UPSC Current Affairs Pointers : From the ‘Operation Epic Fury’ escalation to India’s first counter-terror policy | February 23 to March 1, 2026
Are you preparing for UPSC Prelims 2026? Don't miss out on important current affairs: India and Israel elevate ties, HPV vaccination, Ayatollah Ali Khomeini, J&K as the winner of the Ranji Trophy, and more. You can also test your knowledge by solving MCQs.
Jammu & Kashmir won their maiden Ranji Trophy title. Read about the important current affairs of the past week. (PHOTO: PTI) Every Monday, we bring you UPSC Current Affairs Pointers—a concise, exam-focused guide to help you stay ahead in your Prelims and Mains preparation.
If you missed the UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | February 16 to 22, 2026, from the Indian Express, read it here.
International
— The United States and Israel have launched a massive, coordinated military campaign targeting Iranian leadership and strategic infrastructure.
— Code-named “Operation Epic Fury” by the US and “Roaring Lion” by Israel, the strikes represent the most direct confrontation with Tehran in decades.
— The immediate trigger appears to be the collapse of nuclear negotiations in Oman and Geneva earlier this week.
— Several tanker owners, oil majors, and trading houses have suspended crude oil, fuel, and liquefied natural gas shipments via the Strait of Hormuz.
— Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a state visit to Israel from 25 to 26 February 2026 on the invitation of Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of the State of Israel.
— India and Israel elevated their ties to a “Special Strategic Partnership for Peace, Innovation and Prosperity” and signed 17 pacts after talks between Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Benjamin Netanyahu.
— The two sides had framed their ties as a Strategic Partnership in 2017 during Modi’s first bilateral visit to Israel.
— The outcomes included the elevation of a joint commission on science and technology to the ministerial level, and an initiative to collaborate in critical and emerging technologies, which will be led by National Security Advisors.
— They signed a tech-gateway initiative, a financial dialogue, 20 joint fellowships in agricultural research, an increase in the contribution of both sides for the joint research calls, a quota of up to 50,000 Indian workers over the next five years, the India-Israel Academic Cooperation Forum, and the India-Israel Parliamentary Friendship Group.
— India has been seeking full membership for the last few years and in October 2023, it submitted a formal request to join IEA.
— IEA, created in 1974 as one of the responses to the global oil crisis, is an autonomous intergovernmental organization within the framework of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
— The founding charter of IEA provides that only those countries that are already OECD members or through those that joined OECD, can become a member of IEA. Today, there are 33 members of IEA, Colombia was recently inducted as the 33rd full member.
— In 2015, IEA opened the doors for non-OECD countries to become associate members. The associate members participate in the policy discussions and activities, but do not have decision-making rights. India became an associate member in 2017. There are 13 associate members right now.
Delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi scheduled for March 2 at Hyderabad House. (file photo)
— Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney, came to India on an official visit from 27 February to 2 March 2026. This was his first official visit to India.
— Canada-India Talent and Innovation Strategy was launched during the visit. It has four pillars: embedding Canadian capability in Indian priority sectors, translating knowledge and talent into economic outcomes, deepening and rebalancing two-way mobility, and demonstrating credibility through speed and delivery.
— With over 1.8 million Indo-Canadians and approximately a million non-resident Indians, Canada is home to one of the largest and most vibrant Indian diasporas in the world.
— Canada is an important strategic partner for major Western powers — it is part of the G7 grouping and shares the table with the US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Japan. It also shares intelligence with the Five Eyes grouping, which also includes the US, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. All these countries are also close strategic partners for India.
— The US Department of Commerce has imposed a 126 per cent tariff on Indian solar products after two Adani Group companies, Mundra Solar Energy and Mundra Solar PV, withdrew from the investigation proceedings.
— The Adani Group companies were ‘mandatory respondents’ in the proceedings, and their non-cooperation triggered ‘Adverse Facts Available’ penalty, the toughest methodology used by the US Department of Commerce.
— The escalation follows Pakistani airstrikes last Sunday along the Afghan border. Islamabad said it targeted camps of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Afghanistan however, alleged that the strikes hit civilian areas and violated its sovereignty.
— The TTP was formed in 2007 by several militant outfits active in northwest Pakistan. It is commonly known as the Pakistani Taliban. The TTP has attacked markets, mosques, airports, military bases, police stations and also gained territory – mostly along the border with Afghanistan, but also deep inside Pakistan, including the Swat Valley.
— The group was behind the 2012 attack on then schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai, who received the Nobel Peace Prize two years later.
— The TTP also fought alongside the Afghan Taliban against US-led forces in Afghanistan and hosted Afghan fighters in Pakistan. Pakistan has launched military operations against the TTP on its own soil with limited success, although an offensive that ended in 2016 drastically reduced attacks till a few years ago.
Event
— The National Round Table Conference of Election Commission of India (ECI) and State Election Commissioners (SECs) was organized by ECI on February 24, 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
— The Conference was held after a gap of over 25 years. The last such conference was held in 1999.
— A declaration was adopted at the Conference that said: “ECI and SECs will work together to synergise the laws relating to the elections to panchayats and municipal bodies with those relating to the elections to the Parliament and State Legislatures.”
— The EC decided to share its portal for electoral roll management, the ECINET portal, as well as EVMs and the facilities of its India International Institute of Democracy and Electoral Management.
Polity
— Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has launched the NMP 2.0. The second phase of the pipeline project is based on the mandate for ‘Asset Monetisation Plan 2025-30’ announced in the Union Budget for 2025-26 last year.
— The first phase of the pipeline was launched in 2021. It aimed to unlock value in brownfield projects by engaging the private sector, transferring to them revenue rights and not ownership in the projects, and using the funds generated for infrastructure creation across the country.
— The Niti Aayog noted in its report on NMP 2.0 that NMP 1.0 had shown that monetisation projects had led to greater involvement of institutional investors such as pension and sovereign wealth funds in the development of India’s infrastructure.
— In a monetisation transaction, the government is basically transferring revenue rights to private parties for a specified transaction period in return for upfront money, a revenue share, and commitment of investments in the assets.
— Recently, Kingfisher’s iconic jingle “Oo la la la le o” has secured a sound mark registration.
— A sound mark is a non-conventional trademark in which a sound functions as a source identifier.
— Instead of words, symbols or designs, it is an audio signal that tells the consumer who is behind a particular product or a service. If anyone associates it with one commercial source, it may qualify for registration.
— The Centre has appointed senior IAS officer Nidhi Chhibber as the interim Chief Executive Officer of NITI Aayog, following the completion of B V R Subrahmanyam’s extended tenure on February 24, 2026.
— With the twin mandate of promoting cooperative and competitive federalism, NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India) was constituted in January 2015 replacing the 65-year-old Planning Commission as a public policy think tank.
— The two fundamental pillars of the body are a collaboration between the Central and State governments, and promoting healthy competition among States through various sectors such as agriculture, health, education, infrastructure, and irrigation.
— In terms of its composition, the Governing Council of NITI Aayog comprises the Prime Minister of India, Chief Ministers of all the States and Union Territories with Legislature, and Lt Governors of other Union Territories. The body also includes a Vice Chairman and other members appointed by the Centre.
— The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is appointed by the Prime Minister to oversee the day-to-day operations of NITI Aayog and ensures the implementation of its initiatives and programs.
— Niti Aayog is headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with Suman K Bery as its Vice Chairman. Dr V K Saraswat, Dr V K Paul, Dr Rajiv Gauba, Ramesh Chand, and Arvind Virmani are among the full-time members of NITI Aayog.
— From the 2026-27 academic session onward, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is set to introduce a third language — other than two Indian languages — to students in Class 6.
— It is based on the recommendation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE) 2023.
— For schools that teach English in Class 6, it will become the one “foreign” language that can be taught, in addition to two Indian languages.
— English will be considered a “foreign” language. The NEP states that at least two of the three languages should be “native to India”.
— If another foreign language is taught as the third language in Class 6, like French or German, it will have to be accompanied by two Indian languages.
— The Class 10 Board examination in 2031 will require students to write an exam for the third language as well, unlike the current system of two languages.
Economy
Created using AI
— The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has released a new series of national income accounts, shifting the base from 2011-12 to 2022-23.
— According to the new GDP series, the Indian economy grew by 7.8% in October-December 2025 with growth for 2025-26 as a whole seen at 7.6%.
— Double-deflation method: The new GDP series does not use the single-deflator method at all and instead uses double-deflation, adjusting input and outputs by their respective inflation rates.
— New sources of data and surveys incorporated: It has incorporated data from GST, e-Vahan, Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprise, Periodic Labour Force Survey, among others.
— Further, by integrating national accounts data with Supply and Use Tables, MoSPI is hoping to minimise the ‘discrepancy’ component which arises when GDP measured by the more reliable production approach does not match the GDP calculated via the expenditure method. a more granular level. This allows for more accurate measurement of real GDP growth.
Environment
— Eight cheetahs from Botswana were brought to India as part of the Centre’s ambitious cheetah reintroduction programme, taking the total number of the big cats in the country to 46.
— This is the third batch of African cheetahs brought to India under the translocation programme, following earlier introductions from Namibia in September 2022 and South Africa in February 2023.
— The latest transfer from Botswana is part of a government-to-government agreement aimed at establishing a genetically diverse, free-ranging cheetah population in India over the next decade.
— Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) are well-known for their tawny coats speckled with black dots, which are placed in a distinctive pattern to aid in animal identification.
— IUCN Red List- Asiatic cheetah “critically endangered”, African Cheetah is listed as vulnerable (VU).
— Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Asiatic cheetah-Schedule 1, African Cheetah-Schedule 1.
— Project Cheetah was launched in September 2022 with the intercontinental translocation of African cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa to the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. This translocation took place in two batches of eight and then 12 cheetahs.
Defence
— The 13th edition of the Exercise MILAN 2026 of the Indian Navy culminated on 25th February 2026 with a closing ceremony conducted onboard India’s indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, off the coast of Visakhapatnam.
— It was held under the theme ‘Camaraderie, Cooperation, Collaboration’, and witnessed participation on an unprecedented scale, comprising 42 ships and submarines and 29 aircraft.
— The country’s first counter-terrorism policy, ‘Prahaar’, a comprehensive framework built on zero tolerance, intelligence-led prevention and coordinated response to extremist violence, was announced by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
— Prahaar lays out a multi-layered strategy structured on seven key pillars
* Prevention of terror attacks
* Responses
* Aggregating internal capacities
* Human rights and rule-of-law based processes
* Countering conditions that enable terrorism, including radicalisation
* Alignment with global efforts and shaping the international efforts to counter terrorism
* Recovery and resilience through a whole-of-society approach.
— Many of the tools PRAHAAR mentions — MAC, NSG, NIA, UAPA, CAPFs, community outreach, socioeconomic schemes — already exist and are in use; the document does not suddenly create new agencies or powers. The “newness” lies in putting them together in a single, public, national-level policy and strategy.
— The Exercise ‘Vayu Shakti’ demonstration was aimed at showcasing the Indian Air Force’s operational preparedness, precision strike capability and ability to undertake multi-domain operations in a near-realistic combat scenario.
— IAF presented glimpses of missions undertaken during Operation Sindoor through simulated strikes at the Pokharan Field Firing Range. Jaguar and Mirage fighter aircraft struck designated targets simultaneously, replicating coordinated attack patterns demonstrated during Operation Sindoor.
— A Sukhoi fighter aircraft carried out a strike on a simulated terror camp, while suppression and destruction of enemy air defence systems were demonstrated to neutralise hostile capabilities.
— The indigenously developed HAL Light Combat Helicopter Prachand demonstrated its agility by striking a simulated refuelling point. Apache attack helicopters, Mirage fighter jets, and Mi-17 V5 helicopters also participated in the coordinated operations, underlining the IAF’s multi-platform integration capability.
— An AKASH surface-to-air missile was also fired as part of the demonstration.
|
Mains Value Addition | ‘EMI-model’ for streetlights The Delhi government has devised a unique “EMI model” to pay for new smart LED streetlights installed on Public Works Department (PWD) roads, under which contractors who install the lights will be paid monthly, after they have ensured that they remain fully lit. Under this framework, the private company installing the lights will receive monthly EMI payments only after the lights are fully operational with 40 lux, ensuring that the company remains responsible for upkeep, performance, and timely maintenance. The EMI model will ensure that companies retain a critical stake in the performance of the lights, and make them partners in accountability. For the first time, citizens themselves will be able to see, monitor, and question the system in real time. |
Health
— Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 28th February, 2026 launched a nationwide Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign for girls aged 14, aimed at preventing cervical cancer, during his visit to Ajmer, Rajasthan.
— During the first 90 days of the campaign, girls aged 14 years as per their date of birth will be able to get the vaccine across government health centres. Following this, girls aged 14 years will be able to book a vaccination slot at their nearest health and wellness centre using the U-win portal — a process similar to what was used for vaccination during the pandemic using CoWIN.
— Persistent HPV infection is known to cause nearly 85% of all cervical cancers. This is important considering cervical cancer is the second most common type of cancer among women, affecting nearly 1.25 lakh and killing 75,000 each year.
— The government has decided to go ahead with a one-dose regimen using MSD’s Gardasil. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is still studying a one-dose regimen using the indigenously developed SII Cervavac.
— HPV makes up a group of viruses that are extremely common worldwide – there are more than 100 types, of which at least 14 cause cancer. HPV 16 and 18 are together responsible for about 70 per cent of the global disease burden. It is the most common sexually transmitted infection.
Person in News
Iran’s defence minister Aziz Nasirzadeh (right) and army chief Abdolrahim Mousavi (left) were killed in the US-Israel joint attacks following the death of Tehran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (Centre)
— Iran’s official news agency IRNA confirmed that the country’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had been killed in the strikes conducted by the US and Israel in Tehran. IRNA also confirmed that the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Mohammad Pakpour, and the secretary of Iran’s Defence Council, Ali Shamkhani, had also been killed.
— In Iran’s theocratic system, the Supreme Leader is the most powerful figure in the country ranking above the president, parliament, and judiciary. Khamenei commanded the armed forces, appointed heads of the judiciary, state media, and key security agencies, and held the power to dismiss elected officials, countermand legislation, and declare war or peace.
— His control also extended to foreign and military policy through his oversight of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Force (IRGC) and the Quds Force, which orchestrates Iran’s regional operations.
— His position is established on the doctrine of velayat-e faqih, or “guardianship of the jurist”, which gives a cleric ultimate sovereignty over an Islamic state. The ideology was developed by his predecessor, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, and enshrined in the constitution of 1979.
— President Droupadi Murmu unveiled a statue of C Rajagopalachari in the central courtyard of the Rashtrapati Bhavan on February 23, replacing the bust of British architect Edwin Lutyens.
— C Rajagopalachari, popularly known as Rajaji or CR, was born in December 1878 into a Tamil-speaking Brahmin family in the village of Thorapalli in Krishnagiri district, Tamil Nadu (then part of the Madras Presidency). Called Rajan by his parents, he attended the village school before moving to Madras in 1896 to study law.
Read in detail about him here.
Places in News
(Just FYI: The location of the place is important, considering that UPSC has asked several questions about places that were in the news, such as Aleppo and Kirkuk, in the 2018 UPSC Prelims. The best way to remember them is to plot them on a world map.)
— The Union Cabinet has approved the renaming of Kerala as Keralam, previously endorsed twice by the Kerala Assembly.
— According to the 2024 resolution of the Kerala government, the name of the state in Malayalam is Keralam and that states were reorganised on linguistic lines on November 1, 1956, which is observed as Kerala Piravi (Kerala Formation Day). It noted that while the state is referred to as Keralam in Malayalam, its name in the First Schedule of the Constitution is Kerala.
— There are multiple theories about the origin of the name “Kerala”. The earliest epigraphic reference is found in Rock Edict II of Ashoka, dated to 257 BCE, which mentions “Keralaputra” (Sanskrit for “son of Kerala”), also interpreted as a reference to the Chera dynasty.
— Unlike the renaming of cities, changing the name of a state requires a Constitutional amendment, for which a proposal must originate from the state government. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) examines the request and seeks No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from agencies such as the Ministry of Railways, the Intelligence Bureau, the Department of Posts, Survey of India, and the Registrar General of India.
— If cleared, the proposal is introduced in Parliament as a Bill. Once passed and notified, the new name comes into effect.
Awards
— The BAFTAs were organised at the Royal Festival Hall in London on February 22.
— Farhan Akhtar made history as his production Manipuri-language film Boong won the Best Children’s and Family Film award — the first-ever win for an Indian production in this category.
— Boong is the debut film of writer-director Lakshmipriya Devi. The award was presented by Paddington, a first-ever (anthropomorphised) bear to present the award.
Winners
| Category | Winner |
| Best Film | One Battle After Another |
| Film Not In The English Language | Sentimental Value |
| Documentary | Mr. Nobody Against Putin |
| Animated Film | Zootropolis 2 (Zootopia 2) |
| Children’s & Family Film | Boong |
| Leading Actress | Jessie Buckley — Hamnet |
| Leading Actor | Robert Aramayo — I Swear |
Sports
(Just FYI: With the unpredictability of the UPSC examinations and questions like the ICC World Test Championship question 2021, you can’t be sure of anything. It is wise to know what it is and not go into too much detail.)
— Indian Army won the Khelo India Winter Games 2026 team championship title with a total of 23 medals – nine gold, six silver and eight bronze.
— Himachal Pradesh signed off as runners-up this year with a late surge, bagging four golds on the final day to take their tally to 14 medals (six golds, seven silvers and one bronze).
— Jammu and Kashmir won their maiden Ranji Trophy. Jammu and Kashmir played their first game in 1960. However, their first victory in the competition came only in their 99th match in 1982.
— It has won the Ranji Trophy — instituted in 1934 — for the first time since it began participating in the competition in 1959–60. The Ranji Trophy, as we know, has long been the proving ground of Indian cricket.
— The Ranji Trophy is named after one of India’s first test cricketers, Ranjitsinhji, who played for England and Sussex. It is a domestic first-class cricket series.
— The series was announced in 1934, and the initial fixtures took place in 1934-35. Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala donated the trophy
Test Your Knowledge
(Note: The best way to remember facts for UPSC and other competitive exams is to recall them through MCQs. Try to solve the following questions on your own.)
(1) Consider the following statements:
1. Niti Aayog was established on 1 January 2015.
2. The Chairman of Niti Aayog is the Prime Minister of India.
3. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is appointed by the Prime Minister.
How many of the above statements is/are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
(2) Consider the following pairs:
| Location in news | Country |
| 1. Paktia | Pakistan |
| 2. Natanz | Iran |
| 3. Abbottabad | Afghanistan |
Which of the pairs mentioned above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 3 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 3 only
| Prelims Answer Key |
| 1. (c) 2. (b) |
For your suggestions and feedback, write to khushboo.kumari@indianexpress.com
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Khushboo Kumari is a Deputy Copy Editor with The Indian Express. She has done her graduation and pos... Read More
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