Current Affairs Quiz 11th February 2026 Quiz

Exp. Kerala Launches NeophyteID for Invasive Plant Detection

Kerala is set to launch “NeophyteID”, an AI-powered mobile application for detecting and managing invasive plant species, with its formal launch scheduled at the Kerala Science Congress.

Developed by researchers at the Malabar Botanical Garden and Institute for Plant Sciences, the app uses artificial intelligence to identify non-native plants (neophytes) from smartphone-captured images, aiding early detection and rapid response.

Powered by the YOLOv11 machine learning model and integrated with geospatial tagging, NeophyteID enables fast, accurate identification and location-based monitoring to protect Kerala’s vulnerable ecosystems.

Exp. Andhra Pradesh Announces Exclusive 30-Acre Women Industrial Park

Andhra Pradesh has announced an exclusive Women Industrial Park spread over 30 acres, dedicated entirely to women-owned and women-managed enterprises, to promote women-led industrial growth.

The state government has signed an MoU with FICCI Ladies Organisation (FICCI-FLO) to provide institutional support, mentorship, skill development, and ecosystem-building for women entrepreneurs.

FICCI-FLO will act as the ecosystem enabler, mobilising women entrepreneurs across manufacturing, services, and technology, while focusing on long-term sustainability and access to markets and finance.

Infrastructure development will be handled by APIIC, aligning the initiative with CM N. Chandrababu Naidu’s “One Family, One Entrepreneur” vision and the broader plan to set up 175 MSME parks across the state.

Exp. Ministry of Statistics Revises Consumer Price Index Base Year to 2024

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has revised the Consumer Price Index base year from 2012 to 2024. This revision reflects the post-pandemic shift in household consumption patterns across India.

India revises CPI base years roughly once every 5–10 years to maintain statistical relevance.

The first CPI 2024 data will be released on 12 February 2026. A linking factor will be provided to maintain continuity with CPI 2012. Initially, both series will coexist to aid smooth policy transition.

Why the CPI matters for India

• The Consumer Price Index measures changes in prices paid by households for goods and services. It is the primary inflation indicator used for macroeconomic decision-making. CPI inflation directly influences interest rates, welfare schemes, and wage adjustments.
• The CPI basket expands from 299 to 358 items. New goods and services reflecting digital and service-oriented consumption are included. This allows more granular tracking of price movements.
• The revision also improves regional and quality-based representation of goods. It captures evolving preferences in transport, health, and lifestyle services.

Exp. Indian teacher wins Global Teacher Prize 2026 at World Government Summit

Indian teacher Rouble Nagi won the Global Teacher Prize 2026, receiving a USD 1 million award at the World Government Summit in Dubai, marking a major global recognition for Indian education.

The award, in its 10th edition, was presented by GEMS Education and handed over by Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

She was honoured for transforming neglected walls into interactive educational murals, teaching literacy, numeracy, public health, and environmental awareness, and has helped over 1 million children enter formal education through art-based learning.

Selected from 5,000+ nominations across 139 countries, Nagi has also

established 800+ educational centres through the Rouble Nagi Art Foundation, benefiting 100+ low-income communities and villages across India.

Exp. India, Canada Finalise Shared Work Plan to Strengthen Security and Law Enforcement Cooperation

India and Canada agreed on a ‘shared work plan’ to strengthen cooperation in national security and law enforcement, with a focus on tackling transnational criminal networks and other common security challenges.

The decision was taken during a meeting between India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Canada’s NSA Nathalie Drouin held in Ottawa.

The shared work plan aims to enable practical and priority-based cooperation, providing a structured framework to enhance bilateral security coordination between the two countries.

Exp. IIT Madras and Unicorn India Ventures Launch ₹600 Crore Deep Tech Fund to Boost IP-Led Startups

IIT Madras Research Park (IITMRP) and Unicorn India Ventures have launched a ₹600 crore deep tech fund, with an additional ₹400 crore greenshoe option, to strengthen India’s innovation and startup ecosystem.

The fund aims to invest in 25+ IP-led, engineering-driven startups across sectors such as robotics, spacetech, defencetech, semiconductors, and medtech, aligned with India’s strategic priorities.

About 60% of the corpus will be used for initial investments and 40% reserved for follow-on funding, ensuring “patient capital” support, with many startups expected to be sourced from the IIT Madras ecosystem.

Exp. Kotak Mahindra Bank Issues India’s First Fully Digital FPI Licence

Kotak Mahindra Bank became the first custodian in India to issue a fully digital FPI (Foreign Portfolio Investor) licence, completing the entire account-opening process through electronic signatures.

The initiative follows SEBI’s operationalisation of a unified digital workflow in January 2026, enabling seamless and paperless onboarding for overseas investors.

The move strengthens Kotak’s digital-first custody and onboarding ecosystem, simplifying and accelerating access to Indian financial markets for foreign investors.

Exp. Ashwini Vaishnaw Launches Qualcomm 2 nm Semiconductor Chip in Bengaluru

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw launched Qualcomm’s 2 nm semiconductor chip in Bengaluru, highlighting India’s growing role in advanced semiconductor design and global engineering operations.

The Minister stated that 10 semiconductor units are under construction, with 4 already starting pilot production, and the first unit expected to begin commercial production soon.

He emphasized the emergence of a strong talent pipeline, with students from remote universities actively designing, taping out, and validating semiconductor chips.

Under India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) 2.0, the focus will shift towards design-led startups, strengthening the semiconductor ecosystem (equipment, chemicals, testing), and deepening the talent base to enhance India’s self-reliance in the sector.

Exp. INS Sudarshini Concludes First Port Call of Lokayan 26 in Oman, Boosting India–Oman Maritime Ties

Indian Navy’s Sail Training Ship INS Sudarshini concluded its first port call of Lokayan 26 at Salalah, Oman, strengthening India–Oman maritime ties.

The port call marked a significant milestone in the ship’s ten-month trans-oceanic voyage, Lokayan 26, aimed at showcasing India’s maritime heritage and the spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (The World is One Family).

INS Sudarshini will now proceed to the next leg of Lokayan 26, continuing to project India’s seafaring legacy, maritime excellence, and goodwill across the oceans.

Exp. AAI Signs MoU with Bharat Taxi to Boost Passenger-Friendly Last-Mile Connectivity at Select Airports

Airports Authority of India (AAI) signed an MoU with Bharat Taxi to introduce regulated, transparent, and passenger-friendly cab services at select airports across India.

The MoU was exchanged by AAI Chairman Vipin Kumar, aiming to improve inclusive last-mile connectivity for air travellers through reliable airport-based transportation.

Bharat Taxi operates on a driver-owned cooperative model, promoted by the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) and supported by leading cooperative institutions.

The initiative aligns with national priorities such as Atmanirbhar Bharat, Sahakar se Samriddhi, and Viksit Bharat 2047, with services proposed at airports including Rajkot, Vadodara, Surat, Bhuj, Pune, Varanasi, Kanpur, Prayagraj, and Agra, among others.

Exp. India Launches iLive Connect, World’s First Doctor-Led AI Healthcare Ecosystem for Real-Time Home Monitoring

India launched iLive Connect, the world’s first doctor-led AI healthcare ecosystem, aimed at providing continuous clinical monitoring and early-intervention care at patients’ homes.

The system integrates AI-powered predictive analytics with real-time oversight by specialised doctors, helping bridge gaps in chronic disease management and post-hospital care, especially in remote areas and for elderly patients.

iLive Connect uses wearable medical-grade biosensors (chest patch and wristband) to track vital parameters such as ECG, heart rate, SpO₂, blood pressure trends, and activity, with real-time data monitored 24/7 at a central medical command centre.

Exp. Transcorp International Secures RBI’s In-Principle Approval for Centralized Payment Systems Participation

Tanscorp International Limited received RBI’s in-principle approval to participate in Centralised Payment Systems (CPS), marking a major boost to its banking and payments infrastructure.

The CPS authorisation enables Transcorp to operate RTGS and NEFT services, maintain a bank account with the RBI, and obtain its own IFSC code, in line with RBI guidelines.

The approval strengthens Transcorp’s RBI-regulated digital payments ecosystem, enhancing operational efficiency, regulatory compliance, and secure technology-driven payment solutions, with the company also having zero outstanding public fixed deposits.

Exp. India Rises to 45th Rank in Network Readiness Index 2025

India improved its rank to 45th in the Network Readiness Index (NRI) 2025, climbing four places from the previous year, as per the report released by the Portulans Institute (Washington DC).

India’s overall score increased from 53.63 (2024) to 54.43 (2025), with the NRI assessing 127 economies across four pillars — Technology, People, Governance, and Impact — based on 53 indicators.

India ranked 1st globally in telecom investment, AI scientific publications, ICT services exports, and e-commerce legislation, while also securing top positions in FTTH subscriptions, mobile broadband traffic, and international internet bandwidth, highlighting its growing digital strength.

Overall Global Ranking (Top 5)

• USA – Score 79.13
• Finland – 75.82
• Singapore – 75.46
• Denmark – 75.14
• Sweden – 75.09

Exp. Yotta and BHASHINI Deploy Sovereign AI Cloud, Showcasing India’s Readiness for Population-Scale AI

Yotta Data Services collaborated with BHASHINI to deploy an end-to-end sovereign AI cloud on Yotta’s Government Community Cloud (GCC) and NVIDIA H100-enabled Shakti Cloud, highlighting India’s readiness for population-scale AI.

With this deployment, BHASHINI now operates entirely on Indian cloud and GPU infrastructure, ensuring data sovereignty by keeping language datasets, AI models, and citizen interactions within India.

The initiative was showcased at the India AI Sovereignty Dialogues and validated through a real-world deployment at Maha Kumbh 2025, where BHASHINI delivered real-time multilingual translation and voice assistance in 11+ Indian languages, bridging language and digital divides.

Exp. 11 February – World Day of the Sick

World Day of the Sick is observed annually on 11 February, aimed at raising awareness about the needs of the sick and the importance of quality healthcare and compassionate care.

The day was instituted by Pope John Paul II in 1992, and it coincides with the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, a site associated with healing.

It recognises the efforts of healthcare workers, caregivers, and volunteers who provide medical and emotional support to patients worldwide.