Daily Current Affairs and GK | 12 February 2025

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

1. India will host the next Global AI Summit.

• India will host the next international summit on artificial intelligence.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Emmanuel Macron co-chaired the AI summit in Paris.
• Participation in the Global South will be a priority for the next AI Summit.
• India’s focus will be more on innovation and outcomes that drive productivity and create jobs.
• India has been part of all five working groups dealing with international governance, the future of work, security and safety, AI for general interest, and innovation and culture.
• China, France, Germany, and India are among the 61 signatories who agreed upon the statement that "AI is open, inclusive, transparent, ethical, safe, secure, and trustworthy, taking into account international frameworks for all" and "making AI sustainable for people and the planet."
• The US and Britain have not signed the Paris AI Summit's declaration entitled "Statement on Inclusive and Sustainable Artificial Intelligence.".

Topic: Defence

2. On February 10, 2025, UK-India Defence Partnership – India (DP-I) formally launched on the first day of 15th edition of Aero India 2025.

• UK announced formal launch of DP-I, a dedicated cell within the U.K. Ministry of Defence for deepening cooperation with India.
• At Aero India 2025, other defence cooperation agreements between India and the U.K were also signed. These include following.
• Production of Man Portable Air Defence Systems (MANPADS) and Lightweight Multirole Missiles (LMM) in India.
• Establishment of an Advanced Short-Range Air to Air Missile (ASRAAM) assembly and test facility in India.
• UK and India signed a statement of intent (SOI) to design and develop an Integrated Full Electric Propulsion (IFEP) system for Indian Navy ships.
• A contract was signed between Thales U.K. and Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) to deliver Laser Beam-Riding MANPADs (LBRMs).
• STARStreak high-velocity missiles and launchers will be delivered this year.
• Both Thales and BDL will further collaborate to produce Lightweight Multirole Missiles (LMMs).
• Work is being done by General Electric (GE) Vernova and Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) to develop India’s first maritime Land-Based Testing Facility to deliver Landing Platform Dock (LPD) by 2030.

Topic: Personality in News

3. Acharya Mahant Satendra Das passed away on 12 February 2025.

• He was the chief priest of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
• He was a member of the Nirvani Akhara, which follows the Dashanami Sampradaya, a monastic order established by Adi Shankaracharya.
• Das has been the chief priest of the Ram temple since before the Babri Masjid’s demolition on December 6, 1992.
• Following a stroke, he was hospitalized to the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences.
• He was struggling with illnesses like high blood pressure and diabetes.

Topic: Reports and Indices

4. India has been ranked 96th out of 180 countries in the Corruption Perceptions Index 2024.

• According to a Transparency International report released on February 11, India ranked 96th out of 180 countries in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for 2024, while its overall score dropped by one point to 38.
• 180 countries and territories are ranked in the index by their perceived levels of public sector corruption based on assessments by experts and business people.
• The corruption perceptions index uses a scale of 0 to 100, where 0 is highly corrupt and 100 is very clean.
• The report presents a concerning view of global corruption, showing that more than two-thirds of assessed nations scored below 50, while the global average remains stagnant at 43.
• India's overall score was 38 in 2024, while it was 39 in 2023 and 40 in 2022. India's rank in 2023 was 93.
• Among India's neighbors, low rankings were recorded for Pakistan (135) and Sri Lanka (121), while Bangladesh was ranked even lower at 149. China was placed at the 76th position.
• Denmark has topped the list of least corrupt nations, followed by Finland, Singapore, New Zealand, and Luxembourg.

Topic: Personality in News

5. Guru Ravidas Jayanti 2025: 12 February

• Guru Ravidas Jayanti is celebrated on Magh Purnima across the country.
• The 648th birth anniversary of saint Guru Ravidas celebrated on 12 February 2025.
• He is famous for his effort against the caste system.
• A famous sufi saint, Guru Ravidas is also known as Raidas, Rohidas and Ruhidas.
• Guru Ravidas:
  • Guru Ravidas was born in 1377 CE in the village of Seer Goverdhanpur in Uttar Pradesh.
  • His 40 devotional poems were included in the Guru Granth Sahib, the sacred book of Sikhism.
  • He was a great saint and a social reformer of medieval India.
  • He was contemporary to Kabirdas and Mirabai.
  • He had founded the Ravidassia religion in the 14th-century.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

6. At Global Best M-Gov Award 2025, bronze award have been won by three Indian computer science students during World Government Summit in Dubai. 

• Vice President of the United Arab Emirates presented the award.
• The award recognises innovative technological solutions developing and improving mobile government services and societal progress. 
• The winning students are Sagar Teotia (team lead), Abhinav Mishra, and Anushka Singh.
• They are from Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Technology, Delhi. 
• They were recognized for their application ‘AccessWay.’
• ‘AccessWay’ integrates augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and crowdsourced data.
• ‘AccessWay’ integrates AI, AR, and crowdsourced data to provide accessible navigation, social connections, and emergency tools for individuals with disabilities.
• As part of the World Government Summit, UAE government presents annual honours ‘M-Gov Award’ and ‘GovTech Award’. The awards recognised six winners for their contributions.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

7. The World Government Summit (WGS) 2025 started on February 11, 2025 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

• The 12th edition of the summit will continue till February 14, 2025. The theme of the summit is "Shaping Future Governments". 
• Heads of state, government officials, global institutions, and experts are participating in the summit. 
• The summit brings them together to explore emerging trends in governance and critical sectors.
• Union Minister of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, took part in High-Level Roundtable on the Future of Mobility and the XDGs 2045 Ministerial Roundtable.
• He described India’s Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) initiative in a more detailed way.
• Mission LiFE was introduced by PM Modi on 20th October, 2022 at Kevadia, Gujarat.
• It focuses on bringing about behaviour changes in individuals for combatting climate change.
• Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is the nodal Ministry for Mission LiFE’s national level coordination and implementation.
• WGS 2025 serves as a global platform for dialogue on governance, innovation, and sustainable development.

Topic: Agriculture and Allied Sectors

8. A new HS code introduced by India to allow exports of GI-recognised rice varieties.

• India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced an amendment to the Customs Tariff Act to provide an HS (Harmonised System) code for exporting geographical indication (GI) recognised rice.
• This is the first time an HS code has been introduced for GI-recognised rice.
• The Indian Patent Office has given a GI tag to 20 rice varieties.
• Navara, Palakkadan Matta, Pokkali, Wayanad Jeerakasala, Wayanad Gandhakasala, Kalanamak, etc. are some GI-tagged recognised varieties of rice.
• The HS Code will help in the export of GI-tagged rice, particularly when the Central government bans shipments of general varieties of rice.
• Now, the GI-tagged rice can be exported without any problem or special notification from the Finance Ministry.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

9. The 14th Asian Fisheries and Aquaculture Forum (14 AFAF) begins in New Delhi.

• The 14th Asian Fisheries and Aquaculture Forum (14 AFAF) is scheduled to be held from February 12-14.
• It is a triennial event of the Asian Fisheries Society with its headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
• It is being jointly organised by the Asian Fisheries Society (AFS), Kuala Lumpur and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi.
• India is hosting the Asian Fisheries and Aquaculture Forum for the second time. India hosted the 8th AFAF in 2007 in Kochi.
• ‘Greening the Blue Growth in Asia-Pacific’ is the theme of this year’s Asian Fisheries and Aquaculture Forum.
• Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Rajiv Ranjan Singh, inaugurated the event.
• India has emerged as a key player in sustainable fisheries and aquaculture.

Topic: International News

10. FAO launched the “Ugbaad” climate-resilient agriculture project in Somalia.

• This seven-year climate resilient agriculture project aims to enhance climate adaptation and resilience for vulnerable communities in Somalia.
• The $95 million “Climate Resilient Agriculture in Somalia” project, called “Ugbaad,” means a symbol of hope.
• It will help in tackling climate change challenges and strengthen agrifood systems through large-scale investment.
• This project was approved in October 2024.
• It is a step towards tackling the challenges posed by climate change, restoring productive landscapes, and empowering vulnerable local communities.
• In Somalia, the agricultural sector is the main economic activity for an estimated 65 per cent of the population.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

11. Senior NSG officer Deepak Kumar Kedia received 'CA in Public Service' award by ICAI.

• Deepak Kumar Kedia, Inspector General (IG) Headquarters, National Security Guard (NSG) received the 'CA in Public Service' Award by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI).
• He has been awarded for his exceptional contributions to public service mainly in law enforcement and national security.
• The award has been presented at the World Forum of Accountants Meet in New Delhi.
• He was also awarded with the prestigious 'President Medal for Distinguished Service’ on the Republic Day.
• Deepak Kumar Kedia, also known as the 'CA in Uniform’, has worked in the Steel Authority of India (SAIL).

Topic: National Appointments

12. Dr. Madhavankutty G has been appointed by Canara Bank as chief economist.

• His appointment is effective from January 2025. He was earlier a senior economist at Bank of India, Aditya Birla Group, and the Times Group.
• In his new role, he will provide strategic advice to the top management on economic and financial sector developments of domestic and global importance.
• Canara Bank was founded in July 1906. It is headquartered in Bengaluru. It was nationalized in 1969.
• K Satyanarayana Raju is its MD and CEO. The government has merged Syndicate Bank with Canara Bank.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

13. IIAS-DARPG India Conference 2025 started in New Delhi at Bharat Mandapam.

• The conference was inaugurated by Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh.
• The conference will continue until this month's 14th. 240 delegates from 55 countries have registered so far for this conference.
• Next Generation Administrative Reforms- Reaching the Last Mile is the conference's theme.
• Innovations in governance, policymaking, and public administration will be discussed and explored during the conference.
• India is hosting the IIAS Conference on Public Administration for the first time. India is the first nation in South Asia to do so.
• This conference is being held in New Delhi by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG).