pradesh will act as a centre of excellence for IT/ITeS, advanced analytics, R&D and digital transformation. 
• The policy has been unveiled ahead of Madhya Pradesh's biennial Global Investors' Summit. 
• This policy is India's first dedicated framework for fostering GCC growth in tier-2 cities. 

A 2.90 lakh crore rupees state budget has been presented by Chief Minister of Odisha Mohan Charan Majhi for the 2025-26 fiscal. 

• The budget focuses on agriculture and irrigation. 37,838 crore rupees has been allocated for the farm and allied sector. 
• This is an increase of about 12 per cent in comparision to last year’s budget. 
• Approximately 48% of Odisha’s workforce is dependent on agriculture. 80% of people are living in rural areas.
•  ‘CM Kisan Yojana’ has been allocated 2,020 crore rupees.
•  ‘Shree Anna Abhiyan’ has been allocated 600 crore rupees for the promotion of millets. 
• 16 new initiatives has been announced in the budget. These include Rs 30 crore Shree Jagannath Darshan Yojana. 

Defence news 

Multilateral Naval Exercise Komodo started on February 16.

• The fifth Multilateral Naval Exercise Komodo, hosted by the Indonesian Navy, started on February 16.
• It is scheduled to take place from February 16 - 22, 2025. 
• More than 30 ships from more than 15 countries are participating in this exercise. 
• Russia, China, India and the US are participating in this exercise. 
• The theme of the exercise is “Maritime Partnership for Peace and Stability”. 
• It emphasized on multilateral maritime cooperation and disaster response protocols. 
• International Fleet Review celebrated the 80th anniversary of the formation of the Indonesian Navy. 

Scheme and committees news . 

A Mutual Credit Guarantee Scheme for MSMEs was launched by FM Sitharaman. 

• On 17 February, the 'Mutual Credit Guarantee Scheme for MSMEs' launched by the Centre, as announced in the Union Budget 2025-26, to boost micro, small, and medium enterprises. 
• Under this scheme, collateral-free loans up to Rs 100 crore are provided to MSMEs for the purchase of plant, machinery, or equipment. 
• Under the scheme, 60% guarantee coverage will be provided by National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company Limited (NCGTC) to Member Lending Institutions (MLIs) for credit facilities up to Rs. 100 crores. 
• This will be sanctioned to eligible MSMEs under MCGS-MSME for the purchase of equipment/machinery. 
• While launching the scheme, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also distributed sanction letters to eligible MSMEs under the scheme in Mumbai. 
• The scheme requires the borrower to be an MSME with a valid Udyam Registration Number. 
• The guaranteed loan amount will not exceed Rs 100 crore, although the total project cost may be higher. 
• Additionally, at least 75% of the project cost should be for purchasing equipment or machinery. 
• Besides, keys were also handed over to home buyers who benefited through the SWAMIH (Special Window for Affordable and Mid-Income Housing) fund. 
• As of January 24, over 50,000 homes have been successfully delivered under the SWAMIH Fund, with a commitment to deliver an additional 20,000 homes each year for the next three years. 
• SWAMIH Fund 2 will be established as a blended finance facility with contributions from the government, banks, and private investors, as announced in the Union Budget 2025-26. 
• The target of this fund of Rs 15,000 crore will be to complete another 1 lakh units soon. 

Government approved continuation of the PM-AASHA scheme till 2025-26.

•  The Central government approved the continuation of the integrated Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) scheme during the 15th Finance Commission cycle up to 2025-26. 
• The integrated PM-AASHA Scheme's aim is the effective implementation of procurement operations. The government has allowed the procurement of Tur, Urad and Masur under the Price Support Scheme (PSS). 
• In the Budget 2025, the government has also announced that procurement of Tur (Arhar), Urad and Masur up to 100 per cent of the state's production will be continued for another four years. 
• Under the price support scheme of PM-ASHA scheme, notified pulses, oilseeds and copra conforming to prescribed Fair Average Quality (FAQ) are procured by Central Nodal Agencies (CNAs) through State level agencies directly from pre-registered farmers at MSP. 
• The procurement has already started in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Telangana and a total quantity of 0.15 LMT of Tur (Arhar) has been procured in these States. 
• Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan approved Tur Procurement in 9 States under Price Support Scheme for the Kharif 2024-25 season. 

National Geospatial Knowledge-based Land Survey of Urban Habitations (NAKSHA) pilot program will be inaugurated.

 

•  Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Shivraj Singh Chouhan will inaugurate the National Geospatial Knowledge-based Land Survey of Urban Habitations (NKSHA) pilot program on 18th February. 
• It will be launched in 152 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in 26 states and 3 Union Territories (UTs) at Raisen, Madhya Pradesh. 
• The NAKSHA program will be implemented by the Department of Land Resources under the Ministry of Rural Development. 
• The main aim of the program is to modernize land survey processes in urban areas. 
• The main objective is to create and update land records, ensuring accurate documentation of land ownership, improving urban planning, and reducing land-related disputes. 
• This program will leverage IT-based systems for property record administration to enhance transparency, and efficiency, and support sustainable development.
•  The Survey of India has been designated as the technical partner for the NAKSHA initiative. 
• It will conduct aerial surveys and provide orthorectified imagery through third-party vendors to the respective state and Union Territory governments. 
• It will develop an end-to-end web-GIS platform with storage facilities managed by the National Informatics Centre Services Inc. 
• The NAKSHA pilot program will cost ₹194 crore, with full funding by the central government. 

Appointment 

PD Singh appointed as CEO of Standard Chartered India 

• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has given its approval to appoint corporate banking veteran and former JP Morgan India CEO Prabdev (PD) Singh as the CEO for Standard Chartered (StanC) in India. 
• Singh will start his three-year term on April 1 succeeding Zarin Daruwala who retires from the bank at the end of March. 
• Singh brings nearly three decades of experience, having previously served as CEO of JP Morgan Chase Bank in India, where he played a key role in shaping the bank’s corporate banking franchise. 

Recent Appointment in Banking & Insurance Sector 

• CEO of Navi Technologies – Rajiv Naresh 
• CEO of Navi Finserv – Abhishek Dwivedi 
• Head of Citibank India – K Balasubramanian (replace Ashu Khulla) 
• Executive Director of Dhanlaxmi Bank – P. Suriaraj 
• MD & CEO of IDBI Bank – Rakesh Sharma
• MD and CEO of Zurich Kotak General Insurance – Alok Kumar Agarwal (Suresh Agarwal) 

Gyanesh Kumar has been appointed as the Chief Election Commissioner. 

• President Droupadi Murmu appointed Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar as the new Chief Election Commissioner (CEC). 
• His tenure will be till 26 January 2029. He is India's 26th Chief Election Commissioner. 
• On 18 February 2025, incumbent Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar's term came to an end. 
• CEC Gyanesh Kumaris a former IAS officer. He is 1988 batch officer of the Kerala cadre. 
• In the ministry of parliamentary affairs, he held the position of secretary. 
• President Droupadi Murmu has apppointed Dr. Vivek Joshi as the newly appointed Election Commissioner. 
• He is an IAS officer from 1989 batch of Haryana cadre. 

Banking news 

Centre likely to raise deposit insurance limit from 5 lakh 

• The Finance Ministry is considering raising the current limit of ₹5 lakh for deposit insurance, M. Nagaraju, Secretary to the Department of Financial Services, said at a post-Budget press briefing here on Monday. 
• "That [increasing depo-sit insurance] is under ac-tive consideration. As and when the government approves, we will notify it," he said. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, along with Secretaries of various departments, was present at the briefing.
•  The official's statement comes days after the Reserve Bank of India placed curbs on the Mumbai-based New India Cooperative Bank for lack of liquidity. The bank's General Manager and Head of Accounts, Hitesh Mehta, was later found to have embezzled 122 crore over a year and was remanded in pol-ice custody for five days on February 16.
•  Money deposited by bank customers is insured under the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation Act, 1961 by the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation under the Finance Ministry. 
• When a bank fails and the RBI steps in to stop withdrawals, the corporation acts as a guard to secure the money of depositors. The corporation has been in existence since January 1968. The deposit insurance limit was increased to 5 lakh in 2020 from 1 lakh fixed in 1993, following the failure of the Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative Bank. 

Science and Technology news 

AI programme has been launched by centre to empower 1 lakh young innovators. 

• ‘AI for Entrepreneurship’ micro-learning module has been launched by Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, National Skill Development Corporation and Intel India. 
• The programme aims to encourage entrepreneurial thinking among young Indian entrepreneurs and clarify AI concepts. 
• By 2025, it aims to equip one lakh young people with the necessary skills for a technologically advanced economy. 
• The program will teach young people about AI and how to use emerging technology to identify commercial prospects. 
• It includes creative problem-solving, entrepreneurial tactics, and AI for business growth. 
• Both urban and rural learners can access the program. After finishing the module, participants will be jointly certified by Intel, MSDE, NSDC, and Skill India. 

The wet trials of India's fourth-generation deep-sea submarine Matsya-6000 successfully completed at the port.

•  Under the Deep Ocean Mission initiatives, the Ministry of Earth Sciences has tasked the National Institute of Ocean Technology with developing the Matsya-6000, a fourth-generation deep-sea submersible under the Samudrayaan Project. 
• This trial is a significant step towards conducting shallow water trials up to a depth of 500 metres by the end of 2025. 
• Measuring 2.1 metres in diameter, this ultramodern submarine is designed for three-person operation. 
• Matsya 6000 is a significant milestone in the country's ocean exploration capability.
• The submarine features a ballast system for diving, thrusters for movement in three directions, a battery bank for power supply, and syntactic foam for surfacing. 
• It includes a sophisticated power distribution network, state-of-the-art control hardware and software, as well as underwater navigation devices. 
• Inside the submarine, special attention has been given to human life-support systems, navigation joysticks to gain access to various environmental and vital parameters, as well as various oceanographic sensors, underwater lighting, and cameras outside the submarine. 

The world’s largest 10-tonne propellant mixer for rocket motors unveiled by India. 

• The world’s largest 10-tonne propellant mixer for solid rocket motors has been developed by India in a major technological breakthrough. 
• ISRO’s Satish Dhawan Space Centre, in collaboration with the Central Manufacturing Technology Institute in Bengaluru, designed the mixer.
• The mixer weighs 150 tonnes and measures 8.7 metres in height, 5.4 metres in length and 3.3 metres in width. 
• This ensures the precise and safe mixing of the solid propellant ingredients needed for a rocket launch. 
• ISRO described it as a symbol of India's growing self-reliance in space technology under the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat in Space' initiative. 
• The advanced system promises improved productivity, quality, and safety in solid motor production. 
• The mixer, equipped with remote-controlled operations, was handed over to ISRO last week, marking another milestone in India's space journey. 

Sports

 Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo Becomes First to Run Half-Marathon Under 57 Minutes 

• Jacob Kiplimo from Uganda has made history in the half-marathon. He became the first person to run the race in under 57 minutes. 
• Kiplimo finished in 56 minutes, 42 seconds in Barcelona. The 24-year-old set the record at the World Athletics Gold Label race. 
• He broke the old record of 57:30 set by Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha in October. Kiplimo beat the record by 48 seconds, the biggest improvement ever. 
• He was the half-marathon record holder from 2021 to 2024. With this run, he reclaimed his title. Kiplimo also set a world best time of 39:47 for 15 kilometers during the race 

Obituary

 Veteran Telugu actress C Krishnaveni dies 

• Veteran Telugu actress and producer C Krishnaveni passed away at 102. 
• Krishnaveni was born on December 24, 1924, in Pangidi, West Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh. She began her journey as a drama artist before transitioning to films, making her debut as a child artist in Sati Anasuya (1936). 
• In recognition of her contributions to the film industry, she was honored with the Raghupathi Venkaiah Award in 2004