Daily Current Affairs Brief : February 24, 2026

Authored By : K Shiva

1. International Current Affairs

Violence in Mexico: Widespread violence erupted in Mexico following a military raid that killed the country's most wanted drug lord, Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera, leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

Casualties in Clashes: At least 62 people were killed in the resulting violence, including 25 Mexican troops, a prison guard, and 30 suspected cartel members.

Diplomatic Advisory: The Indian Embassy in Mexico issued an advisory urging Indian nationals to exercise caution and stay indoors amid the escalating conflict.

Canada-India Trade Talks: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is scheduled to arrive in India on February 26-27 for trade talks, aiming to expand ties in energy, defense, and AI.

U.S. Tariff Uncertainty: A temporary 10% tariff on imports into the U.S. takes effect today, though uncertainty remains regarding an additional duty announced by President Donald Trump.

Tensions in Iran: India has advised its nationals to leave Iran by all available means due to an evolving situation involving fresh protests and fears of U.S. strikes.

2. National Current Affairs

New Anti-Terror Policy: The Union Home Ministry unveiled PRAHAAR, India’s first-ever National Counter Terrorism Policy and Strategy, which addresses threats across water, land, air, and cyber domains.

Air Ambulance Crash: A Delhi-bound air ambulance carrying seven people, including a patient with burn injuries, crashed in a forest in Jharkhand's Chatra district; all seven on board were killed.

Asset Monetisation: The Centre unveiled the National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP) 2.0, setting a target of ₹16.7 lakh crore for public sector asset recycling between FY26 and FY30.

Export Targets: Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal stated that India’s exports are on a trajectory to touch $2 trillion by 2032-33, with merchandise and services contributing $1 trillion each.

Supreme Court on Coal Plants: The Supreme Court directed Union ministries to submit a proposal for shifting all coal-fired industries out of the National Capital Region (NCR) to combat pollution.

GDP Growth Projections: A poll of economists suggests India’s GDP growth likely slowed to approximately 7.35% in the October-December quarter (Q3) of FY26.

3. Science & Technology

Tejas Jets Grounded: The Indian Air Force (IAF) has grounded its fleet of approximately 30 Tejas fighter aircraft for maintenance checks following a recent incident at a forward base.

Green Ammonia Initiative: India is positioning itself as a global leader in the energy shift through green ammonia, leveraging low renewable energy costs to shape international standards

Ancient Insect Gene: A scientific study revealed that the ANTSR gene in Argentine ants, bumblebees, and hornets has remained a primary sex-determining signal for over 150 million years.

WhatsApp Privacy Case: WhatsApp informed the Supreme Court it will comply with NCLAT directions by March 16, 2026, regarding user consent for data sharing with Meta.

Pumped Storage Roadmap: The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) published a roadmap for pumped storage projects (PSPs), identifying a potential of 267GW to support renewable energy integration.

4. States Current Affairs

Andhra Pradesh Reforms: The A.P. Legislative Assembly passed the Prisons and Correctional Services Bill, 2026, introducing reforms like special Anganwadi centres in prisons for children of female inmates.

Bihar Food Ban: The Bihar government has banned the sale of meat and fish near religious places and educational institutions in urban areas to promote social harmony and health.

Telangana Metro Takeover: The Telangana Cabinet approved the takeover of the 60-km Hyderabad Metro Rail Phase-I from L&T for approximately ₹15,000 crore to facilitate Phase-II expansion.

Tamil Nadu Voters: The final electoral rolls for Tamil Nadu show a total of 5.67 crore voters after the deletion of approximately 97.37 lakh names during a special revision.

Meghalaya Budget: Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma presented a ₹32,023-crore budget for FY 2026-27 with no new taxes proposed.

5. District & Local News

Vizag Road Monitoring: The VMRDA will use drones every Sunday to monitor the progress of road works connecting Visakhapatnam to the upcoming Bhogapuram International Airport.

Adulterated Milk Tragedy: Four elderly persons died and several others, including children, fell ill after consuming allegedly adulterated milk in Rajamahendravaram, Andhra Pradesh.

Operation LUNGS in Vizag: The GVMC entered the third phase of "Operation LUNGS," targeting the misuse of commercial cellar spaces legally reserved for parking.

Weather in Hyderabad: Unseasonal thunderstorms and rain lashed Hyderabad, causing waterlogging and leading to the diversion of four incoming flights.

Safety Drive in Malkajgiri: Municipal authorities cleared 89 abandoned vehicles as part of a sanitation and traffic hazard reduction drive.

6. Sports & Games

Cricket (West Indies): Shimron Hetmyer's strong performance helped West Indies crush Zimbabwe in a recent match.

Ranji Trophy: Jammu and Kashmir faces eight-time champions Karnataka in their maiden Ranji Trophy final starting Tuesday in Hubballi.

Hockey: The Indian men’s hockey team seeks redemption against Spain in the FIH Pro League fixture scheduled for Tuesday.

Women’s Cricket: The Indian women’s team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, is set to face Australia.

Golf: India's Shubhankar Sharma finished 48th and Veer Ahlawat 53rd at a tournament in Kenya.

Sportstar Aces: Nominations for the Sportstar of the Year (Male) include cricketers Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma, and hockey player Abhishek Nain.

7. Cinema & Entertainment

Ranveer Singh Legal Issue: Actor Ranveer Singh moved the Karnataka High Court to quash an FIR registered against him for allegedly insulting a deity while mimicking a film.

Cultural Movement in Delhi: Delhi is promoting cultural pride through initiatives like "Bhajan Clubbing" on college campuses to connect youth with spiritual roots.

Bhojpuri & Maithili Culture: These folk heritages were celebrated during extensive state-partnered Chhath Mahaparv events in the capital.

8. General Knowledge for Competitive Jobs

1. Which important national day is observed across India today, 24 February, to mark the anniversary of the Central Excise and Salt Act, 1944? Answer: Central Excise Day (The day honors the contribution of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) to the national economy.)

2. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is embarking on a historic two-day state visit to which country starting tomorrow, 25 February 2026? Answer: Israel (He is scheduled to be the first Indian leader to address the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset, in Jerusalem.)

3. Which Indian multinational company recently secured a major "Mega Science" order to construct the LIGO-India Observatory in Maharashtra? Answer: Larsen & Toubro (L&T) (The observatory in Hingoli will detect gravitational waves and is a collaboration with researchers from the USA, Caltech, and MIT.)

4. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) recently launched which new national counter-terrorism policy to outline a zero-tolerance framework? Answer: ‘Prahaar’ (The policy aims to strengthen India's internal security through a unified strategic response.)

5. Which tiger reserve in Jharkhand recently launched the ‘Vanjeevi Didi’ initiative to train women as reserve ambassadors? Answer: Palamau Tiger Reserve (The initiative empowers local women to protect wildlife and prevent forest destruction.)

6. India recently reached a major health milestone in organ donation through which apex body operating under the Ministry of Health? Answer: NOTTO (National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization)

7. Which major change was recently announced for the Rashtrapati Bhavan, where a statue of British architect Edwin Lutyens will be replaced? Answer: C. Rajagopalachari (The statue of the first Indian Governor-General of India will replace the Lutyens statue.)

8. The Punjab government recently launched which scheme to provide free food kits to 40 lakh poor families? Answer: 'Meri Rasoi' Scheme

9. Which Indian state is hosting the four-day National Arogya Fair 2026 starting tomorrow? Answer: Maharashtra (Shegaon) (The fair aims to promote Ayush systems like Ayurveda, Yoga, and Homeopathy.)

10. Which fintech company recently launched an AI-powered natural language search feature in collaboration with Microsoft Foundry? Answer: PhonePe

11. PRAHAAR Acronym: Stands for Prevention, Response, Aeration (Capacity Building), Human Rights, Alignment, and Recovery in the context of counter-terrorism.

12. Double Taxation Avoidance Convention (DTAC): A recent amendment protocol between India and France will now require France-based FPIs to pay capital gains tax in India.

13. Constitutional Provisions: Article 324(5) and Article 124(4) govern the complex removal process of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC).

14. Regulatory Terms: REER (Real Effective Exchange Rate) is used to determine if a currency is overvalued (above 100) or undervalued (below 100).

15. Tirumala Ghee Row: A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted to probe alleged irregularities in the procurement of ghee for the Tirumala temple.

9. Do You Know?

• The LIGO Miracle: The LIGO-India project will involve building an 8 km long "L" shaped vacuum chamber. It is so sensitive that it can detect a change in distance smaller than the width of an atom!

• Jayalalithaa’s Birthday: Today marks the birth anniversary of J. Jayalalithaa (born 1948), the legendary actress and former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

• The "Prahaar" Shield: The name 'Prahaar' translates to "strike." It is designed not just for defense, but to proactively dismantle terror modules using advanced AI and data analytics.

• Central Excise History: Before the Central Excise and Salt Act of 1944, every state in India collected and managed its own taxes independently. This act was the first step toward a unified tax structure.

• The "Jewel" of Udaipur: Today in GK news, Lake Pichola is being highlighted as the "Jewel of Udaipur." It is an artificial fresh water lake created in 1362 AD.

• Digital Arrest Scam: There is no such thing as "Digital Arrest" in India. Law enforcement agencies never use video calls to arrest people or demand money.

• Chemistry in Relationships: In a social context, "chemistry" between people refers to their mutual attraction and understanding.

• The Miracle Berry: A compound called miraculin found in certain berries can make acidic foods like lemon taste sweet for about an hour.

10. Job & Educational Topics

Mega Job Calendar: Andhra Pradesh IT and HRD Minister Nara Lokesh announced plans to release a Mega Job Calendar including teacher posts by Ugadi.

EPFO Refund Pilot: The EPFO will automatically refund unclaimed money (up to ₹1,000) in nearly seven lakh inoperative accounts directly to Aadhaar-seeded bank accounts.

Educational Admissions: The Narayana Admission cum Scholarship Test (n-ACST) is scheduled for various dates in March 2026 for JEE and NEET aspirants.

AI Literacy Program: A 4-week expert-led AI program is being offered to help students prepare for an AI-driven professional world.

11. Day Special: February 24

Death Anniversary: Today marks the second anniversary of the passing of Dr. Debashish Danda, founder of the Department of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology at CMC Vellore.

Historic Event (1976): On this day 50 years ago, former British PM Harold Macmillan inaugurated a modern type-setting plant in Bangalore for the Macmillan group.

Historic Event (1926): Exactly 100 years ago, reports highlighted the extreme hardships and poverty faced by Indian emigrant labourers in Fiji.