• India’s ace cueist Pankaj Advani clinched the men’s title at the 2025 Asian Snooker Championship in Doha, Qatar, held from February 15 to 21, 2025.
• Men’s Champion: India’s Pankaj Advani clinched his 14th Asian title by defeating Iran’s Amir Sarkosh 4-1 in the final.
• Women’s Champion: Narantuya Bayarsaikhan from Mongolia won the women’s title by defeating Hong Kong’s Ng On Yee in the final.
• Event Categories: The championship featured men’s, women’s, and under-21 events.
• Organizer – ACBS: Organized by the Asian Confederation of Billiards Sports (established 1984), which governs non-professional English billiards and snooker in Asia.
• ACBS Details: Comprises 25 member federations, is headquartered in Doha, Qatar, and is led by President Mohamed Salem Al-Nuaimi.

The 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) reconvened in Rome, Italy, from February 25-27, 2025.

• This crucial meeting aims to reignite momentum after a disrupted session in Cali, Colombia.
• Objectives :
• Launch the Cali Fund to ensure equitable sharing of benefits from Digital Sequence Information (DSI), prioritizing support for Indigenous communities and biodiversity projects.
• Finalizing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework: Advance decisions related to this framework, which targets halting biodiversity decline and ecosystem restoration by 2030.
• Funding Goal: $200 billion annually by 2030; At least $20 billion per year by 2025, $30 billion annually by 2030.
• COP17 in 2026: Outcomes from the Rome session will significantly influence discussions and decisions at COP17, scheduled for Yerevan, Armenia, in 2026.

About Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

It is an international legally binding treaty with three primary objectives:

1. Conservation of biological diversity.
2. Sustainable use of its components.
3. Fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from genetic resources.

• Adoption and Ratification: Opened for signature at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro on June 5, 1992, and entered into force on December 29, 1993. As of now, 196 countries are parties to the CBD, with the United States notably absent.
• Conference of the Parties (COP): The governing body of the CBD, with meetings to review progress and set priorities.

Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela (PKVM) 2025, organized by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research – Indian Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR-IARI), took place from February 22nd to 24th, 2025 at New Delhi.

• Theme: “Unnat Krishi – Viksit Bharat”.

Key Highlights:

• Live demonstrationsof IARI technologies.
• Technical sessionson climate-resilient agriculture, digital farming, startups.
• Sale of Pusa Seedsand agro-advisories for farmers.

About ICAR-IARI:

• Establishment:Founded in 1905 as the Imperial Agricultural Research Institute in Pusa, Bihar; relocated to New Delhi in 1936 following an earthquake.
• Significance:Known as the “Mother of Agricultural Research and Education” in India, instrumental in the Green Revolution through the development of high-yielding crop varieties.

In the 119th ‘Mann Ki Baat’ episode on February 23, 2025, Prime Minister Modi recognized the Soliga tribe’s for their effective tiger conservation in the Biligirirangana Hills (BRT) Tiger Reserve

About Biligirirangana Hills (BRT) Tiger Reserve

• Location:Chamarajanagar district, Karnataka
• Biodiversity:Home to tigers, elephants, leopards & endemic species
• Cultural Significance:Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple
• Soliga Tribe’s Role in Conservation:
• Helped increase tiger population from 8-10 to ~50
• Granted forest rights in 2011, enabling sustainable conservation

Farmers observed “Pagri Sambhal Diwas” (Feb 23, 2025) during Punjab-Haryana protests, honoring Ajit Singh.

• Meaning:“Take care of your turban, O farmer” – symbol of self-respect
• Launched:1907 by Ajit Singh to protest British laws
• British Laws Opposed:
  • Punjab Land Alienation Act, 1900 – Restricted farmers’ rights to sell or mortgage land.
  • Punjab Land Colonisation Act, 1906 – Gave British control over land in the Chenab Colony.
  • Doab Bari Act, 1907 – Reduced farmers to contract workers.
• Inspired the Ghadar Movement & Bhagat Singh’s activism

Invest Madhya Pradesh – Global Investors Summit, a leading biennial event, held its 8th edition in Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh, on February 24-25, 2025.

• Objective: Attracting investments to boost economic growth in Madhya Pradesh
• Outcomes:
• ₹77 Lakh Crore MoUs signed for investment.
• Aligned with PM Modi’s vision to make India the 3rd largest economy.

In a groundbreaking collaboration under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, NASA and SpaceX are set to launch robotic moon lander, Athena.

• Mission Overview: Athena is a robotic moon lander set to launch as the second lunar mission for Texas-based Intuitive Machines, following their historic first private moon landing in February 2024.
• Launch Vehicle: SpaceX Falcon 9
• Launch Site: NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Florida

Objectives:

• Study lunar soil composition & search for subsurface water
• Test Nokia’s 4G communication system for Moon connectivity
• Deploy rovers and a hopping drone for terrain analysis

Scientific Payloads:

• MAPP Rover (Lunar Outpost):Captures 3D terrain images
• AstroAnt Mini Rover (MIT):Monitors temperature
• Grace Hopping Robot:Scans for ice and hydrogen
• Lunar Trailblazer Satellite (NASA):Maps Moon’s water distribution

• Vietnam’s foreign ministry published a new map outlining its baseline claim in the Gulf of Tonkin, asserting sovereignty, rights, and jurisdiction. This move follows China’s unilateral publication of a new maritime baseline in March 2023, which led to diplomatic protests from Vietnam.
• Geographical Features:
• The Gulf of Tonkin, also known as Vịnh Bắc Bộ in Vietnamese, is a northwest arm of the South China Sea.
• Bordered by China, Hainan Island, and northern Vietnam, and receives the Red River.
• Key ports include Ben Thuy and Haiphong in Vietnam, and Beihai in China.
• Historical & Diplomatic Context:
• The Gulf of Tonkin Incident of 1964 was a catalyst for the Vietnam War, leading to direct American military intervention.
• In 2000, Vietnam and China signed the Gulf of Tonkin Agreement to establish Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) boundaries in line with UNCLOS 1982.

• Observed on February 27, 2025, is dedicated to honoring the outstanding contributions of volunteer NGOs worldwide.
• Established in 2010 and first commemorated in 2012.
• Gained international recognition in 2014, with celebrations by organizations like the EU and UN .
• Inspiration: Founded by Latvian philanthropist Marcis Skadmanis.
• 2025 Theme: “Empowering Grassroots Movements for a Sustainable Future.”

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh initiated the rollout of ‘Sanjay’, a battlefield surveillance system, that will be operational within the Indian Army by October,2025
• Inauguration: Inaugurated by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi.
• Development: Jointly developed by the Indian Army and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL).
  • Developed under the ‘Buy (Indian)’ category.
  • Cost: Rs 2,402 crore.
• Deployment: Induction into all operational brigades, divisions, and corps of the Indian Army.
  • Deployment in three phases from March to October 2025.
  • 2025 designated as the ‘Year of Reforms’ by the Ministry of Defence.
• Functionality: Provides enhanced situational awareness and battlefield surveillance capabilities.
• Improves operational effectiveness through real-time information gathering and dissemination.