Current Affairs of February 2025

Here you will be able to find the compilation of monthly current affairs of Assam, India, International events etc. for the month of February, 2025. We covering important national, international, economic, environmental, and sports events. The current affairs compilation will help you for preparation APSC Exam, ADRE Exam and various other Assam Govt. competitive recruitment exams.

Current Affairs of February 2025

STATUS OF DEVOLUTION TO PANCHAYATS IN STATES:
- Recently, Ministry of Panchayati Raj has released a report titled “Status of Devolution to Panchayats in States – An Indicative Evidence Based Ranking”.
- Report provides an in-depth analysis at how well Panchayats are equipped to fulfil their Constitutional roles under the 73rd Constitutional Amendment.
GOVT TO SET UP DEREGULATION COMMISSION
- PM also emphasized government efforts through the Jan Vishwas Bill 2.0 to cut bureaucratic hurdles by reducing regulatory burdens.
- Jan Vishwas Bill 2.0: Announced in the Union Budget 2025-26. It aims to decriminalize over 100 outdated legal provisions to enhance ease of doing business.
PRESIDENT’S RULE IN MANIPUR:
- President of India issued Proclamation imposing President’s rule in Manipur.
- This is the 11th (last being in 2001-02) such imposition in the state placing the state assembly under suspended animation.
- Constitution: Article 356, provides for the imposition of President’s Rule in the State if the President, based on the report from the State Governor, is satisfied that the government of the State cannot be carried in accordance with the Constitutional provisions.
- Duration and Approval: As per Article 356 (3), it shall cease to operate at the expiration of two months unless approved by both the Houses of Parliament by simple majority.
UNION CABINET APPROVES THE REVISED WAQF (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2024:
- In revised bill suggestions of Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) have been incorporated as per reports.
- To amend the Waqf Act, 1995, to improve regulation of Waqf properties.
DIGITAL BRAND IDENTITY MANUAL (DBIM):
- Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) introduced DBIM to harmonize the government’s Digital presence.
BIMSTEC:
- Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has hosted the first-ever Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Youth Summit in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
- Its goal is to strengthen youth collaboration across region and facilitating exchange of youth-led initiatives among BIMSTEC Member Countries.
- About BIMSTEC (Secretariat: Dhaka, Bangladesh)
- Genesis: Established in 1997 with the signing of Bangkok Declaration.
- Members: Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan.
MUTUAL CREDIT GUARANTEE SCHEME FOR MSMES:
- Government approved Mutual Credit Guarantee Scheme to Strengthen MSME Manufacturing Sector, fulfilling the budget announcement of 2024-25.
- Guarantee Coverage: Offers 60% guarantee coverage by National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company Limited (NCGTC) (a wholly owned company of Department of Financial Services) to MLIs for loans sanctioned under MCGSMSME.
NATIONAL CRITICAL MINERAL MISSION (NCMM):
- The Union Cabinet has approved the launch of the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM).
- Genesis: In Budget for 2024-25, establishment of Critical Mineral Mission was announced.

Current Affairs of February 2025

MAJOR AND MINOR MINERALS:
- The Ministry of Mines has reclassified Barytes, Felspar, Mica, and Quartz from minor minerals to major minerals.
- This move follows the recent approval of the National Critical Mineral Mission by the Union Cabinet.
- Baryte has extensive industrial applications in oil and gas drilling, electronics, TV screens, rubber, glass, ceramics, paint, radiation shielding, and medical applications.
PRIME MINISTER DHAN DHAANYA KRISHI YOJANA:
- Finance Minister announced the launch of the Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDKY) in the Union Budget 2025
- It will cover 100 districts based on 3 broad parameters: low productivity, moderate crop intensity, and below-average credit parameters.
- Inspired by ADP: It will be on the line of Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP), which was launched in 2018.
MAKHANA:
- Union Budget 2025-26 announced constitution of Makhana Board in Bihar under ‘Agriculture as the first engine’ for India’s development journey.
- Board will also provide handholding and training support to makhana farmers and will also work to ensure they receive the benefits of all relevant Government schemes.
- It is also referred to as the ‘Black Diamond’ due to its dark outer layer.
URBAN CHALLENGE FUND (UCF):
- Budget 2025-26 announced the creation of Urban Challenge Fund (UCF).
- Urban Challenge Fund (UCF) of Rs 1 lakh crore aims to encourage states to think innovatively towards attaining sustainable urbanisation and redevelopment goals in existing cities.
RESTRUCTURED SKILL INDIA PROGRAMME:
- Union Cabinet approves continuation and restructuring of Skill India Programme (SIP).
- It has been extended till 2026 with an outlay of Rs.8,800 crore from the period 2022-23 to 2025-26.
NEW HARMONISED SYSTEM CODES FOR GI TAGGED RICE:
- An amendment to the Customs Tariff Act (1975) was introduced to provide an HS (Harmonised System) code for GI-recognised rice varieties.
- HS assigns specific six-digit codes for varying classifications and commodities.
E-SHRAM MICROSITES & OCCUPATIONAL SHORTAGE INDEX (OSI):
- Union Minister for Labour & Employment launched the State and Union Territory Microsites under the e-Shram initiative and the Occupational Shortage Index (OSI).
FDI LIMIT HIKED IN INSURANCE SECTOR:
- Finance Minister announced proposal to raise FDI limit in Insurance sector from 74% to 100%.
ENHANCED CERTIFICATE OF ORIGIN (ECOO) 2.0 SYSTEM:
- The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has launched the enhanced Certificate of Origin (eCoO) 2.0 System.
TONNAGE TAX SCHEME:
- The Budget 2025-26 has expanded the tonnage tax scheme.
- The Scheme was previously available to sea going ships.
- Now it is available to inland vessels registered under the Indian Vessels Act, 2021 to promote water transport.
- The Tonnage Tax Scheme was introduced in India in 2004 as a part of the Finance Act, aiming to make the shipping industry more competitive.
ALGORITHMIC TRADING:
- SEBI proposed Retail Algo Trading Framework.
- Algo trading automates buy/sell orders using preset conditions for precise execution.
- Erstwhile, only institutional investors were allowed to use it via Direct Market Access (DMA).
POTASH:
- Government will explore Potash Mining in Punjab’s Fazilka and Sri Muktsar Sahib Districts.
SWARAIL APPLICATION:
- The Ministry of Railways has introduced the ‘SwaRail’ SuperApp, a one-stop solution to streamline various railway services.
- Offers services like Reserved Ticket Bookings, Unreserved Ticket & Platform Ticket Bookings, etc.
SOLAR ENERGY IN INDIA:
- India has achieved a historic milestone by surpassing 100 GW of installed solar power capacity.
- As of January, 2025, India’s total solar capacity installed stands at 100.33 GW with remarkable growth trajectory (see infographic).
SOIL HEALTH CARD SCHEME:
- Recently, Soil Health Card Scheme, launched in 2015, completed 10 Years of its implementation.
- The Scheme was introduced to assist State Governments in issuing soil health cards to all farmers in the country.
- Ministry: Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
FOUR MORE WETLANDS INCLUDED UNDER THE RAMSAR CONVENTION:
- This has increased wetlands tally from 85 to 89, highest in Asia, third globally. Wetlands have been added from Tamil Nadu, Sikkim and Jharkhand.
- Tamil Nadu leads with 20 Ramsar sites, the highest among Indian states.
- Sikkim and Jharkhand have added their first Ramsar sites.
- Intergovernmental treaty adopted in Ramsar (Iran) in 1971 (came into force in 1975).
- Objective: Provides a framework for national and international efforts to conserve and wisely use wetlands.
- World Wetlands Day is celebrated on 2nd February.
INLAND MANGROVE OF GUNERI:
- Gujarat has notified “Inland Mangrove of Guneri” in the District of Kutch as a Biodiversity Heritage Site (BHS).
- It is Gujarat’s first Biodiversity Heritage Site.
F11 BACTERIA:
- A recent study discovered F11 bacteria (Labrys portucalensis) that degrades at least 3 types of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
- About F11 Bacteria
  - It is an aerobic bacteria from the Xanthobacteraceae family.
  - It may aid Bioaugmentation in wastewater treatment etc.
- Earth’s Magnetic North Pole is shifting toward Siberia, according to updated World Magnetic Model (WMM).
STRATOVOLCANO:
- In a rare event, massive methane plumes emitted from volcano Mount Fentale (Ethiopia).
MOUNT DUKONO:
- Recently, a volcano erupted at Mount Dukono in Indonesia.
THREE-LANGUAGE FORMULA:
- NEP 2020 Policy: Requires students to learn three languages, with at least two being Indian.
SWACHH BHARAT MISSION-GRAMEEN (SBM-G):
- A centrally sponsored scheme, launched in 2014 to achieve comprehensive sanitation coverage in rural areas.
- Phase-I (2014-2019): To make the country Open Defecation Free (ODF) by October 2, 2019, the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, by providing access to toilets to all the rural households.
- Phase-II (2019-2025): Launched in 2020 to ensure Sampoorn Swachhata, that is, no one is left behind in their pursuit for having Individual Household Toilets and proper waste management systems, making villages ODF Plus Model.
JAL JEEVAN MISSION:
- Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) was extended till 2028 with an enhanced outlay during the Union Budget 2025.
- Launched in 2019 by restructuring and subsuming National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP).
- Nodal Ministry: Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti.

Current Affairs of February 2025

ASER 2024 RELEASED BY NGO PRATHAM FOUNDATION:
- The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) is a nationwide rural household-based survey of children’s schooling and learning status.
- It tests the schooling status for children in the age group of 3-16, and the ability to read simple text & do basic arithmetic in the age group of 5-16.
- Key Findings:
  - Reversing the Learning Gap: Improvements in basic reading and arithmetic among students of classes 3 and 5 in rural areas reverting back from the post-pandemic damage.
  - Improvement in both reading & arithmetic levels for all elementary grades (Std I-VIII) since 2022 with arithmetic levels being highest over the decade.
  - Digital Literacy: In 2024, for the first time, it includes a component of ‘Digital Literacy’ among the age group 14-16.
    - Access to smartphones is close to :
      - Universal: Almost 90% of both girls and boys report having a smartphone at home.
    - Gender Gap in Smartphone Ownership: 36.2% of boys own a smartphone compared to just 26.9% of girls.
    - Smartphone Usage More for Social Media than Education: Only 57% of teenagers use smart devices for educational purposes, while approximately 76% use them for social media.
    - Target: To achieve 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047.
CHINA’S EAST CREATES NEW RECORD IN FUSION REACTION
- China’s Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) created new record in Fusion reaction.
- EAST, also known as China’s Artificial Sun, maintained a steady-state high-confinement plasma operation for 1000+ seconds reaching a temperature of 100 million °C.
100TH LAUNCH OF THE INDIAN SPACE RESEARCH ORGANISATION (ISRO) FROM SRIHARIKOTA:
- The ISRO successfully placed the NVS-02 satellite into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit using GSLV-F15 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
- NavIC Network: NavIC is designed with a constellation of 7 satellites of which 3 satellites placed in geostationary orbit & 4 satellites are placed in inclined geosynchronous orbit.
EU AI ACT BECOMES APPLICABLE:
- Rules on AI Literacy and Prohibited Systems Under the European Union AI Act became applicable.
- Under the new AI literacy obligations, providers and deployers will be required to ensure a sufficient level of AI literacy for their staff and other persons working with AI systems.
- Genesis: The AI Act is the first-ever legal framework on AI, which entered into force in 2024 (will be fully implemented by 2026).
GENE BANK FOR CROPS GERMPLASM:
- Union Budget 2025-26 announced setting up of second National Gene Bank, comprising a million germplasm lines for future food and nutritional security.
- A gene bank is a repository of genetic material, such as seeds, pollen or tissue samples to protect them from potential extinction.
- First National Gene Bank was set up in 1996 by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBPGR) in New Delhi.
NASA LAUNCHES SATELLITE TO DETECT WATER ON THE MOON:
- A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer orbiter as a secondary payload. The primary payload was Intuitive Machines’ lunar lander mission (IM-2).
SHATAVARI:
- The Ministry of AYUSH has launched a campaign titled “Shatavari –For Better Health” to increase awareness about Shatavari’s health benefits.
- Shatavari, meaning “curer of a hundred diseases”
BHARAT TECH TRIUMPH PROGRAM:
- Bharat Tech Triumph Program has been launched to support digital and online gaming in India.
- Objective: To identify and showcase India’s gaming talent on the international stage.
- It will provide Indian innovators with a global platform to highlight their expertise and expand India’s presence in the international gaming industry.
GYAN BHARATAM MISSION:
- Union Budget 2025-26 announced the Gyan Bharatam Mission for the survey, documentation, and conservation of India’s manuscript heritage.
- What are Manuscripts?
  - A manuscript is a handwritten composition on paper, bark, palm leaf, etc., dating back at least 75 years that has significant scientific, historical or aesthetic value.
PRADHAN MANTRI ANNADATA AAY SANRAKSHAN ABHIYAN (PM-AASHA):
- Government approves continuation of the integrated Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) Scheme till 2025-26 during the 15th Finance Commission cycle.
- Objective: To provide price assurance for pulses, oilseeds and copra, ensuring financial stability for farmers, reduce post-harvest distress selling & promote crop diversification towards pulses and oilseeds.
- Ministry: Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.
38th National Games:
- 34 Medals (3 Gold, 15 Silver, 16 Bronze)
- Held at: Uttarakhand.
- The official logo of the games and the mascot, Mauli a Himalayan monal. (state bird of Uttarakhand)
Padma Shri from Assam:
- Reba Kanta Mahanta (Art): A Sattriya artist from Sivasagar, India, who specialises in traditional bamboo mask masking.
- Joynacharan Bathari (Art): Folk Vocalist from Dima Hasao.
- Gita Upadhyay (Literature and Education): 1st Gorkha women from Assam to receive Padmashri in Literature and Education.
- Other Padma Shri awardees from Northeast India include:
  - Jumde Yomgam Gamlin (Arunachal Pradesh) – Social Work
  - L Hangthing (Nagaland) – Agriculture
  - Thiyam Suryamukhi Devi (Manipur) – Art
  - David R Syiemlieh (Meghalaya)
77th Assam Sahitya Sabha Session:
- The 77th session of Asam Sahitya Sabha, Assam’s biggest literary event, will be held from January 31 to February 4 at Bhattadev Kshetra, Pathsala. (Named after father of Assamese Prose Literature Baikunthanath Bhagvat Bhattacharya).
- The first president Sahitya Kandari Padmanath Gohain Barua and the first secretary Sarat Chandra Goswami. It was formed in 1917, in Sibsagar.
- The headquarter of the organization is located in Jorhat.
IWT at Jagighopa:
- Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated the Inland Waterways Terminal (IWT) on the Brahmaputra River (National Waterway No. 2) at Jogighopa.
- Objective: Enhance trade with Bhutan and Bangladesh.
- First shipment: MV Trishul (ship) with two barges carrying 110 MT of coal & stone chips to Bangladesh was flagged off.
Khel Maharon 2.0:
- A platform that celebrates the extraordinary talent of village players and their journey from grassroots to grandeur
- Held in:
  - Village Level
  - District Level & Zonal Level
  - State Level
- Mascot: Dodan [Maharaja Dodan is believed to be the forefather of the Rabha tribe and related to Devi Usha, mentioned in Mahabharata.]
CM Atmanirbhar Assam Abhijan 2.0:
- Objective: To generate employment opportunities by promoting entrepreneurial ventures in Assam.
- Financial Assistance: ₹2 lakh to ₹5 lakh will be provided under the Chief Minister’s Atmanirbhar Asom Abhijan.
- Total beneficiaries: 2 lakh eligible youth.
- Registration portal:assam.gov.in.
- Eligibility Criteria & Benefits:
  - ₹2 lakh for selected beneficiaries who are: Graduates, ITI pass-outs, polytechnic pass-outs, technical diploma holders, matric pass-outs (General).
  - Class 10 pass-outs (SC/ST/OBC).
  - ₹5 lakh for beneficiaries with professional degrees in:
  - Engineering, medical, dental, veterinary, fishery, agriculture, etc

Current Affairs of February 2025

2nd Capital of Assam:
- The 76th Republic Day celebrations were held at Khanikar ground, Dibrugarh, marking the first time the city hosted the central event.
- The Chief Minister announced the vision for Dibrugarh and other cities in Assam.
- The historic town of Dibrugarh was formally announced as 2nd City of Assam on 7 March 2024 with the formation of Dibrugarh Municipal Corporation by dissolving The Municipal Board.
- From 2027 onwards, at least one Legislative Assembly session will be held in Dibrugarh annually.
- The government will start constructing an Assam Legislative Assembly complex in Dibrugarh from January 25, 2026.
Raj Bhawan Schemes:
- 8 schemes were launched on the birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi by Raj Bhavan Assam.
  - Governor Assam’s Pratibha Protsahan Yojana
  - Governor Assam’s Vishwakarma Samman
  - Governor Assam’s Award for Excellence
  - Governor Assam’s Bhasha Protsahan Yojana
  - Governor Assam’s Varishtha Shikshak Samman
  - Governor Assam Rashtriya Kritagyata Evam Jagrookta Yojana
  - Governor Assam Amrit Sarovar – Sadbhavna Sangat Protsahan Yojana
  - Governor Assam Kartavya se Vikas Yojana
Governor Assam’s Pratibha Protsahan Yojana:
- Objective: • To identify and encourage meritorious students in academics, sports, and arts. • To provide financial assistance in the form of scholarships. • To offer mentorship programs to enhance skill development. • To create a supportive ecosystem for young talent to flourish.
- Features: • Scholarships and Financial Aid: • The scheme targets a total of 512 aspiring candidates, with 12 selected for direct coaching in Delhi NCR and 500 for online coaching.
Rashtriya Kritagyata Evam Jagrukta Yojana:
- Objectives: • Instill Patriotism and Gratitude among citizens, especially youth. • Raise Awareness on National Security and the role of defense forces. Recognize Sacrifices of War Heroes and Veer Naris through public honors. • Encourage Youth to Join the Armed Forces via career counseling and workshops. • Strengthen Civil-Military Relations by fostering public engagement.
Kokrajhar hosts inaugural sitting of State Budget:
- For the first time in Assam, a session of the legislative assembly will be held outside Guwahati, with Kokrajhar hosting the inaugural sitting of the Budget session on Monday (February 16, 2025).
Clause 6 of the Assam Accord:
- Definition of Assamese People: The committee suggested that “Assamese people” should include:
  - Indigenous Tribals
  - Other Indigenous Communities of Assam
  - Indian citizens residing in Assam on or before January 1, 1951, and their descendants
  - Indigenous Assamese People
- Classification of Recommendations
  - The committee’s 67 recommendations are divided into three categories:
  - 40 recommendations under the state government’s jurisdiction
  - 12 recommendations requiring Centre’s concurrence
  - 15 recommendations exclusively within the Centre’s domain
- Language Safeguards Recommendations:
  - Assamese as Official Language: Retaining Assamese as the official state language per the 1960 Assam Official Language Act, with provisions for local languages in certain regions.
  - Bilingual Government Documents: Issuing all state government acts, rules, and orders in both Assamese and English.
  - Autonomous Language Council: Establishing a council to preserve and promote indigenous languages of Assam.
  - Assamese in Schools: Making Assamese a compulsory subject in all English medium schools up to Class VIII or Class X.
  - Cultural Heritage Preservation Recommendations:
  - Sattras (Neo-Vaishnavite Monasteries): Setting up an autonomous body to oversee the development of sattras and provide them financial assistance.
  - Cultural Complexes: Building multipurpose cultural complexes in every district to preserve the cultural heritage of all ethnic groups.
Mega Industrial Park in Morigaon:
- The Assam government has resolved to allocate 569 bighas (over 188 acres) of land in Morigaon district to establish a mega industrial park
Bedeti Wetland:
- The Bedeti wetland is located between National Highway-15 and Bedeti Railway Station, about 25 km east of Biswanath Chariali.
- The River Bedeti flows nearby
- It is situated between Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (south) and Behali Wildlife Sanctuary (north).
- The wetland hosts over 150 species of birds, including five threatened species:
  - Himalayan griffon (vulnerable)
  - Lesser adjutant stork (near threatened)
  - Woolly-necked stork (near threatened)
  - Ferruginous pochard (near threatened)

Current Affairs of February 2025

New Department of Startups:
- To supervise the development of startups in Assam and provide policy, funding and mentorship support.
- Mission : • Startup Assam aims to facilitate the growth of 1,000 new startups over the next 5 years and attract funding opportunities of more than $250 million. It aims to create more than 1 lakh job opportunities in the next 5 years.
Major Cabinet Decisions:
- Assam Startup and Innovation Policy 2025, Assam Aerospace and Defence Manufacturing Policy 2025 and Assam Action Plan on BioE3 Policy.
Union Budget [Assam Based Budget] – Urea Plant in Namrup:
- PSU Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Corp Ltd (BVFCL) is the only urea-making facility in the entire eastern India. The facility started production in January 1969 as a part of the Hindustan Fertilizer Corp Ltd (HFCL).
- Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday announced the setting up of a new urea plant with an annual production capacity of 12.7 lakh tonnes (lt) at Namrup in Assam.
- It would be the eighth ‘new’ urea plant to come up in India since 2019
- Focus for NE on: MSME ▪ Tourism
- India’s composed economic standing helped it tide through the pandemic, pumping a whopping Rs 3 lakh crore into the MSME sector and saving crores of jobs that were at risk
- MSME – homestays (bulk in NE, included in formal sector) will be eligible for MUDRA loans.
- The credit guarantee cover for micro and small enterprises has been increased from ₹5 crore to ₹10 crore, enabling additional credit of ₹1.5 lakh crore over five years.
- Startups will see their guarantee cover double from ₹10 crore to ₹20 crore, with a reduced fee of 1% for loans in 27 priority sectors.
- Exporter MSMEs will benefit from term loans up to ₹20 crore with enhanced guarantee cover.
- Credit Guarantee Cover for MSMEs:
- The credit guarantee cover for micro and small enterprises has been increased from ₹5 crore to ₹10 crore, enabling additional credit of ₹1.5 lakh crore over five years.
- Startups will see their guarantee cover double from ₹10 crore to ₹20 crore, with a reduced fee of 1% for loans in 27 priority sectors.
- Exporter MSMEs will benefit from term loans up to ₹20 crore with enhanced guarantee cover.
- Credit Cards for Micro Enterprises:
  - A new customized Credit Card scheme will provide ₹5 lakh in credit to micro enterprises registered on the Udyam portal, with 10 lakh cards set to be issued in the first year.
- Tourism Focus
  - Tourism Industry – 5% to GDP of India
  - This budget allocated 2541 crore to Tourism from 850 crore last year.
  - Top 50 tourist destination sites (will be mostly from NE) – linked with UDAN and Homestays.
- Swadesh Darshan Scheme 2.0 (SD 2.0), which focuses on sustainable and responsible tourism.
Khambrenga Beel:
- Khambrenga Beel located near Chandrapur.
- Total: 46 species recorded in a single day
Chakma Council:
- Molin Kumar Chakma was appointed as the Chief Executive Member (CEM) of the Chakma Autonomous District Council (CADC).
- Mizoram Autonomous Councils under 6th schedule are the:
- Lai Autonomous District Council (LADC),
- the Mara Autonomous District Council (MADC),
- and the Chakma Autonomous District Council