Current Affairs | National | International | SSC | UPSC 24th February 2025

 National News 

1. Indian student wins memory championship by recalling 80 digits in 13.50 seconds 

• A 20-year-old Indian student, Vishvaa Rajakumar has made headlines by winning the Memory League World Championship, an intense online competition where participants compete in rapid memorisation challenges. 
• Vishvaa Rajakumar, a student at Manakula Vinayagar Institute of Technology in Puducherry, stunned competitors by memorising 80 random digits in just 13.50 seconds. This is an incredible speed of nearly six digits per second. 

WHAT IS THIS MEMORY CHALLENGE?

•  Memory League World Championship tests participants in various recall tasks, including numbers, words, and images. One of the toughest challenges involves memorising and recalling 80 random numbers displayed on a screen as quickly as possible.

 2. UNESCO heritage tag sought for Shivaji's forts 

• A delegation led by Maharashtra Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar is in Paris to seek UNESCO World Heritage Status for the 12 forts of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, officials said on Sunday. 
• The four-member delegation will be in Paris from February 22 to 26. The State has submitted a proposal under the concept of 'Maratha Military Land-scape of India' for obtaining the UNESCO status for the forts. 
• The forts of Lohagad, Salher, Raigad, Rajgad, Pratapgad, Panhala, Shivneri, Sindhudurg, Suvarna-durg, Vijaydurg, Khanderi and Gingee (Tamil Nadu) have been included in the proposal.

 3. 'Over 62 crore devotees took holy dip at Maha Kumbh’ 

• Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said 62 crore devotees had come to Maha Kumbh so far and out of about 120 crore Sanatan Dharma followers in the world, half of them had already taken the holy dip. 
• Addressing the seers in the presence of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham Shankaга-charya Shankara Vijayendra Saraswati at the Maha Kumbh Mela Mahotsav held at Mahakumbh Nagar, he said, "Which is that religion and sect in the world where such a large number of devotees are coming and expressing their faith within a specific time frame?" 
• He said, "This [Kumbh] has become a medium for the followers of Sanatan Dharma to express their gratitude towards their seers, the 'Rishi' tradition of India, their 'Dev' tradition and their festivals and celebrations." He added that the Kanchi Kamakoti Peeth had always been at the forefront of promoting Sanatan Dharma. Speaking at an event in Agra, he said the gathering of such a large number of people during a certain period in itself is "one of the rarest events of the century".

 4. Health Ministry bans export of drugs containing Tapentadol, Carisoprodol 

• Following reports about the export of unapproved combination drugs containing Tapentadol and Carisoprodol by Aveo Pharmaceuticals, Mumbai, to certain countries in West Africa, the Health Ministry on Sunday issued a stop activity order and immediate withdrawal of export no-objection certificate (NOC) and manufacturing licences for the combinations. 
• Tapentadol is an opioid medication that is used to treat moderate to severe pain. Carisoprodol is a muscle relaxant which works on the centres in the brain and spinal cord to relieve pain.
•  "Both Tapentadol and Carisoprodol are individually approved by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation [CDSCO] in India. Tapentadol is approved in 50, 75, and 100 mg tablet forms, as well as 100, 150, and 200 mg extended-release tablets. However, the combination of Tapentadol and Carisoprodol is not ap-proved in India. Neither of these drugs is included in the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) list in India," the Health Ministry said. 
• In a release issued on Sunday, the Ministry said that to ensure regulatory compliance across the pharmaceutical sector, the CDSCO, in collaboration with State regulators, initiated risk-based inspections of drug manufacturing and testing firms in December 2022. As of now, 905 units have been in-spected, resulting in 694 actions being taken. These actions include stop production orders, stop testing orders, licence suspensions/cancellations, warning letters, and show-cause notices, depending on the severity of non-compliance.
• Listing the actions taken by the Health Ministry, the release said a joint team from the CDSCO and the State Regulatory Authority conducted a comprehensive audit of Aveo Pharmaceuti-cals between February 21 and 22. The findings from the audit led to the issuance of a stop activity order, halting all operations at the company's premises.
•  Following the audit, the investigation team seized all raw materials, in-process materials, and finished products. Approximately 1.3 crore tablets/capsules and 26 batches of APIs (Active Pharmaceutical Ingre-dients) of Tapentadol and Carisoprodol were seized to prevent further distribution of these potentially dangerous drugs. 
• The Maharashtra FDA issued a stop production order on Saturday and is-sued communications to all State Drugs Control Authorities and Zonal Offices to immediately withdraw export NoCs and manufacturing licences granted for any combination of Tapentadol and Carisoprodol. 

5. Barytes, Feldspar, Mica and Quartz have been classified as Major Minerals.

• Barytes, Felspar, Mica and Quartz have been shifted from the list of minor minerals to the category of major minerals. 
• Quartz, Felspar and Mica are found in pegmatite rocks, which are important sources of many critical minerals. 
• These minerals are vital for new technologies mainly in energy transition, spacecraft industries, healthcare sector, etc. 
•  Baryte has various industrial applications which is used for oil and gas drilling, electronics, TV screens, rubber, glass, etc. 
•  Baryte is used to make high density concrete to block x-ray emissions in hospitals, power plants, and laboratories. 
• The reclassification of Barytes, Felspar, Mica and Quartz will not adversely affect the lease period of the existing leases.
•  These mines will gradually register with the Indian Bureau of Mines and will be regulated as major minerals. 

6. USAID funded 7 projects in India in FY24: report 

• Amid a raging political controversy over the United States Agency for International Development's alleged role in influencing Indian elections, the latest annual report of the Finance Minis-try has disclosed that USAID funded seven projects estimated at $750 million in 2023-24. 
•  "Currently, seven projects worth a total budget of $750 million (approx.) are being implemented by USAID in partnership with the Government of India," says the Finance Ministry annual report for 2023-24. 
•  For the financial year 2023-24, an obligation of a total of $97 million (about *825 crore) has been made by USAID under the seven projects, it said. 
•  The Department of Economic Affairs under the Fi-nance Ministry which is the nodal department for bilateral funding arrangements has also shared the details of projects funded in 2023-24 in the report. 
•  Funded projects 
•  During the year, no funding was made for enhanc-ing voter turnout but to projects related to agriculture and food security programmes; water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH); renewable energy; disaster management and health. 
•  Besides, funds were committed for Sustainable Forests and Climate Adap-tation Programme and Energy Efficiency Technol-ogy Commercialisation and Innovation Project.
•   Political controversy erupted in India earlier this month after the Elon Musk Led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) claimed that it had cancelled a $21 million grant to India to boost "voter turnout". 
•  U.S. President Donald Trump also repeatedly claimed that USAID under the previous administration led by Joe Biden allocated $21 million to India for 'voter turnout'. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Saturday said the information put out by the Trump administration is "concerning" and that the government is looking into it.
•  'Procession of liars' 
• The Congress on Sunday accused the BJP of indulging in "anti national work" by spreading "fake news from America" and asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mr. Jaishankar will also have to answer as to why the government is silent when Mr. Trump and Mr. Musk are "insulting" repeatedly. India 
• Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "BJP is a procession of liars and illiterates. The news about $21 million, on which the BJP and their bootlickers were jumping on, turned out to be fake. The $21 million in 2022 was not for 'voter turnout' in India, but for Bangladesh.” 

International News 

7. Microsoft unveils quantum chip ‘Majorana 1’- powered by new state of matter 

•  Microsoft has introduced its first quantum chip. The chip, called Majorana 1, is powered by a new Topological Core architecture. 
•  Microsoft developed topological superconducting nanowires using indium arsenide (semiconductor) and aluminum (superconductor), forming MZMs, which are essential building blocks for quantum bits (qubits). 
•  Microsoft aims to scale up to one million qubits on a single chip while claiming that its design is less prone to errors than competing quantum chips
• Majorana 1 represents Microsoft’s second quantum milestone, with the company envisioning a future where quantum computing enables breakthroughs in self-healing materials, sustainable agriculture, and chemical discovery. 

8. Brazil Joins OPEC+ Forum to Balance Oil Production and Energy Transition Goals

•   Brazil has joined the OPEC+ Forum as an observer, signaling a calculated move to balance its role as a major oil producer with its energy transition ambitions. 
• The decision by the National Council for Energy Policy, allows Brazil to participate in discussions without committing to policies like production cuts or price controls. 
•  As the world’s seventh-largest oil producer, Brazil pumps 4.3 million barrels of crude daily, contributing 4% of global output. In 2024, crude oil became the country’s top export, accounting for 13.3% of total sales and surpassing soybeans. 
• OPEC+, which includes 23 countries producing nearly 40% of the world’s crude oil, coordinates production policies to stabilize markets. 
• OPEC members comprise Algeria, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Venezuela. OPEC+ members include Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Russia, South Sudan and Sudan. OPEC and OPEC+ members accounted for 53% of global crude oil production in 2023, compared to 60% in 2016. Brazil’s crude oil output represented 4% of global oil production in 2023. 

9. India, Bangladesh agree to launch new ‘hotline’ between border forces 

• India and Bangladesh have decided to establish a new communication link between the deputy commanders of their respective border-guarding forces and identified about 99 fresh patches for erecting a fence along their shared border. 
• The decisions were finalised during the biannual director general-level talks between the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) that concluded here.
• This was the first time that a high-level meeting between the two forces took place after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh on August 5 last year. 

About Bangladesh 

• Capital– Dhaka
• Currency – Taka 
• President – Mohammed Shahabuddin Chuppu 
• Head of Interim Government – Muhammad Yunus 

10. Eruption at Indonesia's Mount Dukono, aviation warnings, and safety advisories issued. 

• On February 20, Mount Dukono in Indonesia's North Maluku province erupted, prompting the country's Volcanology and Geological Disaster Reduction Center to issue an aviation warning. 
• The volcano, located on Halmahera Island, spewed ash as high as 2,000 meters, and thick white-to-grey clouds covered the area south of the volcano.
•  The authorities have issued a Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation (VONA) at the orange level, the second-highest warning, to mitigate risks to aviation, prohibiting planes from flying below 5 km around the volcano. 
•  People living near the volcano are encouraged to wear face masks to avoid respiratory hazards from volcanic ash. 
• Mount Dukono, located 1,087 meters above sea level, is one of the 127 active volcanoes in Indonesia. 
• Also in January, hot lava erupted from Mount Merapi, located near the densely populated city of Yogyakarta.
•   The 2,968-metre-high Mount Merapi is one of Indonesia's 127 active volcanoes.

 State news 

11. Haryana government launched witness protection scheme. 

• The Haryana government has rolled out the “Haryana Witness Protection Scheme, 2025”.
•  It will ensure the protection of the witnesses as the state is ready to implement the three new criminal laws.
•   The scheme will be applicable to the witnesses of those offences which are punishable with death or life imprisonment or imprisonment up to seven years and above.
•  It will cover punishments under sections 74, 75, 76, 77, 78 and 79 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
•  Under this scheme, there will be three categories of witnesses based on the threat perception.
•  Category A: It includes situations where the threat extends to the life of the witness and their family members or any person in whom the witness is related. 
• Category- B: It involves cases where the threat extends to the safety, reputation, or property of the witness, and their family members. 
• Category C: It is applied where the threat is moderate and involves harassment or intimidation of the witness, their family members etc. 

12. BTR of Assam will include ‘Bathouism’ as an official option in the religion column of various application forms. 

• The government of the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) in Assam will include ‘Bathouism’ as an official option in the religion column of various application forms. 
• Bathouism is the traditional faith of the Bodos. Bathousim has been the ancestral faith of the Bodos. 
• God is known as Bathoubwrai among the followers of the Bathou religion.
• The Bathou faith is centred on the Sijou plant. This plant is widely accepted as the symbol of life or soul by the Bodo people. 

13. Madhya Pradesh’s industrial policies launched by PM Modi at the Global Investors Summit. 

• On February 24, the Global Investors Summit (GIS) inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi in Bhopal. 
• Hundreds of guests from across the world were hosted in a newly built tent city near Kaliyasot Dam in the Madhya Pradesh capital. 
• Investors, industrialists, NRIs, and start-ups from the country and abroad were addressed by the Prime Minister, and the industrial policies of Madhya Pradesh were launched.
•  The two-day summit organised departmental summits and special sessions on pharma and medical devices, transport and logistics, industry, skill development, tourism and MSME, etc.
•  It also included international sessions such as the Global South Country Conference, the Latin America and Caribbean Session, and special sessions for key partner countries.
• Three major industrial exhibitions were held during the Summit: the Auto Show, the Textile and Fashion Expo, and the “One District-One Product” (ODOP) Village. 

Defence News 

14. Army chief begins 5-day France visit to bolster military ties

•   Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi will hold wide-ranging talks with his French counterpart, General Pierre Schill, in Paris on Monday focusing on boosting military cooperation between the two countries. He began a five-day visit to France on Sunday. 
•  "General Dwivedi's visit aims to strengthen the military collaboration between India and France, exploring new avenues of cooperation and enhanc-ing strategic partnerships between the two nations' armed forces," the Indian Army said. 
• General Dwivedi's itinerary also includes a visit to the Ecole Militaire, the prestigious Military School and Institution complex in Paris. At the institute, he will be briefed on Future Combat Command.
•   Additionally, he will be briefed at the Technical Section of the French Army and will visit the Battle Lab Terre at Versailles. 
• On February 25, General Dwivedi will travel to Marseille, where he will visit the third division of the French Army and will be briefed on its mission and role, India-France training cooperation, and the French Army's modernisa-tion programme. The following day, he will visit Carpiagne to witness a dynamic demon-stration of the Scorpion Division with live firing exercises, the Army said. 
• On February 27, the Army chief will visit the Neuve Chapelle Indian War memorial to lay a solemn wreath in honour of the fallen Indian soldiers who participated in the First World War.

 Scheme and committees news 

15. Agriculture Minister Shivraj Chauhan said that a national committee will soon be formed to promote natural farming.

•  Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Chauhan stated that PM Modi has launched the National Natural Farming Mission to promote sustainable agriculture. 
•  He emphasized adopting natural farming. 
• Under this, a committee will be formed at the national level to give this mission the form of a movement.
•  This committee will work towards increasing awareness among farmers and providing them training regarding adopting natural farming methods. 
• Chouhan said natural farming will increase farmers' income, maintain soil fertility, and provide chemical-free food to citizens. 
• The Government of India launched the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) in 2025 to rejuvenate soil, water, and the environment while ensuring farmers' prosperity and safe food. 
• NMNF aims to introduce natural farming in 7.5 lakh hectare area and establish 10,000 need-based Bio-input Resource Centres (BRCs) in 15,000 clusters across all States and Union Territories. 
• The mission will train 18.75 lakh farmers in natural farming, and the same farmers will train one crore farmers. 

Appointment

 16. Shaktikanta Das appointed Principal Secretary II to Prime Minister 

•  Former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Shaktikanta Das has been appointed Principal Secretary II to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
•  Das served as the Governor of the RBI from 2018-2023, a crucial period for the Indian economy along with the uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. 
• His appointment is being seen as the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) bolstering its financial management expertise in the uncertain geo-economic situation prevailing currently.
•   A Tamil Nadu cadre Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the 1980 batch, Mr. Das will work alongside current Principal Secretary I, P.K. Mishra, who will continue in his post. 
•  Changes in the PMO at this level have been rare under Modi, with former Principal Secretary I, Nripendra Misra, retiring from that post only after he had served a whole term from 2014-2019.
•   P.K. Mishra has been serving as Additional Principal Secretary between 2014-19, and after Mr. Nripendra Misra’s superannuation, as Principal Secretary I. 

Other Important Secretaries 

• Revenue Secretary – Tuhin Kanta Pandey 
• Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) Secretary – Arunish Chawla
•  Finance Secretary – Tuhin Kanta Pandey 
• Ministry of Corporate Affairs Secretary – Deepti Gaur Mukherjee 
• Foreign Secretary – Vikram Misri
•   Home Secretary – Govind Mohan 
•  Cabinet Secretary – T V Somanathan 
•  Secretary of DPIIT – Amardeep Singh Bhatia
•  Expenditure Secretary – Manoj Govil 
•  Defence Secretary – Rajesh Kumar Singh 
• Economic Affairs Secretary – Ajay Seth 
• MoSPI Secretary – G. P. Samanta 

17. Kotak Mahindra Prime appoints Shahrukh Todiwala as new MD & CEO 

• Kotak Mahindra Prime, a subsidiary of Kotak Mahindra Bank (KMB), has appointed Shahrukh Todiwala as the new MD, CEO of the company. 
• Todiwala succeeds Vyomesh Kapasi, who will now take over as the head of product-consumer bank vertical at KMB. 

Recent Appointment in Banking & Insurance Sector 

• MD & CEO of SBI Cards – Salila Pande (replace Abhijit Chakravorty); effect from 1 April 2025
•  CEO of Standard Chartered India – Prabdev (PD) Singh (replace Zarin Daruwala); effect from 1 April 2025
•  CEO of Navi Technologies – Rajiv Naresh
•  CEO of Navi Finserv – Abhishek Dwivedi 
• Head of Citibank India – K Balasubramanian (replace Ashu Khulla) 

18. NITI Aayog CEO Subrahmanyam’s tenure extended by one year 

•  The Centre has extended the tenure of NITI Aayog Chief Executive Officer (CEO) B V R Subrahmanyam by one year. 
•  Subrahmanyam, a 1987-batch retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Chhattisgarh cadre, was in February 2023 appointed to the post for a period of two years. 
• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved extension in Subrahmanyam’s tenure as NITI Aayog CEO for a period of one year beyond February 24, 2025.

 NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India) 

• Founded – 1st January 2015
•   Preceding – Planning Commission (15th March 1950) 
•  Headquarters – New Delhi
•  Chairperson – Narendra Modi 
• Vice Chairperson – Suman K Bery 
• CEO – BVR Subrahmanyam 
• NITI Aayog comes under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry

 Science and technology news 

19. IIT Madras hosted Asia’s first global hyperloop competition from Feb 21-25. 

•  Asia's first Global Hyperloop Competition (GHC) 2025 has been organized by the IIT Madras. 
•  150 industry delegates from across the world participated in the event. 
•  The competition was held at "Discovery", Indian Institute of Technology Madras' Satellite Campus located in Thaiyur.
•   The competition was organized by IIT Madras, IITM Pravartak Technologies Foundation, and SAE India, with additional support from the Ministry of Railways and the government of India. 
•  The main of the event is to unite global talent, industry leaders, and researchers, fostering collaboration, innovation, and real-world implementation of hyperloop technology. 
•  Hyperloop is the fifth mode of transportation. It is a train that travels in a near-vacuum tube.
•   The reduced air resistance allows the capsule inside the tube to reach speeds of more than 1000 km/h. 

Awards 

20. Sunil Bharti Mittal receives Honorary Knighthood by British High Commission 

•  Sunil Bharti Mittal, Founder and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, has received the insignia of the Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE).
•   This honor follows the announcement in 2024 that His Majesty The King had graciously conferred the Honorary Knighthoodupon Mittal for his significant contributions to UK-India business relations, as stated by the British High Commission in New Delhi. 
•  The KBE is one of the highest honors awarded to foreign nationals in recognition of exceptional contributions to various fields, and Mittal’s leadership has undoubtedly had a profound impact on India-UK relations. 

Recent Award 

•  Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (Civil Division) – Natarajan Chandrasekaran (Chairman of Tata Group) 
•  Forward Faster Sustainability Award 2025 in the Water Resilience category – NTPC Ltd 
• NETPAC Award 2025 – Bad Girl (Tamil film) 
•  Honorary doctorate by University of Sussex – Noel Tata 
•  Sahitya Akademi Award 2024 – Late Chaman Arora (for Ik Hor Ashwthama in Dogri). 
•  BCCI’s Lifetime Achievement Award 2024 – Sachin Tendulkar (31st) 

Sports

 21. Shami joins elite list of bowlers with 200 ODI wickets

•  India’s ace pacer, Md Shami, added a historic milestone to his name as he took three wickets in India’s first match against Bangladesh in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Dubai on, completing 200 wickets in ODI cricket. 
• Shami is the eighth Indian player to reach this milestone. Ravindra Jadeja, with 224 wickets under his belt, is the only active Indian cricketer ahead of him on the list. 
• While Shami has completed his 200 ODI wickets at a good pace, he is still 43rd on the list of players with the most ODI wickets overall.
• Sri Lankan legend M Muralidaran leads the list with 534 wickets, while Anil Kumble, with 334 wickets, is the highest-ranked Indian player. 

22. The Memory League World Championship 2025 won by 20-year-old Indian student Vishvaa Rajakumar.

•  The Memory League World Championship 2025 was won by Vishvaa Rajakumar by memorizing the order of 80 random numbers in 13.50 seconds and 30 images in 8.40 seconds. 
• The Memory League World Championship is an intense online competition. 
•  According to the Memory League website, Rajkumar is ranked No. 1 with 5,000 points.
•   Rajkumar is a student at Manakulavinayagar Institute of Technology, Puducherry. 
•  The championship took place between 5 January and 2 February, 2025. 
• 16 competitors from the top of the Memory League world rankings competed remotely in a double-elimination tournament to determine the 2025 Memory League World Champion.