Current Affairs Quiz - February 2025

Notes:
The Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) has inaugurated a new incubation facility in Salt Lake, Kolkata. The facility was launched by Shri Jitin Prasada, Minister of State for Commerce & Industry and Electronics and IT. The aim is to boost IT exports, foster entrepreneurship, and strengthen the IT/ITeS industry in West Bengal. STPI focuses on nurturing startups and providing infrastructure and support for innovation. India is working on developing its own AI models and GPUs to empower researchers, students, and startups across the country.

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The UNCCD released a report on Land Restoration for International Peace and Security. It highlights that cooperation in managing shared natural resources can help prevent conflicts and foster political agreements. Land degradation causes economic loss, pushing affected communities into criminal activities like smuggling and human trafficking. Food insecurity due to crop failures and inflation can trigger political and economic instability, as seen in Somalia. It increases migration and displacement. Marginalized groups face discrimination and inequality. Weak land governance can escalate conflicts, as seen in disputes over the Amazon rainforest between Brazil, Peru, and Colombia.

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Indonesia launched a new sovereign wealth fund, Daya Anagata Nusantara (Danantara), to manage state assets worth over USD 900 billion. Danantara is set to become the largest sovereign wealth fund in Southeast Asia. A sovereign wealth fund (SWF) is a state-owned investment fund used to manage national savings. SWFs are funded by surplus revenues from natural resources, state-owned enterprises, or other public wealth sources. These funds invest in stocks, bonds, infrastructure, and real estate to grow national wealth. This marks a significant step in Indonesia’s economic strategy.

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The Government e Marketplace (GeM) celebrated six years of the Startups, Women & Youth Advantage through eTransactions (SWAYATT) initiative in New Delhi. SWAYATT was launched on 19th February 2019 to boost participation of women-led enterprises and youth in public procurement. It is based on GeM’s principle of social inclusion and aims to improve ease of doing business. The initiative connects startups, women entrepreneurs, MSEs, SHGs, and youth to government procurement. It focuses on training last-mile sellers, promoting women entrepreneurship, and supporting small-scale businesses in public procurement.

Notes:
Karnataka government has introduced ‘Pragati Patha’ scheme. It will develop 7,110 km of rural roads at a cost of Rs 5,190 crore. The scheme aims to improve rural connectivity across the state. The scheme is different from the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).

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Rajasthan government launched Shiksha Sanjeevani Bima Yojana to provide accidental insurance to schoolchildren. It offers personal accident insurance coverage of Rs 1 lakh to 1.3 lakh for children and parents in state government schools. Initially, the scheme covers schools in the Udaipur Division. State Education and Panchayati Raj Minister Madan Dilawar launched the scheme on 26th February 2025 at Residency School, Udaipur. The scheme will be gradually expanded to all schools in Rajasthan, benefiting around 1 crore students.

Notes:
Geologists and forest officials discovered a rare petrified fossil at Rajmahal Hills near Barmasia village, Pakur district, Jharkhand. Petrification happens when organic matter is replaced by minerals, turning it into stone. The process fills tissue pores with minerals, replacing organic material while keeping the original structure intact. It can preserve both hard and soft tissues over long periods. Petrification usually occurs under sediment with exposure to mineral-rich water. Petrified wood is a common example of this fossilization process.

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Indian Army signed a contract on 25 February 2025 to procure 223 Automatic Chemical Agent Detection and Alarm (ACADA)
systems from L&T Ltd for Rs 80.43 crore under the ‘Buy (Indian-IDDM)’ category. The system will boost Atmanirbhar Bharat with 80% local components. ACADA is developed by DRDO’s Defence Research and Development Establishment, Gwalior. It detects chemical warfare agents (CWA) and toxic industrial chemicals (TICs) using Ion Mobility Spectrometry (IMS).

Notes:
Institute of Nuclear Medicine & Allied Sciences (INMAS), the Delhi based laboratory of Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) is hosting the International Radio Biology Conference in Delhi from 27th Feb to 1st March 2025. Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser, inaugurated the event. Dr. Samir V. Kamat, DRDO Chairman, was the Guest of Honour. The conference focuses on space radiation risks for astronauts during long missions. Experts from various fields are discussing biomedical countermeasures to protect astronauts. Topics include radiation effects, stress factors, carcinogenesis, muscle & bone loss, and medical countermeasures. The goal is to develop innovative technologies for future deep-space missions.

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Government expenditure is crucial for economic growth, infrastructure, and public welfare. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) developed the Quality of Public Expenditure (QPE) Index. This index measures how efficiently the Centre and states use public funds. The latest RBI report shows India’s public expenditure quality is at its highest since 1991. The improvement is due to increased capital spending, fiscal discipline, and better resource allocation. The QPE Index helps assess the effectiveness of government spending.