Daily Current Affairs – 14-02-2025

Tamil Nadu

India unveils genomic data set

® The Indian Genomic Data Set , the ‘Framework for Exchange of Data Protocols (FeED)’, and the Indian Biological Data Centre (IBDC) Portals were unveiled at the Genome India Data Conclave. ® India has developed a genomic data set with 10,000 whole genome samples, available to researchers globally. ® India is now the 12th largest country in biotech globally and 3rd largest in the Asia-Pacific region.

Earth observation satellites launched

® China launched four Earth-observation radar satellites named ‘PIESAT-2’ . ® Developed by Galaxy Space, the satellites will be used to monitor land resources, monitor natural disasters and conduct geological mapping. ® This were equipped with Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) technology ® China launched 5 experimental satellites into orbit. ® The launch used the Long March-2D carrier rocket. ® The launch took place from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.

Dr Manmohan Singh

® Dr Manmohan Singh , former Prime Minister of India, passed away at the age of 92. ® He was India’s 13th PM and the 15th Governor of the RBI. ® The Right to Information Act 2005, and the Right to Education Act 2009 were implemented during his tenure. ® During his tenure as Finance Minister , the National Stock Exchange (NSE) was launched in 1992 . ® His time saw liberalization of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). ® India’s GDP growth touched 9% annually during his premiership. ® He was a Rajya Sabha member, representing Assam (1991-2019) and Rajasthan (2019-2024). ® He received the Padma Vibhushan in 1987 , and the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development in 2009. ® He authored the book “ India’s Export Trends and Prospects for Self-Sustained Growth”.

Gaganyaan mission assembly begins

® ISRO has started assembling the Human Rated Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (HLVM3) for the first uncrewed test flight of the Gaganyaan mission at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota . ® The assembling process began with the stacking of the nozzle end segment with a full flex seal nozzle of the S200 motor. ® This marks the official commencement of the HLVM3-G1/OM-1 mission. ® The event coincides with the 10th anniversary of the LVM3-X/CARE mission launched in December 2014. ® Its main purpose is for safety of Astronauts during Space travel. ® HLVM3 is a large, three-stage launch vehicle with a weight of 640 Tonnes and height of 53 meters . ® Its payload capacity is up to 10 tonnes into Low Earth Orbit.

Minerals Mission launched

® The Union Cabinet has approved the launch of the National Critical Minerals Mission (NCMM) with an outlay of ₹16,300 crore . ® Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) are expected to invest ₹18,000 crore in the project. ® The mission will cover all stages of the value chain: exploration, mining, beneficiation, processing, and recovery from end-of-life products.

Uniform Civil Code

® Uttarakhand became the first state in India to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) . ® Article 44 of the Indian Constitution advocates for a UCC, which is part of the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP) in Part IV (Articles 36–51) of the Indian Constitution . ® Goa is the only other state in India with an existing civil code.

Seven GI tags for A&N Islands

® Seven products from the Andaman & Nicobar (A&N) Islands have received Geographical Indication (GI) tags . The products include: ® Nicobari Mat (Chatrai-hileuoi) ® Nicobari Hut (Chanvi Pati – Nyi hupul) ® Nicobari Hodi craft ® Padauk Wood Craft ® Andaman & Nicobar Coconut ® Nicobari Tavi-i-Ngaich (Virgin Coconut Oil) ® Andaman Karen Musley Rice ® This is the first time a single Union Territory (UT) has received GI tags for seven products at once .

Nigeria joins BRICS

® Nigeria becomes the ninth BRICS partner country. ® The other partner countries are Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan.