Current Affairs 24 February 2026

79th British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards

‘Boong’ film created history at the 79th British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards. Boong, a Manipuri-language film directed by Lakshmipriya Devi, became the first Indian film to win a BAFTA award. It won in the Best Children and Family Film category.

Proteins as Quantum Sensors Inside Living Cells

• Scientists recently found that fluorescent proteins can be engineered to act as quantum sensors inside living cells.
• These proteins can detect magnetic fields and radio waves by using the quantum behaviour of electrons.
• Traditionally, quantum sensors are made from solid materials like diamond, which are difficult to insert into cells.
• Since cells can naturally produce proteins using genetic instructions, these sensors can be genetically encoded and precisely positioned inside the body.

These studies enables nanoscale measurement of magnetic fields, temperature, electric fields, and chemical reactions inside living cells.

Women’s Reservation Act, 2023

• The Women’s Reservation Act, 2023 (106th Constitutional Amendment) provides 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies.
• However, its implementation is linked to two mandatory conditions:
  1. First Census conducted after 2026
  2. Delimitation based on that Census data
• Since the next Census is scheduled for 2027 and delimitation historically takes several years, implementation in the 2029 general elections is not possible.
• The earliest likely implementation is around the 2034 general election, unless a fresh constitutional amendment delinks reservation from delimitation.

Constitutional & Legal Provisions

• Article 82: Provides for readjustment of constituencies (delimitation) after every Census.
• The Delimitation Commission redraws parliamentary and Assembly constituencies.
• The Act applies only to directly elected Houses (Lok Sabha & State Assemblies), not to Rajya Sabha or Legislative Councils.

U.S. Drops ALARA Principle from Radiation Safety Framework

Recently, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) removed the ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) principle from its radiation protection regulations. ALARA has long been the operational cornerstone of global radiation safety, aimed at keeping radiation exposure as low as possible while balancing cost, feasibility, and societal needs.

Bust of C. Rajagopalachari Unveiled at Rashtrapati Bhavan

• The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, unveiled the bust of Chakravarti Rajagopalachari (Rajaji) at Rashtrapati Bhavan on February 23, 2026.
• Rajaji was the first and only Indian Governor-General of independent India (1948–1950).
• The bust has been installed, replacing the bust of Edwin Lutyens.

Amended BharatNet Programme MoC Signed for Andhra Pradesh

A Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) was signed between Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN), Department of Telecommunications, and the Government of Andhra Pradesh for the expedited rollout of the Amended BharatNet Programme (ABP). Under this programme, ₹2,432 crore financial support approved for Andhra Pradesh.

Objective of this Programme: Upgradation of 13,246 Gram Panchayats with future ready broadband connectivity.

About Amended BharatNet Programme

• Approved by the Union Cabinet on 4 August 2023.
• Aim:
  • Provide future-ready broadband connectivity to all Gram Panchayats and villages
  • Strengthen last-mile connectivity & 4G saturation
• Total outlay: ₹1.39 lakh crore ($16.9 billion).

India–Brazil TKDL Access Agreement

India and Brazil signed an agreement on 21 February 2026 for Brazil’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) to access India’s Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL).

About TKDL

• Established in 2001 by CSIR and the Ministry of AYUSH.
• It is a prior-art database of Indian traditional knowledge.
• The objective of this TKDL is to prevent biopiracy and wrongful patents on Indian traditional practices.

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