News In Short-22-02-2025

Jhumoir Binandini Dance

Syllabus: GS 1/Art and Culture 

In News

• More than 8,000 artists from tea garden areas across Assam will participate in a spectacular performance of the traditional Jhumoir dance.

About Jhumoir Binandini dance 

• It is a traditional folk dance performed primarily by the Adivasi tea tribes during the harvest season. 
• It is accompanied by traditional instruments like the Madal, Dhol, Taal and Flute.
• It involves performers standing in rows, holding each other’s waists and swaying rhythmically while singing couplets and clapping hands.
•  The dance is a celebration of community, culture and the rich heritage of the tea tribes.

Source :TH

Pro-tem Speaker

Syllabus: GS2/Polity

Context

• Arvinder Singh Lovely has been appointed as the Pro-tem Speaker of the Delhi Assembly.

About

• A Pro Tem Speaker is a temporary speaker appointed to preside over the proceedings of the Lok Sabha or the Legislative Assembly of a state.
  • Appointed typically during the initial phase of the first session after a general election or during special circumstances when the Speaker’s office is vacant.
• Role: Performs the functions of the Speaker, including administering the oath to newly elected members, conducting the election of the new Speaker, and ensuring smooth parliamentary proceedings in the interim.
• Appointment: The President/Governor appoints the Pro Tem Speaker, usually from among the senior-most members of the House.
• Duration: The Pro Tem Speaker serves for a very short period, generally until the new Speaker is elected.
• The Constitution does not mention the post. However, the official ‘Handbook on the Working of Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs’ speaks about the ‘Appointment and Swearing in of Speaker pro tem’.

Source: ET

USD-INR Swap Deal

Syllabus: GS 3/Economy 

In News

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) decided to inject liquidity into the system through a $10 billion dollar-rupee buy-sell swap arrangement.

Background 

• India’s banking system faced a severe liquidity crunch in January 2025, with a deficit of Rs 3.15 lakh crore, its worst in over a decade.
• The deficit was caused by tax outflows, GST payments, and RBI forex interventions to stabilize the rupee.
• This led to higher dependence on market borrowing by banks and higher interbank call money rates.

Dollar-rupee buy-sell swap arrangement.

• It is a forex tool used by the central bank to manage currency liquidity.
• The RBI conducts a buy-sell foreign exchange swap where a bank sells US dollars to the RBI and agrees to buy the same amount after the swap period.
• The first leg of the transaction involves the sale of dollars to RBI, with rupee funds credited to the bidder’s account.
• In the reverse leg, the bank returns the rupee funds and pays a swap premium to get dollars back.

Importance 

• The swap mechanism helps stabilize the rupee by providing immediate liquidity support.
• It prevents excessive volatility in exchange rates and strengthens market confidence.
• The swap also increases the RBI’s dollar reserves to stabilize the rupee amid foreign fund outflows.
• The recent move  aims to provide a durable solution to liquidity issues, stabilize the rupee, and boost India’s foreign exchange reserves.

Do you know ? – Over the last five weeks, the RBI injected over Rs 3.6 lakh crore of liquidity through debt purchases, forex swaps, and longer-duration repos. – The RBI took several measures, including variable rate repo (VRR) auctions, a $5 billion swap, open market operations (OMO), and a VRR auction in February to address liquidity tightness.

Source :TH

Bharat Tech Triumph Program

Syllabus: GS3/ Economy

In Context

• The Bharat Tech Triumph Program is a significant initiative aimed at fostering India’s digital and online gaming industry.

Key Highlights

• Launched by: Interactive Entertainment and Innovation Council (IEIC), in partnership with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB).
• Objective: To identify and showcase India’s gaming talent on the global stage.
• Significance: Provides Indian innovators a global platform to highlight their expertise.
  • Expands India’s presence in the international gaming industry.
  • Encourages technological advancements and innovations in the gaming sector.

Source: PIB

Vulture Population Increases

Syllabus: GS 3/Environment 

In News

• Madhya Pradesh now has the highest number of vultures in India, with a population of 12,981 vultures, as per the recent state-level census.

About Vultures

• Vultures are large, social raptors that live on every continent except Antarctica and Australia.
• They live predominantly in the tropics and subtropics.
• There are 23 species of vultures found in the world out of which 9 species are found in India.
• Nine species and their IUCN Status: 

Importance  

• They  are nature’s efficient scavengers and play a crucial role in the ecosystem by removing carrion, such as cattle carcasses, keeping the environment clean.
• They are the primary natural animal disposal system in India. 
• A decrease in vulture population can lead to an increase in rats and feral dogs, raising the risk of disease spread.

Source: AIR

Saturn’s Rings 

Syllabus: GS3/ Science and technology

Context

• The age and formation of the saturn rings have been a subject of ongoing debate among scientists.

About Saturn

• Saturn, is the second-largest planet in the Solar System and the 6th closest planet to the sun.
• Saturn’s rings are composed mainly of water ice, with a minor component of rocky material.
• Moons of Saturn: As of February 2025, Saturn has 146 moons, more than any other planet.
  • Titan: The largest moon of Saturn, larger than Mercury and Pluto.
  • Enceladus: Has a global ocean under an icy shell.
  • Mimas: Has a large crater that’s a quarter of the moon’s diameter.
  • Shepherd moons: Orbit in or near Saturn’s rings, using their gravity to keep the rings stable

Space Missions in Saturn’s Study

• Pioneer 11 provided the first close-up images of Saturn and its rings in 1979.
• Voyager 1 & 2 provided detailed observations of the ring system and discovered several new moons during 1980-1981.
• Cassini-Huygens was a joint mission by NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Italian Space Agency (ASI) to study Saturn and its moons.
  • The mission included a spacecraft called Cassini and a probe called Huygens.
  • In 2004 the Cassini spacecraft reached Saturn and the Huygens probe landed on Titan. They studied the planet, its moons, and rings until 2017.
• James Webb Space Telescope (JWST): The Webb telescope continues to capture high-resolution images of Saturn’s rings, aiding in further understanding of their structure and evolution.

Source: TH

Vienna Convention

Syllabus: GS2/IR

Context

• The Ministry of External Affairs has asked Kenya to revoke the immunity of a Kenyan diplomat’s son so that he can be prosecuted for the alleged sexual assault of a minor girl.

About

• The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations is a key international treaty that governs the conduct of diplomacy between independent states. 
• It was adopted in 1961, and came into force in 1964. 
• It provides a framework for the functioning of diplomatic missions, the protection of diplomats, and the maintenance of peaceful relations between states.
• Privileges and Immunities:  Diplomats cannot be arrested or detained and are exempt from the jurisdiction of the host country’s courts in most cases.
  • Family members of a diplomat who live with them and are not citizens of the host country receive the same immunity as the diplomat.
  • The immunity can only be waived by the sending country.
• Responsibilities of Diplomats: 
  • While diplomats enjoy privileges, they must also respect the laws and regulations of the host country. 
  • Any actions that are inconsistent with the diplomatic purpose can lead to the recall or expulsion of the diplomat.

Source: IE

Also Read: Vienna Convention on Protection of Ozone Layer

Time’s Women Of The Year 2025 List

Syllabus: Miscellaneous

Context

• A biologist from Assam, Purnima Devi Barman, was featured on the Time’s Women Of The Year 2025 list.

About

• Purnima Devi Barman is the only Indian woman on Time’s 2025 Women of the Year list.
  • The list includes notable women such as actress Nicole Kidman and Gisele Pelicot, a survivor of sexual violence who became an advocate for the cause.
• In 2007, Barman’s intervened to save a tree home to greater adjutant storks in Assam, inspired by the birds’ vulnerability.
  • She found the Hargila Army, a group of 20,000 women who protect the storks’ nests and educate about their conservation.
  • The population of greater adjutant storks in Assam grew from 450 in 2007 to over 1,800 in 2023, with the bird’s conservation status improved from “endangered” to “near threatened.”
• Time’s Women of the Year is an annual recognition by Time magazine that highlights women making significant changes in the face of challenges like gender violence, climate issues, and women’s rights.

Source: TM