Current Affairs Quiz - February 2026

Notes:
Kerala Government declared tidal flooding as a State-specific disaster for the first time in India. Tidal flooding, also called sunny day flooding, king tide flooding, or nuisance flooding, is temporary flooding of low-lying coastal areas. It happens due to high tides influenced by strong winds, offshore storms, and full moon or new moon cycles. Unlike cyclone storm surges, it occurs twice daily and becomes severe during full or new moons. Along Kerala coast, the Arabian Sea level rises above a fixed limit and floods nearby areas briefly. Victims will receive financial aid under State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).

Notes:
Indian Coast Guard inaugurated India’s first Waterjet Production and Testing Facility of Marine Jet Power in Goa on 13 February 2026. The facility will manufacture, test and maintain advanced waterjet propulsion systems for high-speed vessels. It supports Aatmanirbhar Bharat by reducing dependence on foreign technology. India became the third country after the United States and South Korea to host such a facility. Indian Coast Guard operates over 100 Marine Jet Power systems and 42 more are under construction. It will support maintenance, regional exports, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, skilled jobs and defence indigenisation.

Notes:
Mumbai will host the Earthshot Prize 2026 in November, marking the first time the award comes to India. The Earthshot Prize was founded in 2020 by Prince William of Britain to promote global action to protect the planet. The announcement was made during Mumbai Climate Week. The award will honour 15 innovative environmental solutions. The five categories are Protect and Restore Nature, Clean Our Air, Revive Our Oceans, Build a Waste-Free World and Fix Our Climate.

Notes:
The CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite (CHEOPS) of the European Space Agency has discovered a four-planet system around a nearby star. The observation showed that the outermost planet in this system is small and rocky in nature. The CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite (CHEOPS) is a space mission developed and operated by the European Space Agency to study exoplanets orbiting bright, nearby stars. It is the first mission specifically designed to observe stars that are already known to host exoplanets and to measure their sizes with very high precision as the planets transit across their host stars.

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:
China recently showcased the CJ-1000, a land-based scramjet-powered hypersonic cruise missile, during a military parade in Beijing. It is developed indigenously by China and is considered the world’s first operational land-based scramjet-powered hypersonic missile. It is road-mobile and mounted on a 10-wheel diesel-electric hybrid transporter erector launcher for quick deployment. It has an estimated range of at least 2,500 kilometres. It is more advanced than hypersonic glide vehicles like China’s DF-17 and Russia’s Avangard.

Notes:
NITI Aayog launched a report titled “Revitalizing Apprenticeship Ecosystem: Insights, Challenges, Recommendations and Best Practices.” The report analyses India’s apprenticeship system and suggests reforms to strengthen skilling and employment. It gives 20 action-oriented recommendations with clear responsibilities and performance metrics. Recommendations are grouped under five pillars including policy reforms, regulatory strengthening, state-level action, industry engagement and apprentice support. It aligns apprenticeship growth with Viksit Bharat 2047 and global best practices to build a skilled and competitive workforce.

Notes:
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said India believes global challenges need cooperation and connected societies, as the first European Legal Gateway Office opened in New Delhi. The launch took place in the presence of Henna Virkkunen and representatives of European Union member states. It is the first such office by the European Union in a partner country. The office will guide Indian students, researchers and Information and Communication Technology professionals on work, study and mobility rules across 27 European Union countries. The pilot was announced at the 16th EU-India Summit by Ursula von der Leyen.

Notes:
Poland announced withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention to allow quick deployment of Anti-Personnel Landmines (APLs) along its eastern borders if needed. The Ottawa Convention, also called the Mine Ban Treaty, bans use, production, stockpiling and transfer of APLs. Member countries must destroy stockpiled APLs within 4 years and clear planted mines within 10 years. Extension of up to 10 years can be requested for mine destruction. Countries must submit annual reports on stockpiles, mine locations and destruction progress. The treaty came into force on 1 March 1999 and has unlimited duration.

Notes:
Researchers discovered a new Cobra Lily species named Arisaema siahaense in Siaha District of Mizoram, Northeast India. It is an evergreen herb growing up to 1.08 metre (about 3.5 feet) tall. Cobra Lilies are known for spathe shaped like a cobra hood. This species has an exceptionally long spadix appendix up to 21 centimetre with brownish-green hair-like bristles. It grows from a rounded tuber, not creeping rootstock, and has exactly three leaf segments.