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Daily Current Affairs 17th February 2026 Daily GK Update
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National News
PM Modi Inaugurates Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu in Assam
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a six-lane bridge over the Brahmaputra River in Assam.
- The bridge is named Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu and cost 3,030 crore.
- It is the 1.24 km-long bridge that connects Guwahati with North Guwahati. It is the first extradosed bridge in the Northeast.
- An extradosed bridge uses external support cables and low towers to increase strength and span length.
India to Establish First National Cow Culture Museum in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh
- India will set up its first National Cow Culture Museum in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, within the campus of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Veterinary Science University.
- The museum aims to present a balanced narrative by highlighting the cultural, agricultural, and economic importance of cattle, going beyond purely religious symbolism and integrating scientific awareness.
- It will showcase the spiritual and practical role of cows, including cattle conservation, sustainable farming practices, use of draught power, organic manure, and the role of dairy in supporting rural livelihoods.
Amazon India Partners with IIT Roorkee to Develop Sustainable Non-Wood Paper Packaging from Agricultural Waste
- Amazon India has partnered with the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee to develop non-wood paper packaging from agricultural waste like wheat straw and bagasse, promoting recyclable and home-compostable materials.
- The 15-month research, led by IIT Roorkee’s Department of Paper and Packaging Technology and INNOPAP Lab, aims to reduce stubble burning, cut reliance on imported wood pulp, and provide additional income to farmers.
Kerala CM Launches ‘Sthree Suraksha’ Scheme Providing ₹1,000 Monthly Pension
- Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan launched the Sthree Suraksha Scheme, providing a monthly pension of ₹1,000 to unemployed women and transwomen in Kerala, with the first payment disbursed to 10,18,042 beneficiaries.
- The scheme targets economically backward women aged 35–60 who are not receiving benefits from other social welfare pension schemes, along with transwomen, aiming to provide financial support and social security.
- Part of Kerala’s broader gender-focused welfare initiatives, the scheme aligns with gender budgeting, women-centric projects, and past initiatives like the pink police wing, reinforcing the government’s commitment to women’s safety and empowerment
About Kerala
- Capital – Thiruvananthapuram
- Chief Minister – Pinarayi Vijayan
- Governor – Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar
- Folk Dance- Kathakali, Ottan Thullal, Mohiniyattam, Kaikottikali
INSA And CSIR-NIScPR Sign MoU To Advance Science Policy Research
- Indian National Science Academy and CSIR-National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research signed an MoU to foster collaboration in science communication and policy research.
- The partnership aims to promote evidence-based Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) policy research to support informed and effective policymaking in India.
Kerala Launches Nawodhan Scheme to Revive Fallow Land and Boost Self-Reliance in Horticulture
- Kerala has launched the Nawodhan Scheme to bring large areas of fallow land back into cultivation and boost self-reliance in agricultural produce, especially fruits and vegetables.
- The scheme promotes modern, high-yield commercial farming through a partnership model where landowners retain ownership, while skilled farmers, investors, agri-startups, and farmer collectives undertake cultivation without any transfer of land rights.
- Nawodhan is a key component of the KERA Project, implemented by the Department of Agriculture Development and Farmers’ Welfare with financial and technical support from the World Bank.
IIT Madras Partners with Finnish Meteorological Institute to Establish ‘VAYYU’ Climate Research Centre
- Indian Institute of Technology Madras has partnered with the Finnish Meteorological Institute to establish VAYYU – a Virtual Research Centre focusing on aerosol–meteorology interactions, Himalayan atmosphere-cryosphere dynamics, and urban air quality.
- The centre will conduct advanced simulations and state-of-the-art observations to study the impact of aerosols on regional hydro-climate, Himalayan snow and glacier melt, and air pollution in Indian megacities.
- The collaboration, formalised through an MoU signed by senior IIT Madras and FMI officials, aims to strengthen Indo-Finnish cooperation in climate science, urban sustainability, and next-generation environmental research.
Banking And Financial News
RBI Slaps Fines on Bank of Maharashtra, DCB Bank, CSB Bank, IIFL Finance and Navi Finserv for Non-Compliance with Norms
- Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed monetary penalties on Bank of Maharashtra (₹32.50 lakh), DCB Bank (₹29.60 lakh), and CSB Bank (₹63.60 lakh) for non-compliance with regulatory directions.
- The RBI also fined Navi Finserv (₹3.80 lakh) and IIFL Finance (₹5.30 lakh) for regulatory lapses related to customer communication, asset classification, and recovery practices.
- The penalties were imposed for violations such as failure to report Self Help Group data, non-adherence to loan-to-value norms in gold loans, improper arrangements with business correspondents, non-disclosure of charges, incorrect NPA classification, and recovery calls at odd hours.
NPCI Extends ‘UPI One World’ Wallet to International Delegates at India AI Impact Summit 2026
- National Payments Corporation of India has extended its UPI One World wallet to international delegates attending the India AI Impact Summit 2026, enabling UPI payments without an Indian mobile number or bank account.
- The pilot is available to delegates from 40+ countries participating in the summit held in New Delhi from 16–20 February, allowing real-time P2M payments by scanning UPI QR codes during their stay.
- The wallet is issued via authorised PPI issuers at New Delhi International Airport and the NPCI Pavilion at Bharat Mandapam; users register through the Transcorp-powered CheqUPI app using passport/visa verification and a UPI PIN.
- Wallets can be loaded using international cards with limits of ₹25,000 per transaction and ₹50,000 per month; unused balances are refundable per forex rules, amid strong UPI growth.
DBS Bank Becomes First in Asia-Pacific to Pilot Visa Intelligent Commerce for AI-Driven Payments
- DBS Bank became the first issuer in the Asia-Pacific region to pilot Visa Intelligent Commerce, in collaboration with Visa, marking a key step toward agent-initiated, AI-driven digital payments.
- The pilot validates AI-ready card credentials, authentication systems, and payment signals, ensuring secure, consent-based transactions executed by artificial intelligence agents within issuer-controlled safeguards.
- During trials, DBS and Visa successfully enabled real-world food and beverage transactions using DBS and POSB cards; the initiative will now expand to online shopping, travel bookings, and other digital services.
Appointment News
GAIL (India) Limited Appoints Deepak Gupta as New CMD
- GAIL (India) Limited appointed Deepak Gupta as its new Chairman and Managing Director (CMD); he will assume charge on or after 1 March 2026 and serve till 28 February 2029.
- He will succeed Sandeep Kumar Gupta, who is set to retire on 28 February 2026.
- The appointment was approved by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
About GAIL (India) Limited
- GAIL (India) Limited serves as India’s leading natural gas processing and transmission company, a Maharatna public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
- Established- 1984
- Headquarters- New Delhi
Reserve Bank of India Approves Rajan Bajaj as MD & CEO of Slice Small Finance Bank
- The Reserve Bank of India approved the appointment of Rajan Bajaj as Managing Director & CEO of Slice Small Finance Bank, following approval from the bank’s board and shareholders.
- Slice had acquired North East Small Finance Bank in 2023 and later merged it to form Slice Small Finance Bank, marking its transition from a fintech startup to a licensed deposit-taking bank.
Awards News
Oil India Limited Bags FIPI Award 2025 as ‘Oil & Gas Production Company of the Year’
- Oil India Limited (OIL) has been awarded the FIPI Award 2025 by the Federation of Indian Petroleum Industry as ‘Oil & Gas Production Company of the Year’ in the category of more than 1 MTOE.
- The award recognises OIL’s strong performance in boosting domestic oil and gas production, improving operational excellence, and contributing to India’s goal of a secure and self-reliant energy sector.
Science and Tech News
Dayananda Sagar University Partners with NVIDIA to Launch India’s First AI-First Factory with ₹175 Crore Investment
- Dayananda Sagar University has signed an MoU with NVIDIA to establish India’s first AI-first factory with an investment exceeding ₹175 crore.
- The AI factory will feature 20 NVIDIA DGX B200 (Blackwell) supercomputing clusters, enabling large-scale AI model training and inference.
- The initiative aims to bridge gaps in AI infrastructure, reduce dependence on foreign AI models, promote domestic supercomputing technologies, and align academic training with industry requirements.
Union Minister Jitin Prasada inaugurates STQC Lab Automation Portal, SATYA
- Jitin Prasada, Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, inaugurated the Standardisation Testing and Quality Certification (STQC) Lab Automation Portal – SATYA, bringing STQC services onto a single, integrated, and user-friendly digital platform.
- The Standardisation Testing and Quality Certification (STQC) Directorate ensures the quality, security, and reliability of electronic and IT products and services, and the SATYA Portal will benefit citizens, industry, startups, MSMEs, and government departments.
- The SATYA Portal aims to enhance ease, transparency, accountability, cybersecurity, and data protection, strengthening citizen-centric digital governance and supporting India’s growth as a trusted global technology and manufacturing hub.
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