Daily GK and Current affairs updates 21/02/2026
Here is the comprehensive Current Affairs and GK brief for February 21, 2026, specifically prepared for and optimized for UPSC, SSC, Banking, and Railway exam preparation.
National & Polity
Conclusion of AI Impact Summit 2026: The historic India AI Impact Summit concluded today at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
New Delhi Declaration: Participating nations adopted the "New Delhi Declaration on AI Impact," establishing a global framework for ethical AI, human-centric development, and inclusive growth.
Pax Silica Coalition: India formally entered the Pax Silica, a US-led tech alliance focused on securing semiconductor and critical mineral supply chains.
Maoism Elimination Deadline: Union Home Minister Amit Shah, while addressing the 87th Raising Day of the CRPF in Guwahati, asserted that Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) will be completely eliminated from India by March 31, 2026.
J&K State Election Commission: Former bureaucrat Shantmanu was sworn in as the State Election Commissioner of Jammu and Kashmir. He emphasized prioritizing long-pending local body and panchayat elections.
Defamation Case Hearing: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi appeared before a magistrate’s court in Bhiwandi, Maharashtra, regarding a 2014 defamation case. Meanwhile, BJP workers staged black-flag protests against him in Mumbai.
International Mother Language Day: India celebrated the day with the 2026 theme: “Youth voices on multilingual education.” Events across the country highlighted the role of the Bhashini AI tool in bridging linguistic divides.
International & Defence
U.S. Tariff Shift: The Commerce Ministry is studying the implications of a new proclamation by U.S. President Donald Trump. While a global 10% surcharge was announced, it effectively lowers India's tariff rate from 18% (previously discussed in an interim framework) to 10%, providing a potential boost for Indian exporters.
India–Israel Defence Pact: India and Israel signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to deepen Defence Industrial Cooperation. The pact focuses on the co-development of niche technologies and the "DAP 2026" procurement roadmap.
Bangladesh Visa Normalization: Diplomatic sources confirmed that the new Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-led government is moving to normalize visa facilities for Indian citizens, marking a significant thaw in bilateral ties.
IONS Chairmanship: India officially assumed the Chairmanship of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) for the 2026–2028 term during the 9th Conclave of Chiefs in Visakhapatnam.
Economy & Banking
Tata–OpenAI Partnership: The Tata Group partnered with OpenAI to establish India’s first large-scale, AI-ready data center under the "Stargate" initiative.
GIFT City Training: GIFT City signed an MoU with the Arun Jaitley National Institute of Financial Management (AJNIFM) to build a pipeline of fintech and international finance talent for India's IFSC.
Gorakhpur Cricket Stadium: The Uttar Pradesh government and Indian Oil (IOCL) signed an MoU to construct an International Cricket Stadium in Gorakhpur, primarily funded through CSR initiatives.
Science, Tech & Sports
Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics: The Games entered Day 15. A major highlight was the high-stakes Men’s Curling Gold-Medal Match between Great Britain (Team Mouat) and Canada.
Six Nations Rugby: In a classic European encounter, Ireland faced England at Twickenham, with Ireland maintaining their strong run in the 2026 Championship.
Shikhar Dhawan Marriage: Former Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan tied the knot with Sophie Shine in a private ceremony today.
Abhishek Sharma Support: Indian skipper Rohit Sharma addressed the media at the Narendra Modi Stadium, batting for young talent Abhishek Sharma and dismissing concerns regarding his recent form ahead of the T20 series.
Important Days (February 21)
Static GK & Exam Snippets
CRPF CoBRA: The Commando Battalion for Resolute Action is a specialized unit of the CRPF trained for guerrilla and jungle warfare (LWE).
International Mother Language Day: First proposed by Bangladesh and approved by UNESCO in 1999; commemorates the 1952 Language Movement in Dhaka.
Pax Silica: A strategic technological coalition (often compared to "Pax Americana") aimed at securing non-Chinese semiconductor supply chains.
IONS: Launched in 2008 by India; it is a voluntary initiative that seeks to increase maritime cooperation among the littoral states of the Indian Ocean Region.
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