Current Affairs 21 February 2026

Current Affairs 21 February 2026

1. More than 500,000 pangolins were taken from the wild between 2016 and 2024. This shows how big the illegal wildlife trade is as World Pangolin Day 2026 brings attention to the species’ situation. CITES has released a new report that says 553,042 pangolins were seized in 2,222 cases in 49 countries over the course of eight years. At least 74 countries were involved in illegal trade, which took place along 178 different routes.

Between 2016 and 2024, more than 500,000 pangolins were captured from the wild. As World Pangolin Day 2026 draws attention to the plight of the species, it highlights the scale of the illegal wildlife trade. CITES has released a new report that says 5,53,042 pangolins were seized in 2,222 cases in 49 countries over an eight-year period. At least 74 countries are involved in the illegal trade through 178 different channels.

2. Donald Trump, the President of the United States, has said that he will sign an executive order putting a 10% tariff on goods from all over the world. This comes just hours after the US Supreme Court ruled that his reciprocal tariff system was illegal. The move is a big step up in trade policy tensions and comes after a major court ruling against one of his main economic plans.Trump said at a press conference that the new tariff would be added to the existing duties under Section 122. He also said that investigations were beginning under Section 301 and other rules to stop what he called unfair trading practices.

US President Donald Trump has said he will sign an executive order imposing a 10% tax on goods worldwide. The move comes hours after the US Supreme Court ruled that their reciprocal tax system was illegal. The move is a major step in trade policy tensions and comes after a major court ruling against one of their key financial plans. Trump said at a press conference that the new tax would be added to existing duties under Section 122. He also said that an inquiry under Section 301 and other rules is being initiated to stop unfair trade practices.

3. During the first session of the International Conference on Chemistry in Multidisciplinary Research (ICCMR–2026), Nagaland University gave Lifetime Achievement Awards to five well-known academics. The conference took place from February 18 to 20 at I Ihoshe Kinimi Hall in Lumami. It brought together top scholars from India and other countries.
The awards honored outstanding work in chemical sciences and related fields. They showed how dedicated the university is to promoting research and academic excellence in the Northeast.During the first session of the International Conference on Chemistry in Multidisciplinary Research (ICCMR–2026), Nagaland University presented Lifetime Achievement Awards to five eminent academicians. The conference was held from February 18 to 20 at the I Ehoshe Kinimi Hall in Lumami. It brought together top scholars from India and other countries.
The awards recognize outstanding work in chemical sciences and related fields. He demonstrated the University’s dedication to promoting research and academic excellence in the North East. 4. Amit Shah, the Union Home Minister, has started the second phase of the Vibrant Village Program in Assam. This is a big step toward improving infrastructure and people’s lives in border areas. The goal of the project is to turn villages along the Bangladesh border into centers of development that meet national growth standards. The program began in the village of Natanpur in the Barak Valley region.
The move is part of the Centre’s larger plan to make sure that border villages are not seen as remote areas, but as important places for infrastructure and social and economic growth. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has launched the second phase of the Vibrant Village Program in Assam. This is a major step towards improving the infrastructure and the quality of life of the people in the border areas. The project aims to transform Bangladesh border villages into development centers that meet national development standards. The program started at Natanpur village in Barak Valley region.
This is part of the Centre’s larger plan to ensure that border villages are not seen as remote areas but are seen as important places for infrastructure and social and economic development. 5. India officially joined the US-led Pax Silica strategic alliance after signing the Pax Silica Declaration in front of US Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg and Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. The move is a big step toward improving cooperation between the two countries in important minerals, semiconductors, and artificial intelligence (AI).

India officially joined the US-led Pax Silica Strategic Alliance after signing the Pax Silica Declaration in the presence of US Department of Economic Affairs Under Secretary Jacob Helberg and Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnav. The move is a major step towards improving cooperation in key minerals, semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI) between the two countries.

6. Mani Shankar Mukherjee, a famous Bengali writer who went by the pen name Sankar, died in Kolkata at the age of 92. The writer, who won the Sahitya Akademi Award, died in a private hospital because of health problems related to old age. He has two daughters who are still alive. His death ends a remarkable time in literature that shaped Bengali fiction for more than seventy years.

Renowned Bengali author Mani Shankar Mukherjee, popularly known as Shankar, passed away at the age of 92 in Kolkata. The Sahitya Akademi award-winning writer died at a private hospital due to health problems related to old age. They have two daughters who are still alive. His death marked the end of a remarkable period in literature that shaped the Bengali novel for more than seventy years.

7. The Prime Minister of India officially recognized the new world order in the Rajya Sabha. India has a tough job ahead of it: it needs to change its national identity and how it deals with other countries in order to protect its future interests. This is because the balance of power in the world is changing and multilateral structures are breaking down.

The Prime Minister of India formally approved the New World Order in the Rajya Sabha. India has a tough task ahead: it needs to change its national identity and how it interacts with other countries to protect its future interests. Because the balance of power in the world is changing and multilateral structures are breaking down.

8. A Private Member’s Bill has been introduced in Parliament that would change the Constitution to require social diversity in higher judicial appointments and set up regional benches of the Supreme Court (SC) of India. The goal is to make the highest court more accessible to people all over the country.

A private member’s bill amending the Constitution to require social diversity in high court appointments and to establish regional benches of the Supreme Court of India (SC) has been introduced in Parliament. The aim is to make the Supreme Court more accessible to all people of the country.