Daily Current Affairs (13 February 2026) for Competitive Exams: Important Updates for UPSC, SSC, Banking, RBI, Railways & Defence
Today’s current affairs cover major updates from RBI banking reforms, SEBI regulations, Women Peace Index 2025–26, CPI 2025 rankings, Uttar Pradesh Budget 2026–27, High-Speed Rail expansion, Defence exercises, and key international reports. These updates are highly important for UPSC, SSC, IBPS, RBI Grade B, Railways, Defence, State PSC, and Insurance exams.
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📘 Introduction
Preparing for competitive exams requires consistent revision of daily developments in banking, governance, economy, defence, international reports and important days.
The current affairs of 13th February 2026 include:
- Major regulatory changes by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
- Transparency reforms by SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India)
- Fiscal and infrastructure announcements in Budget 2026–27
- Important global rankings
- Defence cooperation initiatives
Aspirants can regularly revise from Daily Current Affairs and attempt Daily Current Affairs Free Quizzes on JobsMe for better retention.
🏦 Banking, Finance & Business
1️⃣ RBI Draft Amendments for Urban Co-operative Banks (UCBs)
Reserve Bank of India has issued draft amendment directions to revise lending norms for Urban Co-operative Banks (UCBs).
📌 Why in News?
RBI announced regulatory reforms as part of its Developmental and Regulatory Policies statement dated 6 February 2026.
📖 Explanation
Urban Co-operative Banks play a significant role in semi-urban and urban credit delivery. However, concerns regarding concentration risk and unsecured lending exposure led RBI to propose stricter norms.
The draft aims to:
- Improve risk management
- Reduce unsecured loan exposure
- Strengthen financial stability
🔑 Key Highlights
- Unsecured loan ceiling raised to 20% of total advances
- Loans beyond 20% allowed only for priority sector (₹50,000 per borrower)
- Housing loan tenor norms deregulated for Tier-III and Tier-IV UCBs
- Implementation from 1 October 2026
📊 Comparison Table
| Parameter | Earlier | Revised Proposal |
|---|---|---|
| Unsecured Loan Limit | 10% of total assets | 20% of total advances |
| Housing Loan Norms | Restricted | Deregulated (Tier III & IV) |
🎯 Exam Importance
- Important for RBI Grade B
- Financial regulation topic in UPSC
- Banking awareness in IBPS & SBI exams
2️⃣ SEBI Mandates NAV Reporting for AIFs
Securities and Exchange Board of India has directed Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) to report their Net Asset Value (NAV) to depositories by May 1, 2026.
📖 Explanation
AIFs collect funds from investors and invest in private equity, venture capital and other alternative assets. Lack of standardized reporting created transparency gaps.
SEBI’s directive ensures:
- Standardized valuation
- Better investor protection
- Improved regulatory oversight
📌 Key Points
- Category I & II AIFs: Independent valuation every 6 months
- Category III AIFs: Monthly/Quarterly disclosure
- NAV to be uploaded within 30 days of valuation
3️⃣ RBI to Overhaul Kisan Credit Card (KCC) Framework
RBI proposed major reforms under the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme.
📖 Background
KCC provides short-term credit to farmers at subsidized rates. However, outdated norms required modernization.
🔑 Key Reforms
- Loan limit increased to ₹5 lakh
- Tenure extended to 6 years
- Interest rate reduced to 4% (after subvention)
- Integrated with Kisan Rin Portal
📊 Key Data
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Total KCC Accounts | 7.75 crore |
| Outstanding Credit | ₹9.81 lakh crore |
| Effective Interest Rate | 4% |
4️⃣ FDI in Banking Sector Declines
Union MoS Pankaj Chaudhary informed Rajya Sabha that FDI equity inflows fell sharply.
| Year | FDI Inflow |
|---|---|
| FY23 | USD 898 million |
| FY25 | USD 115 million |
📌 Significance
- Indicates reduced foreign investor interest
- Important for economic survey-based questions
🏛 National & Infrastructure Developments
Uttar Pradesh Budget 2026–27
The Uttar Pradesh Government presented a ₹9.13 lakh crore budget.
📖 Overview
The budget focuses on:
- Infrastructure expansion
- Skill development
- Education & agriculture support
📊 Allocation Table
| Sector | Allocation % |
|---|---|
| Education | 12.4% |
| Agriculture | 9% |
| Health | 6% |
🎯 Fiscal Deficit
Capped at 3% of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP).
High-Speed Rail Expansion in Budget 2026–27
Mumbai–Ahmedabad Corridor
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Length | 508 km |
| Speed | 320 km/hr |
| Travel Time | 2 hr 7 min |
| Implemented By | NHSRCL |
📖 Significance
- Reduces travel time drastically
- Enhances economic corridor development
- Important under National Rail Plan 2030
🌍 Ranking & Index
Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Index 2025–26
Published by Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security.
📊 Top & Bottom Countries
| Rank | Country |
|---|---|
| 1 | Denmark |
| 131 | India |
| 181 | Afghanistan |
India’s Score: 0.607
📌 Importance
- Linked to UN SDG goals
- Frequently asked in UPSC Prelims
Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2025
Released by Transparency International.
| Country | Rank | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Denmark | 1 | 89 |
| India | 91 | 39 |
| South Sudan | 181 | 9 |
Global average: 42
🛡 Defence News
India–Thailand Joint Air Exercise
Indian Air Force conducted joint in-situ training with Royal Thai Air Force.
📌 Key Highlights
- IAF deployed Su-30MKI, AWACS, IL-78
- Strengthens Indo-Pacific cooperation
- Enhances interoperability
📌 One-Liner Quick Revision
- RBI raised UCB unsecured loan limit to 20%.
- SEBI mandated NAV reporting for AIFs by May 1, 2026.
- KCC loan limit increased to ₹5 lakh.
- UP Budget outlay ₹9.13 lakh crore.
- 7 new high-speed rail corridors announced.
- India ranked 131 in WPS Index 2025–26.
- India ranked 91 in CPI 2025.
- FDI in banking fell to USD 115 million in FY25.
- World Radio Day observed on 13 February.
- IAF conducted joint exercise with Thailand.
For structured preparation:
- 📘 Daily Current Affairs
- 📊 Weekly Current Affairs
- 📚 Monthly Current Affairs
- 📖 Static GK for Competitive Exams
- 🔔 Latest Government Jobs Notifications
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