SUMMIT AND CONFERENCES
first All the India Conference of Transgenders hosted by Ajmer.
• Ajmer hosted India's inaugural All India Conference for Transgenders.
• The 10-day event was held in honor of Anita Bai, a prominent mentor.
• Anita Bai mentored Gaddipati Saloni Nayak, a key figure in Ajmer's transgender community.
• Around 2,000 community members took part in the Panch ritual during the Khichdi Tulai festival.
• The Khichdi Tulai ritual, performed collectively, marked the conference's opening ceremony.
• Multiple stalls were set up at the venue, including services for medical, banking, perfumes, and tours.
9th Asia Economic Dialogue
• The 9th Asia Economic Dialogue was held in Pune, Maharashtra.
• The theme of this year’s event was “Economic Resilience and Resurgence in an Era of Fragmentation.”
• Union Minister Piyush Goyal addressed the event.
• The three-day Dialogue was co-hosted by the Pune International Centre.
• Discussions covered key geo-economic topics such as AI, automation, and the economic importance of cyber security.
• The event brought together political leaders, government officials, academicians, policymakers, and industry experts from India and abroad.
• It focused on addressing economic fragmentation and finding actionable solutions for resilience and resurgence.
• The Dialogue is the Ministry of External Affairs' annual ‘Track 1.5 Dialogue’ on Geoeconomics.
STATE NEWS
Rekha Gupta took oath as the new Chief Minister of Delhi.
• Rekha Gupta, a first-time MLA, took the oath as the new Chief Minister of Delhi.
• The swearing-in ceremony took place on 20 February, marking her official induction.
• She is the ninth CM of Delhi and the fourth woman to hold the post.
• Previous female CMs of Delhi include Sushma Swaraj, Sheila Dixit, and Atishi.
• Gupta won by a margin of 29,595 votes, defeating three-time AAP MLA Bandana Kumari.
• On 19 February 2025, she was named leader of BJP’s Delhi legislative party after the party's victory.
• The BJP secured 48 out of 70 seats in the Delhi Assembly elections, returning to power after 26 years.
• Rekha Gupta began her political career with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and was DU Students Union president in 1996.
Uttarakhand Approves New Land Law to Protect Resources and Identity
• Uttarakhand government approved a new land law aimed at preserving cultural identity and natural resources.
• The Cabinet introduced a stricter land law to safeguard the state's resources and retain its original identity.
• Non-residents will be prohibited from buying agricultural or horticultural land in 11 districts, except Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar.
• The move is intended to ensure proper land use in hilly regions and curb encroachments.
• District magistrates will no longer have the authority to personally approve land purchases.
• All district magistrates must submit regular land purchase reports to the Revenue Council and government.
• The new law will replace the land law introduced in 2018.
Rajasthan Deputy CM Presents Rajasthan Budget 2025-26
• Rajasthan Deputy CM Diya Kumari presented the 2025-26 state budget.
• The budget prioritizes job creation, water supply, and infrastructure development.
• The state aims to become a 350 billion economy by 2030, with a projected GDP of Rs 19.89 lakh crore in 2025-26.
• Plans include providing 5 lakh new domestic electricity connections and 5,000 power connections for agriculture.
• Solar panel users will get up to 150 units of free electricity under PM Surya Ghar and Mukhyamantri schemes.
• Recruitment for 1.25 lakh government and state undertaking positions will be completed.
• Nine greenfield expressways will be built with a Rs 60,000 crore investment.
• Over 1 lakh homes will receive gas pipelines.
• 1,600 settlements will be connected with asphalt roads under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana.
• Rs 400 crore has been allocated for new drinking water connections.
• The Jaipur Metro’s new phase will be introduced, and the BRTS will be removed to ease traffic.
NATIONAL NEWS
India elected to the vice precedency of the international organisation of aids to marine navigation
• India has been elected Vice President of the International Organization for Marine Aids to Navigation (IALA).
• This election took place during IALA's 1st General Assembly held in Singapore from February 18-21, 2025.
• The General Assembly was the first one since IALA became an intergovernmental organization on August 22, 2024.
• Originally established as a non-governmental organization (NGO) in 1957, IALA now operates as an intergovernmental body.
India’s first vertical bi-facial solar plant
• India’s first vertical bi-facial solar plant was recently inaugurated at Okhla Vihar Metro station in New Delhi during the 5th International Conference on Green Metro Systems.
• The inauguration was done by Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, Manohar Lal Khattar.
• The minister also launched a 1 MW rooftop solar installation at the Khyber Pass metro depot of DMRC.
