February 2026

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Odisha State: Detailed Budget and Schemes

On February 20, 2026, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi presented a budget of ₹3.10 lakh crore for the year 2026-27.

1. Key Budget Allocations (in Rupees)

• Agriculture and Allied Sectors will get ₹42,492 crore. The main focus is on paddy procurement under the Samruddha Krushak Yojana.
• Education will get ₹42,565 crore. This includes ₹31,997 crore for School and Mass Education.
• Health will get ₹23,182 crore.
• Capital Outlay will get ₹72,100 crore. This is the highest ever and is roughly 6.5% of the state's Gross State Domestic Product.

2. New and Enhanced Schemes for Odisha State

• Mission PoWaR: A push for rural connectivity. Includes ₹800 crore for piped water supply and ₹1,000 crore for connecting unconnected villages.
• Mukhyamantri Kanya Sumangala Yojana: Financial assistance to the girl child — a savings instrument of ₹20,000 at birth and up to ₹1,01,001 upon graduation.
• Samrudha Anganwadi Yojana: ₹635 crore to complete all pending Anganwadi centers. Each center will cost between ₹15–20 lakh.
• Subhadra Yojana: ₹10,145 crore to provide cash transfers of ₹10,000 per year to women.
• DALKHAI Initiative: A program to eliminate bonded labor through livelihood support.

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National: Policy, Science & Technology and Environment

1. Governance and Social Changes in India

• The Union Cabinet approved renaming the state of Kerala to Keralam to reflect the Malayalam name.
• Saundla village in Maharashtra became India's "Caste-Free" village after the village passed a Gram Sabha resolution.
• The Supreme Court said that Menstrual Health is a Right under Article 21.
• India launched the National Monetisation Pipeline to unlock value from assets like roads and railways.
• Indian Railways started expanding an anti-collision system and launched the first LNG-Diesel Dual-Fuel train in Ahmedabad.
• The Ministry of Home Affairs released India's National Counter-terrorism Policy and Strategy named PRAHAAR.

2. Science and Technology in India

• India commissioned a ship called INS Anjadip, part of the Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft project.
• IIT Madras launched Bodhan AI to create a public infrastructure for education.
• India successfully tested the Drogue Parachute for the Gaganyaan mission.
• India hosted the global AI summit in New Delhi. The theme was "Sarvajan Hitaya, Sarvajan Sukhaya."

3. Environment in India

• A dormant mud volcano in the Andaman Islands erupted after 20 years.
• India added two wetlands to its list of Ramsar sites.

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International: Geopolitics and Summits

• Tarique Rahman won the elections in Bangladesh, marking a shift in the country's politics.
• Prime Minister Modi visited Israel and elevated ties to a "Special Strategic Partnership."
• Pakistan launched air strikes against targets in Afghanistan.
• Prime Minister Modi received Israel's Speaker of the Knesset Medal.

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Sports and Awards

• Padma Awards 2026 were given to sports personalities.
• The Winter Olympics 2026 took place in Milan-Cortina. Norway won the most medals.
• A Manipuri-language film won the BAFTA Children's Film Award.
• Paradip Port in Odisha won the Swachhata Pakhwada 2025 Award.
• Smriti Mandhana was named the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year 2025.

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Odisha Special

• Odisha achieved a milestone in green energy transition. The state supplied 75,000 tonnes of ammonia to Paradeep Phosphates.
• Cuttack is the commercial capital of Odisha and the state's second-most populous district.