Daily Current Affairs: 22 February 2026

Analysis for 22 February 2026

Harsharan Kaur Trehan became Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) Director (Commercial).

[Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL)]

Key Updates:

Harsharan Kaur Trehan assumed charge as Director (Commercial) of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) on 21 February 2026.
She is the first woman technocrat to reach board level in PSPCL.
Her appointment order was issued on 20 February 2026 by Basant Garg, Secretary, Power, Punjab Government, for a two-year tenure.
Trehan had earlier become the first woman Engineer-in-Chief of PSPCL in May 2021 and retired from that post in October 2022.
She joined the erstwhile Punjab State Electricity Board as an Assistant Engineer in 1987 after graduating from Delhi College of Engineering.

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Veteran Art Director K Shekhar Passes Away at 72 (End of December) ▼

K Shekhar, the veteran art director celebrated for his imaginative set designs, passed away at his home in Thiruvananthapuram.
He is most remembered for designing the anti-gravity room in the song 'Aalippazham Perukkaan' of the Malayalam film 'My Dear Kuttichathan'.
The anti-gravity room was built on a rotating steel rig without any computer graphics, predating similar Hollywood techniques by decades.
Shekhar entered Malayalam cinema in 1982 as costume designer and publicity designer for the film 'Padayottam' directed by Jijo Punnoose.

Simran Bala becomes first woman from Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri to join Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and will lead all-male contingent on Republic Day. (End of January) ▼

Simran Bala, 26-year-old Assistant Commandant in Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), hails from Nowshera sector of Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir.
She will lead an all-male CRPF contingent of over 140 personnel during the Republic Day parade on Kartavya Path in New Delhi on 26 January 2026.
Bala is the first woman from Rajouri district to join CRPF as an officer.
Her family stated that she represents the third generation in their family to serve the nation in uniform.

Actor Pravina Deshpande passes away at 60. (Mid of February) ▼

Pravina Deshpande died on 17 February 2026 after a prolonged battle with cancer at the age of 60.
Her cremation was held on 17 February 2026 at 3:00 pm at Hindu Crematorium, Chakala Parsiwada, Andheri East.
She was a member of Cine & TV Artistes’ Association (CINTAA) since 2008.
Her Hindi film credits include Ready, Ek Villain, Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran and Jalebi.
Her television appearances include Ghar Ek Mandir, Kumkum – Ek Pyara Sa Bandhan, Karam Apnaa Apnaa and Kulfi Kumar Bajewala.
Her final screen appearance was in the Netflix web series Taskaree.

Ramprasad Sridharan appointed Managing Director for Puma India (End of November) ▼

Ramprasad Sridharan was appointed as the Managing Director of Puma India.
His appointment is effective December 2025.
He will report to Matthias Bäumer, the Chief Commercial Officer of the company.
Ramprasad Sridharan brings over 25 years of experience in brand building and commercial strategy across the Asia-Pacific region.
He most recently served as the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of United Colors of Benetton India.
Prior to that, he held senior leadership roles at Clarks and Reebok India.
He succeeds Karthik Balagopalan.
Karthik Balagopalan left the company to pursue other interests.
Karthik Balagopalan served Puma for two decades.

Ricky Andrew J Syngkon laid to rest; Meghalaya government declares holiday in Khasi-Jaintia Hills.

[Meghalaya]

Key Updates:

Ricky Andrew J Syngkon, 54, Shillong Lok Sabha MP and founding member of Voice of the People Party (VPP), died on Thursday evening at a hospital in Shillong after a sudden cardiac arrest while playing futsal in Mawlai Mawiong.
His mortal remains were laid to rest at Sumer Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Ri-Bhoi district on Saturday.
The Meghalaya government observed a holiday in the Khasi-Jaintia Hills region on Saturday as a mark of respect.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma visited Syngkon’s residence at Pohkseh locality in Shillong on Friday to pay homage.
The Meghalaya legislative assembly adjourned its ongoing budget session on Friday after paying tributes to the late MP.
Syngkon had served as assistant professor in the department of economics at North-Eastern Hill University before entering politics.
In the 2024 general elections he won the Shillong parliamentary seat as a VPP candidate, defeating three-time Congress MP Vincent H Pala by 3,71,910 votes.

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Mani Shankar Mukherjee (Shankar) passes away at 92. (End of February) ▼

Mani Shankar Mukherjee, popularly known as Shankar, died at the age of 92 on Friday.
He was born in 1933 in Bongaon, North 24 Parganas district, West Bengal.
Shankar received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2021.
Notable works include Chowrangi, Kato Ajanare, Simabuddha, Janaaranya, and Kumkum Prabhu.

Nicholas Hum, Australian Paralympic bronze-medallist long jumper, passes away (Mid of December) ▼

Nicholas Hum, a Paralympic bronze-medallist long jumper, passed away at the age of 32.
Australian Athletics confirmed his death on social media.
Hum competed in three Paralympic Games and five World Para Athletics Championships.
He held the Australian long jump T20 record at 7.39 meters.
He retired from competitive athletics just over a year before his death.

Biswabandhu Sen passed away as Speaker of the Tripura Legislative Assembly (TLA) (End of December) ▼

Biswabandhu Sen, the Speaker of the Tripura Legislative Assembly (TLA), passed away at a private hospital in Bengaluru on December 26, 2025.
He had been undergoing medical treatment after suffering a massive cerebral stroke on August 8.
The Tripura government declared a three-day state mourning following the demise of the veteran leader.
All government offices, institutions, schools, and colleges in Tripura were ordered to remain closed on December 26, 2025.
He is survived by his wife, one son, and one daughter.

Shamanur Shivashankarappa, Karnataka’s oldest MLA and veteran Congress leader, dies (Mid of December) ▼

Shamanur Shivashankarappa, Karnataka’s oldest MLA and veteran Congress leader, died at 94.
He represented the Davanagere South Assembly constituency.
He was the National president of Akhila Bharatha Veerashaiva Mahasabha.
He remained active in politics for around five decades.
He was elected six times as an MLA since 1994 and once to the Lok Sabha.
He was also a former minister and industrialist.
His son, S S Mallikarjun, is a Minister in the state Cabinet.
His daughter-in-law, Prabha Mallikarjun, represents Davangere in the Lok Sabha.

CP Radhakrishnan Releases Shashi Tharoor’s Biography of Sree Narayana Guru

Key Updates:

Vice-President CP Radhakrishnan released the book titled The Sage Who Reimagined Hinduism: The Life, Lessons, and Legacy of Sree Narayana Guru at the India International Centre (IIC) in New Delhi on 19 February 2026.
The biography is authored by Member of Parliament (MP) Shashi Tharoor and published by Aleph Book Company.
The book documents the life and social reforms of Sree Narayana Guru, a 19th-century spiritual leader from Kerala who campaigned against caste discrimination and promoted social equality.
The publication highlights the reformer’s central philosophy of one caste, one religion, one God for humankind and his initiatives in promoting education and temple entry for all.
The author noted that the work aims to preserve the civilisational memory and legacy of the reformer, which remains largely unknown outside Kerala despite its universal relevance.

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Ramakrishna Paramahansa Jayanti celebrated on 19 February 2026 (Mid of February) ▼

Ramakrishna Paramahansa Jayanti falls on 19 February 2026.
Dwitiya Tithi begins at 04:57 PM on 18 February 2026 and ends at 03:58 PM on 19 February 2026.
The day marks the 190th birth anniversary of Ramakrishna Paramahansa.
Ramakrishna was born on dwitiya tithi of shukla paksha in the month of Phalguna, Vikram Samvat 1892.
He was a 19th-century spiritual leader who practised Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam.
His guru was Bhairavi Brahmani, a tantric teacher.
He guided Swami Vivekananda and established the Ramakrishna Mission.

Biswabhusan Harichandan releases two books in Odisha (Start of February) ▼

Biswabhusan Harichandan, former Odisha Cabinet Minister and former Governor of Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, authored the Odia book 'E Mati Katha Kahe' and the English book 'Buxi Jagabandhu: The Great Commander'.
Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati released both books at a function in Bhubaneswar.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi attended the book release event.
Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari, Sambad Group founder Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, and Professor Bhagaban Jayasingh (translator of the English book) also addressed the gathering.

CM unveils two books by Bishwabhushan Harichandan (Mid of February) ▼

Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi unveiled the Odia book 'E Mati Katha Kahe' and the English book 'Buxi Jagabandhu: The Great Commander' written by former Governor Bishwabhushan Harichandan on 8 February 2026 in Bhubaneswar.
The English book highlights the 1817 Paika Rebellion, which the state wants recognised as India’s First War of Independence.
The Odia book contains 30 essays on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, world peace, and the Jagannath Nabakalebara Yatra.

Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCI&S) Revises Merchandise Trade Indices Base Year to FY 2022–23

Key Updates:

The Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCI&S), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, has revised the base year of India’s Merchandise Trade Indices from FY 2012–13 to FY 2022–23 (2022–23 = 100).
The revision was based on the recommendations of a committee chaired by Prof. Nachiketa Chattopadhyay, Professor at the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), Kolkata.
The updated series includes Monthly, Quarterly, and Annual Indices for Export Unit Value and Import Unit Value.
The revised indices cover Principal Commodity (PC) classification, Standard International Trade Classification (SITC), and Broad Economic Categories (BEC).
The DGCI&S will now compile Bilateral and Region-wise Trade Indices for the top 20 export and import partner nations of India.
The indices track three types of Terms of Trade: Gross terms of trade, Net terms of trade, and Income terms of trade.
The National Accounts Division (NAD) of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) uses these indices as deflators for estimating real exports and imports in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) compilation.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) utilises these indices for external sector assessment, balance of payments analysis, and evaluation of price competitiveness.
The compilation methodology uses the Laspeyres Formula for weighted averaging of items and commodity groups.

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Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) to release new GDP, CPI, IIP series with revised base years (Mid of February) ▼

The government will release the new GDP series on 27 February 2026, the new CPI series on 12 February 2026, and the new IIP series on 28 May 2026.
The GDP base year has been revised to 2022-23 to reflect current economic structures.
The CPI base year has been revised to 2024, updating the consumption basket and weights for rural and urban households.
The IIP base year has been revised to 2022-23 and aligned with the new national accounts series.
Base year revision is guided by respective Technical Advisory Committees comprising experts from Academia, Central and State governments, and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
CPI and GDP follow the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Special Data Dissemination Standards (SDDS) covering coverage, periodicity, timeliness, public access, integrity, and quality of data.

Ministry of Commerce and Industry reports India’s January trade deficit at 3-month high of $34.68 billion (Mid of February) ▼

India’s merchandise trade deficit widened to a three-month high of $34.68 billion in January 2026, up from $23.43 billion in the same month the previous year.
Total merchandise imports for January rose by 19% to reach $71.24 billion, while merchandise exports grew by 0.6% to $36.56 billion.
Gold imports during the month increased more than fourfold to $12.07 billion, while silver imports rose by 127% to reach $2 billion.
Services exports are estimated to reach a record high of $43.9 billion in January, marking a 26.3% year-on-year increase.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry projects overall exports to reach nearly $860 billion in the current fiscal year, with services exports expected to exceed $410 billion.
Cumulative exports, including both merchandise and services, rose by 6.15% to $720.76 billion during the April-January period.
India’s imports from China were recorded at $108.18 billion during the April-January period of the 2025-26 fiscal year.
Key drivers for goods exports included engineering goods, petroleum products, meat, dairy, and iron ore.
The primary export destinations for Indian goods were the United Arab Emirates (UAE), China, United Kingdom (UK), Italy, and the Netherlands.
Exports to the United States (US) fell by 21.7% to $6.59 billion in January, attributed to the impact of tariff barriers.
Non-petroleum and non-gems and jewellery exports contracted by 0.24% to $32.78 billion in January.
According to the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), total merchandise exports for the April 2025 to January 2026 period fell by 4.4% to $36.6 billion.

NITI Aayog releases fifth edition of Trade Watch Quarterly covering Q1 FY 2025-26 (Start of January) ▼

The fifth edition of Trade Watch Quarterly highlights emerging structural shifts in India’s trade profile.
It notes the rising contribution of technology-intensive exports and the continued strength of services-led growth.
The publication focuses on the structure and competitiveness of India’s automotive exports.

Goldman Sachs raises India CY26 Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Growth Forecast to 6.9% (Start of February) ▼

Goldman Sachs has raised India’s real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth forecast for calendar year 2026 by 20 basis points to 6.9 per cent.
The upward revision follows the United States (US) reducing reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods to 18 per cent from the previous 25 per cent.
The revised 18 per cent tariff rate aligns India with other Asian economies that face US tariff rates ranging between 15 per cent and 19 per cent.
India’s bilateral goods trade surplus with the US doubled from approximately $20 billion in CY2015 to about $40 billion in CY2025 year-to-date.
The expansion in trade surplus was primarily driven by higher surpluses in electronics, pharmaceutical products, and textiles.
American crude oil accounted for 7 per cent of India’s crude imports by volume in Financial Year 2026 (FY26) up to November 2025, compared to 4 per cent in FY25.

Government data shows Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) growth moderates to 4% in January 2026

Key Updates:

The Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) recorded 4% growth in January 2026 against a revised 4.7% in December 2025.
Steel production rose 9.9% year-on-year in January 2026 and 9.8% during April–January 2025-26.
Cement output expanded 10.7% in January 2026 and 9.1% during April–January 2025-26.
Electricity generation increased 3.8% in January 2026 and 0.8% during April–January 2025-26.
Fertiliser production grew 3.7% in January 2026 and 1.9% during April–January 2025-26.
Coal output rose 3.1% in January 2026 but declined 0.3% cumulatively during April–January 2025-26.
Crude oil production declined 5.8% in January 2026 and 2.1% during April–January 2025-26.
Natural gas output fell 5.0% in January 2026 and 3.4% during April–January 2025-26.
Petroleum refinery products output remained unchanged in January 2026 and rose 0.1% during April–January 2025-26.
The ICI carries a 40.27% weight in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).

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Ministry of Commerce & Industry records 1.8% rise in Index of Eight Core Industries (End of December) ▼

The combined Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) grew 1.8% in November 2025 compared with the year-ago period.
ICI carries a 40.27% weight in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).
Cement output surged 14.5% and steel production increased 6.1% in November.
Fertiliser production rose 5.6% and coal output climbed 2.1% during the month.
Crude oil production declined 3.2%, natural gas fell 2.5%, refinery products contracted 0.9% and electricity generation slipped 2.2% in November.
Cumulatively for April–November 2025-26, core sector output expanded 2.4% over the corresponding period last year.
Steel and cement led cumulative growth at 9.7% and 8.2%, respectively, while coal, crude oil, natural gas and electricity posted cumulative declines.

Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) records November IIP growth at 6.7% (End of December) ▼

India’s industrial output rose 6.7 per cent year-on-year in November, posting the highest rate of growth in 25 months.
Manufacturing production grew 8 per cent, the most in 25 months.
Mining sector growth rebounded to 5.4 per cent in November after contracting in six of the previous seven months.
Electricity generation declined 1.5 per cent in November compared to the same month last year.
Industrial production rose 3.3 per cent in April-November versus 4.1 per cent in the first eight months of 2024-25.
Manufacturing output increased 4.4 per cent in April-November, while mining output fell 0.9 per cent and electricity generation dipped 0.2 per cent.
Consumer non-durables production rose 7.3 per cent in November after falling 5.2 per cent in October.
Capital goods output grew 10.4 per cent, infrastructure goods 12.1 per cent, and consumer durables 10.3 per cent in November.

Government of India (GoI) Projects 7.4% GDP Growth for FY26 (Start of January) ▼

The Government of India (GoI) projects the real GDP growth at 7.4% for fiscal year 2025–26, exceeding the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) expectation of 7.3%.
Nominal GDP growth is estimated at 8% for the current fiscal year, compared to 9.7% recorded in the previous year.
India’s GDP growth accelerated to a six-quarter high of 8.2% in the second quarter of FY26, following a 7.8% expansion in the April–June quarter.
Real Gross Value Added (GVA) is expected to expand by 7.3% in FY26, an increase from 6.4% in FY25.
Nominal GVA is projected to grow at 7.7% in the current fiscal, down from the 9.3% growth recorded in the previous financial year.
Government spending is estimated to rise by 5.2% in fiscal 2025-26, compared to a 2.3% increase in the previous year.
Manufacturing and construction sectors are both estimated to achieve a growth rate of 7.0% at constant prices in FY 2025-26.
The agriculture and allied sector is estimated to grow by 3.1% during FY26, down from the 4.6% growth witnessed in FY24.

Ministry of Commerce & Industry records 1.8% rise in Index of Eight Core Industries (End of December) ▼

The combined Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) grew 1.8% in November 2025 compared with the year-ago period.
ICI carries a 40.27% weight in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).
Cement output surged 14.5% and steel production increased 6.1% in November.
Fertiliser production rose 5.6% and coal output climbed 2.1% during the month.
Crude oil production declined 3.2%, natural gas fell 2.5%, refinery products contracted 0.9% and electricity generation slipped 2.2% in November.
Cumulatively for April–November 2025-26, core sector output expanded 2.4% over the corresponding period last year.
Steel and cement led cumulative growth at 9.7% and 8.2%, respectively, while coal, crude oil, natural gas and electricity posted cumulative declines.

Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) launches NPS Swasthya pilot for medical corpus

[Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA)]

Key Updates:

Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has introduced NPS Swasthya on a pilot basis to help subscribers build a separate health corpus within their pension account.
Any Indian citizen can voluntarily enrol in NPS Swasthya and contribute any amount without an upper limit through their chosen pension fund manager.
Existing non-government NPS subscribers above 40 years can transfer up to 30% of their total contributions from Common Account to Swasthya Account.
Subscribers can withdraw up to 25% of their own contributions per instance for medical expenses after accumulating a minimum corpus of Rs 50,000.
For critical hospitalisation bills exceeding 70% of the Swasthya corpus, 100% lump-sum withdrawal is allowed under the premature exit option.
Withdrawn amounts are paid directly to the Health Benefit Administrator (HBA) or Third Party Administrator (TPA) against valid medical bills, and any surplus is transferred back to the Common Scheme Account.
The scheme operates under PFRDA's Regulatory Sandbox Framework with limited enrollment, and if found unviable, the accumulated corpus can be transferred back to the Common Account without loss.

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Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) approves NPS Swasthya Pension Scheme pilot under regulatory sandbox. (End of January) ▼

The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) issued the circular on Tuesday.
The pilot NPS Swasthya Pension Scheme operates under the Regulatory Sandbox Framework as a proof of concept.
Subscribers can withdraw up to 25 per cent of their own contributions for medical expenses with no cap on the number of withdrawals.
A minimum accumulated corpus of Rs 50,000 is required before the first withdrawal.
Full premature exit with 100 per cent lump sum is allowed if inpatient medical expenses exceed 70 per cent of the total corpus in a single instance.
Subscribers above 40 years (excluding government sector) may transfer up to 30 per cent of contributions from their existing NPS common account to the Swasthya Pension Scheme account.
Pension funds (PFs) must obtain prior PFRDA approval and may partner with fintech firms, health benefit administrators (HBAs), or third-party administrators (TPAs).
The pilot runs for a limited period with a restricted subscriber base; unviability will allow corpus transfer back to the common NPS account.

Kerala launches Sthree Suraksha scheme with ₹1,000 monthly pension (Mid of February) ▼

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched the Sthree Suraksha Scheme on 11 February 2026 at Malayinkeezhu, Thiruvananthapuram.
The scheme provides ₹1,000 per month to 10,18,042 women and transwomen beneficiaries.
Eligible beneficiaries are women aged 35 to 60 who are economically backward and not receiving other social welfare pensions, as well as trans women.
The first month’s payment was transferred to the cleared beneficiaries on the afternoon of 10 February 2026.

SBI Life Insurance launches SBI Life - Smart Platina Advantage guaranteed savings plan. (Mid of January) ▼

SBI Life - Smart Platina Advantage is an individual, non-linked, non-participating life insurance savings product offering long-term guaranteed benefits and life insurance protection throughout the policy term.
The product provides assured guaranteed additions every policy year and allows premium payment for a limited period while maintaining life cover for the entire policy term.
Tax benefits are available as per applicable provisions of the Income Tax Act, 1961.
Policyholders can opt to receive maturity proceeds in instalments, providing post-maturity liquidity and financial flexibility.

Government of India Approves Wage and Pension Revision for PSGICs, NABARD, and RBI (End of January) ▼

The Government of India has approved a 12.41% hike in the wage bill for Public Sector General Insurance companies (PSGICs), effective from August 2022.
The revision for PSGICs incorporates a uniform family pension rate of 30% and an increase in NPS contribution from 10% to 14% for employees who joined after April 2010.
The total financial implication for the PSGIC wage and pension revision is approximately ₹8,170 crore, benefiting 46,322 employees, 23,570 pensioners, and 23,260 family pensioners.
The PSGICs covered under the revision include National Insurance Company Ltd (NICL), New India Assurance Company (NIACL), Oriental Insurance Company (OICL), United India Insurance Company (UIICL), General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC), and Agriculture Insurance Company of India Ltd (AICIL).
The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) will implement a hike of approximately 20% in pay and allowances for all Group 'A', 'B', and 'C' employees.
The government has approved a 10% enhancement in pension and family pension on basic pension plus dearness relief for Reserve Bank of India (RBI) retirees, effective from November 1, 2022.
The RBI pension revision results in an effective enhancement of the basic pension by a factor of 1.43 for 30,769 beneficiaries, including 22,580 pensioners and 8,189 family pensioners.
The NABARD revision is expected to benefit approximately 3,800 serving and former employees.

Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) and Arun Jaitley National Institute of Financial Management (AJNIFM) sign MoU to build FinTech and international finance talent for IFSC.

[Gujarat]

Key Updates:

GIFT City and AJNIFM signed an MoU on 18 February 2026 to collaborate on capacity building, academic engagement, and knowledge exchange in international finance, governance, and financial technology under the GIFT International FinTech Institute.
AJNIFM is an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Finance, Government of India.
A five-day Industry Immersion Programme for second-year MBA students of AJNIFM commenced at GIFT City as part of the MoU.
The programme offers exposure to regulatory frameworks, cross-border financial services, digital finance innovations, capital market operations, and institutional strategies at GIFT City.
The MoU framework includes joint research, executive education, faculty exchanges, and knowledge platforms.

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Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN) and Startup Policy Forum (SPF) sign MoU to accelerate fintech and digital innovation. (Mid of February) ▼

Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN) and Startup Policy Forum (SPF) signed an MoU at Black Swan Summit India 2026 in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
GFTN is a Singapore-headquartered platform established by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and spans more than 130 countries.
SPF represents over 65 high-growth Indian startups collectively valued at more than USD 100 billion.
The collaboration focuses on strengthening global-India innovation corridors, enabling structured policy dialogue, and supporting international expansion of Indian startups.
Priority areas include digital finance infrastructure, responsible AI, digital assets, cross-border payments, and regulatory innovation.
GFTN is chaired by Ravi Menon, former Managing Director of MAS.
SPF works closely with DPIIT, the MeitY Startup Hub, and the IndiaAI Mission.

International Financial Services Authority (IFSCA) targets GIFT City (Gujarat) as India’s Guernsey-style IP hub (End of November) ▼

IFSCA Chairperson K Rajaraman states an expert committee is examining how GIFT City can host IP in a better and attractive way.
Rajaraman notes that worldwide earnings on IP in terms of royalty and dividends in 2023 was around $501 billion and India’s share was 0.5 percent.
Goutam Bhattacharya highlights that GIFT IFSC can offer a single-window advisory for patent, trademark, design, and copyright registration.
Ankit Sahni emphasises that GIFT IFSC can enable IP-backed financing, cross-border technology licensing, royalty securitisation, and global dispute resolution.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) approves Punjab & Sind Bank branch at GIFT City (End of January) ▼

Punjab & Sind Bank has received approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to open a branch at the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) in GIFT City, Gandhinagar.
The branch will enable the bank to strengthen its capabilities in foreign currency lending, trade finance, treasury operations, and international banking.
Swarup Kumar Saha, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Punjab & Sind Bank, stated that this move aligns with the bank’s long-term vision of entering the international market and supporting India’s ambition of becoming a global financial powerhouse.

IDFC FIRST Bank partners with FPSB India to upskill Wealth Management Regional Managers (End of November) ▼

IDFC FIRST Bank signed an MoU with FPSB India under the Approved Corporate Partner initiative.
FPSB India will upskill IDFC FIRST Bank's Wealth Management Regional Managers through specialised training and certification programs.
The collaboration supports hiring initiatives and creates enhanced career pathways for CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professionals.
FPSB India is the Indian subsidiary of Financial Planning Standards Board Ltd. and offers the globally recognised CFP® certification.
FPSB India is home to over 3,215 CFP® professionals in India and part of a global network representing more than 230,648 CFP® professionals worldwide.

NHAI discontinues cash toll payments from 1 April 2026

Key Updates:

National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will stop accepting cash at all national toll plazas from 1 April 2026.
All toll payments will be processed only through digital modes using FASTag or Unified Payments Interface (UPI).
Vehicles entering a toll plaza without a valid FASTag are charged twice the applicable user fee if payment is made in cash.
Users paying via UPI are charged 1.25 times the user fee for the applicable vehicle category.
Over 98% penetration of FASTag has transformed toll collection practices across the country.
More than 1,150 fee plazas on various National Highways and Expressways will implement the digital-only payment system.

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Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) completes AI-based Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) tolling rollout by 2026 (Mid of December) ▼

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) will fully implement Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) tolling and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven highway management systems across India by the end of 2026.
The new AI-based system will replace the existing FASTag mechanism, allowing vehicles to cross toll points at a maximum speed of 80 km per hour without stopping.
The government aims to reduce toll plaza waiting time to zero minutes using satellite-based number plate recognition integrated with AI.
The implementation of the MLFF system is projected to result in annual fuel savings worth ₹1,500 crore.
Government revenues from toll collection are expected to increase by ₹6,000 crore following the full implementation of the new technology.
The existing FASTag system has already increased toll income by at least ₹5,000 crore and reduced waiting times from 3-10 minutes to 60 seconds or less.

FASTag Annual Pass Crosses 50 Lakh User Mark with ₹3,000 One-Time Fee (Start of February) ▼

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) reported that the FASTag Annual Pass has crossed 50 lakh users with over 26.55 crore transactions recorded within six months of launch.
The initiative was launched on August 15, 2025, to provide financial relief to commuters using national highways.
The pass is applicable for all non-commercial vehicles with a valid FASTag and requires a one-time fee payment of ₹3,000.
The validity of the pass is for one year or 200 toll plaza crossings, applicable at approximately 1,150 fee plazas on National Highways and National Expressways.
Chandigarh leads in usage accounting for 14 per cent of total transactions, followed by Tamil Nadu at 12.3 per cent and Delhi at 11.5 per cent.
Bijwasan Fee Plaza in Delhi NCR is the leading location with 57 per cent of car crossings using the pass, followed by Mundaka in Delhi NCR and Jhinjholi in Sonipat at 53 per cent each.
The pass can be activated within two hours through the Rajmargyatra App or the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) website.

Integrated Fertilizers e-Bill System: ₹2 Lakh Crore Subsidy Now Fully Digital (Start of January) ▼

Department of Fertilizers (DoF) launched the Integrated Fertilizers e-Bill System to process the entire ₹2 lakh crore annual fertiliser subsidy digitally.
The system enables end-to-end digital bill processing, eliminating physical movement of bills and allowing companies to submit claims and track payments online.
Integration between iFMS of DoF and PFMS of CGA creates a tamper-proof digital audit trail, enhances transparency, and accelerates weekly subsidy payments.

National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008 amended to reduce toll on partially operational Expressways (Mid of February) ▼

Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) amended the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008 with effect from 15 February 2026.
On partially operational National Expressways, toll will now be levied only on the completed stretch at the lower rate applicable to regular National Highways instead of the 25 per cent higher Expressway rate.
The amendment will remain valid for up to one year from its enforcement date or until the Expressway becomes fully operational, whichever is earlier.

Ministry of Power Constitutes Committees for PFC and REC Merger

[Ministry of Power (India), Power Finance Corporation (PFC)]

Key Updates:

The Ministry of Power (MoP) has constituted a high-level committee and a three-member working group to oversee the merger of Power Finance Corporation (PFC) and Rural Electrification Corporation (REC).
The working group is headed by the Director (Distribution) of the MoP and includes executive directors from both PFC and REC as members.
The working group is tasked with studying and recommending strategies for personnel and technology integration, corporate and functional restructuring, and harmonisation of stakeholder interests.
The high-level committee is convened by the Joint Secretary (Distribution) of the MoP, with the Chairman and Managing Directors (MDs) of PFC and REC serving as members.
The high-level committee will meet once every week to review progress reports from the working group and ensure the smooth execution of the merger process.

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Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) approves merger of 17 Power Grid Corporation of India subsidiaries (Start of February) ▼

Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) sanctioned orders on 27 January 2026 for merging 17 wholly owned subsidiaries of Power Grid Corporation of India.
The sanction orders were received by the company on 4 February 2026.
The restructuring uses two composite schemes: Scheme/Group-A and Scheme/Group-B.
Twelve subsidiaries, including several regional transmission systems, will merge into POWERGRID Khavda II-C Transmission Limited.
Five subsidiaries—POWERGRID Bhadla III and POWERGRID Ramgarh II among them—will amalgamate into POWERGRID Vataman Transmission Limited.
The mergers take effect retrospectively from the appointed date of 1 April 2024.
Disclosure was made under Regulation 30 of SEBI Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements Regulations, 2015.

Narayan Ramachandran heads PFRDA (Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority) constituted 9-member SAARG committee. (End of January) ▼

Narayan Ramachandran, former country head and CEO of Morgan Stanley India, chairs the SAARG committee formed by PFRDA.
The committee includes former whole-time member Ananth Narayan, Motilal Oswal Co-founder Raamdeo Agrawal, DSP Mutual Fund MD & CEO Kalpen Parekh, and First Global Founder & CMD Devina Mehra.
PFRDA mandates the SAARG committee to review and modernise the National Pension System (NPS) investment framework within 9 months.
The panel will benchmark NPS guidelines against leading global pension systems and the evolving Indian investment ecosystem.

EPFO Single-Window Service Centres Revamp (End of December) ▼

Union Minister for Labour and Employment and Youth Affairs and Sports, Mansukh Mandaviya, announced that EPFO offices will be revamped into modern, technology-enabled, single-window service centres.
All upcoming and several existing EPFO offices will be redesigned on the lines of passport seva kendras, allowing citizens to resolve any EPF-related issue at any regional office nationwide.
EPFO will undertake mission-mode KYC verification and launch a dedicated digital platform for simplified claim filing and faster settlements.
Claims up to ₹5 lakh are now settled automatically and withdrawals of up to 75 percent of EPF balances have been eased.
EPFO will introduce EPF Suvidha Providers—authorised facilitators to assist members in accessing benefits and resolving grievances.

EPFO Constitutes Four-Member Committee for Cadre Restructuring (End of November) ▼

The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation has set up a four-member committee for cadre restructuring of the retirement fund body.
The committee, headed by BP Sharma, the former secretary of the department of personnel and training, will submit its report by March 31, 2026.
It will undertake a comprehensive review of the existing workload of EPFO, identify imbalances, overlaps and inefficiencies in the present workforce structure and evaluate the requirement for rationalisation, optimisation or augmentation of human resources in line with functional necessities.
The committee will benchmark the cadre structure of officers and employees of the central board and recommend appropriate restructuring measures to enhance efficiency, service delivery and institutional effectiveness, while ensuring that manpower deployment remains commensurate with the functional workload.
It will recommend a suitable framework for induction of officers on deputation from the central government and other public institutions for bringing in talent, best practices, and cross-sectoral expertise to EPFO.
The committee will also recommend a framework for EPFO officers and staff to go on deputation or exchange programmes to other organisations to facilitate exposure to new ideas, professional development, and adoption of innovative practices.

Lengtekai 'Faith Bridge' over Tlawng river inaugurated in Mizoram

[Mizoram]

Key Updates:

Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma inaugurated the Rs 43.83-crore Lengtekai 'Faith Bridge' over Tlawng river.
The 100-metre-long, 7.5-metre-wide steel bridge is funded by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).
It links Aizawl with Lengpui Airport and Mamit district, replacing aging Bailey bridges and supporting loads up to 385 metric tons.

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Make in India steel bridge completed for Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project (End of January) ▼

A 100 m long 'Make in India' steel bridge has been completed over the underground metro tunnel in Ahmedabad district for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project.
This is the 13th steel bridge completed in Gujarat out of 17 planned for the project in the state.
The bridge weighs 1098 metric tons, measures 14 m in height and 15.5 m in width, and is located parallel to the Ahmedabad Sabarmati main line of Western Railways.
Fabricated in Wardha, Maharashtra, the bridge was assembled at 16.5 m height using about 45,186 Tor-Shear Type High Strength bolts and coated with the C5 system protective paint.

PM Modi Inaugurates Infrastructure Projects Worth ₹5,450 Crore in Assam (Mid of February) ▼

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated multiple infrastructure projects in Assam worth over ₹5,450 crore to enhance connectivity, digital infrastructure, and urban mobility.
The Prime Minister inaugurated the Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu, a 2.86-km-long, six-lane extradosed Prestressed Concrete (PSC) bridge over the Brahmaputra River in Guwahati.
The Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu was constructed at an approximate cost of ₹3,030 crore and is the first extradosed bridge in Northeast India.
The bridge incorporates base isolation technology using friction pendulum bearings and a Bridge Health Monitoring System (BHMS) for real-time condition monitoring.
The Northeast’s first Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) was inaugurated on the Moran Bypass in Dibrugarh district, developed in coordination with the Indian Air Force (IAF).
The ELF is a 4.2-km-long reinforced concrete stretch designed to handle fighter aircraft up to 40 tonnes and transport aircraft up to 74 tonnes.
The facility serves as a strategic alternative to Dibrugarh Airport and the Chabua Air Force Station, strengthening military infrastructure near the India-China border.

PM Modi inaugurates and flags off projects worth Rs 5,450 crore in Assam (Mid of February) ▼

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Assam and launched development projects worth over Rs 5,450 crore aimed at improving connectivity, digital infrastructure, higher education, and urban mobility in the North-East.
He landed at the Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) on the Moran Bypass in Dibrugarh, the first such dual-use facility in the North-East, developed with the Indian Air Force (IAF) to handle fighter aircraft up to 40 tonnes and transport aircraft up to 74 tonnes.
PM Modi inspected the newly built Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu, a six-lane extradosed PSC bridge across the Brahmaputra, constructed at a cost of approximately Rs 3,030 crore, reducing travel time between Guwahati and North Guwahati to seven minutes.
He inaugurated the National Data Centre for the North-Eastern Region at Amingaon in Kamrup district, with a sanctioned load of 8.5 MW and average rack capacity of 10 kW, to host mission-critical government applications and serve as a Disaster Recovery centre.
PM Modi inaugurated the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Guwahati, adding to higher education infrastructure in the North-East.
He flagged off 225 electric buses under the PM-eBus Sewa Scheme, with 100 for Guwahati, 50 each for Nagpur and Bhavnagar, and 25 for Chandigarh, expected to benefit over 50 lakh citizens.

IWAI signs MoUs worth over ₹6,000 crore for development of Inland Waterways on National Waterway-1 (Ganga) (Start of December) ▼

Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), nodal agency under Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), signed 25 MoUs for inland waterways development.
The MoUs aim to strengthen river cruise tourism, ship repair infrastructure, multimodal connectivity and clean-energy transportation along National Waterway-1 (Ganga).
Uttar Pradesh receives substantial share of commitments focused on expanding operations in Varanasi and along the Ganga corridor.
Key MoUs include ₹800 crore for cruise tourism, ₹350 crore ship repair facility in Varanasi with UP government, ₹200 crore for two river cruise terminals in Varanasi, ₹100 crore for electric vessel charging infrastructure, ₹200 crore Regional Centre of Excellence in Varanasi, ₹1,000 crore with Rhenus Logistics for tug-barges, ₹1,500 crore with NTCPWC of IIT-Madras for dredging supervision, and ₹1,500 crore with IPRCL for rail connectivity DPR and PMC services.

Gorakhpur International Cricket Stadium: Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) to contribute Rs 60 crore

[Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL)]

Key Updates:

Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) signed an MoU with the Uttar Pradesh government to provide Rs 60 crore for constructing an international cricket stadium in Gorakhpur.
The MoU was signed in the presence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
The proposed stadium will have a seating capacity of 30,000 spectators and will be developed fully in line with international standards.
The project is targeted for completion by December 2027.

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Harmanpreet Kaur & Yuvraj Singh Honoured With Named Stands at Mullanpur Stadium (Mid of December) ▼

India’s World Cup-winning captain, Harmanpreet Kaur and former cricketer Yuvraj Singh... were on Thursday honoured with stands at the Mullanpur Stadium.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann honoured Harmanpreet and Yuvraj ahead of the second T20I between Suryakumar Yadav’s India and Aiden Markram’s South Africa.
After inaugurating the stands, the Punjab Chief Minister handed over the state-announced cash rewards of Rs 11 lakh each to Harleen, Amanjot and captain Harmanpreet.
Fielding coach Munish Bali also received a Rs 5 lakh award.

Amit Shah to inaugurate Assam’s largest multidisciplinary sports stadium in Dibrugarh (End of January) ▼

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate the first phase of Assam’s biggest multidisciplinary sports stadium in Dibrugarh on 30 January 2026.
The mega sports complex has been constructed at a cost of ₹233 crore across 104 bighas in Khanikar, Dibrugarh.
The facility features a seating capacity of 35,000 and is designed to provide world-class amenities for athletes across multiple disciplines.
The Union Home Minister is also scheduled to lay the foundation stone for the second complex of the Assam Legislative Assembly during the visit.
The inauguration details were announced by Rituparna Baruah, the Chairman of the Assam Tourism Development Corporation Ltd (ATDCL).

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister (UPCM) Yogi Adityanath Schedules Noida International Airport Inauguration for January 2026 (End of December) ▼

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister (UPCM) Yogi Adityanath announced that the Noida International Airport at Jewar will be inaugurated in January 2026.
The facility will be the fifth international airport in Uttar Pradesh and is expected to be the largest airport in India.
Uttar Pradesh currently has 16 functional airports, including four international airports.
The Noida International Airport is a greenfield project being developed in the Jewar area of Gautam Buddh Nagar district under the public-private partnership (PPP) model.
The first phase of the airport project is spread over approximately 1,300 hectares.

Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DoT) Signs MoU with Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IITR) to Establish Centre of Excellence (Start of December) ▼

The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DoT) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IITR) to establish a centre of excellence (CoE) on the IITR campus.
The primary objective of the C-DoT Centre of Excellence (CoE) is to accelerate indigenous research, innovation and capacity building in advanced communication technologies.
The CoE will have a strong focus on research in the areas of wireless communication, quantum technologies, cybersecurity and AI-based applications.
The centre will drive joint research and prototype development in key emerging domains, including 5G and 6G, RF-sub-THz integrated circuits, sensors, millimetre-wave beamforming antennas with integrated ICs, V2X Communication, data-driven wireless communication technologies and energy efficiency.

Assam rolls out Provincialisation Management System (PMS 1.0) portal and Guru Dakshina scheme

[Assam]

Key Updates:

The Assam government launched the Provincialisation Management System (PMS 1.0) portal to streamline provincialisation of venture educational institutions under the Assam Education (Provincialisation of Services of Teachers and Re-Organisation of Educational Institutions) Act, 2017, as amended in 2025.
Institutions established before 2006 will be considered for provincialisation and must submit documentary proof through the portal.
The government will open around 75,000 teacher and lecturer vacancies this year, with UGC-qualified candidates assured fair opportunities.
The Guru Dakshina scheme provides one-time financial assistance to teachers who missed earlier provincialisation due to lack of certificates or eligibility issues, and they will receive preference marks in future recruitment.

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Assam Government launches Provincialisation Management System (PMS 1.0) for Venture Educational Institutions (Mid of February) ▼

The Government of Assam launched the Provincialisation Management System (PMS 1.0) to streamline the process of provincialising venture educational institutions.
Chief Minister (CM) Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma inaugurated the digital platform at Lok Sewa Bhawan to ensure transparency in the provincialisation of teaching and non-teaching staff.
The portal operates under the framework of the Assam Education Act, 2017, which was recently updated as the 2025 Amended Act.
The initiative includes special budgetary provisions for teachers of schools and colleges established after 2006 for the first time.
Educational institutions are required to register on the portal using the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) code for schools or the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) code for colleges.
The system facilitates digital screening and automated verification of institutional data to reduce manual errors and administrative delays.
Since 2011, over 57,000 teachers have been provincialised across primary, secondary, and college levels in the state of Assam.
The eligibility criteria for the provincialisation process were notified in the Government of Assam Gazette on 30 December 2025.

Madhya Pradesh Budget 2026-27: Total Outlay of ₹4.38 Lakh Crore with Focus on Women and Infrastructure (Mid of February) ▼

Madhya Pradesh Finance Minister Jagdish Devda presented the state budget for 2026-27 with a total outlay of ₹4,38,317 crore.
The budget is framed on the GYANII model, which stands for Garib Kalyan (poor), Yuva Shakti (youth), Annadata (farmers), Nari Shakti (women empowerment), Infrastructure, and Industry.
A total allocation of ₹1,27,555 crore has been earmarked for women welfare schemes, including the construction of 5,700 hostels for working women.
The Ladli Behna Yojana has been provisioned with ₹23,883 crore to provide monthly assistance of ₹1,500 to over 1.25 crore women.
The state government introduced a rolling budget provision for the first time to allow carrying forward funds to the next financial year.
A special provision of ₹3,600 crore has been made for the Simhastha Kumbh religious event scheduled to be held in Ujjain in 2028.
The Panchayat and Rural Development Department received an allocation of ₹40,062 crore, while the rural employment guarantee scheme (GRAM G) was allocated ₹10,428 crore.
The budget allocated ₹900 crore for the PM Janman scheme, which is dedicated to Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).
Over ₹1 lakh crore each has been allocated for agriculture-related development works and infrastructure projects.
The government announced the recruitment of 15,000 teachers and the provision of free milk in tetra packs for children up to Class 8 in government schools.
A provision of ₹4,454 crore has been proposed for the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) and ₹12,690 crore for road repairs.
The budget includes a plan to provide solar pumps to 1 lakh farmers and allocates ₹1,335 crore for the Labour Department.

e-Swasthya Samvad: Strengthening Governance in Medical Education (End of December) ▼

The Rajasthan government has launched a new digital communication platform, 'e-Swasthya Samvad (ESS)', to improve governance, transparency and coordination in the Medical Education Department (MED).
The initiative has been introduced under the direction of Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma and Medical Education Minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar as part of efforts to strengthen health services through technology-driven reforms.
The platform would function as a dedicated digital interface connecting all stakeholders associated with medical education and health services, enabling faster decision-making and effective implementation of health programmes.
The interaction will be held in two phases, including an open interaction with faculty members, doctors, nursing staff, students and the public from 6 pm.
Medical Education Commissioner Naresh Goyal said 'e-Swasthya Samvad' will be conducted twice a week -- every Tuesday and Thursday -- through video conferencing.
Decisions taken during meetings will be recorded instantly, and concerned officials will be required to submit action taken reports within 72 hours.
The platform was launched on Dec 29, 2025, to facilitate discussions on budget announcements, implementation of health schemes, and infrastructure projects.

Odisha CM launches Samikshya portal for real-time tracking of local body projects (End of January) ▼

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi launched the Samikshya portal at Lok Seva Bhawan alongside receiving the 6th State Finance Commission (SFC) report.
The portal provides real-time updates on implementation and progress of projects funded under grants of the SFC and the Central Finance Commission (CFC).
Projects covered include roads, drinking water supply, sanitation, street lighting, parks and other public utilities across rural and urban local bodies.
Citizens, elected representatives and stakeholders can access the portal at https://samikshya.odisha.gov.in to track development works and strengthen accountability.

India and France Elevate Relations to Special Global Strategic Partnership during President Macron's Visit

[France]

Key Updates:

Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron elevated the India-France relationship to a Special Global Strategic Partnership.
Bilateral trade between India and France crossed $15 billion in 2024-25, driven by aircraft manufacturing, information technology, pharmaceuticals, and critical minerals.
An annual Foreign Ministers Dialogue was established to review the implementation of the elevated partnership and the Horizon 2047 Roadmap.
The leaders launched the India-France Year of Innovation and the India-France Innovation Network.
An H125 helicopter final assembly line was inaugurated at Vemagal, Karnataka.
Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Safran entered a joint venture to produce Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range (HAMMER) missiles in India.
The bilateral agreement on defence cooperation was renewed for a period of 10 years during the 6th India-France Annual Defence Dialogue.
Reciprocal deployment of officers will be implemented at Indian Army and French Land Forces establishments.
A Joint Advanced Technology Development Group was constituted to enhance technological cooperation.
A Joint Declaration of Intent was signed for cooperation in the sector of critical minerals and metals.
The Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) to establish a centre on advanced materials and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for scientific collaboration.
The protocol on the Double Tax Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) between the two nations was amended.
The Indo-French Centre for Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Health was launched at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi.
New centres were established for Digital Sciences and Technology, Metabolic Health Sciences, and a National Centre of Excellence for Skilling in Aeronautics.
The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and ANRS signed an LoI for cooperation in research and development on infectious diseases and global health.
T-Hub and Nord France signed an LoI for strategic cooperation in start-up ecosystems, innovation, and technology.
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) renewed its MoU on renewable energy cooperation with the French Ministry for the Economy, Finance and Industrial, Energy and Digital Sovereignty.
The Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications, signed an LoI with La Poste, France.
President Macron invited PM Modi to the Group of Seven (G7) Summit to be chaired by France in 2026.

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India and France upgrade bilateral ties to Special Global Strategic Partnership during Mumbai talks (Mid of February) ▼

India and France elevated their relationship to a Special Global Strategic Partnership after talks in Mumbai between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron.
The meeting produced 21 outcomes covering defence, critical minerals, technology, startups, advanced materials, health and skilling.
Modi and Macron virtually inaugurated the H125 light utility helicopter final assembly line of Tata-Airbus in Karnataka.
The first 'Made in India' H125 helicopter is scheduled for delivery in early 2027 and will be exported within the South Asian region.
The two leaders launched the Indo-French Centre for AI in Health, Indo-French Centre for Digital Science and Technology, and National Centre of Excellence for Skilling in Aeronautics.
An annual Foreign Ministers Dialogue was established to review implementation of the elevated partnership and Horizon 2047 Roadmap.
India and France renewed their defence cooperation agreement and agreed on a joint venture between Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Safran to produce Hammer missiles in India.
Both countries decided on reciprocal deployment of officers at Indian Army and French Land Forces establishments.
A Joint Advanced Technology Development Group on Critical and Emerging Technologies including defence was constituted.
A Joint Declaration of Intent for Cooperation in Critical Minerals and Metals was issued.
The Protocol on the Double Tax Avoidance Agreement between India and France was amended.
Letters of Intent were signed between T-Hub and Nord France on startup ecosystems and between Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and ANRS on infectious disease research.
An agreement established the Indo-French Centre for Metabolic Health Sciences and a Letter of Intent launched the National Centre of Excellence for Skilling in Aeronautics.
The Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and the French Ministry for the Economy, Finance and Industrial, Energy and Digital Sovereignty on Renewable Energy Cooperation was renewed.

French President Emmanuel Macron to visit India for AI Impact Summit and bilateral talks (Mid of February) ▼

French President Emmanuel Macron will pay an official visit to India from 17 February at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
During the three-day visit Macron will hold wide-ranging talks with PM Modi and attend the AI Impact Summit, the first global AI summit to be hosted in the Global South, in New Delhi.
The leaders will discuss strengthening bilateral cooperation across multiple areas and exchange views on regional and global issues including Indo-Pacific cooperation under the Horizon 2047 Roadmap.
PM Modi and President Macron will jointly inaugurate the India-France Year of Innovation 2026 in Mumbai, aimed at deepening collaboration in innovation, technology, research and people-to-people exchanges throughout the year in both countries.
The visit follows PM Modi’s visit to France in February 2025 and reflects the mutual trust and depth of the India-France Strategic Partnership.

India and Spain unveil Dual Year logo and Spain joins Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) (End of January) ▼

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares jointly unveiled the logo for the India-Spain Dual Year of Culture, Tourism and Artificial Intelligence on 21 January 2026 in New Delhi.
The unveiling marked 70 years of diplomatic relations between India and Spain.
Spain formally acceded to the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) by handing over the signed Declaration of Accession to Jaishankar during the visit.
India launched the IPOI in November 2019 at the East Asia Summit in Bangkok, Thailand.
Discussions between the ministers covered trade, investment, defence, technology, education and people-to-people ties.
Jaishankar thanked Spain for supporting deeper India-European Union cooperation across multiple domains.

European Union leaders attend 77th Republic Day of India as Chief Guests and co-chair 16th EU-India Summit (End of January) ▼

President of the European Council Antonio Costa and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen paid a State Visit to India on 25–27 January 2026 as Chief Guests for the 77th Republic Day of India.
A contingent of the European Union Military Staff and the European Union Naval Operations ATALANTA and ASPIDES participated in the Republic Day Parade for the first time.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi co-chaired the 16th EU-India Summit with President Costa and President von der Leyen in New Delhi on 27 January 2026.
The EU-India Free Trade Agreement negotiations were successfully concluded during the Summit.
The EU-India Security and Defence Partnership, the first overarching defence and security framework between the two sides, was signed.
The leaders condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir on 22 April 2025 and the terror incident near Red Fort, New Delhi on 10 November 2025.
The EU-India Joint Comprehensive Strategic Agenda 'Towards 2030' was adopted to advance cooperation across five pillars: prosperity and sustainability, technology and innovation, security and defence, connectivity and global challenges, and enabling factors.

India and Israel sign MoU to deepen defence ties ahead of Prime Minister Modi's visit

[Israel]

Key Updates:

An MoU was signed between India and Israel to deepen defence ties and strengthen ongoing joint activities, including future seminars and cooperative initiatives.
The International Defence Cooperation Directorate (SIBAT) within Israel's Ministry of Defense (IMOD) facilitated meetings between leading Indian and Israeli defence industries leading to the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
SIBAT in cooperation with the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) and India's Ministry of Defence led a seminar and B2B meetings this week between leading Indian and Israeli defence companies.
The seminar was led by SIBAT Director, Brig. Gen. (Res.) Yair Kulas, and brought together small, medium and large Israeli and Indian defence companies for substantive engagements.
The event featured representatives from 30 Indian and 26 Israeli defence companies.
The Indian delegation was led by Ramesh K, Director General of SIDM, and included J P Singh, Ambassador of India to Israel, and Gp Capt. Vijay Patil, Defence Attache of India to Israel.
Prime Minister Modi would arrive on February 25 on a two-day visit to Israel.

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India and Jordan sign five MoUs after PM Modi–King Abdullah II talks in Amman (Mid of December) ▼

India and Jordan signed five MoUs covering technical cooperation in new and renewable energy, water resources management, twinning of Petra and Ellora, renewal of the Cultural Exchange Programme 2025-2029, and cooperation on population-scale digital solutions.
PM Modi proposed raising India-Jordan bilateral trade to USD 5 billion over the next five years from the present USD 2.8 billion.
Both leaders reiterated their shared stand against terrorism, extremism and radicalisation.

India and Israel sign Joint Ministerial Declaration to deepen fisheries and aquaculture cooperation (Mid of January) ▼

India and Israel signed a Joint Ministerial Declaration of Intent on 14 January 2026 to strengthen cooperation in fisheries and aquaculture.
The Indian delegation was led by Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying; and Panchayati Raj, Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh.
The Declaration was signed during the Second Global Summit on 'Blue Food Security: Sea the Future 2026' held in Eilat, Israel.
Key cooperation areas include Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS), Biofloc systems, Cage culture, Aquaponics, and Aquarium systems.
Both countries will explore the establishment of new Indo-Israel Centres of Excellence for Fisheries and Aquaculture.

India and Greece sign Joint Declaration of Intent to strengthen defence industrial cooperation (Start of February) ▼

India and Greece signed a Joint Declaration of Intent to strengthen defence industrial cooperation.
The agreement was signed after bilateral talks between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Greek counterpart Nikolaos-Georgios Dendias at the Manekshaw Centre.
The declaration will pave the way for developing a five-year roadmap for India-Greece defence partnership.
Greece will position an International Liaison Officer at the Information Fusion Center-Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR), Gurugram, to enhance maritime cooperation.
A Bilateral Military Cooperation Plan for 2026 was exchanged to chart military engagements between the armed forces of both countries.
Both ministers reaffirmed that the India-Greece Strategic Partnership is based on shared values of peace, stability, freedom, and mutual respect.
The countries agreed to expand their indigenous defence industries through partnership between India’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ and Greece’s ‘Agenda 2030’ defence reforms.

India and Brunei hold inaugural Joint Working Group meeting on Defence Cooperation on Dec 10 2025 (Mid of December) ▼

The inaugural meeting of the India-Brunei Joint Working Group (JWG) on Defence Cooperation was held in New Delhi, marking a key step in advancing defence engagement between the two countries.
The Ministry of Defence said the talks centred on expanding military-to-military exchanges and joint training, strengthening maritime security cooperation with a focus on sea lane safety and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), enhancing capacity-building initiatives, and identifying opportunities for industry partnerships and technology cooperation.
The meeting was co-chaired by Amitabh Prasad, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Defence, and Poh Kui Choon, Deputy Permanent Secretary in Brunei's Ministry of Defence.
Before the deliberations began, both sides signed the Terms of Reference (ToR), formally establishing the JWG on Defence Cooperation.
During her two-day visit, Choon also met Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh in New Delhi, adding a diplomatic dimension to the technical discussions held under the JWG.
Both delegations noted the increasing momentum in defence cooperation and agreed to pursue a structured roadmap under the JWG mechanism.
They also reaffirmed their shared commitment to peace, stability and a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific.

L&T Vyoma inks MoU with Gujarat govt to explore 250 MW green AI-ready data centre at Dholera SIR

[Gujarat, Larsen & Toubro (L&T)]

Key Updates:

Larsen and Toubro (L&T) Vyoma signed an MoU with the Gujarat Department of Science and Technology during the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi.
The MoU envisages a 250 MW high-scale, green AI-ready data centre at Dholera Special Investment Region (SIR).
L&T Vyoma will invest ₹25,000 crore and aims to operationalise the facility by 2028.
The company will conduct a detailed feasibility assessment covering land suitability, infrastructure readiness, availability zones and sustainability parameters.
The Government of Gujarat will facilitate the project through its relevant departments.
The initiative aligns with the Gujarat IT/ITeS Policy (2022-27) and seeks to position Gujarat as a hub for AI infrastructure, cloud computing and advanced analytics.
Gujarat’s Budget has allocated over ₹850 crore for AI and digital governance initiatives.

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Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) launches India Grids of the Future Accelerator with $25 million funding (End of February) ▼

The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) launched the India Grids of the Future Accelerator at Mumbai Climate Week 2026 to modernise power distribution and integrate renewable energy.
The initiative is supported by the All India DISCOM Association (AIDA), International Solar Alliance (ISA), and designated Champion Utilities.
GEAPP will deploy up to $25 million by 2028, aiming to unlock a total of $100 million by 2030 to support the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision of the Government of India.
Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were signed with AIDA and distribution companies (DISCOMs) in Delhi and Rajasthan as the first cohort of Champion Utilities.
The accelerator aims to support 15 or more utilities and impact nearly 300 million people through its D4 framework of Digitalisation, Distributed energy resources, Democratisation, and Development.
The third edition of the Energy Transitions Innovation Challenge (ENTICE 3.0) was launched to focus on energy storage and grid digitalisation.
GEAPP was founded in 2021 by The Rockefeller Foundation, IKEA Foundation, and Bezos Earth Fund to end energy poverty and accelerate green economic opportunity.

Reliance to invest Rs 10 lakh crore in AI compute, green energy and applications (End of February) ▼

Reliance Industries and Jio will invest Rs 10 lakh crore over seven years to build India’s sovereign AI infrastructure, scale green energy and develop affordable AI applications.
Jio Intelligence will create gigawatt-scale data centres and a nationwide edge network, with a 120 megawatt campus under construction in Jamnagar, Gujarat scheduled to go live in the second half of 2026.
Reliance will utilise up to 10 gigawatts of green power surplus anchored by solar projects in Kutch, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh to power the AI infrastructure.
Jio Shikshak provides AI-powered teaching assistance in 22 Indian languages, Jio Arogya AI delivers first medical guidance in under five minutes on any phone, Jio Krishi offers voice-first farm advisory to 140 million farmers, and Jio Bharat IQ serves as a voice-first AI companion.
Jio Intelligence will follow five principles: AI for deeptech and advanced manufacturing, multilingual AI across Indian languages, responsibility and data residency, job creation through high-skill work, and ecosystem building with enterprises, startups, IITs, IISc and research institutions.

Adani Group to build 48-MW AI green data centre in Telangana (Start of December) ▼

The Adani group is setting up a 48-megawatt green data center in Telangana with an investment of Rs 2,500 crores.
This facility will be at the forefront of cutting-edge AI, cloud technology, and high performance computing.
The group has so far invested nearly Rs 10,000 crores in the last three years in building state infrastructure and manufacturing facilities in Telangana.

AM Green builds world’s largest green-ammonia complex in Andhra Pradesh (Mid of January) ▼

AM Green is developing India’s first and the world’s largest green-ammonia complex with a planned capacity of 1.5 million tonnes per annum.
The integrated project spans 7.5 gigawatts of solar and wind capacity, 1,950 megawatts of electrolyser capacity and 2 gigawatts of round-the-clock renewable power supported by pumped hydro storage.
The facility will be commissioned in phases—0.5 million tonnes per annum by 2027, scaling to 1 million tonnes by 2028 and full 1.5 million tonnes by 2030.
Green ammonia produced at Kakinada will be used globally as a clean shipping fuel, for power generation and as a carrier for green hydrogen.

Union Health Minister J P Nadda launches India-made tetanus and adult diphtheria (Td) vaccine under Universal Immunization Programme (UIP)

[Universal Immunization Programme (UIP), Government of India]

Key Updates:

Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare J P Nadda launched the indigenously manufactured tetanus and adult diphtheria (Td) vaccine at the Central Research Institute (CRI) in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh.
The Td vaccine has been introduced for supply under the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) and CRI will supply 55 lakh doses to UIP by April.
India achieved Maturity Level 3 in the World Health Organization (WHO) global benchmarking of regulatory systems, reflecting robust vaccine regulatory standards.
Under the Vaccine Maitri initiative, India supplied vaccines to nearly 100 countries, with 48 countries receiving vaccines free of cost.
CRI is the first government institute to manufacture vaccines under Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) standards.
Universal Immunization Programme is the world’s largest immunisation programme, providing 11 vaccines against 12 vaccine-preventable diseases.
The annual immunisation cohort under UIP comprises nearly 5 crore beneficiaries, including around 2.5 crore pregnant women and 2.5 crore children.
Vaccine coverage in India has reached nearly 99 per cent due to systematic tracking and sustained immunisation efforts.

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WHO prequalifies Biological E. Limited’s novel oral polio vaccine type 2 to boost outbreak response (Mid of February) ▼

The World Health Organization (WHO) prequalified an additional novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) on 13 February 2026.
Biological E. Limited manufactures the vaccine using bulk material transferred from PT Bio Farma.
UNICEF and other UN agencies can now procure the vaccine for outbreak response programmes.
nOPV2 is more genetically stable than traditional oral polio vaccine, lowering the risk of seeding new outbreaks.
WHO noted that expanding nOPV2 manufacturers improves supply reliability for countries facing circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2, especially in under-immunised communities.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reported a significant decline in wild polio cases in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

ICMR–NIV and Indian Immunologicals Limited advance indigenous two-dose KFD vaccine into Phase I trial (Start of February) ▼

Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), also termed monkey fever, is endemic to Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa, and Maharashtra.
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) initiated next-generation vaccine development on request of Government of Karnataka.
The project partners are Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL) and ICMR–National Institute of Virology (NIV).
The vaccine is a fully indigenous, adjuvanted, inactivated two-dose regimen given 28 days apart.
Preclinical milestones completed include animal challenge studies, toxicity studies, and manufacture of GLP-grade material.
Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has approved Phase I human clinical trial now underway.

National Capacity Building Programme for Tribal Healers Launched to Formally Recognize 1 Lakh Healers as Public Health Partners (Mid of January) ▼

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) hosted the first "national Capacity Building Programme for Tribal Healers" on 16-01-2026 to formally recognize them as collaborative partners in India’s public health ecosystem.
The MoTA has set a target to formally recognise and enable one lakh tribal healers as partners in strengthening tribal health services.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between MoTA and ICMR–Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC), Bhubaneswar, for the establishment of India’s first National Tribal Health Observatory —the Bharat Tribal Health Observatory (B-THO) —under Project DRISTI.
The initiative will institutionalise tribe-disaggregated health surveillance and focus on the elimination of malaria, tuberculosis, leprosy, and Sickle Cell Disease elimination, aligned with the national goal of elimination by 2047.
The programme positions tribal healers to play a transformative role in preventive care, early identification of illness, and timely referrals to strengthen last-mile health outreach.

South Africa releases first locally produced foot-and-mouth disease vaccine by Agricultural Research Council (ARC) (Start of February) ▼

Agricultural Research Council (ARC) released the first batch of South Africa’s locally produced foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine developed at ARC-Onderstepoort.
The initial batch comprises 12 900 multi-strain doses produced by the ARC Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute (ARC OVI) Transboundary Animal Diseases Campus.
The vaccine is registered as a stock remedy under the Fertilizers, Farm Feeds, Seeds and Remedies Act (No. 36 of 1947) and meets required quality, safety and efficacy standards.
Local production enables faster outbreak response, closer strain matching to regional circulating viruses, and improved supply control.
Since 2019 the outbreak has spread to eight of South Africa’s nine provinces, severely disrupting the commercial livestock value chain.
Milk South Africa (Milk SA) welcomed the 12 900 doses but warned volumes fall far short of national requirements and urged rapid scale-up of both domestic and imported vaccines.

Indian Railways deploys AI-enabled apps for grievance redressal and crowd management

[Indian Railways]

Key Updates:

Indian Railways has integrated artificial intelligence into seven mobile applications including RailMadad, Coach Mitra, and RailOne app.
RailOne app uses AI to predict confirmation percentage of waiting tickets.
RailMadad uses AI to classify and prioritise complaints based on urgency and type.
Coach Mitra is operational in 74 trains.
Centre For Railway Information Systems (CRIS) is embedding AI into 15 more applications to improve security, freight loading, and train operations.
CRIS is developing an AI system to predict railway traffic congestion and identify potential bottlenecks at station entry points and foot over bridges.
AI system will merge reserved and unreserved ticketing data with train movement data to predict platform-specific crowd density on an hourly basis.
CRIS has created 300 freight clusters using GST data to identify potential freight movement areas for Indian Railways.
An AI-based incident prediction model is under development to forecast asset failures using historical data.
Bhashini integration in RailMadad converts voice in 12 languages to text and identifies complaint trends and passenger sentiment.

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Indian Railways Deploys AI-Based Intrusion Detection System (IDS) for Elephant Protection (Start of February) ▼

The Ministry of Railways and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) have implemented technology-driven measures to prevent elephant-train collisions.
The AI-enabled Intrusion Detection System (IDS) uses Distributed Acoustic Sensors (DAS) and optical fibre to detect elephant locomotion signatures in real-time.
The IDS is currently operational across 141 route kilometres at critical locations within the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR).
Sanctioned IDS projects include NFR (403.42 km), East Coast Railway (ECOR) (368.70 km), Western Railway (WR) (115 km), and North Eastern Railway (NER) (99.18 km).
Additional sanctioned IDS works cover Southern Railway (SR) (55.85 km), South Eastern Railway (SER) (55 km), Northern Railway (NR) (52 km), and East Central Railway (ECR) (20.3 km).
Infrastructure measures include the construction of underpasses, ramps, fencing, and the installation of Honey Bee buzzer devices to act as a deterrent.
The Railways is trialling thermal vision cameras for night-time detection and has installed solar-powered LED lighting in forest areas to improve visibility.
Union Minister for Railways, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, stated that an average of 16 elephant-train collision incidents have been reported annually over the past five years.

India unveils first AI governance guidelines ahead of AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi (Mid of February) ▼

The Government of India unveiled the nation's first comprehensive Artificial Intelligence (AI) governance guidelines to manage risks while promoting innovation.
The framework is anchored in seven broad principles or sutras: trust, people first, innovation over restraint, fairness and equity, accountability, understandable by design, and safety, resilience, and sustainability.
The guidelines outline the development and usage of AI across key sectors including healthcare, education, agriculture, finance, and governance.
The government proposed the establishment of three new national institutions: an AI governance group, a technology and policy expert committee, and an AI safety institute.
The five-day AI Impact Summit 2026 is scheduled to commence in New Delhi on 16 February 2026.
The framework emphasises reliance on existing legal structures such as Information Technology (IT) rules, data protection laws, and criminal statutes instead of a standalone AI law.
The Delhi declaration is expected to be considered for adoption during the summit to position India as a global voice in responsible AI governance aligned with Viksit Bharat 2047.
High-risk AI applications affecting safety, rights, or livelihoods are required to follow stronger safeguards and maintain human oversight under the new guidelines.

Indian Railways (IR) deploys Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered Intrusion Detection System (IDS) to protect wildlife (End of December) ▼

Indian Railways (IR) has rolled out an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered Intrusion Detection System (IDS) to safeguard wildlife, including elephants, lions, and tigers, on railway tracks.
The technology utilizes a Distributed Acoustic System (DAS) to detect animal presence and alert loco pilots and control rooms 0.5 kms in advance.
The AI-enabled system generates real-time alerts for loco pilots, station masters, and control rooms to facilitate swift preventive action.
Initially implemented across 141 RKms on the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), the system is being expanded by 981 RKms to achieve a total coverage of 1,122 RKms.
The initiative follows a collision in the Jamunamukh - Kampur section under the Lumding Division of NFR involving the Sairang - New Delhi Rajdhani Express.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has directed the Forest Department to conduct a detailed enquiry into the death of seven elephants resulting from the train collision.

GatiShakti programme and Tech Vision 2035 roadmap presented at India Digital Conclave 2026 (Start of February) ▼

Kamlesh Gosai, Executive Director - Traffic Commercial (General), Ministry of Railways, shared insights into the GatiShakti programme and the Tech Vision 2035 roadmap at the India Digital Conclave 2026.
The initiatives highlight integrated infrastructure planning, ambitious connectivity goals, AI-enabled optimization of freight and passenger movement, and reduced logistics costs.
Digital planning tools are used to accelerate execution across rail, road, and waterways.

India ranks 6th in Global AI Brain Race Report 2026; United States (US) leads

[United States (US)]

Key Updates:

The Global AI Brain Race Report 2026, published by essayhumaniser.io, evaluated over 100 countries based on their Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities.
The United States (US) secured the first rank with a score of 82 out of 100, leading in AI Research and Development (R&D), economic integration, and infrastructure.
China ranked second with a score of 59 out of 100, supported by 107 top AI universities and strong R&D performance.
Singapore placed third with a score of 37 out of 100, followed by South Korea at fourth and the United Kingdom (UK) at fifth.
India ranked sixth globally with a score of 32 out of 100, driven by talent readiness (9.12/16.67) but constrained by infrastructure (0.65/16.67) and governance (0.11/5.56).
The evaluation framework combined eight factors: AI R&D, economic integration, infrastructure, talent readiness, governance, responsible AI, public opinion, and academic strength.

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Ashwini Vaishnaw unveils New Delhi Frontier AI Impact Commitments at India AI Impact Summit (End of February) ▼

Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw unveiled the New Delhi Frontier AI Impact Commitments, a voluntary framework adopted by global frontier AI companies and Indian innovators.
The framework aims to promote inclusive and responsible AI development with a Global South perspective.
The first pledge focuses on advancing understanding of real-world AI usage through anonymised and aggregated insights to support evidence-based policymaking on jobs, skills and economic transformation.
The second pledge aims to strengthen multilingual and contextual evaluations of AI systems to ensure effective functioning across languages, cultures and practical use cases.
The India AI Impact Summit was held in New Delhi and attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and global technology leaders.

India hosts India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam featuring eight-year-old Ranvir Sachdeva as youngest speaker (End of February) ▼

The India AI Impact Summit 2026 is being held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.
Eight-year-old coder Ranvir Sachdeva became the youngest keynote speaker to address the summit.
The keynote address covered the linkage of ancient Indian philosophies with modern Artificial Intelligence (AI), global approaches to AI development, and the application of a recently released Indian AI model.
Sachdeva met global technology leaders including Google Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sundar Pichai, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff.
He previously met United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres and International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin at the AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva.
He was recognised as the world’s youngest TEDx speaker at age six and won a gold medal as a Super Presenter in the 2022 Global Reading Challenge.
The coder developed a prototype rocket ship for Mars exploration which was recognised by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
Sachdeva, who started coding at age three, met Apple CEO Tim Cook in 2023 during the launch of the Apple store in New Delhi.
He discussed his contribution to India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and his role in driving AI literacy.

UNDP report warns AI could widen gaps between rich and poor nations (Start of December) ▼

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) report likens AI situation to the 'Great Divergence' of the industrial revolution.
AI can lift productivity, spark new industries, and help latecomers catch up.
AI offers better advice on farming, analysis of X-rays within seconds, faster medical diagnoses, more effective weather forecasts and damage assessments.
AI systems that analyse poverty, health, and disaster risks enable faster, fairer, and more transparent decisions.
Data centres may devour too large a share of electricity and water.
Ramping up power generation to meet higher demand may hinder progress in limiting emissions of carbon from burning fossil fuels.
Hackers use AI to automate portions of cyberattacks.
Deepfakes can misinform or facilitate criminal activity.
Asian nations including China, Japan, South Korea and Singapore are well placed to take advantage of AI tools.
Afghanistan, the Maldives and Myanmar lack skills, reliable power and other resources needed to tap into AI.
About a quarter of the Asia-Pacific region lacks online access.

Google unveils America-India Connect subsea cable and frontier AI partnerships for Indian government bodies (Mid of February) ▼

Google will build new subsea cable routes between India, the United States, Singapore, South Africa and Australia under the America-India Connect initiative.
The project establishes an international subsea gateway in Visakhapatnam and four strategic fibre-optic routes to boost network connectivity.
Google had previously announced a $15 billion investment over five years for an AI data centre in Andhra Pradesh.
Google DeepMind will partner with the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) to provide access to frontier AI for Science models including AlphaGenome, AI Co-scientist and Earth AI.
Google DeepMind will also partner with NITI Aayog’s Atal Tinkering Labs to integrate robotics, coding, Gemini into teacher workflows and build a safeguarded AI assistant for students.
Google.org launched the $30-million Google.org Impact Challenge: AI for Science, an open call for researchers, nonprofits and social enterprises in India and worldwide using AI for scientific breakthroughs.

OpenAI partners with Tata Group for 100 MW AI data centre in India, eyes 1 GW scale

[OpenAI, Tata Group]

Key Updates:

OpenAI has partnered with Tata Group to secure 100 megawatts of AI-ready data centre capacity in India.
The capacity is planned to scale to 1 gigawatt over time.
OpenAI becomes the first customer of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) HyperVault data centre business.
The deal includes deploying ChatGPT Enterprise across Tata’s workforce.
The partnership falls under the OpenAI for India initiative.
India has more than 100 million weekly ChatGPT users according to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
TCS plans to roll out ChatGPT Enterprise to hundreds of thousands of its employees.
TCS will use OpenAI’s Codex tools to standardise AI-native software development.
Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran said the partnership will build state-of-the-art AI infrastructure in India.
TCS secured backing from TPG in November 2025 to develop AI-ready infrastructure under HyperVault.
HyperVault is backed by about ₹180 billion (about $2 billion) in planned investment.
TCS becomes the first organisation outside the United States to participate in OpenAI’s certification programmes.
OpenAI will open new offices in Mumbai and Bengaluru later this year.
The announcement was made during the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi.
OpenAI has partnered with Indian companies including Pine Labs, JioHotstar, Eternal, Cars24, HCLTech, PhonePe, CRED, and MakeMyTrip.

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Tamil Nadu and Sarvam AI sign Rs 10,000 crore pact to build India’s first Sovereign AI Park (Mid of January) ▼

The Tamil Nadu government has signed an agreement with Sarvam AI to establish a full-stack Sovereign AI Park with an initial investment of Rs 10,000 crore.
The park will generate 1,000 high-skilled, deep-tech jobs and integrate AI compute infrastructure, secure data frameworks, model research labs and AI innovation clusters.
Data, models and compute will remain within the state’s trust boundary, ensuring a sovereign, ethical and inclusive ecosystem for deployment of AI systems.
The initiative will develop foundational Tamil-first AI models linking classical vocabulary with modern use-cases, ensuring inclusive, accurate and locally rooted AI systems.

Reliance to invest Rs 10 lakh crore in AI compute, green energy and applications (End of February) ▼

Reliance Industries and Jio will invest Rs 10 lakh crore over seven years to build India’s sovereign AI infrastructure, scale green energy and develop affordable AI applications.
Jio Intelligence will create gigawatt-scale data centres and a nationwide edge network, with a 120 megawatt campus under construction in Jamnagar, Gujarat scheduled to go live in the second half of 2026.
Reliance will utilise up to 10 gigawatts of green power surplus anchored by solar projects in Kutch, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh to power the AI infrastructure.
Jio Shikshak provides AI-powered teaching assistance in 22 Indian languages, Jio Arogya AI delivers first medical guidance in under five minutes on any phone, Jio Krishi offers voice-first farm advisory to 140 million farmers, and Jio Bharat IQ serves as a voice-first AI companion.
Jio Intelligence will follow five principles: AI for deeptech and advanced manufacturing, multilingual AI across Indian languages, responsibility and data residency, job creation through high-skill work, and ecosystem building with enterprises, startups, IITs, IISc and research institutions.

L&T partners with NVIDIA to build gigawatt-scale AI data centre under IndiaAI Mission (Mid of February) ▼

Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and NVIDIA will jointly develop a gigawatt-scale artificial intelligence data centre in India as part of the government’s IndiaAI Mission.
The partnership will expand NVIDIA GPU cluster capacity to 30 megawatts at L&T’s 300-acre Chennai data centre campus, designed for future gigawatt-scale expansion.
A separate 40 megawatt data centre is under development in Mumbai to host additional AI infrastructure.
The infrastructure will integrate NVIDIA’s GPUs, CPUs, networking systems and enterprise platforms with L&T’s engineering and infrastructure capabilities.
Target sectors for AI workloads include manufacturing, energy, financial services, healthcare and public services.

Tata Electronics and Intel to explore chip packaging and AI PC solutions in India (Start of December) ▼

Tata Electronics has signed Intel as the first major prospective customer for its upcoming semiconductor facilities in India.
Intel and Tata intend to explore manufacturing and packaging of Intel products for local markets at Tata Electronics’ upcoming Fab and OSAT facilities.
The collaboration will also focus on rapidly scaling tailored AI PC solutions for consumer and enterprise markets in India.
Tata Group is building two semiconductor facilities in India worth around $14 billion, including a fabrication plant in Gujarat and an assembly and testing plant in Assam.

Johannes Dale-Skjevdal wins 15km mass-start biathlon gold for record-setting Norway

[Norway]

Key Updates:

Johannes Dale-Skjevdal of Norway shot 20/20 and finished in 39 minutes 17.1 seconds to claim gold in the men’s 15km mass-start biathlon at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games.
Sturla Holm Laegreid, also of Norway, missed one target and took silver, 10.5 seconds behind Dale-Skjevdal.
Quentin Fillon Maillet of France overtook Philipp Horn of Germany on the final hill to secure bronze, 25.6 seconds behind the winner.
Norway’s 17th gold medal of the Games broke its own Winter Olympics record of 16 golds set at Beijing 2022.
Norway now leads the overall medal table with 37 medals (17 gold), followed by Team USA with 27 medals (9 gold) and host Italy with 27 medals.
Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo of Norway has won five golds at Milano Cortina, taking his career Olympic gold tally to ten.

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United States of America (USA) defeats Canada to win 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games women's ice hockey gold (End of February) ▼

The United States of America (USA) defeated Canada 2-1 in overtime to secure the gold medal in women's ice hockey at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games.
Megan Keller scored the game-winning goal for the USA 4:07 into the overtime period.
USA captain Hilary Knight scored her 15th career Olympic goal, setting a new record for the most goals in the history of the national team.
Canada received the silver medal, with Kristin O'Neill scoring their only goal of the match.
USA goaltender Aerin Frankel recorded 30 saves during the final, ending a tournament shutout streak of 352 minutes and 17 seconds.
Switzerland won the bronze medal by defeating Sweden 2-1 in overtime, with Alina Muller scoring the decisive goal.
The victory marked the third Olympic gold medal for the USA in women's ice hockey and their eighth consecutive win against Canada across all competitions.
The USA and Canada have contested seven of the eight gold medal matches since the sport's Olympic debut at the 1998 Nagano Games.

Tejaswin Shankar wins heptathlon gold at Asian Indoor Athletics Championships (AIAC) 2026 (Mid of February) ▼

Tejaswin Shankar won the gold medal in the heptathlon at the AIAC 2026 with a championship record total of 5993 points.
Tejaswin Shankar broke his own national record of 5650 points, set in 2021 in the United States of America (USA), and recorded the second-best score ever by an Asian athlete.
Tejaswin Shankar’s victory ended a 16-year wait for an Indian heptathlon medal at the AIAC, the last being PJ Vinod’s bronze in 2010.
India finished sixth in the overall medal standings with five medals, comprising one gold, two silver, and two bronze.
Tajinderpal Singh Toor secured the silver medal in the men’s shot put with a season’s best throw of 20.05m, finishing behind Chen Chengyu of China who recorded 20.07m.
Pooja won the silver medal in the women’s high jump with an indoor national record of 1.87m, sharing the rank with Nadezhda Dubovitskaya of Kazakhstan.
Ancy Sojan, who won silver at the Asian Athletics Championships (AAC) last year, claimed the bronze medal in the women’s long jump with a 6.21m leap.
J Aadarsh Ram opened India’s medal account at the AIAC 2026 by winning a bronze medal in the men’s high jump event.
Tejaswin Shankar also holds the outdoor national records in the decathlon and men’s high jump.

Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo anchors Norway to relay gold, becomes winningest Winter Olympian with nine golds (Mid of February) ▼

Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo won his ninth Winter Olympics gold medal in the men’s 4x7.5km cross-country skiing relay.
Team Norway finished first, Team France took silver 22.2 seconds behind, and Team Italy claimed bronze 47.9 seconds behind.
Italy’s bronze was its first cross-country skiing medal of the Milan Cortina Games.
Klaebo’s gold tally surpasses fellow Norwegians Marit Bjorgen, Ole Einar Bjorndalen and Bjorn Daehlie.
Norway’s relay team consisted of Emil Iversen, Martin Loewstroem Nyenget, Einar Hedegart and Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo.
The 4x7.5km relay was the fourth men’s cross-country event contested in Italy.

Jinson Johnson announces retirement from competitive athletics (Start of January) ▼

Jinson Johnson set the current 1500m Indian National Record (3:35.24) in 2019 at the ISTAF Berlin meet.
The 34-year-old is a three-time Asian Games medallist – gold (1500m) in 2018, silver (800m) in 2018 and bronze (1500m) in 2023.
In 2018, Jinson had broken Sriram Singh’s 42-year-old National Record in men’s 800m by clocking 1:45.65.
He represented India in the 2016 Olympics, making him the first Indian man to take part in the 800m race in 36 years, after Sriram in 1980.
Jinson has also won two medals in the 800m event at the Asian Athletics Championships – a silver in 2015 and a bronze in 2017.
His 800m mark was later eclipsed by Mohammed Afsal in 2025.

Pankaj Advani defeats Kamal Chawla to win inaugural Liber Win Champions Cup 2026

Key Updates:

Pankaj Advani clinched the inaugural Liber Win Champions Cup 2026 by defeating Kamal Chawla 6-3 in the best-of-11 final at Karnataka State Billiards Association (KSBA), Bengaluru.
Kamal Chawla compiled the highest break of the championship with a 140.
Advani trailed 4-1 in the semi-final against Laxman Rawat before winning 5-4.
Kamal Chawla beat Sourav Kothari 5-4 in the other semi-final after trailing 4-1.
Liber Win appointed Pankaj Advani as its Indian Brand Ambassador at the end of the tournament.

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Praggnanandhaa finishes joint-winner at London Chess Classic 2025 Open (Start of December) ▼

Praggnanandhaa earned 8.17 points from the London Chess Classic Open event in the FIDE Circuit Leaderboard.
He extended his lead at the top with a total of 115.17 points from his best seven events.
Praggnanandhaa, Ameet K Ghashi, and Velimir Ivić all finished unbeaten with 7.0 points from nine rounds.
The London Chess Classic Open was a 120-player, nine-round Swiss tournament with an average rating of 2581 Elo.

India defeats Kenya to win Roll Ball World Cup 2025 (End of January) ▼

India clinched the gold medal at the 7th Roll Ball World Cup 2025 in Dubai.
Yash Anil Rashiya scored the match-winning goal in the final against Kenya.
The tournament was held in Dubai.

Haryana Thunders defeat Delhi Dangal Warriors to win Pro Wrestling League 2026 (Start of February) ▼

Haryana Thunders won the Pro Wrestling League (PWL) 2026 title by defeating Delhi Dangal Warriors 5-4 in the final at Noida Indoor Stadium.
The final bout was decided in the women's 62 kg clash where Paris Olympic silver medallist Iryna Koliadenko secured a 16-0 technical superiority win.
Haryana Thunders received ₹1.5 crore prize money while runners-up Delhi Dangal Warriors got ₹75 lakh.
Turan Bayramov of Delhi Dangal Warriors won the Player of the Tournament award worth ₹2.5 lakh for winning all 7 of his bouts in the 57 kg men's category.
Neha Sangwan of Haryana Thunders was named Player of the Match for keeping the final alive till the last bout.
Ronak of Delhi Dangal Warriors won Fighter of the Match for his performance in the men's 125 kg category.
Akshay Dhere of Haryana Thunders claimed the Impact Player of the Match award for strong performance in the 57 kg men's category.

Rajasthan United FC drub Sikkim Himalayan FC (End of November) ▼

Rajasthan United FC began their campaign at the 41st Sikkim Governor's Gold Cup with a confident and disciplined 3–0 win against Sikkim Himalayan FC.
The match was played at the historic Paljor Stadium.
Goalkeeper Babhindra Malla was awarded the Man of the Match for his exceptional performance and match-winning saves.

International Mother Language Day 2026 observed on 21 February with theme 'Youth voices on multilingual education'

Key Updates:

International Mother Language Day 2026 is observed on 21 February 2026.
UNESCO marks the day under the theme 'Youth voices on multilingual education'.
The observance reinforces UNESCO’s commitment through the International Decade of Indigenous Languages.
Dr. Naga Lakshmi Chelluri, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Hyderabad, highlights the need to preserve ancient languages in a globalized multicultural world.

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12th Smile International Film Festival for Children & Youth (SIFFCY) held from 28 January to 3 February 2026 (End of January) ▼

SIFFCY 2026, organised by Smile Foundation in partnership with Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) and Delegation of the European Union to India, runs from 28 January to 3 February 2026.
The festival theme is Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility through cinema.
SIFFCY 2026 presents the ECFA Award, CIFEJ Award and FCCI Award.
Finnish Ambassador Kimmo Lähdevirta announced the first SIFFCY screening of Moomins as part of their 80th anniversary celebrations.
Estonian Ambassador Marje Luup highlighted Estonia’s participation with six short films made by children, including Ukrainian refugee children.

World Arabic Language Day observed on December 18 (Mid of December) ▼

World Arabic Language Day is officially observed on December 18.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) established this day in 2010.
On December 18, 1973, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 3190, which made Arabic the sixth official language of the organization.
Arabic is spoken by over 400 million people daily.
Arabic became the lingua franca of science, mathematics, and philosophy during the Golden Age of Islam.

Odisha Ame Padhiba Ama Bhasare Initiative Early Education in Mother Tongues (Mid of January) ▼

The Odisha government launched the 'Ame Padhiba Ama Bhasare' initiative to provide early education in mother tongues for children aged three to six.
The programme will initially cover districts like Keonjhar and Malkangiri, delivering education in tribal languages such as Munda and Kui.
The state also announced a 100-day campaign against child marriage with the goal of eradicating child marriage by 2030, piloted in Mayurbhanj and Malkangiri.

National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and Gyan Bharatam Mission promote multilingual education and manuscript preservation (Start of January) ▼

National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which promotes multilingual education.
Gyan Bharatam Mission, aimed at preserving and disseminating Indian manuscripts.
The Vice-President urged that technology must become an ally of languages, advocating: Digital archives and manuscript digitisation, AI-powered translation and speech technologies, Multilingual digital platforms for education and governance.
India’s Constitution, particularly the Eighth Schedule, he said, embodies ancient wisdom by affirming that national unity thrives on mutual respect, not uniformity.