Saturday, 28 February 2026
Kerala PSC Current Affairs — February 2026 Monthly Compilation
Comprehensive monthly roundup of current affairs for February 2026, curated for Kerala PSC aspirants. Covers the Union Budget, Kerala developments, international events, science, sports, and appointments.
Union Budget 2026-27 — Key Highlights
1. Budget Presented on 1 February 2026
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2026-27 in Parliament on 1 February — her 8th consecutive budget.
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total Expenditure | Approx. ₹50 lakh crore (est.) |
| Fiscal Deficit Target | 4.4% of GDP (continuing glide path to below 4.5%) |
| Capital Expenditure | Enhanced infrastructure capex allocation |
| Income Tax | Revised tax slabs under new regime; rebate raised |
| Agriculture | PM-KISAN enhanced; crop insurance expanded |
| Defence | Allocation crossed ₹6.5 lakh crore |
2. Key Budget Schemes and Announcements
| Sector | Key Announcement |
|---|---|
| Employment | Employment-Linked Incentive (ELI) scheme for first-time formal workers |
| Education | ₹1.5 lakh crore for education and skilling sector |
| Healthcare | Ayushman Bharat expanded to cover age 70+ universally |
| Infrastructure | 25,000 km new highway target; metro expansion in Tier-2 cities |
| Digital India | PM Digital Health Mission allocated ₹3,000 crore |
| MSME | Credit guarantee extended; turnover limit raised for Mudra loans |
| Green Energy | Viability gap funding for offshore wind; rooftop solar Phase-II |
3. Income Tax Changes (New Regime)
- No tax up to ₹12 lakh income (effectively, with rebate under Section 87A).
- Standard deduction for salaried: ₹75,000.
- New slab rates revised for income ₹12-24 lakh range.
Kerala News
4. Kerala Budget 2026-27
- Kerala Finance Minister K. N. Balagopal presented the state budget in the Assembly.
- Focus areas: K-DISC tech initiatives, KIIFB project completion, Life Mission Phase-III housing, and social welfare pensions.
- Revenue deficit remained a concern; GST compensation demands reiterated.
5. Kerala Fibre Optic Network (K-FON) Expansion
- K-FON expanded free internet connectivity to 35,000+ BPL households across all 14 districts.
- Target: universal internet access as a basic right — Kerala is the first state with this policy.
6. Kochi Metro Phase-II Approval
- Central government cleared the Kochi Metro Phase-II extension (Kakkanad line and JLN Stadium extension).
- Total Phase-II cost estimated at ₹4,500+ crore.
- Expected completion: 2030.
7. Kerala Floods — Early Warning System Upgrade
- India Meteorological Department (IMD) installed 10 new Doppler weather radars covering the Western Ghats and Kerala coast.
- Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) upgraded its flood early warning system for Pamba and Periyar river basins.
National News
8. 16th Finance Commission — Interim Consultations
- The 16th Finance Commission (chaired by Dr. Arvind Panagariya) conducted state-level consultations in February.
- Kerala presented its case for higher devolution and special grants to compensate for demographic discipline.
- Key issue: states with lower population growth risk receiving less in population-weighted devolution formulas.
9. Digital Personal Data Protection Rules 2026
- The Digital Personal Data Protection Rules (under the DPDP Act 2023) were notified in February 2026.
- Data Protection Board of India made operational.
- Consent managers, data fiduciaries, and grievance redressal timelines formalized.
10. Semiconductor Mission — Progress Update
- India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) reported progress on three approved fab units:
- Tata Electronics fab (Dholera, Gujarat)
- Tower Semiconductor OSAT (Assam)
- CG Power OSAT (Sanand, Gujarat)
- First commercial production expected by 2027-28.
International Affairs
11. Munich Security Conference 2026
- Annual Munich Security Conference held in February in Munich, Germany.
- Focus: Russia-Ukraine conflict diplomacy, Middle East stability, AI governance.
- India’s External Affairs Minister participated in bilateral meetings.
12. China — National People’s Congress Preparations
- China began preparations for the annual NPC session (March).
- Economic targets for 2026 signalled a GDP growth aim of around 5%.
13. BRICS Finance Ministers Meeting
- BRICS finance ministers met under Brazil’s chairmanship.
- Discussed NDB capitalization, de-dollarization of intra-BRICS trade, and climate finance.
Science and Technology
14. ISRO SPADEX Docking Success
- ISRO successfully demonstrated space docking technology with the SPADEX (Space Docking Experiment) mission.
- India became the 4th country to achieve autonomous space docking (after US, Russia, China).
- Critical technology for Bharatiya Antariksha Station (BAS) programme.
15. Chandrayaan-4 Mission Announced
- ISRO formally announced Chandrayaan-4 — a lunar sample return mission.
- Target launch: 2028.
- Will attempt to bring back lunar soil (regolith) from the Moon’s south polar region.
16. India’s First Indigenous mRNA Vaccine Platform
- Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Gennova Biopharmaceuticals announced a fully indigenous mRNA vaccine platform.
- Potential applications beyond COVID: TB, dengue, malaria.
Sports
17. ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Results
- The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 concluded in February (held in Pakistan/hybrid format with India matches in Dubai).
- Eight-team tournament; India among the participating nations.
18. India at Asian Indoor Athletics
- Indian athletes performed at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships held in February 2026.
- Medal haul included golds in shot put and relay events.
Important Days — February 2026
| Date | Day |
|---|---|
| 2 Feb | World Wetlands Day |
| 4 Feb | World Cancer Day |
| 10 Feb | National De-Worming Day |
| 12 Feb | Darwin Day |
| 13 Feb | World Radio Day |
| 20 Feb | World Day of Social Justice |
| 21 Feb | International Mother Language Day |
| 24 Feb | Central Excise Day |
| 28 Feb | National Science Day (C. V. Raman discovery, 1928) |
Appointments and Awards
| Person / Entity | Role / Recognition |
|---|---|
| Dr. Arvind Panagariya | Chairman, 16th Finance Commission |
| ISRO SPADEX team | Successful space docking demonstration |
| Data Protection Board of India | Made operational under DPDP Act |
MCQs for Practice
Q1. Union Budget 2026-27 was the ___ consecutive budget by FM Nirmala Sitharaman. (A) 6th (B) 7th (C) 8th ✅ (D) 9th
Q2. Under the new income tax regime (Budget 2026-27), effectively no tax is payable up to income of: (A) ₹7 lakh (B) ₹10 lakh (C) ₹12 lakh ✅ (D) ₹15 lakh
Q3. Ayushman Bharat in Budget 2026-27 was expanded to universally cover citizens aged: (A) 60+ (B) 65+ (C) 70+ ✅ (D) 75+
Q4. The 16th Finance Commission is chaired by: (A) N. K. Singh (B) Y. V. Reddy (C) Arvind Panagariya ✅ (D) Bibek Debroy
Q5. K-FON provides free internet as a basic right in which state? (A) Tamil Nadu (B) Karnataka (C) Kerala ✅ (D) Goa
Q6. India became the ___ country to achieve autonomous space docking (SPADEX). (A) 2nd (B) 3rd (C) 4th ✅ (D) 5th
Q7. ISRO’s Chandrayaan-4 mission aims to: (A) Orbit Mars (B) Return lunar soil samples ✅ (C) Land on Sun’s corona (D) Launch space station
Q8. National Science Day (28 February) commemorates the discovery of: (A) Bose-Einstein Condensate (B) Nuclear Fission (C) Raman Effect ✅ (D) Radioactivity
Q9. International Mother Language Day is observed on: (A) 14 February (B) 21 February ✅ (C) 24 February (D) 28 February
Q10. The Digital Personal Data Protection Act was originally passed in which year? (A) 2021 (B) 2022 (C) 2023 ✅ (D) 2024
Q11. Tata Electronics semiconductor fab is located in: (A) Bengaluru (B) Dholera, Gujarat ✅ (C) Noida (D) Hyderabad
Q12. Munich Security Conference is held annually in: (A) Berlin (B) Munich ✅ (C) Vienna (D) Geneva
Q13. The standard deduction for salaried employees under Budget 2026-27 is: (A) ₹50,000 (B) ₹60,000 (C) ₹75,000 ✅ (D) ₹1,00,000
Q14. World Wetlands Day is observed on: (A) 1 February (B) 2 February ✅ (C) 4 February (D) 10 February
Q15. World Cancer Day is observed on: (A) 2 February (B) 4 February ✅ (C) 10 February (D) 13 February
Q16. Kochi Metro Phase-II includes extension to: (A) Aluva airport (B) Kakkanad ✅ (C) Thrissur (D) Munnar
Q17. Which river basin in Kerala received upgraded flood early warning systems? (A) Bharathapuzha and Chaliyar (B) Pamba and Periyar ✅ (C) Kabini and Kaveri (D) Mahi and Tapti
Q18. BRICS 2025 chairmanship is held by: (A) India (B) South Africa (C) Brazil ✅ (D) Russia
Q19. World Radio Day is observed on: (A) 10 February (B) 12 February (C) 13 February ✅ (D) 14 February
Q20. Central Excise Day is observed on: (A) 20 February (B) 22 February (C) 24 February ✅ (D) 28 February
Exam Relevance
This February 2026 compilation is critical for:
- All Kerala PSC exams — Union Budget questions appear in nearly every general knowledge paper. Tax slab changes, scheme names, and allocation figures are high-frequency.
- Secretariat Assistant / University Assistant — Finance Commission, DPDP Act, semiconductor mission.
- LDC / LGS — Kerala state news (K-FON, Kochi Metro, budget) and important days.
- Degree-level Prelims — Science (SPADEX, Chandrayaan-4) and international affairs (Munich Conference).
- Interviews — Budget philosophy, fiscal federalism, Kerala’s devolution case.
Sources
- Union Budget 2026-27 — indiabudget.gov.in — Full budget documents, tax slabs
- PIB — Official budget announcements, semiconductor mission updates
- ISRO — SPADEX docking, Chandrayaan-4 announcement
- Kerala Finance Department — State budget details
- 16th Finance Commission — Consultation reports
- K-FON Project — Coverage expansion data
- Munich Security Conference — Event proceedings
Monthly compilation. Bookmark for revision before exams.
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