Daily Current Affairs Feb 17, 2026 | Tarique Rahman Sworn in & India-France Partnership
Here is the comprehensive Current Affairs and GK brief for February 17, 2026, prepared for
National & Polity
India–France "Special Global Strategic Partnership": PM Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron held high-level bilateral talks, elevating ties to a "Special Global Strategic Partnership."
Year of Innovation: The leaders jointly inaugurated the 2026 India-France Year of Innovation in Mumbai.
Mumbai Tribute: President Macron paid tribute to the victims of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks at the Taj Mahal Palace hotel.
CBSE Board Exams Begin: The Class 10 and 12 CBSE board exams officially commenced today across India and overseas centers. Over 35 lakh students are expected to appear this year.
J&K Statehood Restoration: Union Law Minister Arjun Meghwal stated in Srinagar that the process to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir will be initiated "soon," following the successful conduct of assembly elections.
PM RAHAT Scheme: The government highlighted the progress of the Road Accident Victim Hospitalization and Assured Treatment (RAHAT) scheme, providing cashless treatment up to ₹1.5 lakh for the first seven days of hospitalization for road accident victims.
Kashmiri Pandits celebrate Herath: PM Modi extended greetings on Herath Poshte, the Kashmiri Pandit version of Maha Shivaratri, which is being celebrated with traditional fervor.
International & Defence
Tarique Rahman Sworn in as Bangladesh PM: Following a landslide victory for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Tarique Rahman was sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Bangladesh in Dhaka.
Indian Presence: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla represented India at the ceremony and extended an official invitation from PM Modi for Rahman to visit India.
Cabinet Formation: A new cabinet of 25 ministers and 24 state ministers also took the oath of office.
Rafale & Safran Engines: Discussions between India and France finalized the roadmap for the Safran engine co-development for India’s 5th-generation AMCA fighter and progress on the 114 Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) deal.
Suicide Attack in Pakistan: At least 11 security personnel and a child were killed in a suicide car bombing by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) at a check post in the Bajaur district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
WHO Polio Vaccine: The WHO pre-qualified a new novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2), a major step toward global polio eradication.
Economy & Tech
AI Impact Summit (Day 2): On the second day of the summit in Delhi, PM Modi set a vision for India to become one of the top three AI superpowers by 2047.
FiMI AI Model: The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) launched 'FiMI', a specialized AI language model for the Indian payments sector.
AI by HER: NITI Aayog launched the "AI by HER" Global Impact Challenge to support women technologists building AI for real-world problems.
Brahmaputra Underwater Tunnel: The Union Cabinet approved India’s first underwater rail-cum-road tunnel beneath the Brahmaputra River in Assam, connecting Gohpur and Numaligarh at a cost of ₹18,662 crore.
Reliance's Venezuelan Oil License: Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) secured a specific license from the US government to purchase crude oil directly from Venezuela despite ongoing sanctions.
Science, Sports & Environment
Annular Solar Eclipse 2026: The first solar eclipse of 2026—an annular "Ring of Fire" eclipse—occurred today. While it was visible in Antarctica and parts of the Southern Hemisphere, it was not visible from India.
Rashid Khan’s Milestone: Afghanistan's Rashid Khan became the first bowler in the history of T20 cricket to reach 700 wickets.
Tiger 'Explorer' Reintroduced: Under Operation Stripes, a tiger named 'Explorer' was successfully reintroduced into the wild at Papikonda National Park, Andhra Pradesh.
Nicobar Mega Project: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) cleared the strategic transshipment port and infrastructure project in the Great Nicobar Island, citing adequate environmental safeguards.
Important Days (February 17)
| Day | Context / Significance |
| Phalguna Amavasya | An important day in the Hindu calendar for ancestral rites and spiritual baths. |
| Herath (Kashmir) | The main festival of Kashmiri Pandits, marking the wedding of Shiva and Parvati. |
| Solar Eclipse Day | The occurrence of the first (Annular) solar eclipse of the year 2026. |
Static GK & Exam Snippets
Brahmaputra River: Known as the Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet and Jamuna in Bangladesh.
nOPV2: A next-generation oral polio vaccine designed to be more genetically stable and less likely to cause vaccine-derived outbreaks.
Tarique Rahman: Chairman of the BNP and the eldest son of former PM Khaleda Zia and late President Ziaur Rahman.
Papikonda National Park: Spread over the Papi Hills in Andhra Pradesh, it is an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA).
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