Daily Current Affairs Quiz
25 February, 2026
International Affairs
1. Mexico
Why in News?
Mexico deployed around 10,000 troops following large-scale violence triggered after the death of drug cartel leader Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera.
About Mexico
- Official Name
United Mexican States (Estados Unidos Mexicanos) - Location
Southern part of North America. - Capital
Mexico City - Political System
Federal republic.
Borders and Water Bodies
Land Borders
- United States to the north
- Guatemala and Belize to the southeast
Water Boundaries
- Pacific Ocean to the west and south
- Gulf of Mexico to the east
- Caribbean Sea to the southeast
Major Physical Features
Tectonic Setting
- Lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire
- Highly prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity
Mountain Systems
- Sierra Madre Occidental (west)
- Sierra Madre Oriental (east)
- Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt (Cordillera Neo-Volcánica)
Important Volcanoes
- Popocatépetl (active volcano)
- Citlaltépetl (Pico de Orizaba) — highest peak in Mexico
Major Physiographic Regions
- Mexican Plateau
- Yucatán Peninsula
- Baja California Peninsula
- Coastal plains
Major Rivers
- Río Bravo (Rio Grande) — forms part of US–Mexico border
- Grijalva River
- Balsas River
National Affairs
1. 2025 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation
Why in News?
Our Lady of Grace Cathedral, Vasai (Maharashtra) has received the Award of Merit at the 2025 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.
About the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation
- A UNESCO initiative recognising outstanding heritage conservation projects across the Asia-Pacific region.
- Honours restoration work that combines technical excellence, cultural authenticity and community participation.
Established
- Year 2000.
Objectives
- Promote high-quality conservation of historic sites.
- Preserve cultural integrity and sustainability.
- Encourage community participation in heritage protection.
- Support adaptive reuse of heritage structures for long-term preservation.
About Our Lady of Grace Cathedral, Vasai
- Papdy village, Vasai, Maharashtra.
Historical Significance
- A 16th-century Catholic cathedral.
- Represents early Portuguese colonial architecture in India.
- Built around 475 years ago during Portuguese rule on India’s western coast.
- Constructed using traditional materials such as stone and mud mortar, without modern cement.
2. INS Anjadip
Why in News?
The Indian Navy is set to commission INS Anjadip, the third vessel under the eight-ship Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC) project, into the Eastern Naval Command.
What is INS Anjadip?
INS Anjadip is a modern Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC) designed for operations in coastal and shallow waters. It is a reincarnation of the earlier Petya-class Corvette of the same name, which was decommissioned in 2003.
Construction and Indigenous Content
- Designed and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata.
- Constructed under a Public-Private Partnership model with L&T Shipyard, Kattupalli.
- Reflects India’s push for defence indigenisation under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
ASW-SWC Project
- Total planned vessels: 8
- INS Anjadip is the third ship in the series.
- Other ships in this class include:
- INS Mahe
- INS Malvan
3. Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Launches Teacher App 2.0 with AI Integration
Source: News on Air
Context:
Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan today launched the Teacher App 2.0 – Powered by AI in collaboration with Bharti Airtel and CK12 Foundation in New Delhi.
Developed by:
- Bharti Airtel Foundation
- In collaboration with CK-12 Foundation (California, USA-based global nonprofit)
Objective:
- Accelerate AI adoption in India’s K–12 education system
- Aligned with National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and Viksit Bharat @2047
About Teacher App 2.0
- The app is an AI-driven technology companion designed to support and empower school teachers.
- Provides tools, content, and dashboards to make teaching more engaging and productive.
- Aims to improve classroom effectiveness and enhance teacher support.
Government’s AI Vision in Education
- The government is working rapidly to integrate AI into the education system.
- The launch strengthens India’s ongoing AI transformation in education.
- AI is seen as a force multiplier, helping to:
- Improve learning outcomes
- Increase student engagement
- Enable personalised education
Language and Technology Focus
- The Minister urged collaborators to use sovereign Language Learning Models (LLMs).
- Emphasis on making training tools available in most Indian languages.
4. States’ Electricity Transition (SET) Report 2026
Source: BL
Context:
The States’ Electricity Transition (SET) Report 2026, a joint study by Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) and Ember, analysed 21 States, representing 95% of India’s power demand.
Overall Finding
India’s electricity transition at the state level is progressing, though unevenly.
Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Rajasthan have emerged as leaders in:
- Electric Vehicle (EV) adoption
- Green hydrogen development
Coverage
- Assessed 21 States, accounting for 95% of India’s total power demand.
- Evaluated progress toward clean electricity transition.
Assessment Framework (3 Dimensions)
1. Decarbonisation
Top Performers:
- Karnataka
- Himachal Pradesh
- Kerala
2. Power Ecosystem Readiness & Performance
Top Performers:
- Delhi
- Haryana
3. Market Enablers
Top Performers:
- Andhra Pradesh
- Uttar Pradesh
- Rajasthan
Banking/Finance
1. New RBI Norms May Trim Banks’ Fee Income
Source: FE
Context:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued draft and final guidelines aimed at curbing mis-selling of financial products and tightening broker funding norms. Analysts say these measures could dent banks’ fee income—especially from bancassurance and capital market-related activities.
What Do the New Mis-Selling Guidelines Propose?
The new norms aim to:
- Curb bundled sales (forcing customers to buy insurance with loans/savings products).
- Eliminate dark patterns (misleading digital interface practices).
- Ensure product suitability and appropriateness.
- Mandate clear consent from borrowers.
- Provide compensation for mis-selling incidents.
Key Change:
Banks cannot bundle third-party products with their own offerings.
Likely Impact:
- Reduced cross-selling commissions
- Lower fee income, especially for large private banks
- Short-term hit expected; long-term impact may be moderate due to low insurance penetration.
Tighter Broker Funding Norms
RBI’s final guidelines (issued February 13) tighten exposure to stock brokers.
Key Provisions:
- No funding for brokers’ proprietary trading (except limited market-making).
- 100% collateral requirement for most exposures.
- Bank guarantees must be backed by:
- At least 50% collateral
- Minimum 25% in cash
Banks typically charge 50–100 basis points annually on bank guarantees. Reduced reliance on guarantees may lower fee income.
Capital Market Exposure Cap:
- Limited to 20% of banks’ net worth.
- Analysts say overall exposure is not large, so impact may be contained.
Agriculture
1. India’s Listed Food Companies Improve Protein Supply Chain Practices: APB100 Report
Source: BL
Context:
India’s listed food companies are making faster progress in managing protein-related supply chain risks across meat, dairy, poultry and seafood. However, climate action and animal welfare remain major gaps, according to the Asian Protein Buyers (APB) 100 benchmark released by Asia Research and Engagement (ARE).
What is APB100?
- An investor-backed benchmark assessing how 100 major Asian protein-buying companies manage:
- Environmental
- Social
- Governance (ESG) risks
- Covers companies across Asia including India, China, Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, and others.
India’s Performance
- Average score of Indian companies rose from ~7% (2023) to 16% (2025) — more than doubling.
- Based on 13 listed Indian food companies (manufacturers and restaurant chains).
- 11 of 13 companies improved year-on-year.
- Overall performance now broadly matches the Asia average, but India is improving faster than many peers.
Areas Where India Performs Strongly
India shows strongest progress in foundational supply chain governance, including:
- Traceability systems
- Supplier codes and sourcing policies
- Labour standards and due diligence frameworks
These indicate companies are building basic oversight of protein supply chains.
Major Gaps: Climate and Animal Welfare
Climate
- Over half of companies do not disclose climate-related indicators such as:
- Scope 3 emissions
- Transition plans
- Reduction targets
- Limited use of recognised disclosure frameworks.
- Rare commitments to absolute emissions cuts.
Animal Welfare
- Most companies lack:
- Formal policies
- Species-specific standards
- Measurable targets or timelines
- Few reference higher-welfare sourcing (e.g., cage-free or tether-free).
- Limited reporting of actual progress.
These weaknesses mirror broader challenges across Asia.
Facts To Remember
1. Union Cabinet nod for ‘Kerala’ to become ‘Keralam’
The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved the Kerala government’s proposal to change the State’s name from ‘Kerala’ to ‘Keralam’, the name used in the Malayalam language.
2. Union Cabinet, led by Modi, holds the first meeting at Seva Teerth
The Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Tuesday held its first meeting at the newly inaugurated Seva Teerth complex and adopted a resolution to fulfil the government’s goal of placing India among the world’s top three economies in the near future.
3. Dr. Bhargav Mallappa Conferred Royal Honour of ‘Dato’
Dr. Bhargav Mallappa, Chairman of MBRA Groups, was conferred the royal title ‘Dato’ by the Kutai Mulawarman institution of Indonesia for his contributions to social development, humanitarian work, and international agro-economic cooperation.
4. Rob Jetten Sworn in as Youngest PM of Netherlands
Rob Jetten was sworn in as the youngest Prime Minister of the Netherlands at age 38, succeeding Dick Schoof and leading a minority coalition government after the 2025 elections.
5. Abhinav Bindra Concludes IOC Athletes’ Commission Tenure
Abhinav Bindra completed his eight-year tenure (2018–2026) as Vice-Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission and was succeeded by Humphrey Kayange during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games.
6. Tata Consumer Acquires Food & Nutrition Technologies from CSIR-NIIST
Tata Consumer Products Limited acquired innovative food technologies including Smarter Rice and Coffee Crema from CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology to promote nutrition, wellness, and food security.
7. VP C.P. Radhakrishnan Releases Book on Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan released the coffee table book “Atal Bihari Vajpayee: The Eternal Statesman” authored by Vijay Goel, highlighting Vajpayee’s political journey and contributions.
8. Gujarat CM Releases ‘Vishwaguru Srila Prabhupada’ Biography
Bhupendra Patel released the Gujarati biography “Vishwaguru Srila Prabhupada,” chronicling the life and global spiritual influence of ISKCON founder A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
9. Central Excise Day 2026 – 24 February
Central Excise Day is observed annually on 24 February to commemorate the Central Excise and Salt Act, 1944, and recognise the role of the CBIC in tax administration and nation-building.
10. Kerala Signs ₹2,000 Crore MoUs for Vizhinjam Seaport Project
The Kerala government signed MoUs with central PSUs including Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Container Corporation of India, and Central Warehousing Corporation to develop logistics infrastructure at Vizhinjam International Seaport.
11. UP Inaugurates IBM AI GovTech Innovation Centre in Lucknow
Yogi Adityanath inaugurated IBM’s AI GovTech Innovation Centre in Lucknow to enhance AI-driven governance, service delivery, and AI literacy for students and teachers.
12. Delhi Implements ‘Rah-Veer’ Road Accident Assistance Scheme
Delhi CM Rekha Gupta implemented the ‘Rah-Veer’ scheme to reward citizens with ₹25,000 for helping road accident victims within the golden hour, supporting Good Samaritan protections.
