Weekly Current Affairs in Short (10th February to 16th February)

National News

• Cabinet Extends Safai Karamchari Commission Tenure: The Union Cabinet extended the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK) till March 31, 2025, ensuring continued welfare measures for sanitation workers.
• India Achieves ₹1.27 Lakh Cr in Domestic Defence Production: India’s defense sector achieved a record ₹1.27 lakh crore in domestic production, highlighting self-reliance and defense manufacturing growth.
• MoHUA Launches ‘Culinary, Crafts & Clicks’ Festival: MoHUA and MyGov introduce a cultural festival at Kartavya Path and Amrit Udyan, showcasing India’s food, arts, and photography.
• PM Modi’s Gifts to French President & First Lady – PM Modi gifted Dokra artwork to Emmanuel Macron and a silver hand-engraved mirror to Brigitte Macron, showcasing India’s rich traditions.
• Lok Sabha Expands Translation Services – Translation services extended to Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, Manipuri, Sanskrit, and Urdu, enhancing linguistic inclusivity in Parliament.
• India to Host Regional Social Justice Dialogue: India will host the first-ever Regional Dialogue on the Global Coalition for Social Justice on Feb 24-25, 2025, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
• 12th All India Pension Adalat: Dr. Jitendra Singh to chair the 12th All India Pension Adalat on Feb 13, 2025, addressing 180+ pending pension grievances.
• Modi Receives SpaceX Heatshield Tile: PM Modi met Elon Musk in Washington, receiving a Starship heatshield tile from SpaceX’s October 2024 test flight.
• ₹100 Commemorative Coin for Mohammed Rafi: Govt announces a ₹100 coin to honor Mohammed Rafi on his 100th birth anniversary.

State News

• Assam to Host World’s Largest Jhumur Festival: Assam to organize the largest Jhumur dance festival with 7,500+ dancers, aiming for a Guinness World Record.
• Manipur CM Biren Singh Resigns Amid Ethnic Violence: CM Biren Singh resigned following ethnic unrest between the Meitei and Kuki communities, amid political pressure.
• THDC Enters Thermal Power Sector: THDC India Ltd begins commercial operations of a 660-MW unit at Khurja STPP, Uttar Pradesh, marking its expansion into thermal energy.
• Haryana Launches ‘Har Khet-Swasth Khet’ – A campaign to boost soil health through soil sample testing and Soil Health Cards for farmers.
• Historic Renaming in Rajasthan: Foy Sagar Lake renamed as Varun Sagar, and King Edward Memorial Bhawan renamed Maharishi Dayanand Vishrant Grih, marking a step towards cultural revival.
• Nilgai Culling Approved in Haryana: Haryana allows culling of male Nilgais to protect crops, sparking protests from environmentalists.
• Lam Research Invests ₹10,000 Crore in Karnataka: The US semiconductor giant announces a ₹10,000 crore investment in Karnataka’s chip industry.
• West Bengal’s “Nodi Bandhan” Scheme: WB govt launches “Nodi Bandhan” for riverine development and allocates funds for the Ghatal Masterplan to prevent floods.

International News

• PM Modi & Macron to Inaugurate Indian Consulate in Marseille: India expands its diplomatic footprint in France with a new consulate in Marseille, strengthening Indo-French relations.
• US President Trump Recognizes ‘Gulf of America Day’: Donald Trump declared February 9 as Gulf of America Day, renaming the Gulf of Mexico, sparking global reactions.
• India & Nicaragua Sign MoU for Quick Impact Projects: India and Nicaragua signed an MoU to implement Quick Impact Projects (QIPs), enhancing infrastructure & bilateral relations.
• Paris AI Summit Kicks Off with PM Modi as Co-Chair: PM Modi and Macron lead the AI Summit in Paris, focusing on AI ethics, regulations, and global AI cooperation.
• DPIIT & KOTI MoU: India & South Korea signed an MoU on logistics & infrastructure growth (Feb 10, 2025).
• Bangladesh’s ‘Operation Devil Hunt’: Targeting ex-PM Sheikh Hasina’s loyalists amid political unrest.
• 14AFAF 2025 on Sustainable Fisheries: The 14th Asian Fisheries and Aquaculture Forum will be held in New Delhi from Feb 12-14, focusing on sustainable fisheries in the Asia-Pacific.
• Romanian President Resigns – Klaus Iohannis resigns ahead of impeachment vote, following election annulment due to alleged Russian interference.
• MIGA + MAGA = MEGA Partnership: PM Narendra Modi’s US visit strengthens trade, defense, and strategic ties with the US, marking a key milestone in Indo-US relations.
• Greece’s New President: Constantine Tassoulas elected as Greece’s President, succeeding Katerina Sakellaropoulou, securing 160 votes in a 300-seat Parliament.
• Romania’s Interim President: Ilie Bolojan sworn in as Romania’s Interim President following Klaus Iohannis’ resignation, ensuring stability ahead of the May 2025 elections.
• New PM of Vanuatu: Jotham Napat elected as Vanuatu’s new Prime Minister unopposed, nominated by Charlot Salwai, with no contesting candidates.
• PM Modi’s France Visit 2025: PM Modi’s visit to France strengthens bilateral relations, focusing on AI, nuclear energy, trade, and historical ties.
• Tulsi Gabbard’s Historic Appointment: Tulsi Gabbard becomes the first Hindu Director of US National Intelligence (DNI), overseeing 18 intelligence agencies.
• China’s Deepwater ‘Space Station’: China to build a deep-sea research facility at 2,000m depth in the South China Sea, operational by 2030.

Agreement News

• IIITDM Kancheepuram & ERNET India MoU – A partnership to establish a Joint Research Lab for IoT functionality validation.
• Tata Elxsi & Garuda Aerospace MoU – Centre of Excellence for drone technology launched under ‘Make in India’ initiative.

Economy News

• 54.5 Cr Jan Dhan Accounts: 55.7% held by women, boosting financial inclusion (Jan 15, 2025).
• 10 New Commodities on e-NAM: 231 total agri-products now tradable.
• India-EFTA Desk Launched: Strengthening economic ties post India-EFTA TEPA agreement.
• India-Israel Business Forums: CEO & Business Forums to enhance bilateral trade (Feb 11, 2025).
• India’s Industrial Output Growth Slows – IIP growth drops to 3.2% in Dec 2024 from 5% in Nov, mainly due to a slowdown in manufacturing.
• India’s Retail Inflation Drops – CPI inflation falls to 4.31% in Jan 2025, the lowest in five months, due to declining food prices.

Banking News

• IOB Marks 89 Years with Sustainability Commitment: Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) joins the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF) to adopt climate-conscious banking policies.
• RBI Approves Voluntary Amalgamation of Co-op Banks: The RBI approved the merger of two urban co-operative banks in Hyderabad, strengthening financial stability.
• RBI Introduces Additional Factor Authentication (AFA) for International Transactions: RBI mandates AFA for cross-border “Card Not Present” (CNP) transactions, enhancing digital payment security.
• IDFC FIRST Bank Expands AI Amitabh Bachchan Avatar: IDFC FIRST Bank, in partnership with Ikonz Studios, expands its AI-powered Amitabh Bachchan hologram to five more cities.
• RBI Defers LCR & Project Financing Rules: New deadline: March 31, 2026 to ease liquidity challenges.
• RBI Reviews Market Timings: 9-member panel to assess trading & settlement hours (Report by April 30, 2025).
• RBI Fines Federal & Karur Vysya Banks: RBI imposes penalties of ₹27.3 lakh on Federal Bank and ₹8.3 lakh on Karur Vysya Bank for regulatory violations.
• SEBI Unveils MITRA – Mutual Fund Investment Tracing and Retrieval Assistant (MITRA) launched to help investors track inactive mutual fund folios.
• RBI Lifts Kotak Mahindra Bank’s Ban – Kotak Mahindra Bank resumes digital onboarding after rectifying IT infrastructure issues.
• RBI Allows SFBs to Offer Credit via UPI – Small Finance Banks (SFBs) can now offer pre-sanctioned credit lines through UPI, boosting digital credit access.
• Canara Bank Appoints Dr. Madhavankutty G as Chief Economist – A move to strengthen economic strategy with expert insights.
• RBI to Issue ₹50 Notes with Sanjay Malhotra’s Signature – The new banknotes will feature Governor Sanjay Malhotra’s signature, while existing ₹50 notes remain valid.
• RBI Injects ₹2.5 Lakh Crore: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) infuses ₹2.5 lakh crore via Variable Rate Repo (VRR) auction to stabilize banking liquidity.
• Easebuzz Gets RBI Nod: Easebuzz secures RBI authorization as an online payment aggregator, streamlining digital transactions for businesses.
• Temasek’s Stake Hike in AU Small Finance Bank: RBI approves Zulia Investments (Temasek unit) to increase its stake in AU Small Finance Bank to 7%, reinforcing foreign investment in Indian banking.

Business News

• GI-Tagged Rice Exports: New HS codes to boost global trade of India’s unique rice varieties.
• TCS & UPM IT Deal: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) partners with Finland’s UPM for a major IT transformation, focusing on cloud migration and digital modernization.
• Wholesale Price Index (WPI) – Jan 2025: WPI inflation at 2.31% YoY, with food, textiles, and manufactured goods driving price hikes.
• Pankaj Tripathi Co-founds Velvet: Actor Pankaj Tripathi becomes co-founder of Velvet, an audio storytelling platform launched in Oct 2024.

Appointments News

• Nokia’s New CEO: Justin Hotard (Intel AI Chief) to replace Pekka Lundmark (April 1, 2025).
• ICAI’s New Leadership for 2025-26: CA Charanjot Singh Nanda elected 73rd President and CA Prasanna Kumar D as Vice-President of ICAI.

Awards News

• IPS Officer DK Kedia Honored with ‘CA in Public Service’ Award: IG Deepak Kedia (NSG) awarded by ICAI for his contributions to law enforcement & national security.
• Varsha Bharath’s ‘Bad Girl’ Wins NETPAC Award at IFFR: Varsha Bharath’s film wins the prestigious NETPAC Award at Rotterdam International Film Festival.

Defense News

• Joint Military Exercise ‘Cyclone 2025’ Begins in Rajasthan: India and Egypt launch 14-day military exercise to strengthen defense cooperation & special forces training.
• ‘Winged Raider’ Exercise: Indian Army & IAF conducted a special airborne drill in the Eastern Theater.
• HAL’s HJT-36 Renamed ‘Yashas’: Aero India 2025 unveiled the upgraded trainer aircraft.
• Mehar Baba Competition-II Concludes: IAF completes MBC-II, boosting India’s UAV and swarm drone capabilities.
• India-Egypt ‘CYCLONE-III’ Exercise Begins: Special forces from India and Egypt commence joint military drills in Rajasthan from Feb 10-23, 2025.
• Saab & HAL Collaboration: Sweden’s Saab partners with HAL to develop Electronic Warfare Laser Warning System-310 (LWS-310) under the ‘Make in India’ initiative.

Ranks & Reports News

• India Ranks 3rd in Global LEED Green Buildings 2024: India secures 3rd place in LEED-certified green buildings, showcasing its commitment to sustainability.
• India Ranks 96th in CPI 2024: Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index ranks India 96th out of 180, scoring 38, declining from 39 in 2023.
• India’s Logistics Performance Improves: India ranks 22nd in International Shipments and 38th overall in the World Bank’s LPI 2023.
• NITI Aayog Releases Higher Education Report: NITI Aayog’s new policy report focuses on improving State Public Universities, with 80 recommendations aligned with NEP 2020.
• Mukesh Ambani Tops Asia’s Wealthiest List: Bloomberg 2025 rankings confirm Mukesh Ambani as Asia’s richest family, solidifying his business dominance.

Schemes News

• Women Empowerment Initiatives: Govt launches workplace safety & entrepreneurship programs for women.
• PM Surya Ghar Scheme Completes One Year: PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana celebrates its first anniversary on February 13, 2025, aiming to install rooftop solar panels in 1 crore households by March 2027.

Science and Technology News

• Israeli Research on Autism-Linked Brain Activity: Study from the University of Haifa uncovers brain mechanisms in emotional recognition, aiding autism research.
• AIIMS Delhi Unveils ‘Srjanam’ – India’s first automated biomedical waste conversion system launched to reduce environmental hazards.
• ITER Fusion Reactor – Future Energy Source: The world’s largest nuclear fusion project in France, aims to develop sustainable fusion energy.
• Euclid Telescope Discovers Einstein Ring: ESA’s Euclid Telescope captures a perfect Einstein Ring in galaxy NGC 6505, 590M light-years away.

Summits and Conferences News

• India to Host WAVES Summit in Mumbai (May 1-4, 2025): India to organize the World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit (WAVES) in Mumbai, promoting India as a global media hub.
• President Murmu Inaugurates Unani Medicine Conference: The international event at Vigyan Bhawan highlights innovations in Unani medicine for integrative healthcare.
• India to Host Next Global AI Summit – PM Modi announces India as the next host after the AI Action Summit in Paris.
• President Inaugurates Int’l Women’s Conference: Droupadi Murmu addresses The Art of Living’s International Women’s Conference in Bengaluru.
• PM Modi’s Address at SAMVAD, Thailand: Modi highlights India-Asia ties and Bhagwan Buddha’s teachings at the SAMVAD programme in Thailand.
• World Government Summit 2025 in Dubai: India focuses on green growth & climate resilience at the 12th World Government Summit.

Sports News

• Varun Chakravarthy Becomes India’s 2nd Oldest ODI Debutant: At 33, Varun Chakravarthy debuts in ODIs, impressing with key wickets & spin variations.
• Dimuth Karunaratne Retires, ICC Lauds His Contribution: Sri Lanka’s veteran Test captain bids farewell after 100 Tests, praised for leadership & batting prowess.
• Rohit Sharma Becomes 2nd-Highest Six-Hitter in ODI History: Rohit Sharma surpasses Chris Gayle, now trailing only Shahid Afridi in ODI sixes tally.
• Marcelo Retires: Real Madrid legend ends career at 36.
• Reliance Launches ‘Spinner’ Sports Drink: Muralitharan-backed hydration brand challenges Gatorade.
• Jil Teichmann Wins Mumbai Open 2025: Defeats Mananchaya Sawangkaew in WTA 125 final.
• Mumbai Indians Acquire 49% of Oval Invincibles: Expands global cricket footprint.
• Carlos Alcaraz Wins Rotterdam Open: First indoor hardcourt title, defeating Alex de Minaur.
• Meghalaya to Host 2027 National Games: Meghalaya will host the 39th National Games in Feb-March 2027, receiving the IOA flag at the 38th Games closing ceremony.
• Pankaj Advani Wins 36th National Title: Advani secures his 10th snooker championship, defeating Brijesh Damani in the final.
• Jomel Warrican & Beth Mooney Win ICC Players of the Month – Warrican’s spin heroics and Mooney’s batting brilliance earn January 2025 ICC awards.
• Shikhar Dhawan Named ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Ambassador – The former India opener joins three other global ambassadors for the tournament in Pakistan & Dubai.
• Cristiano Ronaldo – Highest-Paid Athlete 2025: Earned $285 million in 2025, with $200M salary from Al Nassr & $65M in endorsements.
• 38th National Games Conclude in Uttarakhand: Hosted in Haldwani, featuring 10,000+ athletes across 35 sports, under the “Green Games” theme.
• Babar Azam Equals Hashim Amla’s ODI Record: Becomes joint-fastest to 6,000 ODI runs in 123 innings, matching Hashim Amla’s record.

Obituaries News

• Sam Nujoma, Namibia’s First President, Passes Away at 95: Namibia’s founding leader, known as the “Father of the Nation,” dies, leaving a legacy of independence & democracy.
• Acharya Satyendra Das Passes Away at 85: Chief priest of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, Ayodhya, dies after serving over six decades.
• Gyalo Thondup Dies at 97: Elder brother of the Dalai Lama and key figure in Tibetan politics passes away in Kalimpong.

Important News

• World Pulses Day 2025 Observed on February 10: Highlights pulses’ role in food security, sustainability, and global nutrition, backed by the United Nations.
• International Day of the Arabian Leopard (Feb 10): UN General Assembly recognizes the critically endangered Arabian leopard, raising global conservation awareness.
• Intl. Day of Women & Girls in Science (Feb 11, 2025): Theme: “Unpacking STEM Careers: Her Voice in Science”.
• Anti-Smuggling Day (Feb 11, 2025): FICCI CASCADE’s initiative to combat illicit trade.
• International Epilepsy Day (Feb 10, 2025): Theme: “MyEpilepsyJourney”.
• International Day Against Violent Extremism 2025: Highlights global efforts to combat terrorism by groups like ISIL, Al-Qaida, and Boko Haram.
• International Darwin Day (Feb 12) – A global tribute to Charles Darwin, celebrating evolution and scientific research.
• National Productivity Day (Feb 12) – Observed under NPC, with the theme: “From Ideas to Impact: Protecting Intellectual Property for Competitive Startups”.