Current Affairs Quiz 25th February 2026 Quiz

Exp. ECI Holds National Round Table Conference After 27 Years to Strengthen Electoral Synergy and Technology

The Election Commission of India is organising the National Round Table Conference of ECI and State Election Commissioners at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, marking the first such event in 27 years since 1999.

The conference will be chaired by Gyanesh Kumar, with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, and attended by State Election Commissioners, Chief Electoral Officers, and their legal and technical experts.

Key objectives include fostering synergy between the ECI and State Election Commissioners, sharing technology and best practices related to EVMs, electoral rolls, and the ECINET digital platform, and reinforcing cooperative federalism in electoral management.

Exp. Indian Army’s Konark Corps Conducts Live Firing Test of Strela-10 VSHORADS at Pokhran Range

The Indian Army’s Konark Corps, along with the Air Defence Warriors of the Blazing Skies Brigade, carried out a high-intensity live firing test of the Strela-10 Very Short Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS).

The exercise was conducted at the Pokhran Field Firing Range in Rajasthan, demonstrating enhanced air defence preparedness and operational capability.

Exp. USA Clinch Men’s Olympic Ice Hockey Gold After 46 Years with Overtime Win Over Canada

The United States men’s national ice hockey team defeated the Canada men’s national ice hockey team 2–1 to win the men’s Olympic ice hockey gold after 46 years.

Jack Hughes scored the decisive goal 1 minute 41 seconds into overtime, securing the USA’s first Olympic title since the historic 1980 “Miracle on Ice” at 1980 Winter Olympics.

Finland’s men’s national ice hockey team, the defending champions from the 2022 Beijing Games, claimed the bronze medal by defeating Slovakia 6–1.

Exp. Former Union Minister Mukul Roy Passes Away at 71

Mukul Roy, former Union Railway Minister and senior leader of the All India Trinamool Congress, passed away at the age of 71.

He began his political career with the Congress and co-founded the Trinamool Congress with Mamata Banerjee in 1998; he also submitted the party’s official symbol to the Election Commission of India.

In 2017, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party and played a key role in its strong performance in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal; he later won the 2021 Assembly election from Krishnanagar North as a BJP MLA.

Exp. ICICI Pension Funds Unveils ‘NPS Swasthya Equity Plus’ in PFRDA Regulatory Sandbox

ICICI Pension Fund Management Company launched ICICI PF NPS Swasthya Equity Plus under the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) regulatory sandbox, as a pilot within the National Pension System (NPS), not part of regular NPS offerings.

The scheme links retirement savings with medical access, allowing up to 25% withdrawal of own contributions for treatment through Apollo HealthCo Limited via Apollo 24|7; no cap on number of withdrawals (minimum ₹50,000 corpus required), and emergency exit up to 100% if medical costs exceed 70% of corpus.

Recent Facilities Launched in Banking & Insurance Sector

• IDFC FIRST Bank Launches Hello Cashback Credit Card with Tiered Rewards and Credit-Building Benefits
• IOB Launches Online Death Claim Settlement Portal for Faster, Transparent Processing
• BOBCARD Launches Braille-Enabled Premier Credit Card
• Axis Bank launches Rooftop Solar Finance for MSMEs

Exp. Punjab government launched ‘Meri Rasoi’ scheme

The Punjab government has launched ‘Meri Rasoi Yojna’ to provide additional food items to families covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).

Under this scheme 40 lakh families will receive free quarterly food kits starting April, apart from wheat already provided under NFSA.

Each food kit will include 2 kg of lentils, 2 kg of sugar, 1 kg of salt, 200 gm turmeric powder, and 1 litre of mustard oil for monthly consumption.

About Punjab

• Capital – Chandigarh
• Chief Minister – Bhagwant Mann
• Governor – Gulab Chand Kataria

Exp. Harsharan Kaur Trehan Appointed Director (Commercial) of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited

Harsharan Kaur Trehan has been appointed as the Director (Commercial) of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) by the Punjab government for a tenure of two years, subject to a maximum age limit of 65 years.

She previously made history as the first woman Engineer-in-Chief at PSPCL, bringing over 34 years of experience in key power-sector roles.

Exp. Maharashtra’s Soundala Village Declares Itself ‘Caste-Free’ with Unanimous Gram Sabha Resolution

Soundala village in Maharashtra has declared itself a “caste-free” village through a unanimous Gram Sabha resolution passed, adopting the motto “Aamchi jaat… manav” (My caste is humanity).

Located in the Ahilyanagar district, the village formally renounced caste-based discrimination and social exclusion, promoting equality and shared human values.

The resolution ensures equal access to public spaces and services—including schools, temples, water bodies, and cremation grounds—and commits to addressing caste-based grievances and preventing derogatory social media content.

About Maharashtra

• Capital – Mumbai
• Chief Minister – Devendra Fadnavis (3^rd time)
• Deputy Chief Minister – Eknath Sindhe & Sunetra Pawar
• Governor – Acharya Devvrat (additional charge)

Exp. Palamu Tiger Reserve Launches ‘Vanjeevi Didi’ Initiative to Empower Women in Forest Conservation

The Palamu Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Jharkhand has launched the ‘Vanjeevi Didi’ initiative, a community-driven programme aimed at empowering women to protect forests and wildlife.

Under the scheme, 18 educated women from each of 17 villages have been selected as forest ambassadors to promote awareness and discourage poaching and deforestation.

The initiative was launched on February 17 in the Garu range and targets hinterland villages such as Henar, Surkumi, Hasua, Armu, Kotam and Pandra to build grassroots conservation efforts.

Each Vanjeevi Didi will receive a monthly incentive of ₹3,000, and the programme—initially planned for two months—will be reviewed for expansion with approval from the state forest department.

About Jharkhand

• Capital – Ranchi
• Chief Minister – Hemant Soren
• Governor – Santosh Kumar Gangwar  

Exp. Waaree Energies to Set Up India’s Largest 16 GWh Lithium-Ion Battery Gigafactory in Andhra Pradesh

Waaree Energies has announced an investment of ₹8,175 crore to set up India’s largest integrated lithium-ion battery gigafactory at Rambilli in Andhra Pradesh, with a production capacity of 16 GWh.

The greenfield facility, approved in principle by the State Investment Promotion Board, will cover the entire battery value chain — including cell manufacturing, battery pack assembly, and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS).

The project is expected to boost domestic value addition, reduce dependence on imported battery components (especially from East Asia), and position Andhra Pradesh as a major hub in India’s clean energy storage sector.

Exp. RBI Establishes High-Security Data Centre in Bhubaneswar to Strengthen Financial Infrastructure

The Reserve Bank of India has established a high-security data centre in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, to enhance the safety and continuity of India’s critical financial infrastructure.

The greenfield facility has been developed at Info Valley-II in Khordha, spread across an 18.55-acre campus.

It will support RBI’s core functions such as currency management, payment and settlement systems, and regulatory data operations; RBI’s primary data centre is located at Kharghar, Navi Mumbai.

Exp. Ministry of Home Affairs Unveils ‘PRAHAR’ – India’s New National Counter-Terrorism Strategy

The Ministry of Home Affairs unveiled India’s new national counter-terrorism policy and strategy titled PRAHAR.

The PRAHAR strategy provides a comprehensive and proactive framework to prevent and counter evolving terror threats while safeguarding national interests.

PRAHAR stands for Prevention, Response, Aggregation of capacities, Human rights & Rule of Law, Attenuation of radicalisation, Alignment of international efforts, and Recovery & resilience, ensuring a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach.

Exp. Nirmala Sitharaman Launches National Monetisation Pipeline 2.0 with ₹16.72 Lakh Crore Potential in New Delhi

Nirmala Sitharaman launched the National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP) 2.0 in New Delhi, marking the second phase of asset monetisation for Central ministries and public sector entities.

NMP 2.0 has been developed by NITI Aayog under the ‘Asset Monetisation Plan 2025–30’ announced in the Union Budget 2025–26.

The pipeline estimates a total monetisation potential of ₹16.72 lakh crore, including ₹5.8 lakh crore private sector investment, for the period FY 2025–26 to FY 2029–30.

The Finance Minister highlighted that nearly 90% of the ₹6 lakh crore target under NMP 1.0 was achieved and stated that NMP 2.0 aligns with the vision of Viksit Bharat through accelerated infrastructure development.

Exp. Rob Jetten Set to Become Youngest and First Openly Gay Prime Minister of the Netherlands

Rob Jetten is set to be sworn in as the youngest Prime Minister of the Netherlands and the country’s first openly gay Prime Minister.

His rise follows a closely fought snap election in October, where his centrist party defeated the far-right Party for Freedom led by Geert Wilders.

About Netherlands

• Capital- Amsterdam
• Currency- Euro
• Prime Minster – Rob Jetten (Youngest and First Openly Gay PM)

Exp. Bangladesh Becomes 89th Signatory as New Delhi Declaration on AI Gains Global Backing at India AI Impact Summit 2026

The New Delhi Declaration on AI Impact was adopted at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, with Bangladesh becoming the 89th signatory, reflecting global consensus on using AI for economic growth and social good.

A total of 89 countries and international organisations endorsed the Declaration, including the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, and Bangladesh.

Guided by the principle of “Sarvajan Hitaya, Sarvajan Sukhaya,” the Declaration emphasises the equitable and inclusive sharing of AI benefits across humanity.

The Summit and Expo saw participation from 500+ AI leaders, 100+ CEOs, 150 academicians, and 400 CTOs, attracting over five lakh visitors, and highlighted AI’s role in sectors like agriculture, as noted by Rajeev Ahuja.

Exp. Union Cabinet Approves Renaming of Kerala to ‘Keralam’

The Union Cabinet has approved the proposal to change the name of the State of Kerala to “Keralam”, following a resolution passed by the Kerala Legislative Assembly on 24 June 2024.

After Cabinet approval, the President of India will refer the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, to the State Legislative Assembly for its views, after which it will be introduced in Parliament for final approval.

The Kerala assembly has urged the central government to take immediate steps to amend it as Keralam under Article 3 of the Constitution and in all the languages included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.

About Kerala

• Capital – Thiruvananthapuram
• Chief Minister – Pinarayi Vijayan
• Governor – Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar