National Affairs

PM Narendra Modi Approves Launch of 'PM RAHAT Scheme' for Road Accident Victims

In February 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the launch of the 'Pradhan Mantri RAHAT (Road Accident Victim Hospitalization and Assured Treatment) Scheme', to provide immediate, life-saving medical care to road accident victims across India, from his newly inaugurated office Seva Teerth, New Delhi.

He also approved doubling the Lakhpati Didis target to 6 crore and increasing the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund outlay from Rs. 1 lakh crore to Rs. 2 lakh crore.

About PM RAHAT Scheme:

• Purpose: The scheme focuses on delivering cashless treatment up to Rs. 1.5 lakh per victim for 7 days from the date of accident.
• Integration: This new scheme is integrated with the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) 112 helpline ensuring victims reach hospitals within the Golden Hour.
• Implementation:
• Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH): Policy oversight and integration via Electronic Detailed Accident Report (eDAR) platform.
• National Health Authority (NHA): Claims processing through Transaction Management System (TMS 2.0).

CCEA Approves Rs. 11,000 Crore Highway Projects in Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Telangana

In February 2026, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved a series of highway projects worth more than Rs. 11,000 crore in 3 states — Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Telangana.

The CCEA also approved the construction of India's 1st underwater twin tube road-cum-rail tunnel project with an estimated cost of Rs. 18,662 crore under the Brahmaputra river in Assam.

Key Approvals:

• Upgradation of NH-160A in Maharashtra: Includes the rehabilitation and upgradation of the Ghoti-Trimbak (Mokhada)-Jawhar-Manor-Palghar section of NH-160A in Maharashtra.
• 4-lanning of Key NH-56 Stretches in Gujarat: The upgradation of NH-56 will be done at a cost of Rs. 4,583.64 crore under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM).
• Widening of NH-167 to 4-Lanes in Telangana: Includes the widening of the 80.01 km-long NH-167 stretch from Gudebellur to Mahbubnagar to 4-lane standards in Telangana.

International Conference on Dam Safety 2026 Held in Bengaluru, Karnataka

The International Conference on Dam Safety 2026 (ICDS 2026) was held from February 13 to 14, 2026, at the J.N. Tata Auditorium, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, Karnataka, under the Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP) Phase II and III.

Highlights of ICDS 2026:

• Inauguration: The conference was inaugurated by Chief Minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah and presided over by Dr. K. Shivakumar, Deputy CM of Karnataka.
• Organisers: The conference was organised by the Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR, RD&GR), under the Ministry of Jal Shakti; Water Resources Department, Government of Karnataka; Central Water Commission (CWC); IISc Bengaluru; and the World Bank.
• Key Initiatives Launched: DAMCHAT, an AI-based knowledge platform, and Jal Shakti Data Management Platform.
• Alignment: The initiatives align with GoI's dam safety norms such as the Implementation of the Dam Safety Act, 2021.

Union Minister Rajnath Singh Inaugurates Mountain Fire Control Radar & BEL's AI Policy

On February 16, 2026, Union Minister Rajnath Singh, Ministry of Defence, inaugurated a Missile Integration Facility, flagging off Akash 3rd & 4th Regiment Combat Systems, unveiling the Mountain Fire Control Radar and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL)'s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy at BEL in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

He also remotely inaugurated the Centre of Excellence for AI (CoE-AI) in Pune, Maharashtra.

About Mountain Fire Control Radar:

• It is a new radar system designed to operate effectively in mountainous and high-altitude environments, which are traditionally challenging for surveillance and tracking systems.

About BEL's AI Policy:

• It is a formal AI policy introduced by BEL to integrate AI across defence products, platforms, and development processes. It focuses on embedding AI into real-time decision-making systems, supporting autonomous and semi-autonomous platforms, and enhancing data analytics, threat prediction, and early-warning tools.

About CoE-AI:

• CoE-AI will serve as a dedicated hub for Research and Development (R&D) in AI technologies, collaboration between BEL, start-ups, academia, and industry partners, and prototyping and field-testing of AI-driven systems.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Addresses Bharat Bodhan AI Conclave 2026 in New Delhi; Launches Bodhan AI CoE

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Ministry of Education, addressed the Bharat Bodhan AI Conclave 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, held from 12–13 February 2026.

Highlights:

• Focus: The Conclave focused on advancing Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education through Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), AI platforms, emerging technologies, skills, and higher education.
• Bharat EduAI Stack: The conclave marks the initiation of the Bharat EduAI Stack, an open and interoperable architecture designed to build, integrate, and scale AI-powered learning solutions throughout India's education ecosystem.
• Launch: During the event, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the Bodhan AI CoE, marking a step towards integrating AI in India's education ecosystem.

MoUs & Partnerships:

• Launch of IIM Lucknow, UP-based AI Programme and IIM Ranchi, Jharkhand Initiative — Teaching with AI.
• Institutional collaborations involving IIM Jammu, J&K and Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Bangkok, Thailand.

President Droupadi Murmu Inaugurates All-India Conference and Launches 'Karmayoga for Empowered Bharat' Campaign

On February 13, 2026, Droupadi Murmu, President of India, inaugurated an All-India Conference organised by the Brahma Kumaris and launched a nationwide campaign titled 'Karmayoga for Empowered Bharat'.

The event also marked the commencement of the silver jubilee celebrations of the Om Shanti Retreat Centre in Gurugram, Haryana.

About Karmayoga for Empowered Bharat:

• Objective: A value-based national movement that encourages citizens to integrate spiritual and ethical principles into everyday actions and public life to support India's overall development journey.
• Philosophy: Rooted in Karmayoga, it promotes selfless duty, integrity, compassion, non-violence, and service, drawing inspiration from Rajayoga teachings of the Brahma Kumaris.

DoP Releases 8 Commemorative Postage Stamps Titled 'Puppets of India'

In February 2026, the Department of Posts (DoP), also known as India Post, under the Ministry of Communications, released a set of 8 Commemorative Postage Stamps titled 'Puppets of India' at the Indian Habitat Centre in New Delhi.

The stamps were released by Vandita Kaul, Secretary of DoP, in the presence of artists and cultural experts.

About Commemorative Postage Stamp:

• Overview: The commemorative stamp set showcases eight traditional puppetry forms from different regions of India, with each unique art form featured on an individual stamp.
• Features: It includes:
• Kathputli (Rajasthan) — a string puppet tradition
• Yakshagana Sutrada Gombeyatta (Karnataka) — a string puppet tradition
• Daanger Putul (West Bengal) — a rod puppet tradition
• Kathi Kundhei (Odisha) — a traditional string puppet style
• Benir Putul (West Bengal) — a glove puppet tradition
• Pavakathakali (Kerala) — a glove puppet
• Ravanachhaya (Odisha) — a shadow puppet tradition
• Tolu Bommalatta (Andhra Pradesh) — a shadow puppetry tradition
• Denomination: The stamp bears a face value of Rs. 5.
• Design: The stamps, along with the First Day Cover (FDC), Brochure, Miniature Sheet, Sheetlets, and Special Cancellation, were designed by designer Sankha Samanta.

NITI Aayog's Vice Chairman Releases 6th Edition of TWQ for Q2FY26

In February 2026, Suman Bery, Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog, released the 6th edition of 'Trade Watch Quarterly (TWQ) - Thematic Analysis: Electronics Trade' for Q2 (July to September) of FY2025-26 in New Delhi.

The report provides a comprehensive data-driven assessment of global and domestic trade trends.

Key Highlights of the Report:

• Focus Areas: The edition examines electronics exports, international demand patterns, tariff structures, and global value chain participation.
• Electronics Sector Dominance: India's electronics exports reached USD 42.1 billion in 2024 (5x growth since 2016), emerging as the 2nd largest category after gems/jewellery.
• India's E-commerce Sector: The report highlighted that India is now among the top 6 e-commerce markets in the world, with the electronics sector accounting for nearly 50% of online retail.
• E-commerce Projection: The report projected that e-commerce exports could contribute 20-30% of India's merchandise exports by 2030, supported by ongoing enhancements in logistics efficiency and regulatory facilitation.
• Merchandise Exports and Imports: The report showed that Indian merchandise exports registered 8.5% year-on-year (Y-o-Y) growth, outpacing import growth in both merchandise and services.
• Services Sector: Drove trade performance with USD 102 billion exports (+8.7%) and USD 48 billion surplus.

ICG DG Paramesh Sivamani Inaugurates Waterjet Production & Testing Facility in Goa

In February 2026, Paramesh Sivamani, Director General of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), inaugurated India's first Waterjet Production & Testing Facility of M/s Marine Jet Power (MJP) in Goa.

The newly inaugurated facility has been developed under a Manufacturing and Transfer of Technology (ToT) framework, making India the world's 3rd country after the USA and South Korea to host such a facility.

About the New Facility:

• Significance: The new facility will bolster India's domestic supply chain, enable indigenous testing of waterjet systems, and emerge as a regional hub catering to South Asia and adjoining regions. It is also expected to generate employment, support the MSME ecosystem, and improve technology absorption in the country.
• Current MJP Capacity: At present, ICG operates over 100 MJP water propulsion systems onboard its vessels, with 42 additional systems for ships under construction.

Other Key Highlight:

• During the visit, DG ICG reviewed the progress of 06 indigenously developed Air Cushion Vehicles (with approximately 50% of local content) at Chowgule & Company Pvt. Ltd. The 1st vessel is expected to be delivered in May 2026.

About MJP:

• MJP, a Sweden-based design and manufacturing firm specialising in waterjet propulsion systems for high-speed naval, coast guard, and commercial vessels, opened its first production and testing facility in India.

Banking & Finance

RBI Approves In-Solutions Global to Operate as Payment Aggregator

On February 16, 2026, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) granted regulatory authorization to In-Solutions Global (ISG) to operate as a Payment Aggregator (PA) in three categories, including Online Payments (PA-O), Physical or Offline Payments (PA-P), and Cross-Border Payments (PA-CB).

About Regulatory Authorization to ISG:

• Framework: The authorization was granted under the RBI Master Directions on the Regulation of Payment Aggregators for 2025-26.
• Payment Facilitation: With all three licenses, ISG joins a select set of non-banks fintech players permitted to facilitate unified payments stack across domestic online, physical, and global transactions.
• Single Onboarding: With this move, ISG can provide a unified onboarding and settlement platform, enabling it to onboard merchants, collect payments, and settle funds on their behalf, thereby simplifying multi-channel digital payment processing for businesses, banks, and marketplaces.
• Other Full PA License Holders: Airpay Payment Services and Pine Labs are among the select organisations in India that have received full RBI PA approval.

Awards & Recognitions

Smriti Mandhana Named BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year 2025

In February 2026, the 6th edition of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Indian Sportswoman of the Year (ISWOTY) Awards 2025 was held in New Delhi, recognising the outstanding achievements of Indian sportswomen across various disciplines.

Star cricketer Smriti Mandhana was honoured with the BBC ISWOTY 2025 for playing a key role in India's 2025 ICC Women's World Cup triumph with 434 runs as vice-captain and for captaining Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to their second Women's Premier League (WPL) title.

Other Significant Awards from the Ceremony:

• BBC Emerging Player of the Year 2025: Divya Deshmukh was awarded the BBC Emerging Player of the Year 2025 in recognition of her landmark Women's World Cup triumph.
• BBC Para-Sportswoman of the Year 2025: Preethi Pal was recognised as the BBC Para-Sportswoman of the Year 2025 for her outstanding Paralympic performance.
• BBC Lifetime Achievement Award 2025: Anjali Bhagwat was conferred with the Lifetime Achievement Award 2025 in recognition of her trailblazing contributions to Indian shooting.

About British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC):

• Director-General: Timothy Douglas Davie
• Headquarters: London, United Kingdom
• Established: 1922

Acquisitions & Mergers

RBI Approves Bain Capital's Acquisition of Up to 41.66% Stake in Manappuram Finance

On February 14, 2026, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) granted final approval to Bain Capital, LP, to acquire joint control and up to 41.66% stake in Manappuram Finance Limited, a Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC).

Investment Overview:

• Agreement Terms: In March 2025, Bain Capital signed agreements to invest Rs. 4,385 crore for an 18% fully diluted stake at Rs. 236 per share, with its final holding expected to range between 18% and 41.7% depending on open-offer acceptance.
• Promoter Holding: On a fully diluted basis, the existing promoters will retain a 28.9% stake in the company.

About Manappuram Finance:

• It is an NBFC specialising in gold-backed loans with an approximate loan book of Rs. 315 billion, primarily focused on the expanding gold loan segment in India.

Sports

India Tops Medal Tally with 94 Medals at Asian Rifle/Pistol Championship 2026 in Delhi

India topped the medal table for the second consecutive year with a remarkable haul of 94 medals, comprising 51 gold, 23 silver, and 20 bronze across senior and junior events at the 17th edition of the Asian Rifle/Pistol Championship 2026, held from February 2 to 14, 2026 at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range in New Delhi.

Kazakhstan secured second rank with 26 medals (3 Gold, 16 Silver, 7 Bronze), while Uzbekistan finished third with 4 medals (3 Gold, 1 Silver).

About Asian Rifle/Pistol Championship 2026:

• Organisers: The championship, organised by the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) under the supervision of the Asian Shooting Confederation (ASC).
• Participants: Featured over 300 athletes from 20 countries.
• Events: Competitions were held in senior and junior categories, covering individual and team events in rifle and pistol disciplines, including Olympic and non-Olympic events such as 10m Air Rifle, 10m Air Pistol, 25m Pistol, and 50m Rifle 3 Positions.

Magnus Carlsen Wins Inaugural FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship in Germany

Norwegian Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen won the first-ever International Chess Federation (FIDE) Freestyle Chess World Championship 2026 held in Weissenhaus, Germany from 13–15 February 2026, by defeating USA GM Fabiano Caruana in the final with a score of 2.5–1.5.

This victory marks Magnus Carlsen's 21st world title across various formats (Classical, Rapid, Blitz, and Freestyle/Chess960), further consolidating his position as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport.

About FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship 2026:

• Organiser: FIDE and Freestyle Chess Operations GmbH
• Prize Fund: The total prize fund was USD 300,000, with:
• Magnus Carlsen: USD 100,000 (1st place)
• Fabiano Caruana: USD 60,000 (2nd place)
• Nodirbek Abdusattorov: USD 40,000 (3rd place)
• Qualification: The top three finishers — Carlsen, Caruana, and Abdusattorov — directly qualified for the 2027 Freestyle World Championship.

Other Highlights:

• Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzbekistan) secured third place by defeating Vincent Keymer (Germany) 2.5–1.5.
• Vincent Keymer (Germany) finished fourth after losing to Nodirbek Abdusattorov 1.5–2.5 and earned USD 30,000.

Obituary

Oscar-Winning Actor Robert Duvall Passes Away

In February 2026, legendary American actor Robert Selden Duvall, best known for his iconic roles in The Godfather and Apocalypse Now, passed away at the age of 95 in Middleburg, Virginia, USA.

He was born on January 5, 1931 in San Diego, California, USA.

About Robert Duvall:

• Profile: He was a legendary American actor and filmmaker, regarded as one of the finest performers in Hollywood history, with a career spanning over six decades.
• Breakthrough Role: In 1962, he got his 1st film role as the mysterious Boo Radley in the adaptation of 'To Kill a Mockingbird'.
• Notable Work: Network (1976), The Great Santini (1979), The Eagle Has Landed (1976), The Natural (1984), among others.
• 7-time Oscar Nominee: During his 60 years-long career in the film industry, he was nominated 7 times for Oscars (Academy Awards). In 1983, he won the Award in the 'Best Actor' category for his performance in Tender Mercies.
• Other Nominations: He also received a BAFTA, and Primetime Emmy Awards.
• Awards/Accolades: He also won 4 Golden Globe awards and was awarded a National Medal of Arts in 2004.

Important Days

Global Tourism Resilience Day 2026 – February 17

The United Nations' Global Tourism Resilience Day (GTRD) is observed annually on February 17 to underline the need for a resilient tourism sector, highlighting its vulnerability to crises and the importance of preparedness and adaptability.

February 17, 2026 marked the third observance of GTRD.

Background:

• Declaration: On February 6, 2023, the UNGA adopted Resolution A/RES/77/269, officially declaring February 17 as GTRD.
• First Observance: The inaugural GTRD was observed on February 17, 2023.
• International Year: In February 2024, the UNGA decided to proclaim 2027 as the International Year of Sustainable and Resilient Tourism.

2026 Event:

• The 4th GTRD Conference and Expo is being held from February 16–18, 2026 at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre, Nairobi, Kenya, bringing together global tourism leaders to discuss key challenges facing the sector.

State News

TN Government Signs MoUs Worth Rs. 5,980 Crore in Semiconductor & Aerospace Sectors

In February 2026, the Government of Tamil Nadu (TN) signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) worth Rs. 5,980 crore (USD 59.8 million), aimed at strengthening TN's position in high-technology manufacturing.

The MoUs were signed in the presence of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin at an event held in Chennai, TN.

Key MoUs Signed:

• Semiconductor & Precision Manufacturing Project: MinebeaMitsumi (Japan), through its Indian subsidiary NMB Minebea India Private Limited, signed an MoU worth Rs. 1,980 crore to set up a semiconductor and electronics manufacturing facility in Tiruvallur, TN.
• Aerospace & Defence Manufacturing Cluster: Aequs Group, Bengaluru (Karnataka), signed an MoU worth Rs. 4,000 crore to develop an aerospace and defence manufacturing cluster at the SIDCO-Shoolagiri Industrial Park at Shoolagiri in Krishnagiri, TN. The facility will produce aerospace components such as aircraft engine parts, gearboxes, and precision-engineered products.
• Alignment: The initiatives align with GoI's vision of semiconductor self-reliance, defence indigenisation, and advanced manufacturing growth.