Banking Awareness of 8, 9, 10 and 11 February 2026

Topic: RBI

1. RBI has increased collateral-free loan limit for Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) from ₹10 lakh to ₹20 lakh.

• This step is a big boost to Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs).
• RBI has increased the limits for all loans to MSE borrowers sanctioned or renewed on or after April 1.
• As per RBI, increased collateral-free loan limit will facilitate improved access to formal credit.
• It will support entrepreneurial activity, and strengthen last-mile credit delivery for MSEs with limited collateral.
• As on 31 December 2025, a year-on-year (y-o-y) growth of 13.3% has beeen recorded in the industry segment (MSEs, medium enterprises and large enterprises), as per latest RBI data.
• This is against 7.5% growth as on 27 December, 2024.
• Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) saw the highest year-on-year (y-o-y) growth of 31%.
• MSEs were followed by medium enterprises (20.4%) and large enterprises (7.5%).

Topic: Banking System

2. RBI has approved up to 9.99% stake acquisition by private equity firm Blackstone in Federal Bank.

• With this deal, Blackstone would become the largest shareholder in the bank.
• In October, Blackstone agreed to make an investment around $700 million in Federal Bank for a 9.9% stake.
• Federal Bank had said Blackstone would make the investment through a Singapore-based affiliate.
• The agreement gives Blackstone the right to nominate a non-executive director to the board of Federal Bank.
• Deals in India's private banking sector has increased over the past year.
• In October, Dubai-based Emirates NBD agreed to buy a 60% stake in RBL Bank.
• In May, Japan's Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation bought a 20% stake in Yes Bank. This was followed by an additional 4.2% stake in September.
• Federal Bank is an Indian private sector bank. It is headquartered in Aluva, Kerala. KVS Manian is its MD & CEO.

Topic: Appointments

3.  Rohit Kumar Singh has been appointed as Chair of Global Value Chains Committee of USISPF.

• He has been appointed as advisor to the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) Board of Directors.
• As Chair of the Global Value Chains Committee, he will be working with USISPF’s global membership and government stakeholders to foster  smooth, resilient and diversified supply chains.
• Rohit Kumar Singh is former consumer affairs secretary. He is 1989-batch IAS officer of Rajasthan cadre.
• He led India’s first AI-enabled grievance redressal ecosystem, which brought a paradigm shift to consumer protection.

Topic: Banking/Financial/Govt Schemes

4. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme recognised as a National Movement.

• The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme has been stated by the government to have evolved from a policy initiative into a nationwide movement.
• The transformation has been achieved through active mobilisation of government agencies, communities, civil society, media and the public.
• In Lok Sabha, Minister for Women and Child Development Annpurna Devi stated that the Sex Ratio at Birth at the national level increased from 918 in 2014–15 to 929 in 2024–25.
• She also said that the gross enrolment ratio of girls at the secondary school level rose from 75.51% in 2014–15 to 80.2% in 2024–25.
• He said that according to the 2020-21 HMIS data of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, districts are allocated funds based on the status of the sex ratio at birth (SRB) in those districts.
• The scheme was launched on 22 January 2015 to address declining child sex ratio and gender-based discrimination.
• Empowerment of girls and women across the life cycle continuum has been identified as a core objective.
• The initiative aims to bring about a cultural shift towards valuing the girl child and ensuring equal rights.
• Educational access, health awareness and community participation have been strengthened through the scheme.

Topic: Banking/Financial/Govt Schemes

5. The nationwide Pulse Self-Reliance Mission launched to boost India’s Pulse Production.

• On 7 February, the nationwide Pulse Self-Reliance Mission was launched by Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan at the Food Legumes Research Centre in Sehore district of Madhya Pradesh.
• A high-level consultation was organised in which senior leaders including Union Ministers, state Chief Ministers, and agriculture ministers participated.
• The roadmap for achieving self-reliance in pulse production was finalised during the consultation.
• A cluster-based production model has been planned to improve efficiency and scale in pulse cultivation.
• Seed villages will be developed to ensure timely availability of quality seeds to farmers.
• A proposal to establish 1,000 pulse mills across the country has been included to strengthen processing infrastructure.
• Research–farmer linkages are being strengthened to ensure faster transfer of technology and best practices.

Topic: Corporates/Companies

6. Deeptech Startups granted extended recognition Under Startup India Programme.

• According to a gazette notification issued by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), deep tech startups have been formally recognised under the Startup India programme.
• Their eligibility period has been extended to 20 years from the date of incorporation, which is double that of regular startups.
• The annual turnover threshold for deeptech startups has been fixed at ₹300 crore, compared with ₹200 crore for regular ones.
• Startup benefits will cease after 20 years or on crossing the turnover limit, whichever occurs earlier.
• A deep tech startup is defined as a company that invests a significant portion of its revenue or funding into research and development (R&D).
• Such firms have been defined by the government as those with long development and gestation periods, higher capital and infrastructure investment, and significant technical or scientific uncertainty.
• Sectors like artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and climate technology have been classified as deeptech.
• The policy change is expected to improve access to growth capital, grants, and institutional funding.
• Investors have stated that the extended recognition window supports the transition from lab research to commercialisation.

Topic: Miscellaneous

7. MCP server launched by NSO to make Government Data AI-Ready.

• The beta version of the Model Context Protocol (MCP) server was launched by the National Statistics Office under MoSPI.
• The MCP server has been integrated with the eSankhyiki portal, India’s national statistics platform.
• The initiative has been introduced to enable direct access to official datasets through AI tools.
• Seven key data products have been included in the initial beta release.
• The datasets cover Periodic Labour Force Survey, Consumer Price Index, Annual Survey of Industries, Index of Industrial Production, National Account Statistics, Wholesale Price Index and Environmental Statistics.
• Users can query datasets without downloading large files, saving time and computing resources.
• The server allows automation of reports and integration with private analytical tools.
• The initiative supports data-driven policymaking and citizen participation in development.
• The launch aligns with India’s vision of Viksit Bharat and democratising access to AI-ready data.
• This launch, ahead of the AI ​​Impact Summit to be held from February 15-20, 2026, demonstrates NSO India's commitment to making a real impact on the data ecosystem by utilizing emerging technologies like AI.

Topic: Banking System

8. India's first fully digital FPI licence has been issued by Kotak Mahindra Bank.

• Kotak Mahindra Bank achieved a first in India’s financial sector.
• It issued a foreign portfolio investor licence through a fully digital process.
• The bank is the first custodian in the country to do so.
• The entire FPI account-opening process was completed online.
• Electronic signatures were used at every stage and no physical documents were required from investors.
• Kotak Mahindra Bank has already issued two FPI licences.
• Both licences were granted using only digitally signed documents.
• The move makes onboarding easier for overseas investors.
• It marks a significant step toward paperless investing in India.
• The initiative follows recent regulatory reforms.
• The Securities and Exchange Board of India enabled a unified digital workflow.
• SEBI operationalised this system in January 2026.