8 February 2025

• Delhi results: BJP won 48 of 70 seats, ending 10 years of AAP rule. Arvind Kejriwal lost his New Delhi seat to Parvesh Verma.
• Solar energy: India crossed 100 GW of installed solar capacity in January 2025. A 3,450 per cent increase from 2.82 GW in 2014.
• Olive Ridley turtles: Over 1,200 carcasses found in Tamil Nadu and over 2,000 in Andhra Pradesh. Bottom trawling identified as the primary cause.
• Quantum computing: University of Oxford linked two quantum computers via quantum teleportation.

GS area: Polity (elections)

The results were declared on February 8. The BJP won 48 of the 70 assembly seats and ended its 27-year absence from power in Delhi. AAP won 22 seats. Congress won zero. Noteworthy individual results:

• Arvind Kejriwal lost his New Delhi constituency to BJP's Parvesh Verma.
• Manish Sisodia (former Deputy CM) also lost.
• The turnout recorded on February 5 was 60.54 per cent.

Constitutional context for exam purposes:

• 69th Amendment Act 1991: Granted Delhi its special status as a National Capital Territory and inserted Article 239AA.
• Cabinet cap: 7 ministers (10 per cent of 70 seats).
• Rekha Gupta (MLA from Shalimar Bagh) was sworn in as Chief Minister on 20 February 2025, becoming the second woman to hold that office in Delhi.

The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act 1991 and subsequent Supreme Court judgments define the LG-CM power sharing.

Static linkage: Polity (elections, union territories).

GS area: Economy (energy), Environment

India crossed 100 GW of installed solar capacity in January 2025. Key data points:

• Growth rate: 3,450 per cent increase from 2.82 GW in 2014.
• 2024 additions: Record 24.5 GW installed in the year; 18.5 GW was utility-scale.
• Leading states by installed capacity: Rajasthan, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
• Solar module production: Surged from 2 GW in 2014 to 60 GW in 2024.
• PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana (2024): Nearly 9 lakh rooftop installations completed.
• National target: 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030. Solar is the backbone of this target.

India is the fourth-largest solar market globally after China, the US and Germany.

Static linkage: Energy (Indian economy, environment and ecology).

GS area: Environment (biodiversity)

Over 1,200 carcasses were found on Tamil Nadu beaches in January 2025 and over 2,000 in Andhra Pradesh:

• Scientific name: Lepidochelys olivacea.
• IUCN status: Vulnerable.
• Characteristics: Smallest sea turtle species. Weighs up to 45 kilograms. Heart-shaped, olive-green shell. Known for mass nesting called arribada.
• Nesting season: November to April. Odisha's Gahirmatha coast hosts one of the world's largest mass nesting sites.
• Primary threat: Illegal bottom trawling and gill nets without Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs). TEDs are mandatory in Indian fishing regulations but poorly enforced.
• Protected status: Schedule I under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972.

Static linkage: Marine biodiversity (environment and ecology).

GS area: Polity (Parliament)

Opposition MPs introduced Private Member Bills seeking a minimum of 100 to 120 parliamentary sittings per year. Key constitutional and factual context:

• Constitutional provision: Articles 85 and 174 require Parliament (and state legislatures) to meet at least twice a year with no more than six months between sessions. There is no minimum number of days mandated.
• 17th Lok Sabha record: Lowest full-term sitting of any Lok Sabha: 274 days across five years.
• International comparison: UK Parliament sits 150 to 160 days per year; US Congress 133 to 140 days; Canada 130 to 140 days.
• Productivity concern: 44 per cent of Bills in 2023 were passed within a single day without substantive debate.

Static linkage: Parliament (Polity).

GS area: Science and Technology

The University of Oxford successfully linked two quantum computers via quantum teleportation. What to understand for prelims:

• Quantum entanglement: A phenomenon in which two particles become correlated such that the state of one instantly affects the other regardless of distance.
• What was teleported: Not physical matter or classical information. Quantum gates (operations) were teleported between two nodes, enabling distributed quantum computation.
• Significance: This is the foundational step for a quantum internet that would allow unbreakable encryption and globally distributed quantum computing.
• Applications: Drug discovery, materials science, AI acceleration and secure communications.

Static linkage: Science and technology (quantum computing).

GS area: International Relations (defence)

The Theatre Level Operational Readiness Exercise (TROPEX-25) is the Indian Navy's biennial readiness drill:

• Duration: January to March 2025.
• Location: Indian Ocean Region.
• Participants: Indian Navy (lead), Army, Air Force and Coast Guard.
• Focus areas: Anti-submarine warfare, cyber and electronic warfare, live firings, amphibious operations.

India's maritime doctrine describes the Indian Ocean as India's strategic backyard. TROPEX is the largest exercise the Navy conducts and tests joint inter-service integration.

Static linkage: Internal security and defence (international relations).

• bank.in domain: RBI announced that all Indian banks must migrate to the bank.in domain by April 2025. This combats phishing and financial fraud. RBI also plans a fin.in domain for broader financial services. The additional factor of authentication (AFA) for international card transactions is a companion measure.
• Deportation of Indian nationals: 104 Indian nationals were deported on US military aircraft from the US in early February. 487 identified for removal. Human rights concerns over deportees travelling in shackles.
• Sarandí Stream, Argentina: Turned crimson red in February 2025. Suspected cause: aniline (a toxic dye chemical). The stream flows into the Río de la Plata, the large estuary between Argentina and Uruguay.