Table of Contents
National News
India to Host First Regional Social Justice Dialogue in 2025
India is set to host the first-ever Regional Dialogue on the Global Coalition for Social Justice on February 24-25, 2025, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. Organized by the Ministry of Labour and Employment in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Employers’ Federation of India (EFI), the event aims to bring together global stakeholders to discuss inclusive and sustainable social policies.
Dr. Jitendra Singh to Preside Over 12th All India Pension Adalat
Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions, will chair the 12th All India Pension Adalat in New Delhi on February 13, 2025. Organized by the Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare (DoPPW), this initiative aims to resolve long-pending pension grievances of retired Central Government employees. With 180 cases under review, the event seeks to provide immediate resolutions to pensioners whose issues have been pending for over 120 days. The Pension Adalat has played a crucial role in grievance redressal since its launch in 2017, significantly improving the efficiency of pension-related dispute settlements.
PM Modi Receives Starship Heatshield Tile from Musk
On February 13, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk at the Blair House in Washington, D.C. During this meeting, Musk gifted PM Modi a hexagonal ceramic heatshield tile that flew on SpaceX’s Starship test flight 5 in October 2024. This exchange, which also included Modi gifting Musk’s children classic Indian books, symbolized a deeper engagement between India and Musk’s ventures in space, mobility, and technology.
Government Announces ₹100 Commemorative Coin Honoring Mohammed Rafi’s Legacy
In a tribute to the legendary singer Mohammed Rafi on his 100th birth anniversary, the Indian government has announced the release of a ₹100 commemorative coin. This initiative celebrates Rafi’s monumental contributions to Indian music and culture.
International News
China to Build First Deepwater ‘Space Station’ in South China Sea
After years of deliberation and technical evaluations, China has officially approved the construction of a deep-sea research facility in the strategically significant South China Sea. The facility, referred to as a “deep-sea space station,” will be anchored 2,000 meters (6,560 feet) below the ocean surface. It aims to advance marine exploration and strengthen China’s geopolitical presence in the resource-rich region. Expected to be operational by 2030, the station will accommodate six scientists for month-long missions, enabling real-time experiments in extreme underwater conditions.
State News
Govt Approves Nilgai Culling in Haryana
The Haryana government has recently introduced new Wildlife (Protection) Rules allowing the shooting of male Nilgais, also known as blue bulls. This decision aims to address the growing human-wildlife conflict, particularly the damage Nilgais cause to agriculture. However, it has sparked protests from environmentalists and local communities, particularly the Bishnoi community, who consider Nilgais sacred. Critics argue that culling is neither ethical nor a sustainable solution to the issue.
Lam Research to Invest ₹10,000 Crore in Karnataka’s Semiconductor Industry
Lam Research, a leading American semiconductor equipment manufacturer, has announced an investment of over ₹10,000 crore in Karnataka. The announcement was made at the Global Investors Meet: Invest Karnataka 2025, held at Bangalore Palace on February 12, 2025. This move strengthens India’s semiconductor ecosystem and aligns with the government’s push for domestic chip manufacturing.
West Bengal’s “Nodi Bandhan” Scheme and Ghatal Masterplan
The West Bengal government, under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, has introduced the “Nodi Bandhan” scheme in the 2025-26 budget to enhance riverine development and prevent erosion along the Ganga-Padma. Alongside this, a significant allocation for the Ghatal Masterplan has been made to address flooding in West Midnapore. These initiatives aim to mitigate natural calamities, boost livelihoods, and strengthen infrastructure in the river-dependent regions of the state.
Business News
Wholesale Price Index (WPI) for January 2025: Inflation Rate and Key Highlights
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has released the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) for January 2025, reporting an annual inflation rate of 2.31% (provisional) compared to January 2024. The increase in inflation is primarily due to the rising prices in the categories of manufactured food products, food articles, non-food articles, and textiles. The month-over-month (MoM) WPI change for January 2025 stood at (-) 0.45% compared to December 2024, indicating a marginal decline in wholesale prices.
Summits and Conferences News
President of India Inaugurates International Women’s Conference by Art of Living
The President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, graced the inaugural session of the International Women’s Conference organized by The Art of Living in Bengaluru on February 14, 2025. Addressing the distinguished gathering, she emphasized the rising power of Indian women (Nari Shakti) and their growing contributions across science, sports, politics, arts, and culture.
PM Modi’s Address at SAMVAD in Thailand: Key Highlights
Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered a video message at the SAMVAD programme in Thailand, emphasizing India’s deep cultural ties with Thailand and the broader Asian region. He recalled the origins of SAMVAD in discussions with former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe in 2015 and highlighted its role in fostering debate and understanding across nations. His speech covered themes such as shared Asian heritage, conflict avoidance, environmental harmony, and the teachings of Bhagwan Buddha as a guide for a peaceful and prosperous future.
World Government Summit 2025: India Pushes Green Growth and Climate Resilience
World Government Summit (WGS) 2025 commenced in Dubai from February 11 to 13, 2025, under the theme “Shaping Future Governments.” This 12th edition gathered global leaders, policymakers, and experts to discuss emerging trends in governance and critical sectors. India, represented by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, emphasized its commitment to green growth and climate resilience, aligning with its ongoing environmental initiatives.
Business News
Pankaj Tripathi Joins Velvet as Co-Founder
Actor Pankaj Tripathi, known for his performances in Stree 2, Gangs of Wasseypur, and Bareilly Ki Barfi, has stepped into the world of audio storytelling as the co-founder of Velvet. Launched in October 2024, Velvet is a cinematic audio story platform that aims to provide immersive storytelling experiences. The platform, co-founded alongside Vikas Kumar, Akshat Saxena, Varad Bhatnagar, and Sharib Khan, primarily focuses on Hindi audio content, with plans to expand into English and regional Indian languages.
Appointments News
ICAI Appoints New President and Vice-President for 2025-26
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has announced the appointment of CA. Charanjot Singh Nanda as its 73rd President and CA. Prasanna Kumar D as the Vice-President for the term 2025-26. Their leadership tenure begins on February 12, 2025. ICAI, which plays a crucial role in regulating the accounting profession in India, has entrusted them with the responsibility of guiding the institution in maintaining high professional standards.
Ranks & Reports News
Forbes India 30 Under 30 2025
The Forbes India 30 Under 30 list for 2025 has been released, showcasing 42 young achievers under the age of 30 across 19 diverse categories. This year’s list introduces the Artificial Intelligence (AI) category for the first time, highlighting the growing impact of AI-driven innovations. The honorees include entrepreneurs, professionals, and artists who have made remarkable contributions in their respective fields while also driving social change through sustainability and community-focused ventures.
Sports News
Cristiano Ronaldo Tops 2025’s Highest-Paid Athletes List
Cristiano Ronaldo has once again proven his dominance in the world of sports by securing the top spot on the 2025 list of highest-paid athletes. According to reports, the Portuguese football star earned a staggering $285 million, combining his $200 million annual salary from Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr and an additional $65 million from endorsements and business ventures. His financial success underscores the growing commercial value of football and the increasing investments in sports by Middle Eastern clubs.
38th National Games 2025 Concludes with Grand Ceremony
The 38th National Games 2025 came to a grand conclusion in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, marking the end of an event that showcased India’s growing sports culture. Hosted from January 28 to February 14, 2025, the Games emphasized sustainability under the theme ‘Green Games’, with initiatives aimed at reducing environmental impact. The event saw participation from over 10,000 athletes across 35 sports disciplines, making it one of the biggest sporting events in India.
Babar Azam Surpasses Virat Kohli, Equals Hashim Amla’s ODI Record
Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam has etched his name in the record books once again by becoming the joint-fastest player to score 6,000 runs in One Day Internationals (ODIs). He achieved this historic feat during the final of the ODI tri-series against New Zealand at the National Stadium.
Babar reached the milestone in just 123 innings, equaling the legendary South African batsman Hashim Amla, who previously held the record for being the fastest to 6,000 ODI runs.
Science and Technology News
ITER: The Future of Fusion Energy
The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) is the world’s most advanced and largest tokamak-based fusion reactor, currently under construction in France. It is an international collaborative project involving 35 nations, including the United States, China, India, Japan, Korea, Russia, and the European Union. ITER aims to develop magnetic confinement fusion as a carbon-free, sustainable, and limitless energy source. Its primary goal is to achieve “burning plasma,” where the fusion reaction sustains itself by retaining sufficient heat within the plasma. Though ITER will not generate electricity, it will serve as a crucial experimental step toward future commercial fusion power plants.
Euclid Captures a Perfect Einstein Ring
The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Euclid telescope, launched on July 1, 2023, embarked on a six-year mission to explore the dark Universe. During an initial testing phase in September 2023, Euclid’s scientists unexpectedly discovered a rare and nearly perfect Einstein Ring within the galaxy NGC 6505, located 590 million light-years away. This luminous ring was formed by the gravitational lensing of light from a much more distant, yet unnamed, galaxy 4.42 billion light-years away. This discovery highlights Euclid’s immense capabilities in uncovering cosmic secrets and advancing our understanding of gravity, dark matter, and dark energy.
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