
Staying updated on Daily Current Affairs 9 February 2026 is important for candidates who are preparing for competitive exams like SSC GD, SSC CGL, CHSL, RRB Group D, NTPC, ALP, and Railways. This summary covers significant global and national developments, including advancements in healthcare, defense, technology, and international relations. Understanding these events provides crucial insights into economic, political, and social trends impacting India and the world.
South Africa has successfully developed a vaccine for Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), marking a significant achievement after 20 years.
Cause: It is a viral disease.
Affected Regions: Most common in tropical areas.
Affected Population: It can affect both humans (especially children) and animals, particularly cloven-hoofed animals such as cows, sheep, and goats.
Symptoms:
In Humans: Development of rashes (small red spots on the body).
In Animals: Excessive foaming at the mouth, severely impacting the animal's oral cavity.
South Africa has become the first country in Africa to develop an FMD vaccine in two decades. An initial 12,000 doses have been produced, with plans to scale up to 20,000 doses. The national objective is to make South Africa completely FMD-free, restoring its previous disease-free status.
Continent: Africa
Capitals: Pretoria (Executive), Cape Town (Legislative), Bloemfontein (Judicial)
Currency: South African Rand
President: Cyril Ramaphosa
Key Geographical Features: The country of Lesotho is located entirely within South Africa. Major rivers include the Orange River and Limpopo River.
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Prime Minister Modi conducted a two-day official visit to Malaysia, resulting in discussions on several key agreements to strengthen bilateral ties.
A total of 16 agreements were discussed, focusing on:
Opening a new Indian consulate in Malaysia.
Enhancing cooperation in the Education sector through university exchanges.
Collaboration in the Semiconductor industry.
Promoting Startups.
Facilitating the screening of Tamil movies in Malaysia.
Malaysia is a crucial partner for India for several strategic reasons:
Gateway to ASEAN: It is considered the entry door or gateway to ASEAN. ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) is an organization of 10+1 member states, headquartered in Jakarta, formed in 1967. India is not a member of ASEAN.
Geostrategic Location: Malaysia's proximity to the Strait of Malacca, which it shares with Indonesia, is vital. This strait is a chokepoint for global trade, with approximately 70% of China's trade passing through it.
Natural Resources: The country is rich in oil reserves and minerals.
Key Products: Malaysia is a major producer of Palm Oil.
Prime Minister: Anwar Ibrahim
Capital: Kuala Lumpur
Joint Military Exercise with India: Harimau Shakti
Geographical Structure: Malaysia is divided into Western Malaysia and Eastern Malaysia, separated by the South China Sea.
Key Landmarks: Its highest peak is Mount Kinabalu, and the major river is the Pahang River.
International Organisation HQ: The headquarters of the Badminton World Federation is located in Kuala Lumpur.
The Global Firepower Index for 2026 has been released, ranking the military strength of 145 countries.
India's Rank: India is ranked 4th, maintaining its position from 2025, with a score of 0.1346.
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Comparative Ranking of Top Military Powers: |
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Rank |
Country |
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1 |
USA |
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2 |
Russia |
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3 |
China |
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4 |
India |
Pakistan's Rank: Pakistan's ranking has dropped from 9th to 14th.
The index evaluates countries based on several factors, including the size of the army, defense budget, economic strength, technological advancement, and natural resources.
The Indian Defence sector has dedicated specific themes for recent years:
Year 2026: The Year of Networking
Year 2025: The Year of Reforms
India has successfully test-fired the Agni-III missile, an Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM).
The IGMDP was the vision of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, announced in 1982 with work commencing in 1983. The five missiles developed under this program can be remembered with the acronym PATNA: P - Prithvi (Surface-to-Surface), A - Agni (Ballistic Missile series), T - Trishul (Surface-to-Air), N - Nag (Anti-Tank), A - Akash (Surface-to-Air).
The Agni series consists of ballistic missiles with varying ranges:
Agni-I: 700 - 1,200 km
Agni-II: 2,000 km
Agni-III: 3,000 km
Agni-IV: 4,000 km
Agni-V: 5,000 km (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile - ICBM)
Agni-VI: 6,000 - 12,000 km (Under development)
Developer: Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
Test Site: Chandipur Integrated Test Range, Odisha
Type: Surface-to-Surface Ballistic Missile
Propulsion: Two-stage, solid fuel engine
Capability: It is nuclear-capable, meaning it can carry nuclear warheads.
According to 2025-2026 data, Rajasthan has become the number one state in India for wool production.
Rajasthan (Accounts for 47% of national production)
Jammu & Kashmir
Karnataka
Telangana
Globally, India is the second-largest producer of wool. Key sheep breeds contributing to Rajasthan's production include Chokla and Marwari.
Pashmina wool is sourced from a special breed of goat found in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. It has a Geographical Indication (GI) Tag and is known for being extremely soft, lightweight, and expensive.
The V.O. Chidambaram Port in Tamil Nadu has become the first major port in India to be equipped with an anti-drone system.
The system can identify, track the location of, and target unauthorized drones, significantly enhancing port security. It integrates a radar system and Radio Frequency (RF) technology (RF technology is also the basis for the FASTag system used for automated toll collection). This development is part of the Maritime India Vision 2030, aiming to modernize and secure India's maritime infrastructure within the broader goal of Amrit Kaal (by 2047).
The port is named after V.O. Chidambaram, a prominent freedom fighter and Tamil scholar who founded the Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company in 1906.
President Droupadi Murmu has inaugurated the Bastar Pandum Festival in Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh.
It is a major cultural festival that showcases the unique traditions of the Bastar region. The festival is celebrated in honor of the tribal hero Veer Gunda Dhur. The Bastar region is known for being part of the "Red Corridor," an area with a significant Naxalite presence. India aims to become Naxal-free by 2026.
Alwar has become the first district in Rajasthan and in India to achieve 100% insurance coverage for its residents for general life insurance. Rajasthan already has a dedicated health insurance scheme named the Chiranjeevi Yojana, which provides coverage of ₹25 lakh.
The insurance sector in India is regulated by the IRDAI (Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India), headquartered in Hyderabad and established in 1999. This initiative is part of the national goal of "Insurance for All by 2047" under the Viksit Bharat vision.
The Naga Hills Tuensang Area was officially renamed Nagaland in 1961, and Nagaland was granted statehood in 1963. The state holds a Special Status under Article 371(A) of the Constitution.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh flagged off a six-member team from Delhi for an expedition to Mount Aconcagua, located in Argentina.
Location: Andes Mountains, Argentina.
Significance: It is the highest peak in South America.
Height: 6961 meters.
Mountain Type: It is a fold mountain, located on the Andes Mountain range.
The Andes is the world's longest mountain range, primarily composed of Sedimentary Rocks and Metamorphic Rocks.
INS Arnala, an Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) shallow water craft, has officially commenced its first mission, which is focused on surveillance. It is the first of a series of eight such warships being built. The ship is named after the Arnala fort in Maharashtra. It was built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, launched in 2022, and handed over in Chennai at the Larsen & Toubro (L&T) facility. The ship is powered by a diesel engine.
A new AI model, Bharat Gen AI, has been announced. It is a Large Language Model (LLM) designed to be multilingual and will operate in all 22 languages listed in the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution. Users can interact with the model using voice in any of these languages, and it will process the query to provide relevant data.
It is expected to be fully functional in all 22 languages within the next two months. The announcement was made by Union Minister Jitendra Singh.
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