Daily Current Affairs- 25th February 2026

Daily Current Affairs- 25th February 2026

India–US Joint Special Forces Exercise ‘Vajra Prahar’ Begins in Himachal Pradesh

In the News: The 16th edition of the India–US Joint Special Forces Exercise 'Vajra Prahar' commenced on February 24, 2026, at the Special Forces Training School, Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh, and will continue till March 16, 2026. The exercise aims to enhance interoperability, jointness, and combined Special Forces capabilities, with a specific focus on mountainous terrain operations.

Key Points:

• About Exercise Vajra Prahar: A bilateral Special Forces exercise conducted alternately in India and the United States, aimed at promoting military cooperation through enhanced interoperability and mutual exchange of special operations tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs).

• 16th Edition — Key Details: Dates: February 24 to March 16, 2026. Venue: Special Forces Training School, Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh. The Indian Army contingent comprises 45 personnel from Special Forces units, while the US is represented by 12 personnel from the Green Berets of the US Special Forces.

• Previous Edition: The 15th edition was held in November 2024 at the Orchard Combat Training Centre, Idaho, USA.

• Training Focus Areas: The exercise covers intensive physical conditioning, joint mission planning, execution of tactical drills under simulated operational conditions, exchange of best practices in special operations, and building combined capabilities for Special Forces operations in mountainous terrain.

• Concurrent Exercise — Dharma Guardian: Simultaneously, the 7th edition of Exercise Dharma Guardian between the Indian Army and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) is underway at Chaubattia, Uttarakhand (February 24 – March 9, 2026), with 120 personnel from each side. Together, both exercises underscore India's expanding defence engagements with key strategic partners.

• Other Major India-US Joint Military Exercises: Yudh Abhyas (Army), Malabar (Naval), and Cope India (Air Force).

Union Cabinet Approves Proposal to Rename Kerala as “Keralam”

In the News: The Union Cabinet on February 24, 2026, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the proposal to rename the state of Kerala as "Keralam" — the name used in the Malayalam language. The decision was taken at the Cabinet's first meeting held at Seva Teerth, the new complex housing the Prime Minister's Office. The Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 will now be referred by the President to the Kerala Legislative Assembly for its views, as mandated under Article 3 of the Constitution.

Key Points:

• The Demand: The Kerala Legislative Assembly passed a unanimous resolution on June 24, 2024, urging the Centre to amend the First Schedule of the Constitution to change the state's name from Kerala to Keralam. The resolution noted that while the state is referred to as Keralam in Malayalam, its constitutional name remains Kerala. CM Pinarayi Vijayan had moved two such resolutions — in 2023 and 2024 — but neither received the Centre's green signal until now.
• Why Was a Second Resolution Needed? The 2023 resolution had sought changes not only in the First Schedule but also across all languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. However, upon examination, the required correction was found to have been effected only in the First Schedule. A fresh resolution was therefore passed in 2024 to address this discrepancy.
• Role of Article 3: Under Article 3 of the Constitution, Parliament may by law alter the name of any existing state. The proviso to Article 3 mandates that no such Bill can be introduced in Parliament except on the recommendation of the President, and the Bill must first be referred by the President to the concerned State Legislature for expressing its views within a specified period.
• Current Stage of the Process: Following Cabinet approval, the President will refer the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 to the Kerala Legislative Assembly for its views. Once received, the Union government will obtain the President's recommendation to introduce the Bill in Parliament. If passed, it will formally amend the First Schedule of the Constitution to replace "Kerala" with "Keralam."
• Origin of the Name "Kerala": The earliest epigraphic reference is found in Rock Edict II of Ashoka (257 BCE), which mentions "Keralaputra" — interpreted as a reference to the Chera dynasty. German scholar Herman Gundert (compiler of the first Malayalam-English dictionary) traced Keralam to Cheram, describing it as the region between Gokarnam and Kanyakumari. The root "cher" means "to join", appearing in the compound "Cheralam", with "alam" meaning land or region.
• Historical Background — Aikya Kerala Movement: The Aikya (Unified) Kerala movement of the 1920s demanded a separate state integrating Malabar, Kochi, and Travancore. On July 1, 1949, Travancore and Kochi merged to form Travancore-Cochin state. The State Reorganisation Commission (headed by Syed Fazl Ali) recommended the creation of Kerala by including Malabar district and Kasargod taluk. Kerala was formally created on November 1, 1956 — observed as Kerala Piravi (Kerala Formation Day) — when states were reorganised on linguistic lines.

Dharma Guardian Exercise

In the News: The 7th edition of the annual Joint Military Exercise 'Dharma Guardian' between the Indian Army and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) commenced on February 24, 2026, at the Foreign Training Node, Chaubattia, Uttarakhand. The exercise will continue till March 9, 2026.

Key Points:

• About Exercise Dharma Guardian: An annual bilateral military exercise between the Indian Army and the JGSDF, held alternately in India and Japan. It is a key pillar of India-Japan defence cooperation, anchored in the employment of modern technology, enhancing interoperability, and contemporary operational aspects.
• 7th Edition — Key Details: Dates: February 24 to March 9, 2026. Venue: Foreign Training Node, Chaubattia, Uttarakhand. Each side has deployed a 120-member contingent — the JGSDF is represented by troops from the 32nd Infantry Regiment and the Indian Army contingent is drawn from the Ladakh Scouts.
• Aim of the Exercise: To strengthen military collaboration, enhance interoperability, improve combined operational capabilities, and conduct joint operations in semi-urban environments. The drill focuses on modern military technologies, joint planning, and synchronised tactical operations.
• Key Tactical Activities: Troops will undertake establishment of a Temporary Operating Base, development of an Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) grid, setting up Mobile Vehicle Check Posts, Cordon and Search Operations in hostile environments, Heliborne Operations, and House Intervention Drills.
• Other India-Japan Military Exercises: JIMEX (Japan-India Maritime Exercise), Veer Guardian (air exercise), Shinyuu Maitri (air exercise), Sahyog Kaijin (coast guard exercise), and Malabar (involving India, Japan, Australia, and the United States).

Trump's tariffs are here to stay: How State of the Union address echoes Peter Navarro's claim

In the News: India's trade negotiations with the United States have entered a complex phase following a US Supreme Court ruling that struck down President Trump's sweeping tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). This has activated a critical 'modify commitments' clause (Clause 8) in the India-US Framework for an Interim Trade Agreement, potentially allowing India to recalibrate its concessions and pause or renegotiate the deal.

Key Points:

• Background — India-US Trade Framework: India and the US reached a Framework for an Interim Trade Agreement in February 2026, based on a US-India Joint Statement dated February 6, 2026. The deal was still under negotiation — no legal text had been signed. Indian trade negotiators aborted their Washington DC trip as New Delhi pushed for rescheduling.
• The Critical Clause 8 — 'Modify Commitments': Clause 8 states that in the event of any changes to agreed-upon tariffs by either country, the other may modify its commitments. Inserted at India's insistence to anticipate legal challenges to Trump's tariffs, India can now invoke it to argue America's commitments stand "modified" — giving India room to recalibrate its own tariff and non-tariff concessions.
• US Supreme Court Ruling — Impact on Tariffs: The Court ruled that Trump overstepped his powers under IEEPA. The earlier 18% concessional tariff for India has been replaced by a flat 15% tariff for all US trading partners under Section 122 of the 1974 Trade Act. This 15% rate is temporary, valid for only 150 days, after which Congressional approval is required.
• India's Tariff Journey — Timeline: Since August 2025, India faced 50% cumulative tariff (reciprocal + Russian oil penalty). After the framework deal: reduced to 25% (Russian oil penalty removed). After the Supreme Court ruling: now at flat 15%. India's weighted average effective tariff into the US has fallen from ~34% to approximately 9%.
• India's Strategic Position: Under the earlier deal, India was expected to offer major concessions — cutting tariffs, aligning economic policies, easing regulations, and committing to large purchases of American products — all in exchange for the 18% rate. Now, even without a deal, India faces only 15%, making the negotiated arrangement appear burdensome and one-sided. Former trade negotiator Ajay Srivastava (GTRI) advised India to proceed with "caution and strategic clarity" and invoke Clause 8 to pause negotiations.
• Legal Uncertainty Around US Trade Authority: The White House's legal authority to execute these agreements — none approved by Congress — is now unclear. The 15% Section 122 tariff is also open to legal challenge as the administration must prove balance-of-payments difficulties as justification. Any new preferential deal must offer a rate lower than 15% to be meaningful.

Gamini Gives Birth to Three Cubs at Kuno, India’s Cheetah Count Rises to 38

In the News: A South African cheetah named Gamini has given birth to three cubs at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, pushing India's total cheetah population to 38. This marks the ninth successful cheetah litter recorded on Indian soil since the launch of Project Cheetah in September 2022. The number of surviving Indian-born cheetah cubs has now risen to 27.

Key Points:

• The Birth: South African female cheetah Gamini has become a mother for the second time, delivering three cubs at Kuno National Park. The birth coincides with the completion of three years since cheetahs were reintroduced to India from South Africa.
• Second-Time Motherhood — A Key Indicator: Gamini being a second-time mother signals that adult females are adapting well to Indian conditions and are capable of repeated, successful reproduction — essential for building a self-sustaining cheetah population in India.
• Recent Related Development: Earlier in February 2026, another female cheetah Aasha (translocated from Namibia) gave birth to five cubs at Kuno, further underlining the park's central role in the programme.
• About Project Cheetah: Project Cheetah is considered the world's first inter-continental translocation of a large carnivore. The cheetah was declared extinct in India in 1952. In 2022–23, 20 cheetahs were brought from Namibia and South Africa to India. PM Narendra Modi personally released the first eight cheetahs on September 17, 2022 at Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh.
• Current Status: Total cheetah population in India: 38. Surviving Indian-born cheetah cubs: 27. Successful litters recorded at Kuno: 9.