Daily Current Affairs 20 February 2026: Best For Competitive Exams

Daily Current Affairs 20 February 2026: | Important GK Updates for UPSC, SSC, Banking & Railways

Welcome to your comprehensive daily current affairs summary for February 20, 2026. Designed specifically for aspirants preparing for UPSC, SSC, Banking, Railway, Defence, and State PSC examinations, this update synthesizes the most crucial national and international developments from leading Indian newspapers. Mastering these daily updates is essential to building a robust foundation in general knowledge and tackling the dynamic general awareness sections of modern competitive exams. Today’s summary covers high-yield topics ranging from the landmark India AI Impact Summit and crucial Supreme Court rulings to critical defense milestones and economic data. Use this summary-based revision to streamline your exam preparation and stay ahead of the competition.

Today’s Important Observances

World Day of Social Justice: Observed globally on February 20 to promote efforts tackling poverty, exclusion, and human rights issues. It is highly relevant for mains answers on inclusive growth and social justice (GS Paper 2).
Statehood Day of Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram: On February 20, 1987, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram became the 24th and 23rd states of the Indian Union, respectively. This observance is vital for polity questions regarding the reorganization of states under the 53rd and 55th Constitutional Amendment Acts.

National Affairs Summary

Supreme Court Oversight on Bengal SIR: The Supreme Court of India directed the appointment of serving or former judicial officers to oversee the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, citing a “trust deficit” between the state government and the Election Commission of India.
MANAV AI Framework Launched: Prime Minister Narendra Modi articulated India’s AI Vision at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, introducing the “MANAV” framework to evaluate AI systems for real-world contexts and linguistic inclusivity.
Three-Hour Deepfake Takedown Deadline: The Union Government amended the Information Technology Rules, 2026, mandating social media platforms to remove AI-generated deepfake content within three hours of being flagged.

International Affairs Summary

India Joins Pax Silica Coalition: India officially signed an agreement to join the U.S.-led coalition “Pax Silica,” an initiative designed to build resilient and trusted supply chains for critical minerals and artificial intelligence technologies.
U.S. Supreme Court Strikes Down Tariffs: In a landmark 6-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down sweeping global tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump under emergency powers, ruling that the Constitution vests taxing power exclusively in Congress.
Geneva to Host 2027 AI Summit: Following the ongoing summit in New Delhi, Switzerland’s President announced that Geneva will host the next AI Impact Summit in 2027.

Economy and Banking

Record Gold ETF Inflows: Data from AMFI revealed that net Gold Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) inflows hit an all-time high of ₹24,040 crore in January 2026, surpassing equity mutual fund inflows for the first time and raising concerns about capital moving out of the domestic economy.
India-U.S. Interim Trade Pact: Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal announced that an interim trade agreement between India and the U.S. is expected to be signed in March and operationalized by April 2026.
MSME Technology Centres in Himachal: The Government of India approved the establishment of two MSME Technology Centres at Pandoga (Una) and Parwanoo (Solan) in Himachal Pradesh, with an investment of ₹10 crore each.

Science and Technology

Health AI Benchmarking Frameworks: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) launched ‘SAHI’ (a framework for safe and accountable healthcare AI) and ‘BODH’ (a health AI benchmarking platform developed by IIT Kanpur) at the AI Impact Summit.
AI Impact Casebooks: The government released six comprehensive AI Impact Casebooks covering over 170 deployed AI innovations across key sectors to foster technology adoption.

Environment and Climate

India Grids of the Future Accelerator: The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) launched a $25 million accelerator program to modernize India’s power sector during the Mumbai Climate Week 2026.
Mount Aconcagua Summit: Indian mountaineer Kabak Yano successfully scaled Mount Aconcagua in Argentina, the highest peak in the Western Hemisphere, marking a milestone in her 7-Summit expedition.

Defence and Security

India Takes Command of CTF 154: In a historic first, the Indian Navy assumed command of the Combined Task Force (CTF) 154 under the multinational Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), led by Commodore Milind M Mokashi.
India-Greece Defence Pact: India and Greece signed a Joint Declaration of Intent to strengthen defence industrial cooperation, exchanging a Bilateral Military Cooperation Plan for 2026.
INS Aridhaman Commissioning Timeline: Reports indicated that India’s third indigenously built nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, INS Aridhaman, is slated to enter service by April–May 2026.

Sports

Asian Indoor Athletics Gold: Indian athlete Tejaswin Shankar won the gold medal in the men’s heptathlon at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships 2026 in Tianjin, China, with a record-breaking performance.

Awards, Appointments and Reports

Arrest of Former South Korean President: Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to life imprisonment for his role in leading an insurrection over his imposition of martial law.

States Focus

23rd BioAsia 2026: Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy inaugurated the 23rd edition of BioAsia, the premier life sciences forum, in Hyderabad, aiming to attract $25 billion in investments by 2030.

Exam Relevance Section

Prelims Objective: Questions will likely target the “Pax Silica” coalition members, the location of the 2026 and 2027 AI Impact Summits, the features of the MANAV AI framework, and the statehood dates of Arunachal Pradesh.
Mains Descriptive: The surge in Gold ETFs provides a strong case study for GS Paper 3 questions on domestic capital mobilization versus physical asset hoarding. The deepfake IT rules connect directly to cyber security and technology governance.
Interview Discussions: Aspirants must be prepared to discuss the strategic importance of the India-U.S. trade pact, the implications of India leading multinational naval task forces (CTF 154), and the ethical governance of AI.

Static GK Linkage

Constitutional Articles: The Supreme Court’s intervention in the Bengal SIR process links directly to Article 324 (Superintendence, direction, and control of elections).
International Organizations: The Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) is a crucial static topic; it is a multinational naval partnership based in Bahrain.
Economic Indicators: Understanding Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) and how they differ from traditional mutual funds or sovereign gold bonds is foundational for the economy syllabus.

Top Five Takeaways for Quick Revision

India officially joined the U.S.-led “Pax Silica” coalition to secure critical mineral and AI supply chains.
The MANAV AI framework, alongside healthcare AI tools SAHI and BODH, was launched at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi.
The Supreme Court directed the appointment of judicial officers to oversee West Bengal’s electoral roll revision to ensure neutrality.
The Indian Navy made history by taking command of the multinational Combined Task Force (CTF) 154.
January 2026 saw record-breaking inflows into Gold ETFs, surpassing equity mutual fund investments for the first time.

Conclusion

Consistency in tracking daily current affairs is the hallmark of a successful exam aspirant. By reviewing today’s verified headlines, downloading the current affairs pdf, and practicing the subsequent current affairs mcq and quiz questions, you ensure that your general knowledge remains sharp and exam-ready. Stay dedicated to this daily habit, and your gk scores will naturally improve.

FAQs

Q1: Why is reading daily current affairs essential for exams like UPSC and SSC?

A: Consistently reading daily current affairs builds your analytical skills and helps you connect dynamic national events—like the Supreme Court’s ruling on Bengal electoral rolls—to the static syllabus, which is crucial for high scores.

Q2: Where can I find the current affairs pdf for 20 February 2026?

A: You can easily download today’s comprehensive current affairs pdf from the dedicated download section of this post for quick and efficient offline revision.

Q3: What is the “Pax Silica” coalition mentioned in today’s general knowledge update?

A: As covered in today’s general knowledge section, “Pax Silica” is a U.S.-led strategic coalition that India officially joined to build resilient and trusted supply chains for critical minerals and artificial intelligence.

Q4: How does practicing a current affairs mcq help in retaining information about the MANAV AI framework?

A: Attempting a targeted current affairs mcq forces your brain into active recall mode, making it much easier to remember the specific pillars of the newly launched MANAV AI governance framework during the actual exam.

Q5: What are the new deepfake IT rules highlighted in today’s daily current affairs?

A: Today’s daily current affairs notes that the Union Government has amended the IT Rules, 2026, mandating social media platforms to take down AI-generated deepfake content within exactly three hours of being flagged.

Q6: Which states celebrated their statehood on 20 February, and why is it important for gk?

A: Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram celebrated their Statehood Day on 20 February. This is a highly repeated gk topic regarding the 53rd and 55th Constitutional Amendment Acts.

Q7: Who recently took command of CTF 154, a key point for defence quiz questions?

A: The Indian Navy, led by Commodore Milind M Mokashi, made history by assuming command of the multinational Combined Task Force (CTF) 154. This is a highly probable topic for upcoming defence quiz questions.

Q8: Why did Gold ETFs make headlines in today’s economy general knowledge section?

A: Our economy general knowledge update highlights that net Gold ETF inflows hit an all-time high of ₹24,040 crore in January 2026, surpassing equity mutual fund inflows for the first time.

Q9: Which Indian athlete’s gold medal win is featured in today’s sports current affairs mcq?

A: Tejaswin Shankar won the gold medal in the men’s heptathlon at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships 2026, a vital fact to remember for any sports-related current affairs mcq.

Q10: Can today’s current affairs pdf help me prepare for questions on the World Day of Social Justice?

A: Yes! Downloading today’s current affairs pdf provides a concise summary of the World Day of Social Justice, allowing you to quickly revise its significance and UN themes right before your exam.