- On 14 Feb 2026, the CCEA approved highway projects worth over ₹11,000 crore in Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Telangana, covering NH‑160A, NH‑56, and NH‑167 to strengthen freight movement and connectivity.
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- On 13 Feb 2026, President of India Droupadi Murmu inaugurated an All‑India Conference in New Delhi and launched the nationwide campaign “Karmayoga for Empowered Bharat” of Brahma Kumaris, alongside the silver jubilee celebrations of Om Shanti Retreat Centre, Gurugram.
- On 13 Feb 2026, Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Director General Paramesh Sivamani inaugurated the Waterjet Production & Testing Facility of Marine Jet Power (MJP) India in Goa, making India the third country globally (after the US and South Korea) to host such a facility under the Manufacturing and Transfer of Technology framework, boosting maritime Aatmanirbharta.
- On 17 Feb 2026, PM Modi and French President Macron inaugurated India’s first private‑sector helicopter assembly line at Kolar, Karnataka, where Airbus–TASL will roll out ‘Made in India’ H125 helicopters from 2027 for domestic and export markets.
- On 16 Feb 2026, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) approved In‑Solutions Global Ltd (ISG) to operate as a Payment Aggregator (PA) across all three categories—Online (PA‑O), Physical/Offline (PA‑P), and Cross‑Border (PA‑CB)—under the latest RBI Master Directions 2025‑26.
- On 14 Feb 2026, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) approved Bain Capital’s acquisition of up to 41.66% stake in Kerala‑based NBFC Manappuram Finance Ltd (MFL), paving the way for a ₹4,385‑crore investment and joint control, along with a mandatory open offer for an additional 26% stake at ₹236 per share.
- India’s WPI‑based inflation rose to 1.81% in January 2026, the highest in 10 months. It increased from 0.83% in December 2025, marking the third straight monthly rise. The surge was driven by higher prices of basic metals, food products, textiles, and non‑food articles.
- On 17 Feb 2026, Corporate Infotech Pvt. Ltd. (CIPL) signed an MoU with the Bihar Government during the India AI Impact Summit to establish a Core Development Centre and an Artificial Intelligence Centre of Excellence (AI‑CoE) in Patna, with an investment plan scaling from ₹30 crore to ₹100 crore, aimed at boosting digital governance and creating 2,000 jobs.
- On 16 Feb 2026, Magnus Carlsen won the FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship in Weissenhaus, Germany. He defeated Fabiano Caruana with a score of 2.5–1.5 in the final. This was the first official FIDE‑recognized Freestyle (Chess960) World Championship.
- On 16 Feb 2026, Paras Dogra became only the second batsman after Wasim Jaffer to surpass 10,000 runs in Ranji Trophy history, achieving the feat in his 147th match while captaining J&K in their maiden semi‑final.
- On 16 Feb 2026, the Indian Navy launched its first indigenous Cadet Training Ship ‘Krishna’ at L&T Shipyard, Kattupalli (Chennai), in the presence of CDS Gen. Anil Chauhan; built by L&T as part of a 3-ship project, it will train officer cadets (including women & foreign cadets) — marking a major boost to Aatmanirbhar Bharat in defence shipbuilding.
- On 16 Feb 2026, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated BEL’s Mountain Fire Control Radar, Missile Integration Facility, flagged off Akash Combat Systems, and launched BEL’s AI Policy & Centre of Excellence for AI — boosting indigenous defence and AI-enabled warfare.
- Oscar‑winning actor Robert Duvall has passed away at the age of 95. He died peacefully at his home in Middleburg, Virginia, on February 15, 2026, from natural causes, as confirmed by his wife Luciana Pedraza.
- Civil rights leader and Baptist minister Jesse Jackson passed away at the age of 84 on February 17, 2026, in Chicago. A close associate of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Jackson was a towering figure in the U.S. civil rights movement.
Questions:
Q.1 Who won the first official FIDE-recognized Freestyle (Chess960) World Championship held in Weissenhaus, Germany?a) Fabiano Caruana
b) Viswanathan Anand
c) D. Gukesh
d) Magnus Carlsen
Answer: d) Magnus Carlsen defeated Fabiano Caruana in the final with a score of 2.5–1.5 to win the FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship on February 16, 2026.
Q.2 According to government data released in February 2026, India's Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation rose to its highest level in 10 months in January 2026. What was the inflation rate?
a) 0.83%
b) 1.20%
c) 1.81%
d) 2.50%
Answer: c) India's WPI inflation increased to 1.81% in January 2026. This marked the third straight monthly rise, up from 0.83% in December 2025.
