Daily Current Affairs Brief : February 26, 2025

Authored By : K Shiva

1. International Current Affairs

Prime Minister Modi's Historic Knesset Address: Narendra Modi became the first Indian Prime Minister to address the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset, where he received a standing ovation and was conferred with the "Speaker of the Knesset Medal".

India-Israel Bilateral Ties: The two nations are negotiating an ambitious Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and strengthening partnerships in water management, agriculture, and cyber security.

Gaza Peace Plan Support: Addressing the Knesset, PM Modi backed the Gaza peace initiative endorsed by the UN Security Council to ensure a durable peace for the region.

US State of the Union: President Donald Trump declared the US is "winning so much," highlighting a manufacturing boom and issuing warnings to trading partners not to renegotiate existing deals.

Cuba Coast Guard Incident: Cuba’s coast guard reported killing four people on a US-registered speedboat during an exchange of fire off the Cuban coast.

Bill Gates Admission: Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates admitted to having past affairs with two Russian women and expressed regret over his association with Jeffrey Epstein.

2. National Current Affairs

NCERT Judiciary Controversy: The Supreme Court took suo motu cognizance of a controversial chapter in a new Class VIII textbook regarding "corruption in the judiciary," leading NCERT to issue an apology and withdraw the book from its website.

US Tariffs on Solar Cells: The United States has imposed a 126% countervailing duty on crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells from India, citing government subsidies.

Communist Veteran Passes Away: Veteran Communist leader and tireless campaigner R. Nallakannu passed away; he was a recipient of the Thagaisal Thamizhar award.

Vande Bharat Extension Deferred: The Railway Board has put on hold the extension of the Vande Bharat Express from Katra to Jammu Tawi, which was scheduled to start on March 1.

E20 Petrol Mandate: The Union government has mandated the sale of E20 petrol (20% ethanol blend) with a minimum Research Octane Number (RON) of 95 starting April 1.

3. Science & Technology

Al in Governance: Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy met with Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen to discuss leveraging Artificial Intelligence for governance, economic expansion, and job creation.

Indigenous Mineral Technology: NMDC and IIT-Hyderabad signed an MoU to develop indigenous technologies for mineral processing, including green steelmaking and rare earth mineral extraction.

Domestic LLM Development: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology is encouraging domestic Large Language Model (LLM) development to better support Indian languages compared to foreign models.

Coal Gasification Projects: South Eastern Coalfields Ltd (SECL) is exploring joint ventures with the Chhattisgarh government for surface coal gasification and floating solar projects.

Intelligent Warfare: Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan emphasized the need for the Indian Armed Forces to transition toward "Intelligent Warfare" and All-Realm Multi-Domain Operations.

4. States Current Affairs

Kerala to 'Keralam': The Union Cabinet approved the proposal to change the name of Kerala to 'Keralam,' following a resolution passed by the state assembly two years ago.

West Bengal Electoral Roll Revision: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that nearly 1.20 crore names are at risk of being dropped from the electoral rolls due to "logical discrepancies" during the special revision.

Andhra Pradesh Group-I Recruitment: The AP High Court gave the Chief Secretary 24 hours to comply with an order to appoint 326 candidates selected in the 2020 Group-I exams.

Telangana Intermediate Exams: Public examinations began across Telangana with high attendance (96.90%) for the first-year second language papers.

Andhra Pradesh Economic Regions: The AP government is establishing economic regions for Amaravati and Tirupati, with the CRDA Commissioner and TUDA Vice-Chairman acting as member-convenors.

5. District & Local News

Leopard in Ghaziabad School: A full-grown leopard entered Greenfield School in Govindpuram, Ghaziabad, and remained holed up in a washroom for eight hours before being rescued.

Srikakulam Diarrhea Outbreak: A suspected diarrhea outbreak due to contaminated municipal water in Srikakulam resulted in one death and 76 hospitalizations, leading to the suspension of the Municipal Commissioner.

Adulterated Milk Crisis: In Rajamahendravaram, 15 people remain in critical condition with acute renal failure after allegedly consuming adulterated milk.

Drug Seizure in Anakapalli: Officials destroyed over 52,000 kg of seized ganja and 142 liters of hashish oil through incineration in Anakapalli district.

Veligonda Project Progress: CM Chandrababu Naidu laid the foundation for feeder canal lining work in Markapuram, aiming to bring Srisailam water to the region by July.

6. Sports & Games

T20 World Cup: New Zealand knocked out co-host Sri Lanka with a decisive win in the Super 8 clash.

Ranji Trophy Final Incident: J&K skipper Paras Dogra was involved in a controversial incident where he head-butted a Karnataka substitute player during the final match.

Ranji Trophy Scores: Jammu & Kashmir reached 527/6 at stumps on day two, with Shubham Pundir scoring 121.

Women's Cricket: Hyderabad's Drithi Kesari took 6 wickets for 37 runs in a tied Triangular Series match against Uttarakhand.

Asian Deaf Cricket Cup: India secured the Asian Deaf Cricket Cup title by defeating Sri Lanka in the final.

7. Cinema & Entertainment

Delhi International Film Festival: Chief Minister Rekha Gupta unveiled the curtain-raiser for Delhi's first International Film Festival (IFFD), featuring over 125 entries starting March 25.

"Yadav Ji Ki Love Story" Ruling: The Supreme Court rejected a plea to ban or rename the film, stating the title does not defame the Yadav community.

Naga Chaitanya's "Vrushakarma": The actor's upcoming pan-India action-adventure film, where he plays a treasure hunter named Arjun, is set for a major update on March 1.

Celebrity Wedding: Prime Minister Modi sent a congratulatory letter to Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna ahead of their wedding.

8. General Knowledge (GK) for Competitive Jobs

1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is concluding his historic state visit to which country today? Answer: Israel (On the second day of his visit, he joined PM Netanyahu at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial and is expected to sign MoUs on the "Sudarshan Chakra" air defense shield and tech transfers.)

2. Which advanced weather satellite was successfully launched by ISRO from Sriharikota yesterday evening? Answer: INSAT-4D (This satellite is designed to improve monsoon forecasting accuracy by 30% and provide real-time cyclone warnings.)

3. India is currently hosting the first round of negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with which nation from February 23–26? Answer: Israel (The talks aim to boost bilateral trade, which currently stands at over $3.6 billion, covering sectors like AI, cybersecurity, and agriculture.)

4. The Union Cabinet recently approved a massive railway modernization plan worth how much? Answer: ₹2.5 Lakh Crore (The plan involves upgrading 50 major stations across India with high-speed connectivity and modern safety systems starting April 2026.)

5. Which Indian city is nearing the completion of the country's first 12.7 km underwater metro tunnel? Answer: Mumbai (The corridor connecting South Mumbai to the eastern suburbs is 95% complete; trial runs are expected to begin next month.)

6. India will face which team in a "must-win" Super Eights clash of the T20 World Cup 2026 today at Chepauk? Answer: Zimbabwe (After a loss to South Africa, India needs a big win to keep their semifinal hopes alive at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.)

7. Which aviation regulator recently grounded four Learjet aircraft of VSR Ventures due to safety audit lapses? Answer: DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation)

8. The "PRAHAAR" policy, which was recently in the news, is India's new national framework for what? Answer: Counter-Terrorism (It establishes a unified strategic response to dismantle terror modules with zero tolerance.)

9. Which leader is scheduled to lay the foundation stone for houses for Wayanad landslide survivors today, 26 February? Answer: Rahul Gandhi

10. Which international day is celebrated today to encourage young women to explore careers in STEM? Answer: Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day (It falls during National Engineers Week to bridge the gender gap in technical fields.)

11. Article 19(2): Provides for reasonable restrictions on the freedom of speech and expression in India.

12. Raman Effect Discovery: Celebrated annually as National Science Day on February 28 to commemorate C.V. Raman's 1928 discovery.

9. Do You Know?

• The "Saffron" Pocket Square: During a dinner in Israel last night, PM Netanyahu noted that PM Modi’s pocket square matched the outfit of Sara Netanyahu. PM Modi pointed out with a smile, "That’s saffron," highlighting the cultural significance.

• National Protein Day Eve: While today is Feb 26, India celebrates National Protein Day tomorrow (Feb 27). Did you know the term "protein" comes from the Greek word proteios, meaning "of prime importance"?

• A "Blessing" for Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe's pace spearhead, Blessing Muzarabani, stands at a staggering 6ft 8in. His height gives him a natural bounce that has made him one of the most difficult bowlers to face in this T20 World Cup.

• INSAT-4D’s "Eye": The newly launched INSAT-4D has a specialized "sounder" that can see through thick clouds to measure temperature and humidity at different levels of the atmosphere—something older satellites struggled to do.

• Fairy Tale Day: Globally, today is National Tell a Fairy Tale Day. It’s a day dedicated to the oral tradition of storytelling that has passed down myths and legends for centuries.

• Train Ticket Name Changes: You can change the name on a confirmed reserved train ticket by approaching a reservation office at least 24 hours before departure, provided the transfer is to a family member.

• Short Video Impact: A global study of 98,000 people found that heavy scrolling of short videos (like Reels or TikToks) is linked to weaker attention spans and poorer impulse control.

• Ganja Market Value: Ganja seized and destroyed in the Visakha range was estimated to have a market value exceeding ₹150 crore in various states.

10. Job & Educational Topics

APPSC Recruitment: The High Court has ordered the immediate appointment of 326 candidates for non-focal posts from the 2020 Group-I examinations.

Nursing Admissions via NEET: From the 2026-27 academic year, NEET-UG scores are mandatory for admission into B.SC. Nursing courses in Andhra Pradesh.

Skill Development: The AP Skill Development Corporation reported providing training to 74,000 people, with 10,000 securing jobs through recent initiatives.

Vidya Samiksha Kendras: 38 out of 40 planned centers are now functional across India, acting as decision-support systems for educational governance

11. Day Special: February 26

Lathmar Holi Celebrations: Vibrant celebrations were held in Barsana, Uttar Pradesh, where women playfully hit men with sticks as part of the traditional Holi festivities.

World Cup Countdown: Sports segments are highlighting crucial "must-win" scenarios for teams as the T20 World Cup reaches its Super 8 stages.