Daily Current Affairs and GK | 21 February 2026

Topic: Important Days

1. Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram Statehood Day 2026: 20 February

• Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram had celebrated their 39th statehood day in 2026.
• Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram became a full-fledged state of India on 20 February, 1987.
• Mizoram became the 23rd state of India through the 53rd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1986.
• Arunachal Pradesh became the 24th state of India through the 55th Constitutional Amendment Act of 1986.
• The President, Vice President, and Prime Minister extended greetings on Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram Statehood Day.
• Arunachal Pradesh:

• Capital of Arunachal Pradesh: Itanagar
• Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh: Pema Khandu
• Governor of Arunachal Pradesh: Lt. General Kaiwalya Trivikram Parnaik

• Mizoram:

• Capital of Mizoram: Aizawl
• Governor of Mizoram: General (Dr.) Vijay Kumar Singh
• Chief Minister of Mizoram: Shri PU Lalduhoma

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

2. Vibrant Villages Programme-II launched in Assam’s Cachar District.

• The Vibrant Villages Programme-II was launched in Cachar district of Assam by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to strengthen border areas.
• The programme aims at improving infrastructure in border villages and creating sustainable livelihood opportunities for local residents.
• It is aligned with the national vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, under which secure and developed border communities are being prioritised.
• The scheme is valued at more than ₹6,800 crore and will remain effective up to the financial year 2028-29.
• It will be implemented across 15 States and 2 Union Territories through a saturation-based and convergence-driven approach.
• Through the strengthening of villages, residents are expected to act as the eyes and ears of the nation, thereby supporting border security.
• The initiative is also intended to help prevent cross-border crimes and enhance the country’s internal security framework.
• During the visit, the Home Minister reviewed security arrangements at the Border Security Force Natunpur border outpost along the India-Bangladesh border.
• He also addressed a BJP rally in Barak Valley, formally launching the party’s election campaign in the region.
• On February 21, Mr. Shah will attend the CRPF's annual parade in Guwahati.
• He will also lay the foundation stone for the new campus of the 10th Assam Police Battalion at Kasutoli in Sonapur.

Topic: Economy/Banking/Finance

3. ₹137 Crore XV-FC Grants released to strengthen rural local bodies.

• More than ₹137 crore under the Fifteenth Finance Commission (XV-FC) Untied Grants was released by the Union Government.
• The grant has been released to strengthen Panchayati Raj Institutions and Rural Local Bodies in Goa, Meghalaya, Sikkim and Uttarakhand.
• The grants were released during FY 2025–26 to further reinforce rural local governance across the beneficiary states.
• The allocation was made for different financial years and was intended to improve grassroots institutional capacity.
• In Goa, ₹11.60 crore was released as the second instalment for FY 2023–24 for two eligible District Panchayats and 191 Gram Panchayats, along with ₹2.979 crore of withheld funds.
• Meghalaya received ₹27 crore as the second instalment for FY 2021–22 covering the Autonomous District Councils of Khasi, Garo and Jaintia.
• For Sikkim, ₹6.60 crore was released for FY 2025–26 benefiting six District Panchayats and 199 Gram Panchayats, along with ₹0.165 crore for one additional District Panchayat.
• Uttarakhand received the largest share of ₹89.4117 crore as the first instalment for FY 2025–26 covering 13 District Panchayats, 95 Block Panchayats and 7,568 Gram Panchayats.
• The grants are recommended by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation under the Ministry of Jal Shakti and are released by the Ministry of Finance in two instalments annually.
• Untied Grants will be used by local bodies for location-specific needs under the Eleventh Schedule, excluding salaries and establishment expenses.
• Tied Grants will support essential services such as sanitation, ODF maintenance, waste and fecal sludge management, drinking water supply, rainwater harvesting and water recycling.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

4. India and United States signed Pax Silica Declaration at India AI Impact Summit.

• On 20 February, the Pax Silica Declaration was signed by India and the United States at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi to deepen technology cooperation.
• The declaration was aimed at strengthening collaboration in critical minerals, semiconductors and Artificial Intelligence to build a secure global silicon ecosystem.
• The signing ceremony was presided over by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who highlighted India’s ambition to lead in semiconductor and electronics manufacturing.
• It was stated that Indian engineers are already designing advanced two-nanometer chips and that the country is building a talent pool of over 10 lakh professionals.
• The minister also informed that students from 315 universities and colleges are actively engaged in chip design activities.
• US Ambassador Sergio Gor emphasised that cooperation between the two nations has vast potential across trade, defence and advanced technology.
• He noted that the Pax Silica coalition is intended to shape the 21st-century economic and technological order across the full silicon value chain.
• The initiative seeks to secure supply chains from critical minerals and chip manufacturing to AI deployment through trusted partnerships.
• The declaration aims to replace coercive dependencies with market-driven industrial cooperation between trusted nations.
• The partnership is expected to advance trusted AI globally while reinforcing strategic technological ties between India and the United States.

Topic: Summits/Conferences/Meetings

5. 9^th IONS Conclave of Chiefs held in Visakhapatnam.

• On 20 February, the 9th Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) Conclave of Chiefs was scheduled held in Visakhapatnam with participation from naval leaders of several countries.
• The high-level gathering was planned alongside the International Fleet Review and MILAN 2026, enhancing its strategic importance.
• At the conclave, the Chairmanship of IONS assumed by the Chief of the Naval Staff from the Royal Thai Navy.
• India is set to lead the forum for the 2026–2028 term, marking its second tenure since the platform was launched in 2008 in New Delhi.
• IONS functions as a voluntary and inclusive platform bringing together navies of the Indian Ocean Region.
• The forum promotes maritime security, naval cooperation and humanitarian assistance among member countries.
• The conclave discussed common maritime challenges and efforts to strengthen collective security in the region.

Topic: Banking/Finance

6. India's foreign exchange reserves rose to a record $725.727 billion.

• India’s foreign exchange reserves were reported by the Reserve Bank of India to have surged by $8.663 billion to an all-time high of $725.727 billion for the week ended February 13.
• The sharp increase was recorded after reserves had declined by $6.711 billion in the previous week due to falling gold prices.
• The latest rise was driven by gains across key reserve components.
• Gold reserves were increased by $4.990 billion to reach $128.466 billion during the reporting week.
• Foreign Currency Assets, the largest component of reserves, rose by $3.550 billion to $573.603 billion.
• FCA comprises major global currencies such as the US dollar, euro, yen and pound expressed in dollar terms.
• Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) increased by $103 million to $18.924 billion, while India’s reserve position with the IMF rose by $19 million to $4.734 billion.
• Strong forex reserves provide a key indicator of the country’s economic strength and external sector stability.
• The reserves enable the central bank to intervene in currency markets to prevent excessive depreciation of the rupee.
• Significantly, according to the Economic Survey 2025-26, the country remains the largest recipient of remittances in the world, with inflows of $135.4 billion in FY25, maintaining stability in the external account.
• Despite the deteriorating global financial situation, India has consistently attracted large gross investment inflows, which amounted to 18.5% of GDP in FY25.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

7. Joint Regional Official Language Conference in Agartala was inaugurated by Amit Shah.

• He inaugurated the Joint Regional Official Language Conference (Rajbhasha Sammelan) for the Eastern, North-Eastern and Northern Regions on 20 February 2026.
• Department of Official Languages organised the conference.
• He said Hindi, Bengali and Kokborok are spoken fluently across Tripura.
• He asserted that the state has never witnessed language-related conflict.
• He described Tripura as the sacred land of Mata Tripura Sundari.
• He stated that the Hindi movement began during the era of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
• He noted that more than 2,000 dialects are preserved through the Devanagari script.
• He described Tripura as an important part of Ashtalakshmi symbolizing the North-East’s strength.
• He said that since 2014, the Centre has signed 21 peace agreements in the region.

Topic: Important Days

8. World Day of Social Justice: 20 February

• World Day of Social Justice is celebrated every year to promote the values of fairness, human rights, and social protection for all.
• World Day of Social Justice is dedicated to tackling critical global issues like poverty, exclusion, gender inequality, and unemployment.
• The United Nations designated 20 February as World Day of Social Justice in 2007.
• This year, the theme of World Day of Social Justice is “Renewed Commitment to Social Development and Social Justice.”
• On 20 February 2026, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment organised a special programme in collaboration with National Law University.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

9. Gujarat has signed an MoU to set up a 250 MW green AI-ready data centre campus.

• The facility will be developed at Dholera Special Investment Region.
• The agreement was signed in New Delhi during the India AI Impact Summit 2026.
• The MoU was signed between the Gujarat Government’s Department of Science and Technology and Larsen & Toubro VYOMA.
• The project involves an estimated investment of ₹25,000 crore and is expected to become operational by 2028.
• The campus will support artificial intelligence workloads and cloud computing services.
• Under the agreement, L&T VYOMA will assess land suitability and infrastructure readiness.
• The Gujarat government will facilitate the project through its departments.
• Current government under Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has allocated over ₹850 crore for AI and digital governance in the current budget.

Topic: Personality in News

10. Mani Shankar Mukhopadhyay passed away in Kolkata on February 20, 2026.

• He is known by his pen name Shankar. He had been suffering from age-related ailments for some time.
• Shankar was considered a towering figure in Bengali literature.
• He was among the most widely read contemporary Bengali authors.
• His novel Chowringhee depicted the complexities of urban life. It became one of his most iconic works.
• He also wrote Jana Aranya and Seemabaddha. Both novels explored the moral and social struggles of ordinary people.
• They were adapted into a film by Satyajit Ray.
• Shankar also wrote extensively about Swami Vivekananda.
• In 2021, he was honoured with the Sahitya Akademi Award. He also received the Bankim Puraskar.
• He was a recipient of the Farha Blue Kazi International Award.