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Today’s February 5. We’re covering Krutrim AI, coal emissions, the Uniform Civil Code, and more.

MUST KNOW

India’s AI Ambitions Get a $230M Boost from Ola’s Bhavish Aggarwal

Ola founder Bhavish Aggarwal is injecting $230 million into Krutrim, his AI startup that builds language models tailored for Indian languages. The investment—primarily funded through his family office—underscores India's push to carve out a space in AI alongside U.S. and Chinese tech giants.

Krutrim, which recently achieved unicorn status, plans to raise a total of $1.15 billion by next year, with Aggarwal seeking additional funding from external investors. In a major development, Krutrim has open-sourced its AI models and announced plans to build what it claims will be India’s largest supercomputer in partnership with Nvidia.

The lab also unveiled Krutrim-2, a 12-billion parameter language model that significantly outperforms competitors in Indian language processing and coding tasks. In sentiment analysis tests, it scored 0.95 compared to 0.70 for rival models and demonstrated an 80% success rate in code generation.

GOOD TO KNOW

Policy & Governance

Gujarat Forms Panel to Assess Uniform Civil Code

The Gujarat government has set up a five-member committee under retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Desai to evaluate the need for a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and draft a bill. The committee will submit its report within 45 days, after which the government will decide on implementation. This follows Uttarakhand’s recent UCC rollout, with Justice Desai also leading that effort.

16 Indian Workers Trapped in Libya Returning Home After Six Months

A group of 16 Indian workers, who were stuck at a cement factory in Libya’s Benghazi for six months without pay, are set to return to India on February 5, 2025. The workers allege they were held in “prison-like” conditions after protesting long hours, erratic pay, and unscheduled shifts. They had been lured by fraudulent recruitment agents promising high-paying jobs in West Asia and North Africa—a growing issue affecting vulnerable rural workers.

Environment

Coal Emissions Causing Crop Damages Worth $820 Million

A Stanford study estimates that nitrogen dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants in India significantly impact crop yields, particularly wheat and rice. Areas within 62 miles of coal plants experience annual yield reductions of over 10%. If coal emissions were eliminated, the study suggests an increase in wheat and rice production worth $820 million annually.

Arunachal Pradesh Lost 110 Glaciers in 32 Years: Study

A new study published in Journal of Earth System Science has found that 110 glaciers in Arunachal Pradesh’s eastern Himalayas vanished between 1988 and 2020, shrinking 309.85 sq. km at a retreat rate of 16.94 sq. km per year. Researchers highlight this as a clear sign of global climate change, as glaciers are melting faster than they can be replenished by snowfall.

Supreme Court Halts Reduction of Forest Land Without Compensation

The Supreme Court has barred the Centre and states from reducing forest areas unless compensatory land is provided for afforestation. The order comes amid legal challenges to the 2023 Forest Conservation Act amendments. A status report will be submitted before the next hearing on March 4, 2025.

Healthcare

Pune’s GBS Outbreak Shows Declining Trend, 166 Cases Reported

Pune has reported 166 cases of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) since early January, with five suspected deaths linked to the rare neurological disorder. The outbreak is being traced to campylobacter jejuni, a pathogen commonly linked to foodborne infections and the leading cause of GBS worldwide. The mortality rate for GBS varies between 3% and 13%.

Despite the initial surge, health authorities report a declining trend in cases, offering some relief. However, experts emphasize the need for continued monitoring and preventive measures to curb further infections.

Business

Indian Shadow Banker Becomes Billionaire with Focus on Smaller Companies

Sanjay Dangi, controlling Authum Investment & Infrastructure Ltd., has seen the company’s shares surge 900% over the past three years. Authum, which is a nonbanking financial company that invests in mid- and small-sized companies, now has a market cap of $3.3 billion. Dangi and his wife Alpana hold nearly 72% of the company, giving them a combined net worth of $2.3 billion. Authum’s shares have dropped 12%, from a January peak, with less than 10% of its stock available for public trade.

Tech, Media & Telecom

Indian Railways Launches SwaRail SuperApp

Indian Railways has launched SwaRail, an app integrating multiple railway services into a single platform. Currently in beta testing, the app allows users to book reserved and unreserved tickets, check PNR status, order food on trains, track parcels and freight, and lodge complaints via Rail Madad. Developed by CRIS (Centre for Railway Information Systems), the app aims to replace multiple railway apps with a one-stop travel solution.

India Expands Aadhaar Authentication for Businesses

The Indian government has amended rules to allow private entities in sectors like e-commerce, travel, hospitality, and healthcare to use Aadhaar authentication for offering services. The Aadhaar Authentication for Good Governance (Social Welfare, Innovation, Knowledge) Amendment Rules, 2025 expands access to Aadhaar data, reversing restrictions imposed after a Supreme Court ruling in 2020. While the move aims to improve service delivery, it has triggered privacy concerns as the government has not yet outlined safeguards to prevent the misuse of biometric data.

Technical Glitches in Indian Airlines Decline Over Three Years

The number of technical glitches reported by Indian airlines has steadily declined over the past three years, according to government data. In 2022, there were 723 technical faults recorded for 9,97,041 flights. The number dropped to 390 for 11,94,777 flights in 2023. From January 2024 to January 2025, airlines reported 273 glitches for 10,69,680 flights.

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