CURRENT AFFAIRS
25 February, 2025
1. SEA LEVEL RISE DUE TO MELTING GLACIERS –
• A new study published in Nature found that melting glaciers have contributed nearly 2 cm to global sea level rise this century.
• Glaciers rank as the second-largest contributor to global sea level rise, following ocean warming.
• They are also natural indicators of climate change and play a vital role in many communities, providing vital water resources, especially during dry seasons.
• Loss of Ice: Over the past 25 years, glaciers have been losing 273 billion tonnes of ice annually.
• Between 2000 and 2023, the world’s glaciers lost 6.542 trillion tonnes of ice, contributing an 18mm rise in sea levels.
• Rate of Sea Level Rise: Since 1880, global sea levels have risen by 21 cm.
• The rate has accelerated from 0.18 cm/year (1993) to 0.42 cm/year (2024).
• Over 10 cm of sea level rise has been recorded between 1993 and 2024.
• Regional Variations: The southwestern Indian Ocean experiences a higher-than-average rise at 2.5 mm per year (World Meteorological Organization, 2022).
• Local factors like ocean heat content and salinity changes cause uneven sea level rise.
• Mumbai: Witnessed a 4.44 cm rise (1987–2021), making it the worst-affected Indian city.
• Other affected Cities are : Haldia, West Bengal, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh as well as Kochi, Kerala.
2. INDIA, BANGLADESH SET UP NEW BORDER HOTLINE –
• India and Bangladesh have concluded their biannual director general-level talks between the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).
• The three-day meeting, held from February 18 to February 20, 2025, resulted in significant agreements, including the establishment of a new communication link between deputy commanders and identifying new border patches for fencing.
3. TOP CLEANEST CITIES IN INDIA: INDORE FEATURED FOR THE 7TH TIME –
• India has been making significant progress in urban sanitation and waste management, setting new benchmarks for cleanliness through the Swachh Survekshan (SS) initiative.
• The 9th edition of Swachh Survekshan 2024, launched by the Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, Manohar Lal Khattar, introduced a revamped format to ensure fair evaluation.
• A new concept, the Super Swachh League, has been introduced to recognize cities that have consistently excelled in cleanliness over the past three years. This categorization is based on population, ensuring a comprehensive and inclusive assessment of urban hygiene standards.
• Among all Indian cities, Indore has retained its title as the cleanest city for the seventh consecutive time, alongside 11 other cities that have been awarded for their remarkable cleanliness and sanitation efforts. Let’s take a closer look at the top 12 cleanest cities in India for 2024-25, categorized by population size.
4. RBI TO INJECT $10 BILLION THROUGH FOREX SWAP TO EASE LIQUIDITY CRUNCH –
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced a $10 billion foreign exchange (forex) swap to inject liquidity into the banking system and address the prevailing cash crunch. The three-year swap auction is scheduled for February 28, 2025.
• This move follows a previous $5 billion forex swap last month, highlighting the central bank’s commitment to stabilizing liquidity.
• The banking sector has been facing one of the worst liquidity shortfalls in over a decade, partly due to RBI’s aggressive dollar sales to shield the rupee from volatility.
5. PM MODI INAUGURATED GLOBAL INVESTORS SUMMIT –
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Global Investors Summit 2025 in Bhopal, unveiling 18 new industrial policies aimed at transforming Madhya Pradesh into an investment hub.
• The event saw participation from leading industrialists and global investors, with a strong emphasis on India’s role in global supply chains, particularly in aerospace.
• PM Modi highlighted India’s rapid economic growth, citing optimistic global outlooks from institutions like the World Bank, OECD, and the UN. The summit aims to attract investments across various sectors, reinforcing India’s position as a leading global economic power.
MCQ QUIZ
Q1. Where was the first breeding site of the Blue-Cheeked Bee-eater recently discovered in peninsular India ?
a) Sundarbans, West Bengal
b) Chilika Lake, Odisha
c) Rann of Kutch, Gujarat
d) Saltpans of Aandivilai, Tamil Nadu
Q2. Jhumoir Binandini is a traditional dance performed in which state ?
a) Arunachal Pradesh
b) Sikkim
c) Assam
d) Manipur
Q3. What type of disorder is Parkinson’s disease (PD) that was recently seen in news ?
a) Neurodegenerative
b) Cardiovascular
c) Autoimmune
d) Metabolic
Q4. Consider the following statements.
Assertion (A): An MP who is absent for 60 consecutive sittings without permission automatically loses their seat under Article 101(4).
Reason (R): The Constitution mandates that all absentee cases must be decided by the Election Commission of India.
Which one of the following is correct ?
a) Both A and R are correct, and R is the correct explanation for A
b) Both A and R are correct, but R is not the correct explanation for A
c) A is correct, but R is incorrect
d) Both A are R are incorrect
Explanation-
• Assertion (A) is incorrect because an MP’s seat is not automatically vacated after 60 sittings of absence. The House must formally declare it vacant.
Reason (R) is also incorrect because the Election Commission (ECI) has no role in deciding Article 101(4) cases—it is a matter for Parliament and the Speaker/Chairman.
What is Article 101(4)?
• States that an MP’s seat may be declared vacantif absent for 60 consecutive sittings without permission.
• The House must formally declarethe seat vacant; it is not an automatic process.
• Constitutional Provisions & Governing Law:
• Article 101 of the Indian Constitutiondeals with vacation of seats, disqualifications, and dual membership.
• Rules of Procedureand Conduct of Business in Parliament regulate MP attendance.
• Committee on Members’ Absencereviews requests and recommends action.
• Procedure for Seeking Leave:
• MPs must write to the Committee on Members’ Absencerequesting permission.
• The committee evaluates reasons(illness, detention, emergencies) and sends a report to the House.
• The House votes to approve or reject the requestbased on the report.
• Limitations on Leave Approval:
• The committee grants leave for a maximum of 59 daysat a time.
• If an MP needs additional leave, they must submit a fresh request.
• Power to Expel MPsfor Absence:
• If an MP fails to seek permissionor is denied leave, the House may declare the seat vacant.
• The decision must be approved by a majority vote in the House.
Q5. Consider the following statements regarding Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) :
1. PMI measures the total output of the manufacturing and services industries.
2. It is released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on a monthly basis.
3. A PMI below 60 indicates economic contraction.
How many of the above statements is/are correct ?
a) Only one
b) Only two
c) All three
d) None
Explanation-
• Statement 1 is incorrect: PMI does not measure total output; it is a leading economic indicator based on surveys of business activity.
Statement 2 is incorrect: PMI in India is released by S&P Global, not the RBI.
Statement 3 is incorrect: A PMI below 50 indicates contraction, not 60.
What is PMI-
• PMI (Purchasing Managers’ Index)is an economic indicator derived from monthly business surveys.
• It measures activity at the purchasing/input stage, unlike IIP (Index of Industrial Production), which tracks actual output.
• There are two types:
• Manufacturing PMI– Tracks industrial and factory activity.
• Services PMI– Assesses the growth in the services sector.
• PMI above 50indicates economic expansion, while below 50 signals contraction.
Answer Key
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
D | C | A | D | D |