Defence Exams (NDA, CDS, CAPF) Current Affairs – February 2026

National

7 one-liners

7 National — 20 Feb.

• The Army's Konark Corps successfully tested the Strela-10 short-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) system at the Pokhran Field Firing Range in February 2026.
• Strela-10 uses an infrared seeker, not radar, and locks onto the heat of an aircraft or drone engine. Its engagement range is about 6 to 10 km, and it is mounted on the tracked MT-LB vehicle.
• Strela-10 is of Russian origin. DRDO is also developing its own fourth-generation VSHORADS system with a range of about 6 km, for self-reliance.
• Agni Varsha 2026 is an Integrated Fire and Manoeuvre Exercise (IFME) held at the Pokhran Field Firing Range, Jaisalmer, in desert and semi-desert conditions to test attack, coordination and accurate firing. Defence journalists from 25 friendly countries watched.
• Agni Varsha used T-90 tanks, infantry combat vehicles, K-9 Vajra howitzers, Sharang and Bofors guns, rocket systems, ALH Dhruv (WSI) and AH-64 Apache helicopters, and many surveillance and strike drones.
• The exercise also showed modern battlefield technology such as unmanned aerial systems, anti-drone measures and network-based surveillance.
• 20 Feb — Vibrant Villages Programme-II was launched by Home Minister Amit Shah at Nathanpur, Assam, on 20 February 2026. It covers 954 border villages in 15 states and 2 Union Territories, with ₹6,839 crore till 2028-29.

International

1 one-liners

1 International — 3 Feb.

• 3 Feb — The Munich Security Conference is the world's largest independent forum on security policy. It was founded in 1963 by Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist and is held every February at the Bayerischer Hof hotel.

Economy & Banking

1 one-liners

1 Economy & Banking — 7 Feb.

• 7 Feb — India promised to buy about $500 billion of US goods over five years, including energy products, defence and aviation equipment, and semiconductor and data-centre technology.

Science & Technology

1 one-liners

1 Science & Technology — Defence Exams (NDA, CDS, CAPF) Current Affairs – February 2026.

• Bengaluru space-tech startup GalaxEye signed a deal with ISRO's commercial arm NSIL so that NSIL can sell its "SyncFused OptoSAR" satellite imagery in India and abroad for farming, disaster management and environment monitoring.

Defence & Security

9 one-liners

9 Defence & Security — 4 Feb – 26 Feb.

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh gave Yantra India Limited the Miniratna Category-I status. Its board can now approve spending up to ₹500 crore without prior government approval.
• The Defence Acquisition Council gave initial approval to buy 114 more Rafale jets for the Air Force at about ₹3.25 lakh crore, India's biggest defence deal. 18 will come directly from France and 96 will be built in India.
• With the new order, India's Rafale fleet will reach 176 aircraft: 36 already with the Air Force, 114 new, and 26 Rafale-M for the Navy.
• 4 Feb — Russia announced on 4 February 2026 that the New START nuclear arms treaty with the US has ended. The treaty capped deployed nuclear warheads and their delivery systems of both nations.
• 8 Feb — India will get Safran technology for the 110 kN engine of the AMCA fighter jet. BEL and Safran formed a new joint venture to make HAMMER weapons. Talks on Rafale-M jets and Scorpene submarines for the Navy also continued.
• 23 Feb — The Home Ministry issued the "PRAHAAR" policy on 23 February 2026, India's most detailed national counter-terrorism strategy. It follows zero tolerance and aims to end the terror threat by 2029.
• 23 Feb — PRAHAAR is the first policy to openly cover new threats such as drones, robotic attacks, crypto-wallets and the dark web, along with chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and digital (CBRNED) threats.
• 23 Feb — The seven pillars of PRAHAAR are prevention, quick response, coordination among agencies, human rights and rule of law, reducing conditions for radicalisation, international cooperation and post-attack recovery.
• 26 Feb — On 26 February 2026 Pakistan launched a cross-border military action inside Afghanistan, named "Operation Ghazab-lil-Haq". Pakistan said it targeted the bases of the alleged Afghan Taliban.

Summits, Agreements & Exercises

5 one-liners

5 Summits, Agreements & Exercises — 3 Feb – 5 Feb.

• During Prime Minister Modi's visit to Israel, six agreements were signed and ties were raised to a 'Special Strategic Partnership'. Defence cooperation will move from buying and selling to joint development and production.
• India and Israel agreed to run UPI in Israel (NPCI International with MASAV), set up a cyber security centre and an agri-innovation centre in India, and send about 50,000 Indian workers to Israel.
• 3 Feb — The 62nd Munich Security Conference was held in Munich, Germany, from 3 to 5 February 2026 under the theme "Under Destruction". External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar represented India.
• 3 Feb — This year's Munich meeting discussed AI-driven hybrid warfare and rising nuclear threats for the first time in depth. It is called the "Davos of security policy".
• 5 Feb — The GCC has six members: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain. It has a common market, common external tariff and collective defence. India-GCC trade in 2025-26 was about $78.56 billion.

International

8 one-liners

8 International — 4 Feb – 7 Feb.

• In Japan's February 2026 general election the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) under PM Sanae Takaichi, the country's first woman PM, won 261 seats alone. With its ally it won 352 of 465 seats; 233 were needed for a majority.
• In Thailand's February 2026 election, caretaker PM Anutin Charnvirakul's Bhumjaithai Party won 94 seats (75 constituency and 19 party-list) in the 500-member House of Representatives.
• Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu proposed a 'Hexagon of Alliances' with Israel, India, the UAE, Greece and Cyprus. It aims to balance Iran-backed groups, protect Red Sea and Mediterranean trade routes, and strengthen the IMEC corridor.
• The US launched Operation Epic Fury against Iran in February 2026, on President Donald Trump's orders and with Israel's help, using aircraft, cruise missiles and drones in hundreds of strikes to cripple Iran's nuclear programme and the IRGC (Revolutionary Guard).
• 4 Feb — New START was signed in 2010, came into force on 5 February 2011 for 10 years, and was later extended to 5 February 2026. It expired exactly 15 years after it began.
• 7 Feb — India and the US announced an interim trade framework on 7 February 2026 to deepen cooperation in trade, technology and supply chains. US tariff on Indian goods fell from 50% to 8%.
• 7 Feb — The extra 25% US tariff imposed over India's purchase of Russian oil was removed completely under the interim framework.
• 7 Feb — In Bangladesh's 2026 general election the BNP and its allies won 222 of 299 seats. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla represented India at the swearing-in in Dhaka.

Summits, Agreements & Exercises

11 one-liners

11 Summits, Agreements & Exercises — 5 Feb – 27 Feb.

• India joined Pax Silica by signing its declaration, after the US ambassador Sergio Gor invited it. India holds about 8.52 million tonnes of rare earth reserves but produces only 2,900 tonnes, against China's 270,000 tonnes.
• The USA launched FORGE (Forum on Resource, Geostrategic Engagement) at the Critical Minerals Ministerial in Washington, offering up to $100 billion in loans and public finance for strategic mineral projects. India has backed the initiative.
• 5 Feb — India signed the Terms of Reference (ToR) with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on 5 February 2026. It sets the scope, method and timeline of the coming free trade agreement talks.
• 5 Feb — Seychelles President Dr Patrick Herminie visited India from 5 to 10 February 2026 to mark 50 years of India-Seychelles ties. India gave a $75 million package ($25 million loan and $50 million grant) plus ambulances and food aid.
• 7 Feb — French President Emmanuel Macron visited India from 7 to 9 February 2026 at PM Modi's invitation. It was his fourth visit to India.
• 7 Feb — India and France upgraded their ties to a "Special Global Strategic Partnership" and declared 2026 the "India-France Year of Innovation".
• 7 Feb — PM Modi made a two-day official visit to Malaysia on 7-8 February 2026, his third visit there. He attended the India-Malaysia CEO Forum in Kuala Lumpur.
• 8 Feb — India and France set a target of 30,000 Indian students studying in France by 2030. A trial also began that lets Indians take connecting flights at French airports without a visa.
• 8 Feb — During the Malaysia visit, a Thiruvalluvar Centre was set up to promote the Tamil language and Indian culture. India's NIPL and Malaysia's PayNet agreed to link their digital payment systems.
• 23 Feb — Parliamentary friendship groups with more than 60 countries were formed on 23 February 2026 under Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, so that Indian MPs can talk directly with MPs of other nations.
• 27 Feb — Canadian PM Mark Carney made his first India visit from 27 February to 2 March 2026. India and Canada began CEPA trade talks, set a goal of over $50 billion trade by 2030, and signed MoUs on education, culture, agriculture, innovation, health and AI.

Science & Technology

12 one-liners

12 Science & Technology — 6 Feb – 8 Feb.

• The VIBRANT programme gives mentoring, incubation and entrepreneurship support in colleges. Raj-PAHAL will take education to children of nomadic families through "schools on wheels" and temporary education camps.
• Under the CM-RISE scheme 400 schools will be upgraded, as announced in the Budget 2026-27.
• RAJ-SURAKSHA is an emergency response system for accidents, childbirth and heart attacks. RAJ-MAMTA is a mental health programme with a centre of excellence at SMS Medical College, Jaipur.
• A 500-bed tower will be built at JK Lon Hospital, and a 200-bed paediatric IPD, including a newborn ICU, at RUHS, Jaipur.
• Ahmedabad-based Azista Industries claimed to be India's first private firm to image another satellite in orbit. Its AFR satellite took high-quality pictures of the International Space Station (ISS) from two distances.
• Imaging another satellite in orbit is called "in-orbit snooping" or "space watch". It is part of space situational awareness, which tracks space debris and other satellites.
• Science Minister Dr Jitendra Singh opened the first national call for the ₹2,000 crore BIRAC-RDI Fund, which gives low-interest long-term capital to deep-tech, AI and biotech research. Proposals could be sent until 31 March 2026.
• Aditya Pandya, a 17-year-old from Gujarat, finished the AAKA Space Studio lunar habitat simulation mission in the Dholavira rann. He became the youngest Indian boy to complete such a mission.
• According to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, India became the first country to produce bio-bitumen, a biological substitute for road bitumen, on a commercial scale. The CSIR technology also cuts pollution from stubble burning.
• 6 Feb — India's Department of Science and Technology launched the India-Netherlands Hydrogen Fellowship on 6 February 2026. An Indian IIT and the Netherlands' University of Groningen also agreed to research green hydrogen together.
• 7 Feb — Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw launched the world's most advanced 2-nanometre chip design, developed by Qualcomm in Bengaluru, on 7 February 2026. A smaller node uses less power and runs faster, which helps AI and high-speed computing.
• 8 Feb — The India-France Centre for AI in Health (IF-CAIH) opened at AIIMS Delhi on 8 February 2026. AIIMS Delhi, Sorbonne University and the Paris Brain Institute will run it together.

Environment & Ecology

5 one-liners

5 Environment & Ecology — Defence Exams (NDA, CDS, CAPF) Current Affairs – February 2026.

• The PRITHWI scheme of about ₹1,500 crore will reduce human-wildlife conflict, develop habitats and promote eco-tourism.
• The Rajasthan government banned the cutting of Khejri trees across the state after the Bishnoi community's "Khejri Bachao Andolan". The order from the Revenue Department secretary to all district collectors lasts until a full law is made.
• The government promised a separate tree protection law in the coming budget session of the Assembly. The agitation by the Bishnoi community included slogans, rallies and fasting in Bikaner and other desert districts.
• Khejri (Prosopis cineraria) enriches desert soil, gives fodder, checks the spread of the desert and keeps dryland biodiversity. The Bishnoi tradition of protecting trees and wildlife follows the teachings of Guru Jambheshwar.
• NHAI plans India's first "Bee Corridor" along national highways, planting native species like neem, karanj, mahua and palash to protect pollinators. Each regional office must build at least three in 2026-27.

Sports

5 one-liners

5 Sports — Defence Exams (NDA, CDS, CAPF) Current Affairs – February 2026.

• India beat England in the final at Harare Sports Club, Zimbabwe, to win the U-19 Men's Cricket World Cup for a record sixth time (earlier 2000, 2008, 2012, 2018, 2022). Vaibhav Suryavanshi was Player of the Tournament.
• Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the WPL 2026 title, beating Delhi Capitals by six wickets in Vadodara. Smriti Mandhana made 87 off 54 balls. RCB is the only franchise to hold both IPL and WPL titles.
• India topped the Asian Rifle/Pistol Championship 2026 in New Delhi with 51 gold and 94 medals in total. Kazakhstan was second and Uzbekistan third.
• Services won the Santosh Trophy 2025-26 by beating Kerala 1-0 in extra time in the final at Dhakuakhana Stadium, Assam. It was Services' eighth title.
• India's U-19 women's team won the SAFF U-19 Women's Championship 2026 by beating Bangladesh 4-0 in the final at Pokhara, Nepal. It was India's third title after 2022 and 2024.

Awards & Honours

3 one-liners

3 Awards & Honours — 25 Feb.

Appointments

9 one-liners

9 Appointments — 7 Feb – 24 Feb.