Current Affairs Quiz - February 2026

Notes:
A new orchid species named Diplocentrum papillosum was discovered in Kanthalloor, Marayoor, in the Idukki district of Kerala. It belongs to the Diplocentrum genus, which is found only in the southern part of the Western Ghats. The orchid grows on rocks and tree branches and has strong roots to survive high winds. The name papillosum refers to the papillose, or small bump-like, texture of its flowers. It has unbranched flower clusters with pink and white, fragrant, and eye-catching blooms.

Notes:
The Union Finance Minister announced the Biopharma SHAKTI initiative in the Union Budget 2026–27 initiative to strengthen India’s biopharmaceutical sector. Biopharma SHAKTI stands for Strategy for Healthcare Advancement through Knowledge, Technology and Innovation. It aims to make India a global hub for biopharmaceutical manufacturing. The initiative will support domestic production of biologics and biosimilars. It will build a biopharma-focused network with three new National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER).

Notes:
The Supreme Court directed the Centre to set up a tribunal for the long-pending Pennaiyar River water dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Tamil Nadu filed the case in 2018 against Karnataka’s construction of check dams and diversion works. Tamil Nadu argued that water in an inter-state river is a national asset and cannot be claimed exclusively by any state. Pennaiyar River, also called South Pennar, Dakshina Pinakini, Thenpennai, or Ponnaiyar, flows through Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Notes:
Carlos Alcaraz won the Australian Open men’s singles tennis title 2026, completing his career Grand Slam. He defeated Novak Djokovic 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 in the final at Rod Laver Arena. This is Alcaraz’s first Australian Open win at the age of 22. Novak Djokovic, 38, was aiming for a record 25th major and to become the oldest man in the Open era to win a Grand Slam. Djokovic was defeated in the Australian Open final for the first time in his 11 appearances.

Notes:
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully demonstrated Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) technology on February 3, 2026, from Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur, Odisha. The demonstration positions India among elite nations with SFDR capability for long-range air-to-air missiles, providing a tactical advantage. The missile was initially propelled by a ground booster to reach the desired Mach number.

Notes:
The 13th edition of Exercise KHANJAR, a joint military exercise between India and Kyrgyzstan, has started at Misamari in Sonitpur district of Assam. Exercise KHANJAR is an annual Joint Special Forces exercise conducted by both countries. The exercise is held alternately in India and the Kyrgyz Republic every year. Khanjar-XIII is a 14-day-long exercise aimed at improving interoperability between Special Forces. The 2026 edition focuses on urban warfare and counter-terrorism operations under the United Nations mandate.

Notes:
India will host the Asian Rifle and Pistol Championship 2027 in Delhi, a historic first for Indian shooting. The championship will offer eight Olympic quota places for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. These eight quotas will be in addition to 12 quota places from the World Cup Shooting event. The World Cup (Rifle, Pistol, Shotgun) will be held in Delhi from 21 to 30 April 2027. Hosting rights were confirmed by the Asian Shooting Confederation to the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI).

Notes:
The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has launched a digital portal for issuing Certificates of Origin for cultivated medicinal plants. The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) functions under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The portal enables stakeholders to obtain Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) exemptions through an end-to-end online, single-window system.

Notes:
India won the U19 Cricket World Cup 2026, defeating England by 100 runs in the final held in Harare, Zimbabwe. India batted first, scoring 411/9 in 50 overs, while England were bowled out for 311 in 40.2 overs chasing a target of 412. Vaibhav Suryavanshi (14 years old) starred with 175 runs off 80 balls, laying the foundation for India’s win. Captain Ayush Mhatre contributed 53 runs off 51 balls. This is India’s sixth U19 World Cup title and the largest margin of victory by runs in a U19 final.

Notes:
Road accidents and fatalities on National Highways (NHs) declined by over 11% in 2025, according to data presented by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) in Lok Sabha. In 2025, National Highways recorded 1,34,307 accidents and 57,482 deaths, compared to 1,50,958 accidents and 64,772 deaths in 2024. This marked the first decline in three years, after 1,50,177 accidents and 63,112 deaths in 2023. The reduction was mainly driven by Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana, which together reduced fatalities by 6,072. Uttar Pradesh saw the largest drop, from 9,560 deaths in 2024 to 6,973 in 2025, followed by Madhya Pradesh with 1,762 fewer deaths.