Daily Current Affairs

India is on the verge of operationalising its Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS), designed to bring industrial emissions under a structured regulatory mechanism.

• Approximately 490 industrial units spread across seven sectors have been allocated specific emission reduction targets under the scheme’s first phase.
• Facilities that emit below their assigned thresholds will earn tradable carbon credits, while those exceeding limits must purchase credits from the market.
• The steel and fertiliser sectors have been excluded from the initial phase, despite being among the highest contributors to industrial emissions.
• The initiative aims to encourage cleaner production methods, greater energy efficiency, and alignment with India’s broader climate compliance commitments.

The Union Cabinet has approved the official renaming of the State of Kerala to ‘Keralam’, reflecting the state’s authentic identity in the Malayalam language.

• The decision follows a unanimous resolution passed by the Kerala Legislative Assembly on June 24, 2024.
• Under Article 3 of the Constitution, Parliament holds the authority to alter the name of any state, subject to the President’s recommendation and a reference to the concerned state legislature.
• The Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 will be referred to the state assembly before being introduced in Parliament.
• The renaming aligns with a linguistic-cultural assertion tracing back to the state’s formation on November 1, 1956 (Kerala Piravi Day).

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched the second phase of the asset monetisation programme — National Monetisation Pipeline 2.0 (NMP 2.0) — in New Delhi.

• Formulated by NITI Aayog in coordination with infrastructure ministries, NMP 2.0 estimates a total monetisation potential of ₹16.72 lakh crore over FY26–FY30, including ₹5.8 lakh crore in private sector investment.
• This target is more than 2.6 times the figure achieved under the first phase.
• Asset monetisation involves leveraging existing or underutilised public infrastructure assets to generate revenue and attract fresh investment for building new infrastructure.
• The initiative is aligned with the Asset Monetisation Plan 2025–30 announced in the Union Budget 2025–26.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) released India’s first-ever unified counter-terrorism doctrine, officially titled PRAHAAR (National Counter-Terrorism Policy & Strategy), on February 23, 2026.

• The policy represents a shift from a reactive security posture to a proactive, intelligence-led approach, adopting a “whole-of-government” and “whole-of-society” framework.
• PRAHAAR upholds a strict “Zero Tolerance” stance on terrorism, decoupling it from any specific religion or nationality while criminalising all supportive ecosystems.
• Key pillars include: prevention through intelligence-guided operations led by the Multi Agency Centre (MAC); swift kinetic responses; and enhanced capacity aggregation between central and state agencies.
• The NIA will serve as the focal point for investigations, with collaboration also planned at multilateral platforms such as the United Nations and FATF.

The Union Health Ministry has announced a pan-India free vaccination programme against Human Papillomavirus (HPV), targeting 14-year-old girls as part of its preventive healthcare strategy against cervical cancer.

• Cervical cancer ranks as the second most common cancer among Indian women, with nearly 80,000 new cases annually (ICMR estimates), contributing roughly 20% of the global burden.
• The vaccine being used is Gardasil (Quadrivalent), covering HPV strains 16 and 18 (oncogenic) and 6 and 11 (wart-causing), in line with the WHO’s single-dose recommendation (2022 update).
• Implementation will be through Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, Primary Health Centres, Community Health Centres, and District Hospitals.
• Procurement has been secured through a partnership with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

Rating agency ICRA has projected India’s GDP growth at 7.2% for Q3 FY2025–26, a deceleration from the 8.2% recorded in Q2.

• The industrial sector recorded a six-quarter high growth of 8.3%, while services moderated to 7.8% and agriculture slowed to 3%.
• Central government capital expenditure contracted by 23.4% year-on-year, affecting overall investment momentum.
• The slowdown was attributed to a combination of weak exports, base effect, and subdued government spending.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved an increase in the equity investment delegation for Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID), a Maharatna CPSE.

• The permissible equity investment cap per subsidiary has been raised from ₹5,000 crore to ₹7,500 crore, while retaining the overall ceiling of 15% of POWERGRID’s net worth.
• The enhanced delegation empowers POWERGRID to pursue larger-scale transmission investments, accelerate renewable energy evacuation, and support India’s target of 500 GW non-fossil fuel capacity.
• The approval amends the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) guidelines dated February 4, 2010 for Maharatna CPSEs.

India and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) signed a Joint Statement in February 2026, officially launching structured negotiations for a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement.

• The GCC is India’s largest trading partner bloc, with bilateral trade reaching USD 178.56 billion in FY 2024–25, accounting for over 15% of India’s global trade.
• Key Indian exports to GCC include engineering goods, textiles, rice, and gems & jewellery, while imports are dominated by crude oil, LNG, petrochemicals, and precious metals.
• The FTA is expected to cover trade in goods, services, investment facilitation, and regulatory cooperation.
• Nearly 10 million Indians reside in GCC countries, further strengthening economic and diaspora linkages.

On February 23, 2026, Rob Arnoldus Adrianus Jetten was sworn in as the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, becoming the youngest person and the first openly gay individual to hold the office.

• Jetten is a member of the Democrats 66 (D66) party and previously served as the country’s Minister for Climate and Energy Policy.
• His appointment follows coalition negotiations after the previous government’s tenure ended, marking a generational shift in Dutch politics.

Rajan Bajaj, founder of fintech platform Slice, has been appointed as the Managing Director and CEO of Slice Small Finance Bank, following regulatory clearance from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

• Slice merged with North East Small Finance Bank in 2024, transitioning into a fully regulated banking entity.
• The bank has raised over USD 250 million from global investors including Tiger Global and Insight Partners.
• The leadership aims to leverage artificial intelligence for personalised banking services and deepen financial inclusion across underserved markets.

The Indian Air Force carried out the full dress rehearsal of Exercise Vayu Shakti-26 at the Pokhran Field Firing Range in Rajasthan.

• The rehearsal showcased day-to-dusk-to-night integrated operations, simulating near-realistic combat conditions across desert terrain.
• Key platforms involved included the Su-30 MKI, MiG-29, Chinook heavy-lift helicopters, transport aircraft, and other assets.
• The main event is scheduled for February 27, 2026.

Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur achieved a historic milestone by becoming the most-capped player in women’s international cricket, completing 356 international matches across all formats.

Known for her aggressive batting and astute captaincy, Kaur has been a defining figure in the growth of women’s cricket in India over the past decade and a half.

A joint expedition from the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM), Uttarkashi, and the Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering & Winter Sports (JIM&WS), Pahalgam, successfully summited Mount Aconcagua on February 22, 2026.

• At 6,961 metres, Aconcagua is the highest peak in South America and the tallest mountain outside Asia.
• The expedition was led by Col Hem Chandra Singh and flagged off by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
• The team endured temperatures plunging to -30°C.