- PM Modi inaugurated the Northeast’s first Emergency Landing Facility in Dibrugarh, witnessed an IAF aerial display, and launched ₹5,500 crore projects including Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu, IIM Guwahati, and a National Data Centre to boost connectivity, education, and digital infrastructure.
.png "Current Affairs One - Liner : 17th February 2026")
- Union MoS Dr. Jitendra Singh launched India’s first ₹2,000 crore Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council–Research, Development & Innovation (BIRAC–RDI) Fund to bridge lab‑to‑industry gaps and drive a $300B bioeconomy by 2030.
- India added a record 52,537 MW of power generation capacity in the first 10 months of FY 2025–26, taking total installed capacity to over 520 GW, with 75% (39,657 MW) coming from renewable energy sources like solar and wind.
- On 14 February 2026, Kerala became the first state in India to approve a comprehensive Graphene Policy, launching a ₹200 crore Graphene Innovation Hub to position itself as a global leader in advanced materials research and manufacturing.
- On 18 February 2026 in Visakhapatnam, President Droupadi Murmu reviewed around 72 Indian and foreign warships at the International Fleet Review aboard INS Sumedha under the theme “United Through Oceans,” showcasing India’s naval strength and global maritime partnerships.
- UAE telecom operator du partnered with Datawave Networks in February 2026 to land the Singapore–India–Gulf (SING) submarine cable at Kalba, connecting six hubs and reinforcing the UAE’s role as a global digital hub with high-capacity, low-latency connectivity.
- In February 2026, the Reserve Bank of India imposed monetary penalties totaling about ₹1.36 crore on three banks—CSB Bank, Bank of Maharashtra, and DCB Bank—and two NBFCs, IIFL Finance and Navi Finserv, for non-compliance with regulatory directions.
- On 16 February 2026, DBS became the first bank in Asia-Pacific to pilot Visa Intelligent Commerce, enabling AI agents to securely initiate everyday payments through Visa’s infrastructure, reinforcing consent-driven, transparent digital transactions.
- India’s combined goods and services exports rose 13.17% year‑on‑year to $80.45 billion in January 2026, driven by strong services growth while imports surged to $90.83 billion, widening the trade deficit to $10.38 billion.
- On 17 Feb 2026, Bengaluru hosted the 6th India–France Annual Defence Dialogue co‑chaired by Defence Ministers Rajnath Singh and Catherine Vautrin, where a 10‑year Defence Cooperation Roadmap was renewed and BEL–Safran signed an MoU for HAMMER missile production in India.
- Afghanistan’s star leg‑spinner Rashid Khan has created history in the T20 World Cup 2026 by becoming the first bowler ever to reach 700 wickets in T20 cricket. He achieved this milestone on 15 February 2026 in Delhi during Afghanistan’s match against the UAE, dismissing Muhammad Arfan in the 16th over.
- Indian cricket star Smriti Mandhana was awarded the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year 2025 at a ceremony in New Delhi on 16 February 2026. She earned this honour for her pivotal role in India’s historic 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup victory, where the team defeated South Africa in the final.
- India observes National Women’s Day on 13 February 2026 to mark the 147th birth anniversary of Sarojini Naidu, the “Nightingale of India,” poet, freedom fighter, and champion of women’s empowerment.
- International Childhood Cancer Day (ICCD) 2026, observed on 15 February under the theme “Demonstrating Impact: From Challenge to Change,” highlights global efforts to ensure equitable treatment and survival for 400,000 children diagnosed with cancer annually.
- Veteran actress Pravina Deshpande, known for her work in Marathi and Hindi films, television, and theatre, passed away in Mumbai on 17 February 2026 at the age of 60. She had been battling multiple myeloma (a type of blood cancer) since 2019.
Questions:
Q.1 Who won the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year 2025 award?a) Harmanpreet Kaur
b) P. V. Sindhu
c) Sakshi Malik
d) Smriti Mandhana
Answer: d) She was honoured for her key role in India’s 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup victory.
Q.2 Which bank became the first in Asia-Pacific to pilot Visa Intelligent Commerce for AI-driven payments?
a) DBS Bank
b) HDFC Bank
c) ICICI Bank
d) SBI
Answer: a) DBS became the first bank in Asia-Pacific to pilot Visa Intelligent Commerce, enabling AI agents to securely initiate everyday payments through Visa’s infrastructure, reinforcing consent-driven, transparent digital transactions.
