Monthly Current Affair GK Digest: February 2025

International News

Key Parameters for Rankings: Leadership, Economic Influence, Political Influence, Strong International Alliances, Military Strength
Top 10 Countries:
United States: Topped the list with a GDP of $30.34 trillion, strong leadership, economic, political influence, international alliances, and military strength.
China: Secured the second spot with a growing economic and military presence.
Russia: Known for its military strength and political influence, holding the third position.
Germany
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
France
Japan
Saudi Arabia
Brazil
India: Secured the 12th spot, with a GDP estimated at $4.27 trillion, strong economic growth, and increasing global influence.

UN Honour Roll: The Honour Roll is a list published by the United Nations that recognizes member states which have paid their regular budget assessments on time.
Payment Criteria: Member states must pay their assessments in full within the 30-day period specified by the UN's Financial Regulations to be included in the Honour Roll.
India's Contribution: For the year 2025, India contributed USD 37.64 million to the UN's regular budget.
Recognition: By paying its assessment on time, India joins an elite group of 35 member states that have met their financial obligations promptly. This timely payment reflects India's commitment to supporting the UN's initiatives and maintaining its good standing within the organization

Record Investment Proposals: The event attracted a staggering Rs 16.73 lakh crore in investment proposals, far surpassing its initial target of Rs 5 lakh crore.
Diverse Sectors: The proposals spanned across 20+ sectors, including chemicals and petrochemicals, textiles, mining and metallurgy, renewable energy, IT/ITeS, tourism, and food processing.
Global Participation: The conclave saw participation from global giants, investors, and policymakers from 16 countries, including Singapore, Malaysia, and Australia.
Employment Opportunities: The proposed investments are expected to generate over 12.88 lakh employment opportunities.
Prime Minister's Involvement: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the summit and emphasized Odisha's potential as a growth engine for the country.

The campaign is part of the Watershed Development Component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (WDC-PMKSY 2.0).
Objectives of the Watershed Yatra:
Awareness: To educate communities about the importance of water and soil conservation.
Community Participation: Encourage local communities to actively engage in sustainable natural resource management.
Best Practices: Share effective techniques and practices for watershed management to enhance agricultural productivity.
Sustainability: Promote long-term sustainable practices to ensure the health of watersheds and surrounding ecosystems.

Alphanumeric IDs: Transaction IDs must now be strictly alphanumeric (i.e., only letters and numbers). Special characters like @, #, and ! are no longer allowed.
Enhanced Security: This change aims to enhance security by reducing potential vulnerabilities associated with special characters.
Improved Compliance: The new rules ensure better compliance with international standards and regulatory requirements.
Uniformity: Standardizing transaction IDs will simplify processes for both users and financial institutions.

India's GDP is projected to grow at 6.5% in FY26, supported by lower inflation and expected rate cuts by the RBI.
The current account deficit (CAD) is expected to widen from 1.0% of GDP in FY25 to 1.3% in FY26 due to export headwinds from U.S. trade policies.
Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation is projected to ease from 4.7% in FY25 to 4.4% in FY26.
The fiscal deficit is expected to decline from 5.6% of GDP in FY24 to 4.4% in FY26.

This digest is not complete. Read the complete digest on the General Awareness Course.