Daily Current Affairs – 23 February 2026 | ExamCare
✅ Fact-Checked & Verified🏛️ Sources: PIB, RBI, Ministries📰 10 Topics Analyzed✍️ 10 Practice MCQs🖨️ Print / Save PDF
📌 Science-tech Item #1 of 10
Aditya-L1 Completes One Year at Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 1 (L1) Transmitting Solar Flares Data
India's maiden solar observatory Aditya-L1 marked successful operational milestones at the Sun-Earth Halo orbit around Lagrange Point 1 (L1), 1.5 million km from Earth. Its primary payloads—the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC) and Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT)—have captured unprecedented high-resolution imagery of solar coronal mass ejections (CMEs).
💡 KEY EXAM TAKEAWAYS & FACTS
Launched on 2 September 2023 aboard PSLV-C57; successfully inserted into halo orbit on 6 January 2024.
Stationed at Lagrange Point 1 (L1) where gravitational forces of Sun and Earth produce an equilibrium position.
Studies solar corona dynamics, coronal heating, solar wind acceleration, and space weather events.
📌 Defence Item #2 of 10
India Successfully Tests Next-Generation Ballistic Missile 'Agni-Prime' off Odisha Coast
The Strategic Forces Command (SFC) along with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted the flight test of the new-generation ballistic missile 'Agni-Prime' (Agni-P) from Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha. The two-stage canisterised solid-propellant missile has an operational strike range of 1,000 to 2,000 km.
Propulsion: Two-stage solid propellant rocket motor with composite motor casing.
Key Feature: Fully canisterised launcher system allowing rapid deployment via road or rail transport with minimal preparation time.
Equipped with dual redundant navigation and guidance systems (ring laser gyro based).
📌 Sports Item #3 of 10
Neeraj Chopra Wins Silver Medal at Diamond League Javelin Finals in Brussels
Olympic Champion Neeraj Chopra concluded another stellar season by finishing second with a throw of 87.86 metres at the prestigious Wanda Diamond League javelin final in Brussels, Belgium. Chopra finished just one centimetre behind champion Julian Weber of Germany.
💡 KEY EXAM TAKEAWAYS & FACTS
Athlete: Neeraj Chopra (Subedar in the Indian Army, Rajputana Rifles).
Event: Wanda Diamond League Finals (Men's Javelin Throw).
Honours: Olympic Gold (Tokyo 2020), Olympic Silver (Paris 2024), World Athletics Championship Gold (Budapest 2023), Diamond League Champion (2022).
National Record: 89.94 m set at the Stockholm Diamond League in 2022.
📌 Environment Item #4 of 10
India Designates 3 New Wetlands as Ramsar Sites, Taking National Total to 85
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change announced the addition of three new wetlands to the list of Wetlands of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention: Nanjarayan Bird Sanctuary and Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu, and Tawa Reservoir in Madhya Pradesh, elevating India's Ramsar site count to 85.
💡 KEY EXAM TAKEAWAYS & FACTS
Ramsar Convention: Intergovernmental treaty signed in 1971 in Ramsar, Iran; entered into force in 1975.
India became a Contracting Party to Ramsar on 1 February 1982.
State with maximum Ramsar sites in India: Tamil Nadu (18 sites), followed by Uttar Pradesh (10 sites).
Largest Ramsar site in India: Sundarbans Wetland in West Bengal (4,230 sq km); Smallest: Renuka Wetland in Himachal Pradesh (0.2 sq km).
📌 Awards Item #5 of 10
58th Jnanpith Award Conferred Jointly on Renowned Poet Gulzar and Sanskrit Scholar Rambhadracharya
The Jnanpith Selection Board honoured legendary Urdu lyricist and film director Gulzar (Sampooran Singh Kalra) and revered Sanskrit scholar, polyglot, and educator Jagadguru Rambhadracharya with the prestigious 58th Jnanpith Award for their monumental contributions to Indian literature.
💡 KEY EXAM TAKEAWAYS & FACTS
Jnanpith Award was instituted in 1961 by Bharatiya Jnanpith (founded by Sahu Shanti Prasad Jain).
First recipient in 1965: Malayalam writer G. Sankara Kurup for his poetry collection 'Odakkuzhal'.
Carries a cash prize of ₹11 lakh, a citation, and a bronze replica of Goddess Saraswati (Vagdevi).
This marked the second time Sanskrit has received Jnanpith (previously Satyavrat Shastri in 2006).
📌 Appointments Item #6 of 10
Senior IAS Officer K. Sanjay Murthy Appointed as Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India
The President of India appointed senior bureaucrat K. Sanjay Murthy as the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), succeeding Girish Chandra Murmu. Murthy previously served as Secretary in the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education.
💡 KEY EXAM TAKEAWAYS & FACTS
CAG is a constitutional authority established under Article 148 of the Indian Constitution.
Described by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar as the 'most important officer under the Constitution of India'.
Tenure: 6 years or until attaining 65 years of age, whichever is earlier.
Audits receipts and expenditure of the Union, States, and public sector undertakings; submits reports to the President/Governor under Article 151.
📌 International Item #7 of 10
G20 Leaders Convene in Rio de Janeiro for Summit on Poverty, Climate and Global Governance
The 19th G20 Leaders' Summit was convened in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil under the presidency theme 'Building a Just World and a Sustainable Planet'. Leaders launched the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, an initiative championed by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
💡 KEY EXAM TAKEAWAYS & FACTS
G20 founded in 1999 following the Asian financial crisis; elevated to Leaders' Summit in 2008.
Members: 19 countries + European Union + African Union (admitted as permanent member under India's G20 Presidency at New Delhi in 2023).
G20 Troika: India (2023), Brazil (2024), South Africa (2025).
Focus areas: Combating inequality, climate finance for developing nations, and reform of multilateral development banks.
📌 Reports-indexes Item #8 of 10
NITI Aayog Releases 4th Edition of SDG India Index: Kerala Emerges Top Performer
NITI Aayog released the SDG India Index 2023-24 evaluating progress across 113 national indicators mapped to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Kerala and Uttarakhand emerged as top-performing States with a composite score of 79, while Bihar and Jharkhand occupied bottom ranks.
💡 KEY EXAM TAKEAWAYS & FACTS
SDG India Index developed by NITI Aayog in collaboration with the United Nations in India.
Evaluates progress across 16 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 17 qualitative).
India's overall composite score improved to 67 in 2023-24, driven by rapid strides in Goal 1 (No Poverty), Goal 6 (Clean Water), and Goal 7 (Affordable Clean Energy).
📌 National Item #9 of 10
Parliamentary Standing Committee Reviews Vande Bharat Sleeper Trains Production Rollout
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Railways reviewed the deployment roadmap of the indigenous Vande Bharat Sleeper train sets manufactured at BEML and ICF Chennai. Designed for overnight intercity passenger travel exceeding 1,000 km, the trains are engineered for operating speeds of 160 km/h with world-class safety features including KAVACH anti-collision systems.
💡 KEY EXAM TAKEAWAYS & FACTS
Vande Bharat Sleeper trainsets designed to replace legacy Rajdhani Express trains.
Designed operating speed: 160 km/h; test speed: 180 km/h.
Equipped with indigenous KAVACH Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system.
Manufactured through collaborative efforts involving BEML Bengaluru and ICF Chennai.
📌 Schemes Item #10 of 10
Cabinet Extends Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY Health Coverage to All Senior Citizens Aged 70 and Above
In a landmark social welfare milestone, the Union Cabinet chaired by PM Narendra Modi expanded the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) to provide universal health insurance coverage of ₹5 lakh per year to all senior citizens aged 70 years and above, irrespective of their socioeconomic background.
💡 KEY EXAM TAKEAWAYS & FACTS
Scheme: Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY).
Beneficiary: All citizens aged 70 years and above irrespective of income bracket.
Coverage: Health cover of ₹5 lakh per year on a family basis.
Beneficiaries receive a distinct new Ayushman Vay Vandana card upon Aadhaar-based e-KYC.
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Question 1 of 10Space Exploration & Astronomy
At what distance from Earth is India's solar observatory 'Aditya-L1' stationed around the Lagrange Point 1 (L1)?
💡 Detailed Explanation & Analysis:
Aditya-L1 is stationed in a halo orbit around Lagrange Point 1 (L1), which is situated approximately 1.5 million kilometres from Earth towards the Sun (about 1% of the Earth-Sun distance).
What is the operational strike range of the canisterised ballistic missile 'Agni-Prime' developed by DRDO?
💡 Detailed Explanation & Analysis:
Agni-Prime is a two-stage canisterised solid-propellant ballistic missile with an operational range between 1,000 km and 2,000 km, designed to replace older generation Prithvi and Agni-I systems.
Which state in India hosts the highest number of Ramsar designated wetlands of international importance?
💡 Detailed Explanation & Analysis:
Tamil Nadu has the highest number of Ramsar sites in India with 18 designated wetlands, followed by Uttar Pradesh with 10 Ramsar sites.
🎯 Exam Relevance: UPSC Prelims, SSC CGL, State PSCs
Question 5 of 10Literature & Jnanpith Awards
Who was the first recipient of the prestigious Jnanpith Award in 1965?
💡 Detailed Explanation & Analysis:
Renowned Malayalam poet G. Sankara Kurup was the first winner of the Jnanpith Award in 1965 for his anthology of poems titled 'Odakkuzhal' (The Bamboo Flute).
🎯 Exam Relevance: SSC CGL, State PSCs, Teaching Exams
Question 6 of 10Constitutional Bodies & Polity
Under which Article of the Constitution of India is the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India appointed by the President?
💡 Detailed Explanation & Analysis:
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India is appointed by the President by warrant under his hand and seal pursuant to Article 148 of the Constitution of India.
🎯 Exam Relevance: UPSC Prelims, SSC CGL, State PSCs
Question 7 of 10Global Summits & Multilateral Diplomacy
Which continental organization was officially inducted as a permanent member of the G20 during India's G20 Presidency in New Delhi?
💡 Detailed Explanation & Analysis:
The 55-nation African Union (AU) was admitted as a full permanent member of the G20 at the New Delhi Leaders' Summit in September 2023 during India's Presidency.
🎯 Exam Relevance: UPSC Prelims, SSC CGL, IBPS PO
Question 8 of 10NITI Aayog & Sustainable Development
Which state shared the top rank alongside Kerala in NITI Aayog's latest SDG India Index?
💡 Detailed Explanation & Analysis:
In NITI Aayog's SDG India Index 2023-24, Uttarakhand and Kerala tied for the first position among States with a composite index score of 79.
🎯 Exam Relevance: UPSC Prelims, SSC CGL, State PSCs
Question 9 of 10Railways & National Transport
What is the maximum operating speed designed for the indigenous Vande Bharat Sleeper train sets on Indian Railways tracks?
💡 Detailed Explanation & Analysis:
The Vande Bharat Sleeper train sets are engineered for an operational commercial speed of 160 km/h on upgraded track corridors, providing passenger comfort comparable to European express trains.
🎯 Exam Relevance: RRB NTPC, SSC CGL, State PSCs
Question 10 of 10Social Welfare Schemes
Under the expanded Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY scheme, what is the annual health insurance cover provided to senior citizens aged 70 and above?
💡 Detailed Explanation & Analysis:
Under the landmark Cabinet decision, all senior citizens aged 70 and above in India receive an annual health insurance coverage of ₹5 lakh per family under Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY.
Daily current affairs compilation for 23 February 2026 featuring in-depth analysis of national, banking, defense, and science developments with 10 practice MCQs for UPSC, SSC, Banking, and State PSC exams.
📋 Consolidated High-Yield Facts for Quick Revision
1. Aditya-L1 Completes One Year at Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 1 (L1) Transmitting Solar Flares Data
Launched on 2 September 2023 aboard PSLV-C57; successfully inserted into halo orbit on 6 January 2024.
Stationed at Lagrange Point 1 (L1) where gravitational forces of Sun and Earth produce an equilibrium position.
India's overall composite score improved to 67 in 2023-24, driven by rapid strides in Goal 1 (No Poverty), Goal 6 (Clean Water), and Goal 7 (Affordable Clean Energy).
