4.5/5
Current Affairs 08th February 2026
Vedic Period Rivers
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Vedic Saraswati → present-day Saraswati River
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Vipasha → Beas River
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Purushni → Ravi River
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Askini → Chenab River
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Sindhu → Indus River
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Vitasta → Jhelum River
1. Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu created new national record
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Shattered Three National Records: Chanu set new benchmarks in the Snatch (89kg), Clean and Jerk (116kg), and Total Lift (205kg). This total improved her previous national record by a significant 6kg.
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Successful Weight Class Transition: After the 49kg category was removed from the Olympic roster, Chanu successfully moved down to the 48kg class. Her 205kg total in this lower weight class actually equalled her personal best achieved in the 49kg category years prior.
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Dominant Victory: She secured the gold medal with a massive 22kg lead over the silver medalist, Radha Soni. This performance serves as a powerful statement as she prepares for the upcoming 2026 Asian Games.
2. India Launches Heaviest Military Communication Satellite CMS-03
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Heaviest Satellite from Indian Soil: Weighing approximately 4,410 kg, CMS-03 is the heaviest communication satellite ever launched using an indigenous Indian rocket (LVM3-M5). Previously, India relied on foreign agencies like Arianespace or SpaceX to launch satellites in the 4-tonne class, making this a milestone for Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-reliant India).
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The Navy's "Eye in the Sky": CMS-03 is a dedicated military communication satellite designed primarily for the Indian Navy. It replaces the aging GSAT-7 (Rukmini) and provides secure, real-time multi-band (UHF, S, C, and Ku-band) communication links between warships, submarines, aircraft, and land-based command centers across the Indian Ocean Region.
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Boost to Strategic Autonomy: Launched by the "Bahubali" LVM3 rocket, this mission demonstrated ISRO's ability to routinely place heavy payloads into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO). This capability is critical not just for national security and encrypted defense data, but also serves as a vital precursor for the upcoming Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission.
3. FLO Bengaluru Unveils First-of-its-kind Women-led Industrial Park
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Strategic Expansion: Spanning 50 acres, the park is located in Gowribidanur (Chikkaballapur district) to provide women entrepreneurs with high-quality infrastructure and connectivity while avoiding the saturation and high costs of Bengaluru's central industrial zones.
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ComprehensiveEcosystem: Beyond just land allocation, the park offers a "single-window" support system, including assistance with statutory approvals, access to financial institutions, and business planning to help first-generation entrepreneurs overcome traditional entry barriers.
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Gender-Centric Facilities: To support the unique needs of women balancing business and family, the park is designed to include shared amenities such as creche services, skill development centers, and R&D facilities.
4. SBI Cards appoints Anuradha Rao Director
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Role and Tenure: She has been appointed as an Independent Director for a three-year term, effective retrospectively from November 13, 2025, until November 12, 2028. Her appointment was formalized via a postal ballot resolution.
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Vast Industry Expertise: Rao brings nearly 40 years of experience in the banking and financial services sector. She previously held high-profile roles including Deputy Managing Director (Strategy and Digital Banking) at the State Bank of India and MD & CEO of SBI Funds Management Limited.
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Strategic Governance: Her induction is aimed at enhancing the board's expertise in digital banking, strategy, and regulatory oversight, which are critical as SBI Cards continues to scale its digital payment ecosystem.
Footnotes: SBI Cards's Chairman: C. Sreenivasulu Setty, HQ:Mumbai, Estd: 1955
5. Suruchi Singh secure silver at Asian Rifle Championship 2026
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Mixed Team Success: Suruchi Singh and Samrat Rana clinched the silver medal in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team event. They led for much of the final but were narrowly overtaken by the Uzbek pair of Nigina Saidkulova and Mukhammad Kamalov.
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Record-Breaking Performance: During the final, the Indian duo registered a score of 479.6, which set a new World and Asian Junior record, highlighting the incredible level of talent in India's youth shooting ranks.
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Multiple Medalist: This silver added to Suruchi's successful campaign at the championship, where she also won a gold medal in the Women's Team event alongside teammates Esha Singh and Manu Bhaker.
6. Kenta Kon appointed as President & CEO of Toyota Motors
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Separation of Internal and External Roles: While the current CEO, Koji Sato, moves to the new role of "Chief Industry Officer" and Vice Chairman to focus on industry-wide collaboration (including his leadership at the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association), Kon will take full control of internal company management.
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Focus on "Earning Power": As the current CFO and a "finance veteran," Kon’s appointment signals a strategic shift toward strengthening Toyota's profit structure. His immediate priority is to improve margins and lower the break-even volume to protect the company against global economic headwinds like U.S. import tariffs.
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Accelerated Decision-Making: Kon, a longtime confidant of Chairman Akio Toyoda, aims to make Toyota more "nimble." By leveraging his experience with Woven by Toyota (the company’s software and mobility arm), he is expected to bridge the software gap with fast-moving Chinese rivals while maintaining financial discipline.
Footnotes: Toyota Motors's Chairman: Koji Sato, HQ:Toyota, Estd: 1937
7. International Olympic Committee elected Soraya Aghaei as member
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Historic Milestone for Iran: Soraya Aghaei was elected as the first-ever female member from Iran to join the IOC. She was elected by a decisive 95–2 vote, becoming the 107th member of the global body.
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Youngest Serving Member: At 30 years old, the Tokyo 2020 badminton Olympian became the youngest representative currently serving in the International Olympic Committee.
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Athlete Representation: As a member of the IOC Athletes' Commission, her election reinforces the committee's focus on generational renewal and increasing female representation, which has now reached 45% of the total membership.
8. Indian Teacher Rouble Nagi Wins Global Teacher Prize 2026
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The "Nobel of Teaching": Nagi was selected from over 5,000 nominations across 139 countries to become the 10th recipient of this award (instituted by the Varkey Foundation in collaboration with UNESCO). She is the second Indian to win the prize, following Ranjitsinh Disale in 2020.
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"Living Walls of Learning": She was honored for her innovative use of art to bridge education gaps. Through her Misaal India initiative, she transformed neglected slum walls into "interactive classrooms"—painting murals that teach literacy, numeracy, hygiene, and environmental science to over 1 million children who lack access to formal schools.
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Grassroots Impact & Future Vision: Over the last two decades, her foundation has established more than 800 learning centers in 100+ underserved communities. She plans to use the $1 million prize money to establish a Skilling Institute that will provide free vocational training and digital literacy to marginalized youth.
WHAT HAPPENED TODAY?
Safer Internet Day: 8th February
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Theme 2026: “Smart tech, safe choices – Exploring the safe and responsible use of AI.”
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It highlights the need to use the internet safely, responsibly and respectfully.
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