Current Affairs - February 15, 2025 Current Affairs

The Haryana government has approved Nilgai culling to address the growing human-wildlife conflicts, particularly due to the damage these animals cause to agricultural lands. Nilgais, or blue bulls, have been causing significant harm to crops, prompting the state to introduce new Wildlife (Protection) Rules allowing the culling of male Nilgais. While the decision aims to protect agriculture, it has faced opposition from environmentalists and local communities, particularly the Bishnoi community, who consider the Nilgai sacred. This move has sparked debates over its ethical and ecological implications.

IIT Kanpur, with the support of NABARD, developed solar dehydration technology to help farmers preserve their agricultural produce. This innovation aims to reduce post-harvest losses and improve farmers' income by allowing them to store fruits and vegetables for longer periods. By using this technique, farmers can sell their produce at peak prices, increasing profitability. The Namami Gange project also conducted live demonstrations and training sessions for farmers to enhance the adoption of this technology, contributing to the sustainable growth of agriculture.

SEBI’s MITRA (Mutual Fund Investment Tracing and Retrieval Assistant) platform was introduced to help investors track inactive or unclaimed mutual fund folios. It allows investors to search for overlooked investments, ensuring they are not missed. Additionally, MITRA encourages KYC (Know Your Customer) updates to prevent fraudulent redemptions. Developed by RTAs, MITRA provides a searchable database that aims to assist investors in managing their mutual fund investments more effectively, helping them stay informed about inactive or unclaimed assets.

The Kashi Tamil Sangamam 3.0 event is being held in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, from February 15-24, 2025. This event celebrates the cultural ties between Tamil Nadu and Kashi (Varanasi), emphasizing unity and the integration of traditional Indian knowledge with modern education as per the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

The Services team won the most medals in the 38th National Games, securing a total of 121 medals. Their medal tally included 68 gold, 26 silver, and 27 bronze. This impressive performance put them ahead of other states and teams, including Maharashtra and Haryana, in terms of overall medal count. Uttarakhand, the host state, finished in 7th place with 103 medals, including 24 golds. The Games showcased a wide range of athletic talent from across India, with athletes competing for honours in various categories.

India holds the 6th position among the top 10 countries most affected by extreme weather events between 1993 and 2023. During this period, India experienced significant economic losses amounting to $180 billion and over 80,000 fatalities due to various disasters, including floods and heatwaves. Notable incidents include floods in 1993, 1998, and 2013, and heatwaves in 2002, 2003, and 2015. On a global scale, extreme weather events resulted in 765,000 fatalities and $4.2 trillion in damages, which is comparable to the GDP of Germany, emphasizing the severe impact of climate-related disasters worldwide.

114 infrastructure projects worth ₹1,028 crore were inaugurated in Uttar Pradesh by Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, and Yogi Adityanath. The projects include the construction of Munshipulia and Khurramnagar flyovers, aimed at improving transportation and urban connectivity. The investment in India's urban infrastructure has significantly increased, from ₹1.78 lakh crore (2004-14) to ₹28.52 lakh crore (2014-24). The Kanpur-Lucknow motorway also incorporates India’s first automated, machine-guided construction system, showcasing innovation in infrastructure development.

ISRO and IIT Madras jointly developed the Indigenous RISCV Controller for Space Applications (IRIS) based on the SHAKTI processor. IRIS is built on the RISC-V architecture, making it suitable for a wide range of applications from IoT to strategic computing systems. This collaboration highlights India’s advancements in semiconductor technology, as the chip was fully designed, fabricated, and tested within the country, showcasing India’s growing capabilities in the field of space and electronics.

NTPC Ltd. won the Forward Faster Sustainability Award 2025 in the Water Resilience category from the UN Global Compact Network India (UN GCNI) on 13th February in Chennai. This award recognizes NTPC's efforts in water conservation, wastewater treatment, and sustainable water management practices, highlighting the company's leadership in these areas. Additionally, NTPC has set a target to achieve 60 GW of renewable energy by 2032, reinforcing its commitment to sustainability.

Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) partnered with Safran Electronics & Defense to jointly manufacture and maintain the HAMMER (Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range) weapon in India. HAMMER is a precision-guided, air-to-ground weapon that can be adapted for use with Rafale and LCA Tejas jets. This collaboration is part of India’s effort to strengthen its defence manufacturing capabilities under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, reducing dependency on imports for advanced weaponry and supporting the growth of Indigenous defence technology.