Daily Current Affairs and GK | 9 and 10 February 2025

Topic: State News/ Manipur

1. Manipur CM N Biren Singh resigned on 9 February from his post.

• He gave his letter of resignation to Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla in Imphal.
• BJP’s northeast in-charge Sambit Patra accompanied him.
• He has resigned nearly two years after starting of ethnic violence in Manipur.
• Ethnic violence in Manipur has killed over 250 and displaced several thousands.
• The resignation has come five days after the Supreme Court’s directions to a central forensics lab for a report on leaked audio tapes.
• In leaked audio tapes, Singh is alleged heard saying the ethnic violence was instigated at his insistence.
• In resignation letter, he emphasised five points in the form of a request to Central Government through the Governor. These points are given below.
  • Maintaining the “territorial integrity” of the state
  • A crackdown on “illegal immigrants”
  • Continuing “the fight against drugs and narco terrorism”
  • Continuation of the revised Free Movement Regime with the application of biometric checks
  • Construction of the Indo-Myanmar border
• BJP still holds majority in Manipur's 60-member Assembly.

Topic: Defence

2. Exercise “Cyclone 2025” started at Mahajan Field Firing Range in Rajasthan from 10 February.

• This is a joint military exercise between India and Egypt. It will continue for 14 days.
• It aims to enhance defence cooperation between India and Egypt.
• As part of exercise, India and Egypt will share professional skills and improve interoperability of Special Forces in desert environments.
• Exercise “Cyclone 2025” is the third edition of Cyclone exercise.  
• The exercise will include counter-terrorism operations, reconnaissance, raids, and other specialized missions.
• The Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) is representing the Indian Army contingent.

Topic: Banking/Finance

3. RBI introduced an additional authentication layer for online international digital payments.

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced plans to introduce an Additional Factor of Authentication (AFA) for cross-border "Card Not Present" (CNP) transactions.
• It will bring international digital transactions through Indian-issued cards on the same security standards that are applied to domestic transactions.
• An additional Factor of Authentication (AFA) requires a One-Time Password (OTP) or biometric authentication. It has effectively reduced the number of frauds in domestic online payments.
• Until now, this layer of additional security doesn’t apply to international standards.
• The introduction of AFA for international transactions will ensure that Indian consumers are fully protected.
• The rise in e-commerce has also brought a spike in fraud cases.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

4. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will co-chair the Paris AI summit with France’s President Emmanuel Macron.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Paris on February 10.
• On February 10, the summit officially opened with Business Leaders Day.
• On February 11, the Prime Minister will co-chair the AI Summit alongside President Macron.
• Safety, governance, and innovation are the main themes for this year’s AI summit.
• The leaders of the summit will also discuss the concentration of power in the hands of a select few companies such as Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon and Meta.
• Key areas including open-source AI systems, clean energy for power data centres, the impact of AI on labour, AI helping developing nations, etc. will be also discussed.
• The Paris AI Summit is part of the Paris Peace Forum. Representatives from over 100 countries will participate in the Summit.
• This summit origin can be traced from the UK’s Bletchley Park AI Safety Summit – which took place in 2023.
• There will be five separate working groups at this year’s AI summit:
  • International governance
  • Future of work
  • Security and safety
  • AI for general interest
  • Innovation and culture.

Topic: Defence

5. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated Asia’s biggest Aero India show in Bengaluru.

• The 15th edition of Aero India, Asia’s largest aerospace and defence exhibition, started at the Yelahanka Air Force Station in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• The five-day event with the theme of “Runway to a Billion Opportunities” will show India’s defence capabilities and indigenous innovations.
• The exhibition will feature more than 900 exhibitors, including 150 international firms.
• Aero India will take place from February 10 to 14. The first three days will be dedicated to business activities.
• February 13 and 14 will be open to the public, which will allow people to experience the show.
• Aero India is a platform to show the defence capabilities of India and to forge global partnerships.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

6. The 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).

Topic: Personality in News

7. Namibia's first democratically elected president, Sam Nujoma, passed away at age of 95.

• He was the Founding Father of Namibia. Nujoma led Namibia from 1990 till 2005. 
• Nujoma amended constitution for getting presidential term for the third time. 
• He is known for his key role in liberation struggle of Namibia against South African colonialism.
• He was formally declared “Founding Father of the Namibian Nation” through a 2005 act of parliament.
• Namibia is a country in Southern Africa. Windhoek is its capital. Namibian Dollar is its currency.
• Nangolo Mbumba is current president of Namibia. Saara Kuugongelwa is its current Prime Minister.

Topic: State News/New Delhi

8. BJP regained power in Delhi after more than 26 years in the Assembly polls.

• A significant victory has been secured by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Delhi Assembly elections, bringing it back to power in the national capital after a more than 26-year hiatus.
• BJP leader Pravesh Verma defeated AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal in a tough contest.
• 48 out of 70 seats were won by the BJP party and surpassed the majority threshold of 35 seats.
• 22 seats were secured by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which had governed Delhi for the past decade, and the Congress drew a blank for a third straight time.
• BJP's vote percentage was 45.56%, while AAP got 43.57% votes and Congress' vote percentage was 6.34.
• The Delhi Assembly Elections 2025 voting was concluded on February 5 with an overall voter turnout of 60.39%.
• The highest voter turnout was recorded in Mustafabad at 69%, while the lowest was recorded in Karol Bagh at 47.40%.

Topic: Defence

9. A contract worth ₹642 crore signed by the Defence Ministry with BEL for 28 EON-51 Systems for the Indian Navy.

• On 8 February, a contract was signed by the Ministry of Defence with Bharat Electronics Limited for the procurement of 28 EON-51 systems for 11 New Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels and three Cadet Training Ships for the Indian Navy.
• The total cost of the contract is Rs 642.17 crore under the Procurement (Indian-IDDM) category.
• EON-51 is an electro-optical fire control system that provides detection, tracking, and classification of targets using electro-optical and thermal imagers devices.
• This scheme will create many employment opportunities over a period of three years.
• This will encourage active participation of various Indian industries, including micro, small, and medium enterprises.
• This initiative will also provide a significant boost to the government's efforts to achieve the goal of 'Aatmanirbharta' in the defense sector.

Topic: Science and Technology

10. The first-ever kangaroo embryo successfully created using IVF by Australian scientists.

• The first-ever kangaroo embryos have been successfully created using in vitro fertilisation (IVF) by Australian researchers in a historic scientific breakthrough.
• For the first time, a kangaroo embryo has been produced using intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), a technique widely used in human fertility treatments.
• ICSI was employed by scientists from the University of Queensland to create eastern grey kangaroo embryos by injecting a single sperm cell into a mature egg, setting the stage for potential conservation applications for endangered marsupial species.
• Lead researcher Dr. Andres Gambini, from the University of Queensland, described the development as an important step in preserving Australia's unique wildlife.
• So far, the research team has successfully created more than 20 kangaroo embryos using ICSI.
• Sperm and egg cells were collected from kangaroos that had recently died in wildlife hospitals, providing a sustainable way to use genetic material for conservation efforts.

Topic: Defence

11. The Navy's biennial TROPEX exercise is underway in the Indian Ocean region.

• The Indian Navy’s biennial capstone Theatre Level Operational Exercise (TROPEX) is currently being conducted in the Indian Ocean Region from January to March.
• The exercise involves a combined fleet of approximately 65 Indian Navy ships, nine submarines, and over 80 aircraft of various types.
• These assets are engaged in complex maritime operational scenarios to validate and refine the Navy’s Concept of Operations, including forward deployed sustenance and interoperability with other services.
• This operational-level exercise is conducted biennially with substantial participation of all operational units of the Navy as well as the Army, Air Force, and Coast Guard.
• TROPEX-25 aims to validate the Indian Navy’s core warfighting skills and enhance its operational readiness.
• The exercise ensures a synchronized, integrated response to safeguard national maritime security interests against conventional, asymmetric, and hybrid threats in a contested maritime environment.

Topic: Indian Polity

12. Union Cabinet approved the new income tax bill.

• The new income tax bill will replace the six decades-old I-T Act.
• The new bill will reduce the number of sections by almost a third. It will be presented in the Parliament very soon.
• This bill is part of the efforts to reform the tax system and aims to overhaul the existing tax structure.
• This bill makes income tax laws simpler for taxpayers and will be 50 per cent less in text.  
• The Bill also aimed to resolve interpretation-related issues arising out of the ambiguity in language.
• The tax department wants the Bill to go for public consultation to ensure transparency and gather feedback from taxpayers, businesses, and experts.
• Union Finance Minister Sitharaman first announced a comprehensive review of the Income-Tax Act, 1961 in the July 2024 Budget.

 Topic: Summits/Conferences/Meetings

13. BIMSTEC Youth Summit 2025 begins in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

• The BIMSTEC Youth Summit will take place from 7th to 11th February 2025.
• Union Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya formally inaugurated the event on 8th February.
• BIMSTEC Youth Summit aimed to bring together youths of BRICS countries on a unified platform to exchange their experiences and insights.
• This summit is centred around the theme “Youth as a Bridge for Intra-BIMSTEC Exchange”.
• The hosting of the BIMSTEC Youth Summit was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 4th BIMSTEC Summit in 2018.
• A session on "Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue X BIMSTEC" will be also organized during this summit.
• The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional organization of India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal, and Bhutan.