NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Kerala govt allocates additional ₹300 crore for integrated healthcare scheme: The Kerala government has allocated an additional ₹300 crore for Karunya Arogya Suraksha Padhathi (KASAP), its integrated health protection scheme designed to provide coverage to over 64 lakh poor and vulnerable people in the State.With this additional allocation, the total amount earmarked for the flagship scheme in the present financial year has gone up to ₹54 crore.KASAP aims at providing a health cover of ₹5 lakh annually to over 41.99 lakh poor and vulnerable families (approximately 64 lakh beneficiaries) that form the bottom 40 per cent of the Kerala population.
2. HAL and IIIT Dharwad sign MoU for collaborative research, skill development: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has signed an MoU with Indian Institute of Information Technology, Dharwad to strengthen industry-academia collaboration in advanced technologies.The partnership will focus on joint research, internships, and technical education in areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Robotics, AR/VR, and Digital Manufacturing, particularly in applications relevant to the aerospace and defence sectors.Under this MoU, HAL officers will have opportunities to pursue higher education at IIIT Dharwad, while students will gain hands-on experience through internships at HAL’s various divisions.
3. Government approves Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan Scheme till 2025-26: The Centre has approved continuation of the integrated Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) scheme during the 15th Finance Commission cycle up to 2025-26.The integrated PM-AASHA Scheme is aimed at effective implementation of procurement operations, which is crucial for providing remunerative prices to farmers and also controlling price volatility of essential commodities.Under the Price Support Scheme (PSS) of the integrated PM-AASHA Scheme, the procurement of the notified pulses, oilseeds and copra conforming to the prescribed Fair Average Quality (FAQ) is undertaken by the central nodal agencies at the MSP (minimum support price) directly from the pre-registered farmers through the State level agencies.
4. Gyanesh Kumar appointed as new Chief Election Commissioner: Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has been appointed as the 26th Chief Election Commissioner (CEC). He succeeded Rajiv Kumar.CEC Gyanesh Kumar is a former IAS officer from the 1988 batch of the Kerala cadre. He has served as secretary in the ministry of parliamentary affairs.Vivek Joshi has been appointed as the new Election Commissioner. He is an IAS officer from the 1989 batch of the Haryana cadre. President Droupadi Murmu has appointed both commissioners.As the next Chief Election Commissioner, he would be in charge of elections in five states – Opposition-ruled Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and NDA-ruled Bihar and Assam — in the immediate future. The election in Bihar is due later this year – the rest take place in 2026.
5. PD Singh appointed as CEO of Standard Chartered India: Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has given its approval to appoint corporate banking veteran and former JP Morgan India CEO Prabdev (PD) Singh as the CEO for Standard Chartered (StanC) in India.Singh will start his three-year term on April 1 succeeding Zarin Daruwala who retires from the bank at the end of March.Singh brings nearly three decades of experience, having previously served as CEO of JP Morgan Chase Bank in India, where he played a key role in shaping the bank’s corporate banking franchise.
6. SBI Cards appoints Salila Pande as MD & CEO: Salila Pande has been appointed as the MD & CEO of SBI Cards and Payment Services Board, with effect from 1 April 2025.The appointment of Pande, who has been nominated by the State Bank of India, will be for a period of two years.The board has approved the appointment of Pande pursuant to the superannuation of AbhijitChakravorty from the services of the State Bank of India from March 31, 2025, it said.Pande is the chief general manager at the State Bank of India. She is a career banker and had joined the SBI in 1995 as a probationary officer and has been with the country’s largest banking group since then.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. APEDA facilitates first-ever sea shipments of Indian pomegranates to Australia: The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) in collaboration with AgroStar and Kay Bee Exports successfully completed India’s first-ever commercial trial shipments of premium Sangola and Bhagwa pomegranates respectively to Australia via sea.The first air shipment took place in July 2024, following the successful market access facilitation by APEDA and National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO).The first-ever sea-freight shipment departed from India on December 6, 2024 and arrived in Sydney on January 13, 2025 with 5.7 metric tons (MT) of pomegranates sourced from the Solapur region of Maharashtra, packed into 1,900 boxes, each containing 3 kg of premium fruit.
2. Meta introduces subsea internet cable Project Waterworth to cross over 50,000 km: Meta introduced its internet subsea cable Project Waterworth, which will cross 50,000 km in length and bring enhanced connectivity to the U.S., India, Brazil, South Africa, and other locations whilst becoming the longest subsea cable project in the world.The investment involves billions of dollars and is set to span across years, in a bid to bring AI access to users all around the world.Subsea cables projects, such as Project Waterworth, are the backbone of global digital infrastructure, accounting for more than 95% of intercontinental traffic across the world’s oceans to seamlessly enable digital communication, video experiences, online transactions, and more.
According to Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) data, the country hosts around 17 international subsea cables across 17 district landing stations.
3. India among most affected countries by climate change from 1993-2022: CRI: India is among the nations hit hardest by extreme weather over the past 30 years, according to the newly released 2025 Climate Risk Index (CRI).Between 1993 and 2022, the country endured more than 400 extreme events — including floods, heatwaves, and cyclones — leading to 80,000 fatalities and economic losses nearing $180 billion.The CRI measures both the human and economic consequences of climate-related disasters, ranking countries based on fatalities, damages, and the number of people affected.Climate Risk Index puts India in sixth place among the 10 most affected countries, showing high absolute fatalities and economic losses in addition to high absolute and relative numbers of people affected. The report highlights the country’s increasingly frequent extreme weather events over the past three decades, including floods, heat waves, cyclones, and droughts.
4. Wipro names Amit Kumar as Managing Partner and Global Head of Consulting: Amit Kumar has been appointed as Managing Partner and Global Head of Wipro Consulting.He will lead Wipro’s AI-driven growth and help clients with business and technology transformations.Amit brings 24 years of experience across various industries like High-Tech, Energy, Automotive, and Retail.
OTHER UPDATES:
DEFENCE
1. 6th Edition of Exercise Dharma Guardian: The sixth edition of Exercise Dharma Guardian is set to take place at Mount Fuji, Japan from February 25 to March 9, 2025. This joint military exercise between India and Japan aims to enhance interoperability between their armed forces. It focuses on urban warfare and counter-terrorism operations under a United Nations mandate. The exercise follows the successful visit of India’s Chief of the Army Staff to Japan in October 2024, which laid the groundwork for stronger bilateral defence cooperation. In addition to tactical training, the exercise promotes cultural exchanges. These interactions encourage understanding of each other’s traditions and values. Such social components are essential for effective collaboration in real-world scenarios.
SPORTS
1. Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo Becomes First to Run Half-Marathon Under 57 Minutes: Jacob Kiplimo from Uganda has made history in the half-marathon. He became the first person to run the race in under 57 minutes.Kiplimo finished in 56 minutes, 42 seconds in Barcelona. The 24-year-old set the record at the World Athletics Gold Label race.He broke the old record of 57:30 set by Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha in October. Kiplimo beat the record by 48 seconds, the biggest improvement ever.He was the half-marathon record holder from 2021 to 2024. With this run, he reclaimed his title. Kiplimo also set a world best time of 39:47 for 15 kilometers during the race
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. DoT and ITU Join Hands to Explore Future-Ready Infrastructure Planning with AI- Driven Digital Twin Technologies: The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) have signed a Letter of Intent to explore AI-driven Digital Twin technologies for advanced infrastructure planning.DoT’s “Sangam: Digital Twin” initiative creates a virtual replica of physical infrastructure, including telecom networks. This initiative enables real-time monitoring, simulation, and analysis to enhance infrastructure planning and development.By integrating advanced technologies like AI and 5G, Digital Twin optimizes decision-making, improves efficiency and supports future-ready digital infrastructure.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. LIC launches marketing tech platform under project DIVE; set to redefine customer engagement: State-owned Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has launched its marketing technology (MarTech) platform to redefine customer engagement.The platform is the first major milestone in project DIVE (Digital Innovation and Value Enhancement).This launch represents LIC’s first step towards becoming a global digital champion in the insurance industry, leveraging world-class technology to revolutionize customer engagement at an unprecedented scale.The MarTech platform introduces an intelligent, multi-channel engagement capability, enabling LIC to run hyper-personalized, always-on campaigns that enhance customer experience and drive business growth.
2. IRDAI unveils Bima Trinity plan, reviews insurance sector at 9th Bima Manthan: The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) held the 9th edition of Bima Manthan, its quarterly review meeting with insurance company CEOs.The discussions focused on the performance of the life and general insurance industry, the progress of the state insurance plan, distribution reforms, and enhancing disclosure and transparency.A key highlight of the meeting was the unveiling of Bima Trinity, a transformative initiative aimed at enhancing accessibility, affordability, and efficiency in the insurance sector.
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