GK Update
 
  • Mobile Menu
HOME BUY MAGAZINEnew course icon
LOG IN SIGN UP

Sign-Up IcanDon't Have an Account?


SIGN UP

 

Login Icon

Have an Account?


LOG IN
 

or
By clicking on Register, you are agreeing to our Terms & Conditions.
 
 
 

or
 
 




GK Update

Mon 23 Feb, 2026

National News

Significant Achievement in Organ Donation and Transplantation

  • According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, India has achieved significant achievements in the field of organ donation and transplantation.

Related Facts:

Key Achievements:

  • Increase in Transplants: Organ transplants quadrupled to nearly 20,000 between 2013 and 2025.
  • Currently, approximately 18 percent of transplants are performed using organs donated by deceased donors.
  • In 2025, more than 1,200 families came forward to donate organs after the death of their loved ones.
  • Registration and Policy: Since the introduction of the Aadhaar-based registration system in 2023, more than 4.8 lakh citizens have pledged to donate organs.
  • India is also a global leader in hand transplantation.

National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO):

  • It is India's apex body for coordinating organ and tissue donation and transplantation.
  • Headquarters: Delhi
  • Ministry: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
  • Organization: Under the 'Transplantation of Human Organs (Amendment) Act, 2011' (THOTA).
  • Structure: It is a three-tier network – national level (NOTTO), regional level (ROTTO), and State Level (SOTTO)

Port Projects Inaugurated

  • Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for various port projects worth approximately ₹1,500 crore at the V.O. Chidambaranar (VOC) Port Authority, Tuticorin (Tamil Nadu).

Related Facts:

  • VOC Maritime Heritage Museum: This museum was inaugurated to showcase India's rich maritime heritage.
  • Renewable Energy Projects: The foundation stone was laid for an 8-megawatt (MW) wind power plant and a 5-megawatt-hour (MWh) battery energy storage system (BESS) to enhance the port's green energy capabilities.
  • India has 13 major ports located along its approximately 7,517-kilometer coastline.

Major Ports of India:

1. Deendayal Port: Gujarat

2. Mumbai Port: Maharashtra

3. Jawaharlal Nehru Port: Maharashtra

4. Mormugao Port: Goa

5. New Mangalore Port: Karnataka

6. Cochin Port: Kerala

7. Chennai Port: Tamil Nadu

 

 

8. Kamarajar Port: Tamil Nadu

9. V.O. Chidambaranar Port: Tamil Nadu

10. Visakhapatnam Port: Andhra Pradesh

11. Paradip Port: Odisha

12. Kolkata Port: West Bengal

13. Syama Prasad Mukherjee Port: West Bengal

Bihar declared Naxal-free

  • Bihar was declared Naxal-free after the last armed Maoist surrendered in Munger, Bihar.

Bihar:

  • Bihar is a completely landlocked state located in the northeastern part of India.
  • Borders: Nepal (international border) to the north, Jharkhand to the south, West Bengal to the east, and Uttar Pradesh to the west.
  • Major Painting: Madhubani
  • Rivers: The Ganges River divides Bihar into two unequal parts (North and South Bihar). Major tributaries: Kosi (the sorrow of Bihar), Gandak, Son, Punpun, and Bagmati.
  • Capital: Patna
  • Holy Festival: Chhath Puja

Unveiling of the statue of Chakravarti Rajagopalachari

  • The statue of Chakravarti Rajagopalachari (also known as 'Rajaji'), the first and only Indian Governor-General of independent India, was unveiled at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
  • The statue of Chakravarti Rajagopalachari replaces the statue of Edwin Lutyens on the open staircase near the Ashoka Pavilion.

131st episode of 'Mann Ki Baat'

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted India's progress in AI, organ donation, agriculture, and preservation of cultural heritage in the 131st episode of 'Mann Ki Baat'.
  • Regarding the current T20 Cricket World Cup, he said that many players of Indian origin are participating in this championship. Canada's team has the highest number of players of Indian origin.

'Mann Ki Baat' Program:

  • A monthly radio program presented by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi
  • First broadcast: October 3, 2014
  • Monthly program: Last Sunday of every month
  • 100th episode broadcast: April 30, 2023
  • Translated into 21 languages ​​and 29 dialects

Famous People

Mukul Roy Passes Away

  • Former Railway Minister and Rajya Sabha MP Mukul Roy has passed away at the age of 71.
  • One of the founding members of the Trinamool Congress, Mukul Roy was considered the party's second-highest leader.

Mani Shankar Mukhopadhyay

  • Sahitya Akademi Award-winning Bengali literary writer Mani Shankar Mukhopadhyay (Shankar) passed away at the age of 92.

Related Facts:

  • Sahitya Akademi Award: He was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2021 for his autobiographical work "Eka Eka Ekashi."
  • Famous Novels: His most popular novel is "Chowringhee," published in 1962. His other works, "Jana Aranya" and "Seemabaddha," are considered classics.
  • Cinematic Contribution: Legendary film director Satyajit Ray made famous films like "Seemabaddha" and "Jana Aranya" based on his novels. "Chowringhee" was also made into a hit Bengali film in 1968.
  • Research on Swami Vivekananda: He also wrote several research books on the lives of Swami Vivekananda and Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, prominent among them being 'Ajana Vivekananda'.
  • Literary Journey: He began his writing career in 1955 with his first novel, 'Kato Ajanare'.

Awards and Honors

79th British Academy Film Awards

  • The 79th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA 2026) were held at the Royal Festival Hall in London.
  • The Indian film "Boong" won the Best Film award in the Children's and Family Film category.
  • Leonardo DiCaprio's action thriller "One Battle After Another" won six awards, including Best Film.
  • The American film "Sinners" and the horror story "Frankenstein" each won three awards.
  • The Manipuri film "Boong" became the first Indian film to win a BAFTA in the "Best Children's and Family Film" category. This Manipuri-language film is directed by Laxmipriya Devi. Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar are the producers of the film.

Related Facts:

  • Best Film: Battle After Another
  • Best Director: Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another)
  • Best Actress: Jessie Buckley (Hamnet)
  • Best Actor: Robert Aramayo (I Swear)
  • Best Supporting Actress: Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners)
  • Best Supporting Actor: Outstanding British Film - Hamnet
  • Best Children and Family Film: Boong
  • Non-English Language Film: Sentimental Values
  • Best Screenplay: Sinners
  • Best Animated Film: Zootropolis 2
  • Best Documentary: Mr. Nobody Against Putin
  • Best Cinematography: One Battle After Another
  • Best Editing: One Battle After Another
  • Special Visual Effects: Avatar: Fire and Ash
  • British Short Film: This Is Endometriosis
  • Rising Star: Robert Aramayo (Sinners)
  • BAFTA:
  • Full name: British Academy of Film and Television Arts
  • is an annual awards ceremony.
  • British and honors excellence in international film.
  • First Award: May 29, 1949
  • Rohini Hattangadi was the first Indian to win a BAFTA for the film "Gandhi" (1982). Furthermore, in 2026, the Manipuri film "Boong" won this prestigious award.
  • Significance: Internationally recognized as the highest honor in British cinema.
  • Categories: Includes awards for Best Film, Actor, Actress, Director, and Game

Dimapur Railway Station Awarded “Eat Right Station” Certification

  • Dimapur Railway Station of the Northeast Frontier Railway was awarded the prestigious “Eat Right Station” certification by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
  • In another achievement, four stations in the Alipurduar Division of the Northeast Frontier Railway also received the “Eat Right Station” certification from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India for meeting the prescribed food safety and hygiene standards. These include Alipurduar Railway Station, Kokrajhar Railway Station, Golakganj Railway Station, and New Mal Junction Railway Station.

Economy and Banking

India's Foreign Exchange Reserves: February 2026

  • India's foreign exchange reserves increased by $8.663 billion to an all-time high of $725.727 billion during the week ended February 13.

Key Details:

  • Value of Gold Reserves: Increased by $4.99 billion to $128.466 billion
  • Foreign Currency Assets (FCAs): Increased by $3.55 billion to $573.603 billion (includes the dollar as well as several other major global currencies such as the yen, euro, and pound, denominated in dollars).
  • Special Drawing Rights (SDRs): SDRs with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) increased by $103 million to $18.924 billion.
  • Reserve Position with the IMF: India's reserve position with the IMF also increased by $19 million to $4.734 billion.

Base Year for Merchandise Trade Index

  • The Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCI&S) has revised the base year for India's Merchandise Trade Index from 2012-13 to 2022-23.
  • This revision was made to reflect structural shifts in the economy, changes in commodity composition, evolving trade patterns, and better align with current macroeconomic indicators.
  • The updated index includes monthly, quarterly, and annual export-import unit value indices, major commodities, SITC classification, and bilateral indices of the top 20 trading partners.

International News

HIV-AIDS Prevention Drug

  • Zimbabwe began distributing the long-acting HIV-AIDS prevention drug lenacapavir.

Related Facts:

  • Lenacapavir is an injection that needs to be taken only twice a year (once every six months). Clinical studies have shown it to be nearly 100% effective in preventing infection.
  • The first phase targets more than 46,000 high-risk individuals in 24 locations across the country. This primarily includes adolescent girls, young women, sex workers, and other vulnerable groups.
  • The program is being funded by the US government (PEPFAR) and The Global Fund. In Zimbabwe, this drug is being provided free of charge to eligible beneficiaries.
  • HIV-AIDS:
  • HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus): It is a retrovirus that destroys the human body's immune system, specifically CD4 cells (T-cells).
  • AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome): This is the final and most serious stage of HIV infection. When CD4 cell counts drop significantly, the body becomes unable to fight opportunistic infections.
  • Causes of transmission: Unprotected sex, transfusion of infected blood, use of shared needles, and from an infected mother to her child (during pregnancy or childbirth).

 

Latest Courses