Current Affairs 25 February 2026

PRAHAAR – India’s First National Counter-Terror Policy

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has released India’s first-ever national anti-terror policy titled “PRAHAAR”. It aims to create a comprehensive strategy to prevent, detect and respond to terrorism.

Nature of Threats Identified

• Terror threats exist across water, land and air.
• Increasing risks from:
  • Cyber-attacks by criminal hackers and hostile nation-states
  • Drones and advanced technologies
  • Dark web, encryption and crypto wallets for funding and communication
• Terror groups trying to use CBRNED materials: (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosive, Digital).

BAFTA Awards 2026

The 79th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) were held in London at the Royal Festival Hall. “One Battle After Another”, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, won 6 awards, including:

• Best Film
• Best Director
• Adapted Screenplay
• Cinematography
• Editing
• Best Supporting Actor (Sean Penn)

Netherlands’s Youngest Prime Minister

Rob Jetten was sworn in as the youngest-ever and first openly gay Prime Minister of the Netherlands by King Willem-Alexander in The Hague.

Cabinet Approves Proposal to Rename Kerala as Keralam

• The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the proposal to change the name of the State “Kerala” to “Keralam” (February 24, 2026).
• The move follows a unanimous resolution passed by the Kerala Legislative Assembly on June 24, 2024 requesting the change.
• The name “Keralam” reflects the Malayalam linguistic and cultural identity, as states were reorganised on a linguistic basis in 1956.

Constitutional Procedure to alter a State’s Name

• Article 3 of the Constitution empowers Parliament to alter the name of a State.
• Steps involved:
  1. The President refers the Bill to the State Legislature for its views.
  2. After receiving the State’s opinion, the Bill is introduced in Parliament with the President’s recommendation.
  3. Parliament passes the law to effect the name change.

Seva Sankalp Resolution

• The first Union Cabinet meeting was held at the new Prime Minister’s Office – ‘Seva Teerth’ on 24 February 2026 under the chairmanship of Prime Minister.
• ‘Seva Teerth’ has been built at the site of temporary British-era barracks, symbolising the transition from colonial legacy to New India’s governance model.
• The Cabinet adopted the Seva Sankalp Resolution, reaffirming its commitment to:
  • Citizen-centric governance
  • Constitutional values (justice, equality, dignity)
  • The vision of Viksit Bharat @ 2047

Minimum Support Price for Raw Jute (2026–27) Approved

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for raw jute for the 2026–27 marketing season.
• The MSP for TD-3 grade raw jute has been fixed at ₹5,925 per quintal.

Procurement Mechanism

• Jute Corporation of India (JCI) will continue as the Central Nodal Agency for Price Support Operations.
• Any losses incurred by JCI will be reimbursed by the Central Government.

Exercise VAJRA PRAHAR 2026

The 16th edition of Exercise VAJRA PRAHAR is being conducted at the Special Forces Training School, Bakloh (Himachal Pradesh) from 24 February to 16 March 2026. It is a joint Special Forces exercise between India and the United States aimed at enhancing military cooperation and interoperability.

Exercise DHARMA GUARDIAN 2026

The 7th edition of Exercise DHARMA GUARDIAN between the Indian Army and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) began at the Foreign Training Node, Chaubattia (Uttarakhand). The exercise is being conducted from 24 February to 9 March 2026.

Disclaimer: This article is prepared for competitive exam preparation using publicly available information.