Current Affairs Quiz - February 2025

Notes:
Nvidia has unveiled a powerful AI system called Evo 2 for genetic research. Evo 2 is the largest publicly available AI model for genomic data. It was built using 2,000 Nvidia H100 processors on Amazon’s cloud with Arc Institute and Stanford University. It is trained on 9 trillion nucleotides from 128,000+ organisms, covering plants, animals, and bacteria.

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The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has set up a high-powered Dinesh Khara Committee, led by former SBI chairman Dinesh Khara, to review and update the Insurance Act, 1938. The committee will assess the feasibility of 100% FDI in the insurance sector and propose the introduction of composite insurance companies offering life, non-life, and health insurance under one entity. It also aims to enhance policyholder protections and ensure revenue retention within India. The committee’s recommendations will be submitted to the Union Finance Ministry for legislative amendments to align the sector with modern needs.

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IIIT-Delhi researchers developed AI-powered tools for tracking antibiotic resistance in real time. The project is a collaboration between IIIT-Delhi, CHRI-PATH, Tata 1mg, and ICMR scientists. The AI tool, AMRSense, analyzes hospital data to provide early insights on antimicrobial resistance. It operates at global, national, and hospital levels to aid quick action. The research established links between antibiotic resistance patterns in community and hospital infections.

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The first breeding site of the Blue-Cheeked Bee-eater in peninsular India was discovered in saltpans of Aandivilai near the Manakudy Mangroves, Kanniyakumari, Tamil Nadu. This bird belongs to the bee-eater family (Meropidae) and was previously known as a migrant and winter visitor in India. It prefers sub-tropical semi-desert regions with sparse trees like acacias for breeding. It nests alone or in small colonies and sometimes shares colonies with European bee-eaters. Its breeding range includes the Nile Delta, Pakistan, and Iran, while it winters in Africa. It breeds in sandy deserts near water bodies.

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The Bharat Tech Triumph Program (TTP) has been launched to support India’s gaming industry under the Create in India Challenge Season 1. It aims to identify and showcase Indian gaming talent on the global stage. It is organized by the Interactive Entertainment and Innovation Council (IEIC) in partnership with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB). Winners will be sponsored to present their innovations at Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2025 in San Francisco and WAVES in India.

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The 51st Khajuraho Dance Festival in Madhya Pradesh set a Guinness World Record. 139 artists performed a classical dance marathon for 24 hours, 9 minutes, and 26 seconds. The Guinness team certified the record and presented the certificate to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav. The event was organized by the MP Department of Culture.

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Topographies of Tents, Terracotta, and Time is an international art exhibition that was held at the Srishti Art Gallery in Hyderabad in February 2025. The exhibition featured works by international and national artists, and explored themes of identity, displacement, and transformation. The exhibition was a collaboration between Srishti Art Gallery and Goethe-Zentrum Hyderabad, and marked the gallery’s 25th anniversary.

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A two-day conference on women peacekeepers in UN missions began in New Delhi, titled “Women in Peacekeeping: A Global South Perspective.” The event is organized by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Ministry of Defence, and the Centre for UN Peacekeeping. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar delivered the keynote address. The UN was represented by Jean-Pierre Lacroix and Christian Saunders. Women peacekeepers also met with President Droupadi Murmu. The conference focused on peacekeeping technology, training, and regional collaboration from the Global South’s viewpoint.

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CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM) Jammu organized the National Startup Festival 2025, highlighting startup success in Jammu & Kashmir. The two-day event was held at Government Women College, Gandhi Nagar. The festival provided a platform for entrepreneurs, investors, industry leaders, scientists, and researchers. Bio-incubators, manufacturers, and regulators also attended to explore innovations. The event showcased new technologies and entrepreneurial growth in the region.

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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched the first edition of the “Sashakt Bharat” magazine in New Delhi. The magazine features poems on the bravery and sacrifices of Armed Forces personnel. It includes articles on government policies written by Ministry of Defence employees. The initiative promotes inclusivity by allowing contributions from all ranks.