Knowledge Gainers - Books, Exam Papers, Current Affairs & Notifications

Authored By : K Shiva

Nepal Pro-Monarchy Protests: Demonstrations intensified in Nepal with supporters demanding the restoration of the Hindu monarchy ahead of the scheduled 2026 elections.
Keir Starmer’s Defense Call: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged European nations to strengthen collective defense and reduce overreliance on external security guarantees during a regional summit.
US-Armenia Nuclear Deal: The United States and Armenia signed a landmark "123 Agreement" to enable the export of nuclear technology and fuel for civil nuclear cooperation.
Global Passport Index Update: India’s passport rank improved to 75th in February 2026, up from 80th in January, providing visa-free access to 56 destinations.
India-UK Social Security Pact: India and the United Kingdom signed a Social Security Agreement to prevent double social security contributions for temporary workers in both countries.

Rafale Jet Deal Approval: The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Rajnath Singh, approved a massive ₹3.25 lakh crore deal to acquire 114 additional Rafale fighter jets.
Seva Teerth Complex: Prime Minister Modi unveiled the plaque for "Seva Teerth," the new complex housing the PMO, Cabinet Secretariat, and National Security Council Secretariat.
States Reorganisation Bill: A Private Member’s Bill was proposed in Parliament to establish a permanent framework for an objective, census-based reorganization of states.
NITI Aayog Tech Roadmap: NITI Aayog released a 10-year roadmap titled "Technology Services- Reimagination Ahead," targeting $850 billion for the sector by 2035.
Passport Milestone: India's ranking on the global travel freedom index showed a steady rise, reflecting improved international diplomatic ties.

Polio Vaccine Breakthrough: The WHO prequalified a novel Oral Polio Vaccine Type 2 (nOPV2), marking a major step in global polio eradication efforts.
Vachana STT Model: Gnani.ai launched Vachana STT, a foundational Indic speech recognition model trained on over 1 million hours of real-world voice data.
Gaganyaan Milestone: The drogue parachute for India's Gaganyaan mission successfully cleared qualification-level load tests conducted by DRDO and ISRO.
L&T and NVIDIA Partnership: Larsen & Toubro partnered with NVIDIA to build sovereign gigawatt-scale AI factory infrastructure in Chennai and Mumbai.
JNCASR Discovery: Researchers at JNCASR discovered wave-like heat transport in specific materials, challenging traditional phonon theories in thermal physics.

Uttar Pradesh Budget 2026-27: The UP government presented a record ₹9.13 trillion budget, a 12.2% increase over the previous year, focusing heavily on infrastructure and youth.
Rajasthan "Vision 2047" Budget: Rajasthan tabled its budget with a focus on fiscal consolidation, featuring the "Raj-MAMTA" mental health program and Rural Women BPO centers.
Andhra Pradesh Renewable Hub: NITI Aayog announced a blueprint to transform Andhra Pradesh into a top global renewable energy hub by 2035.
Exercise Agni Pariksha: The Indian Army and ITBP conducted their first-ever joint training exercise of this kind in Arunachal Pradesh to improve inter-force coordination.
Puducherry Ocean Research: The Ministry of Earth Sciences signed an MoU with the Puducherry government to enhance coastal research and marine conservation efforts.

Patna Grain ATMs: The Bihar government approved the pilot installation of "Annapurti" (Grain ATMs) in Patna to automate the PDS for BPL cardholders.
Doda Rafting Festival: The national-level rafting competition in the Doda district of J&K concluded today, drawing significant local and national participation.
Surajkund Mela: The 39th Surajkund International Crafts Mela in Faridabad highlighted artisans from Uttar Pradesh and Meghalaya as the theme states.

Asian Rifle/Pistol Championship: India finished 1st in the medal tally at the championship held in New Delhi, winning 6 Gold medals on the final day.
T20 World Cup Tensions: High-voltage buildup continued for the India-Pakistan clash, with PCB and BCCI engaging in diplomatic discussions through the ICC.
Delhi Open Tennis: Greek player Stefanos Sakellaridis secured the men’s singles title at the 2026 Delhi Open.
Women’s Asia Cup: India A Women defeated Bangladesh A by 46 runs to clinch the trophy in Bangkok.

BAFTA 2026 (Indian Win): Farhan Akhtar’s production "Boong" made history by winning the Best Children’s & Family Film award at the 79th BAFTA Awards.
Orange Economy Initiative: The government launched "Content Creator Labs" to groom talent in the Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics (AVGC) sector.
Adobe Government Tie-up: Adobe announced free access to Creative Cloud apps for 15,000 Indian schools to support the burgeoning digital creator economy.

Article 3 of the Constitution: Grants Parliament the power to form new states and alter the boundaries of existing states.
Orange Economy: Refers to the sector of the economy based on intellectual property, culture, and creativity (Arts, Design, Entertainment).
Ramsar Sites: India now hosts 98 Ramsar Sites, significantly boosting its wetland conservation status.
Dassault Aviation: The French manufacturer of the Rafale jet, headquartered in Saint-Cloud, France.

Living Root Bridges: India has nominated Meghalaya’s living root bridges for UNESCO World Heritage status under the title "Ging Kieng Jri."
The Salk Vaccine: February 1954 was the month the first mass polio inoculations began, a milestone that continues to save millions today.
Smart City Mission: This national initiative targets 100 cities to promote sustainable and inclusive cities that provide core infrastructure.

UPSC/State PSC Alert: Focus on the "New Delhi Declaration on AI" and the "Pax Silica" agreement as they are highly likely topics for 2026 Mains.
Vibrant Villages Program: Phase II of the program now covers 1,954 villages across border states including Arunachal Pradesh, Ladakh, and Sikkim.
Skill-Based Hiring: The 2026 Union Budget has significantly increased allocations for "reskilling at a national scale" to meet the demands of the AI era.

Mahashivratri 2026: Observed across India today with major spiritual gatherings at Jyotirlingas and local temples.
Darwin Day Legacy: While officially Feb 12, celebrations of scientific inquiry and evolutionary biology continued through the weekend in various educational institutions.

Daily Current Affairs Brief : February 15, 2026