1) 🇮🇳National

• Earthshot Prize 2026: Prince William has announced that India will host the 2026 Earthshot Prize in Mumbai. This marks the first time these prestigious environmental awards will be held in India, highlighting the country's role in climate leadership.
• Ramsar Site Expansion: India recently added two new wetlands to its Ramsar network—Patna Bird Sanctuary(Uttar Pradesh) and Chhari-Dhand Wetland Reserve (Gujarat)—bringing the total count to 98 sites.
• JEE Main Updates: The National Testing Agency (NTA) has released the provisional answer key for Paper 2 (B. Arch & B. Planning), with the objection window concluding on 20 February.

2) 🌍International

• U.S. Tariff Ruling: The United States Supreme Court ruled 6–3 against the use of emergency powers to justify global trade tariffs, striking down measures enacted under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
• Linguistic Diversity: UNESCO reports that approximately 40% of the world's 7,000 languages are currently vulnerable or at risk of extinction, leading to renewed global calls for multilingual education.

3) 💰Economy

• Trade Deficit: India's merchandise trade deficit widened to $34.68 billion in January, primarily driven by a surge in gold imports compared to December figures.
• Energy Trends: China’s imports of Russian oil are projected to reach record highs in February as independent refiners take advantage of discounted rates following a shift in India's purchasing patterns.

4) 🗓️Date’s importance

• International Mother Language Day: Observed annually on 21 February to promote linguistic and cultural diversity. It commemorates the 1952 Language Movement in Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan) where students sacrificed their lives for the recognition of the Bangla language.

5) 👱‍♂️👩‍🦳Person of the day

• Dr. Basant Goel: Known as the "Medicine Man of India," he was recently conferred with the Swabhiman Bharat Samman 2026 and a U-N Book of World Records title for his extensive humanitarian work in healthcare and rural development.

6) 🏅Sports

• 2026 Winter Olympics: The ice hockey tournament in Milan reaches its peak with the Bronze Medal Gamescheduled for today, 21 February, following high-intensity semi-finals involving Canada, Finland, USA, and Slovakia.
• Padma Awards in Sports: Recent recipients include Harmanpreet Kaur Bhullar (Cricket), Rohit Sharma(Cricket), and Savita Punia (Hockey) for their distinguished service to Indian sports.

7) 🏆Awards

• Champion for Change Award: Brittany Mahomes has been named the inaugural recipient of this award by United WE, recognising her leadership in women’s professional sports and her role in building the first stadium dedicated to a women’s team.

8) ⭐️Other important significance

• Chandra Grahan 2026: Astronomers have highlighted that a rare total lunar eclipse (Blood Moon) will occur on 3 March 2026, which will be visible from India and coincides with the Holi festival.

📚Word of the day

• Quiddity (Noun)
  • Meaning: The inherent nature or essence of someone or something; a distinctive feature.
  • Usage: "The quiddity of a true democracy lies in its commitment to the rule of law and equality."