1. NSIC Upgraded to Schedule A CPSE: What Changes
- The Ministry of MSME upgraded NSIC from Schedule B to Schedule A.
- CPSEs are firms with 51% or more central government equity.
- CPSE categorisation began in 1965 after the Committee on Top Posts.
Daily Current Affairs: 28 February 2026
Current affairs of 28 February 2026: Rail Tech Policy and Portal Launched by Railways; ASTraM: AI Traffic Management Platform in Bengaluru; Sapien Labs Report: India’s Youth Rank 60th on Mind Health, and 18 more topics. Key facts for every exam, with a quiz.
In this issue: 21 topics
National Affairs
- NSIC Upgraded to Schedule A CPSE: What Changes
- Culture Ministry and FICCI MoU on Cultural and Creative Economy
- R. Nallakannu, Veteran CPI Leader, Dies at 101
- World NGO Day 2026: Date, Origin and Purpose
- Pakyong Airport to Be Renamed After Trilochan Pokhrel
Government Schemes
- Rail Tech Policy and Portal Launched by Railways
- UIDAI and Google Maps: Verified Aadhaar Centres to Appear Online
- CM Jansunwai Portal Launched in Delhi
Economy
- New GDP Series: Base Year Shifts to 2022–23
- New GDP Series: FY26 Growth Estimated at 7.6%
- NSIC Promoted to Schedule ‘A’ CPSE by MoMSME
- Facebook Overseas Buys 30% Stake in Reliance Enterprise Intelligence
- Chhattisgarh Budget FY27: ₹1.72 Lakh Crore Outlay Presented
International Affairs
- India-Sweden Statement of Intent on AI: SITAC Corridor Launch
- Børge Brende Quits as WEF President; Zwinggi Takes Interim Charge
Agriculture & Rural
Science & Technology
- ASTraM: AI Traffic Management Platform in Bengaluru
- State Innovation Mission Tripura: India’s First State-Level Mission
- NMDC-IIT Hyderabad MoU for Indigenous Mining Technology
Reports & Indexes
Awards & Persons
National Affairs
2. Culture Ministry and FICCI MoU on Cultural and Creative Economy
- The Ministry of Culture and FICCI signed an MoU to build a national strategy for the Cultural and Creative Economy.
- The pact seeks to link culture with economic policy and encourage entrepreneurship.
- It should expand global market reach and employment for artists and artisans.
- Crafts, media, design, tourism and heritage are covered.
3. R. Nallakannu, Veteran CPI Leader, Dies at 101
- Veteran communist leader R. Nallakannu died at the age of 101 in Chennai.
- He took part in the freedom struggle and was a prominent Communist Party of India leader.
- He strongly championed farmers' rights, land reforms and social justice.
- His legacy rests on decades of grassroots activism and public service.
4. World NGO Day 2026: Date, Origin and Purpose
- World NGO Day is observed globally on 27 February.
- The 2026 observance was the 13th edition of the global event.
- The day was founded in 2009 and first celebrated worldwide in 2014.
5. Pakyong Airport to Be Renamed After Trilochan Pokhrel
- Pakyong Airport in Sikkim will be renamed after freedom fighter Trilochan Pokhrel.
- Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang made the announcement in February 2026.
- Pokhrel, called ‘Gandhi Pokhrel’, contributed to India's freedom movement.
- The airport opened in 2018 as India's 100th operational airport.
Government Schemes
6. Rail Tech Policy and Portal Launched by Railways
- The Ministry of Railways launched the Rail Tech Policy and a Rail Tech Portal for startups and innovators.
- Startup solutions that improve railway safety get the highest priority.
- Aim: AI, automation and analytics for safer, efficient railways.
7. UIDAI and Google Maps: Verified Aadhaar Centres to Appear Online
- UIDAI has teamed up with Google to show authorised Aadhaar Centres on Google Maps.
- The tie-up should improve accessibility and transparency of Aadhaar services.
- Over 60,000 centres, including Aadhaar Seva Kendras, will be added in phases.
- Service details, feedback and future appointment booking will also be enabled.
8. CM Jansunwai Portal Launched in Delhi
- Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta launched the CM Jansunwai Portal to strengthen grievance redressal.
- It brings complaints from all departments onto one platform with digital tracking.
- Citizens can file grievances via portal, app, helpline and offline channels; a three-tier mechanism speeds resolution.
Economy
9. New GDP Series: Base Year Shifts to 2022–23
- MoSPI shifted India's GDP base year from 2011–12 to 2022–23 (FY23).
- Double deflation is introduced for manufacturing and agriculture.
- Proportional Denton method smooths quarterly data.
10. New GDP Series: FY26 Growth Estimated at 7.6%
- Second Advance Estimates, using the new national accounts series, put FY 2025-26 GDP growth at 7.6%, up from 7.4% in January.
- The new series uses 2022-23 as base year, replacing 2011-12.
- FY 2023-24 growth was revised down to 7.2% from 9.2%, while FY 2024-25 rose to 7.1% from 6.5%.
- Nominal GDP for 2023-26 was revised down, which may worsen fiscal deficit-to-GDP and debt-to-GDP ratios.
11. NSIC Promoted to Schedule ‘A’ CPSE by MoMSME
- The Ministry of MSME upgraded National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) from Schedule 'B' to Schedule 'A' CPSE in February 2026.
- The new status gives NSIC more financial and operational autonomy.
- NSIC supports credit facilitation, marketing and enterprise development for MSMEs.
12. Facebook Overseas Buys 30% Stake in Reliance Enterprise Intelligence
- Facebook Overseas acquired a 30% stake in Reliance Enterprise Intelligence Limited (REIL).
- The price paid was Rs.256.6 crore.
- REIL works on enterprise AI solutions and digital infrastructure.
- Reliance Intelligence will keep 70% ownership after the deal.
- The transaction was disclosed under SEBI's listing regulations.
13. Chhattisgarh Budget FY27: ₹1.72 Lakh Crore Outlay Presented
- Finance Minister O. P. Chaudhary presented Chhattisgarh's ₹1.72 lakh crore FY27 Budget.
- Capital expenditure is estimated at ₹26,500 crore and fiscal deficit at 2.87% of GSDP.
- The social sector received the highest allocation.
International Affairs
14. India-Sweden Statement of Intent on AI: SITAC Corridor Launch
- India AI Mission and Business Sweden concluded an SoI during the 2026 India AI Impact Summit.
- A Sweden-India Technology and AI Corridor (SITAC) programme will follow.
- Aim: responsible building and use of AI.
15. Børge Brende Quits as WEF President; Zwinggi Takes Interim Charge
- Børge Brende left the top job at the World Economic Forum in February 2026.
- Alois Zwinggi stepped in as interim President and CEO.
- Brende headed the WEF from 2017 and is a former Norwegian Foreign Minister.
Agriculture & Rural
16. Women in Agriculture: From Drudgery to Organised Work
- The Agriculture Secretary said women's farm work is shifting from manual labour to organised participation.
- Women are nearly 50% of the rural agricultural workforce, yet 50-70% of women farmers lack land titles.
- Dairying now exceeds grains and pulses in value.
Science & Technology
17. ASTraM: AI Traffic Management Platform in Bengaluru
- ASTraM is an AI-driven big data platform for macro-level traffic management, in use at the Bengaluru Traffic Management Centre.
- It was built by Bengaluru Traffic Police together with Arcadis, a Dutch design and consultancy firm.
- Former Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof visited to study the system.
18. State Innovation Mission Tripura: India’s First State-Level Mission
- Dr Jitendra Singh launched India's first State Innovation Mission in Agartala, Tripura.
- SIM is part of Atal Innovation Mission 2.0 under NITI Aayog's State Support Mission.
- T-NEST and District Innovator Fellowship also launched.
19. NMDC-IIT Hyderabad MoU for Indigenous Mining Technology
- NMDC Limited and IIT Hyderabad signed an MoU for mining and metallurgical research.
- Focus: green steelmaking, iron ore beneficiation and Mining 4.0.
- It supports Atmanirbhar Bharat and sustainable mining.
Reports & Indexes
20. Sapien Labs Report: India’s Youth Rank 60th on Mind Health
- Sapien Labs' report ranked India's 18–34 age group 60th out of 84 countries, with an MHQ score of 33.
- India's 55+ group ranked 49th globally with an MHQ score of 96.
- Global average MHQ is 66; 41% of youth worldwide face clinically major mental health issues.
Awards & Persons
21. Rare Disease Day 2026: Theme and Origins
- Rare Disease Day is marked every year on the final day of February to spotlight rare conditions.
- The 2026 theme: “More than you can imagine: the realities behind rare diseases”.
- EURORDIS launched the campaign in 2008; over 100 countries now observe it.
Test yourself
15 questions from the news of 28 February 2026, with answers and explanations.
Start the quiz