Kerala renamed Keralam; PRAHAAR counter-terror policy released; Manipur gets new CM
Union Cabinet approves Kerala → Keralam
On 24 February 2026, the Union Cabinet approved the proposal from the Government of Kerala to rename the state as “Keralam” — restoring its authentic Malayalam name. The change requires an amendment to the First Schedule of the Constitution (which lists state names) under the procedure set out in Article 3. Kerala’s Legislative Assembly had earlier passed a resolution requesting the rename, arguing that “Kerala” is a British anglicisation while “Keralam” correctly represents the state’s linguistic identity. Parliament must pass a bill after receiving the state’s views, though the state’s opinion is not binding on Parliament.
Under Article 3, Parliament may alter the name, area, or boundaries of any state. The President must refer such a bill to the concerned state legislature for its views — but Parliament is not obligated to accept those views before passing the bill.
PRAHAAR — India’s first public national counter-terrorism framework
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) released PRAHAAR on 23 February 2026 — India’s first comprehensive, publicly declared national counter-terrorism strategy. The seven-dimensional acronym covers: Prevention · Rapid Response · Aggregating capacities · Human rights processes · Attenuation of root causes · Aligning international efforts · Resilience. The policy commits India to a whole-of-government approach, advanced surveillance investment, inter-agency coordination, and community engagement to counter radicalisation, while explicitly rejecting the linking of terrorism with any religion or ethnicity.
Yumnam Khemchand Singh sworn in as Manipur CM; UGC flags 32 fake universities
Yumnam Khemchand Singh was sworn in as Manipur Chief Minister on 4 February 2026, ending over a year of President’s Rule. Separately, the University Grants Commission (UGC) published a list of 32 fake universities operating illegally across India — with Uttar Pradesh housing the highest number — warning students that degrees from such institutions have no legal validity.
Union Budget 2026–27: ₹12.2 lakh crore capex; India-USA trade pact; new GDP base year
Union Budget 2026–27 — record infrastructure push
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2026–27 on 1 February 2026. Total expenditure stands at ₹53,47,315 crore (up 7.7%). Fiscal deficit target: 4.3% of GDP. Capital expenditure reaches a record ₹12.2 lakh crore. Key announcements: Startup India Fund of Funds 2.0 (₹10,000 cr corpus); SME Growth Fund (₹10,000 cr); Semiconductor Mission 2.0; dedicated Rare Earth Corridors in Odisha, Kerala, AP and Tamil Nadu; and ₹20,000 crore over five years for Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) — a first. The landmark Income Tax Act 2025 (replacing the 1961 Act) comes into force from 1 April 2026.
The Budget allocates ₹20,000 crore for CCUS infrastructure — the first such budgetary commitment in India’s history — signalling a structural shift in India’s climate strategy ahead of its 2070 Net Zero deadline.
India-USA interim trade agreement — tariff cut to 18%
India and the United States announced a framework for an interim trade agreement on 2 February 2026. The deal reduces US reciprocal tariffs on Indian exports to 18% — down from the threatened 26%. India agreed to eliminate or reduce tariffs on US industrial goods and select agricultural products. Indian textiles, pharmaceuticals, and engineering goods are the primary beneficiaries. A US Supreme Court ruling on 20 February 2026 held broad reciprocal tariffs legally invalid, though the US administration subsequently re-imposed them, creating ongoing uncertainty.
RBI repo rate at 5.25%; GDP base year revised; India-GCC FTA Terms of Reference signed
The RBI MPC kept the repo rate unchanged at 5.25% (neutral stance). SDF rate: 5.00%; MSF rate: 5.50%. MoSPI revised the base year for GDP and IIP from 2011–12 to 2022–23. India and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) signed Terms of Reference for a proposed India-GCC Free Trade Agreement; bilateral trade stands at approximately USD 179 billion (about 15% of India’s global trade). A CBDC-based Digital Food Currency pilot was launched in Puducherry under PMGKAY — enabling programmable food subsidy transfers via retail CBDC tokens.
President Murmu flies LCH Prachand; Rail Tech Policy; Brahmaputra waterway projects
President Murmu’s sortie in indigenous LCH Prachand
President Droupadi Murmu completed a 25-minute sortie aboard the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) Prachand at Air Force Station Jaisalmer on 27 February 2026. The LCH Prachand is India’s first indigenously designed dedicated combat helicopter, manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). It is a high-altitude multirole attack helicopter capable of operating at Siachen Glacier-level elevations exceeding 5,000 metres, where most conventional helicopters cannot perform effectively due to thin air. It can conduct air-to-air combat, anti-armour missions, and counter-insurgency operations — giving India a strategic edge in the Himalayan theatre of operations.
The Prachand is one of very few attack helicopters in the world specifically optimised for combat at extreme altitudes. Its ability to operate above 5,000 metres makes it a unique strategic asset for India’s mountain warfare requirements against both China and Pakistan borders.
Rail Tech Policy, e-RCT portal, and Army-Railways job pathways
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw launched India’s first Rail Technology Policy and the e-RCT (Electronic Rail Committee on Technology) portal on 27 February 2026 — aimed at modernising railways’ technology procurement and prioritising domestic manufacturing. On the same date, a landmark policy was announced: Indian Railways and the Indian Army will open structured post-retirement employment pathways for each other’s personnel, addressing manpower gaps in both organisations through cross-sector talent sharing. Three major Brahmaputra waterway infrastructure projects were also inaugurated at Dibrugarh, Assam on 28 February 2026, expanding capacity on National Waterway 2 (NW-2).
Blockchain India Challenge; India’s first State Innovation Mission in Tripura; Micron ATMP plant
Blockchain India Challenge — ₹8.8 crore prize pool
MeitY launched the Blockchain India Challenge in February 2026 — a startup-driven competition implemented by C-DAC Hyderabad with a total prize pool of ₹8.80 crore. The challenge runs across three stages: Prototype, MVP (Minimum Viable Product), and Commercialisation. MeitY simultaneously constituted a high-level committee chaired by former Secretary Ajay Sawhney to harmonise the regulatory framework for DigiLocker, addressing legal gaps around document storage, sharing, and cross-platform validation.
India’s 1st State Innovation Mission in Tripura; Micron semiconductor plant in Sanand
Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh launched India’s first State Innovation Mission (SIM) at the Hapania International Exhibition Centre, Agartala, under Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) 2.0 of NITI Aayog — building inclusive innovation ecosystems at the state level. Tripura CM Dr. Manik Saha co-launched T-NEST (Tripura: Nurturing Entrepreneurship and Startups) and India’s first District Innovator Fellowship (DIF) at the event. PM Modi separately inaugurated Micron Technology’s ATMP (Assembly, Testing, Marking and Packaging) semiconductor facility in Sanand, Gujarat — a milestone in India’s push for chip self-sufficiency. The India AI Impact Summit 2026 (New Delhi, 16–20 Feb) saw the launch of government AI programmes SAHI and BODH. FASTag became mandatory at all national highway toll plazas from 1 April 2026 (policy announced February 2026).
India-Israel “Special Strategic Partnership”; 17 pacts; Villages of Excellence; India-Nepal MoU
PM Modi’s Israel visit — ties upgraded to Special Strategic Partnership
PM Narendra Modi’s state visit to Israel in February 2026 elevated bilateral ties to a “Special Strategic Partnership for Peace, Innovation and Prosperity” — a significant upgrade from the “Strategic Partnership” established during Modi’s historic 2017 visit (the first-ever standalone visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Israel). A total of 17 bilateral pacts were signed, covering artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, cybersecurity, critical minerals, defence co-development, water technology, and agriculture. Both nations committed to accelerating the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), with Israel positioned as a key Mediterranean transit point for Indian goods entering European markets.
India and Israel established full diplomatic relations only in 1992. Modi’s 2017 visit was India’s first bilateral visit to Israel at the Prime Ministerial level. The 2026 designation as “Special Strategic Partnership” places Israel alongside the highest tier of India’s bilateral relationships globally.
Villages of Excellence; India-Nepal MoU on environment; India-Canada thaw
PM Modi and Israeli PM announced the Villages of Excellence initiative — expanding the Indo-Israel Agriculture Project (IIAP) framework to target 100 Centres of Excellence (CoEs) across India, bringing Israeli precision agriculture, drip irrigation, and protected cultivation technologies directly to village farming clusters. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) signed an MoU with Nepal on 25 February 2026 covering forests, wildlife, biodiversity, and climate change cooperation. After two years of severely strained ties following the 2023 Nijjar assassination controversy, India-Canada relations showed early signs of recovery in February 2026, with both sides indicating willingness to restore full high commission operations.
NGT clears Great Nicobar project; India’s first Carbon Trading Programme; NHAI BeeCorridors
NGT approves ₹81,000 crore Great Nicobar Island project with conditions
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) granted conditional clearance in February 2026 to the ₹81,000 crore Great Nicobar Island development project, which envisions a trans-shipment port, international airport, township, and free trade zone on India’s southernmost inhabited island. Conditions include restoration of 15,000 hectares of forest per hectare cleared, zero-discharge norms for the port, and an independent wildlife monitoring panel. The project has been deeply controversial due to its location in a biodiversity-rich, seismically sensitive zone — home to critically endangered Leatherback Sea Turtle nesting beaches and the Shompen tribe, a particularly vulnerable tribal group.
The Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) is the largest living turtle and is critically endangered globally. Great Nicobar Island hosts one of the world’s most significant nesting beaches for this species. Conservation groups had filed multiple petitions challenging the project before the NGT.
India announces first Carbon Trading Programme; NHAI BeeCorridors; Rajasthan #1 in RE
The Government of India announced on 25 February 2026 the launch of India’s first comprehensive Carbon Trading Programme — a cap-and-trade market mechanism allowing industrial units to buy and sell carbon credits, incentivising clean energy investment and penalising heavy emitters. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) unveiled the BeeCorridors initiative — planting native flowering plants in highway medians and embankments to create pollinator-friendly habitats and support honeybee populations displaced by infrastructure. Government data confirmed Rajasthan as India’s top renewable energy state with a 16.5% share of national RE output, led by solar and wind installations in the Thar Desert belt.
India wins ICC T20 World Cup 2026 — record 3rd title, first to defend; Sanju Samson is Player of the Tournament
T20 World Cup 2026 — a historic treble for Indian cricket
The 10th ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka (7 February – 8 March 2026), produced an extraordinary outcome. India, led by captain Suryakumar Yadav and coach Gautam Gambhir, defeated New Zealand by 96 runs in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. The victory created three simultaneous world records: India became the first team to win three T20 World Cup titles (2007, 2024, 2026); the first team to successfully defend the T20 World Cup; and the first team to win the T20 World Cup on home soil. Twenty nations competed across 55 matches at five Indian and three Sri Lankan venues. Bangladesh withdrew; Scotland replaced them per ICC regulations.
The BCCI announced a cash reward of ₹131 crore for the victorious Indian squad. The total tournament prize pool was USD 11.25 million, of which India received approximately USD 2.64 million (₹21.9 crore) as winners. Runners-up New Zealand received USD 1.42 million.
Individual awards, records and rankings
Sanju Samson — Player of the Tournament — scored 321 runs at an average of 80.25 and a strike rate of 199.37. Jasprit Bumrah was Player of the Final (4/15) and the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with 14 wickets. Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan was the tournament’s highest run-scorer with 383 runs. New Zealand’s Finn Allen set the record for the fastest century at a Men’s T20 World Cup — 33 balls — against South Africa in the semi-final. Post-tournament ICC T20I rankings saw Abhishek Sharma hold the No. 1 batter position, while Rashid Khan reclaimed the No. 1 bowler ranking from Varun Chakravarthy.
Nationwide HPV vaccination drive; ESIC Platinum Jubilee; ESIC-Ayushman Bharat integration
PM Modi launches nationwide HPV vaccination from Ajmer
PM Narendra Modi launched India’s nationwide HPV (Human Papillomavirus) vaccination drive from Ajmer, Rajasthan on 28 February 2026. The campaign targets adolescent girls aged 9–14 years across India against HPV strains responsible for cervical cancer — India’s second most common cancer in women. The drive uses Cervavac — India’s own indigenously developed HPV vaccine, produced by the Serum Institute of India in collaboration with the Department of Biotechnology (DBT). Delivery is through school immunisation programmes and ASHA workers. India accounts for nearly one-fifth of global cervical cancer deaths, making this one of the most significant preventive public health interventions in recent years.
ESIC Platinum Jubilee and integration with Ayushman Bharat
The Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) began its 75th Foundation Year (Platinum Jubilee) celebrations on 24 February 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, addressed by Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya. ESIC was established in 1952 under the ESI Act 1948 and functions under the Ministry of Labour and Employment. A commemorative ₹75 coin and a coffee table book “ESIC@75” were released; the Swasthya Rath (mobile health outreach vehicle) was launched. ESIC signed an MoU with the National Health Authority (NHA) to integrate the ESI Scheme with Ayushman Bharat – PM-JAY — enabling cross-utilisation of healthcare infrastructure between India’s two largest government health programmes. A separate MoU was signed with NABL to enhance quality standards across ESIC hospitals.
India youth 60th in global mental health; NSIC upgraded to Schedule A; Lutyens statue replaced at Rashtrapati Bhavan
India’s youth rank 60th in global mental health — Sapien Labs report
A Sapien Labs (USA) report released in February 2026 found India’s young adults (aged 18–34) rank 60th out of 84 countries surveyed, with a Mind Health Quotient (MHQ) score of 33, well below the global average of 66. Interestingly, Indians aged 55+ fared far better — ranked 49th globally with an MHQ score of 96 — highlighting a stark generational divide. The youth mental health crisis is attributed to academic pressures, social media exposure, economic uncertainty, and limited access to professional mental health services in India.
NSIC upgraded; Lutyens statue replaced by Rajaji; Vande Mataram protocols
The Ministry of MSME upgraded the National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) from a Schedule B to Schedule A Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE), reflecting its improved financial performance and strategic role in India’s MSME ecosystem. On 23 February 2026, the government announced that the statue of British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens at Rashtrapati Bhavan will be replaced by a statue of C. Rajagopalachari (Rajaji) — India’s last Governor-General and a key figure of the freedom movement — as part of India’s broader initiative to decolonise public spaces. The Ministry of Home Affairs also issued an official circular specifying protocols for the singing and playing of Vande Mataram (India’s National Song) at public and official events.
BCCI Naman Awards 2026; Ol Chiki centenary; Constitution in Tamil & Gujarati; Nitin Nabin as BJP President
BCCI Naman Awards 2026 — five ICC champions honoured
The BCCI Naman Awards 2026 honoured all five Indian cricket teams that won ICC titles in the recent cycle — a first in Indian cricket history. Individual awards: Shubman Gill — Polly Umrigar Award for Best International Cricketer (Men); Smriti Mandhana — Best International Cricketer (Women); Rahul Dravid, Roger Binny, and Mithali Raj — Lifetime Achievement Awards. President Droupadi Murmu flagged off the Ol Chiki 100-year (centenary) celebrations. Ol Chiki is the script for Santali — a language recognised under the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution — invented by Pandit Raghunath Murmu in 1925. Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar launched Tamil and Gujarati versions of the Constitution of India on 23 February 2026 as part of the constitutional literacy mission. Nitin Nabin, a senior Bihar BJP leader, was elected National President of the BJP in February 2026.
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