Daily & Latest Current Affairs in 2025

Correct Answer :   22nd February

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Every year, on February 22, millions of people who have been a part of the Boy Scouts mark World Scout Day.

* It commemorates the birth anniversary of the founder of the Boy Scouts Movement, Lord Robert Baden-Powell.

* The day, celebrated by National Scout Organisations worldwide, is observed through activities such as fundraising, food drives, and other forms of community service. Read about the history and significance of the day, as well as about the life of Lord Baden-Powell here.


World Scout Day History :

Scouting’s inception dates back to over a century ago, in 1907 in United Kingdom. The first Boy Scout camp was organised by Lord Baden-Powell back then with a ragtag group of 20 youngsters. The camp, followed by the founder’s book ‘Scouting for Boys,’ became an instant hit. Over the course of the next few years, the movement grew swiftly, taking on a global character.

World Scout Day, also known as Founder’s Day, is celebrated on February 22 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Lord Robert Baden-Powell. The day is also significant since it marks the birth anniversary of his wife, Olave Baden-Powell, the World Chief Guide.

World Scout Day Significance :

As of 2022, the Scout Movement is spread across 172 National Scout Organisations with 57 million members, as per their official website. This is an important day for the entire scout community. To mark the occasion, several Boy Scout members recommit themselves to the ideals of the organisation. The operations of these institutions on the day are centred around community welfare. Several individuals perform good deeds and engage in community service.

Source : News 18

Correct Answer :   Afshan Khan

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United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has announced the appointment of Indo-Canadian "Afshan Khan" as the coordinator of the 'Scaling Up Nutrition Movement'.

The Scaling Up Nutrition or SUN Movement is a country-driven initiative led by 65 nations and four Indian states united in their mission to end all forms of malnutrition by 2030, Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the secretary-general told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York.

About Afshan Khan :

* "Afshan Khan will succeed Gerda Verburg of the Netherlands, to whom the secretary-general expresses his gratitude for her efforts and dedication in leading the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement.

* Born in India, Khan will lead the SUN Movement Secretariat, as well as coordinate the network of SUN Government Focal Points, the movement's stakeholders, and supporters, Dujarric said.

* She has both Canadian and United Kingdom citizenship. Khan holds a master's degree in public policy from the , and a bachelor's degree in political science from McGill University...

Source : India Times

Correct Answer :   February 22

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World Thinking Day is an international day of celebration, observed annually on February 22, to promote the values of leadership, diversity and empowerment among young women worldwide.

* The day is celebrated by members of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), an organisation that boasts over 10 million members across 150 countries.

* World Thinking Day is an occasion for young girls and women to take action on issues that affect them and their communities. Furthermore, it serves as an opportunity for young girls and women to reflect on the ways in which they can support and empower each other.

* It’s a time to recognise the importance of equality, inclusiveness and teamwork, and to reflect on the ways in which young girls and women can make a positive difference in the world. By fostering cross-cultural understanding and promoting social change, World Thinking Day helps to create a better world for all.

World Thinking Day Theme 2023 : The theme for World Thinking Day 2023 is ‘Our World, Our Peaceful Future’. This theme encourages girls and young women to reflect on the role of the environment in creating a more peaceful and secure future for all. It explores topics such as stewardship, harmony, and the relationship between the environment and peace and security.

World Thinking Day History : The origin of World Thinking Day dates back to 1926 when delegates from the Girl Guide and Girl Scout movements met at the 4th World Conference in the United States.

* The delegates agreed that there should be a special day each year when Girl Guides and Girl Scouts around the world could think of each other and show their appreciation for the movement. This day was called Thinking Day, and it was proclaimed to be celebrated on February 22, which was the shared birthday of Lord Baden-Powell, the founder of the Boy Scout Movement, and his wife Olave Baden-Powell, the then World Chief Guide.

* In 1999, at the 30th World Conference in Dublin, Ireland, the name of the day was changed from Thinking Day to World Thinking Day. This change was made to better emphasise the international aspects of the day and to reflect the global nature of the Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting movements.

World Thinking Day Significance : World Thinking Day is a significant day for Girl Guides and Girl Scouts worldwide. It provides an opportunity for girls and young women to reflect on their values and commitments as members of the guiding and scouting movements. The day also serves as a reminder of the importance of these movements in promoting leadership, teamwork, and self-confidence among young girls and women.

In addition to highlighting the importance of guiding and scouting movements, World Thinking Day also serves as a platform for young girls and women to learn about other cultures and connect with their peers around the world..

Source : News9live

Correct Answer :   Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL)

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Bharat Electronics (BEL), a Navratna Defence PSU, announced on Tuesday (21st Feb 2023) that it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), DRDO, for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme.

* It also signed another MoU with Cisco for long-term strategic cooperation in networking, collaboration, and security, among other services, according to separate press releases from BEL.

* According to the PSU, these MoUs were signed during the Aero India 2023 exhibition in Bengaluru from 13 to 17 February 2023.

* According to BEL, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraftfifth-generation, multi-role, all-weather fighter aircraft with high survivability and stealth capability.

* The MoU Aim : to leverage BEL and ADA's complementary strengths and capabilities by collaborating on the design, development, qualification, production and supply of Internal Weapon Bay Computer and other Line Replaceable Units (LRUs) for AMCA, as well as providing lifetime product support to the Indian Air Force.

* BEL stated that the MoU with Cisco aims to leverage the partners' strengths and capabilities to capitalise on emerging opportunities in the network and security domains..

Source : Business World

Correct Answer :   22nd Feb 2023

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Subi Suresh, one of the most popular faces on television, a famous anchor and film actress Subi Suresh passed away on Wednesday(22nd Feb 2023) at a private hospital here, according to industry sources.

* She had been ailing with liver complications for a while.

* The 41-year-old actress was single. She hit the screen as a mimicry artist - a rarity among females - and then became a busy TV serial actress. Soon her popularity increased and was known for her charming and pleasing character.

* Tiny Tom, another popular actor, said things were moving fast to do a liver transplant surgery and the work for it was going on when she breathed her last.

* Subi appeared in more than 20 films after making her acting debut in Rajasenan’s “Kanaka Simhasanam,” including “Grihanathan,” “Thaksara Lahala,” “Elsamma Enna Aankutty,” “Drama,” “101 Weddings' and 'Drama” and “Kaaryasthan.”

* Subi, an Ernakulam resident who was born in Tripunithura, lived in Koonammavu.

* She continued to work as a performer following her graduation from St Teresa’s College..

Source : Zee news

Correct Answer :   Goa

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The first Prime Minister GatiShakti regional workshop for Western and Central Zone was held 20th Feb 2023 in Goa.

* The workshop featured discussions on use cases of National Master Plan (NMP) adoption by Central Ministries & State Departments for planning and acted as a platform for mutual learning among the States and Central Ministries/Departments.  

* Sumita Dawra, Special Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry and senior government officials from Central Ministries and State Governments of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh were present on the occasion.

* Secretary, DPIIT Anurag Jain stated that PM GatiShakti will kick start the virtuous cycle of pulling in private investments, increasing production, employment and growth.

* He added that the GatiShakti NMP was launched to propel the nation towards achieving the goal of Atma Nirbhar Bharat. 

* He further noted that the root cause of many problems faced by the common man is the huge disconnect between macro level planning and its implementation at the micro level and that the GatiShakti NMP is huge step towards resolving the same.

* Synergies can be built to ensure integrated planning, synchronized implementation and monitoring of infrastructure, economic and social sector projects/schemes through this platform, added Secretary Anurag Jain.

* Special Secretary, DPIIT Sumita Dawra observed that since the launch of PM GatiShakti on Oct 13, 2021 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several milestones such as the launch of a National Logistics Policy has been achieved.

* Tracing the progress made under PM GatiShakti NMP, she added that as of today over 1300 layers have been uploaded. 30 Individual portals of Central Ministries and 36 States/UTs State Master Plan portals have also been developed.

Source : PIB

Correct Answer :   Hyderabad

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World Health Organisation (WHO) is setting up an mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) vaccine hub in Hyderabad as part of its plans to set up such hubs in select locations globally, industries minister KT Rama Rao disclosed on Tuesday (21st Feb 2023).

The mRNA vaccine hub is coming up at Biological E by way of a technology transfer by WHO to create capacities not just for global emergencies such as the Covid-19 pandemic but also to tackle future pandemics as well as develop capacities for ailments such as malaria, HIV, and cancer.

KTR said that as Hyderabad is also home to one of the largest number of US Food & Drug Administration (USFDA) approved manufacturing plants at 214, the state government was trying to get the US drug regulator to set up its offices in the city.

The city accounts for about 40% of India's pharma output, KTR said at an interaction in the run-up to the 20th edition of Asia's largest life sciences conclave - BioAsia 2023 -that kicks off on February 24.

Telangan government's target to double the state's life sciences ecosystem from $50 billion in value (turnover of $13 billion) in 2021 to $100 billion by 2028, he said the plan is to also double the employment generated by the sector to 8 lakh over the next five years.

Source : Times of India

Correct Answer :   RK Singh

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The minister of power and new and renewable energy RK Singh, has launched the South Asia Distribution Utility Network (SADUN).

 SADUN Aim : To modernise distribution of utilities in South Asia via knowledge sharing among the region's discoms.

About SADUN :

* SADUN is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Power, USAID and PFC. Singh said that all the member nations would benefit from the synergy, exchange of experiences and the sharing of vision-enabled by the network.

* United States Agency for International Development (USAID) had conceptualised SADUN in January 2020 based on a consensus among the participants over a need for an initiative which focused on distribution network in the region.

* Apart from enabling knowledge sharing among discoms and enhancing focus on distribution issues at the regional-level, the network aims to enable utility-to-utility (U2U) connect to reap the benefits of aggregation.

* USAID has already shared a white paper on SADUN with member nations to “get their concurrence on the blueprint of the network” and move ahead in “the process of implementation.”

Who All Were Present At The Forum :

* Representatives from the power sectors of Bhutan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Sri Lanka welcomed the initiative while they spoke about the opportunities, challenges and expectations from the forum.

* Union power secretary Alok Kumar and USAID’s mission director Veena Reddy were also present at the event. The delegates at the event included Sonam Tobjey, CEO of Bhutan Power Corporation; Bikash Dewan, MD of DPDC in Bangladesh; Ajwad Mustafa from Maldives’ Ministry of Environment, Climate Change & Technology and MPDUK Mapa Pathirana, Secretary at the Ministry of Power & Energy of Sri Lanka...

Source : CNBC

Correct Answer :   Adidas

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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is close to agreeing to a deal with German sporting goods giant "Adidas" to pay Rs 350 crore as the team’s uniform sponsor.

* Adidas will take the place of Killer Jeans manufacturer Kewal Kiran Clothing Ltd, which stepped in as a temporary sponsor last month after the original sponsor Mobile Premier League Sports (MPL Sports) backed out of the agreement in the middle of it.

* The previous sponsor MPL Sports is an athleisure wear and sports merchandise brand from Galactus Funware Technology Pvt. Ltd. The BCCI-MPL Sports kit deal was to last for three years from November 2020 to December 2023.

* However, despite BCCI’s request to stay on till 31 March, the fantasy sports company pulled out in January, after which Kewal Kiran took over as interim sponsor. MPL had come in after US sportswear company Nike’s term ended in 2020 after a 14-year-long association.

* The Adidas, Five Years deal is expected to begin from June 2023 and will last till March 2028..

Source : News18

Correct Answer :   Odisha

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Odisha Governor "Prof Ganeshi Lal" on Saturday (18th Feb 2023) launched India’s first AI chatbot for the agriculture sector - "Ama KrushAI" at the valedictory session of  ‘Krushi Odisha 2023’.

* Ama KrushAI chatbot will help farmers with the best agronomic practices, government schemes and loan products from more than 40 commercial and cooperative banks.

* It will run under a pilot project involving more than 10,000 farmers and will be implemented in full-fledged in the next two months.

* The Governor urged farmers to take advantage of different schemes announced by the state government to promote agriculture and help the state prosper.

* “Civilisation started off with agriculture and the superstructure of civilisation is based on agriculture. Only a farmer can do the magic in agriculture”.

* Odisha is now self-sufficient in many crops. The state is the fourth largest rice producer of the country and nearly self-sufficient in milk, egg and fisheries.

* More than 20,000 farmers and agri-entrepreneurs from across the state attended the three-day event organised by the Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment department in collaboration with FICCI to promote farm mechanisation and enhancement in farmers’ income. Women and Child Development Minister Basanti Hembram and principal secretary Arabinda Kumar Padhee were present..

Source : New Indian Express