Daily Current Affairs- 2nd February 2025

Daily Current Affairs-2nd February 2025

INTERNATIONAL

Netanyahu appoints Major General Eyal Zamir as new Chief of Staff of Israel Defense Forces

• Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has appointed Major General Eyal Zamir as the new Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Zamir, who will take office on the 6th of March, replaces Lt Gen Herzi Halevi following his resignation last month. Halevi stepped down last month, taking responsibility for the failure to prevent the 7th October 2023 attack on Israel. With this announcement, Zamir has become the 24th Chief of Staff of IDF.

NATIONAL

India with 89 Sites has the largest number of Ramsar sites in Asia

• The government of India has added four new wetland sites Sakkarakottai Bird Sanctuary and Therthangal Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu, Khecheopalri Wetland in Sikkim, and Udhwa Lake in Jharkhand- to the Ramsar Wetlands Site. The number of Ramsar sites in the country is now 89 and India has the highest number of Ramsar sites in Asia ahead of China (82 sites)/ After the United Kingdom(175 sites) and Mexico (142), India has the third-largest number of Ramsar sites in the world.

The inaugural edition of the Indian Navy Half Marathon to be held on Feb 2

• The Indian Navy will host the inaugural edition of the Indian Navy Half Marathon (INHM), on 02 Feb 2025 at New Delhi Over ten thousand participants are expected to compete across three race categories: 21.1 km, 10 km and 5 km runs, making it an inclusive event for runners of all calibres and backgrounds. This landmark event is being organised in partnership with IDFC FIRST Bank.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Meenaxi Rawat (IES) gets an additional charge as GAIL CVO

• The Central Government has assigned the additional charge of GAIL (India) Limited's Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) post to Meenaxi Rawat (IES). Rawat is an Indian Economic Service Officer of the 1993 batch in the rank of Additional Secretary in the Government of India. Presently, she is serving as the CVO of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), Mumbai.

Samir Chandra Saxena is set to be the next CMD of Grid-India

• Samir Chandra Saxena is set to be the next Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) of Grid Controller of India Limited (Grid-India), a PSU under the Ministry of Power. He has been recommended for the post by the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) Panel.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Wetlands Day

• World Wetlands Day is celebrated on February 2nd each year to commemorate the signing of the Convention on Wetlands in 1971. The day was established in 1997 by the Ramsar Convention.

SUMMITS & MOUs

India to Host BRICS Youth Entrepreneurship Meet in March 2025

• India is set to host the BRICS Youth Council Entrepreneurship Working Group Meeting from March 3 to 7, 2025, under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. This event, themed “Youth Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Growth,” will bring together around 45 youth representatives from BRICS nations—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—to strengthen cooperation in entrepreneurship and innovation

BANKING AND ECONOMY

RBI fines Equitas SFB and India Post Payments Bank for compliance lapses

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed penalties on Equitas Small Finance Bank and India Post Payments Bank for deficiencies in regulatory compliances.
• RBI has imposed a penalty of Rs 65 lakh on Equitas Small Finance Bank for non-compliance with certain directions on 'Levy of Foreclosure Charges/Pre-payment Penalty on Floating Rate Term Loans' and 'Credit Flow to Agriculture -- Collateral free agricultural loans', and A penalty of Rs 26.70 lakh has been imposed on India Post Payments Bank Ltd for non-compliance with certain directions on 'Customer Service in Banks', it said in another statement.