Daily Current Affairs: 27 February 2025

Current affairs of 27 February 2025: US-Ukraine Economic Deal: Rare Earths and Security Guarantees; EU-India Relations: von der Leyen’s Visit with 21 Commissioners; CBAM and EU Deforestation Rules: India’s Concerns, and 10 more topics. Key facts for every exam, with a quiz.

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In this issue: 13 topics

National Affairs

DPDP Act Section 9(1) and Guardian Consent for Disabled Adults

Government Schemes

Maternity Benefits: PMMVY Gaps and State Models

Banking & Finance

RBI Eases Risk Weights for Bank Loans to NBFCs

Economy

RBI Study: Capex Multiplier, Fiscal Limits and Populism Risk

International Affairs

US-Ukraine Economic Deal: Rare Earths and Security Guarantees
EU-India Relations: von der Leyen’s Visit with 21 Commissioners
CBAM and EU Deforestation Rules: India’s Concerns
UK-India Trade Ties: 17 Deals and Insurance FDI Opening
India-Australia Economic Roadmap: Four Superhighways of Growth

Agriculture & Rural

Ethanol Blending Programme: Benefits and Pollution Concerns
Project Farm Vibes: Microsoft AI for Baramati Farmers

Environment & Ecology

Coal Power Plant NO₂ Emissions and Crop Yield Losses
Project Parali: Roots Foundation Ends Stubble Burning in Haryana

National Affairs

Polity & Governance

1. DPDP Act Section 9(1) and Guardian Consent for Disabled Adults

Section 9(1) of the DPDP Act, 2023 requires guardian consent to process personal data of persons with disabilities.
The National Trust Act, 1999 allows full guardianship, but the RPWD Act, 2016 provides limited guardianship with supported decision-making.
A PACTA-Saksham survey found 27.4% of PwDs had legal guardians, yet most ran their own affairs.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Government Schemes

2. Maternity Benefits: PMMVY Gaps and State Models

NFSA 2013 promises ₹6,000 per child to pregnant women in the unorganised sector; PMMVY pays only ₹5,000.
PMMVY spending in 2023-24 fell to ₹870 crore, about one-third of five years earlier; only 9% of pregnant women benefited.
Tamil Nadu pays ₹18,000 and Odisha ₹10,000 per child, with far higher coverage.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Banking & Finance

Economy

3. RBI Eases Risk Weights for Bank Loans to NBFCs

RBI reversed the risk weight increase on commercial bank loans to NBFCs from 1 April 2025.
NBFCs make up 9% of total bank credit, with bank exposure near ₹13 trillion.
The move fits RBI's liquidity push under Governor Sanjay Malhotra, including a repo cut and bond purchases.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Economy

4. RBI Study: Capex Multiplier, Fiscal Limits and Populism Risk

Capex has a larger and longer-lasting growth effect than revenue expenditure, says the RBI study.
Capex-to-GDP reached 2.2% in 2003-08 and is budgeted at 4.6% in 2024-25.
High general government debt and weak private investment remain concerns.
State-level populist schemes threaten fiscal gains.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

International Affairs

Economy

5. US-Ukraine Economic Deal: Rare Earths and Security Guarantees

The US and Ukraine drafted an initial economic mechanism to deepen bilateral ties.
It gives the US access to Ukraine's rare earths used in defence, EV batteries and semiconductors.
An investment fund would draw Western private capital for reconstruction.
Kyiv wants the final deal to include clear US security guarantees.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

International Relations

6. EU-India Relations: von der Leyen’s Visit with 21 Commissioners

Ursula von der Leyen visited India with 21 EU commissioners, the largest EU delegation to India so far.
The visit fell on the third anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The BTIA, relaunched in 2022, is stalled over tariffs on cars, wine and spirits.
The next BTIA round is set for Brussels, March 10-14.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Environment & Ecology

7. CBAM and EU Deforestation Rules: India’s Concerns

The EU's CBAM carbon tax on imports applies in full from January 1, 2026.
From December 30, 2025 exports to the EU must prove they were not grown on land deforested after December 31, 2020.
India calls CBAM a non-market entry barrier and wants a transition period and FTA safeguards.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Economy

8. UK-India Trade Ties: 17 Deals and Insurance FDI Opening

UK Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds and Investment Minister Poppy Gustafsson visited India.
The UK announced 17 new export and investment agreements, though details were pending.
FDI in insurance was raised from 74% to 100%, opening room for British insurers.
Over 950 Indian firms operate in the UK and 650 UK firms in India, supporting 600,000+ jobs.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Economy

9. India-Australia Economic Roadmap: Four Superhighways of Growth

Australian PM Anthony Albanese unveiled a roadmap focused on four superhighways: clean energy, education and skills, agribusiness and tourism.
A $16 million Australia India Trade and Investment Accelerator Fund was announced.
By 2026, 90% of Australian exports to India and 100% of Indian exports to Australia become tariff-free under ECTA.

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Agriculture & Rural

Agriculture & Rural Development

10. Ethanol Blending Programme: Benefits and Pollution Concerns

India advanced its ethanol blending target from 2030 to 2025; the blend was 15% in 2024.
About 1,016 crore litres of ethanol are needed to meet the 2025-26 target.
A grain-based ethanol plant uses 8 to 12 litres of water per litre of ethanol.
NITI Aayog says 20% blending cuts carbon monoxide by 30% in cars and 50% in two-wheelers.

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Agriculture & Rural Development

11. Project Farm Vibes: Microsoft AI for Baramati Farmers

Project Farm Vibes helps raise crop yield by 40%, cut fertiliser use by 25% and save 50% water.
The Agricultural Development Trust, Baramati, is scaling AI farming to nearly 50,000 farmers with Microsoft.
Sugarcane trials showed 30-40% higher weight and 20% higher sucrose content.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Environment & Ecology

Agriculture & Rural Development

12. Coal Power Plant NO₂ Emissions and Crop Yield Losses

Coal plant emissions, especially NO₂, cut yields by 5-10% in some Indian states, per satellite-based analysis.
Pollution abatement could lift rice and wheat output worth about ₹7,000 crore (~$820 million) a year.
Crop damage per GWh reaches up to $17,370 for wheat and $13,420 for rice.

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Agriculture & Rural Development

13. Project Parali: Roots Foundation Ends Stubble Burning in Haryana

Project Parali has stopped stubble burning on over 3 lakh hectares in Haryana in three years.
It is women-led, reinvesting 80% of income locally.
Its NRCP has reached 10 lakh farmers since 2018.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

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Daily Current Affairs: 27 February 2025

In this issue: 13 topics

National Affairs

1. DPDP Act Section 9(1) and Guardian Consent for Disabled Adults

Government Schemes

2. Maternity Benefits: PMMVY Gaps and State Models

Banking & Finance

3. RBI Eases Risk Weights for Bank Loans to NBFCs

Economy

4. RBI Study: Capex Multiplier, Fiscal Limits and Populism Risk

International Affairs

5. US-Ukraine Economic Deal: Rare Earths and Security Guarantees

6. EU-India Relations: von der Leyen’s Visit with 21 Commissioners

7. CBAM and EU Deforestation Rules: India’s Concerns

8. UK-India Trade Ties: 17 Deals and Insurance FDI Opening

9. India-Australia Economic Roadmap: Four Superhighways of Growth

Agriculture & Rural

10. Ethanol Blending Programme: Benefits and Pollution Concerns

11. Project Farm Vibes: Microsoft AI for Baramati Farmers

Environment & Ecology

12. Coal Power Plant NO₂ Emissions and Crop Yield Losses

13. Project Parali: Roots Foundation Ends Stubble Burning in Haryana

Test yourself