Local Round-up: Oil Prices Surge Amidst Tension, J&K’s Historic Ranji Win, and India’s First Openly Queer MP

February 2026 brings seismic shifts across geopolitical, sporting, and social landscapes. As global oil markets react to escalating Middle East tensions, India celebrates historic cricket triumph while taking steps toward greater parliamentary diversity and addressing domestic policy challenges. Here’s your local roundup of latest local news and stories

Oil Prices Surge as US-Israel Strikes Iran, Threatening Global Supply, Exotic Nuts Also Affected

Joint US-Israel strikes on Iran sent Brent crude surging 13% and WTI over 10%, with both benchmarks stabilising above 5% gains. Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of daily global crude passes, vessel traffic dropped 70% within 24 hours. India faces a double hit: higher fuel costs and disrupted imports of Iranian dry fruits including pistachios, Mamra almonds, and dates, with Delhi wholesale traders already reporting sharp price spikes.

Menaka Guruswamy Set to Become India’s First Openly Queer MP

Trinamool Congress nominated Senior Advocate Menaka Guruswamy for Rajya Sabha polls on March 16, 2026. If elected, near-certain given TMC's majority in West Bengal's 294-seat Assembly, she will become India's first openly queer MP. Guruswamy, who is openly lesbian, co-argued the historic 2018 Section 377 verdict decriminalising same-sex relations. A Rhodes Scholar from Oxford and Harvard Law LLM, she and partner Arundhati Katju featured in TIME's 100 Most Influential People in 2019.

Jammu & Kashmir Wins Maiden Ranji Trophy After 67 Years

Jammu and Kashmir won their maiden Ranji Trophy on February 28, 2026, defeating Karnataka at Hubballi's KSCA Rajnagar Stadium. Posting 584 in the first innings and building a 291-run lead, J&K declared at 342/4 in their second, with Qamran Iqbal scoring 160* and Sahil Lotra 101*. Pacer Auqib Nabi claimed 61 wickets this season, a record for a pacer in recent Ranji history. J&K CM Omar Abdullah announced a ₹2 crore cash reward.

Rima Das’ ‘Not a Hero’ Wins Crystal Bear at Berlinale 2026

Rima Das won the Crystal Bear Special Mention in the Generation Kplus Competition at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival for Not a Hero, which had its World Premiere at the event. The children's jury praised it as "a funny film with great actors that takes us on an emotional adventure." The Assamese-Hindi-English film follows a boy exiled to his ancestral village. This is Das's third Berlinale entry, after Village Rockstars (India's Oscar entry, 2018) and Bulbul Can Sing.

Red Fort to Stay Open All 7 Days a Week; ASI Scraps Long-Standing Monday Closure

The Archaeological Survey of India issued an order on February 13, 2026 making the Red Fort open all seven days a week, effective February 16, ending the long-standing Monday closure. Built in 1639 by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the fort is open daily from sunrise to 9:00 PM. Entry is Rs. 50 for SAARC nationals, Rs. 600 for other foreign visitors, and free for children under 15. The nearest metro is Lal Qila on the Violet Line.

Delhi Government to Audit 1,794 Private Schools Amid Overcharging Complaints; Exercise Pegged at Rs. 6.3 Crore

Delhi's Directorate of Education will appoint three project management units, each comprising 10 Chartered Accountants, to audit the finances of 1,794 private unaided schools, at an estimated cost of Rs. 6.3 crore. The audit covers three years of financial records and follows parent complaints of excessive fee hikes. DPS Dwarka reportedly raised fees five times between 2020–2025, while Ahlcon International allegedly misused Rs. 15 crore. The Delhi School Education Act mandates yearly audits for all private schools in the city.

Kolkata's 200-Year-Old Heritage Mansion Transformed into West Bengal's First Private Heritage Super-Speciality Hospital

Charnock Lohia Hospital, West Bengal's first private heritage super-speciality hospital, opened on February 26, 2026 in a nearly 200-year-old Grade I heritage structure on Rabindra Sarani, Central Kolkata. The Rs. 250 crore project offers 250 beds, including 70 ICU beds, 20 private cabins, and 4–6 modular OTs, and will generate nearly 1,000 jobs. The neoclassical facade has been fully preserved. Services are available under the state's Swasthya Sathi scheme, and the nearest metro station is Girish Park.

FSSAI Proposes Mandatory Daily Records for Food Manufacturers; MSMEs Flag Compliance Costs

FSSAI's draft amendment, notified in the Gazette of India on January 20, 2026 and open for public comments until April 5, proposes mandatory daily record-keeping of production volumes and raw material usage for all licensed food manufacturers. The regulation applies to over 4.63 million active food business operators. While larger companies already comply, SME Forum President Vinod Kumar warned it adds "another burden on small businesses." Non-manufacturing entities, traders, distributors, retailers — are explicitly exempt from the daily record-keeping requirement.

Rajasthan Renames Mount Abu, Kaman, and Jahazpur

Rajasthan CM Bhajanlal Sharma announced the renaming of three towns in the state Assembly on February 27, 2026. Mount Abu, the state's only hill station at 1,722 metres, becomes Abu Raj; Kaman in Bharatpur becomes Kamvan, linked to Krishna's Braj mythology; and Jahazpur in Bhilwara becomes Yagyapur, derived from its ancient name Yajnapuri. CM Sharma stated: "We are committed not only to development but also to the preservation of our heritage." Official records and signage will be updated post-formalisation.

Centre Suspends Rice Fortification Scheme under PMGKAY Following IIT Kharagpur Study on Nutrient Stability

The Centre has temporarily suspended rice fortification under PMGKAY, ICDS, and PM-POSHAN following an IIT Kharagpur study finding that micronutrients in Fortified Rice Kernels degrade during prolonged storage. Since central pool rice is stored for two to three years, against an annual PMGKAY allocation of 37.2 million tonnes, effective nutrient delivery was found to be "limited." PM Modi had announced mandatory fortification on Independence Day 2021. Activist Kavitha Kuruganti of ASHA welcomed the move, noting "not all anaemia is linked to iron deficiency."

Padma Shri Utsav Charan Das, Ghoda Nacha Legend, Passes Away

Padma Shri awardee Utsav Charan Das, celebrated as the 'Ghoda Nacha Samrat', passed away at 80 on February 26, 2026 in Choudwar, Cuttack. Born in 1945, he founded Sangeet Kala Sansad in 1964 to train students in Chaiti Ghoda Nacha, Odisha's rare traditional folk horse dance. He received the Padma Shri in 2020 and an honorary doctorate from Utkal University in 2015. Despite national recognition, Das lived in a rented home, his dream of a training centre unfulfilled till his last breath.

25,000 Kg Suji and Substandard Edible Oil Worth ₹6 Crore Seized in Uttar Pradesh Ahead of Holi

In a pre-Holi enforcement drive, UP's Food Safety and Drug Administration deployed 58 inter-district teams, inspecting 64 edible oil units and seizing 4,16,494 litres of substandard edible oil worth Rs. 6.43 crore. Correction notices were issued to 37 units and 206 samples sent for lab testing. Additionally, 25,000 kg of Suji was seized for packaging violations. In Lucknow, 10,000 kg of rotten dates with fraudulently re-labelled expiry stickers were seized, and in Kushinagar, 564 of 852 food samples failed basic purity tests.

Double-Decker Buses Return to Delhi After 40 Years Under 'Dekho Meri Dilli' Initiative

Delhi CM Rekha Gupta flagged off the city's first all-electric double-decker tourist bus on February 27, 2026 from Rafi Marg, nearly 40 years after DTC's last double-decker 'Suvidha' service ended in 1989. The 63-seater Ashok Leyland bus runs a heritage circuit from Delhi Haat covering India Gate, Rashtrapati Bhavan, National Museum, and War Memorial. Tickets cost Rs. 500 for adults and Rs. 300 for children. The government plans to add two to three more buses within a month under the tourism initiative.

NCERT Scrambles to Recover All 38 Sold Copies of Class 8 Book After Supreme Court Orders Blanket Ban Over 'Judiciary Corruption' Section

NCERT's new Class 8 Social Science textbook was pulled from sale within a day of its February 23 launch after 38 copies were sold, following a Supreme Court suo motu order on February 25. The book's Chapter 4 contained a sub-section on 'Corruption in the Judiciary' that CJI Surya Kant called "a deep-rooted conspiracy." The court banned all printing and digital sharing, issuing contempt notices to NCERT's director. Of the 38 buyers contacted, 16 copies have been recovered. The matter is next heard on March 11.