Karnataka Cabinet Opts for Paper-Based Voting

The Karnataka Cabinet has approved the use of ballot papers and ballot boxes for upcoming panchayat elections, signalling a departure from Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) at the grassroots level. The decision reflects the state government’s assessment that public confidence in electronic voting has weakened in rural and local governance settings, prompting a shift towards more visible and traditional voting methods.

US Moves to Secure Mineral Supply Chains

US President Donald Trump has announced Project Vault, a USD 12 billion (≈ rs1 lakh crore) initiative aimed at building a strategic stockpile of critical minerals and rare earth elements. The programme reflects rising concern in Washington over supply-chain vulnerabilities affecting defence, high-technology manufacturing, clean energy, and advanced electronics, particularly due to heavy reliance on China.

Tribal Business Journey Turns Into Diplomatic Emergency

Eight members of Karnataka’s Hakki Pikki community are facing a severe humanitarian and legal crisis in Central Africa after overstaying their visas, leaving them vulnerable to arrest and unable to return to India. The situation has sparked urgent appeals for intervention by the Ministry of External Affairs, reviving memories of the community’s earlier overseas distress.

Renewed Scientific Attention on a Dormant but Active Volcano

Unusual physical and chemical changes inside the crater of El Chichón volcano in southern Mexico have prompted renewed concern among scientists. Researchers studying the crater lake report that while no immediate eruption is expected, the volcano has entered a phase of geochemical instability, indicating an increasingly dynamic hydrothermal system beneath the surface.

RBI Keeps Policy Rate Unchanged After MPC Review

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to keep the repo rate unchanged at 5.25%, following the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting held on 6 February 2026. The decision was unanimous, reflecting broad consensus among MPC members amid stable macroeconomic conditions.

Announcing the outcome, RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra stated that the committee has retained a neutral policy stance, after a careful assessment of domestic and global economic trends.