Current Affairs - February 22, 2026 Current Affairs

Mumbai has been selected to host The Earthshot Prize 2026, a prestigious global environmental award founded by Prince William. The announcement was made during the city’s first Mumbai Climate Week, highlighting India’s expanding leadership in climate action and sustainable innovation. The Earthshot Prize recognizes five global innovators annually, awarding each £1 million to scale transformative solutions addressing climate change, biodiversity, air pollution, ocean restoration, and waste reduction. Hosting the event underscores Mumbai’s growing role as a hub for climate dialogue and green investment, while reinforcing India’s commitment to achieving long-term environmental and sustainability goals.

AIIMS Delhi hosted the Indo-French Centre for AI in Health (IF-CAIH), inaugurated jointly by India and France during the RUSH 2026 meetings. The centre serves as a dedicated hub for advancing artificial intelligence applications in healthcare, brain health, neuroscience, and clinical decision-support systems. It reflects a strong collaboration between leading Indian and French institutions to promote interdisciplinary research, academic exchange, and innovation in digital health. The initiative strengthens sovereign AI capabilities, supports responsible health data usage, and enhances global cooperation in medical research, education, and technology-driven healthcare solutions.

The World Food Programme entered into a five-year Memorandum of Understanding with the Food Corporation of India to receive 200,000 metric tonnes of rice annually for global humanitarian operations. As the United Nations’ leading food assistance agency, it works to combat hunger and provide emergency relief in vulnerable regions. The agreement strengthens global food security efforts and supports Sustainable Development Goal 2, which aims to achieve Zero Hunger. This collaboration enhances supply stability for humanitarian missions while reinforcing international cooperation in addressing malnutrition and food insecurity worldwide.

Reliance announced a ₹10 trillion investment in artificial intelligence to develop sovereign compute infrastructure across India. The plan includes building multi-gigawatt AI data centres, deploying edge-compute layers integrated with telecom networks, and delivering affordable AI services nationwide. A major facility is under development in Jamnagar, with phased capacity expansion planned. The initiative emphasises reducing dependence on foreign cloud providers and ensuring national data security. Supported by green energy projects, the investment aligns with long-term goals of strategic resilience, digital self-reliance, and scalable AI adoption across industries and government services.

Sanae Takaichi was formally reappointed as Japan’s Prime Minister after achieving a historic two-thirds majority in the snap lower house elections. Her victory provided a strong political mandate to advance constitutional reforms, strengthen national defence, and expand intelligence capabilities. As Japan’s first woman Prime Minister, she has emphasized proactive fiscal policies, suspension of food consumption tax to manage inflation, and the creation of a National Intelligence Agency. Takaichi has also proposed updates to the Free and Open Indo-Pacific strategy, reflecting Japan’s evolving security posture amid rising geopolitical tensions in East Asia.