📊 Index & Rankings
The 79th British Academy Film Awards ceremony was held at London’s Royal Festival Hall on 22 February 2026.
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Best Film | One Battle After Another (6 awards) |
| Best Director | Paul Thomas Anderson |
| Best Children’s & Family Film | Boong (India) |
| BAFTA Fellowship | Dame Donna Langley |
| Host | Alan Cumming |
Top Nominations: One Battle After Another (14), Sinners (13), Hamnet (11), Marty Supreme (11)
‘Boong’, directed by Lakshmipriya Devi and produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani, created history as the first Manipuri film to win a BAFTA. Alia Bhatt served as presenter alongside Cillian Murphy and Bryan Cranston.
🇮🇳 National News
The five-day India AI Impact Summit 2026 concluded successfully at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi (16-20 February).
India achieved the record for “Most pledges received for AI responsibility campaign in 24 hours” – 2,50,946 pledges between 16-17 February.
Key Highlights:
- Delhi Declaration – 80+ nations endorsed the “New Delhi Frontier AI Impact Commitments”
- Google’s $15 billion – ‘America-India Connect’ initiative for subsea cable connectivity
- New subsea gateway – To be established in Vizag
- Health AI frameworks – SAHI and BODH launched by Union Health Minister
PM Modi’s Vision: India views AI with “fortune and future” rather than fear.
Security forces eliminated three Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists, including top commander Saifullah, in Operation Trashi-I at Passerkut in Kishtwar district’s Chatroo belt, Jammu & Kashmir.
Joint operation involving Army’s CIF Delta, J&K Police, and CRPF. Two AK-47 rifles and ammunition recovered.
This brings the total JeM terrorists killed in Jammu region this year to seven.
The Himachal Pradesh government launched the Indira Gandhi Sukh Shiksha Yojana aimed at supporting education for underprivileged students in the state.
The scheme will provide financial assistance and educational resources to ensure quality education reaches all sections of society.
The Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Budget Session commenced today. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will present the 2026-27 state budget on 6 March.
Key discussion topics:
- Rs 9 lakh crore state debt
- Rajya Sabha elections
- Political developments following Deputy CM Ajit Pawar’s demise
The Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly Budget Session began with Governor Ramen Deka’s address.
The session will continue until 20 March with 15 scheduled sittings.
The Karnataka government is examining a proposal to restrict or ban mobile phone usage among children below 16 years.
Concerns cited:
- Digital addiction
- Harmful content exposure
- Mental health implications
Soundala village in Maharashtra declared itself the state’s first “caste-free” village through a unanimous Gram Sabha resolution on 5 February 2026.
The historic social reform initiative aims to eliminate caste-based discrimination and promote equality.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant laid the foundation stone for the new Davem-Sanvordem bridge in Sattari taluka, enhancing connectivity infrastructure in the region.
Jharkhand’s Palamu Tiger Reserve introduced the ‘Vanjeevi Didi’ program, a community-driven conservation initiative empowering women to protect forests and wildlife.
The scheme engages local women as forest guardians and promotes sustainable livelihood practices.
Supreme Court has scheduled important hearings:
- Meta Platforms and WhatsApp case – Hearing scheduled for Monday
- CAA petitions – Final hearing scheduled from 5 May 2026
💼 Business & Economy
At the India AI Impact Summit, Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced the ‘America-India Connect’ initiative – a $15 billion investment over five years to link India and USA through new subsea cables.
Key Components:
- New international subsea gateway – To be established in Vizag
- Three new subsea paths – Connecting India to Singapore, South Africa, and Australia
- Four strategic fibre-optic routes
French shipping giant CMA CGM signed a $360 million contract with Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) for six 1,700 TEU LNG-fuelled feeder container vessels.
This marks the first-ever ‘Made in India’ container ship order by a global shipping major to an Indian shipyard, increasing CSL’s order book to Rs 23,000 crore.
The Food Corporation of India (FCI) signed an MoU with World Food Programme (WFP) for supply of 2 lakh Metric Tonnes of rice for Global Hunger Relief.
- Validity – 5 years from 17 February 2026
- Rice price – Rs 2,800 per quintal until March 2026
The 23rd edition of BioAsia 2026 was held at HITEX Exhibition Centre, Hyderabad (17-18 February).
- Theme – “TechBio Unleashed – AI, Automation and the Biology Revolution”
- Inaugurated by – Telangana CM A. Revanth Reddy
The event showcased Telangana’s emergence as a TechBio hub.
🌐 International News
Bangladesh announced the restart of visa services for India from Monday, marking a fresh beginning in bilateral relations.
The move signifies diplomatic normalization between the two neighboring nations.
France announced plans to summon US Ambassador Charles Kushner over controversial comments regarding an activist’s death.
The development has created diplomatic tension between the two allied nations.
🔬 Science & Technology
Andhra Pradesh’s upcoming capital Amaravati will host India’s first Quantum Valley, anchored by a proposed IBM quantum computing facility.
The initiative supports India’s quantum technology ambitions and digital transformation goals.
Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda launched two key Health AI initiatives:
- SAHI – Framework for safe and accountable healthcare AI
- BODH – Health AI benchmarking platform developed by IIT Kanpur and National Health Authority
📅 Important Days
Observed globally on 23 February to promote international understanding, peace, and goodwill among nations through education and cultural exchange.
Commemorates Rudolf Diesel’s birthday and celebrates the invention of the diesel engine, which revolutionized transportation and industry.
🏆 Sports
India faced their biggest defeat in T20 World Cup history, losing by 76 runs to South Africa in Super 8 Group 1 match at Ahmedabad.
India were bowled out for 111 chasing 188. This ended India’s 12-match winning streak in the tournament.
- Key Performers (SA) – Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj
- Captain’s comment – Suryakumar Yadav blamed powerplay collapse for the defeat
Two-time champions West Indies face Zimbabwe at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai at 7:00 PM IST in Super 8 Group 1 fixture.
Zimbabwe topped Group B, eliminating Australia in a major upset.
21-year-old Vaishnavi Adkar became the first Indian woman since 2009 to reach the singles final of a W100 tournament, marking a significant breakthrough for Indian women’s tennis.
🕊️ Obituaries
American astrophysicist Carl Grillmair, known for detecting water on a distant exoplanet, died at age 67 after a shooting incident at his rural property.
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