Current Affairs - February 24, 2026 Current Affairs

Palamu Tiger Reserve is located in Ranchi, where the ‘Vanjeevi Didi’ initiative was launched to promote forest and wildlife conservation. The programme aims to train educated women from 17 villages as ambassadors for environmental awareness and community engagement. Each selected participant receives ₹3,000 per month and works to spread awareness about conservation while also encouraging school enrollments. The initiative strengthens the connection between local communities and forest authorities, empowering women to actively contribute to sustainable environmental protection and grassroots development efforts.

Vaishnavi Adkar became the first Indian woman since Sania Mirza in 2009 to reach a major International Tennis Federation Women’s singles final. She achieved this milestone at the Bengaluru W100 tournament, part of the ITF Women’s World Tennis Tour, which features higher prize money and strong international competition. Although Adkar finished runner-up after losing to Belgium’s Hanne Vandewinkel, her impressive performance helped her break into the WTA Top 500 rankings for the first time, marking a significant achievement in Indian women’s tennis.

Soundala village in the Ahilyanagar district of Maharashtra has officially declared itself caste-free by adopting the principle “Amchi jaat manav,” meaning “my caste is humanity.” The decision was unanimously approved by the gram sabha, reflecting collective agreement among the villagers. This historic move positions Soundala as Maharashtra’s and possibly India’s first caste-free village. The initiative represents a progressive step toward eliminating caste-based discrimination and promoting social equality. By prioritising humanity over caste identity, the village sets an inspiring example for broader societal reform and unity across communities.

Indira Gandhi International Airport secured the 5th position among the busiest airports in the Asia Pacific region in 2025, based on OAG data measuring one-way departing seat capacity. The airport recorded 46.18 million seats, marking a significant rise from its 9th rank in 2019. This growth reflects India’s expanding domestic aviation market, increasing middle-class travel demand, and improved airport infrastructure. A major contributor to this surge has been IndiGo, whose aggressive route expansion and fleet growth have boosted overall seat capacity and strengthened Delhi’s standing in regional aviation rankings.

The National Highway Quality Monitoring Portal is being developed to digitise the quality monitoring process. It will upload test reports generated by the Mobile Quality Control Vans and feature real-time GPS tracking of these vans. This system ensures transparency in inspections, prevents misuse, and allows officials to remotely monitor van movements and quality checks. The goal is to make the entire quality assurance system more accountable and data-driven for maintaining National Highway standards.

Andhra Pradesh signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Digital Bharat Nidhi to accelerate the implementation of the Amended BharatNet Programme. This ambitious project, valued at $16.9 billion (₹1.39 lakh crore), aims to extend Optical Fibre Cable broadband connectivity to every village, strengthening rural digital infrastructure. The agreement ensures state support in providing right of way and infrastructure access to facilitate smooth execution. The initiative is designed to digitally empower rural communities, enhance socio-economic development, and promote digital inclusion by enabling improved connectivity for government institutions, businesses, and citizens across the state.

Central Excise Day is observed every year on February 24 to mark the enactment of the Central Excise and Salt Act, 1944, later known as the Central Excise Act, 1944. The day recognises the contributions of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) in administering indirect taxes, including customs and excise duties. It highlights the importance of revenue collection, prevention of smuggling, and tax reforms in strengthening India’s financial system. Even in the GST era, excise duty continues to apply to specific goods such as petroleum and tobacco, maintaining its relevance in the country’s taxation framework.

INS Sudarshini made a historic port call at Safaga, Egypt, after sailing 1,832 nautical miles from Salalah as part of the Lokayan-26 mission. The voyage demonstrated the crew’s endurance, seamanship, and operational capability across challenging waters, including transit through the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. The visit included high-level meetings and community outreach activities, strengthening maritime cooperation and training ties between India and Egypt. The deployment aligns with the Indian Navy’s “Bridges of Friendship” initiative, aimed at enhancing international maritime collaboration and goodwill.

India signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen bilateral cooperation in postal services with Brazil. The agreement focuses on collaboration in areas such as digital transformation, modernisation of postal systems, and improving service delivery. It was signed by India’s Minister Scindia and Brazil’s Minister Frederico de Siqueira Filho, highlighting high-level engagement between the two nations. The MoU aims to promote strategic partnership, encourage knowledge-sharing, and enhance inclusive postal services. This cooperation reflects the growing diplomatic and economic ties between India and Brazil, supporting innovation and efficiency in their postal sectors.

Rob Jetten became the youngest Prime Minister of the Netherlands at the age of 38. A leader of the Democrats' 66 (D66) party, he assumed office after a closely contested election. His leadership marks a historic milestone in Dutch politics, breaking the previous record held by Ruud Lubbers, who became Prime Minister at 43. Jetten heads a minority coalition government and faces significant challenges, including negotiations on defence spending, asylum policy, healthcare reforms, and economic measures, requiring strong consensus-building and political coordination.