Current Affairs - 02 March 2026

Chandra Shekhar Azad – 95th Martyrdom Day (27 February 2026)

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NATIONAL

Why in News:

- India paid tributes to freedom fighter Chandra Shekhar Azad on his 95th martyrdom day on 27 February 2026.
- Commemorative events organised in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

About the News:

- Azad was a leading revolutionary nationalist of India’s freedom struggle.
- Key force behind the transformation of HRA into HSRA.
- Known for his pledge to never be captured alive.

Background:

Early Life
- Born in 1906, Alirajpur (present-day Madhya Pradesh)
- Original name: Chandra Shekhar Tiwari
- Participated in Non-Cooperation Movement (1921)
- Declared name as “Azad”, father “Swatantra”, residence “Jail”
Shift to Revolutionary Path (1922)
- Withdrawal of movement by Mahatma Gandhi
- Turned towards armed revolutionary nationalism
Role in HRA & Kakori (1925)
- Joined Hindustan Republican Army (HRA)
- Involved in Kakori Train Robbery to raise funds
Formation of HSRA (1928)
- Reorganised as Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA)
- Along with Bhagat Singh
- Adopted Socialist ideology
- Azad served as chief military strategist
Saunders Assassination (1928)
- Planned killing of John Saunders (Lahore)
- Avenged death of Lala Lajpat Rai
- Used pseudonym “Balraj”
Final Stand (27 February 1931)
- Surrounded at Alfred Park, Allahabad
- Helped Sukhdev Raj escape
- Shot himself with last bullet
- Park later renamed Chandra Shekhar Azad Park

Exam Relevance:

UPSC/BPSC

Total Lunar Eclipse – 3 March 2026

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INTERNATIONAL

Why in News:

- A total lunar eclipse will occur on 3 March 2026.
- Visible across most of India, Eastern Asia, Australia, Pacific Ocean, and the Americas.

About the News:

- It will be a Total Lunar Eclipse, where the Moon will be completely covered by Earth’s umbra.
- Occurs only during a Full Moon phase.
- Such events are significant for astronomical observation and scientific study.

Background:

What is a Lunar Eclipse?
- A celestial event when Sun, Earth, and Moon align in a straight line (Syzygy).
- The Moon passes through Earth’s shadow.
Structure of Earth’s Shadow:
- Umbra: Dark inner region where sunlight is completely blocked.
- Penumbra: Outer lighter region where sunlight is partially blocked.
Types of Lunar Eclipse:
- Total: Moon fully inside umbra.
- Partial: Part of Moon inside umbra.
- Penumbral: Moon passes only through penumbra.

Exam Relevance:

UPSC/BPSC

GDP Series (Base Year 2022-23)

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NATIONAL

Why in News:

- Government has released the New GDP Series with 2022-23 as the base year.
- FY26 GDP growth revised to 7.6%.
- Q3 (Oct–Dec 2025) growth estimated at 7.8%.
- New estimates are higher than earlier 7.4% under old series.

Key Highlights:

- Introduced by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
- Base year shifted from 2011-12 to 2022-23.
- Base year revision is a periodic statistical exercise to:
  - Improve methodology
  - Include new data sources
  - Reflect structural economic changes
- Last revision was in 2015 when base year shifted to 2011-12.
- Under new series:
  - Q3 FY26 growth: 7.8%
  - FY26 full-year growth: 7.6% (Second Advance Estimates)

Background:

- GDP (Gross Domestic Product) measures the total value of goods and services produced in a country.
- Base year is chosen to compare real growth by removing inflation effects.
- Revision ensures GDP reflects current economic structure such as:
  Growth of digital economy
  Changes in manufacturing and services
  Better data from GST, corporate filings, etc.
- Periodic revision aligns India’s data system with global statistical standards.

Exam Relevance:

UPSC/BPSC

India–Brazil Critical Minerals MoU

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NATIONAL

Why in News:

- India and Brazil signed an MoU on rare earths and critical minerals during the visit of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to India in February 2026.
- The agreement focuses on strengthening cooperation in strategic mineral resources.

Key Highlights:

- MoU signed between India and Brazil for
  - cooperation across the entire mineral value chain.
- Covers:
  - Exploration
  - Mining
  - Processing
  - Refining
  - Recycling

Objective:

- Strengthen supply chains
- Enhance global competitiveness
- Ensure reliable access to critical minerals for strategic and industrial sectors

Background:

- Critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel and rare earth elements are essential for:
  - Renewable energy technologies
  - Electric vehicles
  - Electronics and defence manufacturing
- India is working to strengthen its capabilities across the full critical mineral value chain.
- In January 2025, Union Cabinet approved the National Critical Mineral Mission (2024–25 to 2030–31).
The mission aims to:
- Accelerate domestic exploration
- Promote beneficiation and processing
- Recover minerals from end-of-life products
- Reduce import dependence
This partnership aligns with India’s long-term resource security strategy.

Exam Relevance:

UPSC/BPSC

Villages of Excellence Initiative

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NATIONAL

Why in News:

- Prime Minister of India announced the Villages of Excellence Initiative during his state visit to Israel in February 2026.
- The initiative aims to scale up agricultural cooperation between India and Israel.

Key Highlights:

1. It is a grassroots-level extension of the Indo-Israel Agriculture Project (IIAP).
- Earlier cooperation focused on centralized high-tech Centres of Excellence.
- The new initiative aims to transform entire farming clusters into technology-driven agricultural zones.
- Israeli agricultural expertise will be integrated directly into village-level ecosystems.
- Nations involved: India and Israel.
- Aim:
  - Bridge the gap between high-tech research centres and common farmers.
  - Transfer Israeli technology from Centres to Villages.
  - Increase productivity and income of lakhs of Indian farmers.
  - Promote sustainable and future-ready farming solutions.

Background:

- The Indo-Israel Agriculture Project was launched in 2008 to promote cooperation in horticulture and advanced farming techniques.
- Under IIAP, several Centres of Excellence were set up across Indian states for:
  - Protected cultivation
  - Drip irrigation
  - Precision farming
  - High-yield varieties
- The Villages of Excellence initiative expands this model from demonstration centres to cluster-based village transformation, ensuring wider farmer outreach.

Exam Relevance:

UPSC/BPSC

Iran Leadership Transition After Khamenei

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INTERNATIONAL

Why in News:

- Following the death of Ali Khamenei, Alireza Arafi has been appointed to temporarily lead Iran.
- He is part of a three-member Leadership Council during the transition phase.
- Arafi is a senior cleric and Deputy Chairman of the Assembly of Experts.

Exam Relevance:

UPSC/BPSC

Amondawa Tribe

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INTERNATIONAL

Why in News:

- Researchers highlighted that the Amondawa tribe in Brazil lives without clocks, calendars, or numerical age.
- The study has drawn attention for showing a society that functions without a modern concept of time.

Key Highlights:

- Indigenous community living deep inside the Amazon rainforest of Brazil.
- First contacted by the outside world in 1986.
- Population is about 150 people.
- Follow a traditional lifestyle based on:
  - Hunting
  - Fishing
  - Farming
- No linguistic or cultural equivalent for:
  - Time
  - Week
  - Month
    Year
- Can describe events in sequence but lack an abstract concept of time as an independent dimension.
- Daily life organised around:
  - Natural cycles
  - Immediate needs
  - Social relationships
- No concept of numerical age.
- Birthdays are not tracked.
- Life stages marked by identity and name changes.
- Individuals may change names multiple times during their lifetime.
- Social identity defines stages of life rather than age numbers.

Background:

- The Amazon rainforest hosts hundreds of indigenous tribes with distinct cultural systems.
- The Amondawa belong to the Tupi–Kawahib linguistic group.
- Anthropological studies of such communities help understand how concepts like time and age are socially constructed rather than universal.
- Their lifestyle reflects a close relationship with the natural environment and minimal integration with modern systems.

Exam Relevance:

UPSC/BPSC

Very Short-Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS)

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NATIONAL

Why in News:

- The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully conducted three successive flight trials of the Very Short-Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS).
- The trials were conducted from the Integrated Test Range Chandipur off the coast of Odisha.

Key Highlights:

- VSHORADS is a Man Portable Air Defence System (MANPADS).
- Designed and developed indigenously by Research Centre Imarat in collaboration with other DRDO laboratories and Development-cum-Production Partners.
- It is a short-range, lightweight and portable surface-to-air missile.
- Can be fired by individuals or small groups.
- Designed to destroy aircraft and helicopters.
- Maximum range: 8 kilometres.
- Can engage targets up to 4.5 km altitude.
- Capable of meeting the operational needs of:
  - Indian Army
  - Indian Navy
  - Indian Air Force

Background:

- VSHORADS strengthens India’s indigenous air defence capability.
- It is part of efforts to enhance short-range air defence systems for all three armed forces.

Exam Relevance:

UPSC/BPSC

National Science Day 2026

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NATIONAL

Why in News:

- National Science Day 2026 is observed on 28 February across India.
- The theme for 2026 is “Women in Science: Catalysing Viksit Bharat.”

Key Highlights:

- On 28 February 1928, C. V. Raman discovered the Raman Effect.
- The Raman Effect explains how light scatters when it passes through a transparent material.
- For this discovery, he received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930.
- He became the first Asian scientist to win a Nobel Prize in science.
- In 1986, the Government of India officially declared 28 February as National Science Day.

Background:

- National Science Day is celebrated annually to commemorate the discovery of the Raman Effect.
- It aims to promote scientific temper and encourage research and innovation in India.

Exam Relevance:

UPSC/BPSC

Oneliner News

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FACTS

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate India’s first semiconductor ATMP (Assembly, Testing, Marking and Packaging) plant by Micron Technology in Sanand in Gujarat, on February 28 2026. The ₹22,516 crore investment marks a major milestone in India’s semiconductor manufacturing journey, positioning the country as an emerging global hub for chip assembly and testing.
Eminent sociologist T.K. Oommen who is regarded as a leading architect of modern Indian sociology was passed away on February 26 2026 at the age of 88. He breathed his last in Gurugram. A Professor Emeritus at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Prof. Oommen was widely respected for his scholarship on social justice, pluralism, identity, and social transformation.
About 350 km from Mumbai, a small village in Maharashtra has taken a bold social step. On 5 February 2026, Soundala passed a unanimous gram sabha resolution declaring itself a “caste-free village.” The resolution bans asking anyone’s caste, discourages slurs, promotes shared public spaces and encourages equality in everyday life. Led by Sarpanch Sharad Argade, the move aims to keep caste “only on paper” and not in social behaviour.
The Rajasthan government has announced that Mount Abu will now be known as Aburaj which is marking a significant step in restoring the historical identity of the region. State Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma made the announcement in the Rajasthan Assembly. Along with this, Kaman has been renamed Kamvan and Jahazpur will now be called Yagyapur. The decision aims to honour cultural heritage and local sentiments. Official records, government documents, and signage will be updated accordingly.
The Central Bank of the UAE has unveiled what it calls the world’s first sovereign financial cloud services infrastructure which is marking a major milestone in digital finance. Announced on 27th February 2026 the AI powered platform aims to secure banking operations within the country’s borders while strengthening regulatory oversight. Developed in partnership with Core42, a subsidiary of G42 and the initiative positions the UAE as a global leader in sovereign digital finance and secure cloud-based financial systems.
The iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai will soon have a stand named after former India captain Ravi Shastri. This decision was approved by the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) during its Apex Council meeting. Along with the Ravi Shastri Wankhede Stadium stand other three gates of the stadium will also be named after Mumbai cricket legends like Dilip Sardesai, Eknath Solkar and Diana Edulji. The move recognizes their immense contribution to Mumbai and Indian cricket history.
Jammu and Kashmir etched their name in history by winning the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 in their maiden final appearance. At the KSCA Cricket Stadium in Hubballi, J&K defeated eight-time champions Karnataka by securing a massive first-innings lead of 291 runs. Led by captain Paras Dogra, the team celebrated in style as Chief Minister Omar Abdullah watched from the stands. With this triumph, Jammu and Kashmir became only the 10th team in 92 years to win the Ranji Trophy in their debut final.
Iranian state media has confirmed that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s most powerful political and religious figure, has been killed in coordinated military strikes by the United States and Israel. The development marks one of the most dramatic escalations in Middle East tensions in decades and could significantly reshape the region’s political landscape.

Exam Relevance:

UPSC/BPSC

Padhai Marg

Turning Aspirants Into Officer's