🇮🇳 National News
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Union Minister Rajnath Singh, approved a proposal worth Rs 3.25 lakh crore (~USD 40 billion) to acquire 114 Rafale fighter jets from France.
- Delivery: 18 jets in fly-away condition from Dassault Aviation; 96 to be manufactured in India under Make in India.
- Total Fleet: India’s total Rafale fleet will reach 176 jets (36 already with IAF + 26 Rafale-M for Navy + 114 new).
- Also Approved: Six additional Boeing P-8I maritime patrol aircraft for the Indian Navy.
36 jets – Already operational with IAF | 26 jets – Rafale-M for Indian Navy | 114 jets – New acquisition = 176 total
On February 13, 2026, PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the integrated ‘Seva Teerth’ Complex in New Delhi, housing key government offices.
- Seva Teerth-1: Prime Minister’s Office (PMO)
- Seva Teerth-2: National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS)
- Seva Teerth-3: Cabinet Secretariat
‘Nagrik Devo Bhava’ (Citizen is akin to God) – inscribed in Devanagari script.
Key Ministries at Kartavya Bhawan 1 & 2: Finance, Defence, Health, Education, Corporate Affairs, Culture, Law & Justice, and Agriculture.
The Government launched the PM RAHAT (Road Accident Victim Hospitalization and Assured Treatment) Scheme to provide emergency medical care to road accident victims.
- Coverage: Every eligible road accident victim on any road entitled to cashless treatment up to Rs 1.5 lakh.
- Integration: Integrated with Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) 112.
- Duration: Up to 7 days from date of accident.
- Special Provision: Uninsured and hit-and-run cases covered through Government budgetary allocation.
PM RAHAT = PM Road Accident victim Hospitalization and Assured Treatment | Coverage: Rs 1.5 lakh | Duration: 7 days | Emergency Number: 112
The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) signed an MoU with the Government of Puducherry to strengthen marine research, coastal development, and blue economy activities.
- Signatories: Dr. M. Ravichandran (Secretary, MoES) and Dr. Sharat Chauhan (Chief Secretary, Puducherry).
- Tenure: 5 years, extendable.
Marine Fisheries | Offshore Wind | Desalination | Ocean Climate Services | Coastal Erosion | Maritime Spatial Planning
NITI Aayog’s Frontier Hub released ‘Technology Services – Reimagination Ahead’, a roadmap to grow India’s tech services sector from ~USD 265 billion to USD 750–850 billion by 2035.
1. Agentic AI | 2. Software & Products | 3. Digital Infrastructure | 4. Innovation-led Engineering | 5. India-for-India solutions
The Indian Navy assumed command of Combined Task Force (CTF) 154 under Combined Maritime Forces at Manama, Bahrain – the first time India leads this task force.
- Commander: Milind M. Mokashi, Shaurya Chakra awardee, took charge.
- CTF 154: Established in May 2023 for multinational maritime training and capacity-building.
CMF is a multinational naval partnership headquartered in Bahrain, promoting security in the Middle East maritime region.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a Rs 2,312 crore contract with HAL for 8 Dornier 228 aircraft with operational role equipment for the Indian Coast Guard under Buy (Indian) category.
- Mission: Boost Coast Guard air fleet from 80 to 100 by 2030.
- Dornier 228: 19-seater STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) twin turboprop manufactured at HAL’s Kanpur facility.
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) – India’s premier aerospace company | HQ: Bengaluru | Founded: 1940
💼 Business & Economy
NPCI International (NIPL) signed an agreement with PayNet (Malaysia) for QR-based merchant payments between India and Malaysia.
- Phase 1: Indian visitors use UPI apps (GPay, PhonePe, Paytm) to pay at DuitNow QR merchants in Malaysia.
- Phase 2: Malaysians use DuitNow-linked apps at UPI QR merchants in India.
NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) – Subsidiary of NPCI for global expansion of India’s digital payment systems like UPI and RuPay.
IIT Bombay signed an MoU with Columbia University (USA) to establish the Columbia-IIT Bombay Centre of AI for Manufacturing.
Semiconductors | Industrial Robotics | Pharmaceuticals | Food Processing | Construction & Logistics
🌐 International News
In the Henley Passport Index February 2026, India climbed to 75th rank (from 80th in January 2026) with visa-free access to 56 destinations.
| Rank | Country | Visa-Free Destinations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Singapore | 192 |
| 2 | Japan | 187 |
| 2 | South Korea | 187 |
| 75 | India | 56 |
| 101 | Afghanistan (Last) | 24 |
Based on data from IATA, the index ranks passports by the number of destinations holders can access without a prior visa.
👔 Appointments
CA Prasanna Kumar D from Visakhapatnam was elected as the 74th President of ICAI for the 2026–27 term.
CA Mangesh Pandurang Kinare was elected as Vice-President.
Institute of Chartered Accountants of India – Statutory body under the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949 | HQ: New Delhi
President Iliana Iotova appointed Andrey Gyurov (Deputy Governor, Bulgarian National Bank) as interim Prime Minister of Bulgaria until elections in April 2026.
Capital: Sofia | Currency: Bulgarian Lev | EU Member: 2007
RBI approved the reappointment of Sanjay Agarwal as MD & CEO of AU Small Finance Bank for 3 years from 19 April 2026.
AU SFB is the first Small Finance Bank to receive in-principle approval for Universal Bank transition.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) appointed Deepak Gupta (Director, Projects) as the new CMD of GAIL (India) Ltd., replacing Sandeep Kumar Gupta.
GAIL (India) Limited – India’s largest natural gas processing and distribution company | HQ: New Delhi | Founded: 1984
🔬 Science & Technology
No standalone Science & Technology news for today. Tech-related updates covered under National News and Business & Economy sections.
📅 Important Days
International Childhood Cancer Day is observed annually on February 15 to raise awareness about childhood cancer and express support for children and adolescents with cancer.
- Symbol: Gold Ribbon
- Events: AIIMS and IRSLA organised a walkathon in New Delhi.
Gold represents how precious children are. The Gold Ribbon is the universal symbol for childhood cancer awareness.
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