20 February 2025

• Delhi: Rekha Gupta sworn in as Chief Minister of Delhi. Second woman to hold the office.
• Maritime safety: IALA (International Association of Aids to Marine Navigation) became an intergovernmental organisation in August 2024. India elected Vice President.
• Quantum computing: Microsoft unveiled Majorana 1, first chip using Majorana particles and topoconductors.
• India-China: External Affairs Minister Jaishankar met Chinese FM Wang Yi in Johannesburg. Border normalisation progress reviewed.

GS area: Polity (elections, governance)

Rekha Gupta (MLA from Shalimar Bagh) took oath as Chief Minister of Delhi on February 20:

• Significance: Second woman to serve as Delhi's Chief Minister. Sushma Swaraj was the first (1998).
• Constitutional basis: Chief Minister of Delhi is appointed by the President (not the Governor as in a full state) because Delhi is an NCT. The Lieutenant Governor acts on behalf of the President.
• BJP's victory: Won 48 of 70 seats on February 8 results. First Delhi government for the BJP in 27 years.
• 69th Amendment 1991: Established the GNCT framework that created the LG-CM power-sharing structure.

Static linkage: Polity (union territories, elections).

GS area: International Relations (maritime)

The International Association of Aids to Marine Navigation (IALA) formally became an Intergovernmental Organisation (IGO) on August 22, 2024:

• Founded: 1957. Operated as an NGO for decades.
• IGO transition: Required ratification by 34 states to convert to IGO status.
• Headquarters: Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France.
• India's role: Elected Vice President of IALA. India will host the IALA Council meeting in December 2025 and the main Conference in Mumbai in September 2027.
• Functions: Standardises maritime navigation aids (buoys, lighthouses, vessel traffic services) globally to ensure safe and predictable vessel movement.

Navigation aids (buoys and lighthouses) use an internationally standardised colour and shape system that IALA developed. This standardisation prevents maritime accidents in international waters.

Static linkage: International organisations, maritime (International Relations).

GS area: Science and Technology

Microsoft unveiled the Majorana 1 quantum computing chip:

• Innovation: First chip using Majorana particles (exotic quantum states) and topoconductors (a new class of materials).
• Error resistance: Majorana-based qubits are inherently more stable and error-resistant than conventional superconducting qubits.
• Scale: Each qubit is approximately 1/100th of a millimetre in size. The chip is designed to scale to one million qubits.
• Partners: DARPA validated the technology. The chip is a finalist in the US2QC (US Quantum Computing Advantage) programme.
• Applications: Drug discovery, energy grid optimisation, materials science and cybersecurity.

For comparison: Google's Willow quantum chip (2024) uses superconducting qubits. IBM's quantum roadmap targets error correction through different approaches.

Static linkage: Science and Technology (quantum computing).

GS area: Governance, Social Justice

UGC data on ragging in higher education:

• Complaint surge: 208 per cent increase in ragging complaints from 2012 to 2022.
• UGC regulatory tool: Clause 9.4 of the UGC Regulations on Curbing Ragging 2009 allows de-recognition and funding cuts for non-compliant institutions.
• Penalties on perpetrators: Suspension, expulsion and blacklisting.
• IPC provisions: Sections 323 (assault), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 509 (words or gestures intended to insult modesty).
• IT Act 2000: Applies when online platforms are used for ragging.

The UGC (University Grants Commission) is a statutory body established under the UGC Act 1956. It coordinates, determines and maintains university education standards.

Static linkage: Governance (education, social justice).

GS area: International Relations

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of a multilateral meeting in Johannesburg:

• Border progress: Troop disengagement in eastern Ladakh was completed in November 2024. The February 2025 meeting reviewed next steps.
• Issues discussed: LAC (Line of Actual Control) border management mechanisms, resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, restoration of flight connectivity between India and China, and trans-border river data sharing.
• Platforms: G-20, SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation) and BRICS were cited as frameworks for continued engagement.

India-China relations had been deeply strained since the Galwan clash of June 2020 in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed. The November 2024 disengagement restored patrolling access to friction points.

Static linkage: International relations (India-China, border).

GS area: International Relations, Economy

The 9th Asia Economic Dialogue (AED) was held in Pune:

• Dates: February 20 to 22, 2025.
• Location: Pune, Maharashtra.
• Organisers: Ministry of External Affairs and Pune International Centre.
• Theme: "Economic Resilience and Resurgence in an Era of Fragmentation."
• Participating countries: Japan, Australia, Egypt, Indonesia, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Netherlands among others.
• Focus topics: AI, cybersecurity, African economic transformation, MSMEs, climate finance and the international monetary system.

The AED is India's premier geopolitical-economic dialogue track. Its focus on fragmentation reflects the world economy's bifurcation between US-aligned and China-aligned trade blocs.

Static linkage: International relations, economy (multilateral dialogue).

GS area: History, Art and Culture

A 900-year-old Kannada inscription from the Kalyani Chalukya period was discovered in Vikarabad, Telangana:

• Period: 10th to 12th centuries CE.
• Founder: Tailapa II, who defeated the Rashtrakutas in 973 CE.
• Capital: Kalyani (modern-day Bidar, Karnataka).
• Territory: Deccan Plateau covering Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
• Notable rulers: Vikramaditya VI (1076-1126 CE) and Someswara I and III.
• Architectural style: Vesara and Karnata-Dravida styles. Famous temples include the Mahadeva Temple at Itagi and Kasivisvesvara Temple at Lakkundi (both in Karnataka).

The discovered inscriptions dated to 1129-1132 CE (confirming Kalyani Chalukya administrative reach).

Static linkage: Medieval Indian history, art and culture.

• Maldives geography: Located in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Sri Lanka, approximately 750 km from mainland Asia. 1,190 coral islands in 27 atolls. Capital: Malé. Language: Dhivehi. The equator passes through Maldives. The IMF warned Maldives on fiscal consolidation needs in February 2025.
• CDRI Global Infrastructure Resilience Report: The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure estimates a 9.2 trillion US dollar annual investment gap for resilient infrastructure by 2050. CDRI is an international organisation co-founded by India.
• Digital Brand Identity Manual: MeitY launched the DBIM to harmonise the digital footprint of Government of India websites. Includes STQC certification requirements for government web portals.