Daily Current Affairs for UPSC IAS: 22nd February 2025

Gulf of Tonkin:

Vietnam’s foreign ministry published a map defining its baseline claim in the Gulf of Tonkin.

• Gulf of Tonkin is referred as “Beibu Gulf”in Chinese and “Bac Bo Gulf” in Vietnamese.
• It is a crescent-shaped, shallow, semi-enclosed water body situated off South China and Northern Vietnam coasts in the South China Sea’s northwestern portion.
• It is bordered by the northern coastline of Vietnam in the west and northwest; by China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in the north; and by the Leizhou Peninsula and Hainan Island in the east.
• It is connected with the South China Sea via the gulf’s mouth in the south and the Hainan Strait in the northeast.
• Many rivers empty into the Gulf of Tonkin, with the Red River supplying the major riverine discharge along with some smaller rivers along the northern and western coastal areas.
• In Northern Vietnam, the gulf’s main ports include Haiphong and Ben Thuy, whereas, in China, its major port is Beihai (Pakhoi).

Purchasing Managers’ Index:

India’s Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose for first time after three quarters.

• It is an indicator of business activity – both in the manufacturing and services sectors.
• It is a survey-based measure that asks the respondents about changes in their perception of some key business variables from the month before.
• It is calculated separately for the manufacturing and services sectors and then a composite index is constructed.
• The index helps in determining whether the market conditions, as seen by purchasing managers, is expanding, contracting or staying the same.
• There are two types of PMI — Manufacturing PMI and Services PMI.
• PMI data for India is released by S&P Global, a global major in financial information and analytics.

Palamu Tiger Reserve:

For the first time in Jharkhand, the tiger which had vacated its haunt in the Palamu Tiger Reserve (PTR) and wandered off into the Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary in Jharkhand and West Bengal’s Purulia a few months back will be brought back to its native territory

• It is located in the Chhota Nagpur plateau region of Jharkhand.
• The reserve forms a part of the Betla National Park.
• It is one of the first 9 tiger reserves created in the country at the inception of ‘Project Tiger’.
• It is the first reserve in the world in which a tiger census was carried out as a pugmark count, as early as 1932 under the supervision of J.W. Nicholson
• Three rivers namely North Koyal, Auranga and Burha flow through the valleys of the PTR.
• The area is drought-prone with Burha being the only perennial river.
• The Reserve is very rich in minerals like Bauxite and Coal.
• It is primarily dominated by Northern Tropical Dry Deciduous, Sal Forest and its associates.
• Smaller patches of Northern tropical Moist Deciduous forests exist too in the Reserve.

Extinction Filtering:

Recent study finds that human activities outside protected areas are driving biodiversity loss and extinction filtering is affecting sensitive species.

• It is the process where species sensitive to human disturbance disappear, leaving only those that can survive in degraded landscapes.
• It predicts that species that have evolved and survived in high-disturbance environments should be more likely to persist in the face of new disturbances, including those of habitat loss and fragmentation
• It results in a less diverse and more uniform mix of species in tropical forests.
• Over time, this weakens entire ecosystems and reduces their ability to recover from environmental changes.
• The recent study suggests the existence of anthropogenic extinction filtering acting on mammals in tropical forests, whereby human overpopulation has driven the most sensitive species to local extinction while remaining ones are able to persist.
• The problem of “extinction filtering” is not unique to tropical forests. Across the world, human activities are affecting wildlife inside protected areas.

Perovskite Nanocrystal:

Researchers at the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS) in Bengaluru have developed an innovative method to minimize anion migration in CsPbX₃ perovskite nanocrystals.

• It is a material that has the same crystal structure as the mineral calcium titanium oxide (CaTiO3).
• Generally, perovskite compounds have a chemical formula ABX3, where ‘A’ and ‘B’ represent cations, and X is an anion that bonds to both.
• A large number of different elements can be combined together to form perovskite structures.
• Due to its compositional flexibility, scientists can design perovskite crystals to have a wide variety of physical, optical and electrical characteristics from insulating, semiconducting, metallic and superconducting characteristics.
• They have applications in various fields of optoelectronics, including photovoltaic solar cells, photodetectors, light-emitting devices,
• Perovskite LEDs, which combine the advantages of OLEDs and QLEDs, have long been considered a promising technology for next-generation lighting.

Asperger’s Syndrome:

On the occasion of International Asperger’s Day, the National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (NIEPID) organized various programmes to raise awareness and promote inclusivity for individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome.

• Asperger’s Syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder within the family of autism spectrum disorder.
• It is characterized by impaired social communication and interaction, average or superior intelligence, and no significant language delay.
• It was first described by Hans Asperger in 1944 as the behavioral characterization of individuals with difficulties in communication and social interaction.
• The symptoms of Asperger Syndrome typically manifest in early childhood and can persist into adulthood.
• These symptoms often vary in severity and can include: Social Difficulties, Repetitive Behaviors, Communication Challenges, Motor Coordination Difficulties.
• It also includes engaging in one-sided, long-winded conversations, without noticing if the listener is listening or trying to change the subject and displaying unusual nonverbal communication, such as lack of eye contact, few facial expressions, or awkward body postures and gestures.
• Causes of Asperger Syndrome: Doctors and researchers do not understand what causes Asperger’s syndrome.
• The core signs of Asperger’s syndrome can’t be cured. But most children benefit from early specialised interventions that focus on behavior management and social skills training.

Jhumoir Binandini Dance:

Prime Minister of India will attend the Jhumoir Binandini (Mega Jhumoir) 2025, a spectacular cultural extravaganza with 8,000 performers participating in the Jhumoir dance.

• Jhumoir Binandini Dance is also known as Jhumur, is a traditional folk dance performed by the Adivasi tea tribes of Assam during the harvest season.
• It is accompanied by traditional instruments like the Madal, Dhol, Taal and Flute.
• The dance is performed to celebrate various occasions, including harvest festivals, weddings, and community gatherings.
• It is performed by both men and women, who dance in a circular formation, holding each other’s waists.
• The dance is characterized by rhythmic footwork, swaying movements, and lively music.
• The traditional attire for Jhumur dance includes colorful sarees for women and dhotis and kurtas for men.

RBI Penalties:

The RBI has imposed penalties on Citibank (₹39 lakh), Asirvad Micro Finance (₹6.20 lakh), and JM Financial Home Loans (₹1.50 lakh) for regulatory violations. Citibank failed to report large exposure breaches on time and delayed credit data corrections.According to the central bank, these financial institutions were found violating guidelines related to large exposures, credit information reporting, and disclosure requirements. The penalties were issued following an inspection of their financial positions as of March 31, 2023.

Sunil Mittal Receives Honorary Knighthood from UK:

Sunil Bharti Mittal, the founder and chairman of Bharti Enterprises, has been honored with an Honorary Knighthood (KBE) for his significant contributions to strengthening India-UK business ties. He was awarded the Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE).This honor was conferred under King Charles III, making him the first Indian citizen to receive it during the new monarch’s reign. Mittal has played a key role in enhancing trade and investment between the two nations, contributing significantly through Airtel Africa, Eutelsat OneWeb, and his leadership in the India-UK CEO Forum.

Saurav Ghosal Marks Triumphant Return with Sydney Title:

Indian squash icon Saurav Ghosal made a remarkable comeback from retirement by securing the Octane Sydney Classic title. The former World No. 10 had stepped away from the Professional Squash Association (PSA) Tour in April 2023 but remained determined to continue representing India.

SEBI Fines Axis Securities ₹10 Lakh for Rule Violations:

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has imposed a fine of ₹10 lakh on Axis Securities for multiple violations of stockbroker regulations. The regulatory action follows an inspection covering the period from April 2021 to November 2022. SEBI found several lapses in compliance, including misreporting, improper handling of client funds, and failure to address customer grievances.

RBI to Inject $10 Billion Through Forex Swap to Ease Liquidity Crunch:

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced a $10 billion foreign exchange (forex) swap to inject liquidity into the banking system and address the prevailing cash crunch. The three-year swap auction is scheduled for February 28, 2025. This move follows a previous $5 billion forex swap last month, highlighting the central bank’s commitment to stabilizing liquidity. The banking sector has been facing one of the worst liquidity shortfalls in over a decade, partly due to RBI’s aggressive dollar sales to shield the rupee from volatility.

First Astronaut with Disability Cleared for ISS Mission:

The European Space Agency (ESA) has medically cleared British astronaut John McFall, a former Paralympian with a prosthetic leg, for long-duration missions to the International Space Station (ISS). This historic decision marks a significant milestone in making space exploration more inclusive.