Current Affairs 26 February 2026

Nationwide Free HPV Vaccination Programme for Girls

The Union Health Ministry is set to roll out a nationwide free HPV vaccination programme targeting girls aged 14 years. The vaccination will be voluntary and free of cost, ensuring equitable access across all States and UTs.

• India will use Gardasil (quadrivalent HPV vaccine), which protects against:
• HPV types 16 & 18 → cause cervical cancer
• HPV types 6 & 11 → cause other HPV-related conditions.

UN Launches Road Safety Financing Framework in Four Indian States

The United Nations has launched a road safety financing framework project in partnership with four Indian States – Rajasthan, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Assam. The initiative will be implemented under the coordination of the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in India.

Global Context

• The project aligns with the “Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021–2030”, which aims to reduce global road deaths and injuries by at least 50% by 2030.

₹2,388 Crore Semiconductor OSAT Unit Approved in Visakhapatnam

• The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet has approved a ₹2,388-crore semiconductor project by Advanced System in Package Technologies Pvt. Ltd. at Tarluvada (Visakhapatnam district).
• It will be an OSAT (Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test) facility and is expected to create about 1,000 direct jobs.
• First semiconductor manufacturing unit in Andhra Pradesh cleared under the India Semiconductor Mission framework.
• Approved under the A.P. Semiconductor and Display Fab Policy (4.0) 2024–29.

Other Major Cabinet Approvals

• 1,000 MW AI Data Centre Cluster by Adani Infra in Visakhapatnam & Anakapalli.
• 900 MW solar project in Kurnool (NTPC Renewable Energy Ltd.)

President Inaugurates National Arogya Fair 2026 at Shegaon

President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the National Arogya Fair 2026 at Shegaon, Buldhana district, Maharashtra on 25 February 2026. She felicitated six senior Vaidyas for their outstanding contribution to AYUSH healthcare.

CBDC-Based Food Subsidy Pilot program launched

• The Government of India will launch a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC)-based food subsidy distribution pilot in the Union Territory of Puducherry on 26 February 2026.
• The initiative will be implemented under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) to strengthen digital public infrastructure and transparent subsidy delivery.

What is the Digital Rupee (CBDC)?

• It is a tokenised digital form of the Indian rupee issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
• Functions as programmable, secure, instant and traceable digital cash.

How the Pilot Works

• Food subsidy will be credited as CBDC tokens directly into beneficiaries’ digital wallets.
• Tokens can be used only to purchase entitled foodgrains at Fair Price Shops (FPS) → ensures purpose-bound utilisation.
• Integrated with the DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer) ecosystem.

Implementing Agencies

• Government of Puducherry
• Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
• Public Financial Management System (PFMS)
• Canara Bank (designated banking partner)

Disclaimer: This article is prepared for competitive exam preparation using publicly available information.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)