Daily Current Affairs and GK Updates (16th February 2026)

National News

From Seva Teerth, PM Modi Announces PM RAHAT for Accident Victims

• Approved by the Cabinet under Narendra Modi on February 14, 2026, PM RAHAT (Road Accident Victim Hospitalization and Assured Treatment) guarantees ₹1.5 lakh cashless treatment for seven days to road accident victims, ensuring no one is denied life-saving care due to lack of funds.
• Integrated with ERSS 112, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways’ eDAR platform, and the National Health Authority’s TMS 2.0, the scheme enables swift admission, digital police authentication, and seamless hospital reimbursement.
• Stabilization care covers up to 24 hours for non-life-threatening and 48 hours for critical cases, supporting Golden Hour treatment nationwide.
• Funded through the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund, it ensures timely claim settlement and structured emergency coordination.

Union Cabinet Approves ₹10,000 Crore Startup India Fund of Funds 2.0

• The Union Cabinet chaired by Narendra Modi has approved the ₹10,000 crore Startup India Fund of Funds 2.0 (FoF 2.0) to strengthen India’s startup ecosystem by channeling long-term capital through Alternative Investment Funds into deep tech, innovative manufacturing, and early-growth sectors.
• Building on the success of the 2016 Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS 1.0), which supported over 1,370 startups, the new phase aims to expand venture capital access, reduce high-risk funding gaps, and promote innovation beyond metro cities.
• Aligned with the Viksit Bharat @ 2047 vision, the initiative seeks to boost manufacturing, create quality jobs, and enhance India’s global competitiveness.

Cabinet Clears Mega Urban Challenge Fund with 50% Market Finance Mandate

• The Union Cabinet chaired by Narendra Modi has approved a ₹1 lakh crore Urban Challenge Fund (UCF) to transform India’s urban development through reform-driven, market-linked financing.
• Operating from FY 2025-26, the Centre will provide 25% Central Assistance while at least 50% must come from market sources such as municipal bonds and PPPs, aiming to mobilize ₹4 lakh crore over five years.
• A ₹5,000 crore corpus and a Credit Repayment Guarantee Scheme will strengthen the creditworthiness of 4,223 cities, especially smaller and Tier-II/III ULBs.
• Projects will be selected competitively, linked to reforms, KPIs, and digital monitoring under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

Why Is India Building an Underground Railway in the Chicken’s Neck? Big Strategic Move Explained

• India has announced a 35.76-km underground railway line through the Siliguri Corridor (Chicken’s Neck) to strengthen connectivity to the North-eastern States, enhance defence logistics, and improve disaster resilience.
• The route, from Tinmile Hat via Rangapani to Bagdogra, passes through Darjeeling, Uttar Dinajpur, and Kishanganj, using advanced tunnel technology for secure and uninterrupted operations.
• Strategically located near Bagdogra Air Force Station and Bengdubi Army Cantonment, the underground alignment reduces vulnerability to natural disasters, congestion, and security threats while enabling smooth movement of passengers, military personnel, and relief materials.
• It ensures resilient, protected rail connectivity in India’s narrow land link to the Northeast.

North & South Blocks to Become ‘Yuge Yugeen Bharat’ National Museum!

• The Union Cabinet has approved converting North Block and South Block into part of the proposed Yuge Yugeen Bharat National Museum, following Narendra Modi’s dedication of the new Prime Minister’s Office, Seva Teerth.
• Ending nearly 95 years of administrative use, South Block witnessed historic decisions from Partition to GST and Article 370 abrogation.
• The museum will celebrate India’s civilisational legacy, connecting ancient heritage, freedom struggle, post-independence nation-building, and modern aspirations.
• The shift to Seva Teerth and Kartavya Bhavans reflects a move from colonial power symbols to technology-enabled, citizen-centric governance, emphasizing service, efficiency, and integrated modern administration.

State News

Assam Gets Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu, Northeast’s First Emergency Landing Facility

• Narendra Modi inaugurated major infrastructure projects worth over ₹5,450 crore in Assam, including the 2.86-km six-lane Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu over the Brahmaputra River in Guwahati and the Northeast’s first Highway Emergency Landing Facility on the Moran Bypass in Dibrugarh.
• Built at ₹3,030 crore, the Setu is the region’s first extradosed PSC bridge, cutting travel time to seven minutes and featuring advanced monitoring systems.
• The 4.2-km ELF, developed with the Indian Air Force, supports fighter and transport aircraft operations, enhancing strategic preparedness, disaster response, and regional connectivity near the India–China border.

Game-Changer Project: Road-Rail Tunnel Approved Under This River

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Narendra Modi approved a ₹18,662 crore 33.7-km 4-lane greenfield corridor in Assam, featuring a 15.79-km twin-tube TBM underwater road-cum-rail tunnel under the Brahmaputra River.
• Connecting Gohpur (NH-15) to Numaligarh (NH-715), the project will cut travel time, bypass ecologically sensitive zones like Kaziranga, and integrate road and rail networks.
• Designed for multi-modal connectivity across economic, social, tourist, logistic nodes, airports, and waterways, it will boost regional trade, tourism, defence mobility, and generate around 80 lakh person-days of employment, marking India’s first underwater road-cum-rail tunnel and the world’s second.

Digital PDS Launched Under ‘Minimum Government, Maximum Governance

• Amit Shah launched a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC)-based Public Distribution System (PDS) in Gandhinagar, modernizing India’s food security mechanism.
• Using CBDC for secure transactions, the system integrates with Digital India infrastructure to deliver 5 kg of free food grains per person, eliminate leakages and fraud, and ensure real-time tracking.
• The initiative leverages ‘Annapurna’ dispensing machines for efficiency and expands nationwide over 3-4 years.
• Building on Direct Benefit Transfer and digital financial inclusion, the reform strengthens food security for nearly 80 crore citizens, providing transparent, accountable, and citizen-centric ration distribution in line with Narendra Modi’s vision of “Minimum Government, Maximum Governance.”

International News

India’s Passport Climbs 10 Ranks in 2026 – But Why Did Visa-Free Access Drop?

• India’s passport has risen 10 places in the Henley & Partners Henley Passport Index 2026, moving from 85th in 2025 to 75th in 2026, despite a net drop in visa-free destinations from 57 to 56.
• Indian citizens lost visa-free access to Iran and Bolivia, while The Gambia was added, partially offsetting the loss.
• The index ranks passports based on visa-free, visa-on-arrival, and ETA access, and is relative India’s rank improved because other countries lost more mobility options.
• Currently, Indian passport holders can access 56 destinations without prior visa approval, with the improvement reflecting better relative mobility rather than an absolute increase in visa-free travel.

Economy News

India’s WPI Inflation Climbs to 1.81% in January, Hits 10-Month High

• India’s Wholesale Price Index (WPI) inflation rose to 1.81% in January 2026, a 10-month high and the third straight monthly increase, driven mainly by higher prices of food articles, non-food items, and manufactured products.
• WPI, released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, measures producer-level price changes across primary articles, fuel & power, and manufactured goods.
• Food inflation turned positive at 1.55%, with vegetable prices rebounding sharply, while manufacturing inflation climbed to 2.86% due to rising costs in basic metals, textiles, food products, and electrical equipment.
• Meanwhile, retail inflation (CPI) remained moderate at 2.75%, highlighting a divergence between wholesale and consumer price trends.

Schemes News

2 Years of PM Surya Ghar Scheme: Rooftop Solar Boom or Bottlenecks?

• The PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana has completed two years, advancing India’s rooftop solar push with a ₹75,021 crore outlay targeting one crore households.
• The scheme offers subsidies up to ₹78,000 for a 3 kW system and up to 300 units of free electricity per month, reducing bills while promoting clean energy adoption.
• Residential installations have surged from about 8,000 per month in 2021 to nearly 2 lakh per month in 2026, reflecting strong demand and policy support.
• By decentralizing power generation and improving affordability, the initiative strengthens India’s renewable energy transition, though implementation and infrastructure challenges remain.

Summits & Conferences News

India To Hosts First-Ever Global South AI Impact Summit 2026

• The AI Impact Summit 2026 has commenced at Bharat Mandapam, marking the first global AI summit hosted in the Global South.
• Leaders including Emmanuel Macron, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Pedro Sánchez, Guy Parmelin, Dick Schoof, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Navinchandra Ramgoolam, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Tshering Tobgay and others are participating alongside UN representatives.
• Built around three “Sutras” — People, Planet and Progress — and seven thematic “Chakras,” the five-day summit aims to shape inclusive, sustainable and innovation-driven global AI governance.

Science & Technology News

One of the Largest Raptors on Earth: The Philippine Eagle

• The Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi), often called the “monkey-eating bird,” is one of the world’s largest and rarest raptors, with fewer than 500 mature individuals remaining in the wild.
• Standing up to 1 metre tall with a wingspan of 1.9 metres, it is an apex predator feeding on monkeys, flying squirrels, civets, bats, and reptiles, maintaining ecological balance in Philippine dipterocarp forests.
• Habitat loss, hunting, and forest fragmentation threaten its survival, while a slow breeding cycle one egg every two years and sexual maturity at seven—limits population recovery.
• Conservation efforts include legal protection, habitat preservation, and captive breeding, but the species remains Critically Endangered.

Sports News

Brazil Creates History! Lucas Pinheiro Braathen Wins First-Ever Winter Olympics Medal

• At the Winter Olympics 2026, Brazil won its first-ever Winter Games medal as skier Lucas Pinheiro Braathen clinched gold in the giant slalom.
• The 25-year-old completed the Stelvio course in 2 minutes 25 seconds, beating Switzerland’s defending champion Marco Odermatt by 0.58 seconds.
• Giant slalom, an alpine skiing event, challenges athletes with high-speed technical turns and combined timed runs.
• Braathen’s victory marks Brazil and South America’s historic entry into Winter Olympics medal history. Meanwhile, Norway leads the overall medal tally with 20 medals (10 gold), followed by Italy with 18 and the United States with 17.

Magnus Carlsen Crowned 2026 FIDE Freestyle World Champion

• Magnus Carlsen has won the 2026 FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship, defeating Fabiano Caruana 2.5–1.5 in the final at Weissenhaus.
• A draw in Game 4 secured the title, marking Carlsen’s 21st world crown and his first official FIDE-recognized Freestyle (Chess960) title.
• The turning point came in Game 3, where Carlsen staged a dramatic comeback from a near-lost position as Caruana faltered under time pressure.
• Freestyle Chess randomizes the back-rank setup, reducing opening preparation and emphasizing creativity.
• Both finalists qualified for the 2027 edition, with notable performances from Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Hans Niemann, and Levon Aronian in other placements.

Obituaries News

The ‘Grandfather of the Internet’ Is Gone – How David J. Farber Helped Build the Digital World

• David J. Farber, known as the “Grandfather of the Internet,” passed away on February 7 in Tokyo at 91.
• A pioneering networking researcher and mentor, he guided future internet architects like Jonathan Postel and Paul Mockapetris, shaping foundational elements of Internet Protocol and the Domain Name System.
• Farber contributed to the growth of ARPANET and co-authored visionary work with Paul Baran predicting the convergence of computing and communications.
• A professor at leading universities and former FCC chief technologist, Farber championed open networks, digital rights, and human-centered internet governance throughout his career.

Legendary Odia Singer Geeta Patnaik Passes Away at 73

• Veteran Odia playback singer Geeta Patnaik passed away on February 15, 2026, in Cuttack at the age of 73 following a brain stroke.
• A celebrated voice of Odisha’s golden era of music, she made immense contributions to Odia films, devotional songs, and modern albums, earning a lasting place in the state’s cultural history.
• She was widely known for timeless songs like Phur Kina Udigala Bani from the film Jajabar and for her collaborations with legendary singer Akshaya Mohanty.
• Her melodious, classically grounded voice defined generations of Odia music lovers.

15-16 February 2026 Current Affairs | Current Affairs Today | Daily Current Affairs By Ashish Gautam