Daily Current Affairs and GK | 18 February 2026

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

1. The 3rd International AYUSH Conference and Exhibition 2026 started at the Dubai World Trade Centre on 15 February 2026.

• The event lasted for three days and continued until 17 February.
• It seeks to highlight ancient medical traditions and their modern applications.
• The theme of this year’s conference is “Evidence-Based AYUSH Interventions in Mind-Body Health.”
• Minister of State for AYUSH Prataprao Jadhav inaugurated the conference.
• He said India’s traditional knowledge systems are gaining importance in global health discussions.
• He noted that AYUSH systems offer holistic and evidence-based solutions.
• A draft white paper on AYUSH-based mind-body interventions presented at the conference.
• Over 120 exhibitors from the AYUSH sector took part in the event.
• The event included a film festival, an exhibition and a cultural evening.
• The conference is aligned with the World Health Organization’s global strategy on traditional medicine.

Topic: Sports

2. Magnus Carlsen won FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship 2026.

• On 15 February, the FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship 2026 title has been clinched by Magnus Carlsen of Norway.
• The championship final was won after defeating American grandmaster Fabiano Caruana in Weissenhaus, Germany.
• A final score of 2.5–1.5 was secured by Carlsen to claim the championship.
• The tournament is historic as it is the first official freestyle chess world championship recognised by the international chess governing body FIDE.
• With this victory, Carlsen also added the freestyle crown to his collection, taking his total to 21 world titles across different chess formats.
• Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov finished third, while Germany’s Vincent Keymer placed fourth.
• The event carried a total prize fund of $300,000, with $100,000 awarded to the champion.
• The top three finishers have qualified for the 2027 Freestyle World Championship.
• In a women’s exhibition match, Kazakhstan’s Bibisara Assaubayeva defeated Switzerland’s Alexandra Kosteniuk held alongside the Freestyle Chess World Championship in Germany.
• With this victory, she became the first player to qualify for the 2026 Women’s Freestyle Chess World Championship.
• The FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship 2026 took place from 13 to 15 February and featured the world's top chess players competing in the increasingly popular freestyle (also known as Fischer random) chess format.

Topic: National News

3. ‘Made in India’ H125 Choppers to be rolled out from Kolar Unit from 2027.

• India’s first private-sector helicopter Final Assembly Line (FAL) for the Airbus H125 light helicopter was virtually inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron at Vemagal in Kolar district.
• The 17-acre facility has been set up by Tata Advanced Systems Ltd in partnership with Airbus for manufacturing the H125 light helicopter.
• The first ‘Made in India’ H125 is expected to be delivered in early 2027 for domestic as well as South Asian export markets.
• It was described as a major boost to self-reliance by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who highlighted rising private participation in defence production.
• The programme involves an investment of over ₹1,000 crore and is expected to create significant employment opportunities.
• The facility was said to position India as an emerging rotary-wing manufacturing hub for South Asia by Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu.
• The unit will initially produce 10 helicopters annually with plans to scale up to 500 light helicopters over the next two decades.
• It will integrate key systems such as avionics, engines, hydraulics and will include a dedicated Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul unit.
• The collaboration marks the second major aerospace project between TASL and Airbus after the C295 aircraft programme.
• The H125 helicopter is widely used for emergency medical services, disaster relief, law enforcement and regional connectivity under the UDAN scheme.

Topic: Sports

4. Smriti Mandhana honoured as BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year 2025.

• Indian star batter Smriti Mandhana was named the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year 2025 at a ceremony held on 16 February.
• The award was given in recognition of her pivotal role in India’s historic Women’s World Cup triumph in 2025.
• At 29, she is already among the leading players in women’s cricket with the second-highest number of ODI centuries.
• The winners were selected by a grand jury comprising Leander Paes, Deepa Malik, and Anju Bobby George.
• Winners List:
• BBC Indian Sports Awards 2025 – Winners

• BBC Star Performers of the Year 2025

• BBC Changemakers of the Year 2025

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

5. CIPL signed MoU with Bihar Government to establish AI Centre in Patna.

• A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Corporate Infotech Pvt. Ltd. (CIPL) and the Government of Bihar to boost the state’s IT ecosystem.
• The agreement was formalised during the India AI Summit in the presence of senior state leadership.
• Under the MoU, a Core Development Centre along with an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Centre of Excellence (CoE) will be established in Patna.
• The project aims to strengthen digital governance and position Bihar as an emerging IT and AI hub in eastern India.
• An initial investment of ₹30 crore has been proposed, which is planned to be scaled up to ₹100 crore in the coming years.
• The centre will function as a technology delivery, innovation and talent development hub.
• Advanced domains such as SAP, AI, cloud computing, cybersecurity and data centre operations will be supported.
• More than 500 direct jobs are expected in the first year, with expansion plans to exceed 2,000 IT professionals within five years.
• The facility will also deploy CIPL’s proprietary AI-driven governance and analytics platforms.
• The initiative aligns with the Bihar IT Policy and aims to promote technology-led governance and sustainable digital growth in the state.

Topic: Art and Culture

6. Losar Festival celebrations begin in McLeod Ganj, marking start of Fire Horse Year.

• Preparations for the Tibetan New Year festival Losar have begun in McLeod Ganj, a major centre of the Tibetan exile community.
• The festival is scheduled to be celebrated from 18 to 20 February with traditional enthusiasm.
• The arrival of Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama in McLeod Ganj has created an atmosphere of joy among devotees.
• On this occasion, member of the Tibetan community prepare a traditional dish called Khapse in their homes and monasteries.
• Incense sticks are lit and collective prayers are offered during the celebrations.
• Special prayers are performed for the long life of the Dalai Lama.
• The community also prays for the freedom of Tibet during the festival.
• This year’s Losar marks the beginning of the Fire Horse Year in the Tibetan calendar.

Topic: International News

7. India and France have upgraded their relationship to a "Special Global Strategic Partnership."

• This new status significantly enhances cooperation between the two countries.
• This specific area includes cooperation in defense and security. The partnership also encompasses essential minerals and supply chains.
• Advanced technology and innovation are a major component of this upgraded framework.
• Climate action and cooperation in clean energy are key components.
• This expanded agenda also includes health, education, and economic security.
• This was discussed between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Emmanuel Macron.
• Macron is on an official visit to India from February 17 to 19.
• During this visit, the two leaders jointly launched the 2026 India-France Year of Innovation.
• This is Macron's fourth official visit to India, following Modi's visit to France in February 2025.
• Advancing relations between the two countries is based on the Strategic Partnership established in 1998.
• It also advances the Horizon 2047 Roadmap adopted in 2023.
• The 2023 Roadmap celebrated 25 years of strategic relations between the two countries.
• Both sides agreed to hold an annual Comprehensive Dialogue between their Foreign Ministers.
• India and France first established diplomatic relations in 1947.
• A major milestone was reached with the launch of the Strategic Partnership on January 26, 1998.
• This was India's first such partnership with a Western country. It was also France's first strategic partnership outside the European Union.
• Since then, cooperation has also expanded in defense and civil nuclear energy.
• Cooperation in space has also strengthened over time.
• Modi attended France's National Day as Guest of Honor in July 2023.
• Macron attended India's 75th Republic Day as Chief Guest in January 2024.
• In February 2025, the two leaders co-chaired the AI ​​Action Summit in Paris.
• India is now hosting the AI ​​Impact Summit 2026.

Topic: Sports

8. Paras Dogra has become only the second batsman in Ranji Trophy history to surpass 10,000 runs.

• He leads the Jammu and Kashmir cricket team. He achieved this milestone during the 2025-26 season.
• This milestone came in the second semi-final against the Bengal cricket team in Kalyani.
• He reached 10,000 runs as soon as he completed the 11th run of his innings.
• Dogra made his first-class debut in the 2001-02 season. He represented the Himachal Pradesh cricket team for over ten years.
• In 2024, he moved to the Jammu and Kashmir team. He has played 151 first-class matches in his career.
• He has scored over 10,000 runs in total, averaging 48.15.
• He has 34 centuries to his name and 35 half-centuries. Wasim Jaffer was the first player to reach 10,000 Ranji Trophy runs.
• Dogra is the only active player among the top ten run-scorers in the tournament's history.

Topic: Defence

9. The first indigenous cadet training ship for the Indian Navy was launched at the L&T Shipyard in Kattupalli, Chennai.

• This ship is the first of three such ships being built by Larsen & Toubro for naval training purposes.
• The launch ceremony took place in the presence of Chief of Defence Staff Anil Chauhan.
• The ship was formally launched by Anupama, President of the Defence Wives Welfare Association, in accordance with maritime customs.
• The ship is named 'Krishna' after the Krishna River, the third longest river in the country.
• The agreement for the construction of three cadet training ships was signed between the Ministry of Defence and L&T Shipyard on March 7, 2023.
• The primary purpose is to provide basic maritime training to naval cadets.
• The platform can also serve as a hospital ship if needed. Additional roles include assisting in non-combatant evacuation operations.
• The ship can also be used for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions.
• Search and rescue operations are among its other responsibilities.

Topic: Personality in News

10. Jesse Jackson has died at the age of 84.

• He was a leading figure in the American Civil Rights Movement.
• He was under medical observation for progressive supranuclear palsy.
• Jackson was a close associate of Martin Luther King Jr.
• He worked closely with King during the Civil Rights Struggle.
• After King's assassination in 1968, he continued his activism on a large scale.
• His organization, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, praised his lifelong fight for justice and equality.