Current Affairs – 17.02.2026

🇮🇳 National News & Government Initiatives

Union Government expands Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) integration
- Ministry of Electronics & IT announced expansion of digital public infrastructure to include agriculture supply chain platforms.
- Aim: improve farmer access to credit, insurance, and market prices.
- DPI ecosystem already includes Aadhaar, UPI, DigiLocker and ONDC.
National Green Hydrogen Mission receives fresh investment approvals
- ₹18,000+ crore proposals cleared for green hydrogen manufacturing hubs.
- Target: produce 5 million metric tonnes annually by 2030.
- Expected to generate 6 lakh jobs.
Ministry of Road Transport launches AI-based highway monitoring system
- AI surveillance for accident detection and traffic management on national highways.
- Pilot corridors: Delhi–Mumbai and Bengaluru–Chennai.
PM Gati Shakti portal upgraded
- Integration with state-level infrastructure planning dashboards.
- Aims to reduce logistics cost from 13–14% to below 10% of GDP.

Reserve Bank of India strengthens digital lending compliance norms
- Banks and NBFCs directed to ensure full transparency in loan pricing.
- Mandatory disclosure of APR and recovery practices.
- Enhances borrower protection and fintech regulation.
Public Sector Banks report improved asset quality
- Gross NPAs declined to around 3%, lowest in over a decade.
- Recovery through IBC and improved credit discipline cited as key factors.
India’s retail inflation remains within tolerance band
- CPI inflation hovering near 5%, within RBI’s 2–6% range.
- Food inflation easing due to improved supply.
UPI transactions continue record growth
- Monthly transactions crossed 15 billion, reinforcing India’s global leadership in real-time payments.

G20 Finance Track meetings continue policy coordination
- Focus on debt sustainability, climate financing, and digital financial inclusion.
- Emerging economies emphasize reform of multilateral development banks.
Global energy transition accelerates
- International Energy Agency reports renewable capacity additions at record levels.
- Solar remains fastest-growing power source globally.
India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor discussions progress
- Participating nations exploring logistics integration and trade facilitation.
- Project aims to reduce shipping time between India and Europe.
WHO expands global disease surveillance network
- Initiative to strengthen early detection of pandemics.
- India among key data-sharing partners.

Uttar Pradesh launches rural industrial cluster initiative
- Focus on MSME growth and rural employment.
- Sectors include textiles, food processing and handicrafts.
Tamil Nadu expands EV charging infrastructure
- New fast-charging stations across highways and urban centers.
- Supports state EV adoption targets.

New CEO appointed at Indian Banks’ Association (IBA)
- Strengthening coordination among banks on policy, digital innovation, and customer service reforms.
Senior IPS officer appointed as Director General of Civil Defence
- Focus on disaster preparedness and urban emergency response.

Indian scientist receives international climate innovation award
- Recognized for low-cost carbon capture technology.
- Innovation aimed at industrial emission reduction.
National Startup Awards recognize fintech and agritech innovations
- Winning startups focused on rural credit access and supply chain transparency.

ISRO advances reusable launch vehicle testing
- New landing experiment improves autonomous navigation accuracy.
- Supports long-term cost reduction in space launches.
DRDO tests next-generation anti-drone system
- Designed to detect and neutralize swarm drone threats.
- Enhances critical infrastructure protection.

ICC Men’s Cricket fixtures announced for upcoming international series
- India to host multi-format bilateral series ahead of major tournaments.
National Games 2026 preparations underway
- Infrastructure upgrades and athlete training programs intensified.
Indian badminton players secure podium finishes in international tournament
- Strong performance boosts Olympic qualification rankings.