Current affairs 16 February 2025

IIT Kanpur Develops Solar Dehydration for Farmers.

• IIT Kanpur, with the support of NABARD, has introduced solar dehydration technology to preserve agricultural produce, reduce post-harvest losses, and increase farmers' income.
• The technique enables farmers to store fruits and vegetables longer, selling them at peak prices for better profitability.
• Live demonstrations and training sessions were held for farmers under the Namami Gange project.

India Among Top 10 Most Affected by Extreme Weather Events.

• India ranks 6th among the top 10 countries most affected by extreme weather events from 1993-2023, suffering $180 billion in economic losses and 80,000 fatalities.
• Major disasters include floods in 1993, 1998, 2013, and heatwaves in 2002, 2003, 2015.
• Global extreme events caused 765,000 fatalities and $4.2 trillion in losses, equivalent to Germany’s GDP.

NTPC Wins Forward Faster Sustainability Award 2025.

• NTPC Ltd. received the Forward Faster Sustainability Award 2025 in the Water Resilience category from the UN Global Compact Network India (UN GCNI) on 13th February in Chennai.
• The award recognizes NTPC's leadership in water conservation, wastewater treatment, and sustainable water management practices.
• NTPC aims to achieve 60 GW of renewable energy by 2032.

Ayushman Bharat Vay Vandana Scheme Launched in Puducherry.

• Puducherry Lieutenant Governor K. Kailashnathan and Chief Minister N. Rangasamy inaugurated the Ayushman Bharat Vay Vandana Scheme for senior citizens.
• The scheme provides free health insurance coverage of up to ₹5 lakh per year for senior citizens aged 70 and above.
• Healthcare workers were urged to raise awareness to ensure wider benefits for senior citizens.

RBI Appoints Administrator for New India Cooperative Bank.

• RBI appointed Shreekant, former SBI Chief General Manager, as Administrator of New India Cooperative Bank, suspending its Board for 12 months.
• A Committee of Advisors, including Ravindra Sapra and Abhijeet Deshmukh, will oversee daily operations.
• Due to liquidity issues, the bank halted operations, with eligible depositors insured up to ₹5 lakh.