Current Affairs Quiz - February 2025

Notes:
World Economic Forum has published “Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Network 2023-2024 Impact Report”. The report highlights key innovations tackling global challenges. It focuses on seven core areas, including AI, agriculture, health, biotechnology, and energy transition. Drones are being used to deliver healthcare in India. Autonomous mobility in Saudi Arabia has improved transport efficiency and safety. Alternative proteins, including plant-based and cultivated sources, are being developed for food security. The Saagu Baagu pilot in Telangana helped 7,000 chili farmers increase incomes and reduce agriculture’s environmental impact through agritech.

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The Ministry of Railways has launched the ‘SwaRail’ SuperApp, designed to streamline various railway services. The app offers services like reserved and unreserved ticket bookings, as well as platform ticket bookings. A major focus of the app is enhancing user experience with a clean and seamless interface. It has been developed by the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS).

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The Finance Minister announced the Pradhan Mantri Dhan Dhanya Krishi Yojana in her 8th Union Budget presentation. It aims to support farmers in 100 districts struggling with low crop yields and financial issues. The scheme will benefit around 1.7 crore farmers through collaboration with state governments. It seeks to create rural opportunities so migration becomes optional, not necessary. The focus areas include boosting agricultural productivity, improving irrigation, increasing credit access, promoting crop diversification, and enhancing post-harvest storage at Panchayat and block levels.

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The Finance Minister announced the National Geospatial Mission in Budget 2025-26. It aims to modernize land records and improve urban planning across India. The initiative will use the PM Gati Shakti framework to develop geospatial infrastructure. It will help in better design and execution of infrastructure projects. The mission addresses land disputes and inefficient land use, which hinder growth. A robust geospatial database will make land reforms more efficient and transparent. It will benefit government agencies and private geospatial and drone companies. The mission will enhance efficiency and accountability in public services.

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The budget allocation for PM Shram Yogi Maandhan Yojana (PM-SYM) in 2025-26 increased by 37% compared to last year. PM-SYM provides old-age protection and social security for unorganized workers in India. It is a Central Sector Scheme administered by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, with LIC managing pensions. The scheme is implemented through Life Insurance Corporation and CSC eGovernance Services.

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Special Window for Affordable and Mid-Income Housing (SWAMIH) Fund 2.0 aims to revive stalled real estate projects by providing financial support. The Union Budget 2025-26 has allocated ₹15,000 crore to complete one lakh housing units. Real estate developers and National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO) had long requested the fund’s second tranche. SWAMIH Fund I, launched earlier, was created to complete stressed and stalled housing projects. It is sponsored by the Ministry of Finance. It is a Category-II AIF (Alternate Investment Fund) debt fund registered with SEBI.

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The National Green Tribunal (NGT) restrained the Andhra Pradesh Government from proceeding with six infrastructure projects in Kolleru wetland. Kolleru Lake is a large, shallow freshwater lake in northeastern Andhra Pradesh. It lies between the Krishna and Godavari deltas near Eluru. It is Asia’s largest shallow freshwater lake, covering 308 sq. km. It acts as a flood-balancing reservoir and drains into the Bay of Bengal via the Upputeru River. It was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1999 and a Ramsar Site in 2002. It is an Important Bird Area (IBA) on the Central Asian Flyway, hosting species like Siberian cranes, pelicans, and painted storks.

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Barmer District launched the ‘MY NREGA App’ to improve the MNREGA process, allowing workers to apply for jobs digitally from home. The app eliminates the need for workers to visit Gram Panchayats, streamlining employment requests and reducing delays. The app allows family members to apply on behalf of others and provides real-time tracking of applications. MNREGA workers, especially women, actively participated in the app’s launch. It is being tested in five Gram Panchayats before a district-wide rollout. The app promotes digitization, efficiency, and transparency in rural welfare programs.

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TROPEX-25 or Theatre Level Operational Readiness Exercise 2025 is India’s largest biennial maritime exercise, led by the Indian Navy with participation from the Army, Air Force, and Coast Guard. The exercise focuses on joint warfare, power projection, and countering challenges in the Indian Ocean Region. Senior military leaders witnessed operations aboard INS Vikrant, highlighting India’s carrier-based air power. The exercise demonstrated integrated fleet operations, uniting the Eastern and Western Fleets. Vice Chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force participated, symbolizing growing joint warfare coordination. TROPEX-25 strengthens India’s Indo-Pacific strategy, signaling deterrence against China’s expanding naval presence. The exercise reinforces India’s role in regional security and Quad cooperation.

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NASA is set to launch SPHEREx, a revolutionary space telescope, to explore the universe’s origins. It will cost $488 million, far less than the $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Unlike JWST, which zooms in on deep-space objects, SPHEREx will survey the entire sky in 102 infrared colors. The telescope will take 600 images daily, completing four full sky scans in 27 months. SPHEREx will map 450 million galaxies, revealing how the universe evolved after the Big Bang. It will also study 100 million Milky Way stars, tracing life’s building blocks in space.