📰 Daily Current Affairs

📅 26 February 2026 • ✅ 26/2/2026, 4:00:58 pm

1. Cabinet Approves Proposal to Rename Kerala as Keralam

The Union Cabinet approved the official name change following unanimous resolutions by the Kerala Legislative Assembly, which will require amendments to the First and Fourth Schedules of the Constitution.

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2. MHA Releases India's First National Counter-terrorism Policy and Strategy PRAHAAR

The Ministry of Home Affairs introduced a proactive framework based on seven pillars to tackle evolving terror threats through a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, focusing on prevention, response, human rights, and global alignment.

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3. India and France Sign Protocol to Amend Double Taxation Avoidance Convention (DTAC)

The amendment modernizes tax provisions, granting taxing rights for capital gains on share sales to the resident country, introducing a two-tier dividend tax system, and removing the Most-Favoured-Nation (MFN) clause.

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4. India and GCC Sign Joint Statement on India-GCC Free Trade Agreement

India and the Gulf Cooperation Council moved toward a comprehensive FTA focusing on reducing tariffs and improving market access for goods and services, with bilateral trade valued at approximately USD 178.56 billion in FY25.

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5. RBI Establishes Secure Data Centre in Bhubaneswar

The Reserve Bank of India has set up a new high-security data centre in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, designed to enhance the security and resilience of the central bank's digital infrastructure.

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6. ADB Partners with Aavas Financiers to Expand Affordable Housing and MSME Lending

The Asian Development Bank signed a USD 108 million debt financing package to support housing loans for self-built and green-certified homes in India and business loans for MSMEs in underserved states.

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7. Nationwide HPV Vaccination Drive Launched for 14-Year-Old Girls

The Government of India announced a free nationwide Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination drive targeting 14-year-old girls, utilizing the Gardasil vaccine to prevent cervical cancer.

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8. Sachin Tendulkar Appointed as UN Global Road Safety Champion

The legendary cricketer was designated by the UN to promote the Make a Safety Statement campaign, which encourages safe road practices like wearing helmets and seat belts across major Indian cities.

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9. IIT-M Prof. B. Ravindran Appointed to UN International Panel on AI

Prof. Ravindran was selected as one of 40 global experts for the UN Independent International Scientific Panel on AI, which provides independent scientific assessments of AI's societal impact and supports global governance efforts.

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10. 7th Edition of India-Japan Joint Military Exercise 'Dharma Guardian' Commences in Uttarakhand

The Dharma Guardian military exercise between India and Japan commenced at Chaubattia, Uttarakhand, focusing on enhancing interoperability and cooperation between the two nations' armed forces.

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