13th February 2025

1. Shikhar Dhawan Named ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Ambassador
2. Warrican, Mooney Shine as ICC Players of the Month
3. India Squad For Champions Trophy 2025
4. India to Host Next Global AI Summit: PM Modi
5. Lok Sabha Expands Translation Services to 6 More Languages
6. A Book Titled ‘I Am a Soldier’s Wife’: Geetika Lidder’s Tribute to Brigadier LS Lidder
7. World Radio Day 2025: Date, Evolution and Invention
8. Trump Imposes 25% Tariffs on Steel & Aluminum Imports
9. ISRO & IIT Madras Unveil Indigenous Chip for Space
10. Amending CLNDA: India’s Gateway to Nuclear Expansion
11. Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan Approved Extension of Groundnut Procurement in Gujarat by 6 days and in Karnataka by 25 days
12. Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar Co-chaired 4th India-UK Energy Dialogue in New Delhi
13. India & Oman Sign EPC to Enhance Archival Cooperation
14. MoLE Partners with FoundIt to Boost Job Opportunities for Youth
15. ISRO in Partnership with IIT Madras Developed Indigenous Semiconductor Chip ‘IRIS’
16. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, launches book “I Am?”
17. General Upendra Dwivedi Launched Memoir titled “I Am a Soldier’s Wife: The Life and Love of Toni Lidder”
18. National Productivity Day 2025 – February 12
19. International Darwin Day 2025 – February 12
20. Odisha Cabinet Approves ‘Antyodaya Gruha Yojana’ to Provide Pucca Houses for Weaker Sections
21. Maharashtra government launches Maitri 2.0

National News

1. PM Modi’s France Visit: Strengthening Indo-French Ties

• What:
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited France from February 10-12, 2025, at President Emmanuel Macron’s invitation.
• Tell me more:
  • India and France co-chaired the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Summit on February 10-11, 2025.
  • They visited Marseille and the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor facility.
  • The leaders discussed global issues, including climate change and the need for a reformed UNSC.
  • India was invited to host the next AI summit.

Source: PIB

2. Translation Services Extended to Six New Languages in Parliament

• What:
  • Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla announced the extension of translation services to six new languages in the Parliament, including Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, Manipuri, Urdu, and Sanskrit.
• Why:
  • The extension aims to include officially recognized languages in the parliamentary system.
• Tell me more:
  • Previously, translation services were available in 10 languages, including Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, and Telugu, in addition to Hindi and English.
  • Efforts are being made to provide simultaneous translations in additional 16 languages as human resources become available.
  • The Speaker emphasized that India’s “Mool Bhasha” (source language) has been Sanskrit and highlighted the effort to include 22 officially recognized languages.

Source: BS

3. India Plans to Amend Nuclear Damages Act

• What:
  • The Indian government plans to amend the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damages Act (CLNDA) and the Atomic Energy Act.
• Why:
  • The amendment aims to potentially benefit American and French nuclear power companies and promote India’s entry into Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).
• Tell me more:
  • Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced an allocation of ₹20,000 crores for the development of five SMRs.
  • India aims for 100 GW of nuclear energy by 2047.
  • India’s current nuclear power capacity stands at 6,780 MW.

Source: TH

4. Fourth India-UK Energy Dialogue Held in New Delhi

• What:
  • The Fourth India-UK Energy Dialogue was held in New Delhi, co-chaired by Shri Manohar Lal, Union Minister of Power and Housing and Urban Affairs of India, and Mr. Ed Miliband, Secretary for Energy Security and Net Zero for United Kingdom.
• Why:
  • The dialogue aimed to review progress in the energy sectors of both nations and reaffirm their commitment to a sustainable energy future.
• Tell me more:
  • Phase-2 of the India-UK bilateral Accelerating Smart Power & Renewable Energy in India (ASPIRE) program was launched.
  • A UK-India Offshore Wind Taskforce was established.
  • The Power Sector Reforms program under the UK Partnering for Accelerating Climate Change (UKPACT) will continue.

Source: PIB

5. India and Oman Sign Archival Cooperation Agreement

• What:
  • An Executive Programme of Cooperation (EPC) for 2025-2028 has been signed between the National Archives of India and the National Records and Archives Authority of Oman.
• Why:
  • The EPC aims to enhance friendly relations through archival cooperation.
• Tell me more:
  • Shri Arun Singhal, IAS, Director General of Archives, signed on behalf of India.
  • His Excellency Dr. Hamed Mohd. Al Dhawaini, Chairman, signed on behalf of Oman.
  • The National Archives of India and the National Records and Archives Authority of Oman are the custodians of historical records for their respective governments.

Source: PIB

State News

1. Antyodaya Gruha Yojana Approved for Vulnerable Families in Odisha

• What:
  • The Odisha state cabinet approved the Antyodaya Gruha Yojana, allocating Rs 7,550 crore to provide pucca houses to disadvantaged families.
• Why:
  • The program addresses the housing needs of vulnerable sections of society.
• Tell me more:
  • The programme aims to approve 2,25,000 new units within three years.
  • Financial assistance of Rs 1,20,000 per beneficiary will be offered to construct a 25 sq m house.
  • Incentives will be given for swift completion of houses within four to six months of receiving the first instalment.

Source: TOI

2. Maharashtra Launches MAITRI 2.0 Portal for Industries

• What:
  • The Maharashtra government has launched the Maitri (Maharashtra Industry, Trade and Investment Facilitation Cell) 2.0 Portal.
• Why:
  • To make the investment process hassle-free, reduce administrative delays, and improve ease of doing business.
• Tell me more:
  • The portal integrates 119 services from 16 departments for G2B services.
  • It includes real-time tracking of applications, an online query resolution mechanism, and an Incentive Calculator.
  • It aims to catalyse a leaner, more potent governance model.

Source: ZEE

International News

1. Trump’s Tariff Threat: Concerns for Indian Steel Industry

• What:
  • US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum, causing concern among Indian companies.
• Why:
  • This could lead to downward pressure on domestic steel prices and increased imports due to trade diversion.
• Tell me more:
  • The Ministry of Steel in India requested a 25% duty on steel products due to an 80% surge in steel imports from China.
  • India’s steel exports to the US were valued at $450 million in 2024.
  • India’s exports of aluminum and related products reached $820 million in 2024.
  • Steel stocks in Asian markets, including India, experienced a decline following the news.

Source: IE

Science and Technology

1. ISRO and IIT Madras Develop Indigenous RISCV Controller

• What:
  • ISRO and IIT Madras scientists have jointly developed the Indigenous RISCV Controller for Space Applications (IRIS).
• Why:
  • It aims to strengthen indigenous semiconductors development for the country’s various space-based applications.
• Tell me more:
  • IRIS is built on the SHAKTI processor baseline.
  • SHAKTI belongs to a class of systems on RISC-IV, an open-source Instruction Set Architecture.
  • The chip design, fabrication, packaging, motherboard design and fabrication, assembly, software boot were all done in India.

Source: IE

Awards

1. ICC Names Players of the Month: Warrican and Mooney

• The ICC has named Jomel Warrican and Beth Mooney as the ICC Men’s and Women’s Players of the Month for January 2025.
• Warrican is a left-arm spinner from the West Indies.
• Mooney is a batter from Australia.

Source: ICC

Important Dates

1. World Radio Day – February 13

• Theme: Radio and Climate Change

Source: BS

2. National Productivity Day 2025 – February 12

• Theme: From Ideas to Impact: Protecting Intellectual Property for Competitive Startups
• National Productivity Day, is observed annually on February 12 in India, to generate awareness about the importance of productivity in achieving economic growth and sustainability, under the guidance of the National Productivity Council (NPC).

Source: N18

3. International Darwin Day 2025 – February 12

• Theme: Finest Discovery

Source: N18

Sports

1. ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Squads Unveiled, Changes Made

• All teams have officially revealed their squads for the upcoming Champions Trophy, to be played in Pakistan and the UAE from February 19.
• Group A consists of India, Pakistan, New Zealand, and Bangladesh.
• Group B comprises Australia, England, South Africa, and Afghanistan.

Source: IE

Memorandum of Understanding

1. MoLE and FoundIt Partner to Boost Job Opportunities

• What:
  • The Ministry of Labour & Employment (MoLE) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with FoundIt (Formerly Monster) to enhance job opportunities for job seekers.
• Why:
  • The MoU aims to expand international & domestic employment opportunities for job seekers registered on the NCS portal.
• Tell me more:
  • The MoU is expected to bring 1.25 lakhs international vacancies and over 10 lakhs domestic vacancies to NCS each year.
  • The NCS Portal has facilitated the mobilization of more than 4.40 crore vacancies since its inception.
  • The NCS Portal is integrated with the e-Migrate platform, under which more than 500 active Recruitment Agencies (RAs) are registered.

Source: PIB

Appointments

1. ICC Appoints Shikhar Dhawan as Champions Trophy Ambassador

• What:
  • The International Cricket Council (ICC) has appointed Shikhar Dhawan along with Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shane Watson, and Tim Southee as event ambassadors for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy.
• Why:
  • The ambassadors will share insights through guest columns and attend matches of the tournament.
• Tell me more:
  • The tournament is scheduled to be held in Pakistan and Dubai from February 19 to March 9.
  • The tournament will feature the world’s top eight teams.
  • Shikhar Dhawan holds the record of being India’s highest run-scorer in Champions Trophy history with 701 runs.
  • Dhawan was named Player of the Tournament in 2013.
  • Dhawan has won consecutive Golden Bats for highest run-scorer in the tournament.
  • India will play their matches in Dubai.

Source: TOI

Miscellaneous

1. “I Am a Soldier’s Wife” Book Launch

• What:
  • Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi launched the book “I Am a Soldier’s Wife,” authored by Geetika Lidder.
• Why:
  • The book is a tribute to Geetika Lidder’s late husband, Brigadier Lakhwinder Singh Lidder, and their life together.
• Tell me more:
  • Brigadier Lidder died in a helicopter crash in December 2021, along with General Bipin Rawat.
  • The book encapsulates the life of a soldier, husband, father, and leader of the Indian Army.

Source: ANI

2. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar Launches Book “I Am?”

• The Vice-President, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar released the book, ‘I AM?’ compiled by Shri Gopichand P. Hinduja, Chairman of Hinduja Group, at Vice-President’s Enclave in New Delhi.
• The Vice-President, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar had launched the book “Parliament: Powers, Functions & Privileges; A Comparative Constitutional Perspective”, authored by Dr. KS Chauhan, Senior Advocate, at Vice-President’s Enclave in New Delhi in January 2025.

Source: GOV

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