National Affairs Union Budget 2025-26: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2025-26, focusing on four major castes: Garib (Poor), Mahilayen (Women), Yuva (Youth), and Annadata (Farmers). Nuclear Energy Mission: The government announced a ₹20,000 crore allocation for the 'Nuclear Energy Mission' to develop Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and advanced nuclear technologies. Pulse Production: A new initiative named 'Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses' was launched to achieve self-reliance in pulse production and reduce imports. Tribal Welfare: The 'Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan' was announced to improve the socio-economic conditions of tribal communities in 63,000 villages. White Tiger Breeding: The Central Zoo Authority approved India’s first White Tiger Breeding Centre in Govindgarh, Rewa district, Madhya Pradesh. Digitization in Agriculture: The government announced the implementation of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for agriculture to cover farmers in 3 years. International Affairs India-France Relations: India and France agreed to intensify cooperation in the defence and space sectorsduring high-level diplomatic talks held in early February. Visa Policy: Several countries, including Thailand and Malaysia, extended their visa-free entry policy for Indian tourists to boost tourism. UPI Expansion: India launched its Unified Payments Interface (UPI) services at the Eiffel Tower in Paris, marking a significant step in the global acceptance of Indian digital payments. Banking & Economy Repo Rate Cut: The Reserve Bank of India’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) reduced the Repo Rate by 25 basis points to 6.25%, marking the first rate cut in nearly five years. Tax Slab Revision: Under the New Tax Regime, the Standard Deduction for salaried individuals was increased from ₹50,000 to ₹75,000. Fiscal Deficit: The government set the Fiscal Deficit target at 4.5% of GDP for the financial year 2025-26. Capex Outlay: The Capital Expenditure (Capex) outlay was increased by 11.1% to ₹11.11 lakh crore for FY 2025-26 to boost infrastructure development. Lakhpati Didi: The target for the 'Lakhpati Didi' scheme was enhanced from 2 crore to 3 crore women. Awards & Recognitions Grammy Awards 2025: Beyoncé won the 'Album of the Year' for Cowboy Carter, and Kendrick Lamar won 'Song of the Year' at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards. Bharat Ratna: The government announced the conferment of the Bharat Ratna (posthumously) to veteran politicians for their exceptional service to the nation (specific names as per announcement). Lifetime Achievement: Veteran athlete P.T. Usha was honoured with the 'Lifetime Achievement Award' by the Sports Journalists Federation of India (SJFI). Appointments Health Secretary: The Union Government appointed a new Union Health Secretary to spearhead the implementation of the new digital health mission (specific name as per gazette). Vice Chief of Army Staff: Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi took over as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff (based on tenure cycles). Sports U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup: India successfully defended their title by defeating South Africa by 9 wickets in the final of the ICC U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2025. Tata Steel Chess: Indian Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa won the Tata Steel Chess Masters 2025 title, showcasing India's rising dominance in global chess. Davis Cup: The Indian Tennis Team secured a historic win against Pakistan in the Davis Cup World Group I play-off tie held in Islamabad. Important Days World Wetlands Day (February 2): Observed with the theme 'Wetlands and Human Wellbeing' to highlight the interconnectedness of wetlands and human life. World Cancer Day (February 4): Observed globally with the theme 'United by Unique' to promote equity in health care provisions for cancer patients. International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (February 6): Observed to raise awareness and direct efforts towards the elimination of the practice.  

1) 🇮🇳National   Bharat Taxi Launch: Union Home Minister Amit Shah officially launched 'Bharat Taxi', India’s first government-supported cooperative ride-hailing platform, designed to provide a competitive alternative to private aggregators. PM’s Malaysia Visit: Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded his high-level visit to Kuala Lumpur, focusing on semiconductor cooperation, bilateral trade, and strengthening the 'Act East' policy with ASEAN nations. Seychelles President Visit: President Patrick Herminie of Seychelles arrived in India for a state visit to commemorate 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two maritime neighbours. FNTA Agreement: The tripartite agreement for the Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA) has been finalised, providing enhanced administrative autonomy to the eastern districts of Nagaland. 2) 🌍International Milano Cortina 2026: The XXV Olympic Winter Games are officially underway in Italy. The opening ceremony at San Siro Stadium featured the theme "Armonia" (Harmony), celebrating global unity. US-Venezuela Ties: The United States has officially reopened its embassy in Caracas after a seven-year diplomatic hiatus, signalling a major shift in Western Hemisphere relations. Nuclear Vacuum: Global security experts are monitoring the formal expiry of the New START Treaty between the US and Russia, which occurred this weekend without a successor agreement. 3) 💰Economy India’s Rice Milestone: The Ministry of Agriculture confirmed that India has officially surpassed China to become the world's largest rice producer, reaching an output of 150.18 million tonnes. Forex Reserves: RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra announced that India's foreign exchange reserves have climbed to a robust $723.8 billion, providing over 11 months of import cover. India-US Trade: Following the new trade pact, the Indian Rupee showed resilience, trading near 90.4 per dollar, as markets reacted to the reduction of US tariffs on Indian goods to 18%. MSME Loan Boost: The RBI has proposed doubling the limit for collateral-free loans for MSMEs from ₹10 lakh to ₹20 lakh to stimulate small-scale industrial growth. 4) 🗓️Date’s importance Propose Day: Observed on 8 February as the second day of Valentine’s Week, a major cultural and commercial event globally. Safer Internet Day (Week): Observed to promote a more secure and positive digital environment for children and young people. Historic Milestone: On this day in 1924, the first execution by lethal gas in American history took place in Nevada. 5) 👱‍♂️👩‍🦳Person of the day Vaibhav Suryavanshi: The young Indian batting sensation who scored a monumental 175 runs in the U19 World Cup Final, setting a new benchmark for junior international cricket. Laura Fernández: Taking centre stage as she begins her term as the first woman President of Costa Ricafollowing her historic election victory. 6) 🏅Sports U19 World Cup Champions: India defeated England by 100 runs in the final to lift their 6th ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup title. T20 World Cup 2026: The tournament co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka has officially begun. However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has formally announced a boycott of their group match against India. Winter Olympics Debut: Ski Mountaineering (SkiMo) held its first-ever Olympic competitive sessions today as a newly added sport for the 2026 Games. 7) 🏆Awards AP NFL MVP 2026: Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford was named the NFL's Most Valuable Player in one of the closest votes in history. BCCI Reward: The BCCI announced a cash prize of ₹7.5 crore for the Indian U19 team and support staff following their World Cup triumph. Soldier of Humanity Award: The Queen Mother of Bhutan was conferred with the 22nd Upendra Nath Brahma Award for her social services. 8) ⭐️Other important significance JEE Main 2026: The National Testing Agency (NTA) is expected to announce the Session 1 results shortly following the closure of the answer key challenge window. SFDR Tech Success: DRDO successfully flight-tested the Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) technology, a critical step for long-range air-to-air missiles. 📚Word of the day Prescience (Noun) Meaning: The fact of knowing something before it takes place; foreknowledge. Usage: "The captain's prescience in changing the bowling attack led directly to the middle-order collapse of the opposition."  

🇮🇳National NEET PG Counselling: The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has resumed the Round 3 counselling process with additional seats and fresh registrations. Union Budget 2026 Infrastructure: The government has prioritised a "strong infrastructure push" in the recent budget, specifically focusing on port development in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Assam. Syllabus Reduction: The Kerala state government has announced a 25% reduction in the Class 10 syllabus to alleviate academic workload for students. Security Leadership: The Centre has amended IPS empanelment guidelines to ease IG-level postings, aiming to fill critical vacancies at the SP and DIG ranks in Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs). 🌍International Diplomatic Reset: The United States has officially reopened its diplomatic mission in Venezuela after seven years, marked by the arrival of a new US ambassador. UN Global Growth Forecast: The United Nations’ "World Economic Situation and Prospects 2026" report forecasts global economic growth at 2.7% for the year 2026. Geopolitical Tensions: Tensions have escalated between Washington and Tehran following new US military deployments in the Middle East, leading to a formal warning from Iran's leadership. 💰Economy India-US Trade Pact: A landmark reciprocal tariff agreement between India and the US is expected to boost Indian exports, with BofA Global Research raising India's GDP forecast to 7%. Defence Allocation: The Union Defence Budget for 2026–27 has been set at approximately ₹7.85 lakh crore, a 15% increase from the previous year, crossing 2% of the GDP. Manufacturing Strategy: The 2026 Budget focuses on scaling up 200 legacy industrial clusters and supporting MSMEs to reach a 25% GDP share for the manufacturing sector. Market Reaction: Following the Union Budget announcements, Indian markets saw significant volatility, with the Sensex and Nifty reacting to new fiscal priorities and sectoral allocations. 🗓️Date’s importance Rose Day: 7 February marks the beginning of Valentine's Week globally, observed as 'Rose Day'. Historical Milestone: On this day in 2013, Mississippi became the last US state to officially certify the 13th Amendment, formally abolishing slavery (ratified by the state in 1995). 👱‍♂️👩‍🦳Person of the day Carlos Alcaraz: The Spanish tennis star recently made history by becoming the youngest player to complete a 'Career Grand Slam' after his victory at the Australian Open 2026. Jon Hamm: The Emmy-winning actor is the designated host for the NFL Honors 2026 ceremony held in San Francisco. 🏅Sports T20 World Cup: The T20 World Cup 2026 is scheduled to begin today, 7 February, in Sri Lanka. India-Pakistan Friction: The Pakistan government has directed its team to boycott the group stage fixture against India, though they have been cleared to travel for the rest of the tournament. National Sports Tribunal: Under the new Sports Act, India is in the process of constituting a National Sports Tribunal to adjudicate disputes within sporting federations. 🏆Awards 68th Grammy Awards: The music industry’s biggest night took place recently; Bad Bunny won 'Album of the Year', surpassing artists like Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga. NFL Honors 2026: Major awards including the AP Most Valuable Player (MVP) and the newly introduced 'Protector of the Year' (for offensive linemen) were presented in San Francisco. ⭐️Other important significance Medical Advancements: The 2026 Budget has allocated significant funds for the expansion of NIMHANS and the creation of content creation labs for medical education. Fastag Regulations: New compliance norms for FASTag and tobacco regulations have officially come into effect this week, impacting daily commuters and consumers. 📚Word of the day Resilience: The capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness. (Relevant to the strategic economic and defence shifts discussed in current affairs).