UPSC Daily Current Affairs| One Liners 20-02-2026

One Liners 20-02-2026

History, Art and Culture

All India Official Language Conference

• Held at – International Indoor Exhibition Centre, Hapania, Agartala.

• Organised by – Department of Official Language, Ministry of Home Affairs.

• Objectives –

  • To promote effective implementation of Hindi as the Official Language.

  • To facilitate exchange of best practices among government bodies.

Economy

Circular Economy

• Guided by the principles 6Rs – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Refurbish, Recover, and Repair, ensuring that materials remain in productive use for extended periods.

• By 2050, India’s circular economy is expected to reach a market value of $2 trillion and create 10 million jobs.

Agriculture

India–New Zealand Horticulture Cooperation

First Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting under March 2025 Memorandum of Cooperation.

• Focus Areas –

  • Kiwifruit – Priority crop for India; plans for Centres of Excellence, better orchards, quality rootstock, and post-harvest improvements.

  • Training & Imports – Addressed kiwi rootstock import and NZ training for Indian stakeholders.

  • Apples & Pears – Discussed production challenges; proposed research, training, and supply chain collaboration.

• Outcomes – Set timelines and roadmap; agreed on reviews and follow-up meetings.

Security

Cadet Training Ship – Yard 18003 (Krishna)

• Launch of Yard 18003 (Krishna), the first of three Cadet Training Ships (CTS).

• Design & Build – Fully indigenous, developed by M/s L&T.

• Objective – To provide training to officer cadets (including women) and cadets from friendly foreign nations at sea.

• Significance

  • It strengthens India’s indigenous shipbuilding capabilities.

  • It aligns with Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives.

MILAN 2026 Naval Exercise

Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh met Navy Chiefs and delegations from nine ASEAN states.

• Held in – Visakhapatnam.

• Theme – Camaraderie, Cooperation, Collaboration.

• Highlights –

  • Recognition of ASEAN navies’ strong participation.

  • IONS Conclave of Chiefs and International Fleet Review 2026 key for trust-building.

  • Sea Phase drills – Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), air defence, search-and-rescue.

  • Showcase of India’s indigenous defence ecosystem (INS Vikrant, Visakhapatnam-class destroyers).

  • Expanded cooperation via ASEAN-India Defence Think-Tank and youth naval initiatives.

• Significance –

  • Reinforced India’s Act East Policy and MAHASAGAR vision (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions).

  • ASEAN highlighted as a central pillar of India’s Indo-Pacific strategy.

Gaganyaan Drogue Parachute Test

Successful qualification-level load test of the Drogue Parachute for India’s human spaceflight programme.

• Held at – Rail Track Rocket Sled (RTRS) facility, TBRL, Chandigarh.

• Conducted by – Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, ISRO, Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) at Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL).

• key highlights

  • Test simulated loads higher than maximum flight loads, proving design safety margin.

  • Demonstrated India’s expertise in high-strength ribbon parachutes.

  • Showcased TBRL’s advanced test facilities and technical contributions.

• Significance

  • Strengthens India’s human spaceflight capability under Gaganyaan.

  • Advances the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat in space technology.

Science

AI Impact Casebooks – Health & Education

• Launched at – India AI Impact Summit 2026.

• Prepared by – Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, IndiaAI Mission.

• Partners – World Health Organisation, Central Square Foundation

• Objectives –

  • To document real-world AI deployments that have scaled beyond pilots.

  • To cover applications in clinics, classrooms, and skilling ecosystems.

“AI for Our Oceans of Tomorrow: Data, Models and Governance”

• Organised by – Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).

• Held as a part of – India AI Impact Summit 2026, New Delhi.

• Focus on strengthening –

  • Ocean governance.

  • Disaster resilience.

  • Marine livelihoods.

  • Blue Economy growth.

• Significance –

  • It demonstrates AI’s role in linking data, models, and governance for sustainable ocean management.

  • It establishes India as a global leader in AI-driven marine policy and innovation.

Zinc-Ion Battery (Grid Storage)

• Discovery – Sulfur vacancy-induced 1T-phase Molybdenum Disulfide (1T-MoS₂), a material that promises to make zinc batteries more viable for large-scale grid storage.

• Developed by – Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), Bengaluru, an autonomous institution of Department of Science and Technology (DST).

• Significance – It enhances performance and stability of aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs), making them safer, cost-effective, and eco-friendly for grid-scale renewable energy storage.

• Key results –

  • Stable operation in 0.2–1.3 V window.

  • 97.9% capacity retention after 500 cycles at high current density.

  • 99.7% Coulombic efficiency, showing highly reversible zinc-ion reactions.

Methamphetamine

Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN) seize 43.820 kg high-quality MD/Methamphetamine and other chemicals.

• Street names – Meth, Crystal, Ice, Glass, Speed, Tina, Crank

• Form – Powder (pill or snorted), liquid (injected), or crystal (“crystal meth,” smoked in a pipe).

• Effects – Initial rush of euphoria, followed by agitation, over-excitement, anger, or fear.

• Addiction Risk – Highly addictive stimulant; dependence develops quickly.

• Health Problems

  • Dangerously high body temperature (risk of passing out).

  • Severe itching.

  • “Meth mouth” – broken teeth, dry mouth.

  • Cognitive and emotional issues (thinking and mood problems).