SSC Exams Current Affairs – February 2026 — Full notes
Published:
SSC Exams Current Affairs – February 2026 — 162 news items
At a glance
the top events
The most important events of this page, and how many news items each topic holds.
Top events
- Deputy CM and Finance Minister Diya Kumari presented the Rajasthan Budget 2026-27 in the State Assembly. Total expenditure is about ₹6.7 lakh crore.
- A big provision of ₹32,000 crore was made for a project to bring Yamuna water to Shekhawati.
- The PRITHWI scheme of about ₹1,500 crore will reduce human-wildlife conflict, develop habitats and promote eco-tourism.
- Rajasthan was the first state in India to implement the Platform-Based Gig Workers (Registration and Welfare) Act, which now covers about 2% of the workforce.
- India's first Jain "Chadar Mahotsav" is being held in Jaisalmer, showing sacred chadars (cloths) linked to Dada Shri Jindatta Suri Maharaj, about 872 years old.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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).
- 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.
- 25 Feb — In Jerusalem on 25 February 2026, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana gave PM Modi the "Speaker of the Knesset Medal", the highest honour of Israel's parliament. Modi is the first leader in the world to receive it.
News by topic
- Government & States
- 39 one-liners
- International & Agreements
- 25 one-liners
- Economy & Banking
- 50 one-liners
- Science, Defence & Environment
- 27 one-liners
- Sports, Days & Culture
- 9 one-liners
- Awards, Appointments & Books
- 12 one-liners
Government & States
39 one-liners
Policy · laws · schemes · states.
National
36 one-liners
36 National — 1 Feb – 23 Feb.
National — 36 one-liners
Part 1
12 one-liners
National: 12.
- Deputy CM and Finance Minister Diya Kumari presented the Rajasthan Budget 2026-27 in the State Assembly. Total expenditure is about ₹6.7 lakh crore.
- The Budget was presented as an action plan of the "Viksit Rajasthan@2047" strategy, with a target of per capita income above ₹2 lakh.
- The Budget proposes a Rajasthan State Testing Agency (RSTA), similar to the National Testing Agency, to make recruitment exams cleaner.
- The DREAM programme will benefit about 50,000 students. Another plan trains 1,000 youth in English, Japanese, French, German and Korean for global jobs.
- A carbon credit pilot project will promote climate-friendly farming, and Raj-AMS is a digital agriculture mission using AI and satellites. Mission Raj-GIFT will help farm produce get GI tags and reach new markets.
- A rural women BPO will be set up in each district with a provision of ₹100 crore.
- The loan limit under the Mukhyamantri Lakhpati Didi scheme was raised from ₹1 lakh to ₹1.5 lakh. Under the Mukhyamantri Nari Shakti Udyam Protsahan Yojana, women and self-help groups can get loans up to ₹1 crore.
- Under the pilgrimage scheme, 6,000 senior citizens will get air travel and 50,000 will travel to pilgrimage sites by AC train.
- The Budget announced a Rajasthan Cyber Crime Control Centre to check cyber crime.
- A high-level committee was formed to consider the demands of government employees and the recommendations of the 8th Pay Commission.
- Rajasthan was the first state in India to implement the Platform-Based Gig Workers (Registration and Welfare) Act, which now covers about 2% of the workforce.
- 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.
Part 2
12 one-liners
National: 12.
- 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 meant to stop low-flying fighters, helicopters and suicide drones, and gives moving tanks and infantry columns air cover. The test was done in Pokhran's harsh heat and blowing sand.
- 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.
- Alwar became India's first district where every citizen has some insurance policy, under the "Insurance for All by 2047" roadmap of the Finance Ministry and IRDAI.
- Alwar reached full cover through a house-to-house survey that identified the uninsured. 9 villages were declared fully insured, and the insurer was United India Insurance Company Limited.
- The Supreme Court directed the Centre in February 2026 to set up a tribunal for the Pennaiyar river water dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu over check dams and diversion works.
- The PM RAHAT scheme provides free, cashless treatment up to ₹1.5 lakh for the first week after a road accident. It is linked to the ERSS-112 helpline so victims reach hospital in the golden hour.
- Home Minister Amit Shah launched the first CBDC-based digital food currency for ration distribution at Gandhinagar. Gujarat became the first state to send PDS subsidy through the RBI's digital rupee.
- The "Annapurti" grain ATM in Ahmedabad can dispense 25 kg of grain in just 35 seconds, as part of the digital ration pilot.
Part 3
1 Feb – 23 Feb
National: 12.
- Amit Shah launched Bharat Taxi in Delhi, India's first cooperative ride-hailing platform. Drivers ("Sarthi") are the real owners, no commission is deducted and fares do not rise with demand.
- The Ministry of Cooperation started "White Revolution 2.0" to raise milk procurement by cooperative societies over the next five years and to deepen women's participation in dairying.
- The Pulses Self-Reliance Mission was launched at Amlaha (Sehore), Madhya Pradesh. It aims to end dependence on pulse imports and make India an exporter, with 1,000 dal mills, mostly in Madhya Pradesh.
- President Droupadi Murmu launched the "Karmayogi for Sashakt Bharat" campaign from Gurugram, urging citizens to adopt honesty, compassion and selfless service.
- The Union Cabinet approved renaming Kerala as 'Keralam' using the Article 3 process. The Kerala Assembly had passed the proposal in June 2024 and sought changes to the First and Eighth Schedules.
- 1 Feb — The Budget proposed seven new high-speed rail corridors: Mumbai-Pune, Pune-Hyderabad, Hyderabad-Bengaluru, Hyderabad-Chennai, Chennai-Bengaluru, Delhi-Varanasi and Varanasi-Siliguri.
- 20 Feb — The IT Amendment Rules 2026 came into force on 20 February 2026. They legally define "Synthetically Generated Information (SGI)" for the first time and make clear labels and permanent metadata compulsory on AI-made content.
- 20 Feb — The new IT rules cut the time limit for removing content on a court or government order. Non-consensual intimate content and deepfakes must be taken down within a few hours of a complaint.
- 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.
- 22 Feb — PM Modi opened the remaining sections of the Namo Bharat corridor on 22 February 2026: Sarai Kale Khan to New Ashok Nagar and Meerut South to Modipuram. It is India's first Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS), run by NCRTC.
- 22 Feb — The Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat corridor is about 82.5 km long, with a design speed of 180 km/h and operating speed of 160 km/h. It is India's fastest urban rail service, and RRTS and Meerut Metro share a station.
- 23 Feb — The Home Ministry released PRAHAAR, India's most comprehensive counter-terrorism policy, aiming to end the terror threat by 2029. It rests on seven pillars including prevention, quick response, coordination, human rights, de-radicalisation, global cooperation and recovery.
States & UTs
3 one-liners
3 States & UTs — 26 Feb.
- A tripartite agreement between the Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation (ENPO), the Centre and the Nagaland government creates the Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA) for six eastern districts, with powers over 46 subjects under Article 371(A).
- The six districts covered by the FNTA are Tuensang, Mon, Kiphire, Longleng, Noklak and Shamator in eastern Nagaland.
- 26 Feb — The State Innovation Mission (SIM) was launched at Agartala, Tripura, on 26 February 2026. It is India's first mission to institutionalise innovation at state level and links to Atal Innovation Mission 2.0, with the T-NEST hub and district innovation centres.
International & Agreements
25 one-liners
World · summits · MoUs · exercises.
International
9 one-liners
9 International — 3 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).
- 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.
- 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
16 one-liners
16 Summits, Agreements & Exercises — 3 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.
- 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 — 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 — 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.
- 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.
Economy & Banking
50 one-liners
RBI · markets · trade · reports.
Economy & Banking
50 one-liners
50 Economy & Banking — 1 Feb – 27 Feb.
Economy & Banking — 50 one-liners
Part 1
13 one-liners
Economy & Banking: 13.
- The Budget estimates the fiscal deficit at about 3.69% of GSDP and says the FRBM norms are followed. The Economic Review separately shows 4.3% for the current year; do not mix the two.
- A big provision of ₹32,000 crore was made for a project to bring Yamuna water to Shekhawati.
- The Rajasthan Economic Review 2025-26, released with the Budget, is now arranged in 73 thematic chapters instead of departments. It formally shapes the Viksit Rajasthan@2047 roadmap.
- According to the Review, Rajasthan's GSDP at current prices is about ₹18.75 lakh crore, and per capita income is ₹2,02,349, crossing ₹2 lakh for the first time.
- The Review shows inflation (CPI) steady at 4.8%, slightly below the national average, and the current-year fiscal deficit at 4.3% of GSDP, within the revised FRBM targets.
- Rajasthan's foodgrain production rose to 283.98 lakh metric tonnes, says the Economic Review 2025-26.
- Share in Gross State Value Added (GSVA): services 47.7%, industry 26.5% and agriculture 25.7%. Yet more than 60% of the state's people still depend on agriculture for livelihood.
- The services sector is the largest, driven by tourism, hospitality, financial services, IT-enabled services and logistics, helped by the post-Covid tourism boom and fintech efforts in Jaipur and Jodhpur.
- Industry is supported by investment in RIICO industrial parks, the MSME Policy 2024, and the state's lead in stone, cement and hydrocarbon production.
- Rajasthan has installed over 37,500 MW of renewable energy, the highest in India. The Review highlights the Green Hydrogen Policy and the PM-KUSUM scheme.
- To end water shortage the Review stresses 9 greenfield projects and completing the phases of the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP).
- Under "Agriculture 2.0", the state stresses natural farming and the Rajasthan Millets Promotion Mission, to make use of its "millet bowl" identity.
- In FY 2023-24 Rajasthan was India's top wool producer with about 1.6 crore kg, nearly 47% of the country's total of about 3.369 crore kg.
Part 2
1 Feb
Economy & Banking: 13.
- After Rajasthan, the leading wool-producing states are Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Telangana, Gujarat and Maharashtra, in that order. The data come from the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
- The Marwari and Chokla sheep breeds give coarse wool used in carpets and blankets. About 85% of India's wool is the coarse type; the rest is fine wool for clothing.
- A dry climate, large grazing lands and an old sheep-rearing tradition explain Rajasthan's large wool output.
- Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched the AI-based "Bharat-Vistaar" platform for farmers at Jaipur. It is multilingual and voice-first, starting with Hindi and English.
- "Bharat-Vistaar" gives weather, mandi prices, crop advice, pest and disease alerts, soil health and scheme information in one place. It also works through voice commands or a text chatbot on feature phones.
- A digital farmer ID will be created under the platform and linked to services like the PM Fasal Bima Yojana and soil health card. It matches the Digital India and AI-for-agriculture missions.
- Since 2017 the Union Budget is presented on 1 February instead of the end of January, so that Parliament can pass it before the new financial year starts on 1 April.
- The Union Cabinet approved a ₹1 lakh crore Urban Challenge Fund for city infrastructure in February 2026.
- The Union Cabinet also approved the Startup India Fund of Funds 2.0 with ₹10,000 crore to support the startup ecosystem.
- The base year of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) moved from 2011 to 2024. The new series, based on the HCES 2023-24 consumption survey, released its first data in February 2026.
- The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) will also shift to the 2022-23 base year, but its new series will be released later.
- The RBI's 59th Monetary Policy Committee meeting, chaired by Governor Sanjay Malhotra, kept the repo rate unchanged at 5.25% to balance inflation and growth.
- 1 Feb — Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2026-27 on 1 February 2026, her ninth consecutive budget. Morarji Desai still holds the record for the most budgets, with 10 over different terms.
Part 3
1 Feb
Economy & Banking: 13.
- 1 Feb — The record for the most Union Budgets still belongs to Morarji Desai, who presented 10 Budgets in different terms (six in 1959-64 and four in 1967-69).
- 1 Feb — The Budget 2026-27 sets capital expenditure at about ₹12.2 lakh crore (around 3.1% of GDP) and the fiscal deficit target at 4.3% of GDP, down from 4.4% in the revised estimate of the previous year.
- 1 Feb — The Budget expects nominal GDP growth of about 10.5% and real GDP growth of about 7% for FY27.
- 1 Feb — The fiscal deficit for FY27 is set at 4.3% of GDP, slightly better than 4.4% last year. The government wants to keep it below 4.5%.
- 1 Feb — The debt-to-GDP ratio is expected to be about 55.6% in FY27. The government aims to bring it down to 50% by 2030-31.
- 1 Feb — The 16th Finance Commission report was tabled in Parliament along with the Budget. It kept the states' share in central taxes at 41%, same as the 15th Commission, and made "contribution to GDP" a new criterion in place of "tax and fiscal effort".
- 1 Feb — The 16th Finance Commission recommended grants of about ₹9.47 lakh crore for the next five years, mainly for urban and rural local bodies and for disaster management.
- 1 Feb — The 16th Finance Commission advised the Centre to cut the fiscal deficit to 3.5% of GDP by 2030-31. It also asked for steps to move power distribution companies into private hands.
- 1 Feb — The Biopharma Shakti Mission will get ₹10,000 crore over five years to make India a global hub for biologics and biosimilars. New National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) will also be set up.
- 1 Feb — The Budget announced India Semiconductor Mission 2.0 to strengthen the making of semiconductor equipment and materials, the supply chain and research.
- 1 Feb — The outlay of the Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme was raised from ₹22,919 crore to ₹40,000 crore.
- 1 Feb — New dedicated Rare Earth corridors will be built in Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Odisha and Tamil Nadu to strengthen the whole chain of mining and processing of rare earth minerals.
- 1 Feb — Under the "Champion MSME" initiative, a ₹10,000 crore SME Growth Fund was announced to build globally competitive companies.
Part 4
1 Feb – 27 Feb
Economy & Banking: 11.
- 1 Feb — The simpler Income Tax Act, 2025 replaces the Income Tax Act, 1961 and comes into force on 1 April 2026. Tax slabs for FY27 were kept unchanged.
- 1 Feb — Customs duty on imports for personal use was cut from 20% to 10%. Duty was removed fully on all cancer drugs and medicines for 7 rare diseases.
- 1 Feb — Foreign companies serving global customers through data centres in India get tax relief until 2047. The tax-holiday period for offshore banking units in GIFT City was raised from 10 to 20 years.
- 1 Feb — The 16th Finance Commission kept the states' share in central taxes at 41%, the same as the 15th, but added a new criterion based on each state's contribution to national GDP.
- 1 Feb — The 16th Finance Commission advised the Centre to bring its fiscal deficit down to 3.5% of GDP by 2030-31, and asked states to keep theirs within 3% of GSDP.
- 7 Feb — A final assembly line for Airbus H125 light helicopters opened at Vemagal, Karnataka, on 7 February 2026. It is a joint effort of the Tata aerospace business and Airbus Helicopters.
- 7 Feb — The 8% US tariff applies to textiles, readymade garments, leather and footwear, plastics and rubber, organic chemicals, home furnishings, handicrafts and some machinery.
- 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.
- 7 Feb — Generic medicines, animal feed, selected farm products and aircraft parts are meant to be fully duty-free, but India gave no concession in sensitive areas like agriculture and dairy.
- 24 Feb — Finance Minister Sitharaman launched the National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP) 2.0 on 24 February 2026 for FY2025-26 to 2029-30. It targets about ₹6.72 lakh crore from asset monetisation and ₹5.18 lakh crore of private investment.
- 27 Feb — MoSPI changed the GDP base year from 2011-12 to 2022-23, and the new series was released on 27 February 2026. The year was chosen as a stable, normal year after Covid.
Science, Defence & Environment
27 one-liners
Space · tech · forces · ecology.
Science & Technology
13 one-liners
13 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
Environment & Ecology
5 one-liners
5 Environment & Ecology — SSC Exams 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, Days & Culture
9 one-liners
Results · important days · heritage.
Sports
- 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.
Art, Culture & Tourism
- The Budget plans an ultra-luxury special tourism zone at Khuri, Jaisalmer, and a tourist facility centre at Kuldhara.
- A Thar Cultural Circuit will link heritage sites, and a war museum will be built at Jhunjhunu.
- India's first Jain "Chadar Mahotsav" is being held in Jaisalmer, showing sacred chadars (cloths) linked to Dada Shri Jindatta Suri Maharaj, about 872 years old.
- In Jain belief these cloths survived the acharya's cremation and were later brought from Patan, Gujarat to Jaisalmer during an epidemic. The three-day event has prayers, discourses, rituals and a grand varghoda (procession). It is expected to boost religious and cultural tourism in Jaisalmer.
Awards, Appointments & Books
12 one-liners
Honours · new posts · books · obituaries.
Awards & Honours
| Date | Award | Winner / reason |
|---|---|---|
| · | BIOFACH 2026, Nuremberg | India, "Country of the Year" |
| 25 Feb | Speaker of the Knesset Medal | PM Narendra Modi, first world leader to get it |
| 25 Feb | Grand Collar of the State of Palestine (2018) | PM Narendra Modi |
Appointments
| Date | Name | Appointed as |
|---|---|---|
| · | Andrey Gyurov | Caretaker Prime Minister of Bulgaria |
| · | Yumnam Khemchand Singh | Chief Minister of Manipur |
| · | CA Prasanna Kumar D | 74th President, ICAI |
| · | Uday Kotak | Chairman, GIFTCL |
| 7 Feb | Tarique Rahman | Prime Minister of Bangladesh |
| 23 Feb | Rob Jetten | Prime Minister of the Netherlands |
| 24 Feb | Sachin Tendulkar | UN Global Road Safety Champion |
| 24 Feb | Prof. B. Ravindran (IIT Madras) | Member, UN Scientific Panel on AI |
| 24 Feb | Nidhi Chhibber | CEO, NITI Aayog (additional charge) |
Quick quiz
test yourself
Practice questions on this period. Tap an option to check your answer.
Fill in the blank: one-liner flashcards
- Deputy CM and Finance Minister _____ presented the Rajasthan Budget 2026-27 in the State Assembly. Total expenditure is about ₹6.7 lakh crore.
- Diya Kumari
- A big provision of _____ was made for a project to bring Yamuna water to Shekhawati.
- ₹32,000 crore
- The _____ scheme of about ₹1,500 crore will reduce human-wildlife conflict, develop habitats and promote eco-tourism.
- PRITHWI
- According to the Review, Rajasthan's _____ at current prices is about ₹18.75 lakh crore, and per capita income is ₹2,02,349, crossing ₹2 lakh for the first time.
- GSDP
- In FY _____ Rajasthan was India's top wool producer with about 1.6 crore kg, nearly 47% of the country's total of about 3.369 crore kg.
- 2023-24
- Union Agriculture Minister _____ launched the AI-based "Bharat-Vistaar" platform for farmers at Jaipur. It is multilingual and voice-first, starting with Hindi and English.
- Shivraj Singh Chouhan
- The Army's _____ successfully tested the Strela-10 short-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) system at the Pokhran Field Firing Range in February 2026.
- Konark Corps
- _____ 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 2026
- The Rajasthan government banned the _____ 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.
- cutting of Khejri trees
- _____ became India's first district where every citizen has some insurance policy, under the "Insurance for All by 2047" roadmap of the Finance Ministry and IRDAI.
- Alwar
MCQs
Who presented the Rajasthan Budget 2026-27?
- Bhajan Lal Sharma
- Diya Kumari
- Prem Chand Bairwa
- Kirodi Lal Meena
Show answer
Answer: Diya Kumari — Diya Kumari is the Deputy CM and Finance Minister of Rajasthan.
How much was provided for the project to bring Yamuna water to Shekhawati?
- ₹10,000 crore
- ₹32,000 crore
- ₹22,000 crore
- ₹50,000 crore
Show answer
Answer: ₹32,000 crore — The Budget made a ₹32,000 crore provision for the Yamuna water project.
Which Budget scheme of about ₹1,500 crore targets wildlife conflict and eco-tourism?
- VIBRANT
- DREAM
- RAJ-MAMTA
- PRITHWI
Show answer
Answer: PRITHWI — PRITHWI is for reducing human-wildlife conflict, habitat development and eco-tourism.
The first Jain "Chadar Mahotsav" of India was held in which place?
- Jaisalmer
- Ranakpur
- Mount Abu
- Osian
Show answer
Answer: Jaisalmer — It showed sacred chadars linked to Dada Shri Jindatta Suri Maharaj, about 872 years old.
India and Canada set a target of trade above how much by 2030?
- $25 billion
- $35 billion
- $50 billion
- $100 billion
Show answer
Answer: $50 billion — During Mark Carney's visit they began CEPA talks and aimed at over $50 billion trade by 2030.
Which policy, issued by the Home Ministry on 23 February 2026, is India's detailed counter-terrorism strategy?
- SURAKSHA
- KAVACH
- PRAHAAR
- SHAKTI
Show answer
Answer: PRAHAAR — PRAHAAR follows zero tolerance and also covers drones, crypto-wallets, dark web and CBRNED threats.
The Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA) was agreed with which organisation?
- Naga Students' Federation
- Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation
- NSCN (IM)
- Naga Hoho
Show answer
Answer: Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation — ENPO, the Centre and the Nagaland government signed the tripartite agreement.
Which Indian private company claimed to be the first to image the ISS from its own satellite?
- Skyroot Aerospace
- Pixxel
- Azista Industries
- Agnikul Cosmos
Show answer
Answer: Azista Industries — Azista's AFR satellite imaged the ISS from two distances.
Who scored 175 runs off 80 balls in the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2026 final?
- Vaibhav Suryavanshi
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Shubman Gill
- Sarfaraz Khan
Show answer
Answer: Vaibhav Suryavanshi — India beat England by 100 runs at Harare Sports Club.
Who was named the UN "Global Road Safety Champion" on 24 February 2026?
- Virat Kohli
- MS Dhoni
- Neeraj Chopra
- Sachin Tendulkar
Show answer
Answer: Sachin Tendulkar — The title is linked to the UN-JCDecaux road safety awareness campaign launched in New Delhi.
Which treaty between Russia and the US was declared ended on 4 February 2026?
- INF Treaty
- SALT I
- New START
- CTBT
Show answer
Answer: New START — New START was signed in 2010 and came into force on 5 February 2011.
PM Modi received which honour from the Israeli Knesset on 25 February 2026?
- Speaker of the Knesset Medal
- Order of the Star of Israel
- Israel Prize
- Presidential Medal of Honour
Show answer
Answer: Speaker of the Knesset Medal — He was the first world leader to get this medal.