February 2025

 

 

National

• proud Initiative- The Kerala government has decided to launch a program to collect and scientifically destroy expired and unused medicines from homes. This program, called  'nPROUD' (New Program for Removal of Unused Drugs), will be the first of its kind in the country.  State Health Minister Veena George will launch the program in Kozhikode. The campaign will initially be implemented in the Kozhikode Corporation and Ulliyeri Panchayat.

• Additional Central Assistance to States affected by Natural Disasters - A Committee headed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah has approved additional central assistance of Rs 1554.99 crore under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) to five States (Andhra Pradesh, Nagaland, Odisha, Telangana and Tripura ) affected by natural disasters flood/flash floods, landslides and cyclonic storm during 2024. Out of the total amount of Rs 1554.99 crore, Rs 608.08 crore has been sanctioned for Andhra Pradesh, Rs 170.99 crore for Nagaland, Rs 255.24 crore for Odisha, Rs 231.75 crore for Telangana and Rs 288.93 crore for Tripura.

•  “Open-Air Art Wall Museum” - Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Dr. Jitendra Singh  inaugurated India’s first “Open Air Art Wall Museum” at Mausam Bhawan, New Delhi, depicting the historical journey of 150 years of India Meteorological Department (IMD).

• 4th World Food India 2025 – The 4th World Food India (WFI) 2025  will be held from September 25 to 28, 2025  in New Delhi.

• “Global Capability Centre (GCC) Policy 2025” –  Madhya Pradesh has become the first state in the country to have a dedicated Global Capability Centre (GCC) policy, aimed at establishing the state as a leading hub for global innovation and collaboration.

•  AIIMS Oncology Conclave, 2025 - Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Jagat Prakash Nadda   inaugurated the 2nd AIIMS Oncology Conclave 2025 at AIIMS National Cancer Institute (NCI), Jhajjar, Haryana on February 15, 2025.

• All India State Water Ministers Conference, 2025 - Ministry of Jal Shakti  is going to organize the 2nd All India State Ministers Conference on “Water Vision @2047- Way Forward” on 18-19 February, 2025 at Udaipur, Rajasthan. The Conference will deliberate on the recommendations made at Bhopal and Mahabalipuram on Water Vision @2047. The first All India Water Ministers Conference was held in Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) in January 2023.

• Aadi Mahotsav-2025 - Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Ltd. (TRIFED) under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs is going to organize Aadi Mahotsav 2025 at Major Dhyanchand National Stadium New Delhi from February 16-24, 2025. President of India Smt. Draupadi Murmu  will grace the inaugural ceremony as the Chief Guest. This festival is a significant initiative under TRIFED's mission to create sustainable livelihood opportunities for the tribal communities of India.

• President's rule in Manipur - After Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh resigned, President's rule was imposed in the northeastern state, which has been hit by ethnic violence for the past two years. President Draupadi Murmu issued the proclamation under Article 356 of the Constitution on February 13, 2025 after receiving a report from Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla. President's rule has come into force in Manipur for the 11th time.

• 12th All India Pension Adalat, 2025 - Department of Pension and Pensioners' Welfare organized the 12th Nationwide Pension Adalat under the Chairmanship of Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions on February 13, 2025 in New Delhi. The system of holding Pension Adalats has been started with the objective of redressal of old grievances from September, 2017, when the first Pension Adalat was held.

• 4th India-EU Urban Forum 2025 – On 13 February 2025, the 4th India-EU Urban Forum 2025 was held in New Delhi.

• Kashi Tamil Sangamam 3.0 – Kashi Tamil Sangamam 3.0 is scheduled to be held from February 15 to 24 , 2025  in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Organised by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with various ministries and the Government of Uttar Pradesh, this prestigious cultural initiative aims to celebrate and strengthen the ancient civilisational connection between Tamil Nadu and Kashi. It also aims to create awareness among the youth and make them experience cultural unity.

• 24th Divya Kala Mela, 2025 - The 24th Divya Kala Mela will be held from 14th to 24th February, 2025 at Gulshan Ground, Jammu under the aegis of Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment   . Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Dr Virendra Kumar will inaugurate the event tomorrow. Divya Kala Mela is a pioneer initiative dedicated to empowering the differently abled artisans by providing them marketing opportunities and allowing them to showcase their unique talents. 

• Madhya Pradesh Film Tourism Policy, 2025 - On February 11, 2025, the Madhya Pradesh Cabinet approved the Madhya Pradesh Film Tourism Policy, 2025 with the aim of making the state a film tourism friendly state and to generate more investment and employment opportunities through the film industry in the state.

• NSDC International Academy - Shri Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and Minister of State for Education  inaugurated the NSDC International Academy in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh.

• Tribhuvan Cooperative University Bill, 2025 - The “Tribhuvan” Cooperative University Bill, 2025 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on February 3, 2025. The Bill provides for the establishment of the Institute of Rural Management  Anand, Gujarat (IRMA) as “Tribhuvan” Cooperative University. Currently, IRMA is registered as a society. The university will provide education, training and capacity building in the cooperative sector and undertake research and development activities in related areas. It will offer degree programmes, distance education and e-learning courses and develop centres of excellence in the cooperative sector. 

• 'Chandrayaan se Chunav Tak' initiative - A unique polling station has been set up for the Delhi Assembly elections. Here  a polling station has been set up at a special polling booth in Vikaspuri, Delhi with the theme 'India's flight from Chandrayaan to Chunav'. Volunteers have been deployed in astronaut costumes to welcome and assist voters. Not only this, telescopes and bioscopes have been installed for the voters.

• BIMSTEC 1st Youth Summit, 2025 – India  is hosting the 1st BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) Youth Summit from February 7 to 11, 2025 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The theme of the summit is 'Youth as a bridge for exchange within BIMSTEC'. It is being jointly organized by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the Ministry of External Affairs, with Confederation of Young Indians of Indian Industry (CII YI) as the knowledge partner. 

• Indian students win medal at Global Best m-Governance Award 2025 in Dubai - Three Indian computer science students from New Delhi won the bronze award at the Global Best m-Governance Award 2025  during the World Government Summit (WGS) held in Dubai . The winning team comprised Sagar Tewatia (team leader), Abhinav Mishra and Anushka Singh, fourth semester Computer Science students of Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Technology, Delhi. He was honored for his application Accessway, an AI-powered platform that integrates augmented reality (AR), artificial intelligence, and crowdsourced data to provide accessible navigation, social connections, and emergency tools for individuals with disabilities.

• 63rd Session of the UN Commission on Social Development (CSocD), 2025 – India, led by Minister of State for Women and Child Development Savitri Thakur,   participated in the 63rd Session of the Commission on Social Development (CSocD) to be held from 10-14 February 2025 in New York.

• Swavalambani-Women Entrepreneurship Programme - Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) in collaboration with NITI Aayog  launched Swavalambani, a women entrepreneurship programme at Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut. The initiative empowers female students in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) by providing them with the entrepreneurial mindset, resources, and guidance needed to successfully build and scale their enterprises.

• Janjati Sanskrutik Sammelan, 2025 - Janjati Sanskrutik Sammelan-2025 was organized in Prayagraj Mahakumbh in February 2025. More than 15 thousand tribals from all over the country participated in it. It is worth noting that the year 2025 has been declared as the Tribal Pride Year to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Birsa Munda.

• 33rd New Delhi World Book Fair, 2025 - The 33rd New Delhi World Book Fair  was held from 1 February to 9 February 2025 at  Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The theme of the fair was 'We are the People of India'.  This theme was taken from the first words of the Preamble of the Indian Constitution. The fair was organised by the National Book Trust (NBT) and co-hosted by the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO).

• Bharat Rang Mahotsav, 2025-  Bharat Rang Mahotsav 2025 was organized from 28 January to 16 February 2025. The festival was organized by the National School of Drama (NSD). Its main theme  is - “One Expression, Supreme Creation”. It is the world's largest theatre festival. In this festival, plays were shown in 13 cities of India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.

• Four new Ramsar sites in India - The central government has announced the addition of four new Ramsar sites in India, taking the total number to 89. Sakkarakottai Bird Sanctuary and Therthangal Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu, Khecheopalri Wetland in Sikkim  and  Udhwa Lake in Jharkhand have been added to the list of Ramsar sites in the country. Currently, India has the most Ramsar sites in Asia and the third most in the world after the United Kingdom (176) and Mexico (144). Two cities in India 

• Gujarat's first biodiversity heritage site - The Gujarat government has declared Guneri village in Lakhpat tehsil of Kutch district as Gujarat's first biodiversity heritage site. It is a natural inland mangrove site.

• Bharat Parv, 2025- Bharat Parv, 2025 was organized at Red Fort, New Delhi from 26 to 31 January 2025.  The theme  of this year's festival is- 'Dekho Apna Desh' .  

• Two Indian cities  included in UNESCO's Wetland City - For the first time, UNESCO's Ramsar Convention has given the status of Wetland City to two cities of India, Udaipur in Rajasthan and Indore in Madhya Pradesh . With this recognition, Udaipur and Indore have joined the list of 31 wetland cities of the world. 

• Open Air Art Wall Museum - On February 18, 2025, Union Minister Jitendra Singh  inaugurated India's first 'Open Air Art Wall Museum' at Mausam Bhawan in Delhi, which showcases and celebrates the 150-year milestone journey of the India Meteorological Department (IMD). 

• Renamed Fort William - In the latest move towards eliminating colonial practices and mindset within the armed forces, Fort William in Kolkata, the headquarters of the Eastern Army Command, has been  renamed Vijay Durg . Additionally, Kitchener House inside Fort William has been renamed Manekshaw House, and the south gate, formerly known as St George's Gate, is now Shivaji Gate.

• India's first white tiger breeding centre - The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) has approved India's first white tiger breeding centre to be set up at the White Tiger Safari at Mukundpur near Govindgarh in Rewa, Madhya Pradesh.

• First Artificial Intelligence (AI) University - India's first Artificial Intelligence (AI) University  will be established in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The university  will be known as "Universal AI University" .

• Inauguration of Elephant Rescue Center and Butterfly Park in Gorakhpur - Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the Elephant Rescue Center and Butterfly Park in Ashfaqulla Khan Zoological Park in Gorakhpur. Tigers and wolves rescued from Bahraich have been kept in this center.

• Commemorative postage stamps released on Maha Kumbh 2025 - The Department of Posts released a commemorative series of three special postage stamps on Maha Kumbh 2025. It was unveiled by Union Communications and Development of North Eastern Region Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia at the post office in Arail Ghat. Special philatelic material was also released on the occasion honouring the rich traditions of Maha Kumbh, which included special covers and cancellations on the holy bathing festivals, stamps on the theme 'Divine, Grand and Digital Maha Kumbh' and picture postcard of 'Famous Prayagraj'. 

• Sports drink 'Spinner' - Mukesh Ambani's company Reliance Consumer Products has launched a new sports drink "Spinner". It is available in three flavors: Lemon, Orange and Nitro Blue. Cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan has also contributed to the creation of this drink. The 150ml bottle costs just Rs 10. Reliance says the "Spinner" will help create a $1 billion sports beverage market in the next 3 years.

• Mana Mitra -  Andhra Pradesh Government launched WhatsApp Governance 'Mana Mitra'  for real-time citizen services to bridge the gap between government and people . This is the first initiative of its kind in the country. Andhra Pradesh Information and Technology Minister Nara Lokesh launched this initiative in Amaravati. Launched in collaboration with META, this initiative will provide 161 citizen services to the citizens in the first phase.

• Indian short film nominated for Oscars 2025 - Indian short film Anuja has been nominated for Oscars 2025. It has been nominated in the Best Short Film - Live Action category. The film is directed by Adam J. Graves and Suchitra Mattai. The film is the story of a nine-year-old girl who, along with her sister Palak, face life-changing events. It is a film depicting the struggles of girls across the world.

• Vision Next Platform - Vision Next Platform was launched in Hyderabad. This platform was launched on the occasion of the 40th Foundation Day of Hyderabad-based National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT). Its objective is to provide unique information related to the fashion and retail textile market of the country.

• 'Bhagwat' exhibition inaugurated - 'Bhagwat' exhibition was inaugurated at Allahabad Museum Complex in Prayagraj. Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat inaugurated this exhibition based on miniature paintings.

•' Kavacham' - Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan  inaugurated  the state's advanced disaster risk warning system, Kavacham, in Thiruvananthapuram. Developed by the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the World Bank, the project aims to strengthen disaster preparedness and response mechanisms.

• ISO 9001:2015 certification to Kaushambi Superintendent of Police Office-  In UP, the Superintendent of Police (SP) office of Kaushambi and the Circle Officer office of Sirathu have been awarded the ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System certificate for meeting international standards and excellent performance. Kaushambi is the third district in the state to receive this certificate.  

• State Visit of the Emir of Qatar to India - At the invitation of the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, the Emir of the State of Qatar paid a State Visit to India from 17-18 February 2025. This was His Highness the Emir’s second State Visit to India.

 

 

International

• Corruption Perceptions Index, 2024 - Corruption Perceptions Index, 2024 was released by Transparency International on 11 February 2025. A total of 180 countries/territories have been ranked in this index. This index ranges from 0 to 100 points, in which 0 means most corrupt and 100 means most honest (Very Clean). Denmark has topped  the index  with a score of 90. Finland has secured  second place (score 88) and Singapore has secured third place (score 84).

In this, South Sudan has got the lowest rank (180th). That means it is the most corrupt country. In this index, India has been ranked 96th (score 38) jointly with Gambia and Maldives. Last year India was ranked 93rd in this index. Among India's neighboring countries, Bhutan got 18th position, China got 76th, Nepal got 107th, Sri Lanka got 121st, Pakistan got 135th and Bangladesh got 151st position. Among other major countries of the world, UK and Japan got 20th position, France got 25th position and USA got 28th position.

• Argentina out of World Health Organization (WHO) - After the US, Argentina has announced its exit from the World Health Organization. Argentine President Javier Miley has announced his country's separation from the World Health Organization (WHO) due to deep differences with the United Nations agency. The Argentine President had serious differences with the WHO, especially over the methods of health management during the Covid-19 epidemic.

• First Latin American country to withdraw from Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) - Panama is the first Latin American country to withdraw from China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)  . Panama was the first Latin American country to join the BRI in 2017. 

• Full withdrawal of French troops from Chad – On January 31, 2025, the Central African country of Chad held a ceremony to mark the formal withdrawal of French troops. France handed over its main military base in Chad's capital N'Djamena to Chadian authorities, ending 125 years of French military presence in Chad. Chad's President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno said his country was not ending its ties with France but ending military cooperation. Chad had decided to end its security and defense cooperation agreement with France in November 2024.

 • 15th International Meeting of the World Pharmacopoeia, 2025 held on 5-7 February, 2025 in New Delhi.

• Mount Taranaki given personhood status - Taranaki Mauga, the second highest mountain on New Zealand's North Island  , and its surrounding peaks have been granted legal personhood, becoming the country's third natural landmark to have the same rights, duties and protections as a person. The New Zealand Parliament unanimously passed the legislation on 30 January 2025. Formally known as Taranaki Maunga, the mountain will now officially be known by its Māori name, replacing its former colonial designation, Mount Egmont.

• 1st Raisina Middle East Conference, 2025 - The 1st Raisina Middle East Conference was held in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on 28 and 29 January 2025. External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar was the chief guest of the 1st Raisina Middle East Conference. The Raisina Dialogue is India's flagship conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics that brings together experts to discuss the most challenging issues facing the world community.

• Ninth partner country of BRICS - West African country Nigeria has become the ninth partner country of BRICS. It is the sixth most populous country in the world. Nigeria becomes the ninth BRICS partner country along with Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda and Uzbekistan. BRICS was formed in 2009 by Brazil, Russia, India and China, with South Africa joining in 2010.

•On February 2, 2025, the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Hindu Temple and Cultural Complex was inaugurated in North Riding, Johannesburg, South Africa. The consecration ceremony was led by Param Pujya Mahant Swami Maharaj, global spiritual leader of BAPS. The temple has now become the largest Hindu temple and cultural complex in the Southern Hemisphere.

• Mount Etna volcano eruption - A powerful eruption occurred at Mount Etna, Europe's tallest and most active volcano, on February 12, 2025. Mount Etna is an active volcano located on the eastern coast of the Italian island of Sicily.

• Inauguration of Indian Consulate General in France – Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Emmanuel Macron jointly  inaugurated the new Consulate General of India in Marseille, France  on February 12, 2025. 

• Ban on International Criminal Court (ICC) - The United States banned the International Criminal Court (ICC) in February 2025. President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning it. The order accused the International Criminal Court of taking illegal and baseless action targeting the United States and its close ally Israel.

•On February 7, 2025, the International Cricket Council (ICC)  launched the official song of the ICC Men's Champions Trophy, 2025 - 'Jeeto Baazi Khel Ke' . The song is sung by famous singer Atif Aslam, its tune is composed by Abdullah Siddiqui while its lyrics are written by Adnan Dhool and Asfandyar Asad. The ICC Men's Champions Trophy, 2025 will be held in Pakistan and UAE from February 19 to March 9.

• First female cricketer to be banned by ICC on corruption charges - On February 11, 2025, the International Cricket Council (ICC) banned Bangladesh player Shohali Akhter from cricket for five years. This ban has been imposed after violating five provisions under the ICC's Anti-Corruption Code. With this, she has become the first female cricketer to be banned by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on corruption charges. The charges relate to corrupt conduct during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023, which was held in South Africa.

 

 

Economic

• iofach 2025 - Biofach 2025, the world's largest trade fair for organic food,  took place in Nuremberg, Germany, from 11 to 14 February 2025.

•Zomato's new corporate name - Food delivery company Zomato recently changed the name of its parent company to "Eternal Ltd."but the name of the Zomato app and brand will remain the same, Zomato. Its CEO is Deepinder Goyal.

•In February 2025, a food security emergency was declared in the Philippines due to rising rice prices.

• Monetary Policy Statement, 2024-25 – On February 7, 2025, the Monetary Policy Committee chaired by Reserve Bank of India Governor Sanjay Malhotra released the Monetary Policy Statement, 2024-25. RBI has reduced the repo rate by 25 basis points. After almost 5 years, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cut the policy repo rate. Thus, now the repo rate has been reduced from 6.50 percent to 6.25 percent. As a result, the Standing Deposit Facility (SDF) rate is 6.00 percent and the Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate are 6.50 percent. Other rates are as follows- Reverse Repo Rate- 3.35 percent, CRR- 4 percent, SLR- 18 percent. According to this, real GDP growth is estimated at 6.7 percent for the year 2025-26.

• World Forum of Accountants, 2025 - The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI)   hosted the World Forum of Accountants (WOFA) 2025 in New Delhi from January 31 to February 2, 2025. The theme of the three-day event is “Accountability meets innovation (AI): For a sustainable planet”. WOFA 2025 was inaugurated by Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on January 31. The President of ICAI is Ranjit Kumar Agarwal.

• Economic Survey 2024-25 - On January 31, 2025, Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Economic Survey 2024-25 in the Parliament.

Key highlights of Economic Review-2024-25-

India's real GDP growth is expected to be 6.4 percent in FY25 (as per advance estimates of national income)

Real gross value added (GVA) is projected to be 6.4 percent in FY25

The global economy will grow at 3.3 percent in 2023, with the IMF projecting 3.2 percent growth for the next 5 years.

Real GDP growth to rise to between 6.3 and 6.8 per cent in FY26

Retail inflation (headline) to decline to 4.9 per cent in April-December, 2024 from 5.4 per cent in FY24

India has the seventh largest share in global services exports 

Non-petroleum and non-gems and jewellery exports grew 9.1 per cent during April to December 2024, 

India's insurance market continues to grow, with total insurance premiums increasing by 7.7 percent in FY24. 

India's pension sector has also recorded significant growth, with the total number of pension subscribers increasing by 16 per cent (year-on-year) as of September 2024.

Total exports (merchandise + services) registered a growth of 6 per cent (year-on-year) in the first 9 months of FY25.

India has a 10.2 percent share in the global export market of telecommunications, computer and information services sector. According to UNCTAD, India ranks second in the world in this sector.

India's current account deficit stood at 1.2 percent of GDP in the second quarter of FY 2025

Gross foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows strengthened in FY25, rising from $47.2 billion in the first 8 months of FY24 to $55.6 billion for the same period in FY25, registering a year-on-year growth of 17.9 per cent.

India's foreign exchange reserves at the end of December, 2024 stand at $640.3 billion.

According to the IMF, the global inflation rate is expected to be 5.7 percent in 2024, having peaked at 8.7 percent in 2022

Retail inflation in India is projected to decline to 4.9 per cent in FY25 (April-December, 2024) from 5.4 per cent in FY24.

Central Government's capital outlay on key infrastructure sectors increased by 38.8 per cent from FY20 to FY24

Under Railway Transport Connectivity, 2031 km of rail network commissioned during April-November, 2024, 17 pairs of Vande Bharat trains introduced between April to October, 2024

Under the road network, 5853 km of national highways were constructed in FY 2025 (April-December)

Renewable energy capacity from solar and wind power increased by 15.8 per cent year-on-year till December 2024

The share of renewable energy in India's total installed capacity has increased to 47 percent

89 lakh houses have been constructed in urban areas under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana

The total annual turnover in drug production was Rs 4 lakh 17 thousand crore in the financial year 2024. It grew at an average rate of 10.1 percent in the last five years.

The contribution of the tourism sector to GDP is set to reach pre-pandemic levels of 5 per cent in FY23.

Agriculture and allied sectors are projected to contribute 16 per cent to GDP on a current basis in FY24 (preliminary estimates).

As of October 31, more than 11 crore farmers have benefited under PM Kisan, while 23.61 lakh farmers are enrolled under PM Kisan Maandhan.

The unemployment rate will decline from 6.0 percent in 2017-18 (July-June) to 3.2 percent in 2023-24.

• Union Budget, 2025-26 - Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the eighth consecutive Union Budget 2025 in the Lok Sabha on February 1 .

Budget Estimates 2025-26

Total receipts and total expenditure excluding borrowings are estimated at Rs 34.96 lakh crore and Rs 50.65 lakh crore, respectively.

Net tax receipts are estimated at Rs 28.37 lakh crore. 

 Fiscal deficit is estimated at 4.4 percent of GDP.

 Gross market borrowings are estimated at Rs 14.82 lakh crore.

Capex expenditure is estimated at Rs 11.21 lakh crore (3.1 per cent of GDP) in FY 2025-26.

The main points of the budget are as follows-

 Proposal to launch  'Pradhan Mantri Dhan-Dhanya Krishi Yojana' with the participation of states

Proposal to launch a comprehensive multi-sectoral programme called 'Rural Prosperity and Resilient Building' with the participation of States 

 Proposal to launch  a 6-year “Self-sufficiency Mission in Pulses”  with special focus on Toor, Urad and Masur

Proposal to set up  Makhana Board in Bihar to improve production, processing, value addition and marketing of Makhanas

Proposal to launch National High Yield Seed Mission 

A 5-year mission was announced to substantially improve the productivity and sustainability of cotton cultivation and promote longer staple varieties of cotton.

It is proposed to increase the loan limit from Rs 3 lakh to Rs  5 lakh for loans taken through Kisan Credit Card

Announcement of a new scheme to provide term loans of up to Rs 2 crore over the next 5 years to 5 lakh women, first-time entrepreneurs from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

Proposal to set up  National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management in Bihar

With the objective of promoting 'Make in India', a National Manufacturing Mission will be set up covering small, medium and large industries .

Announcement of Indian Language Book Scheme to provide books in digital form in Indian languages ​​for school and higher education .

Proposal to set up Maritime Development Fund with an allocation of Rs 25 thousand crore . The government's contribution in this will be 49 percent. The remaining contribution will have to be made by ports and private sector.

Announcement of Green Field Airport in Bihar besides expansion of capacity of Green Patna Airport in Bihar and Brownfield Airport at Bihta .

Financial assistance will be provided for the Western Koshi Canal Project in Mithilaanchal in Bihar.

FDI limit in the insurance sector will be increased from 74 to 100 per cent for companies investing the entire premium in India .

Major changes announced in tax slabs

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced zero income tax on income up to ₹ 12 lakh (i.e. average income of one lakh rupees excluding capital gains special rate income) under the new tax regime  . According to the new tax system, individual taxpayers will have to pay zero tax i.e. no tax on an amount of Rs 12 lakh. In the new regime, there is a provision of standard deduction of Rs 75 thousand for tax payers, in this sense, income up to Rs 12 lakh 75 thousand of the salary class will be tax free. 

₹0-4 Lakh - Nil

₹4-8 lakh - 5%

₹8-12 lakh - 10%

₹12-16 lakh - 15%

₹16- ₹20 lakh - 20%

₹20-24 lakh - 25%

Above ₹24 lakh - 30%

 

 

Scientist

• Exercise Komodo, 2025- Multinational Naval Exercise Komodo, 2025 hosted by the Indonesian Navy  was held in Bali between February 15-22, 2025.  This is the fifth edition of the biennial exercise held on the theme "Maritime Partnership for Peace and Stability". Its objective is to enhance maritime cooperation and regional security cooperation. 38 countries including India participated in it.  Indian naval ship INS Shardul and long-range maritime surveillance P8I aircraft participated in it.

• Manned Submarine 'Matsya 6000' - Manned Submarine  'Matsya 6000' is India's first indigenous manned submersible, which is being developed for deep ocean exploration and resource discovery under the Samudrayaan Mission. Its purpose is to carry out deep sea exploration, search for mineral resources, and study marine biodiversity. It can go up to a depth of 6000 metres and can carry three people. 

• Chang'e-7 mission - The Chang'e-7 mission  is an upcoming lunar exploration mission of China, aiming to search for water ice on the Moon's south pole in 2026 and test advanced technologies for future human lunar habitats. 

•China approved the construction of the first 'space center' in the deep waters of the South China Sea . This center will be installed 2,000 meters (6,560 feet) below the surface of the South China Sea. This center is one of the deepest and most technologically important underwater installations ever built. It is likely to be operational by the year 2030.

• EKUVERIN, 2025 -  The 13th edition of the joint military exercise "EKUVERIN" between India and Maldives, held in Maldives from 2 to 15 February 2025, aimed to strengthen coordination and cooperation in counter-terrorism operations and disaster relief.

• India's first flying car (air taxi) - The prototype of India's first flying car (air taxi), named "Zero", has been developed by Bengaluru-based aerospace startup Sarla Aviation and was showcased at the India Mobility Global Expo 2025. This air taxi will be able to fly up to 160 km on a single charge, but it will be used for short trips of 20-30 km. Its speed will be 250 km per hour. It will be ready for a trip after charging it for just 20 minutes. It has the capacity to carry 6 passengers and 1 pilot.

 

 

Awards/Honours

• BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year Award, 2024 - Olympic medal-winning shooter Manu Bhaker has been named the winner of the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year Award 2024. Her name was announced after international voting. She won two medals in the 2024 Paris Olympics. She is the first Indian female athlete to win two medals in any Olympics.

• Honorary Knighthood Medal - Sunil Bharti Mittal, Founder and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises  received the Honorary Knighthood Medal (Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire - KBE)  from British High Commissioner to India Lindy Cameron at a special investiture ceremony held in New Delhi. Sunil Bharti Mittal was given this for his contribution to UK-India business relations.

• Forward Faster Sustainability Award, 2025 - NTPC Ltd., India's largest integrated power utility company has been awarded the Forward Faster Sustainability Award, 2025 in the Water Resilience category. The award recognises NTPC's efforts in sustainable water management and conservation.

• 67th Annual Grammy Awards, 2025-  The 67th Annual Grammy Awards, 2025' award ceremony was held on February 2, 2025  in Los Angeles, California, USA.

The major awards at the 67th Grammy Awards are as follows-

Record of the Year – “Not Like Us” (Kendrick Lamar)

Album of the Year – “Cowboy Carter” (Beyoncé)

Song of the Year – “Not Like Us” (Kendrick Lamar, songwriter)

Best New Artist - Chapel Roan

Best Pop Solo Performance - "Espresso" (Sabrina Carpenter)

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance – “Die with a Smile” (Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars)

In this, Indian-American singer Chandrika Tandon has won the Grammy Award in the Best New Age, Ambient or Chant Album category for the album 'Triveni'. Chandrika won this award along with her collaborators, South African flutist Wouter Kellerman and Japanese cellist Eru Matsumoto.

• Australian Cricket Awards, 2025 - The Australian Cricket Awards 2025, held at Crown Casino in Melbourne on February 3, 2025, honoured the country's top cricketers for their exceptional performances over the past year.

Travis Head won the prestigious Allan Border Medal in 2025  , one of the most highly respected individual awards in Australian cricket. The medal is awarded to the player who has performed best in the previous year.

Annabel Sutherland won the Belinda Clark Award, given for outstanding contribution to women's cricket.

Other award winners-

Shane Warne Test Player of the Year - Josh Hazlewood

Men's ODI Player of the Year - Travis Head

Men's T20I Player of the Year - Adam Zampa

Women's ODI Player of the Year - Ashleigh Gardner

Women's T20I Player of the Year - Beth Mooney

Male Domestic Player of the Year - Beau Webster

Female Domestic Player of the Year - Georgia Voll

Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year – Sam Constas

• BCCI Annual Awards, 2023-24 – On January 31, 2025, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) presented the BCCI Annual Awards for the year 2023-24 at Hyderabad.

India's fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah was awarded the Polly Umrigar Award for the best international male cricketer for his outstanding performance in the year 2023-24  .

Smriti Mandhana was awarded the Best International Women's Cricketer award for the year 2023-24.

Other awards given in the year 2023 -24 are as follows-

Col. CK Naidu Lifetime Achievement Award - Sachin Tendulkar

BCCI Special Award- Ravichandran Ashwin

Highest run-scorer for women in ODI cricket in 2023-24 – Smriti Mandhana

Highest wicket-taker for women in ODI cricket in 2023-24- Deepti Sharma

Best International Debut (Men)- Sarfaraz Khan

Best International Debut (Female) - Asha Shobana

• 10th Mahakavi Kanhaiyalal Sethia Poetry Award, 2025 – Mahakavi Kanhaiyalal Sethia Award was given at the Jaipur Literature Festival to Hindi and Bhojpuri poet Badrinarayan for his collection of poems Dukhpuran.

• Subhash Chandra Bose Disaster Management Award, 2025 -  The Subhash Chandra Bose Disaster Management Award for the year 2025  has been awarded to the Indian National Center for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) . This award has been given in the institutional category. No individual has received this award this year. This award is given to those who contribute to disaster management.

 

 

Scheme/Project

• Pradhan Mantri Annadata Income Protection Campaign (PM-ASHA) - Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has decided to continue PM-ASHA i.e. Integrated Pradhan Mantri Annadata Income Protection Campaign till the year 2025-26 . Through this scheme, an effort is made to control the prices of commodities in order to provide farmers a good price for their crops and other commodities. Copra, oilseeds and pulses are procured under PSS of Integrated PM-Asha Scheme .

• G-SAFAL (Gujarat Scheme for Antyodaya Families for Augmenting Livelihoods) Scheme - The Government of Gujarat under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has launched the G-SAFAL (Gujarat Scheme for Antyodaya Families for Augmenting Livelihoods) scheme, which aims to empower economically weaker families, especially women, and promote self-reliance. G-SAFAL will be implemented by Gujarat Livelihood Promotion Company Limited (Rural Development Department). The scheme will benefit 50,000 Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) cardholder families in 25 talukas of 10 districts of Gujarat over the next five years. The main objective of this scheme is to lead poor families towards sustainable economic progress by promoting livelihood generation, financial inclusion and social development.

• Nodi Bandhan Yojana and Ghatal Master Plan - The West Bengal government has launched the “Nodi Bandhan” scheme  as part of its 2025-26 budget . The initiative aims to mitigate natural disasters, river erosion and unemployment by interlinking rivers and promoting wetland conservation. The Ghatal Masterplan, a key component of the plan, will focus on flood prevention and infrastructure resilience in West Midnapore.

• Ugbaad Project-  The Ugbaad Project, which means "hope" in the Somali language,  is a transformational initiative to promote climate-resilient agriculture in Somalia, aimed at restoring degraded agriculture. The project is supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The project aims to bring more than 121,000 hectares of agricultural land under climate-resilient management, directly benefiting 2 million people, half of whom are women. The project also has an overarching goal of promoting sustainable development and knowledge transfer.

• Developed Village, Developed Odisha - On February 5, 2025, the Chief Minister of Odisha, Mohan Charan Majhi launched the 'Developed Village, Developed Odisha' (BGBO) scheme at a special function held at Janakia in Khordha district. The main objective of this scheme is to improve the infrastructure of villages and improve connectivity in rural areas.

• Indian Language Book Scheme - Indian Language Book Scheme was launched in the Union Budget 2025-26, which is a significant initiative to digitise Indian language textbooks. The scheme will provide digital textbooks and educational content to school and university students to promote regional languages ​​in education. The scheme will also bridge the linguistic gap by providing digital textbooks in various Indian languages. 

• Himachal Pradesh Cabinet approves pilot study on hemp cultivation - The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet has approved a pilot study on hemp cultivation. This approval has been given to make recommendations in view of industrial and medicinal use. 

 

 

Operation/Campaign

• Heartfulness Lord Buddha Trination Tri-Services Motorcycle Expedition – The Heartfulness Lord Buddha Tri-Services Motorcycle Expedition  is a historic and unique initiative uniting Nepal, India and Sri Lanka in a journey through their shared Buddhist heritage. This campaign is being organised under the leadership of Rahul Laxman Patil in collaboration with International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) and other partner organisations. The journey will commence from Lumbini, Nepal, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, on 16 February 2025. The expedition will cover various important Buddhist heritage sites in Nepal, India and Sri Lanka.

The Indian chapter of the expedition is being organised in collaboration with the Land Ports Authority of India (under the Ministry of Home Affairs) and Nalanda University, Rajgir (under the Ministry of External Affairs). The route will cover major Buddhist sites: Sarnath (Uttar Pradesh), Bodh Gaya (Bihar), Nalanda (Bihar), Nagarjuna Sagar, (Andhra Pradesh), Udayagiri (Odisha), Karnataka.

 

 

Commission/Committee

• Select Committee constituted to examine new Income Tax Bill - Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla constituted a 31-member Select Committee of Lok Sabha on February 14, 2025 to examine the Income Tax Bill, 2025 and appointed BJP MP Baijayant Jai Panda as the chairman of this committee. Its objective is to strengthen and improve the law related to income tax.      

• Judicial Commission formed to investigate causes of Mahakumbh 2025 incident - On January 29, 2025, the Uttar Pradesh government constituted a Judicial Commission to investigate the incident that took place in Prayagraj on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya during Mahakumbh 2025. This three-member inquiry commission is headed by retired Justice Harsh Kumar of Allahabad High Court  . He is accompanied by retired IPS officer VK Gupta and retired IAS officer VK Singh as members.

 

 

Festival

• 1st International Pashmina Festival-  1st International Pashmina Festival, 2025 held in Kathmandu, Nepal.

• Flamingo Festival, 2025-  Flamingo Festival organized in Andhra Pradesh celebrates the arrival of migratory birds, especially flamingos, at Pulicat Lake and Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary. The festival is held at the lake town of Sullurupeta in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh.

 

Conferences/Festivals

• Asia Economic Dialogue 2025 - Asia Economic Dialogue (AED) is the annual flagship 'Track 1.5 dialogue' on geo-economics of the Ministry of External Affairs , organised in collaboration with Pune International Centre. The 9th edition of the Dialogue  is being held on 20-22 February 2025 in Pune, Maharashtra. The theme of the current edition of the dialogue is "Economic Resilience and Revival in an Age of Fragmentation" . 

The dialogue will discuss key contemporary themes in geoeconomics, including artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, economic imperatives of cybersecurity, aspects of blue economy in the Indian Ocean region and beyond, challenges and prospects for the international monetary system, harnessing the potential of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and the impact of climate change on the global economy. The dialogue also aims to unravel the complexities of economic fragmentation and identify pathways needed for resilience and recovery.

• 98th All India Marathi Sahitya Sammelan, 2025 - Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi  inaugurated the 98th All India Marathi Sahitya Sammelan at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi. This conference is being organized in Delhi after 71 years. The aim of this Marathi Sahitya Sammelan is to explore its role in contemporary discourse.

• 2nd Global Conference of Meditation Leaders, 2025 – The Global Conference of Meditation Leaders  will be held   on 20-23 February, 2025 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. This conference will bring together policy makers, corporate leaders, researchers and meditation experts to advance meditation as a process for positive social change and world peace.

• 5th International Conference on Green Metro Systems-The Future of Urban Mobility - Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), under the banner of I-Metro and in collaboration and partnership with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), organised the 5th International Conference on Green Metro Systems - The Future of Urban Mobility in New Delhi.

• 8th Indian Ocean Conference, 2025 - The 8th Indian Ocean Conference was held on 16-17 February in Muscat, Oman. It was organised by India Foundation in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Oman. The theme of the conference was “Journey to New Horizons of Maritime Partnership”.

• 61st Munich Security Conference, 2025 - The 61st Munich Security Conference, 2025  was held in Germany on 14 -16 February 2025.  India's Foreign Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar participated in it.The main agenda of the conference focused on global security challenges, including global governance, democratic resilience, climate security, and many other topics.

• 10th International Conference on Women, 2025 - The 10th International Conference on Women, 2025  was held in Bengaluru, Karnataka on February 14, 2025. President Smt. Draupadi Murmu inaugurated the inaugural session of the 10th edition of the International Conference on Women. The unique theme of the conference was 'Just Be.'

• 4th No Money for Terror (NMFT) Conference, 2025 –  On February 13, 2025, the 4th 'No Money for Terror' (NMFT) Conference, 2025  was held in Munich, Germany. Around 60 delegations from across the world attended the conference to discuss the fight against terrorist financing. Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai led the Indian delegation at the conference.

• 10th Smart Cities India Expo, 2025 – 10th Smart Cities India Expo, 2025   will be held on March 19-21, 2025 at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.

• 32nd Session of the Indian Art History Congress, 2025 –  32nd Session of the Indian Art History Congress, 2025   was held from 8 to 10 February, 2025 at Indian Heritage Institute, Noida. The main theme of this conference is- “Representation of Indian epics in art and culture”. Its objective is to highlight the various forms of artistic expressions based on the epics.

• 14th Asian Fisheries and Aquaculture Forum 2025 - The 14th Asian Fisheries and Aquaculture Forum 2025   was held in New Delhi on 12-15 February 2025. The theme this year is “Greening Blue Growth in Asia-Pacific” . 

• 1st Regional Dialogue on Global Alliance for Social Justice, 2025 - 1st Regional Dialogue on Global Alliance for Social Justice, 2025   to be held on February 24-25, 2025 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. It will be organised by the Ministry of Labour & Employment, Government of India in collaboration with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)-Employers Federation of India (EFI).

• AI Action Summit 2025 - The AI ​​Action Summit 2025 was held in Paris, France on February 10-11, 2025. The summit was co-chaired by Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and President of France Emmanuel Macron.

• World Governments Summit, 2025- The World Governments Summit, 2025 was held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on 11-13 February 2025. Theme - 'Shaping the Governments of the Future' .

• Quality Assurance Conference, 2025-  Quality Assurance Conference, 2025 was organised by Indian Navy on 7 February 2025 at Manekshaw Convention Centre, New Delhi. The theme of the conference is- 'Collaborative Quality Assurance: Bridging the Gap between Industry and Defence Sector'.

• National Dogri Kavi Sammelan, 2025 - As part of the 76th Republic Day celebrations, Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages  ​​organised the National Dogri Kavi Sammelan in Jammu. The aim of the conference is to promote the spirit of unity, integrity and diversity among various communities through poetry.

• 2nd Meeting of BIMSTEC Expert Group on Cyber ​​Security Cooperation, 2025 - The 2nd Meeting of BIMSTEC Expert Group on Cyber ​​Security Cooperation, 2025  was held in New Delhi. It was organized by the National Security Council Secretariat, Government of India. Its first meeting was also hosted by India in New Delhi in the year 2022.

• North East Aroma Conclave, 2025 - North East Aroma Conclave, 2025  was held in Jorhat, Assam. Union Minister for Science & Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh virtually inaugurated it.

 

 

Celebrity (National)

• Purnima Devi Burman - Indian wildlife conservationist Purnima Devi Burman has been named  one of TIME's 'Women of the Year' for 2025 for her vital efforts in saving  the great adjutant stork (hargila), one of the world's most endangered birds. Her efforts have led to a significant increase in the population of cranes in Assam. The eminent wildlife biologist from Assam is the only Indian woman to be included in this list.

• Gyanesh Kumar - Gyanesh Kumar   took over as the 26th Chief Election Commissioner of India on February 19, 2025. He is a 1988 batch Kerala cadre officer of the Indian Administrative Service.

• Sanjeev Ranjan-  The Central Government  appointed Sanjeev Ranjan as the new Secretary General of  the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA). He is a 1993 batch Indian Foreign Service Officer.    

• Wriddhiman Saha –  On February 1, 2025, India's experienced wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.

 

 

Celebrities (International)

• Kash Patel - The US Senate  has approved  Indian-origin Kash Patel as  the new Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), who is the first person of Indian origin to reach this position. The US Senate approved the nomination by a vote of 51-49. He was sworn in as FBI director on February 21, 2025. Patel is considered a close ally of US President Donald Trump.

• Jotham Napat – In February 2025, Jotham Napat   was elected the new Prime Minister of Vanuatu.

• Dmitry Bakanov- Russian President Vladimir Putin has appointed Dmitry Bakanov as the new director general of Russia's state space corporation Roscosmos .

• Ilie Bologan - Ilie Bologan, leader of the Centrist Liberal Party,  has become the interim President of Romania. Earlier, he was the Speaker of the Senate and also the Mayor and Head of the County Council.

• Tulsi Gabbard - Former Democratic Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard has been appointed as the Director of National Intelligence in the United States, a cabinet-level role in the administration of President Donald Trump. 

• Bart De Wever – Conservative Bart De Wever has  been sworn in as Belgium 's new prime minister.

• 50th hereditary Imam of Ismaili Muslims - Prince Rahim al-Husseini in Portugal has been named as the Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of Shia Ismaili Muslims, following the death of his father on 5 February 2025. Prince Rahim, 53, has become the 50th hereditary Imam of the world's Ismaili Muslims.

• Micheal Martin – Fianna Fail party leader Micheal Martin has been elected Prime Minister of the Republic of Ireland for a second term.

• John L. Ratcliffe –  In January 2025, John L. Ratcliffe  became the new head of the US intelligence department CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) .

• Alexander Lukashenko-  Alexander Lukashenko  won the presidential election of Belarus for the seventh time in a row , he got 86.82% of the votes. He has been in this position since the year 1994. Lukashenko is considered close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

• Simona Halep-  On February 4, 2025, former world number one and two-time Grand Slam winner Simona Halep of Romania announced her retirement from professional tennis.

• Rashid Khan – On February 4, 2025, Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan became the highest wicket-taker in T20 cricket.

• Matthew Breetzke-  On February 10, 2025, South African batsman Matthew Breetzke created history in his debut match in ODI cricket. He created a new record by scoring 150 runs in the second match of the triangular series played against New Zealand at the Gaddafi Stadium. He has become the first batsman to score 150 runs in his first ODI match.

• Marcelo - On February 6, 2025, former Brazil and Real Madrid defender Marcelo has officially announced his retirement from football at the age of 36. Marcelo's full name is Marcelo Vieira da Silva Junior.

• Dinesh Karthik - Former India wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik surpassed MS Dhoni to become India's highest run-scorer in T20Is. He achieved this feat during a match played between Paarl Royals and Durban Super Giants in South Africa's SA20 League.

 

 

Demise

• Acharya Satyendra Das - Acharya Satyendra Das, the chief priest of Ayodhya Ram Temple, passed away at the age of 80. He was the chief priest for 34 years and was appointed in 1992.

• Aga Khan IV - On February 4, 2025, Aga Khan IV, the spiritual leader of Ismaili Muslims, passed away in Portugal.

• Greg Bell- America's great long jump athlete Greg Bell died at the age of 94. He was the oldest Olympic gold medalist in athletics. He won the gold medal in the long jump event in the Olympics in the year 1956.

 

 

Year/Day/Week

February 1    - Coast Guard Day

February 4    - World Cancer Day

February 14  - St. Valentine's Day

February 21  - International Mother Language Day

February  28 - National Science Day (Raman Effect Discovery Day)

 

 

Game

Cricket

• India-England ODI Series, 2025 - A 3 match ODI series between India and England was held in India between 6-12 February 2025. India has won the 3 ODI series 3 - 0. In this series, Indian batsman Shubman Gill  was chosen as the Man of the Series. In the first ODI Yashasvi Jaiswal and Harshit Rana (Ind) both made their One Day International debuts. In the second ODI, Varun Chakravarthy (Ind) made his One Day International debut. Ravindra Jadeja (Ind) took his 600th wicket in international cricket and became the first Indian spinner to complete 6000 runs and 600 wickets in international cricket.

• India-England T20 Series, 2025 - A 5-match T20 series was held in India between India and England from 22 January 2025 to 2 February 2025. India won the 5-match T20 series 4 – 1. In this series, Indian spin bowler Varun Chakraborty was named Man of the Series.

• First state to launch Rural Cricket League-  Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) announced to organise 'Bihar Rural League' (BRL) for talented players from all districts of the state. Bihar state will become the first state in the country to organise Rural Cricket League. Players between the ages of 13 and 23 can participate in this league. This league will provide opportunities to those players who have not yet got the opportunity to play in district or state level cricket tournaments. The aim of this league is to discover talented players from villages, schools, colleges and block level and bring them into the mainstream of cricket.

• ICC Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup, 2025 - ICC Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup, 2025 held in Malaysia from January 18, 2025 to February 2, 2025. Indian women's cricket team won the title for the second consecutive time by defeating South Africa by 9 wickets in the final.

 

Hockey

• Women's FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup, 2025 - The Women's FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup, 2025  was held at the Zatica Sports Centre in Porec, Croatia from February 3-9, 2025. Poland won the title for the first time by defeating Austria in the final.

• Men's FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup, 2025 -  The FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup, 2025 was held at the Zatica Sports Centre in Porec, Croatia from February 3-9, 2025. Germany won the title for the fourth time defeating Austria in the final.

• Men's Hero Hockey India League, 2024-25 - The Men's Hero Hockey India League (HIL), 2024-25 was held from December 28, 2024 to February 1, 2025.   Matches were played in Rourkela (Odisha) and Ranchi (Jharkhand). The final was played at Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium, Rourkela. Shrochi Radh Bengal Tigers defeated Hyderabad Hurricanes 4-3 in the final to win the Men's Hero Hockey India League, 2024 -25 title.

• Women's Hockey India League (HIL), 2024-2025 - Women's Hockey India League (HIL), 2024 -2025 was held from January 12-26, 2025. This was the first edition.   Apart from two matches in Rourkela (Odisha), the rest of the matches were played in Ranchi (Jharkhand).  The final was played at the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astroturf Hockey Stadium in Ranchi. Odisha Warriors defeated Surma Hockey Club in the final to win the inaugural edition of the Women's Hockey India League 2024-25.

 

Lawn Tennis

• Argentina Open, 2025 – Argentina Open, 2025, a tennis tournament of the 2025 ATP Tour season, held  between February 10 -16, 2025  in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Men's Singles winner- Joao Fonseca (Brazil) Men's Doubles winners – Guido Andreozzi (Argentina) and Theo Arribes (France)

• Chennai Open, 2025 - The Chennai Open, 2025 tennis event of the 2025 ATP Challenger Tour season will be held in Chennai, India, between February 3 - 9, 2025.

Men's Singles winner- Kirian Jacquet (France)

Men's Doubles winners- Shintaro Mochizuki and Kaito Uesugi (both Japan)

• Singapore Tennis Open, 2025 - The 2025 WTA Tour season tennis event is scheduled to take place between January 27 and February 2, 2025 in Singapore.

Women's Singles winner- Elise Mertens (Belgium)

Women's Doubles winners- Desirae Krawczyk (United States) and Giuliana Olmos (Mexico)

• Linz Open, 2025 - The Linz Open, 2025 is a tennis event of the 2025 WTA Tour season  held in Linz, Austria, from January 27, 2025 to February 2, 2025  .

Women's Singles winner- Ekaterina Alexandrova (Russia)

Women's Doubles winners- Timea Babos (Hungary) and Luisa Stefani (Brazil)

• Australian Open, 2025 – The first tennis Grand Slam tournament of the year, the Australian Open, 2025 , was held in Melbourne, Australia, between January 12 and 26, 2025. 

Men's Singles Winner- Jannik Sinner (Italy). Runner-up- Alexander Zverev (Germany).

Women's Singles Winner- Madison Keys (United States). Runner-up- Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus).

Men's Doubles winners- Harri Heliovaara (Finland) and Henry Patton (Great Britain).

Women's Doubles winners- Katerina Siniakova (Czech Republic) and Taylor Townsend (United States).

Mixed Doubles winners- Olivia Gadecki and John Peers (both Australia).

Jannik Sinner has won the Australian Open title for the second consecutive time. Sinner has become the first Italian player to win three Grand Slam titles in tennis singles. 

 

Table Tennis

• 86th Senior National & Inter-State Table Tennis Championships, 2024 – 86th Senior National & Inter-State Table Tennis Championships, 2024 was held in Surat, Gujarat.

Men's Singles winner- Manush Shah. 

Women's Singles winner- Diya Chitale. 

Men's Doubles winners- PB Abhinandan and Preyesh Raj Suresh (both Tamil Nadu).

Women's Doubles Winners- Diya Chitale and Sreeja Akula. 

Mixed Doubles Winners- Akash Pal and Poimanti Baisya.

 

Badminton

• Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships 2025 -  Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships 2025 (4th edition)  was held in Qingdao, Shandong, China from 11-16 February 2025. Indonesia won the title for the first time by defeating defending champions China 3-1 in the Asia Mixed Team Badminton Championships.

• Princess Sirivannavari Thailand Masters, 2025 - Badminton tournament Princess Sirivannavari Thailand Masters, 2025 held in Bangkok, Thailand from January 28, 2025 to February 2, 2025.

Men's Singles winner- Jason Teh (Singapore)

Women's Singles winner- Pornpawee Chochuwong (Thailand)

• Daihatsu Indonesia Masters 2025 – Badminton tournament Daihatsu Indonesia Masters 2025 held in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Men's Singles winner- Kunlavut Vitidsarn (Thailand)

Women's Singles winner- Ratchanok Intanon (Thailand)

 

chess

• Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2025 – Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2025  held in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands from January 18, 2025 to February 2, 2025. India's Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa has won the title of Tata Steel Masters 2025. In the final, Praggnanandhaa defeated his opponent D. Gukesh in a tiebreak.

• Charlotte Open, 2025 - The Charlotte Open, 2025 chess tournament  was held in Charlotte, North Carolina,  United States from January 18-20, 2025. David Brodsky of United States won the Charlotte Open, 2025 title.  

 

Billiards/Snooker/Squash

• Indian Snooker Championship, 2025 -  In February, 2025, Indian snooker player Pankaj Advani won his 36th national title and 10th men's snooker title in Indore. He defeated Brijesh Damani in the final.

• Willingdon Sports Club (WSC) Squash Classic Open, 2025 –  Willingdon Sports Club (WSC) Squash Classic Open, 2025 was held in Mumbai.

Men's Singles winner- Saurav Ghosal (Tamil Nadu)

Women's Singles winner - Shamima Riaz (Tamil Nadu)

 

Athletics

• New world record in half-marathon - Ugandan runner Jacob Kiplimo sets a new world record for the half-marathon at the 2025 Barcelona Half Marathon on February 16, 2025. He set a new record by completing the 21.0975 km race in just 56 minutes 42 seconds. He broke the record of 57 minutes 30 seconds set by Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha in Valencia last year.

 

Sports Miscellaneous

• World Pickleball League 2025 - The World Pickleball League (WPL) 2025 was held in Mumbai, India from 24 January 2025 to 2 February 2025. It is the first professional pickleball league. The league was played between six teams, Mumbai Pickle Power, Pune United, Bengaluru Jawans, Chennai Super Champs, Hyderabad Superstars and Delhi Dilwale. Bengaluru Jawans won the World Pickleball League Stage 1 title by defeating Pune United 3–1 in the final.

 

 

                                                                                                              Very important facts for upcoming exams 

•BIMSTEC 1st Youth Summit, 2025 hosted by India in Gandhinagar (Gujarat).

•Tribal Cultural Conclave, 2025 was organized at Prayagraj Maha Kumbh. The year 2025 has been declared as "Tribal Pride Year".

•33rd New Delhi World Book Fair, 2025 held in New Delhi.

•The Central Government has announced the addition of four new Ramsar sites in India – Sakkarakottai Bird Sanctuary and Therthangal Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu, Khecheopalri Wetland in Sikkim and Udhwa Lake in Jharkhand .

•Bharat Parv, 2025 was organized in New Delhi. The theme of this year’s festival is – “Dekho Apna Desh”.

•For the first time, UNESCO has given the status of Wetland City to two cities of India, Udaipur (Rajasthan) and Indore (Madhya Pradesh).

•Fort William in Kolkata has been renamed as Vijay Durg.

•India's first white tiger breeding centre will be established at Govindgarh in Rewa district of Madhya Pradesh.

•India's first Artificial Intelligence (AI) university will be established in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

•Mukesh Ambani's company Reliance Consumer Products has launched sports drink "Spinner".

•Indian short film Anuja nominated for Oscars 2025.

•According to Transparency International's report, 2024, India is ranked 96th out of 180 countries in the Corruption Perception Index . The least corrupt nation is Denmark. The most corrupt country is South Sudan (180th).

•After America, now Argentina has announced to withdraw from the World Health Organization.

• Panam is the first Latin American country to withdraw from China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

•France closed the 125-year-old French military base in the African country Chad.

 •The first Raisina Middle East Conference, 2025 was held in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

• Nigeria became the ninth BRICS partner country.

• New Consulate of India was inaugurated in Marseille, France.

• The United States has imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC).

•The International Cricket Council (ICC) banned Bangladesh women player Shohali Akhter from cricket for five years on corruption charges .

•Biofach 2025, the world's largest trade fair for organic food, was held in Nuremberg, Germany.

• Food security emergency declared in the Philippines due to rising rice prices .

• 'Matsya 6000'  is India's first indigenous manned submersible.

• The Chang'e-7 mission is an upcoming Chinese lunar exploration mission.

• China approves construction of first 'space station' in deep waters of South China Sea.

• The 13th edition of the joint military exercise "Ekuverin" between India and Maldives to be held in Maldives in 2025.

•The name of the first flying car (air taxi) in India is "Zero" .

•Indian woman shooter M Nu Bhaker has been named the winner of the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year Award, 2024.

• Sunil Bharti Mittal, Founder and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises was conferred with Honorary Knighthood (Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire - KBE) by the British High Commission.

•The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) awarded the Polly Umrigar Award for Best International Men's Cricketer for the year 2023-24 to Jasprit Bumrah and the Best International Women's Cricketer award for the year 2023-24 to Smriti Mandhana.

• 'Ugbad' project has been launched to promote climate-resilient agriculture in Somalia.

•1st International Pashmina Festival, 2025 held in Kathmandu (Nepal).

•8th Indian Ocean Conference, 2025 held in Muscat (Oman).

•10th International Conference on Women, 2025 was held in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The theme of the conference was 'Just Be.'

•First ever regional dialogue on the Global Alliance for Social Justice will be held in New Delhi in 2025.

•Indian wildlife conservationist Purnima Devi Burman has been named one of TIME's 'Women of the Year' for the year 2025.

• Gyanesh Kumar appointed 26th Chief Election Commissioner of India.

•The US Senate has approved Indian-origin Kash Patel as the new director of the  FBI.

•In February 2025, Jotham Napat was elected the new Prime Minister of Vanuatu.

• Tulsi Gabbard has been appointed as the Director of National Intelligence in the United States.

• Michael Martin has been elected Prime Minister of the Republic of Ireland for a second term.

•In January 2025, John L. Ratcliffe became the new head of the US intelligence department CIA (Central Intelligence Agency).

• Alexander Lukashenko won the Belarus presidential election for the seventh consecutive time.

•Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan has become the highest wicket-taker in T20 cricket.

•Bihar Cricket Association announced to organize 'Bihar Rural League' (BRL) in all the districts of the state. Bihar will become the first state in the country to organize Rural Cricket League.

•ICC Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup, 2025 held in Malaysia . Indian women's cricket team won the title by defeating South Africa in the final.

•Women's FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup, 2025: Poland defeats Austria to win the title for the first time.

•Men's FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup, 2025: Germany defeats Austria to win the title.

• Australian Open‚ 2025 - Men's Singles Winner- Jannik Sinner (Italy). Women's Singles Winner- Madison Keys (United States)

•86th Senior National and Inter-State Table Tennis Championship, 2024- Men's Singles Winner- Manush Shah. Women's Singles Winner- Diya Chitale.

•Indian Snooker Championship, 2025- Indian snooker player Pankaj Advani won the 36th national title and 10th men's snooker title.

• Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda sets a new half-marathon world record at the Barcelona Half Marathon, 2025.