The World Day of Social Justice is being observed today. The day is dedicated to tackling critical global issues like poverty, exclusion, gender inequality, and unemployment. The United Nations designated the day in 2007 to promote the values of fairness, human rights, and social protection for all.

Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in collaboration with National Law University will organise a special programme to observe the day today. Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment B. L. Verma will lead the Reading of the Preamble to the Constitution. The Ministry said, collective reading will reaffirm the nation’s commitment to the ideals of Justice including Social, Economic and Political along with Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, as enshrined in the Constitution.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the 13th edition of Exercise MILAN-2026 at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, marking the start of the premier multilateral naval exercise. Addressing the gathering, Mr. Singh said, this edition reflects the global maritime community’s confidence in India as a trusted and responsible maritime partner.

He said, this year, with the participation of 74 nations, MILAN 2026 stands as the largest and most inclusive edition to date, a reflection of the confidence of the global maritime community.

He said the exercise has grown from a regional initiative to one of the world’s prominent naval engagements, reflecting the country’s steady and credible maritime outreach. He said the exercise aims to enhance interoperability among participating navies, strengthen professional competence through the exchange of best practices, and deepen bonds of friendship.

The Kerala Cabinet on Wednesday approved the Kerala Nativity Card Bill, introducing an official Nativity Card to certify Keralite identity for administrative and service-related purposes. The card will be recognised as an authoritative document for various social requirements provided by the Kerala Government.

As per the Bill, a native of Kerala is defined as a person born in the state, who has not acquired foreign citizenship, or a person whose parent or ancestor was born in Kerala and has not taken foreign citizenship. Alternatively, one of their ancestors must have been born in Kerala, and the applicant must not hold foreign citizenship. Those who have already acquired foreign citizenship are not eligible for the card. Furthermore, the Nativity Card will become void if the holder acquires foreign citizenship after the card is issued.

Individuals born outside Kerala (who have not acquired foreign citizenship) due to their parents' or ancestors' employment or livelihood-related reasons will also be considered 'natives.'

At a remote and barren Sahara desert site in Niger, scientists have unearthed fossils of a new species of Spinosaurus, among the biggest of the meat-eating dinosaurs, notable for its large blade-shaped head crest and jaws bearing interlocking teeth for snaring slippery fish.

It prowled a forested inland environment and strode into rivers to catch sizable fish like a modern-day wading bird - a "hell heron," as one of the researchers put it, considering it was about 40 feet (12 meters) long and weighed 5-7 tons.

The dinosaur presented a striking profile on the Cretaceous Period landscape of Africa some 95 million years ago as it hunted large fish like coelacanths in the region's waterways. Its bony cranial crest, about 20 inches (50 cm) tall, resembled a curved sword called a scimitar, and it had a large sail-like structure on its back and an elongated crocodile-like snout.

India joined the Pax Silica group on on Friday (February 20, 2026), teaming up with the United States and other countries that have sought to build a common supply chain for electronics and critical minerals.

At an event during the AI Impact Summit, Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw signed a document formally including India in the group, along with U.S. Undersecretary of State for economic growth, energy, and the environment Jacob Helberg.

Mr. Helberg has been a major force in creating the group, which had its inaugural summit at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C. last December. In a brief impassioned address on Friday, Mr. Helberg asserted that “we have allowed the foundations of our economic security to drift,” adding that it was important for countries like India and the U.S., who had both rejected “a king oceans away”, to reclaim sovereignty over their supply chains.

The AI Impact Summit 2026 being hosted by New Delhi has been making headlines every day for different reasons, but one highlight that is intriguing and even motivating for many is that the youngest keynote speaker at the AI summit is an eight-year-old boy Ranvir Sachdeva, who is being hailed as a child prodigy. Ranvir is infact the youngest keynote speaker at this year's AI summit, where he will be speaking about his own case of an Indian AI model.

Ranvir said he will also addressing how his actions are contributing to India's GDP. "I'm here as the youngest keynote speaker at the India AI Impact Summit. I'm talking about how I'm linking ancient Indian philosophies to modern-day technologies. I'm also covering the different approaches which the rest of the nations are building AI,” he told new agency, ANI. "I'm talking about how India is building AI with. I'm sharing my own use case of an Indian AI model just released and how I'm contributing to India's GDP and driving AI literacy with it."

Lumina Datamatics, a strategic partner to global publishers and eCommerce retailers, is delighted to announce that Sameer Kanodia, Managing Director & CEO, Lumina Datamatics, and Vice Chairman & CEO, TNQTech, has been conferred the prestigious CEO of the Year® Award for the second year in a row.

The honor was presented on 16th February 2026 at a distinguished ceremony held at Taj Lands' End, Mumbai, recognizing exceptional leadership, business excellence, and sustained impact. The award underscores Sameer's consistent contribution to driving organizational growth, fostering innovation, and upholding strong values across the organization.

Assam, February 20: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah on Thursday launched the ₹6,839 crore Vibrant Villages Programme–II (VVP–II) from Nathunpur village in Assam, describing it as a transformative step toward strengthening border infrastructure and national security.

The programme aims to ensure that villages located along India’s international borders receive the same level of infrastructure and welfare benefits as other parts of the country.

Addressing the gathering, which was attended by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and senior officials, Shah said the government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has changed the narrative around border regions.

“Earlier, border villages were referred to as the last villages of the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided that every border village is the first village of India,” he said.

Veteran Bengali author Mani Shankar Mukhopadhyay, popularly known as Shankar, passed away on Friday (February 20, 2026) at the age of 92. He had been undergoing treatment at a Kolkata hospital for the past 15 days for multiple age-related ailments. His family announces his demise on Friday (Frbruary 20) afternoon.

A towering figure in Bengali literature, Shankar authored several celebrated novels, including Chowringhee, Jana Aranya, and Seemabaddha. All three were made into films, with Chowringhee becoming particularly iconic. Jana Aranya and Seemabaddha were adapted for the screen by legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray.

In a significant boost to India’s global contribution to peace and disarmament efforts, the Indian Army is hosting the inaugural United Nations Fellowship Training Programme on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) Control for the first time in Asia for the Asia-Pacific region.

The program is being held under the aegis of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) from February 16 to March 6, 2026, at the Military College of Materials Management in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, according to an official press release.

The prestigious three-week fellowship is being organised by the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) through its Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD). The programme brings together delegates from 13 nations across the Asia-Pacific region.