Manipuri film Boong wins the prestigious BAFTA Award in the Best Children’s and Family Film category.

1 Manipuri film Boong wins the prestigious BAFTA Award in the Best Children’s and Family Film category.

The Manipuri comedy-drama film Boong,  produced  by  Farhan Akhtar  ‘s  Excel Entertainment,  won  the prestigious BAFTA Award for   Best Children’s & Family Film   in  London . The film tells the story of Boong, a schoolboy  who navigates racial tensions and border challenges in Manipur to reunite his family. The film’s  director, Laxmipriya Devi  , made an emotional appeal for world peace in her speech after receiving the trophy from Paddington Bear, the lead character from the West End show Paddington: The Musical. She was joined on stage by producers Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani, and the film’s assistant director, Rahul Sharda.  Starring Gugun Kipgen  and  Bala Hijam  , the Manipuri film beat out other nominated international films such as “Lilo & Stitch,” “Arco,” and “Zootropolis 2.”  A host of stars attended the 2026 British Academy of Film and Television Arts -BAFTA Awards held at  the Royal Festival Hall   on the banks of  the River Thames  , with Bollywood star Alia Bhatt appearing as guest presenter to present the Best Non-English Language Film award to Nordic drama Sentimental Value.

2 Indigenous ASW Craft ‘Anjdeep’ to be inducted into Indian Navy

The Indian Navy  is continuously inducting indigenous platforms  towards its goal of becoming self-reliant by 2047.  In this regard  , the indigenous anti-submarine warfare (ASW) shallow water craft ‘Anjdeep’  will be officially inducted into the Navy   on February 27th . The commissioning ceremony will be held at the Chennai Port  in the presence of  Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi  . In response to regional maritime challenges, the Indian Navy has strengthened its anti-submarine warfare capabilities. Under this project,  INS Arnala, INS Andrott, and INS Mahe  have already been commissioned. ‘Anjdeep’ is the next advanced platform in this series. ‘Anjdeep’ is equipped with anti-submarine rocket launchers, lightweight torpedoes, a 30mm naval gun, an ASW combat suite, hull-mounted sonar, and low-frequency variable depth sonar. It can travel at a speed of approximately 25 nautical miles per hour and has a range of approximately 3,300 kilometers in a single voyage.

3 Parliamentary friendship groups with over 60 countries

To strengthen India’s global parliamentary relations,  Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla  has  formed Parliamentary Friendship Groups with over 60 countries  . This initiative aims to enhance direct and regular dialogue with the parliaments of various countries, strengthening cooperation at the parliamentary level alongside traditional diplomacy. These friendship groups include MPs from all major political parties. Senior leaders include  Ravi Shankar Prasad, P. Chidambaram, Akhilesh Yadav, Shashi Tharoor, Anurag Singh Thakur, Supriya Sule, Asaduddin Owaisi,  and several others. According to the Lok Sabha Secretariat, the countries with which the friendship groups have been formed include over 60 countries, including the United States, Russia, Germany, Japan, Australia, Singapore, France, Israel, Nepal, and the United Arab Emirates. The primary objective of this initiative is to provide MPs with an opportunity to directly interact with their foreign counterparts. This initiative will focus on sharing experiences, enhancing policy understanding, and strengthening mutual trust through regular contact. Topics such as trade, technology, culture, and global challenges will also be discussed.

4 First border pillar built between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh

 On  February 22nd , the first interstate border pillar  between  Assam and Arunachal Pradesh was installed at Seijosa. There had been a long-standing border dispute  between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh   . The decision to establish an interstate border pillar was taken to resolve the long-standing border dispute. According to a 1951 notification, tribal areas were transferred from Assam to the then North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) (later Arunachal Pradesh). Assam claimed that it had jurisdiction over some of these areas. Arunachal Pradesh, meanwhile, maintained that the border was correct according to constitutional and administrative records. Arunachal Pradesh became a full state in 1987, but the border dispute continued.  In 1989, a tripartite committee (comprising the central government and both states)  recommended the transfer of some disputed areas to Arunachal Pradesh, but Assam objected. In  July 2022 , the Namsai Declaration was signed   to resolve the border dispute  . An agreement  was reached   between  Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma  and  Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu in Namsai, Arunachal Pradesh, to resolve the inter-state border dispute . There are 123 disputed villages along the 804.1-kilometer border between the two states  . Following the agreement  , the number of disputed villages has been reduced from 123 to 86.  Following the border agreement, officials will continue to erect border pillars to clarify the inter-state border, potentially reducing tensions.

5 Phase 2 of Asset Monetisation Scheme launched for  Central Ministries and Public Sector Undertakings

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman  launched   the  second phase of the Asset Monetization Scheme  for  Central Ministries and Public Sector Undertakings in  New Delhi  . The second phase of the scheme , formulated by NITI Aayog  in consultation with infrastructure ministries, builds on the mandate of the Asset Monetization Scheme 2025-30 announced in the Union Budget 2025-26. According to the National Monetization Plan 2.0, the total monetization potential  under the Asset Monetization Scheme for Central Ministries and Public Sector Undertakings   is  estimated at ₹16.72 trillion over  the five-year period from FY 2025-26 to FY 2029-30 , including private sector investment of ₹5.8 trillion  . In her address, Ms. Sitharaman commended all government ministries and departments and NITI Aayog for achieving nearly 90 percent of the ₹6 trillion target set for four years in the implementation of National Monetization Pipeline 1.0.

6 Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launches AI-powered Teacher App 2.0

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan  launched  the Artificial Intelligence (AI)  powered  Teacher App 2.0   in  New Delhi ,  in collaboration with  Bharti Airtel  and  CK12 Foundation . Addressing the event, Mr. Pradhan said that the app is an AI-powered technology companion to empower and support school teachers.

Goa  Chief  Minister Pramod Sawant  inaugurated  the World Ocean Science Congress 2026 in  Dona Paula   . Based on the theme “Ocean Health and a Sustainable Future,” the science congress focused on ocean health, climate resilience, marine ecosystems, and a sustainable blue economy. Chief Minister Sawant noted that approximately 25 percent of the country’s population lives in coastal areas, and discussions like these are crucial for fisheries, tourism, the marine economy, and coastal resilience.

8 Delhi government decides to implement Centre’s ‘Raahveer Scheme’ in the capital

9 Carlos Alcaraz wins Qatar Open

 On  February 21, 22-year-old world number 1 tennis player Carlos Alcaraz  of Spain  won the Qatar Open  . Carlos  won this title by defeating Arthur Fils of France  in the final . This was the shortest match of Alcaraz’s career, lasting only 50 minutes. The 50-minute victory also broke the record of the shortest final of last year on the ATP (The Associate of Tennis Professionals) circuit. Alcaraz is a 7-time Grand Slam champion. This year, Alcaraz has won 12 consecutive matches. On February 1, Carlos Alcaraz won the Australian Open 2026 men’s singles title by defeating Novak Djokovic.

Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah  has  set  the record for the most wickets for India  in  T20 World Cup history  . He achieved this feat with a brilliant performance against South Africa in the Super 8 match  played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Before this match, Bumrah needed three wickets to equal former Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin’s record of 32 wickets. He took three crucial wickets for just 15 runs in four overs, surpassing Ashwin. However,  India suffered a crushing 76-run defeat in the match , which somewhat diminished the luster of his performance. Most wickets for India in T20 World Cup: 1. Jasprit Bumrah – 33 wickets (22 innings) 2. Arshdeep Singh – 32 wickets (18 innings) 3. Ravichandran Ashwin – 32 wickets (24 innings) 4. Hardik Pandya – 29 wickets (26 innings) 5. Ravindra Jadeja – 22 wickets (29 innings)

11 Khelo India Winter Games begins in Gulmarg

The four-day sixth Khelo India Winter Games  are set to begin on Monday  at  the beautiful snow-covered  ski resort of  Gulmarg  in Jammu and Kashmir  . Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha will flag off the four-day event.  400 athletes from 30 states and union territories  are participating. The four-day event   is being held  from February 23 to 26. The first leg of the Khelo India Winter Games was held in Leh, Ladakh, from January 20 to 26.  This is the second edition of the snow-based games being held in Gulmarg. All six editions of the Khelo India Winter Games have been held in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Gulmarg features four medal-contested disciplines: ski mountaineering, alpine skiing, Nordic skiing (cross-country), and snowboarding. Alpine skiing has the highest number of registrations. At the end of the Khelo India Winter Games 2026 in Ladakh-Leh, Haryana led the points table with its ice skaters winning four gold medals. After this came Ladakh, Maharashtra and Telangana.

12 Rio Open Tennis: Argentina’s Tomas Martin Echeverry defeats Chile’s Alejandro Tabillo

Argentina  ‘s  Tomás Martín Echeverry  won  his  first ATP Tour title, defeating Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo  3-6  , 7-6(3), 6-4 in the final of  the Rio Open tennis   in   Brazil  . His semifinal match was postponed due to rain, forcing him to play two matches in one day. The 26-year-old Echeverry produced a brilliant performance to win the biggest title of his career. This is his first ATP title after finishing runner-up in three finals.