Current Affairs Quiz - February 2026

Notes:
The Union Minister of State announced plans for the comprehensive development of Kondaveedu Fort. Kondaveedu Fort, also called Kondavid Fort, is located in Andhra Pradesh. It was built during the Telugu Choda period and later strengthened by the Kakatiya dynasty. Prolaya Vema Reddy made it his capital in 1323 CE. The fort was later ruled by the Gajapathis of Odisha, Bahmani Sultans, Vijayanagara Empire, Golconda Sultanate, Mughals, French, and British. Its architecture shows a blend of Hindu and Islamic styles using granite and lime mortar. It has an advanced water conservation system with ponds and recent findings of ancient Buddhist stupa remains.

Notes:
The European Space Agency (ESA) released a high-resolution satellite image through the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission. The image captures the venues planned for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games. The image highlights land features, terrain, and human-made infrastructure in great detail. The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission is an Earth observation satellite mission developed by the European Space Agency (ESA). It is part of Copernicus, the European Union’s Earth observation programme. The mission focuses on monitoring changes and variability in land surface conditions.

Notes:
Scientists warned that the Thwaites Glacier is melting rapidly due to human-induced climate change. It is a massive glacier in West Antarctica, often called the Doomsday Glacier. The glacier is very wide and fast-flowing, roughly the size of Florida or Great Britain. It is extremely important because it already contributes about 4% to global annual sea-level rise. Studies show it is thinning, retreating, and adding more meltwater to the oceans. If it collapses, it could destabilise the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, causing severe sea-level rise.

Notes:
Researchers discovered a new marine worm species named Paraleocrates indica in the muddy banks of the Champa Estuary in the Bay of Bengal. It is the first record of this rare genus from Indian waters and only the third species worldwide in this genus. The worm belongs to the Hesionidae family, known for colourful bristle worms that often live symbiotically with other marine organisms like starfish. It appears reddish, measures 14–35 millimetres, and has a unique eye structure with front eyes five times larger than the back ones.

Notes:
Pradhan Mantri Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) provides working capital loans to urban street vendors in three tranches to promote sustainable repayment and avoid over-indebtedness. PM SVANidhi (Pradhan Mantri Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi) is a central sector micro-credit scheme launched on June 1, 2020, by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) to provide handholding support to street vendors. Vendors repaying earlier tranches become eligible for higher loans and Unified Payments Interface (UPI)–linked RuPay Credit Cards after the second tranche. The scheme is extended till March 2030, expanded to peri-urban areas, and supported through awareness campaigns, digital literacy drives, and cashback incentives.

Notes:
India ranks 3rd in Stanford University’s 2025 Global Artificial Intelligence (AI) Vibrancy Ranking. Data infrastructure, entrepreneurship, and demography are identified as key drivers for AI adoption in India. According to the Stanford Global AI Index Report, AI skill penetration in India is 2.5 times higher than the global average across similar occupations. As per the National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) AI Adoption Index, 87% of enterprises in India are actively using AI solutions. The government states that India is among the first group of AI-ready nations, progressing across applications, models, chips, infrastructure, and energy layers.

Notes:
Assam Rifles is planning to induct two indigenous dog breeds, Tangkhul Hui from Manipur and Kombai from Tamil Nadu, to reduce long-term dependence on foreign breeds. Assam Rifles, India’s oldest paramilitary force, operates the Assam Rifles Dog Training Centre (ARDTC) at Jorhat for training service dogs. Tangkhul Hui (Haofa) is a rare indigenous breed from Ukhrul district, Manipur, traditionally reared by the Tangkhul community for hunting. Kombai, also called the Polygar dog, is an indigenous guard breed from Theni district, Tamil Nadu, named after Kombai town.

Notes:
The Government of India has undertaken multiple initiatives over the past five years to improve access to justice and fulfil its obligation under Article 39A of the Constitution, which mandates equal justice and free legal aid. The Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice, is implementing the Designing Innovative Solutions for Holistic Access to Justice (DISHA) scheme with an outlay of ₹250 crore for 2021–2026 to provide a technology-driven, citizen-centric, pan-India access to justice framework. DISHA comprises three key components: Tele-Law, Nyaya Bandhu (Pro Bono Legal Services), and Legal Literacy & Legal Awareness Programmes, aimed at delivering inclusive and integrated legal support.

Notes:
India’s Renu Singh topped the women’s 21-km event at the second Aizawl International Half Marathon on February 14, 2026. She secured the top position with a time of 1:21:22, followed by Ethiopia’s Tsige Debay Tadese and Bahrain’s Marta Hirpato Yota. The race was held at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Aizawl, Mizoram. Kenya’s Kemboi Kevin Kiprono won the men’s 21 kilometre race at the Aizawl International Half Marathon 2026. Around 3,000 runners participated, including 16 elite international athletes. Participants came from Kenya, Ethiopia, Bahrain, United Kingdom and France along with runners from across India.

Notes:
The Prime Minister’s new office complex Seva Teerth is inspired by the architecture of the Chennakeshava Temple. The temple, also called Keshava or Vijayanarayana Temple, is a 12th century Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu in Karnataka. It was commissioned in 1117 CE by King Vishnuvardhana after his victory over the Cholas at Talakkad. The temple is located on the banks of the Yagachi River in Belur, also known as Velapura. It was built over three generations and took 103 years to complete. It is an important example of Hoysala architecture and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.