Daily Current Affairs Quiz 22nd February 2026 Check Important Questions Here

Practice Current Affairs Quiz to stay updated with national, international, economic, and banking news. This quiz is based on the previous day’s current affairs and is designed to boost your exam readiness, improve speed and accuracy, strengthen memory, and build confidence for competitive exams and interviews.

Daily Current Affairs: 22 February 2026

Q1. India’s first dedicated Quantum and Artificial Intelligence University campus, announced in February 2026, will be established in which city?
(a) Bengaluru
(b) Hyderabad
(c) Amaravati
(d) Visakhapatnam
(e) Chennai

Answer: c

Solution:

• During the India AI Impact Summit 2026, the National Institute of Electronics & Information Technology (NIELIT) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Andhra Pradesh on 20 February 2026.
• NIELIT functions under the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India.
• The MoU aims to establish India’s first dedicated Quantum and Artificial Intelligence (AI) University campus in Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh.
• The initiative represents a major step toward strengthening India’s deep-tech ecosystem, particularly in quantum technologies and artificial intelligence.
• The project aligns with Andhra Pradesh’s vision of developing a globally competitive quantum innovation hub through the proposed Andhra Quantum Mission.
• Amaravati is expected to become the central hub of the state’s ambitious Quantum Valley initiative, promoting research, innovation, skilling, and advanced technology development.
• The collaboration is expected to accelerate quantum research, AI education, talent development, and innovation-driven economic growth.

Q2. The Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) recorded what provisional growth rate in January 2026 compared to January 2025?
(a) 2.8%
(b) 3.5%
(c) 4.7%
(d) 4.0%
(e) 5.2%

Answer: d

Solution:

• The Combined Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) recorded a provisional growth of 0 per cent in January 2026 compared to January 2025. This growth was primarily driven by positive performance in Cement, Steel, Electricity, Fertilizer and Coal sectors.
• The Index of Eight Core Industries measures the performance of eight key sectors — Coal, Crude Oil, Natural Gas, Refinery Products, Fertilizers, Steel, Cement and Electricity. These industries together account for 27 per cent of the total weight in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).
• The final growth rate of the ICI for December 2025 stood at 7 per cent. The cumulative growth during the period April to January 2025-26 has been provisionally recorded at 2.8 per cent, compared to the corresponding period of the previous year.
• According to data released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the overall moderation in growth reflects continued weakness in energy-related sectors, despite strong performance in steel, cement and electricity.

Q3. The 9th Conclave of Chiefs of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) was conducted at ________, and during the event ________ was inducted as an Observer to the forum.

(a) Kochi – Oman
(b) Visakhapatnam – Philippines
(c) Mumbai – Indonesia
(d) Chennai – UAE
(e) Port Blair – Sri Lanka

Answer: b

Solution:

• The 9th Conclave of Chiefs of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) was held at Visakhapatnam on 20 February 2026.
• The conclave brought together Chiefs of Navies and Heads of Maritime Security Agencies from 33 countries, including IONS Members, Observers, and Indian Ocean littoral nations.
• Participation ranging from the Atlantic to the Pacific regions reflected increasing cooperation among navies to strengthen maritime security and collaboration in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
• In a significant development, the Indian Navy assumed the Chairmanship of IONS from the Royal Thai Navy, marking India’s return to leadership after 16 years.
• India had earlier held the inaugural Chairmanship (2008–2010) when IONS was first established.
• Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi, Chief of the Naval Staff, assumed charge as Chair of IONS and outlined a forward-looking vision to strengthen cooperation through key working groups:
  • Maritime Security
  • Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR)
  • Information Sharing & Interoperability
• Key highlights of the conclave included:
  • Launch of an upgraded IONS website to improve coordination and secure engagement.
  • Philippines inducted as an Observer.
  • Oman joined the HADR Working Group, expanding collaborative engagement.
• India announced several initiatives during its chairmanship:
  • Conduct of IONS Maritime Exercise (IMEX).
  • Continued deployment of IOS SAGAR missions with multinational participation.
  • Organisation of Maritime Information Sharing Workshops and professional dialogues.
• The conclave marked a renewed phase for IONS, emphasizing enhanced cooperation and collective commitment to maritime stability in the Indian Ocean Region.

Q4. Vibrant Villages Programme–II seeks to enhance internal security by empowering border communities while improving socio-economic conditions through a convergence-based development model. What is the total approved outlay of VVP–II?

(a) ₹5,500 crore

(b) ₹6,000 crore

(c) ₹7,200 crore

(d) ₹6,839 crore

(e) ₹8,000 crore

Answer: d

Solution:

• Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah launched Vibrant Villages Programme–II (VVP–II) on 20 February 2026 at Nathanpur village in Assam with a total outlay of ₹6,839 crore. Vibrant Villages Programme–II is a Central Sector Scheme aimed at ensuring holistic and sustainable development of border villages through a saturation-based and convergence-driven development approach.
• The programme focuses on strengthening basic infrastructure, public services, livelihood opportunities, and socio-economic development, thereby creating secure, resilient and prosperous border communities aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.
• The initiative also enhances national security by enabling border residents to act as the first line of vigilance, helping prevent cross-border crimes and strengthening internal security mechanisms.
• The scheme will be implemented up to FY 2028–29 across 15 States and 2 Union Territories, covering 1,954 villages in 334 blocks.
• Nearly ₹6,900 crore will be spent under the programme, including development of 140 villages in Assam across 9 districts and 26 blocks, ensuring access to facilities comparable to other developed villages in India.
• States covered under the programme include Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, along with Assam.

Q5. The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has initiated revision of the National Accounts base year to better capture structural economic changes and improve statistical accuracy. What has been selected as the new base year for National Accounts?

(a) FY 2018–19
(b) FY 2019–20
(c) FY 2020–21
(d) FY 2022–23
(e) FY 2023–24

Answer: d

Solution:

• The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) is revising the base year of National Accounts to FY 2022–23 to improve accuracy and reflect structural changes in the Indian economy.
• An Advisory Committee on National Account Statistics (ACNAS) was constituted under the chairmanship of B. N. Goldar to recommend methodologies, data sources, and presentation frameworks for the new National Accounts series.
• The committee approved FY 2022–23 as the new base year and formed five specialised sub-committees to examine different technical aspects of national accounting.
• The five Sub-Committees include:
• Incorporation of New Data Sources, Rates and Ratios
• Methodological Improvements
• Constant Price Estimates
• Regional Accounts
• SNA 2025 Update
• The new National Accounts Series (Base Year 2022–23) is scheduled to be released on 27 February 2026.
• To inform stakeholders about methodological changes, MoSPI has begun releasing reports prepared by these sub-committees.
• The Report of the Sub-Committee on Methodological Improvements was released on 18 February 2026.
• The Sub-Committee on Constant Price Estimates report focuses on methodologies used for compiling real (constant price) estimates for both production-side and expenditure-side aggregates of National Accounts.
• The recommendations aim to improve measurement accuracy, data consistency, and international comparability in line with evolving statistical standards.