National News

Inauguration of the 24th Divya Kala Mela

• The 24th Divya Kala Mela was inaugurated at Gulshan Ground in Jammu by the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, and the Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, Dr. Virendra Kumar.
• The 23rd Divya Kala Mela was held from January 9 to 19, 2024, at Akota Stadium, Vadodara, Gujarat.

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MITRA Platform Launch

• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has launched a new platform called MITRA (Mutual Fund Investment Tracing and Retrieval Assistant).
• This platform will help investors track and reclaim their inactive or unclaimed mutual fund folios.

Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI):

ET Now Global Business Summit 2025

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the ET Now Global Business Summit 2025.
• The ET Now Global Business Summit 2025 was held on February 15 and 16, 2025.

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"Rashtriya Karmayogi Jan Seva Program"

• An interactive training program under the "Rashtriya Karmayogi Jan Seva Program" was organized by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances.
• The objective of this program is to empower officials at various levels, from Assistant Section Officer to Director/Deputy Secretary.

Inauguration of 'Aadi Mahotsav 2025'

• President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated 'Aadi Mahotsav 2025' at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi.
• This festival will run from February 16 to 24, featuring 600+ tribal artisans from 30+ states and union territories, 500 performing artists, and 25 tribal food stalls.

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Inauguration of Kalpavriksha Museum

• Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla inaugurated the 'Kalpavriksha Museum' at the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) campus.
• This museum houses ancient artifacts, paintings, cultural heritage, the 'One District-One Product' initiative, and historical archives of the Commission.

Stampede at New Delhi Railway Station

• A stampede occurred at New Delhi Railway Station due to a massive crowd gathered for Mahakumbh, resulting in the death of 18 people.

Appointment

Charanjot Singh Nanda and ICAI Leadership

• The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has announced the appointment of CA. Charanjot Singh Nanda as its 73rd President and CA. Prasanna Kumar D as the Vice President for 2024-25

Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI):

Pankaj Tripathi

• Renowned actor Pankaj Tripathi has become the co-founder of the audio stories platform VELVET.

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Jaspal Rana

• The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) has appointed veteran shooter Jaspal Rana as the High-Performance Coach for the 25m Pistol event.

Other key appointments:

Awards and Honours

Forward Faster Sustainability Award 2025

• India’s largest integrated energy company, NTPC Limited, has been honored with the Forward Faster Sustainability Award 2025 in the Water Resilience category.

National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC):

International news

BRICS Summit

• Brazil will host the BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro on 6 and 7 July 2025.
• Brazil assumes the presidency of BRICS from 1 January 2025 and plans to prioritise global governance reform and cooperation among Global South countries during this period.

BRICS :

Project Waterworth

• Social media giant Meta has announced 'Project Waterworth', which will connect India to the world’s longest subsea cable system.
• This project will span over 50,000 kilometers, covering five major continents, exceeding the Earth’s circumference.

Meta:

Munich Security Conference

• President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for the formation of an armed force for Europe at the Munich Security Conference.
• The 61st Munich Security Conference was held from February 14 to 16, 2025, at Hotel Bayerischer Hof, Munich.

Sports News

4th South Asian Senior Athletics Championship

• The 4th South Asian Senior Athletics Championship will be held from May 3 to 5, 2025, at Birsa Munda Athletics Stadium, Ranchi.
• Athletes from India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives will participate in this championship.

Science and Technology

Outbreak of 'Sudan Virus Disease' Confirmed

• The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Government of Uganda have confirmed an outbreak of 'Sudan Virus Disease' in Uganda.
• It is similar to Ebola virus and belongs to the Orthoebolavirus family.

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23 New WPV1 Positive Cases in 8 Districts of Pakistan

• According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2025, 23 new Wild Poliovirus Type 1 (WPV1) positive environmental samples have been reported from 8 districts of Pakistan, bringing the total to 62.

Poliovirus:

Important Days

‘National Almond Day’

• ‘National Almond Day’ is observed annually on February 16.
• This day is celebrated to raise awareness about the health benefits of almonds and recognize their versatility.

Almond (Badam):