IMPORTANT DAYS

Global Tourism Resilience Day 2025 observed on 17 February

• Global Tourism Resilience Day is observed annually on February 17 to highlight the resilience of the global tourism industry.

• The United Nations General Assembly established this day in 2023 to reflect on the industry's ability to recover from various challenges.

• The tourism sector has faced significant disruptions, including natural disasters, pandemics, political instability, and economic downturns.

• "Tourism resilience" refers to a destination's capacity to recover and thrive after a crisis.

• In 2024, the UN declared 2027 as the International Year of Sustainable and Resilient Tourism.

• The pandemic caused a loss of 2.7 billion international arrivals over 2020-2022.

• In 2023, international tourist arrivals reached 89% of pre-pandemic levels, and by January–September 2024, it reached 98%.

APPOINTMENTS

ICAI Appoints Charanjot Singh Nanda as President and D. Prasanna Kumar as Vice President for 2025-26.

• Charanjot Singh Nanda has been appointed as the new President of ICAI for the 2025–26 term.

• Nanda, who previously served as ICAI's Vice-President, was elected the 73rd President during a Central Council meeting in New Delhi.

• D. Prasanna Kumar, a chartered accountant from Andhra Pradesh, has been elected as the new Vice President.

• The oath of office was administered by Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of State for Law and Justice and Parliamentary Affairs.

• Leadership roles have transitioned: Nanda succeeds Ranjeet Kumar Agarwal as President, and Prasanna Kumar takes over as Vice President.

• Nanda, a Chartered Accountant since 1991, previously chaired the Northern India Regional Council (NIRC) in 2002-03.

• ICAI, established on July 1, 1949, is India's largest professional accounting body, functioning under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.

• Headquartered in New Delhi, ICAI regulates and advances the chartered accountancy profession in India.

Shikhar Dhawan has been appointed as an event ambassador for the ICC Champions Trophy.

• Shikhar Dhawan has been named as one of the four event ambassadors for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy.

• The tournament will take place from February 19 to March 9, in Pakistan and Dubai.

• Alongside Dhawan, the other ambassadors are Sarfraz Ahmed (Pakistan), Shane Watson (Australia), and Tim Southee (New Zealand).

• The ambassadors will share insights through guest columns and attend matches during the tournament featuring the world's top eight teams.

• Dhawan is India's all-time leading run-scorer in the Champions Trophy, with 701 runs across two editions.

• He is the only player to win the Golden Bat consecutively for being the top run-scorer in the tournament.

• Dhawan's accolades include being named Player of the Tournament in 2013 and holding the record for most centuries in Champions Trophy history.

NATIONAL NEWS

Deregulation Commission to Minimize Government Role in Governance

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the creation of a Deregulation Commission to reduce government involvement in governance.

• The commission will aim to cut down compliance burdens and limit government interference.

• Under Jan Vishwas 2.0, the government has eliminated hundreds of unnecessary compliances.

• New sectors, including nuclear energy, space, commercial mining, and power distribution, have been opened for investment to drive efficiency.

Mahakumbh in Prayagraj Breaks World Record with 50 Crore Participants

• The ongoing Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj has set a world record with over 50 crore (500 million) participants, achieved on February 14, 2025.

• The event, which began on January 13, 2025, will run until February 26, 2025, at the Triveni Sangam, the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati rivers.

• This milestone surpasses the combined population of countries like the United States and Russia.

• The Uttar Pradesh government has highlighted it as the largest gathering in human history for any religious, cultural, or social event.

• Despite a deadly stampede on January 29, the Kumbh continues to attract millions of pilgrims from India and abroad daily.

• The event reflects the deep faith of devotees and the remarkable organizational efforts of the authorities.

AWARDS

78th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA)

• "Conclave," a papal thriller, won four awards at the 78th BAFTA, including Best Picture.

• The film also claimed the titles of Outstanding British Film, Best Editing, and Best Adapted Screenplay.

• "The Brutalist" took home four awards, with Brady Corbet winning Best Director and Adrien Brody awarded Best Actor.

• Mikey Madison was honored with the Best Actress award for her role in Anora.

• The BAFTA ceremony was held at the Southbank Centre in London.

• "Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl" won Best Animated Feature and Best Family & Children's Film.

• The BAFTA winners are selected by 8,000 members of the U.K. Academy of industry professionals.

DEFENCE

Dharma Guardian: India-Japan Joint Military Exercise

• The 6th edition of the India-Japan Joint Military Exercise, Dharma Guardian, will take place at Mount Fuji, Japan, from February 25 to March 9, 2025.

• The exercise focuses on improving cooperation in urban warfare and counter-terrorism operations under a UN mandate.

• This exercise builds on the momentum of the Indian Army Chief’s visit to Japan in October 2024, reinforcing bilateral defence ties.

SUMMIT AND CONFERENCE

BRICS summit 2025

• The 2025 BRICS summit will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 6-7.

• Leaders from 20 member and partner countries will attend the summit.

• Brazil will lead the summit, focusing on strengthening ties with developing nations and reforming global institutions.

• BRICS, founded in 2009 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, added South Africa in 2010 as a counterbalance to the G7.

• The group will expand in 2024 with the inclusion of Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the UAE, while Saudi Arabia has been invited.

• Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Malaysia have applied for membership, with other countries showing interest.

• Recently, Indonesia became a full member, and Nigeria was added as a partner country during last year's Kazan summit.

8th Indian Ocean Conference

• The 8th Indian Ocean Conference took place in Muscat, Oman, on February 16-17, organized by India Foundation in collaboration with Oman’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

• The conference focused on the theme "Voyages to New Horizons of Maritime Partnership."

• The 6th BIMSTEC Summit will be hosted in Bangkok, Thailand, from April 2–4, 2025.

• Bangladesh will assume the chairmanship of the BIMSTEC summit.

• India is spearheading major connectivity initiatives, such as the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).