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Daily Current Affairs: 4 February 2025

Current affairs of 4 February 2025: US Withdrawal from WHO: Funding Impact and Reasons; Panama Exits China’s Belt and Road Initiative; US Tariffs on Canada, Mexico, China and India’s Options, and 11 more topics. Key facts for every exam, with a quiz.

Take the quiz (10 questions)February 2025
14 TOPICSDaily CurrentAffairs4 February 2025In focus: US Withdrawal from WHO: Funding…safalsetu.com

In this issue: 14 topics

National Affairs

  1. Mission 3000: Railways’ 3,000 mt Freight Target by 2030

Banking & Finance

  1. Budget 2025-26 Financial Sector Reforms: Insurance FDI, RRBs, KCC
  2. RBI Holds ₹1 Trillion Maturing Bonds: Borrowing Target Rises
  3. MPC and Budget 2025-26: Will RBI Cut Rates Under Malhotra?
  4. 100% FDI in Insurance: Benefits and Distribution Hurdles

Economy

  1. Viksit Bharat 2047 and the Platform-Based Economy
  2. India’s Revised Model Bilateral Investment Treaty Explained
  3. Rupee Below 87 Per Dollar: Causes and Effects

International Affairs

  1. US Withdrawal from WHO: Funding Impact and Reasons
  2. Panama Exits China’s Belt and Road Initiative
  3. US Tariffs on Canada, Mexico, China and India’s Options

Environment & Ecology

  1. Clean Energy Transition: Funding, PLIs and Coal Reliance
  2. Forest Conservation Norms: SC on Compensatory Afforestation

Reports & Indexes

  1. HSBC India Manufacturing PMI Hits 57.7 in January 2025

National Affairs

Banking & Finance

Economy

5. 100% FDI in Insurance: Benefits and Distribution Hurdles

  • The government is moving to raise the FDI limit in insurance to 100% to attract global insurers and capital.
  • IRDAI's goal is Insurance for All by 2047, which needs more capital in the sector.
  • FDI inflow was Rs 27,379 crore since FY21 even after the cap was raised to 74%.
  • Foreign insurers face a bancassurance-led life market and an agency-led non-life market, plus restructuring of JVs.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Economy

Economy

6. Viksit Bharat 2047 and the Platform-Based Economy

  • A platform is an elastic system where many buyers, sellers and service providers interact, encouraging innovation and quick adaptation.
  • India's digital payments and ONDC are cited as platform-model examples.
  • Suggested policy: link platforms to Digital India and BharatNet, ease FDI limits and relax KYC for small firms.
  • Ombudsmen and transparent redressal are proposed to build customer trust.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›
Economy

7. India’s Revised Model Bilateral Investment Treaty Explained

  • The Finance Minister announced a revised model Bilateral Investment Treaty to attract more foreign direct investment.
  • India ended BITs with more than 75 countries between 2016 and 2021 after adverse retrospective-tax rulings.
  • The 2016 model excluded MFN and fair and equitable treatment, and kept tax disputes outside its scope.
  • Investors had to exhaust local remedies for five years before seeking arbitration.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›
Economy

8. Rupee Below 87 Per Dollar: Causes and Effects

  • The rupee closed at a record low beyond ₹87 per US dollar in early February 2025.
  • Foreign institutional investors pulled out $11 billion from Indian markets since October 2024.
  • The RBI sold $3.3 billion of forex reserves over seven weeks to curb volatility.
  • India's trade deficit rose to $188 billion, an 18% jump from FY24.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

International Affairs

International Relations

9. US Withdrawal from WHO: Funding Impact and Reasons

  • On 20 January 2025 President Trump announced US exit from WHO, citing bias towards China and mishandling of COVID-19.
  • The US was WHO's largest donor, about 15% of its overall budget since 2016-17.
  • Gates Foundation (12.9%), GAVI (9.91%), European Commission (8.06%) and World Bank (5.34%) are other big 2024-25 contributors.
  • The US hosts the most WHO collaborating centres (79), followed by India and China.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Environment & Ecology

Reports & Indexes

Test yourself

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