Current Affairs Quiz - February 2025

Notes:
Latika Katt, a renowned Indian sculptor, passed away at 76 in Jaipur. She was known for larger-than-life sculptures, public busts, and capturing nature’s organic forms. Her works include a 20-ft bronze sculpture of Jawaharlal Nehru at Jawahar Bhawan, Delhi. She experimented with terracotta, papier-mâché, stone, and bronze over five decades. She won the Beijing Art Biennale Award (2010) for Makarsankranti Nahan at Dashaswamedh Ghat.

Notes:
Birla Institute of Management Technology (BIMTECH), Greater Noida has launched BIMCOIN, a blockchain-powered digital currency for campus transactions. It is the first business school in India to introduce such technology, following IIT Madras. BIMCOIN aims to provide students with real-world fintech experience and promote blockchain learning. It operates on a permissioned blockchain, ensuring secure, transparent, and decentralized transactions. Unlike traditional banking, BIMCOIN minimizes fraud and errors by securely recording transactions on the blockchain. This initiative sets a new trend for integrating digital currency in academic institutions.

Notes:
The US President signed an executive order to prepare a large-scale migrant detention center at Guantánamo Bay. Guantánamo Bay, located in southeastern Cuba, is a sheltered inlet with strategic importance, near the Windward Passage. It is served by the ports of Caimanera and Boquerón. “Gitmo” has housed terrorism suspects since 9/11 and has a Migrant Operations Centre for migrants from Haiti and Cuba. The current facility is small and cannot accommodate the 30,000 detainees expected in the new center.

Notes:
The saffron reedtail damselfly, also known as Indosticta deccanensis, was recently spotted for the first time in Karnataka along the Netravati River. This rare species is endemic to the Western Ghats and is part of the shadow damselfly family (Platystictidae). It has slender bodies with saffron coloration and thrives in pristine, slow-moving forest streams. Previously found in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, this discovery extends its known range. Damselflies are predatory, aerial insects found near freshwater habitats, and their presence indicates a healthy ecosystem.

Notes:
The 13th edition of the India-Maldives military exercise ‘Ekuverin’ held in Maldives from 2-15 February 2025. The opening ceremony took place at the MNDF Official Composite Training Center in Maafilaafushi on 2 February 2025. ‘Ekuverin’ means ‘Friends’ in the Dhivehi language. It is an annual bilateral exercise, held alternately in India and the Maldives since 2009. The 12th edition was held in Chaubatia, Uttarakhand, from June 11-24, 2023. A platoon-level contingent from both nations participates. The exercise enhances coordination for counter-insurgency, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief operations.

Notes:
Special Window for Affordable and Mid-Income Housing (SWAMIH) Fund 2.0 aims to revive stalled real estate projects by providing financial support. The Union Budget 2025-26 has allocated ₹15,000 crore to complete one lakh housing units. Real estate developers and National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO) had long requested the fund’s second tranche. SWAMIH Fund I, launched earlier, was created to complete stressed and stalled housing projects. It is sponsored by the Ministry of Finance. It is a Category-II AIF (Alternate Investment Fund) debt fund registered with SEBI.

Notes:
Bart De Wever was sworn in as Belgium’s Prime Minister by King Philippe on 3rd February 2025. He replaced Alexander De Croo, who led a seven-party coalition government. The June 2024 elections did not give a decisive mandate to any party or coalition. Belgium has a complex political system, divided into Dutch-speaking Flanders and French-speaking Wallonia. De Wever is the first nationalist Flanders leader to become PM.

Notes:
The Election Commission of India (ECI) launched the “Chandrayaan Se Chunao Tak” initiative in West Delhi during the assembly elections. The campaign aims to engage voters by linking India’s space achievements, especially the Chandrayaan mission, with the electoral process. It is an innovative approach to raise awareness and encourage voter participation.

Notes:
The Union Home Ministry urged states to prevent the misuse of the State Emblem of India, emphasizing that the Lion Capital is incomplete without “Satyameva Jayate” in Devanagari. The emblem is an adaptation of Ashoka’s Lion Capital at Sarnath, featuring four lions on a circular abacus with Dharma Chakras, an elephant, horse, bull, and lion. Adopted on 26 January 1950, it shows three visible lions, omitting the bell-shaped lotus. “Satyameva Jayate”, meaning “Truth alone triumphs”, is from the Mundaka Upanishad. Its use is restricted under the 2005 Act and 2007 Rules.

Notes:
Shri. S. Krishnan, Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, inaugurated the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Chip Design at Noida. It aims to enhance India’s semiconductor design and VLSI (Very Large-Scale Integration) capabilities. The Centre will provide research, innovation, and training to develop a skilled workforce. Facilities include a Project Lab for chip design and a Smart Classroom for immersive learning. A VLSI-based Intellectual Property (IP) demonstration showcased its commitment to semiconductor advancement.