Current Affairs | National | International | SSC | UPSC 22nd February 2025

 National News 

1. Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela 2025 has been inaugurated by Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan

•  The Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela 2025 is being organized in New Delhi.
• ‘Unnat Krishi – Viksit Bharat’ is the theme of the three-day fair. 
• The main attraction of the Krishi Vigyan Mela will be live demonstrations of the cutting-edge varieties and technologies developed by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute. 
• The visitors will visit exhibitions showcasing promising technologies, products, and services from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Krishi Vigyan Kendras, etc. 
• Technical sessions and farmers-scientist interactions focusing on crucial topics such as climate-resilient agriculture, crop diversification, digital agriculture, and entrepreneurship will be organized. 

2. On February 21, the 98th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi in New Delhi

•  Recently, the government has given Marathi the status of classical language.
•  From February 21 to 23, the conference will be run and will feature panel discussions, book exhibitions, cultural programs, and interactive sessions with eminent literary figures. 
• The conference will celebrate the timeless relevance of Marathi literature and explore its role in contemporary discourse, covering topics such as language preservation, translation, and the impact of digitisation on literary works. 
• The Marathi Sahitya Sammelan, being held in the national capital after 71 years, also includes a symbolic literary train journey from Pune to Delhi with 1,200 participants, showcasing the unifying spirit of literature. 
• More than 2,600 poems will be presented, 50 books will be released, and 100 book stalls will be set up. 
•  Eminent scholars, writers, poets, and literature lovers from across the country are participating in it. 

International News 

3. PM Narendra Modi will be the guest of honour at Mauritius National Day celebrations 

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the Guest of Honour at the National Day celebrations of Mauritius.
•  The National Day celebration of Mauritius will be organized on March 12. 
• Mauritius celebrates its National Day annually on March 12, marking its independence from British rule in 1968. 
• This day also signifies the Mauritius transition to a republic within the Commonwealth in 1992. 
• India shares close and long-standing ties with Mauritius. It is an island nation in the Western Indian Ocean.

 4. India assumed chairmanship of BOBP-IGO and pledges strong regional cooperation

•  On February 21, India took over the chairmanship of the Bay of Bengal (BOB) inter-governmental organisation from Bangladesh at the 13th Governing Council meeting in Male, Maldives. 
• The event was part of the high-level conference on 'Policy Guidance for Mainstreaming Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM) in Small-scale Fisheries'. 
• The Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources, Government of Maldives, hosted the conference in collaboration with the Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organization (BOBP-IGO). 
• The conference was successfully held from 20 to 22 February 2025 at Lankafinolhu, Maldives.
•  The Indian delegation, led by Dr. Abhilaksh Likhi, Secretary, Department of Fisheries, presided over the program. 
• Shri Abhilaksh Likhi highlighted that India is committed to sustaining and further building on the achievements of the Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organization (BOBP-IGO) on the occasion of its shifting leadership from Bangladesh to India. 
• He assured that the Department of Fisheries (Government of India) would work diligently to take the success of BOBP-IGO to new heights. 
• India would take the lead in providing definitive guidance for all future efforts for the development of the fisheries sector in all member countries. 

Appointment News 

5. NITI Aayog CEO Subrahmanyam’s term has been extended for one year 

• The central government has decided to extend the tenure of the NITI Aayog Chief Executive Officer (CEO) B V R Subrahmanyam by one year. 
• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved an extension in Subrahmanyam's tenure as NITI Aayog CEO.
•  He was appointed as the CEO of the NITI Aayog in February 2023 for two years. 
• NITI Aayog:
• National Institution for Transforming India acts as the apex public policy think tank for the government of India. 
• NITI Aayog was established in 2015. 
• Its council comprises all the state Chief Ministers, Lieutenant Governors of all UTs, and a vice-chairman nominated by the Prime Minister.
• Suman Bery is currently the Vice Chairperson of the NITI Aayog. 

Award News 

6. Indian biologist Purnima Devi Barman has been named TIME’s ‘Woman of the Year’ 

• Indian biologist and wildlife conservationist Purnima Devi Barman has been named “Woman of the Year” by Time magazine. 
• Purnima Devi Barman is the only Indian woman on this year’s list. 
• This list of 13 women also includes actor Nicole Kidman and Gisele Pelicot of France. 
• Purnima Devi is famous for her unwavering efforts in protecting the endangered greater adjutant stork, locally known as Hargila.
• Only 450 individuals of this species were present in this region. It is one of the world’s rarest storks. 
• Due to Dr. Barman’s dedication, their population in Assam has increased to 1,800.
• International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has reclassified this species from “endangered” to “near threatened” in 2023.

 Banking News

 7. 'RBIDATA' app launched by the RBI to oer access to economic and financial data 

• The mobile application 'RBIDATA' has been launched by the Reserve Bank, which will provide access to more than 11,000 different series of economic data related to the Indian economy. 
• This mobile app presents macroeconomic and financial data related to the Indian economy in a user-friendly and attractive format.
• Users will be able to view time series data in graphs/charts and download the data for analysis. 
• The app will also have details such as data source, unit of measurement, frequency, and recent updates. 
• Besides, the 'Banking Outlets' section of the app will help users find banking facilities within 20 km from their location. 
• They can also get data about SAARC countries through 'SAARC Finance'. 

Science and Technology News 

8. Kerala launched the world's first AI-driven chronic eye disease screening program ‘Nayanamritham 2.0’ 

• The Government of Kerala launched an AI-assisted chronic eye disease screening program ‘Nayanamritham 2.0’. 
• This initiative uses artificial intelligence to enhance early detection and streamline eye disease screening. 
• It will make quality eye care more accessible and efficient across the state. 
• Nayanamritham 2.0 has expanded its scope to include screening for two other major chronic eye diseases such as glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). 
• This initiative will also empower healthcare providers to deliver better patient care. 
• Nayanamritham 2.0 is setting a global precedent for seamlessly integrating ophthalmic AI into clinical workflows, which will make screening programs more efficient. 

Infrastructure and energy News 

9. India's power demand is projected to increase at a rate of 6.3% annually until 2027 

• This growth will be higher than the 5% annual growth observed between 2015 and 2024. 
• Electricity demand in the country will rise by 6.3% per year from 2025 to 2027. 
• In 2023, electricity demand increased by 8.3% year-on-year, and in 2024, it rose by 5.8%. 
• By 2027, India will account for 10% of the global rise in electricity demand.
• India's peak electricity load grew from 148 GW in 2014 to 250 GW in 2024.
•  The residential and commercial sectors' electricity demand rose by 60-65% from 2014 to 2024. 
• Between 2025 and 2027, coal-based power generation will increase by 2% annually. 
• The share of renewable energy will rise from 21% in 2024 to 27% by 2027. 
• Solar PV generation is expected to grow by more than 28% annually from 2025 to 2027. 

Rank and reports News 

10. Madhya Pradesh became the state with the highest number of vultures in the country

•  The Forest Department conducted a recent state-level census of vultures, and their number has increased to 12,981. 
• A vulture census in Madhya Pradesh was conducted in 16 circles, 64 divisions, and 9 protected areas of the Forest Department of the state. The number of vultures in Madhya Pradesh is continuously increasing. 
•  In the census of the year 2019, the number of vultures was 8,397, which increased to 10,845 in the year 2024. 
• In 2016, the census of vultures in the state was started. 
• A total of 7 species of vultures are found in the state. Out of these, 4 species are local and 3 species are migratory. 
• Winter season is considered ideal for counting vultures, because at this time local and migratory vultures can be counted easily. 
• Vultures are large predatory birds that feed mainly on carrion (dead animals). 
• Vultures play an important role in the ecosystem by cleaning up rotting carcasses, helping to prevent the spread of diseases. 

Sports News 

11. Mohammed Shami has reached 200 ODI wickets and 60 wickets in ICC events 

• Mohammed Shami became the second-fastest bowler to reach 200 ODI wickets, with only Mitchell Starc (102 matches) achieving the feat quicker. 
• In 104 ODIs, Shami has taken 202 wickets at an average of 23.63, with a best of 7/57. 
• Talking about balls, Shami has taken 200 ODI wickets in just 5,126 balls, making him the fastest bowler to do so, surpassing Mitchell Starc, who did so in 5,240 balls. 
• He reached this milestone during the ICC Champions Trophy clash between India and Bangladesh in Dubai on 20 February. 
• He has also taken five-wicket hauls six times. He is the eighth-highest ODI wicket-taker for India. 
• Moreover, he also surpassed Zaheer Khan (59 wickets) to become India's leading wicket-taker in ICC ODI tournaments with a total of 60 wickets. 

Important day News 

12. International Mother Language Day: 21 February

• International Mother Language Day is observed to promote awareness about linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. 
• Currently, there are about 8,324 languages globally, but many are facing the threat of extinction as a result of globalisation and evolving societal dynamics. 
• 21 February was declared International Mother Language Day by UNESCO on 17 November 1999. 
• 2008 was also celebrated as the International Year of Languages. 
• The idea to celebrate International Mother Language Day was the given by Bangladesh. 

Indian Polity News 

13. Concept of sexual equality must be part of syllabus: SC 

• The Supreme Court on Friday told the Centre that the concept of sexual equality and moral and ethical training of men. should behave with women respectfully and must become a part of the school syllabus.
•  "Moral and ethical training, etiquette must be made part of the school. syllabus. There must be a module to inculcate this in schools at a very early age for children... Now, schools do not have moral education. Certain schools have it, but the class is usually cancelled and some other subjects are taken," Justice R.V. Nagarath na, heading a Bench comprising Justice S.C. Sharma, observed. 
• Justice Nagarathna said equality between daughters and sons must start at home. But, instead, discrimination starts at home with the parents. 
• "Parents are more focused on restraining their daughters and not their sons. The word 'discrimination ation' must go from our vocabulary," the judge said. 
• The court was hearing a writ petition filed by petitioner-in-person and senior advocate Aabad Ponda, who said the root cause for the surge in rape cases and incidents of crimes against women was the lack of education at the basic level about equality among the sexes. 
• Tremendous strain' 
• "Fifty percent of our population, women, are living under tremendous strain and insecurity. There is a rise in the misogynistic and barbaric attitude towards women. Education must start at the smallest level to change the attitude towards women," Mr. Ponda submitted. 
• Parents are more focused on restraining their daughters and not their sons. The word agreed that many social circles still believed that a woman either belonged to her parents' home or the in-laws' home after marriage. 
•  Awareness that a woman was independent, her own person, and com-manded respect and equal treatment in society must be inculcated in society, the judge noted. 
• Justice Nagarathna said environmental science started being taught in schools as a subject on the orders of the Supreme Court. Likewise, moral education must become a part of the school syllabus. 
• The court ordered the government to place on record any measures taken by it so far to include the concept of sexual equality in school syllabus. 
• Mr. Ponda's plea also recommended using advertisements and the visual media for conveying zero tolerance to raаре. 
• "Awareness of the stringent laws against rape must be advertised in cine-ma halls and in the media. There is no point if the person knows about these laws after he is sentenced to 20 years or is about to be hanged to death," Mr. Ponda argued. He said knee-jerk reactions like making pun-ishments harsher after a gruesome crime was hardly a solution. 
•  Efforts to bridge the gap The petition said efforts have to be made to bridge the gap between the law and the understanding and dissemination of the law to the public. 
• "The need of identifying the real cause of this crime is the first requirement. Once this is done, the next step would be to try to find measures to revolutionise the male mindset in the country amongst a large portion of the populace and instill in them the fear of the law," it said.