Current Affairs 08 February 2026

India Eyes €300M SCALP Deal; Advances Tech & Chip Goals.

• India and France are finalizing a €300M deal for SCALP missiles, following their precision use in Operation Sindoor (2025).
• ISM 2.0 now shifts focus to design startups and local equipment, while 315+ universities train 67,000 silicon engineers.
• Union Minister Vaishnaw inaugurated Zetwerk’s Bengaluru plant, aiming for $500B electronics production by 2031.

Pregnant Meghana Sajjanar’s Historic Asian Bronze Win.

• Eight months pregnant, 32-year-old Meghana Sajjanar won her first individual Asian Championship bronze in the 10m air rifle event.
• Alongside her individual bronze, she secured a gold medal in the women’s team event, helping India dominate the tally.
• Despite a changing center of gravity and baby movements, she maintained near-perfect precision, firing only one shot outside the 10 ring.

Jharkhand Women Clinch Para Throwball National Gold.

• Jharkhand's women's team defeated host Rajasthan 21-17 in the final at Jhunjhunu to secure National Federation Cup 2026 title.
• In the men's category, Andhra Pradesh emerged as champions, while Telangana & Haryana secured the silver and bronze medals, respectively.
• Held from February 3–5, the event served as a selection trial for the upcoming 2nd Asian Para Throwball Championship in Malaysia.

Ashwini Vaishnaw Launches 2nm Semiconductor Chip in Bengaluru.

• Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw launched Qualcomm's 2nm chip, marking a breakthrough for India’s global semiconductor design role.
• India Semiconductor Mission 2.0 will prioritize design startups, local equipment ecosystems, and advanced talent growth.
• Over 315 universities now utilize EDA tools, building a massive pipeline to drive deep tech innovation from India.

India Stack Goes Global: 23-Country DPI Expansion.

• India signed MoUs with 23 nations, including Brazil and Kenya, to share its Digital Public Infrastructure for identity and payments.
• The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is now operational in eight countries, including France, UAE, Singapore, and Mauritius.
• Specific agreements were reached with Cuba, UAE, and others for DigiLocker, promoting secure digital document verification worldwide.