IMPORTANT DAYS
RBI Launches Financial Literacy Week 2025 with Focus on Women’s Empowerment
• The Reserve Bank of India has kicked off Financial Literacy Week 2025, running from February 24 to 28.
• The theme for this year’s campaign is “Financial Literacy – Women’s Prosperity,” aiming to empower women both financially and socially.
• The initiative will raise awareness about the risks and precautions when using financial platforms.
• Abhishek Mazumdar, General Manager at RBI Regional Office Itanagar, officially launched the campaign.
• Banks are encouraged to promote the campaign by displaying RBI-created posters on their websites, ATMs, mobile apps, and branch display boards.
SUMMIT AND CONFERENCE
8th Madhya Pradesh Global Investor Summit
• The 8th Madhya Pradesh Global Investor Summit concluded on February 25, 2025, in Bhopal, held at the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya.
• The 8th Madhya Pradesh Global Investor Summit concluded on February 25, 2025, in Bhopal, held at the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya.
• The summit, organized by the Department of Industrial Policy and Investment Promotion, Madhya Pradesh, aims to attract domestic and foreign investments by showcasing the state's potential.
• The event saw participation from representatives of 60 countries, policymakers, major Indian industrial houses, and business groups.
• The biennial summit provided a platform for discussing opportunities and forging new investment partnerships.
Inaugural Conference for Women Peacekeepers Held in New Delhi
• The first-ever Conference for Women Peacekeepers of the United Nations took place in New Delhi on February 24-25, 2025.
• The event brought together 35 countries with active female peacekeepers in UN operations worldwide.
• Key representatives included Jean-Pierre Lacroix, UN Under Secretary General for Peace Operations, and Christian Saunders, UN Special Coordinator.
• The theme for the conference was "Women in Peacekeeping: A Global South Perspective."
• Organized by India's Ministry of External Affairs in collaboration with the Ministry of Defence and the Centre for United Nations Peacekeeping (CUNPK) of the Indian Army.
• India ranks as the second-largest contributor to UN Peacekeeping missions.
• In 2024, India had the largest female contingent among UN Military Experts on Mission and Staff Officers, with 176 women peacekeepers.
NATIONAL NEWS
PM Modi Attends Historic Jhumur Event in Guwahati, Marked as the 'Largest Ever'
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the "largest ever" Jhumur event in Guwahati on February 24, 2025.
• The event, Jhumoir Binandini 2025, celebrated the 200th anniversary of Assam's tea industry, with over 8,600 dancers performing at Sarusajai Stadium.
• The occasion also saw the presence of 60 heads of missions and ambassadors from various countries.
• This historic event marked the opening of the Advantage Assam 2.0 summit.
• "Tea tribes" refers to the multicultural community of workers from central India who settled in Assam's tea plantations in the 19th century.
• The Jhumur dance, originating from the Chota Nagpur region, is a key cultural tradition brought by the tea garden community.
• Women primarily perform the Jhumur dance, with men accompanying them using traditional instruments such as the madal, dhol, flute, cymbals, and shehnai.
• The attire for Jhumur dancers varies, but red and white saris are especially popular among women.
Government Launches ‘Innovate with GoIStats’ Hackathon on MyGov Platform
• The government has launched the ‘Innovate with GoIStats’ hackathon on the MyGov platform.
• This initiative, led by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, aims to encourage innovative data-driven solutions.
• The hackathon's theme is “Data-Driven Insights for Viksit Bharat.”
• Its goal is to motivate students and researchers to explore and utilize official statistics from the National Statistics Office (NSO) to generate impactful insights.
• The event will run on the MyGov platform from February 25 to March 31.
• Participants can include undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as researchers.
• The top 30 entries, selected by an expert panel from academia and industry, will be awarded prize money.
STATE NEWS
Datia Airport Granted Public Aerodrome License, Set to Connect Bhopal and Khajuraho
• The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued a public aerodrome license to Datia Airport under the 3C, VFR category.
• This license allows regional aircraft to operate under visual flying conditions.
• With this approval, Datia Airport becomes the eighth public airport in Madhya Pradesh.
• The airport is spread across approximately 184 acres of land.
• Datia Airport features a runway that is 1810 meters long and 30 meters wide.
• The terminal building of the airport covers an area of 768 square meters.
• The new airport will offer flights connecting Datia to Bhopal and Khajuraho.
RANKING AND INDEX
India Ranked Second for Internet Shutdowns in 2024, Myanmar Leads
• India recorded 84 internet shutdowns in 2024, second only to Myanmar (85).
• This marks the first time in six years that India has not topped the global list.
• Of the 84 shutdowns in India, 41 were linked to protests, and 23 to communal violence.
• Five shutdowns occurred during government job exams.
• Manipur had the highest number of shutdowns in India (21), followed by Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir (12 each).
• Globally, 296 internet shutdowns were recorded in 54 countries.
• Myanmar, India, and Pakistan accounted for 64% of all global shutdowns.
• 103 shutdowns were conflict-related across 11 nations.
• Social media platform X was the most blocked globally, with 24 instances in 14 countries.
• TikTok and Signal were also blocked multiple times worldwide, with 10 instances each.
AWARDS
Ministry of Ayush Honors Excellence in Ayurveda with National Dhanwantari Awards
• The Ministry of Ayush presented the prestigious National Dhanwantari Ayurveda Awards for outstanding contributions to traditional Indian medicine.
• The awards were conferred by Shri Prataprao Jadhav, Union Minister of State (IC), at an event in Mumbai.
• Awardees included Vaidya Tara Chand Sharma, Vaidya Maya Ram Uniyal, and Vaidya Sameer Govind Jamadagni.
• Each recipient received a citation, a trophy featuring Lord Dhanwantari's statue, and a cash prize of ₹5 Lakh.
• The awards reflect India's dedication to promoting holistic healthcare while preserving traditional medical wisdom.
• The recognition aims to inspire future generations to adopt holistic health practices for a healthier society.
Sunil Bharti Mittal Honoured with Honorary Knighthood for Strengthening UK-India Business Ties
• Sunil Bharti Mittal, founder and chairman of Bharti Enterprises, was awarded an Honorary Knighthood for enhancing UK-India business relations.
• He received the Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE) insignia at a special ceremony at the British High Commissioner’s residence.
• Mittal's leadership has significantly contributed to the long-standing UK-India partnership.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
UN Security Council Adopts Neutral Resolution on Ukraine Conflict
• The UN Security Council adopted a U.S.-drafted resolution marking the third anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
• The resolution takes a neutral stance on the ongoing conflict.
• The proposal reflects U.S. President Donald Trump’s shift in policy towards Ukraine and a more conciliatory approach to Russia.
• The 15-member Security Council remained deadlocked throughout the war, unable to take action due to Russia’s veto.
• The 193-member General Assembly has consistently supported Ukraine's sovereignty and called for a just, lasting peace.
• Earlier, the U.S. failed to secure support for a similar resolution in the General Assembly.
• The Security Council resolution mourns the loss of life and stresses the UN’s role in maintaining peace and security.
• It also urges the peaceful resolution of the conflict and calls for a swift end and lasting peace.
• The resolution passed with 10 votes in favour, while France, Britain, Denmark, Greece, and Slovenia abstained.
