17th February 2026 Daily Current Affairs

17th February 2026 Daily Current Affairs

🇮🇳 NATIONAL NEWS – INDIA

1. Major Government Decisions

PM RAHAT Scheme approved: A new scheme to provide cashless hospitalisation for road accident victims has been approved by the government.

CCEA approves underwater Brahmaputra tunnel: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) cleared India’s first underwater rail-road tunnel under the Brahmaputra in Assam to improve connectivity in the Northeast.

“Manthan” meeting on cooperative reforms chaired to strengthen the cooperative sector.

India hosts first UN SALW training in Asia-Pacific region to build capacity in small arms and light weapons management.

🌍 INTERNATIONAL NEWS

2. Bangladesh Leadership

Tarique Rahman sworn in as Prime Minister of Bangladesh following election victory — marking significant political change in the region.

3. Ukraine Peace Talks

Ukraine-Russia peace talks begin in Geneva.

France released a suspected Russian shadow fleet tanker after imposing a large penalty during diplomatic negotiations.

4. Estonia-India AI Summit Link

The President of Estonia arrived in New Delhi to participate in the India AI Impact Summit 2026, strengthening tech collaboration.

📈 ECONOMY & BUSINESS

5. Monetary & Trade Indicators

Currency in circulation in India hit record ₹40 lakh crore in Jan 2026 — high cash presence in economy.

Trade deficit widened to $34.68 billion (imports > exports).

Unemployment rate climbed to 5% in Jan 2026, rising for the third consecutive month.

6. Exports

India’s sugar exports crossed 2 lakh tonnes in the 2025–26 crop year.

📚 EDUCATION & SOCIETY

7. Board Exams

CBSE Board Exams commenced today (17 Feb 2026) across India.

🛰️ SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

8. Solar Eclipse

An annular solar eclipse occurred on 17 Feb 2026, producing a “ring of fire” effect visible over parts of Antarctica; partial phases were seen in other regions.

🏅 SPORTS & CULTURE

9. Cricket Milestone

Rashid Khan achieved 700 wickets in T20 cricket, a major achievement in franchise and international Twenty20 cricket.

📌 EXAM-RELEVANT POINTS

Focus areas for UPSC / SSC / competitive exams:

Indo-Bangladesh political dynamics

Salw training in the Asia-Pacific

Economic indicators: currency circulation, unemployment, trade gap

Major infrastructure projects (underwater tunnel)

Annular solar eclipse as an astronomical event