Current Affairs Quiz - February 2026

Notes:
Veteran Odia playback singer Geeta Patnaik passed away at 68 in Cuttack after suffering a brain stroke in Bhubaneswar. She began singing professionally at 15 and debuted in the Odia film Adina Megha in 1970. She was an artist of All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan. She received the State Film Award for playback singing.

Notes:
Researchers discovered a new pistol shrimp species named Alpheus madhusoodanai in the Kochi backwaters of Kerala. Pistol shrimp are also called snapping shrimp because they produce a loud snapping sound with their claws. It belongs to the family Alpheidae. It is the first alpheid shrimp species recorded from an estuary in this region. The species shows burrowing behaviour in muddy soil. Its burrowing helps mangrove ecosystems by releasing trapped toxic gases from swampy soil. This improves soil quality and supports overall coastal ecosystem health.

Notes:
The under-construction Dibang Multipurpose Project in Arunachal Pradesh recently achieved a major milestone with the successful daylighting of Diversion Tunnel-3 (DT-3). The project is being developed on the Dibang River, a tributary of the Brahmaputra River, and is designed as a flood control-cum-hydroelectric power project. With an installed capacity of 2,880 MW, it will become India’s largest hydropower facility. The project is being executed by National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC). It is conceived as an energy storage project with flood moderation as a key objective in addition to electricity generation.

Notes:
The nuclear-powered USS Gerald R. Ford lit up tracking systems while sailing fast toward the Strait of Gibraltar, a move defence experts say is unusual. The Strait of Gibraltar separates Europe from Africa and links the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. It lies at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, between Spain and the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar in the north and Morocco plus Ceuta in the south. It is about 58 km long and only about 13 km wide at its narrowest. Its eastern end features the Pillars of Heracles, including the Rock of Gibraltar and Mount Hacho. Formed by tectonic plate movement, it is a vital and busy global waterway.

Notes:
The Union Home Minister will launch Vibrant Villages Programme–II in Cachar district of Assam. It is a Central Sector Scheme with 100 percent funding by the Central Government. It aims at comprehensive and sustainable development of border villages through saturation and convergence approach. Objective is to improve living conditions, create livelihood opportunities, ensure safe borders and reduce trans-border crime. It covers strategic villages in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. It excludes northern border areas already covered under VVP-I.

Notes:
The Indian Army’s Southern Command conducted Exercise Vajra Ghaat at Pokhran Field Firing Range in Jaisalmer district, Rajasthan. The exercise focused on testing the K9 Vajra self-propelled artillery gun system in desert warfare conditions of the Thar Desert. It was spearheaded by the White Tiger Division. The objective is to validate refined Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTPs) for better survivability and operational effectiveness. The drill demonstrated swift deployment of heavy artillery in harsh terrain. K9 Vajra carried out high-intensity, precise fire missions.

Notes:
Sarvam AI, a Bengaluru-based startup, unveiled its flagship sovereign Artificial Intelligence models Sarvam 30B and Sarvam 105B at the IndiaAI Impact Summit 2026. These are considered India’s first large-scale foundational Large Language Models (LLMs) developed domestically, marking a major step toward AI self-reliance. Both models are open-source, promoting transparency, innovation, and wider adoption by developers and institutions. The models are optimised for 22 Indian languages across 11 primary scripts, supporting linguistic diversity and digital inclusion.

Notes:
World Peace and Understanding Day 2026 is observed on 23 February 2026. It marks anniversary of first Rotary meeting held in Chicago in 1905. That meeting led to foundation of Rotary International, a global humanitarian organisation. The day is celebrated during World Understanding Month in February. It promotes service, ethical leadership and international cooperation. It highlights role of goodwill and dialogue in building harmony. It reminds that lasting peace needs justice, empathy and collective action at all levels of society.

Notes:
Union Civil Aviation Minister said Centre plans to develop tourist areas around major temples in Andhra Pradesh under PRASHAD scheme. PRASHAD means Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive. It was launched in 2014–2015 by the Ministry of Tourism. It is a Central Sector Scheme for integrated development of selected pilgrimage destinations. The objective is to improve tourism infrastructure at pilgrimage and heritage sites. Central Government gives 100% funding for approved public projects. States and Union Territories get financial assistance for infrastructure development. It also allows Corporate Social Responsibility and Public Private Partnership contributions

Notes:
India achieved a major milestone in organ donation through the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization. It works under the Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, New Delhi. It was established under the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues (Amendment) Act, 2011. It has two divisions: National Human Organ and Tissue Removal and Storage Network, and National Biomaterial Centre. It is the apex body for coordination, organ allocation, and national registry. It frames policy guidelines and protocols. It compiles and publishes national transplant data.