Feb 16 – Feb 22
India Cuts US Treasury Holdings by Over 18% in 2025, Shifts to Gold
India reduced its holdings of US Treasury securities by over 18% during 2025 — from approximately $241.4 billion (October 2024) to approxima...
Devuji's Surrender: Highest-Ranking Maoist Leader's Defection and the Collapse of CPI(Maoist) Leadership
Thippiri Tirupathi alias Devuji, the de facto General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) — the highest-ranking active leader...
US 15% Uniform Tariff: Where India and Other Countries Stand
US President Trump announced a 15% uniform global tariff on all imports, effective February 21, 2026, replacing the previous 10% baseline ta...
Bangladesh's July National Charter: Reform Roadmap and Implementation Challenges
Bangladesh held its national elections in February 2026, with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) winning a landslide — approximately 209...
India's Bid for Full IEA Membership: The OECD Barrier and the 90-Day Oil Reserve Requirement
India sent a formal request for full membership in the International Energy Agency (IEA) in October 2023, and the issue received renewed att...
India-Israel Relations: Modi's Historic Visit and the Deepening Strategic Partnership
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Israel on February 25-26, 2026 — his second visit to Israel — meeting with PM Benjamin Netanyahu in Jer...
Cyber Scam Factories in Southeast Asia: How Indians Are Trapped and Forced to Defraud
Investigations have revealed the full scale of Southeast Asia's industrialized cyber-fraud operations, which specifically target Indian vict...
Why Wildfire Smoke Swirls in One Direction: The Atmospheric Science Explained
Scientists and atmospheric researchers have explained why smoke plumes from large wildfires tend to rotate in a consistent direction — count...
India-US Interim Trade Deal: From Rescheduled Talks to Historic Framework Agreement
In late February 2026, India and the US rescheduled chief negotiator-level talks originally planned for February 23, on the sidelines of dip...
India's Crude Oil Import Rebalancing: Saudi Arabia Gains as Russian Volumes Ease Under Sanctions Pressure
India has begun rebalancing its crude oil import mix in early 2026, with Russian crude volumes easing below 25% of total imports for the fir...
The Climate Cost of India's Food System: Aligning Consumption Patterns With Ecological Limits
Climate change is progressively narrowing viable production windows for major Indian crops, increasing yield variability, and compressing gr...
Budget 2026's Bharat-VISTAAR AI Tool: Ambitions and Structural Gaps for Indian Farmers
Union Budget 2026-27 introduced Bharat-VISTAAR, a multilingual AI-powered agricultural advisory platform, as its flagship initiative for far...
Pakistan Strikes Terrorist Hideouts in Afghanistan, Kabul Vows Response
Pakistan's military conducted air strikes early on February 22, 2026, targeting seven camps and hideouts belonging to Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakis...
First Border Pillar Erected Between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh at Seijosa
The first official border pillar between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh has been erected at Seijosa in the Pakke Kessang district of Arunachal ...
Agartala-Dhaka Bus Service Trial Run Signals India-Bangladesh Connectivity Revival
A trial run of the Agartala-Dhaka direct bus service was completed on February 21-22, 2026, with a luxury bus travelling through the Akhaura...
India and Brazil Set $30 Billion Trade Target and Sign Critical Minerals Pact
During Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's state visit to India (February 18-23, 2026), the two countries set an ambitious bilat...
India Pauses US Trade Talks After Supreme Court Strikes Down Trump's Tariff Authority
India's chief trade negotiator has postponed a scheduled visit to Washington D.C. to finalise the legal text of an interim trade deal with t...
Exporters Push for an Autonomous Basmati Rice Regulatory Board Outside APEDA
Two leading rice industry bodies — the Punjab Rice Millers Exporters Association and the All India Rice Exporters Association (AIREA) — have...
Muhammad Yunus Returns to Yunus Centre as Bangladesh Completes Democratic Transition
Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and founder of Grameen Bank, formally returned to his think tank, the Yunus Centre, on February 2...
Enforcement Directorate Identifies Eight Priority Areas: IBC Misuse, Cyber Fraud, and More
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) held its 34th Quarterly Conference of Zonal Officers (QCZO) in Guwahati from February 19-21, 2026, chaired ...
India AI Impact Summit 2026: Sovereign AI Models and the Turning Point in India's Tech Strategy
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 was held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, from February 16–21, 2026, and was inaugurated by Prime Minister Nar...
US Ambassador's Biblical Land Claim Triggers Joint Arab-Muslim Condemnation
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, in an interview with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, stated it would be 'fine' if Israel 'to...
Modi's Israel Visit and Israeli Domestic Politics: Knesset Address, Opposition Boycott, and Diplomatic Implications
PM Modi's scheduled February 25-26, 2026 visit to Israel — including a planned address to the Knesset — became entangled in Israeli domestic...
India Among Four Nations Driving Global Pesticide Toxicity Rise, Raising Questions Over New Regulatory Bill
A study published in the journal Science in February 2026 ('Increasing applied pesticide toxicity trends counteract the global reduction tar...
Declining Russian Crude Imports to Push India's Oil Costs Up $2–3 Per Barrel
Global real-time data and analytics provider Kpler has assessed that India is not positioned to fully replace Russian barrels without incurr...
India's SSS Defence Makes Historic Bid for UK's SA80 Rifle Replacement Programme
Bengaluru-based SSS Defence announced on February 21, 2026, its formal decision to bid for the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence's Project ...
Scientists' Manifesto Against Militarisation of Quantum Research vs. India's Military Quantum Framework
Over 250 quantum scientists globally published a manifesto on arXiv (January 13, 2026) under the title 'Quantum Scientists for Disarmament,'...
India-Bangladesh Relations in 2026: Navigating the Post-Hasina Transition
India's High Commissioner to Bangladesh called on Bangladesh's Foreign Minister to discuss strengthening multifaceted bilateral relations, r...
SCOTUS Strikes Down IEEPA Tariffs: Comparing Separation of Powers in India and the U.S.
On February 20, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) struck down tariffs imposed by the executive branch under the International Emergency ...
Lula's India Visit: UNSC Reform, US Tariff Solidarity, and G4 Nations' Coordinated Push
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva made a five-day state visit to India, meeting PM Modi and reaffirming commitment to UN Securit...
Excise Waiver on Biogas Blending Could Unlock ₹1 Lakh Crore Investment: IBA
The Indian Biogas Association (IBA) has highlighted that the excise duty waiver on Compressed Biogas (CBG) blended with Compressed Natural G...
India's First Childhood Cancer Survivor Registry Records 94.5% Survival Rate
India's first dedicated registry of childhood cancer survivors — the Indian Childhood Cancer Survivorship (C2S) study — has been published i...
Centre Sanctions ₹2,432 Crore for BharatNet Rollout in Andhra Pradesh
The Ministry of Communications (MoC) signed a Memorandum of Commitment (MoC agreement) in Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh, sanctioning ₹2,432 cror...
India's Coal Sector: Record Production Meets Unexpected Demand Headwinds
India's coal production crossed the historic one billion tonne (1 BT) milestone in FY 2024-25 — the first time India achieved this, crossing...
SCOTUS Tariff Ruling Does Not Unwind Bilateral Trade Agreements, Says US Trade Representative
US Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer stated that the Supreme Court's February 20, 2026 ruling striking down IEEPA-based tariffs doe...
Australian Warship Transits Taiwan Strait: Freedom of Navigation and Indo-Pacific Contestation
HMAS Toowoomba, an Anzac-class frigate of the Royal Australian Navy, transited the Taiwan Strait on February 21-22, 2026, as part of a Regio...
Unregulated Hospital Pricing and High Out-of-Pocket Health Expenditure in India
An analysis highlights how the combination of low government health spending and unregulated pricing in private corporate hospitals is placi...
Forest Department Halts Mankulam Land Survey, Citing Violation of Reserve Forest Protections and Supreme Court Orders
The Kerala Forest Department has written to the Subcollector, Devikulam, seeking an immediate halt to a land survey being conducted in Manku...
Section 122's 15% Universal Tariff: Why It Paradoxically Helps Indian Exporters
After the Supreme Court struck down IEEPA-based tariffs on February 20, 2026, President Trump invoked Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 t...
Trump Imposes 15% Global Tariff Under Section 122 After Supreme Court Invalidates IEEPA Tariffs
On February 20, 2026, the US Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in the case Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump that the International Emergency Economic...
US Supreme Court Strikes Down IEEPA Tariffs: Implications for Global Trade and the US-EU Agreement
The US Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on February 20, 2026, in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump that the International Emergency Economic Powers A...
US Supreme Court Strikes Down IEEPA Tariffs: Global Trade Policy Implications
On February 20, 2026, the US Supreme Court (SCOTUS) ruled 6-3 in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump that the International Emergency Economic...
Toxic Substances in Menstrual Products: Health Risks and the Regulatory Gap
Research, including a landmark 2024 UC Berkeley and Columbia University study — the first to systematically measure 16 metals in 30 tampon b...
ISI-Backed Lashkar-e-Taiba Module Busted in Bengal and Tamil Nadu
Eight individuals, all Bangladeshi nationals with fake Indian identity documents (Aadhaar cards), were arrested from West Bengal and Tamil N...
Pakistan-Backed Drug Cartel Busted in Punjab: Army Personnel and Dismissed Cop Arrested
Faridkot Police (Punjab) busted a well-organised Pakistan-backed heroin trafficking network in an intelligence-led operation, arresting six ...
India-US Interim Trade Deal Negotiations Rescheduled Amid Tariff Flux
India and the United States have rescheduled a planned round of chief negotiators' talks in Washington that was originally set to begin on F...
Indian Coast Guard Intercepts Iranian Vessel with Smuggled Cigarettes in EEZ
On February 21, 2026, the Indian Coast Guard intercepted a suspicious foreign boat approximately 115 nautical miles west of Dwarka, Gujarat,...
India-Brazil Critical Minerals and Rare Earth Pact: Diversifying Supply Chains Away from China
India and Brazil signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on critical minerals and rare earth elements during Brazilian President Lula da ...
India's GDP Growth Moderates to 7.2% in Q3 FY26: Sectoral Drivers and Constraints
ICRA (an affiliate of Moody's) has projected India's GDP growth to moderate to 7.2% year-on-year in Q3 FY2025-26 (October–December 2025), do...
India-US Interim Trade Pact Negotiations Postponed Amid Tariff Regime Upheaval
India and the United States have postponed the meeting of their chief trade negotiators — originally scheduled to begin in Washington on Feb...
From 26% to 50% to 15%: The Full History of US Tariff Swings on Indian Exports
Following the Supreme Court's February 20, 2026 ruling in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump invalidating IEEPA-based tariffs, India's tariff...
Delhi Police Dismantles LeT Terror Module Directed from Bangladesh
On February 8, 2026, CISF personnel reported pro-Pakistan posters pasted at Janpath Metro Station in Delhi and surrounding areas, bearing im...
EU-India Free Trade Agreement: The "Mother of All Deals" and Its Strategic Dimensions
The EU and India concluded negotiations for a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (FTA) on January 27, 2026, after nearly two decades of inte...
PM Modi's Israel Visit: India-Israel Strategic Partnership and the Knesset Address
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Israel on February 25-26, 2026 — his second visit to Israel (the first was in July 2017)....
India Poised for $200 Billion Data Centre Investment as APAC Boom Accelerates
A Deloitte report released in February 2026 identifies India as a potential major hub within the Asia-Pacific (APAC) data centre buildout, w...
Real Estate Expansion in the Nilgiris: Ecological Costs of Converting Tea Estates
Falling global tea prices and prolonged climate stress have rendered many Nilgiris tea estates economically unviable, triggering large-scale...
India Condemns Pakistan's Airstrikes on Afghanistan During Ramadan
Pakistan conducted overnight airstrikes on multiple locations in Afghanistan's Nangarhar and Paktika provinces, targeting sites it claimed w...
New Delhi Declaration: 86 Nations Back India's 'AI for All' Vision at Global AI Impact Summit
The India AI Impact Summit 2026, held in New Delhi from February 16-20, concluded with the adoption of the New Delhi Declaration on AI Impac...
US Supreme Court Strikes Down Trump's IEEPA Tariffs: India Studies Implications
On February 20, 2026, the US Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that President Trump's sweeping tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Econo...
India AI Impact Summit 2026: New Delhi Declaration on Democratising AI
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 was held in New Delhi on February 18–19, concluding with the adoption of the New Delhi Declaration on AI Imp...
US Imposes 10% Temporary Tariff on India Under Section 122 After Supreme Court Strikes Down IEEPA Duties
The US Supreme Court struck down the tariffs President Trump had imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), ruli...
Urban Challenge Fund: Rs 1 Lakh Crore for RWAs and Urban Local Bodies
The Union Cabinet approved the launch of the Urban Challenge Fund (UCF) with a total central assistance of ₹1 lakh crore — a Budget 2025-26 ...
Electoral Roll Irregularities in Bengal: AI-Generated Voter IDs and the SIR Exercise
During West Bengal's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, Election Commission officials...
Odisha Budget 2025-26: Faith Tourism, Infrastructure, and Women Empowerment as Priority Axes
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi (BJP) presented the Odisha Budget 2025-26 with a total outlay of ₹2,90,000 crore (approximately), framing ...
India-Brazil Partnership: Critical Minerals Pact and Global South Strategic Convergence
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva undertook a state visit to India on February 21, 2026, meeting Prime Minister Modi at Hyderaba...
Chhattisgarh HC Rape Verdict: Judicial Reversal of Survivor Rights Standards
The Chhattisgarh High Court, in February 2026, reclassified a man's seven-year rape conviction to three-and-a-half years for 'attempt to com...
US-Israel Strikes on Iran: Conflict Origins, Military Dimensions, and Regional Fallout
On February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel launched coordinated military strikes on Iran — nearly 900 strikes in approximately 12 ho...
India-France Special Global Strategic Partnership: Enduring Ties Beyond US Pressures
India and France elevated their bilateral relationship to a 'Special Global Strategic Partnership' during PM Modi's visit to France in early...
Trump's Global Tariff Hike: From 10% to 15% Under Section 122: Mechanism and Impact
Following the US Supreme Court's February 20, 2026 ruling striking down IEEPA-based tariffs, the Trump administration swiftly invoked Sectio...
Section 122 Tariffs vs Trump's Earlier Trade Measures: A Comparative Explainer
After the US Supreme Court struck down IEEPA-based tariffs in February 2026, the Trump administration imposed new tariffs under Section 122 ...
Bar Council of Delhi Elections: Voter Details Online and the Right to Privacy of Legal Professionals
The Bar Council of Delhi (BCD) published the final voter list for its 2026 elections online, containing personal information of thousands of...
Judicial Independence in Action: How Trump's Own Supreme Court Picks Struck Down His Tariff Powers
On February 20, 2026, the US Supreme Court issued a landmark 6–3 ruling in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump, holding that President Trump's...
Beyond IEEPA: Understanding the Full Arsenal of US Presidential Tariff Powers
Following the US Supreme Court's February 20, 2026 ruling that struck down tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers...
Constitutional Morality Must Prevail Over Cultural Morality: Justice Ujjal Bhuyan's Address at Telangana Seminar
Supreme Court Judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, speaking at a seminar on 'Constitutional Morality and the Role of District Judiciary' organised by...
NHAI to Go Fully Digital: Cash Payments at Toll Plazas to End from April 1, 2026
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is set to discontinue cash payment options at all National Highway toll plazas from April 1,...
US Chamber of Commerce: Tariff Refunds Possible on Indian Goods After Supreme Court Ruling
Following the US Supreme Court's ruling in Learning Resources Inc. v. Trump (February 20, 2026), which struck down IEEPA-based tariffs as un...
Lens of Control: How Photography Became a Tool of British Colonial Governance in India
Historical analysis has revisited how the British colonial administration systematically deployed photography from the mid-nineteenth centur...
Trump Confirms India Trade Deal Intact After Supreme Court Ruling, But Terms Remain Unclear
After the US Supreme Court struck down his sweeping IEEPA tariffs on February 20, 2026, President Trump clarified that the trade deal with I...
Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority: Asymmetric Autonomy for Eastern Nagaland
On February 5, 2026, the Government of India, the Government of Nagaland, and the Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation (ENPO) signed a lan...
India and Brazil Set $20 Billion Bilateral Trade Target, Sign Critical Minerals Pact
During Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's state visit to India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Lula set a bilateral...
US Supreme Court Strikes Down Trump's Tariffs: Neal Katyal, IEEPA, and the Separation of Powers
On February 20, 2026, the US Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump's sweeping global tariffs in a landmark 6-3 ruling (Learning R...
New Delhi Declaration on AI Adopted at India AI Impact Summit 2026: 88 Nations Sign
The India AI Impact Summit 2026, held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi from February 16-21, 2026, concluded with 88 countries and international...
Bhutan PM Tobgay on AI and Mass Unemployment: Governance Challenges at India AI Impact Summit 2026
Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, speaking at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi (February 16–20, 2026), warned that if AI re...
OpenAI Considered Alerting Police About School Shooting Threat Detected in ChatGPT: Then Did Not Act
Reports revealed that OpenAI internally debated alerting Canadian police about a user whose ChatGPT conversations raised serious red flags a...
US Supreme Court Strikes Down IEEPA Tariffs: Constitutional Limits on Presidential Trade Power
On 20 February 2026, the US Supreme Court delivered a landmark 6-3 ruling in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump, holding that the Internation...
Net FDI into India Turns Negative for Fourth Straight Month as Repatriation Surges
India's net Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) remained negative for the fourth consecutive month as of December 2025, with outward repatriatio...
Feed to Feed Growth: How Quality Animal Nutrition Can Transform India's Livestock Sector
Analysis of India's livestock sector highlights that improving access to high-quality, nutrient-dense animal feed is the single largest leve...
India AI Impact Summit 2026: New Delhi Declaration and Governance Challenges
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 was held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, from February 16-21, 2026, organised by the Ministry of Electronics ...
RBI's February 2026 Bulletin Signals Favourable Near-Term Economic Outlook for India
The Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) February 2026 Bulletin assessed India's near-term economic outlook as favourable, with high growth momentu...
India Launches Indigenous Td Vaccine: Replacing TT in Universal Immunization Programme
Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda formally launched the indigenously manufactured Tetanus and Adult Diphtheria (Td) vaccine at the Central Re...
Tesla Autopilot Verdict Upheld: $243 Million Judgment and the Liability Debate Around Autonomous Vehicles
U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom in Miami upheld a $243 million jury verdict against Tesla in a case arising from a fatal crash involving its ...
India-US Interim Trade Framework: Zero or Reduced Duties to Boost Gem and Jewellery Exports
The India-US Interim Trade Framework, finalised on February 7, 2026, during Prime Minister Modi's visit to Washington, includes a commitment...
Trump Raises Global Tariffs to 15% After Supreme Court Strikes Down IEEPA Authority
One day after the US Supreme Court struck down his sweeping tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), P...
India AI Impact Summit Statement Delayed to Maximise Signatory Count
The final statement of the India AI Impact Summit 2026 was issued a day later than scheduled, as India worked to maximise the number of sign...
Vice-President Releases Updated Constitution Editions in Tamil and Gujarati on International Mother Language Day
Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan released updated editions of the Constitution of India in Tamil and Gujarati at Uprashtrapati Bhavan, New ...
Trump's New Global Tariffs: How Section 122 Works and What Changes for India
After the US Supreme Court struck down tariffs imposed under IEEPA on February 20, 2026, President Trump signed an executive order invoking ...
Trump Commits to Remove Vietnam from US Restricted Technology List: A Strategic Realignment in Southeast Asia
US President Donald Trump, during a White House meeting with Vietnam's Communist Party General Secretary To Lam on February 20, 2026, commit...
Israeli Strikes Kill at Least 12 in Lebanon, Intensifying Cross-Border Tensions
Israeli military strikes in Lebanon killed at least 12 people in late February 2026, intensifying already rising cross-border tensions follo...
Tejas Mk1A: MoD-IAF Agreement on Delivery Exemptions and Non-Negotiable Capabilities
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Indian Air Force (IAF) reached a pragmatic agreement on the Tejas Mk1A fighter jet procurement: HAL (Hindu...
Anthropic-Pentagon Dispute Over Military AI Use: Surveillance Red Lines and Defense Contracts
Anthropic, the developer of Claude AI, is in a serious dispute with the US Department of Defense (Pentagon) over the permissible use cases f...
Tamil Nadu's SimpleGov Initiative: Streamlining Government Services Through Digital Re-Engineering
Tamil Nadu's SimpleGov initiative, launched in 2023 by the Tamil Nadu e-Governance Agency (TNeGA), expanded significantly with the launch of...
US Ambassador Huckabee's Remarks on Israeli Expansion Over West Asia Spark Global Condemnation
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee made remarks on a podcast released February 21, 2026, stating it would be 'fine' if Israel 'took it al...
US Trade Partners Cautiously Welcome Supreme Court Tariff Ruling, Uncertainty Remains
US trading partners — including Canada, Mexico, EU member states, and Asian economies — cautiously welcomed the February 20, 2026 Supreme Co...
HCL-Foxconn Semiconductor Unit Groundbreaking in UP: India's Chip Manufacturing Advances
Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated (via video conferencing) in the groundbreaking ceremony of the HCL-Foxconn joint venture semicondu...
Chagos Islands: UK-Mauritius Sovereignty Deal Under Strain as Trump Oscillates on US Position
The UK's draft legislation to ratify the transfer of sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius is moving through Parliament, but face...
NASA Rules Out March Launch for Artemis II Moon Mission Over Technical Issues
NASA's chief ruled out a March 2026 launch for the Artemis II crewed lunar mission, citing unresolved technical issues discovered during lau...
Ukraine Strikes Votkinsk Missile Factory Over 1,300 km Inside Russia
On the night of February 20–21, 2026, Ukrainian forces struck the Votkinsk Machine Building Plant in Russia's Udmurt Republic using FP-5 Fla...
Modi-Lula Summit: India and Brazil Sign 10 Agreements, Advance Global South Agenda
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva made a state visit to New Delhi on February 21, 2026, meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi for...
India to Pay 10% US Tariff Under New Section 122 Proclamation: White House Urges Trade Partners to Honour Deals
Following the US Supreme Court's 6-3 ruling in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump (February 20, 2026) striking down IEEPA-based tariffs, Indi...
India Reassesses US Trade Deal as Supreme Court Invalidates IEEPA Tariff Authority
India's Commerce and Industry Ministry stated it had 'noted' the US Supreme Court's landmark ruling in Learning Resources Inc. v. Trump (Feb...
US Supreme Court Curbs Trump's Tariff Powers: IEEPA Ruling and Its Far-Reaching Implications
On February 20, 2026, the US Supreme Court ruled 6–3 that President Trump's sweeping tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Econo...
Trump Raises Global Tariff to 15% After Supreme Court Ruling: India's Response and Outlook
A day after the US Supreme Court struck down his IEEPA-based tariffs, President Trump imposed a new 10% flat global tariff, which he raised ...
OpenAI Revises Compute Spend Target to $600 Billion Through 2030
OpenAI has revised its compute infrastructure spending target downward to approximately $600 billion through 2030, significantly below the $...
US Supreme Court Strikes Down IEEPA Tariffs, Limiting Presidential Trade Powers
On February 20, 2026, the US Supreme Court issued a landmark 6-3 ruling in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump, striking down President Trump'...
AI's Gender Gap: Wendy Hall on How the 'Alpha Male' Culture Is Excluding Women from Artificial Intelligence
Dame Wendy Hall, Professor of Computer Science at the University of Southampton and a pioneering figure in internet science, stated in Febru...
Trump Considers Limited Military Strikes on Iran as Nuclear Deal Negotiations Continue in Geneva
President Trump, in response to a reporter's question, stated he was 'considering' limited military strikes on Iran as negotiations on Tehra...
OpenAI Developing AI-Powered Hardware Lineup Including Smart Speaker with Camera
OpenAI has assembled a team of over 200 people working on a family of AI-powered consumer hardware devices, led by legendary Apple designer ...
US Tariffs on Indian Exporters: Beyond Reciprocal Duties, Sectoral and De Minimis Levies Remain
While the US Supreme Court struck down broad reciprocal tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) on Feb...
US Tariff Legal Architecture: Sections 122, 301, and 232 After the SCOTUS Ruling
Following the US Supreme Court's February 20, 2026 ruling striking down IEEPA-based tariffs, President Trump immediately invoked Section 122...
US Supreme Court Strikes Down IEEPA Tariffs: Over $100 Billion in Refunds at Stake, 60% of Indian Exports Freed
The US Supreme Court, in a 6-3 ruling on February 20, 2026 (Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump), struck down President Trump's broad tariffs ...
NASA Report Documents Dysfunction and Leadership Failures in Boeing's Botched Starliner Mission
NASA released an independent investigation report classifying Boeing's Crewed Flight Test (CFT) of the Starliner spacecraft as a 'Type A Mis...
US 150-Day 15% Tariff Under Section 122: Implications for India-US Trade Deal
Following the US Supreme Court's invalidation of IEEPA-based tariffs on February 20, 2026, the Trump administration invoked Section 122 of t...
Bangladesh-India Visa Restoration: Diplomatic Reset Under Tarique Rahman
Bangladesh moved to restore visa services for Indian nationals following the Bangladesh Nationalist Party's (BNP) victory in the February 12...
US Partners That Struck Deals with Trump Still Face 10% Tariff, WTO Analysis Finds
A WTO analysis found that countries which concluded bilateral trade 'framework agreements' with the Trump administration — including the UK,...
Trump Confirms India-US Trade Deal Intact After IEEPA Supreme Court Verdict
Following the US Supreme Court's February 20, 2026 ruling striking down IEEPA tariffs, President Trump confirmed the India-US interim trade ...
India's US Tariff Rate Falls to 10% After Supreme Court Strikes Down IEEPA: Implications for Bilateral Trade
The US Supreme Court struck down Trump's IEEPA-based tariffs on February 20, 2026 (Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump, 6-3 ruling), invalidat...
PM Modi Writes to Bangladesh's Yunus, Stresses Progressive and Inclusive Bangladesh
Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote a letter to Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, reiterating India's support for a democratic, stable...
Nepal's RSP Wins Landslide, Signalling End of Traditional Party Dominance
Nepal's Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), a reform-oriented upstart formed in 2022, rode a wave of popular discontent with traditional politic...
APSEZ, NMDC, and Vale Brazil Sign MoU to Develop Iron Ore Blending Hub at Gangavaram Port
Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone's (APSEZ) subsidiary, Adani Gangavaram Port Limited (AGPL), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)...
Macron and the European Strategic Autonomy Push: Defense Independence from the US
French President Emmanuel Macron has intensified his push for European strategic autonomy, advocating for reducing Europe's reliance on the ...
US Plans to Reopen Damascus Embassy After 14-Year Closure Following Assad's Fall
The United States announced plans for a phased approach to potentially resume embassy operations in Damascus, Syria, after a 14-year closure...
US Supreme Court Strikes Down Trump's IEEPA Tariffs: A Major Rebuke of Executive Trade Power
The US Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on February 20, 2026 in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump that the International Emergency Economic Powers Ac...
Digital Compulsions: How Smartphones and Social Media Are Reshaping OCD in Young People
Researchers have documented new manifestations of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in young people driven by smartphone and social media ...
India Launches Indigenous Tetanus and Adult Diphtheria (Td) Vaccine: CRI Kasauli Leads UIP Integration
Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda formally launched the indigenously manufactured Tetanus and Adult Diphtheria (Td) vaccine at the Central Re...
Tamil Nadu's High-Level Committee on Union–State Relations Calls for Constitutional Reset of Federalism
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin disseminated Part I of a report by the High-Level Committee on Union-State Relations, chaired by retir...
Trump Raises Global Tariff to 15%: India's Commerce Ministry Monitors Evolving Trade Situation
President Trump raised the new global tariff from 10% to 15% on February 21, 2026 — one day after the US Supreme Court struck down his IEEPA...
Sarvam AI: Powering India's Made-in-India Artificial Intelligence Revolution
Sarvam AI, a Bengaluru-based AI startup, unveiled two large language models (LLMs) at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 — Sarvam-30B and Sarva...
India Should Reassess US Trade Deal After Supreme Court Limits Trump's Tariff Powers
The US Supreme Court on February 20, 2026, struck down President Trump's sweeping tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic...
US Supreme Court Strikes Down IEEPA Tariffs: Impact on India's Trade Position
On February 20, 2026, the US Supreme Court issued a 6-3 ruling striking down President Trump's sweeping IEEPA-based tariffs as unlawful, hol...
India's Multilingual Open-Source AI Demonstrated at Bharat Mandapam: Inclusive AI Vision
At the India AI Impact Summit 2026 (Bharat Mandapam, February 20, 2026), a session titled 'Making AI for Everyone: The Case for Personal, Lo...
India AI Impact Summit 2026: New Delhi Declaration and Global AI Governance
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 was held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, from February 16–21, 2026, organised under the IndiaAI Mission by th...
US Supreme Court Strikes Down IEEPA Tariffs, Providing Immediate Relief to Indian Exporters
The United States Supreme Court ruled on 20 February 2026 (6-3 decision) that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) of 197...
Hungary Blocks €90 Billion EU Loan to Ukraine in Russian Oil Pipeline Dispute
Hungary announced it would block the release of a €90 billion EU loan to Ukraine until Russian oil shipments through the Druzhba pipeline to...
Global Reaction to US Supreme Court Striking Down IEEPA Tariffs: What the Ruling Means for World Trade
The US Supreme Court struck down President Trump's sweeping IEEPA-based tariffs on February 20, 2026, in a 6-3 ruling (Learning Resources, I...
India and Brazil Sign MoU to Strengthen Steel Supply Chain and Secure Critical Minerals
India and Brazil signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 21 February 2026 to enhance cooperation in mining and minerals critical to th...
Honeywell to Accelerate India's Transition to Green Hydrogen and Sustainable Aviation Fuel
Honeywell, the US-based technology and manufacturing conglomerate, announced plans to accelerate India's energy transition — specifically to...
NGT Clears Great Nicobar Island Mega-Infrastructure Project Amid Biodiversity Concerns
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) ruled on February 16, 2026, that there are 'no good grounds to interfere' with the environmental clearance...
CFTRI Mysuru Workshop: Strategies to Reduce Salt Intake in India's Diet
An international workshop on 'Sensory Strategies for Sodium Reduction in Indian Traditional Foods' was held on February 21, 2026 at CSIR–CFT...
India–Brazil Critical Minerals Pact: Diversifying Supply Chains Away from China
India and Brazil signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on critical minerals and rare earths during PM Modi's meeting with Brazilian Pre...
Five European Nations Pledge Millions for Low-Cost Drone Defence Using Ukrainian Expertise
Five European nations — France, Poland, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Italy — announced a joint initiative to develop low-cost air defenc...
India–Brazil Sign Critical Minerals Pact as Modi and Lula Hold Summit in New Delhi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held delegation-level talks with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in New Delhi on February 21, 202...
Strait of Hormuz: Global Energy Chokepoint and Iran's Military Posture
Iran announced military exercises dubbed 'Smart Control of the Strait of Hormuz,' including live-fire drills in the waterway, citing prepara...
US Supreme Court Strikes Down Trump's IEEPA Tariffs: Global Trade Consequences
On February 20, 2026, the US Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump that President Trump's sweeping tariffs imposed un...
States Must Lead Next Wave of Reforms for Viksit Bharat 2047, Says NITI Aayog CEO
NITI Aayog CEO B.V.R. Subrahmanyam stated that states must now lead the next wave of reforms for India to achieve developed nation status (V...
Opposition Demand for India-US Trade Deal Renegotiation After SCOTUS Tariff Ruling
Following the US Supreme Court's February 20, 2026 ruling striking down IEEPA-based tariffs, the Congress party urged Prime Minister Modi to...
India-US Tariff Framework After SCOTUS IEEPA Verdict: What Changes and What Doesn't
Following the US Supreme Court's February 20, 2026 ruling in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump striking down IEEPA-based tariffs, India's ta...
Trump Raises Global Tariff to 15% Using Section 122 After Supreme Court Strikes Down IEEPA Authority
The US Supreme Court, in a 6-3 ruling on February 20, 2026 (Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump), held that the International Emergency Econom...
Indian Goods Face 15% US Import Surcharge After Supreme Court Ruling: Exporter Reactions
Following the US Supreme Court striking down IEEPA-based tariffs on February 20, 2026, and the US government subsequently issuing a new exec...
India Subject to 10% US Tariffs for 150 Days Under Section 122 Global Surcharge
Following the US Supreme Court's invalidation of IEEPA-based tariffs, the Trump administration imposed a 10% global import surcharge under S...
India and Russia Chart New Course in AI Collaboration at India AI Impact Summit 2026
At the India AI Impact Summit 2026 (Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, February 16–21, 2026), India and Russia signalled a deepening technology par...
US Tariffs at 15% After Supreme Court Ruling: Impact on India's Labour-Intensive Export Sectors
The US Supreme Court struck down President Trump's sweeping tariffs imposed under IEEPA on February 20, 2026, ruling them illegal in a 6–3 d...
India's Pharma Exports Grow 9.4% to $30.47 Billion in FY25; Double-Digit Target Set for FY27
India's pharmaceutical exports grew 9.4% in FY2024-25 to reach $30.47 billion, crossing the $30 billion mark for the first time, according t...
CAQM Mandates Stricter PM Emission Norms for Delhi-NCR Industries
The Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) issued Statutory Direction No. 98 on February 21, 2026, mandatin...
India Moves to Expand Preferential Trade Agreement with Mercosur: From Limited PTA Toward Comprehensive Deal
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal announced on February 21, 2026, that India is actively working to expand its Preferential Trade ...
US Supreme Court Invalidates IEEPA Tariffs: What Happens to Trump's Trade Deals?
The US Supreme Court struck down the majority of Trump's tariffs imposed via the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) in a 6–...
NIPER Raebareli and Boehringer Ingelheim Sign MoU to Strengthen India's Pharmaceutical Ecosystem
On February 19, 2026, Boehringer Ingelheim India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Ed...
New Delhi Declaration on AI Impact: 88 Nations Endorse India's Vision for Inclusive Global AI Governance
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 (held February 16–20 in New Delhi) concluded with the adoption of the New Delhi Declaration on AI Impact, en...
NIELIT to Establish India's First Dedicated Quantum and AI University Campus in Amaravati
The National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT), under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Mei...
Indian Exporters Relieved but Wary After US Supreme Court Strikes Down IEEPA Tariffs
On February 20, 2026, the US Supreme Court, in a 6–3 majority ruling in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump, struck down President Trump's swe...
NDMA, AcSIR, and CSIR-NIScPR Sign MoU to Strengthen Disaster Management Research
On February 21, 2026, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), and CSIR–Nat...
MeitY Launches Policy Report and Developers' Toolkit on Inclusive Voice AI in India
A Policy Report and Developers' Toolkit on inclusive voice technologies were launched at the India AI Summit Expo 2026 on February 20–21, 20...
India-Brazil Trade Push: Banco do Brasil's $100 Billion Vision and Strategic Partnership
At the India-Brazil Business Forum 2026 in New Delhi (February 21, 2026), Banco do Brasil President Tarciana Medeiros announced the bank's a...
US-India Interim Trade Deal: Reciprocal Tariff Cut to 18% and the SCOTUS Twist
On February 6, 2026, the US and India announced a framework for an interim bilateral trade deal, reducing the US reciprocal tariff on Indian...
India-Brazil Strategic Partnership Elevated: $30 Billion Trade Target, Critical Minerals Pact
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva undertook a state visit to India from February 18-21, 2026, leading a delegation of approximat...
India Launches EEZ Access Pass for Fishing: Unlocking Deep-Sea Marine Potential
Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Rajiv Ranjan Singh, launched the Access Pass for Fishing in India's Exclusive E...
India-Brazil Commit to $20 Billion Trade Target; Modi Receives Brazil's Highest Honour
PM Modi and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva held a joint press statement in Brasilia on February 21, 2026, during Modi's state...
India Joins US-Led Pax Silica Initiative on AI and Critical Minerals Supply Chains
On 20 February 2026, India formally joined the US-led Pax Silica initiative by signing the Pax Silica Declaration during the India AI Impact...
India Joins US-Led Pax Silica Semiconductor Alliance
India formally joined the US-led Pax Silica initiative at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi on February 20, 2026, becoming the 12th signator...
India's Net FDI Stays Negative in December as Repatriation Hits Record High
India's net Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) remained in negative territory for the fourth consecutive month in December 2024, driven by reco...
India's Corporate Investment Pipeline Strengthens with Rs 4.35 Lakh Crore Lined Up
Private sector firms have earmarked Rs 4.35 lakh crore for capital expenditure (capex) in FY2026, up from Rs 4 lakh crore in the preceding y...
USTR Greer Likely to Visit India in March for Interim Trade Deal, Operationalization Expected in April
United States Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer is expected to visit New Delhi around March-end to sign the India-US interim trade ...
Rajnath Singh at MILAN 2026: Naval Cooperation Imperative for Maritime Security
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the 13th edition of Exercise MILAN 2026 at Visakhapatnam on February 19, 2026, the Indian Navy's ...
India Joins US-Led Pax Silica Semiconductor Alliance at AI Summit
India formally joined the US-led Pax Silica initiative on February 20, 2026, at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, becoming the 10th n...
PM Modi at AI Impact Summit: AI Represents Fortune and Future, Not Fear
PM Narendra Modi addressed the India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, asserting that AI represents 'fortune and future' ...
Election Commission to Begin Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls in Remaining 22 States and UTs
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has directed 22 states and Union Territories to begin preparatory work for the Special Intensive Revi...
New Manipur CM Khemchand Singh Adopts Conciliatory Tone Amid Persistent Meitei-Kuki Ethnic Divide
Yumnam Khemchand Singh was sworn in as the 13th Chief Minister of Manipur on February 4, 2026, ending an extended period of President's Rule...
Vibrant Villages Programme Phase-II: Rs 6,839 Crore for 1,954 Border Villages
The Union Home Minister launched the Vibrant Villages Programme Phase-II (VVP-II) from Nathunpur village in Assam's Barak Valley, with an ou...
India-Brazil Summit: PM Modi and President Lula Target $20 Billion Trade and Deeper Defence Ties
Prime Minister Modi held bilateral talks with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in New Delhi, covering trade, defence, technolog...
Centre Forms Empowered Committee for CAA Implementation in West Bengal
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) constituted an Empowered Committee on February 20, 2026, to oversee scrutiny and approval of citizenship ...
PM Modi's Alternative AI Vision: India as the Bridge Between Global North and South
At the India AI Impact Summit 2026, PM Narendra Modi articulated an alternative AI governance philosophy, positioning India as a bridge betw...
Macron Urges India to Ban Social Media for Under-15s at AI Summit, Says "Join the Club"
French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi (February 19, 2026), urged PM Modi to ban social media...
India Joins US-Led Pax Silica: What the Semiconductor Alliance Means for New Delhi
India formally joined the US-led Pax Silica framework on February 20, 2026, signing the agreement during the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi. ...
Oil Prices Hit Six-Month High as US-Iran Tensions Escalate: Stakes for India
Oil prices surged approximately 2% to a six-month high on February 19-20, 2026, with Brent crude settling at $71.66 per barrel and WTI at $6...
India Joins Trump's Board of Peace as Observer, Signalling Calibrated Engagement
India attended the inaugural meeting of the 'Board of Peace' on February 19, 2026, as an observer nation — not a full member The Board of Pe...
Who Really Pays Trump's Tariffs? US Consumers and Businesses, Not Foreign Exporters
A February 2026 analysis by economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that approximately 90% of the economic burden of Trump'...
Gujarat's Parental Consent Requirement for Marriage Registration Flies in the Face of Supreme Court Rulings
The Gujarat government has proposed an amendment to its Marriage Registration Rules that would require couples to provide parents' contact d...
US Supreme Court Strikes Down Trump's IEEPA Tariffs in Landmark 6-3 Ruling
The US Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on February 20, 2026, that President Trump's tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Power...
US Supreme Court Strikes Down Trump's Emergency Tariffs: Implications for India
The US Supreme Court, in a 6-3 ruling in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump, held that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA...
AI-Based Weather Forecasts Transform Farm Decision-Making in India
Indian farmers are increasingly basing agricultural decisions on AI-powered weather forecasts, as accuracy of these models has reached level...
Justice Kurian Joseph Committee Report: A Constitutional Case for Resetting Indian Federalism
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin's Justice Kurian Joseph Committee on Federalism submitted its first part report on February 16, 2026, ...
India Joins US-Led Pax Silica Coalition to Secure Semiconductor, AI, and Critical Mineral Supply Chains
India signed the Pax Silica Declaration on February 20, 2026, becoming the 12th nation to join the US-led international coalition aimed at s...
RBI Bulletin Pegs India's Near-Term Economic Outlook as Favourable
The Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) February 2026 Bulletin described the near-term outlook for the Indian economy as 'favourable,' citing resi...
India's Flash PMI Surges to 59.3 in February 2026: Manufacturing Leads Growth
The HSBC Flash India Composite Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), compiled by S&P Global, rose to 59.3 in February 2026 from 58.4 in January ...
India Joins US-Led Pax Silica Coalition for Secure AI and Critical Mineral Supply Chains
India formally joined the US-led Pax Silica coalition on 20 February 2026, signing the agreement at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi. The d...
Modernising India's Mango Farming Amid Climate Change
India's mango farmers are under increasing pressure to modernise cultivation practices as climate change makes the crop's growth cycle 'unpr...
India Pursues Its Own 'DeepSeek Moment' with Homegrown Foundational AI Models
At the India AI Impact Summit 2026 (Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi), several Indian AI companies unveiled homegrown large language models, marki...
Agriculture Sector Remains the Fault Line in India-US Trade Negotiations
As India and the US advance trade deal negotiations, the agriculture sector has emerged as the most sensitive area requiring careful calibra...
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's Planned India Visit and the State of the Strategic Partnership
US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor confirmed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to visit India 'in the next few months,' making it one...
India-US Officials Begin Three-Day Meet to Finalise Legal Text for Interim Trade Pact
Indian and American officials will begin a three-day meeting on February 23 in Washington to finalise the legal text of the interim trade ag...
India-US Officials Begin Three-Day Meet to Finalise Last-Mile Trade Deal Details
Indian and US trade officials began a three-day technical meeting starting February 23, 2026, to finalise the remaining details of the bilat...
India-US Interim Trade Deal Likely Operational in April: Commerce Minister Goyal
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal stated that the India-US interim trade agreement, announced on February 6, 2026, is likely to be...
US Negotiates Venezuelan Oil Sale to India as Part of Energy Diversification Strategy
US Envoy Sergio Gor revealed that the United States is in active negotiations with India over the sale of Venezuelan crude oil to help India...
PLI Schemes: Government Disburses INR 28,748 Crore Across 14 Sectors by December 2025
The government has disbursed INR 28,748 crore under Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes across 14 sectors as of December 2025, against...
IIT Madras Develops Optical Technique for Precise Blood Clotting Measurement
Researchers at IIT Madras have developed a new optical technique that measures blood clotting time with millisecond-level precision The meth...
NASA's Artemis 2 Wet Dress Rehearsal: Humanity's Return Journey to Lunar Orbit
NASA successfully completed a second wet dress rehearsal for the Artemis II mission on February 19–20, 2026, at Kennedy Space Center in Flor...
Green Hydrogen and India's Net Zero Path: The Role of BEE and the NGHM
The Director General of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) underscored the centrality of green hydrogen to India's energy security and ne...
88 Nations Adopt New Delhi Declaration at India AI Impact Summit 2026
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 concluded with 86 countries and 2 international organisations (totalling 88 signatories) adopting the New De...
Ambitious Climate Targets Could Save 1.32 Million Lives Annually by 2040
A landmark study published in Nature Communications (February 2026) by Cardiff University and the University of Colorado Boulder found that ...
Centre Launches 7 New Interventions Under Export Promotion Mission to Boost MSME Exports
The Union Commerce Minister launched seven new interventions under the Export Promotion Mission (EPM) on February 20, 2026, bringing the tot...
India-US Interim Trade Deal on Track for April Implementation: What It Means
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal stated that the India-US interim trade deal is on track to come into effect in April 2026, follo...
India's Factory and Services Output Hit Four-Month High in February 2026
India's manufacturing and services sectors both accelerated in February 2026, with both indices reaching their fastest pace of expansion in ...
India AI Impact Summit 2026: $250 Billion Investment Pledges and New Delhi Declaration
The India AI Impact Summit 2026, held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi from February 18-20, concluded with over $250 billion in infrastructur...
Qualcomm and Tata Electronics Partner to Manufacture Automotive Modules in Assam
Qualcomm and Tata Electronics announced a partnership at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 to manufacture Qualcomm's automotive system-in-pack...
US Supreme Court Strikes Down Trump's Global Tariffs Imposed Under IEEPA in Landmark 6-3 Ruling
The US Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision on February 20, 2026, struck down President Trump's sweeping global tariffs imposed under the Intern...
Export Promotion Mission: Commerce Ministry Launches Seven New Measures for MSMEs
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal launched seven additional interventions under the Export Promotion Mission (EPM) on Feb...
India and Brazil Deepen Strategic Partnership as President Lula Visits New Delhi
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva visited India from February 18-22, 2026, describing India and Brazil as 'two of the world's la...
Global Central Banks Chart Divergent Paths on Interest Rate Cuts in 2026
Central banks across the world are moving in different directions on monetary policy in 2026, with no unified global easing or tightening cy...
IMF's Georgieva Warns AI Could Bring "Tsunami" to Labour Markets, Threatening Middle Class and Entry-Level Jobs
IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva warned at the India AI Impact Summit (February 2026, New Delhi) and earlier at Davos 2026 (Januar...
Government Announces Seven New Measures Under Rs 25,060 Crore Export Promotion Mission
The government announced seven new interventions under the Export Promotion Mission (EPM) to strengthen the country's export competitiveness...
NITI Aayog Finds Sharp Gaps in India's Apprenticeship Ecosystem, Recommends Five-Point Reform Plan
NITI Aayog released a comprehensive report highlighting significant gaps in India's apprenticeship ecosystem under the National Apprenticesh...
Trump's 10% Global Tariff After Supreme Court Strikes Down IEEPA: Trade Law at a Crossroads
The US Supreme Court, in a 6-3 ruling (February 2026), struck down tariffs imposed by President Trump under the International Emergency Econ...
IMF: AI Can Add 0.8% to Global Growth; India's Viksit Bharat Goal Achievable
IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said at the AI Impact Summit 2026 that artificial intelligence can lift global economic growth by...
Japan's Security Overhaul Under PM Takaichi: Article 9, Defence Spending, and Indo-Pacific Realignment
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, in her first major parliamentary address following her party's election victory, warned of growing C...
India Revises Base Year for Merchandise Trade Indices to 2022-23 for Enhanced Accuracy
The Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCI&S) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry announced on February...
India Grants Interim Extension to Four Russian Marine Insurers Amid Oil Trade Pressures
India granted a one-month interim extension — until March 20, 2026 — to four Russian insurance companies to provide Protection and Indemnity...
Aditya-L1 Observations Help Decode Unusual Dawn-Time Geomagnetic Disturbances During Solar Storms
Scientists using data from India's Aditya-L1 solar observatory have explained the cause of unusual magnetic disturbances observed on Earth's...
India Joins US-Led Pax Silica as Washington Claims Commitment on Russian Oil Purchases
India became the tenth signatory to the US-led Pax Silica initiative on February 20, 2026, at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, joini...
Trump Imposes Global 10% Tariff Under Section 122 After Supreme Court Strikes Down IEEPA Tariffs
The US Supreme Court, in a 6-3 ruling in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump, struck down President Trump's tariffs imposed under the Internat...
US Supreme Court Strikes Down Trump's IEEPA Tariffs in 6-3 Ruling
On February 20, 2026, the US Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Learning Resources Inc. v. Trump that President Trump exceeded his legal authority w...
PM Modi and Sri Lankan President Discuss Expanding Bilateral Ties on Sidelines of AI Summit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral discussions with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on the sidelines of the India AI ...
India-Canada Relations Reset: Strategic Autonomy in a Fractured Global Order
Experts called for deeper India-Canada ties as a strategic buffer against dependence on 'hegemonic powers,' particularly as both countries n...
Embraer's Bid for IAF Medium Transport Aircraft: Make in India in Defence
Brazilian aerospace company Embraer is the leading contender for the Indian Air Force's (IAF) Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) programme — a ...
India in Discussions to Import Venezuelan Oil as US Pushes Crude Diversification
US envoy Sergio Gor, speaking on the sidelines of the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, confirmed that the US and India are in 'active ne...
US Pays $160 Million of $4 Billion UN Debt: The Structural Funding Crisis at the United Nations
The United States paid approximately $160 million toward the nearly $4 billion it owes to the United Nations — a partial payment that covers...
AI Can Help India Achieve Viksit Bharat Goal but Poses High Risk to Jobs: IMF Chief
IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, speaking at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, stated that artificial intelligence co...
India Signs Pax Silica Declaration: Joins 11-Nation Coalition for Chip and AI Supply Chain Security
India signed the Pax Silica declaration at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, becoming the 11th member of the US-led coalition focused...
Iran's "Legitimate Targets" Warning: International Law and Regional Escalation
Iran officially warned that US military bases in the West Asia region would be treated as 'legitimate targets' if Iran itself is attacked, f...
Poland Exits Ottawa Convention: Security vs. Humanitarian Disarmament Norms
Poland formally withdrew from the Ottawa Convention (Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty) on 20 February 2026, citing the growing military threat...
Iran Nuclear Talks: The Enrichment Debate at the Heart of a New Deal
Iran's government clarified that the United States has not formally demanded 'zero nuclear enrichment' as a precondition for ongoing negotia...
Trade Experts Flag Risks to Agriculture, Pharma, and Policy Space in India's FTA Push with US and EU
Trade experts have raised concerns that India's expanding FTA network with the United States and the European Union could erode domestic pol...
US-India Trade Marathon: Interim Agreement Eyes April Operationalisation
Indian and American trade negotiators are set to meet for three days starting February 23 in the US to finalise the legal text of the interi...
PM Modi Meets UN Secretary-General at AI Impact Summit, Reiterates MANAV Vision for AI
PM Modi held bilateral talks with UN Secretary-General António Guterres on the sidelines of the India AI Impact Summit, held in New Delhi fr...
India's Private Sector Activity Hits Three-Month High as Composite PMI Rises to 59.3 in February
The HSBC flash India Composite Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) rose to 59.3 in February 2026, up from 58.4 in January, marking the stronges...
India's Core Sector Growth Slows to 4% in January as Crude Oil and Gas Output Contract
India's Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) recorded 4% growth in January 2026, easing from a revised 4.7% in December 2025 and below the 5...
MPC Minutes: Unanimous Rate Pause at 5.25%, Lone Dissent on Stance Shift to Accommodative
The RBI's Monetary Policy Committee minutes revealed that all six members unanimously voted to keep the repo rate unchanged at 5.25% during ...
India's Foreign Exchange Reserves Surge to Record High
India's foreign exchange reserves rose by $8.66 billion in the week ended February 14, 2026 to reach an all-time high of $767.81 billion, ac...
US Supreme Court Strikes Down Trump's Global Tariffs Imposed Under IEEPA
On February 20, 2026, the US Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Learning Resources Inc. v. Trump that the International Emergency Economic Powers Ac...
PM Modi Meets Mauritius PM Ramgoolam on Sidelines of India AI Impact Summit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral talks with Mauritius Prime Minister Dr. Navinchandra Ramgoolam on the sidelines of the India AI ...
RBI MPC Maintains Status Quo at 5.25% as India Enters Extended Goldilocks Phase
The Reserve Bank of India's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) unanimously decided to keep the repo rate unchanged at 5.25% in its February 202...
Supreme Court Orders Judicial Officers for West Bengal's SIR: A Rare Intervention in Electoral Administration
The Supreme Court of India issued an 'extraordinary order' directing the Calcutta High Court to deploy serving and retired judicial officers...
India's China-Bound Exports Surge as US Shipments Decline Amid Tariff Pressures
India's exports to China have surged into double-digit growth territory even as shipments to the United States declined, driven largely by U...
New Delhi Declaration on AI: 88+ Nations Endorse India's Framework for Safe and Inclusive Artificial Intelligence
The India AI Impact Summit (February 16–20, 2026, New Delhi) concluded with the adoption of the New Delhi Declaration on AI Impact, with Uni...
India-US Trade Pact Soon: US Ambassador Signals Imminent Finalisation
US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor stated that a bilateral India-US trade pact would be concluded 'soon,' signalling a breakthrough in trade ...
India's Forex Reserves Jump $8.66 Billion to Record $725.72 Billion
India's foreign exchange reserves surged by $8.663 billion to a record all-time high of $725.727 billion during the week ending February 13,...
India-US Interim Trade Pact Likely to Be Operationalised in April: Commerce Minister Goyal
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal announced that the India-US interim trade agreement is likely to be signed in March and operatio...
India-UAE Strategic Partnership Deepens: Sovereign Fund Investments, AI Collaboration, and GIFT City Expansion
Prime Minister Modi and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met on the sidelines of the AI Impact Summit (F...
What Is Pax Silica: Understanding the US-Led AI and Semiconductor Supply Chain Alliance
India formally joined Pax Silica, a US-led initiative launched in December 2025 by the Department of State to build secure and resilient sup...
FTAs to Play Significant Role in Boosting Market Access and Export Competitiveness: RBI Bulletin
An article in the RBI's February 2026 bulletin on the 'State of the Economy' noted that recently concluded Free Trade Agreements will signif...
88 Countries Endorse New Delhi Declaration on AI at India AI Impact Summit
All major countries signed the New Delhi Declaration on AI at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, with the final tally reaching 88 signatories ...
RBI MPC Minutes Signal Robust Growth, Benign Inflation After February Rate Pause
The Reserve Bank of India's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) minutes reveal a unanimous decision to hold the repo rate at 5.25% during the Fe...
India–US Interim Trade Agreement to Be Operationalised by April 2026
Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal announced on 20 February 2026 that the India–US interim trade agreement is likely to be si...
ECI in Talks with Social Media Platforms Over Protection of Political Content During 2026 Elections
The Election Commission of India (ECI) held discussions with major social media platforms regarding the protection of political content and ...
India-US Trade Negotiators to Meet for Three Days to Draft Interim Agreement Legal Text
Indian and American trade officials will meet in the United States beginning February 23 for a three-day negotiation session to draft the le...
Indian Exporters Welcome US Supreme Court's Decision on Trump Tariffs
Indian export industry bodies and exporters have welcomed the US Supreme Court's February 20, 2026 ruling in Learning Resources Inc. v. Trum...
Government Net Market Borrowing to Fall to 3% of GDP in FY27, Easing Crowding Out
The RBI's February 2026 Bulletin highlighted that the central government's net market borrowing is budgeted to fall to 3% of GDP in FY 2026-...
India's FTAs with UK and Oman Likely Operational from April; New Zealand Deal by September
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal announced that India's free trade agreements with the UK and Oman are expected to be operational...
US Chamber Flags Possible Refunds on India Tariffs After Supreme Court Ruling
Following the US Supreme Court's February 20, 2026 ruling in Learning Resources Inc. v. Trump — which struck down IEEPA-based tariffs as unc...
India Mandates AI Content Labelling: Amended IT Rules on Synthetic Content Come Into Force
The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2026, came into force on February 20, 20...
AI-Generated EPIC Card in Bengal: When Technology Threatens Electoral Integrity
A case of an AI-generated Elector's Photo Identity Card (EPIC) — the official voter identity document issued by the Election Commission of I...
India-US Trade Tariff Journey: From Liberation Day Shock to an Interim Trade Deal
President Trump's April 2025 'Liberation Day' executive orders imposed sweeping reciprocal tariffs, with India facing a 50% rate — among the...
India's Seven-Step MSME Export Support Package Under Export Promotion Mission
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry launched seven new interventions under the Export Promotion Mission (EPM), a Rs 25,060 crore programme...
India Revises Base Year for Merchandise Trade Indices to 2022-23
The Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCI&S) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has revised the base ...
India Joins US-Led Pax Silica Coalition for AI and Semiconductor Supply Chain Security
India signed a declaration to join Pax Silica, a US-led global initiative aimed at securing supply chains for artificial intelligence, semic...
OECD Chief Calls for Strong Policy Backbone for AI at India AI Impact Summit
OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann spoke at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 (New Delhi, February 16–20), emphasising that AI requires a ...
India Launches Seven Interventions Under Rs 25,060 Crore Export Promotion Mission
The Union Government launched seven additional interventions under the Rs 25,060 crore Export Promotion Mission (EPM), bringing 10 of the 11...
IMF on AI: Growth Catalyst but Job Disruptor: Implications for India's Viksit Bharat Vision
IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva stated that artificial intelligence could lift global economic growth by 0.8 percentage points an...
India-US Trade Framework Intact Amid Tariff Overhaul and Supreme Court Ruling
The US President confirmed that the trade arrangement with India remains unchanged despite a broader tariff overhaul, with India continuing ...
US Supreme Court Strikes Down IEEPA Tariffs: India-US Trade Deal Faces Uncertainty
On February 20, 2026, the US Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump that President Trump's tariffs imposed under the I...
NHAI to Discontinue Cash Toll Payments from April 2026: All Plazas to Go Digital-Only
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) announced plans to discontinue cash payments at all National Highway toll plazas from April ...
India Updates Merchandise Trade Index Base Year to FY23 for Better Economic Accuracy
India updated the base year of its Merchandise Trade Indices from FY 2012-13 to FY 2022-23, effective February 2026, as announced by the Dir...
IMF Chief Warns AI Could Displace Jobs While Lifting Global Growth by 0.8%
IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, speaking at the India AI Impact Summit on February 20, 2026, warned that AI is 'like a tsunami h...
India's Core Sector Growth Slows to 4% in January 2026
India's eight core infrastructure sectors recorded a combined growth rate of 4% in January 2026, easing from a revised 4.7% in December 2025...
Government Disburses Rs 28,748 Crore Under 14 PLI Schemes, Driving Manufacturing Boom
The government has disbursed Rs 28,748 crore under Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes across 14 sectors as of December 2025, as annou...
US Supreme Court Strikes Down Trump Tariffs: Chidambaram Questions India's Feb 6 Trade Concessions
The US Supreme Court ruled 6–3 in February 2026 that President Trump's sweeping tariffs on imports from nearly all US trading partners viola...
NITI Aayog Proposes National Apprenticeship Mission to Revitalise Skilling Ecosystem
NITI Aayog released a policy report titled 'Revitalising India's Apprenticeship Ecosystem: Insights, Challenges, Recommendations and Best Pr...
RBI Bulletin February 2026: Economy Resilient, Budget Supports Growth
The Reserve Bank of India released its February 2026 Bulletin containing the bi-monthly monetary policy statement (February 6, 2026), one sp...
RBI MPC Keeps Repo Rate Unchanged at 5.25%: Growth Buoyant, Inflation Benign
The 59th meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), held from February 4 to 6, 2026, unanimously decided to keep the policy repo rate u...
India AI Impact Summit 2026: Modi Unveils M.A.N.A.V. Framework, Calls AI the New World Order Shaper
PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, held from February 16–20, 2026, drawing particip...
India's Vision at AI Impact Summit 2026: Democratising AI and Respecting Sovereignty
India hosted the AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi from February 16–21, 2026 — the first global AI summit held by a Global...
India Engages US and France to Build Alternative Critical Minerals Supply Chain
India is in discussions with the US and France to build alternative critical minerals supply chains, reducing dependence on China Rare-earth...
Government Forms High-Level Panel to Steer PFC-REC Merger into Single Power Finance Giant
The Ministry of Power constituted two oversight panels on February 19, 2026, to guide the proposed merger of Power Finance Corporation (PFC)...
India AI Impact Summit 2026: AI Transforming Governance Through Flood Alerts, Speech Synthesis, and Water Management
The India AI Impact Summit was held in New Delhi from February 16–20, 2026, at Bharat Mandapam, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi ...
Tamil Nadu Panel Headed by Justice Kurian Joseph Recommends Sweeping Federalism Reforms: Governor, Language Policy, and Fiscal Changes
A high-level committee chaired by retired Supreme Court Justice Kurian Joseph has submitted a comprehensive report to the Tamil Nadu Governm...
Bihar Becomes Effectively Naxal-Free After Last Armed Maoist Surrenders
Suresh Koda (alias Mustakim), described as Bihar's last active armed Maoist, surrendered before the Bihar Police's Special Task Force (STF) ...
India AI Impact Summit 2026: PM Modi Unveils MANAV Vision for Human-Centric AI Governance
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 was held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi from February 16–20, 2026, drawing over 20 heads of state and more th...
J&K Security Grid Launches Weekly Inter-Agency Reviews as Militancy Shifts to Forests
A Joint Control Centre has been established to conduct weekly security review meetings in Jammu and Kashmir, chaired by the Northern Army Co...
Gauhati High Court Upholds Right to Life and Dignity for Evicted Assam Families
The Gauhati High Court (Justice Devashish Baruah) directed the Assam government and Goalpara district administration to immediately provide ...
India-France Ties Elevated to Special Global Strategic Partnership
India and France elevated their bilateral relationship to a 'Special Global Strategic Partnership' during a visit by French President Emmanu...
Kunal Kamra Summoned by Maharashtra Privileges Committee: Powers and Procedure Explained
Comedian Kunal Kamra was summoned by the Privileges Committee of the Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) in connection with a breach of pr...
South Korea's Yoon Suk Yeol Sentenced to Life for Martial Law Declaration
Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to life in prison on February 19, 2026, by a Seoul court for rebellion — the most ...
Iran Back at the Centre of Global Geopolitics: Nuclear Talks, US Pressure, and West Asia
Iran has re-emerged as a central actor in global geopolitics in early 2026, simultaneously facing US military pressure, nuclear negotiation ...
RTI Act Amendment Under DPDP Act: Privacy vs Transparency Debate Reaches Constitution Bench
The Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023, through Section 44(3), has amended Section 8(1)(j) of the Right to Information (RTI) ...
FCI Signs Five-Year MoU to Supply 2 Lakh Tonnes of Rice to the World Food Programme
The Food Corporation of India (FCI) and the World Food Programme (WFP) signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on February 18, ...
India Joins Over 100 Countries in Criticising Israel's West Bank Plans
India formally endorsed a joint statement signed by over 100 countries and international organisations criticising Israel's unilateral measu...
Chinese Walnuts Passed Off as Afghan Goods to Exploit SAFTA Zero-Duty Loophole
Indian Customs at Nhava Sheva (Jawaharlal Nehru Port, Mumbai) detained the Comoros-flagged vessel MV WIV Reyfa on February 1, 2026, carrying...
Maize Overtakes Sugarcane to Drive Nearly Half of India's Ethanol Production
Maize has become the single largest feedstock for India's ethanol production, accounting for approximately 48% of total ethanol output durin...
APEC Climate Centre Issues El Nino Watch: Concerns Over South-West Monsoon 2026 Outlook
The APEC Climate Centre (APCC), the apex climate prediction body for the Asia-Pacific region, has issued an El Nino watch, warning that drou...
India's Pivot to Venezuelan Crude: Geopolitics, Sanctions, and Energy Security
Following President Trump's public claim that India would shift from Russian oil to Venezuelan crude, Indian firms have begun evaluating Ven...
India Launches EEZ Fishing Access Pass: Opening Deep-Sea Waters to Indian Fishers
Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh launched the Access Pass for Fishing in India's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) on February 20, 2026, at Ver...
Russia Urges Restraint as US Builds Military Assets Near Iran
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called on Iran and 'all parties in the region' to exercise restraint and caution as US military assets moved...
India Joins Over 100 Countries in Condemning Israel's West Bank Actions
India added its name to a joint statement by over 100 countries and international organisations condemning Israel's unilateral measures in t...
India Attends Trump's Board of Peace Meeting as Observer Nation
India attended the inaugural meeting of Trump's Board of Peace in Washington D.C. on February 19, 2026, choosing the status of observer rath...
India AI Impact Summit 2026 Day 4: Modi's MANAV Vision, Sovereign AI Models, and 2027 Geneva Summit
PM Modi unveiled the 'MANAV Vision' for human-centric AI at the summit's Day 4, urging global leaders to work on a roadmap for responsible A...
Satellite Images Reveal Iran Repairing and Fortifying Nuclear and Military Sites Amid US Tensions
Satellite images obtained by analysts and reported widely in mid-February 2026 show Iran conducting active repair and fortification work at ...
India Approves 114 Rafale Fighter Jets Under Government-to-Government Deal with France
India's Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approved the procurement of 114 Rafale fighter jets from France in a deal estimated at Rs 3.25 lak...
The ASHA Worker's Mental Health Paradox: Healers Without Healthcare
ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers are being trained to identify depression and prevent suicides in rural communities — but th...
India Joins US-Led Pax Silica Alliance for Secure AI and Semiconductor Supply Chains
India formally joined the Pax Silica initiative, a US-led strategic alliance aimed at building secure, resilient supply chains for semicondu...
Reservoir Storage Across All Indian Regions Drops Below 75% as Rainfall Deficit Deepens
Storage levels in all five Indian regions (Northern, Eastern, Western, Central, Southern) have dropped below 75% of their combined capacity,...
Iran and US Escalate Military Posture as West Asia Tensions Reach Critical Point
The US has deployed an unprecedented dual-carrier military force in the West Asia region, with the USS Abraham Lincoln operating in the Arab...
Integral Coach Factory Rolls Out India's First 15-Car EMU Rake for Mumbai Suburban Network
The Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai has rolled out India's first 15-car Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) rake The new rake is designed f...
Macron Calls for Inclusive AI Development and Sovereign Digital Autonomy at India AI Summit
French President Emmanuel Macron, addressing the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, called for inclusive and cooperative development ...
Supreme Court Takes Up Suo Motu Case to Strengthen Bar Associations: Seeks Transparency and Accountability Reforms
The Supreme Court has directed stakeholders to formulate agreed terms of reference in suo motu proceedings titled 'Re: Strengthening and Enh...
Embraer and Mahindra Plan C-390 MRO Hub in India for IAF Transport Aircraft Programme
Brazil's Embraer and India's Mahindra Group announced plans to establish a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility in India for the ...
Dutch PM Schoof Calls for Global AI Collaboration Without US and China at India AI Summit
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, attending the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, called for worldwide AI collaboration that deliber...
Macron Urges India to Join Coalition for Internet and Social Media Safety for Children
French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, urged India to join a growing c...
Iran Asserts No Country Can Deprive It of Nuclear Enrichment Rights
Iran's atomic energy chief Mohammad Eslami stated that 'no country can deprive Iran of the right to peacefully benefit from nuclear technolo...
Renewable Energy to Account for Over One-Fourth of India's Power Generation by March 2026
Infomerics Ratings projected that renewable energy will account for 26% of India's total power generation by the end of FY2026 (March 2026) ...
IEA Ministerial Meeting Ends Without Unity as US Threatens to Leave Over Net Zero Agenda
The 2026 IEA Ministerial Meeting in Paris ended without a unified communique for the first time in nine years, issuing only a 'chair's summa...
Restructured Weather-Based Crop Insurance Scheme Launched for J&K: Apple and Saffron Covered
The government has identified L1 (lowest bidder) insurers for the Restructured Weather-Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS) in Jammu & Kashm...
Supreme Court Warns Freebie Culture Could Stifle India's Economic Growth
The Supreme Court delivered a rebuke against the prevalent culture of indiscriminate welfare distribution by state governments The judges ob...
India to Begin Rare Earth Permanent Magnet Production: Critical Mineral Parks Planned in Four States
Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy announced that India will commence production of Rare Earth Permanent Magnets (REPMs) by the end of 2026 The ...
Pakistan Issues Demarche to Taliban Regime Over Bajaur Terror Attack from Afghan Soil
Pakistan's Foreign Office summoned the Afghan Deputy Head of Mission on February 18 and delivered a formal demarche to the Taliban regime ov...
Government Plans to Upskill and Reskill IT Workforce Amid AI Disruption: India AI Impact Summit 2026
Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 (February 19-20, New Delhi) that the government is working w...
Koraput Tribal Farmers Send GI-Tagged Kalajeera Rice and Ginger to Multiple States via FPC Network
Tribal farmers from Koraput district, Odisha, have sent consignments of ginger and GI-tagged Kalajeera rice to Karnataka, Punjab, and Haryan...
Trump's "Board of Peace" Inaugural Meeting Draws Billions in Pledges for Gaza
The inaugural meeting of Trump's 'Board of Peace' was held on February 19, 2026, with over 20 leaders or foreign ministers of member nations...
Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman Pledges to Make Country Safe for All Faiths
Newly elected Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, in his first televised address to the nation, vowed to make Bangladesh 'a safe land ...
Embraer and Mahindra Group Plan C-390 MRO Facility in India Under Make in India
Brazilian aircraft maker Embraer and the Mahindra Group announced plans to establish a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility in In...
Manipur CM Distributes Rs 33 Crore to Displaced Families, Pledges Security and Student Support
Manipur CM attended a programme to distribute benefits worth Rs 33 crore to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) affected by ethnic violence ...
UN Fact-Finding Mission Finds "Hallmarks of Genocide" in Sudan's El-Fasher
The UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan found that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) committed acts bearing 'hallmarks ...
India's Agricultural and Automotive Exports to the EU Surge in 2025-26
India's automotive exports to the EU surged from USD 1.6 billion to USD 2.2 billion in April-December 2025, with the EU's share rising from ...
UN Report Finds Atrocity Crimes by Both Israeli Forces and Hamas in Gaza
The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) released a report finding that both Israeli forces and Hamas committed atroc...
Trump Sets 10-15 Day Deadline for Iran Nuclear Deal Amid Military Buildup
US President Donald Trump set a 10-15 day deadline for Iran to reach a 'meaningful' nuclear deal, warning that 'bad things' would happen if ...
India's Full Membership of International Energy Agency Under Discussion
Discussions for India's full membership of the International Energy Agency (IEA) are under way, following India's formal request in October ...
US Congressman Brad Sherman Criticises Trump's Tariffs on India as "Outrageous"
US Congressman Brad Sherman (Democrat, California), a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and House Financial Services Comm...
Bonded Labour Abolition Act Completes 50 Years: Persistent Challenges in Odisha Highlight Enforcement Gaps
The Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976 has completed 50 years since its enactment, prompting a reassessment of its effectiveness An ...
Supreme Court Criticises Pre-Election Freebies as Appeasement: Warns of Economic Growth Impact
The Supreme Court on February 19, 2026, sharply criticised state governments for rolling out freebie schemes on the eve of elections, callin...
India-Switzerland Bilateral Push to Deepen Biotech, Pharma, and R&D Cooperation
India called for enhanced collaboration with Switzerland in research and development, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical innovation during hi...
India-France National Centre of Excellence for Aeronautics Skilling Announced at Kanpur Under PM-SETU
PM Modi announced the establishment of an India-France National Centre of Excellence (NCoE) for Skilling in Aeronautics and Defence at the N...
Russia Rejects US Claims on India's Crude Oil Purchasing Stance
Russia's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated on February 18 that Moscow sees 'no reason to believe' India has changed its s...
India's Sandalwood Industry Revival: Union Budget 2026 Announces State Collaboration for Cultivation and Processing
India, once the world's leading producer of sandalwood, has been displaced by Australia as the top producer The Union Budget 2026-27 announc...
India Launches Access Pass Framework for Fishing in Exclusive Economic Zone
Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh (Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying) launched the Access Pass for fishing in India's Exclu...
India's FTA Strategy Shifts Focus to Effective Utilisation of Existing Agreements
India has signed over 18 comprehensive Free Trade Agreements, with six concluded in the past four years alone (UAE, Australia, EFTA, UK, Oma...
India-EU FTA and IMEC Corridor Discussed at Modi-Mitsotakis Meeting
PM Modi met Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis on the sidelines of the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi. Both leaders agreed that the Indi...
Election Commission Directs 22 States to Prepare for Special Intensive Revision of Voter Lists
The Election Commission of India (ECI) directed Chief Electoral Officers of 22 states and Union Territories to finalise preparations for the...
Ambani and Adani Pledge USD 210 Billion for India's AI Infrastructure at India AI Impact Summit
At the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, Mukesh Ambani announced a Rs 10 lakh crore (~USD 110 billion) investment in AI infrastructure ov...
Election Commission Directs 23 States and UTs to Prepare for Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has directed Chief Electoral Officers across 23 states and Union Territories to expedite preparatory ...
India-US Trade Deal: Concerns Over Impact on Apple and Horticulture Growers
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, speaking in Srinagar, warned that the India-US interim trade deal will adversely aff...
PM Modi Unveils MANAV Vision for Human-Centric AI Governance
Prime Minister Modi unveiled India's 'MANAV Vision' at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, presenting a five-point framework for e...
New Delhi Frontier AI Impact Commitments Unveiled at India AI Summit 2026
IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the 'New Delhi Frontier AI Impact Commitments' at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi. Leadi...
Manipur CM's First Joint Outreach to Displaced Meitei and Kuki-Zo Families Since 2023 Violence
Manipur's Chief Minister virtually addressed displaced Meitei and Kuki-Zo families simultaneously for the first time since ethnic violence e...
Four Labour Codes: Nearly Two Dozen Employer Compliances Listed by Ministry
The Labour and Employment Ministry has prepared a list of nearly two dozen compliances for employers under the four new labour codes The com...
MILAN 2026: India Hosts Largest Multilateral Naval Exercise with 74 Nations
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the 13th edition of Exercise MILAN 2026 at Visakhapatnam on February 19, with participation from ...
Three More Cheetah Cubs Born at Kuno, India's Population Reaches 38
Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav announced the birth of three new cheetah cubs at Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh on Fe...
Reciprocal Airspace Closure Enters 11th Month as Pakistan Extends Ban on Indian Aircraft
Pakistan extended its ban on Indian airlines and aircraft over its airspace until March 24, 2026 (subsequently further extended to April 24,...
India Must Institutionalise Human Control Over AI Systems for Military Use
At the India AI Impact Summit 2026, Lt Gen Vipul Shinghal stated that India must institutionalise human control over AI systems deployed for...
Cheetah Gamini's Three Cubs at Kuno: India's Reintroduction Programme Marks Ninth Litter
South African cheetah Gamini delivered three cubs at Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh, her second litter in India. India's cheetah...
Demwe Lower Hydropower Project Gets 11-Year Environment Clearance Extension
The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) granted an 11-year extension of E...
Baby Boom at Kuno: Cheetah Gamini's Litter Takes India's Count to 38
Cheetah Gamini, originally translocated from South Africa, gave birth to three cubs at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. This is Gamini'...
ED vs Mamata Banerjee: Supreme Court Hears I-PAC Raid Row
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) approached the Supreme Court alleging obstruction during its January 8, 2026 raid at the Kolkata office of ...
India AI Impact Summit 2026: Shielding Democracies and Rule of Law from AI Threats
India hosted the AI Impact Summit 2026 from February 16–20, 2026 — the fourth in the global series of AI governance summits and the first he...
EU Opens Legal Gateway Office in Delhi: Structured Migration and India-EU Mobility Partnership
The European Union inaugurated the first-ever European Legal Gateway Office (ELGO) in New Delhi, representing the first such office establis...
International Fleet Review 2026: Indian Navy's Maritime Diplomacy at Visakhapatnam
India conducted the International Fleet Review (IFR) 2026 off the coast of Visakhapatnam on February 18, 2026 — the third such review hosted...
India's Final Anti-Maoist Push: CRPF Operations Target Last 300 Operatives
With the Centre's March 2026 deadline to eliminate Left Wing Extremism (LWE) approaching, CRPF has identified only about 300 active Maoist o...
Bangladesh Gets New PM as BNP Wins Landslide: Time for Delhi-Dhaka Recalibration
Tarique Rahman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) was sworn in as Bangladesh's new Prime Minister on February 17, 2026, after the BNP...
India's Climate Warning to Europe: The CBAM Equity Debate
India has raised strong objections to the European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), framing it as a climate warning that c...
The Architects of AI: Overlapping Roles, Safety Debates, and Governance Gaps
A close look at the global AI ecosystem reveals that a small group of researchers and entrepreneurs — often termed the 'architects of AI' — ...
Can India's Power System Keep Up with the Data Centre Boom?
India's data centre sector is experiencing explosive growth, with installed capacity expected to rise from 1.4 GW to 9 GW by 2030, potential...
Kerala Becomes First Indian State to Frame a Comprehensive Urban Policy
Kerala's Cabinet approved India's first state-level comprehensive Urban Policy on February 13, 2026, making it the pioneering state to forma...
Infosys-Anthropic Deal Highlights India IT's Bid to Close the AI Deployment Gap
Infosys and Anthropic (maker of Claude AI) announced a strategic collaboration on February 17, 2026, to develop and deliver advanced enterpr...
Supreme Court Resumes Hearing on Challenges to Places of Worship Act, 1991
The Supreme Court indicated it will shortly take up final hearings on a batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Pl...
Maharashtra Formally Withdraws 5% Muslim Quota: Legal History and Constitutional Questions
The Maharashtra government issued a fresh Government Resolution (GR) in February 2026 formally withdrawing the 5% reservation for Muslims in...
Sabarimala Review: Nine-Judge Bench and the Essential Religious Practices Doctrine
The Supreme Court of India has scheduled a nine-judge Constitution Bench to begin hearing review petitions against the 2018 Sabarimala judgm...
NGT Clears Great Nicobar Mega Project: Strategic Ambition vs Ecological Cost
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) cleared the Rs 92,000 crore Great Nicobar Island mega-infrastructure project on February 16, 2026, upholdi...
Higher Summer Crop Acreage May Compensate for Softer Kharif Pulses Output
Area sown under summer (Zaid) crops crossed 36.2 lakh hectares in early 2026, with pulses and oilseeds registering acreage gains that could ...
India Relaxes Restrictions on Chinese Equipment Imports for Power and Coal Sectors
India has relaxed its five-year-old restrictions on Chinese equipment imports, allowing state-run power and coal companies to begin limited ...
Great Nicobar Project: Why Environmental Concerns Deserved a Fairer Appraisal
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on February 16, 2026 upheld the 2022 environmental clearance for the ₹81,000 crore Great Nicobar Island De...
Nvidia and OpenAI Forge Major Partnerships with Indian Industry and Educational Institutes at AI Impact Summit
At the India AI Impact Summit 2026 (held February 18, 2026), Nvidia and OpenAI announced major partnerships with Indian industry and educati...
India's Trade Deals with US and EU: Opening a $60 Trillion Market
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal stated that trade deals with the US and the EU will attract significant growth capital into Indi...
India's Copyright Law at a Crossroads: Balancing AI, Access, and Creativity
India's Copyright Act, 1957 is under review to address the tension between rigid copyright protections and the emerging needs of AI developm...
India's Taxpayer Base More Than Doubled in the Last Decade
India's individual taxpayer base more than doubled from 3.26 crore in Assessment Year 2013-14 to 7.26 crore in AY 2024-25, reflecting sustai...
SEBI Constitutes Working Group to Review Regulatory Framework for ESG Rating Providers
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) constituted a multi-stakeholder working group on February 18, 2026 to review the regulator...
Andhra Pradesh Assembly Removes Leprosy Discrimination from State Laws
The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly unanimously passed two Bills removing discriminatory references to persons affected by or cured of l...
India AI Impact Summit 2026: Sundar Pichai's Remarks, Global Commitments, and the Galgotias Robot Dog Row
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 was held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi from February 16-21, 2026 — India's first major multilateral summit o...
India Adds Its Name to Countries Criticising Israel's Unilateral Measures on West Bank
India belatedly added its name to a group of countries criticising Israel's unilateral measures in the occupied West Bank, having initially ...
APSEZ Signs IMEC Partnership with France's Port of Marseille Fos
Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Port of Marseille Fos, France's larges...
India Moves Toward Age Restrictions on Social Media for Minors
The Union Government confirmed it is in active discussions with major social media platforms to introduce age-based access restrictions, lik...
From Automated Farm Tractors to Exam Paper Grading: AI Emerges as an Efficiency Tool in India
Artificial intelligence is being adopted across India's agriculture and education sectors, with real-world deployments ranging from autonomo...
India's Historic Trade Deals with US and EU Put It on Global Stage: But Challenges Remain
India concluded two landmark trade agreements in quick succession in early 2026: the India-EU Free Trade Agreement (signed January 27, 2026)...
Over 5,300 Acres Set for Exclusion from Kolleru Lake Wildlife Sanctuary
The Andhra Pradesh government has moved to exclude more than 5,300 acres of land spread across 10 villages in West Godavari district from th...
India Faces Uphill Battle to Export 2.5 Million Tonnes of Wheat in 2025-26
After nearly four years of wheat export restrictions, India eased its ban in early 2026, allowing export of 2.5 million tonnes of wheat and ...
CMA CGM Signs $360 Million Deal with Cochin Shipyard for Six LNG-Powered Vessels
French shipping giant CMA CGM signed a $360 million contract with Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) to build six LNG-powered feeder container ve...
Operation KGH-2: 2,000 Security Personnel Launch Anti-Maoist Drive Along Chhattisgarh-Telangana Border
Approximately 2,000 security personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Chhattisgarh Police launched Operation KGH-2 (Kilo G...
Europe Doubles Down on Big Tech Regulation, Risking US Trade Retaliation
The European Union moved ahead with aggressive enforcement of its Digital Markets Act (DMA) and Digital Services Act (DSA) in 2026, targetin...
Russia Says No Reason to Believe India Changed Stance on Russian Oil Imports
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated that Russia has 'no reason to believe' India has changed its position on buying...
India-EU Now Natural and Preferred Partners: Jaishankar at Mobility Gateway Office Launch
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar launched the European Legal Gateway Office in New Delhi, describing India and the EU as 'natural and...
Alliance Bioversity-CIAT Promotes Over 20 Native Indian Crop Varieties
The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT (International Centre for Tropical Agriculture) is actively promoting over 20 native India...
Sri Lanka's Ruling JVP Signals Paradigm Shift in India Relations Under New Government
Tilvin Silva, General Secretary of Sri Lanka's Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and the ideological compass of the ruling National People's P...
Cheetah Gamini Delivers Three Cubs at Kuno National Park; India's Cheetah Population Rises to 38
South African cheetah Gamini gave birth to three cubs at Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh on 18 February 2026, marking her second ...
India–UK Offshore Wind Task Force: Driving Strategic Clean Energy Cooperation Under Vision 2035
India and the United Kingdom launched an Offshore Wind Task Force on 18 February 2026 as a new platform under the India–UK Vision 2035 bilat...
Supreme Court Directs Attorney General to Examine Plea for Special Hate Crime Law
The Supreme Court of India asked Attorney General R. Venkataramani to examine a PIL seeking guidelines and a special law to address hate cri...
ITC's ITCMAARS Platform Aims to Empower 10 Million Farmers Through AI
ITC Limited announced plans to expand its ITCMAARS (Metamarket for Advanced Agriculture and Rural Services) platform to reach 10 million far...
Marco Rubio's Foreign Policy Worldview: Civilisational Alliance and Regional Dominance
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, delivering a major address at the Munich Security Conference in February 2026, articulated a foreign poli...
India's 'Third Way' for AI Governance: Between US Market Freedom and EU Regulation
A policy analysis circulating in Indian strategic and technology circles articulated India's emerging 'Third Way' for AI governance — a fram...
Digital Arrest Scams Show Decline After 465% Spike in 2024: MHA Data
Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) data reveals that Indians lost Rs 1,918 crore to digital arrest scams in 2024, following a 465% spike in repo...
Military AI and the Push for Guardrails on Autonomous Weapons
Global debate over the regulation of military artificial intelligence has intensified, with multiple international institutions and states p...
Afghanistan Releases Three Pakistani Soldiers Captured in October 2025 Cross-Border Clashes
Afghanistan's Taliban government announced the release of three Pakistani soldiers who had been captured during fierce cross-border fighting...
Google Announces Direct Subsea Cable Link Between India and the United States
Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced the America-India Connect Initiative at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 on February 18 — a new infrastruc...
Can India Overtake Bangladesh in Textile Exports to the EU? The India-EU FTA Reshapes South Asian Trade
On January 27, 2026, India and the European Union concluded a landmark Free Trade Agreement (FTA), eliminating duties on nearly 99.5% of Ind...
India-UK Offshore Wind Taskforce Launched as India Crosses 272 GW Non-Fossil Fuel Capacity
India and the UK launched the India-UK Offshore Wind Taskforce to provide strategic leadership and coordination for India's offshore wind ec...
Israeli Minister Pushes for Palestinian 'Emigration' from West Bank and Gaza
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich publicly advocated for the 'emigration' of Palestinians from both the occupied West Bank (Judea an...
AI Set to Transform Science and Medicine: Experts Call for Global Governance Framework
Scientists and policy experts have highlighted AI's transformative potential in scientific research and medicine — including drug discovery,...
PM Modi Inaugurates India AI Impact Summit 2026: World Leaders Gather for Global AI Governance
PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the India AI Impact Summit 2026 on February 19, 2026, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi — the world's largest AI su...
Decision on Agreed 18% US Tariffs on India Expected Within Days
The US had reduced tariffs on Indian goods from 50% to 25% on 7 February 2026, as an interim step following the India-US trade framework ann...
Kremlin Denies Secret Nuclear Tests by Russia and China Amid US Accusations
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov denied that either Russia or China had conducted any secret nuclear tests, rejecting recent US accusation...
Security Forces Demolish 44 Maoist Monuments in Gadchiroli
Security forces comprising approximately 800 personnel from 18 teams — including C-60 commandos, CRPF, and district police — demolished 44 M...
Centre Expands Vibrant Village Programme to 1,954 Border Villages Across All Land Borders
The Central Government announced the expansion of the Vibrant Village Programme (VVP) to cover 1,954 border villages, extending beyond the o...
Spain Seeks Probe into X, Meta, TikTok Over AI-Generated Child Sexual Abuse Material
The Spanish government asked its public prosecutor on February 17, 2026 to investigate TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and Meta for allegedly ...
India Plans Regulatory Sandboxes for Pharma Sector to Fast-Track Drug Approvals
The Indian government is planning to introduce regulatory sandboxes for the pharmaceutical and medical devices sector to accelerate drug and...
India Eases Restrictions on Chinese Equipment Imports for Power and Coal Sectors
India has begun easing five-year-old restrictions on procurement of Chinese equipment, allowing state-run power and coal companies to undert...
Venezuelan Crude Returns to India's Oil Basket as Supplementary Supply
Indian refiners have begun testing Venezuelan crude barrels as Russian crude supply to India declines, following the India-US trade deal fra...
India Directs Global Tech Platforms to Operate Within Constitutional Framework After Tighter Content Rules
Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that global technology platforms including Google's YouTube, Meta (Facebook, Instagr...
Prediction Markets: Explosive Growth, Systemic Risks, and Regulatory Challenges
Prediction markets — platforms that allow participants to bet on the probability of future events — have grown explosively, from less than U...
Indian Railways Launches First LNG-Diesel Dual-Fuel DEMU at Sabarmati
Indian Railways operationalised the country's first Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and diesel dual-fuel Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU) tr...
India-EU FTA: The Starting Point: Ireland Looking to India to Sell Its Services
Ireland's government has expressed strong interest in leveraging the India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) — concluded on January 27, 2026 — a...
Corteva and BASF Launch Non-GM Herbicide-Tolerant Clearfield Mustard in India
BASF India and Corteva Agriscience India jointly introduced the Clearfield Production System for mustard cultivation in India on February 18...
PM Modi Meets Spain and Finland Leaders; India-EU FTA to Usher in Golden Era
PM Modi held separate meetings with President of Spain Pedro Sanchez and PM of Finland Petteri Orpo on the sidelines of the India AI Impact ...
India's FTA Concessions Given Only After Private Sector Approval: Commerce Minister
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal stated that concessions under every Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed by India have been given only after pri...
Poland Bans Chinese Vehicles from Military Premises Over Data Security Fears
Poland's army has banned Chinese-made vehicles from entering all military facilities, citing fears that onboard sensors and connected system...
Jamaat-e-Islami's Electoral Surge Along Bangladesh-India Border Raises Security Concerns
In the 2026 Bangladesh general election, the Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) and its allies secured significant victories in constituencies along the ...
Cochin Port Unions Oppose Centre's Move to Withdraw Cabotage Relaxation
Port worker unions at Cochin Port have come out against the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways' proposal to withdraw the cabotage rel...
India's Sugar Output Cut Again, Limiting Export Ambitions for 2025-26
India's sugar output estimate for the 2025-26 season (October–September) has been revised sharply downward, with the All India Sugar Trade A...
Delhi High Court Seeks Centre's Response on PIL Challenging Digital Personal Data Protection Act
The Delhi High Court issued notice to the Central Government on a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the constitutionality of key ...
Biden-Era Official Cautions Washington: US Cannot Expect India to Walk Away from Russia Ties
A former Biden administration official has publicly cautioned Washington against expecting India to abandon its ties with Russia The stateme...
China's Alleged 2020 Nuclear Test and the CTBT Debate in India's Parliament
Congress MP Manish Tewari raised questions in Parliament about a Washington Post report alleging that China conducted a low-yield nuclear ex...
Simultaneous Elections Panel Considers Bar on No-Confidence Motions in Final Year of Government's Term
The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024 on simultaneous elections is considering a p...
US Assembles Largest Middle East Military Force in Decades Ahead of Iran Campaign
The United States assembled its largest concentration of naval and air power in the Middle East in decades, deploying two aircraft carrier s...
California Builds AI Oversight Unit and Presses xAI Investigation Over Deepfakes
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the creation of an AI oversight, accountability, and regulation program within his office — ...
Zelenskyy Accuses Trump of Applying Undue Pressure Over Ukraine Peace Terms
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly stated that the US was applying undue pressure on Ukraine over the terms of a potential cea...
Muslim Reservation Scrapped in Maharashtra: What It Means and the Constitutional Framework
The Maharashtra government cancelled the 2014 decision that had granted 5% reservation to socially and educationally backward Muslims in the...
Iran and Russia Conduct Joint Naval Drills in the Sea of Oman
Iran and Russia announced and subsequently launched joint naval exercises in the Sea of Oman and the northern Indian Ocean, hosted by Iran's...
Trump Challenges UK Over Diego Garcia as US Prepares Iran Military Options
US President Donald Trump publicly challenged UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's decision to proceed with the Chagos Islands sovereignty deal ...
NIMHANS Study Demonstrates Promise in Intranasal Therapy for Parkinson's Disease
Researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, have demonstrated a novel intranasal therapy...
US Threatens to Quit IEA Over Climate Change Focus
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright urged the International Energy Agency (IEA) at its ministerial meeting in Paris to abandon its work on clim...
Iran Upbeat After US Talks in Geneva, But Vance Says Red Lines Not Met
Iran and the US concluded a round of Omani-mediated nuclear talks in Geneva, with both sides reporting some progress but diverging on the ou...
Bangladesh Reform Agenda Wins Voters' Backing in Referendum, But Party Rifts Remain
Bangladesh held a constitutional referendum alongside the February 12, 2026 general election, with 68% voting 'Yes' on a turnout of 60%, app...
Andhra Pradesh Amends Panchayat Raj Act: Voter Registration Now Possible Four Times a Year
The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly unanimously passed an amendment to the Andhra Pradesh Panchayati Raj Act, allowing voter registratio...
NGT Orders Joint Committee Probe into Illegal Quarrying Near Tata Cancer Hospital, Kharghar
The National Green Tribunal's (NGT) Western Zone Bench — comprising Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh and Expert Member Dr. Sujit Kumar Bajpayee — ...
President Murmu Reviews International Fleet Review 2026 at Visakhapatnam with 74 Nations
President Droupadi Murmu, in her capacity as Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, reviewed the International Fleet Review (IFR) 2026 off t...
Iran Drafts Framework for US Nuclear Talks as Negotiations Resume in Oman
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi that Iran is 'focused on drafting an initial and coherent f...
US and Uzbekistan Sign Critical Minerals Pact to Counter China's Supply Chain Dominance
The US and Uzbekistan signed a 'Joint Investment Framework' between the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and Uzbekista...
Maharashtra Cancels 5% Muslim Quota: Constitutional Debate on Religion-Based Reservation Reignited
The Maharashtra government formally cancelled the administrative framework for a 5% reservation for socially and educationally backward Musl...
Bengaluru-based Sarvam AI Launches Two Large Language Models at India AI Impact Summit
Bengaluru-based AI startup Sarvam AI launched two large language models -- Sarvam-30B (30 billion parameters) and Sarvam-105B (105 billion p...
India Launches Digital Access Pass for Fishermen in Exclusive Economic Zone
Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh, launched the digital Access Pass for Fishing in India'...
Election Commission Announces Biennial Elections for 37 Rajya Sabha Seats Across 10 States: April 2026 Vacancies
The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced biennial elections to fill 37 seats in the Council of States (Rajya Sabha), as the terms of...
Trade Liberalisation Under India-US Deal to Boost Agriculture Exports: NITI Aayog
NITI Aayog Member Ramesh Chand stated that the India-US trade deal will enhance India's agriculture exports, increase farmer income, and hel...
Iran Partially Closes Strait of Hormuz for Military Drills Amid US Nuclear Talks
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) conducted live-fire military drills in the Strait of Hormuz on February 17, 2026, partially ...
WAVES 2025: India's Bid to Lead the Global Creative Economy
The World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025, organized by India's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MoIB), was held...
Gender Budget Allocation Rises to Rs 5.01 Lakh Crore in Union Budget 2026-27
The Gender Budget Statement (GBS) for FY 2026-27 reports an allocation of Rs 5.01 lakh crore for welfare of women and girls, an increase of ...
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic Meets PM Modi on Sidelines of AI Impact Summit
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on February 18, 2026 The meeting took pl...
India and UK Launch Offshore Wind Taskforce Under Vision 2035 Energy Partnership
India and the United Kingdom jointly launched the India–UK Offshore Wind Taskforce on 18 February 2026, with Union Minister for New and Rene...
Maharashtra Formally Cancels 5% Reservation for Muslims in Education and Jobs
The Maharashtra government formally cancelled the 5% reservation for Muslims in government and semi-government jobs as well as educational i...
India's Merchandise Imports from Russia Plunge Over 40% as Crude Oil Purchases Decline
India's merchandise imports from Russia fell 40.48% to $2.86 billion in January 2026, down from $4.81 billion in January 2025. Petroleum cru...
India's Sugar Output to Decline in 2025-26 as Excessive Rainfall Hits Sugarcane Yields
India's sugar production for the 2025-26 season has been revised downward by 4.4% to approximately 28.3 million tonnes (from an earlier esti...
ISA Showcases AI-Powered Solar Innovations at India AI Impact Summit
Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi visited the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Pavilion at the India AI Impact Summ...
AI in India's Power Sector: Ministry of Power Pavilion at AI Impact Summit 2026
Union Power Minister Manohar Lal inaugurated the Ministry of Power Pavilion at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi...
Tamil Nadu Panel Report Recommends Diminishing Governor Powers and Strengthening Federalism
A high-level committee led by former Supreme Court judge Justice Kurian Joseph submitted a 387-page report to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K....
CRPF Sets Up 43 Temporary Operating Bases in J&K After Pahalgam Attack
Following the April 22, 2025 terror attack at Baisaran meadow near Pahalgam — which killed 26 tourists — the Central Reserve Police Force (C...
India Launches Interstate Peer-to-Peer Energy Trading Platform at AI Summit
India's first interstate peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading platform was launched at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi on February...
Finland-India Strategic Partnership in Advanced Technology Highlighted at AI Impact Summit 2026
A session titled 'Building Sovereign Deep Tech for a Resilient Future' at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 highlighted the expanding India-Fi...
India and France Elevate Ties to Special Global Strategic Partnership
India and France elevated their bilateral relationship to a Special Global Strategic Partnership during President Macron's fourth visit to I...
FCI Signs 5-Year MoU with WFP to Supply 2 Lakh Tonnes of Rice for Global Hunger Relief
The Food Corporation of India (FCI) signed a 5-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to ...
India-US Trade Deal Under Fire as Farmer Bodies Call It Anti-Farmer
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), a coalition of over 100 farm organisations, condemned the India-US Interim Trade Agreement framework as a 't...
Finland PM Meets PM Modi: Both Nations Aim to Double Trade, Cooperate on 6G and Clean Energy
Finnish PM Petteri Orpo met PM Modi on the sidelines of the India AI Impact Expo 2026 in New Delhi. Both leaders set a target to double bila...
Ukraine War Talks in Geneva End Without Agreement on Territory
Trilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia, and the US concluded in Geneva on 18 February 2026 after two days of negotiations, ending without ...
Google Announces India–US Subsea Cable, $30 Million AI Science Challenge, and Major Skilling Drive
Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced the 'America–India Connect' initiative at the AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi — a new strategic subsea...
India and Canada Set to Finalise Terms of Reference for Free Trade Agreement Talks
India and Canada are expected to finalise Terms of Reference (ToR) for initiating free trade agreement negotiations during Canadian PM Mark ...
India Seeks to Diversify Crude Oil and Coking Coal Sources with Focus on US Supplies
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal stated India's intent to diversify its crude oil and coking coal import sources, expressing spec...
India-US Trade Deal and MGNREGA Changes: Concerns for Punjab's Farmers
Opposition political leaders and farmer unions in Punjab raised concerns that the proposed India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) could ex...
Sitharaman Pitches India to Norway: TEPA, Renewable Energy, and Sovereign Wealth Fund Investments
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman visited Oslo on 17-18 February 2026 and met Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Finance Minister ...
Chinese Robot Row at AI Impact Summit: Galgotias University Evicted Over Misrepresentation
Galgotias University (Greater Noida) was ordered to vacate its pavilion at India's AI Impact Summit 2026 after one of its representatives pu...
Pichai: India Well-Positioned to Produce the Next Global AI Champion
At the India AI Impact Summit (February 18, 2026, Bharat Mandapam), Google CEO Sundar Pichai asserted that India is 'well positioned' with '...
Gujarat's Rs 4.08 Lakh Crore Budget: Sports Infrastructure Push for 2030 Commonwealth Games
Gujarat Finance Minister Kanubhai Desai presented the state's Budget for 2026-27 with a total outlay of Rs 4,08,053 crore — an increase of R...
New India Co-operative Bank Excluded from Second Schedule to RBI Act, 1934
The Reserve Bank of India excluded New India Co-operative Bank Ltd., Mumbai from the Second Schedule to the RBI Act, 1934, via Notification....
Sundar Pichai at AI Impact Summit: US-India Subsea Cable and $15 Billion AI Hub Announced
Google CEO Sundar Pichai addressed the India AI Impact Summit at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi (February 18, 2026) and met Prime Minister Modi ...
India-France Innovation Forum: Modi and Macron Launch Year of Innovation 2026
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron jointly inaugurated the India-France Innovation Forum in Mumbai on 17 Febr...
RBI Mandates Unique Transaction Identifier for OTC Derivatives from January 2027
The Reserve Bank of India issued notification RBI/2025-26/222 on 18 February 2026, mandating the use of a Unique Transaction Identifier (UTI...
Private Firms Shortlisted for India's AMCA Fifth-Generation Fighter Jet Programme
The Ministry of Defence shortlisted three private sector entities for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme: Tata Advanced Sy...
India's First Private Sector Helicopter Assembly Line Inaugurated in Karnataka
Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) inaugurated India's first private-sector helicopter Final Assembly Line (FAL) in the Vemgal Industrial ...
India AI Mission 2.0: UPI-like AI Service Stack for MSMEs Announced
Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 that the next phase of the India AI Mission will offer a 'UP...
India-France Innovation Forum and AI Summit: Technology Partnership Deepens
PM Modi and French President Macron co-chaired the India-France Innovation Forum, where Modi highlighted India as an 'outstanding example of...
Human-Wildlife Conflict in J&K: 15,661 Cases in Two Years, 32 Dead
Jammu and Kashmir's Forest Minister Javed Rana informed the Legislative Assembly that 15,661 human-wildlife conflict (HWC) cases were record...
J&K Statehood Decision Soon, Says Union Minister; CM Omar Flags Long Wait
Union Minister Arjun Meghwal stated in February 2026 that a decision on restoring Jammu & Kashmir's statehood would come 'soon,' referencing...
Nine Engineers Arrested in ₹960 Crore Jal Jeevan Mission Corruption Case: Rajasthan ACB Acts
Rajasthan's Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) conducted early-morning raids and arrested nine senior engineers of the Public Health Engineering D...
India's First Private-Sector Helicopter Assembly Line: Modi-Macron Inaugurate Tata-Airbus H125 Plant
PM Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron jointly inaugurated (virtually) the Airbus H125 helicopter Final Assembly Line at Vema...
Bharat-VISTAAR: AI-Powered Multilingual Agricultural Advisory Platform Goes Live
Bharat-VISTAAR (Virtually Integrated System to Access Agricultural Resources), an AI-powered multilingual agricultural advisory platform ann...
What Homi Bhabha's Nuclear Strategy Teaches India About AI
An analytical piece draws parallels between India's approach to nuclear technology development under Homi Jehangir Bhabha during the Cold Wa...
Why the Digital Personal Data Protection Act Faces a Constitutional Challenge
On February 16, 2026, the Supreme Court issued notice in The Reporters Collective Trust v. Union of India, admitting a constitutional challe...
Telangana Rolls Out Free HPV Vaccination for Girls Aged 14–15 to Prevent Cervical Cancer
The Telangana government announced a free Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme for girls aged 14 and 15, to be rolled out starti...
Union Minister Vaishnaw Calls for Stronger Deepfake Regulation in India
Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that India needs 'much stronger regulation' to address the...
India's Capacity to Scale Next-Generation Biologics in Focus at BioAsia 2026
BioAsia 2026, the 23rd edition of Asia's premier life sciences summit, was held on February 17-18, 2026 at HITEX Exhibition Centre, Hyderaba...
Bangladesh's Political Churn: Challenges for the New BNP Government and India
Bangladesh is undergoing a profound political transition: the BNP has returned to power after a landslide election victory, the interim Yunu...
Macron's India Visit: Bilateral Ties Elevated to Special Global Strategic Partnership
French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Mumbai on 17 February 2026 for a three-day official visit — his fourth visit to India and first ...
Tarique Rahman Sworn In as Bangladesh's Prime Minister After BNP Landslide Victory
Tarique Rahman, leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was sworn in as Prime Minister of Bangladesh on 17 February 2026 at the So...
Bangladesh's Constitution Reform Commission Takes Oath as New Parliament Convenes in February 2026
On February 17, 2026, newly elected Members of Parliament took their oath of office in Bangladesh, alongside a simultaneous oath-taking cere...
Cities of Debt: Urban Challenge Fund and the Administrative Capacity Gap in Indian ULBs
The Union Cabinet approved the Urban Challenge Fund (UCF) with a total Central Assistance outlay of INR 1 lakh crore, expected to leverage a...
Indian Coast Guard Seizes Iran-Linked Sanctioned Tankers in Arabian Sea
The Indian Coast Guard intercepted three oil tankers approximately 100 nautical miles west of Mumbai on February 6-7, 2026, as part of an op...
Transatlantic Strains: Europe's Push for Strategic Autonomy Amid US Uncertainty
A growing rift has emerged in transatlantic relations as the United States under the Trump administration has adopted a more transactional a...
India's Solar Manufacturing Boom Turns into a Structural Glut
India's solar module manufacturing capacity has surged 13-fold since 2020, reaching approximately 154 gigawatts (GW) by end-2025, while dome...
Bio-Based Chemicals and Enzymes: India's BioE3 Policy and the Bioeconomy Push
India is scaling its bioeconomy with a focus on bio-based chemicals and enzymes — substances produced through biological processes (microbia...
Transitioning to Green Steel: Technology, Economics, and India's Industrial Decarbonisation Path
A detailed analysis argues that India's transition to green steel is now both technically feasible and economically viable, with the 'green ...
Trump to Decide Soon on Sending Weapons to Taiwan
US President Donald Trump indicated he would decide 'soon' on sending weapons to Taiwan, amid ongoing tensions in the Taiwan Strait. The US ...
Shahpurkandi Dam Nears Commissioning: India to Harness Ravi Waters for Punjab and Jammu
The Shahpurkandi Dam on the Ravi River in Pathankot district, Punjab, is set for commissioning after nearly three decades of construction de...
SAHI and BODH: India's National Framework for Responsible AI in Healthcare
At the India AI Impact Summit 2026 on February 17, 2026, Union Health Minister JP Nadda launched two landmark digital health AI initiatives:...
India Hosts AI Impact Summit in Delhi, Advocates for Global South Voice in AI Governance
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 was held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi (16-20 February 2026), organized by the Ministry of Electronics and I...
India Needs $500 Billion Annually for Net Zero: The Climate Finance Gap
The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) released analysis indicating that India needs to mobilise approximately $500 billio...
India Launches 'Bharat VISTAAR': AI-Powered Single Window Platform for Farmers
The Union Agriculture Minister launched Phase-1 of Bharat-VISTAAR (Virtually Integrated System to Access Agricultural Resources) in Jaipur, ...
India-US Trade Deal Safeguards Farmers, Says Agriculture Minister; Congress Raises Import Concerns
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan addressed concerns over the India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement, reiterating that imports of...
Budget 2026 Signals Shift From Bank-Led to Market-Led Infrastructure Financing
Union Budget 2026-27 proposes a structural shift in India's financial architecture, moving long-term infrastructure financing away from bank...
India AI Impact Summit 2026: Building Global Consensus on Harnessing AI for Public Good
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, speaking at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 (held February 16–21 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi), stated tha...
US-Iran Nuclear Talks in Geneva: Diplomacy Amid Hormuz Tensions
The United States and Iran held their second round of nuclear talks in Geneva in February 2026, with Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi ...
Tamil Nadu to Launch Agroforestry Policy: Easing Rules to Unlock High-Value Tree Cultivation
Tamil Nadu announced it will unveil a state agroforestry policy — aligning with India's National Agroforestry Policy (2014) — to allow farme...
NPCI Extends UPI One World Wallet to Visitors from 40+ Countries at India AI Impact Summit
The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) extended its UPI One World wallet service to foreign visitors from 40+ countries attending...
India's First Private-Sector Helicopter Final Assembly Line: Tata-Airbus H125 at Vemagal
On February 17, 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron virtually inaugurated India's first private-sector h...
Activist Flags Rat-Hole Coal Mining Along Assam-Arunachal Border, Seeks Wildlife Sanctuary Status
A conservationist from Assam submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma flagging alleged rat-hole mining activities in the...
Jaishankar Warns of Weaponisation of Production and Finance: India Engages World from Position of Strength
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, speaking at the Global Economic Cooperation Conference in Mumbai (February 17, 2026), warned that t...
India-EU FTA Spurs Air India-Lufthansa Strategic Partnership Expansion
Following the conclusion of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement on January 27, 2026, Air India and the Lufthansa Group signed a Memorandum of ...
India AI Impact Summit 2026: Global Pledges, IndiaAI Mission, and the Governance Agenda
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 was held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, from 16–21 February 2026, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Mod...
Tata-Airbus H125 Helicopter Assembly Line Inaugurated in India, Deepening Indo-French Defence Partnership
Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) inaugurated India's first private-sector helicopter Final Assembly Line (FAL) for the Airbus H125 at Ve...
Iran's Revolutionary Guards Launch Military Drills in Strait of Hormuz Amid US Tensions
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commenced military exercises in the Strait of Hormuz on 16 February 2026, a day before the s...
India-US Trade Deal: Agriculture and Pulses: A Contested Terrain
India's Agriculture Minister held discussions with US counterparts on including pulses, cotton, and apples as import items under the India-U...
UN Secretary-General Guterres Praises India's "Enormous" Contribution to World Affairs
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, visiting New Delhi to attend the India AI Impact Summit (16-20 February 2026), praised India's role, ...
Amit Shah Chairs 'Manthan' Meeting to Advance Cooperative Reforms and Boost Rural Economy
Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah chaired the 'Manthan' meeting of Cooperation Ministers from all States and Union Territories o...
India's Data Centre Boom Strains Local Power Grids: Capacity and Sustainability Concerns
India's data centre capacity reached approximately 1,500 MW by end of 2025 and is projected to expand six-fold to 8–10 GW by 2030, placing e...
India's CPI Rebasing to Base Year 2024: What the New Inflation Series Means
India's Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released the first Consumer Price Index (CPI) data under the new base ye...
Tarique Rahman Sworn In as Bangladesh's Prime Minister After BNP Landslide
Tarique Rahman, Chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was sworn in as Prime Minister of Bangladesh on 17 February 2026 by Pres...
India's Cotton Imports Surge to $1.79 Billion in April–January, Up 81% Year-on-Year
India's cotton imports for the April–January period of FY2025-26 reached $1.79 billion (Rs 15,857 crore), an increase of 81% over the corres...
Yunus's Farewell Speech References India's Northeast, Highlights China Ties
In his final televised address before the new BNP government was sworn in, outgoing interim Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus referenced India's ...
Muhammad Yunus Claims Bangladesh "No Longer Submissive" in Farewell Address
Outgoing Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus delivered a televised farewell address on 17 February 2026, declaring that Bangladesh is 'no longer a ...
Rising Human-Elephant Conflict in Idukki: Musth Behavior and the Challenge of Coexistence
The tusker known as Padayappa, a wild elephant in the Munnar area of Idukki district, Kerala, has entered musth — a state of heightened aggr...
AI Can Save Rs 20,000 Crore in Port Cargo Handling, Says EAC-PM Member
Gourav Vallabh, a member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM), stated that adopting artificial intelligence in po...
Indian Spice Exporters Strategise in Kochi Amid Tariff Uncertainty and Stricter Residue Norms
Indian spice exporters gathered in Kochi for the International Spice Conference 2026, recalibrating their strategies in response to two conv...
Khamenei Warns US Warships Can Be Sunk as Iran-US Nuclear Talks Resume in Geneva
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned on 17 February 2026 that US warships deployed to the Persian Gulf 'could be sunk to the ...
Gold and Silver Import Surge Widens India's January Trade Deficit to $34.68 Billion
India's merchandise trade deficit widened to $34.68 billion in January 2026, the highest in three months, up sharply from $25.04 billion in ...
Tamil Nadu Interim Budget: State Accuses Centre of Artificially Inflating Its Debt
Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu presented the state's interim budget on February 17, 2026, using it as a platform to challeng...
Adani Group Plans $100 Billion Investment in AI Data Centres by 2035
The Adani Group announced plans to invest $100 billion in AI data centres across India by 2035, with the investment expected to catalyse an ...
Russia Strikes Ukraine's Power Grid Across 12 Regions Hours Before Geneva Talks
Russian forces launched coordinated strikes on energy infrastructure across 12 Ukrainian regions in the overnight hours before the start of ...
Tarique Rahman Sworn In as Bangladesh's New Prime Minister
Tarique Rahman, chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Bangladesh on 17 February 2026...
BNP MPs Sworn In but Refuse Oath for Constitution Reform Commission
Newly elected BNP Members of Parliament were sworn in as members of the Jatiya Sangsad (Bangladesh's national parliament), but refused to ta...
Weather Extremes Continue to Hit Kashmir Saffron Production Despite Government Revival Efforts
Agriculture experts have flagged that extreme weather events continue to severely impact saffron cultivation in Jammu and Kashmir, undermini...
Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks Resume in Geneva Under US Mediation
Delegations from Russia and Ukraine met in Geneva on 17-18 February 2026 for a second round of US-brokered peace talks, nearly four years af...
Kerala Raises Alarm on Fiscal Federalism: CM Flags Borrowing Limits, Devolution Shortfall
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan publicly raised concerns about what he termed unfair intergovernmental fiscal arrangements, highlight...
India's Steel Export Diversification: Seeking New Markets as EU Carbon Tax Bites
India's steel industry — the world's second-largest crude steel producer — is actively targeting new export markets in the Middle East and S...
Currency in Circulation Hits Record Rs 40 Lakh Crore Despite Digital Payments Surge
Currency in circulation (CIC) in India reached an all-time high of Rs 40 lakh crore by end-January 2026, growing 11.1% year-on-year, up from...
Kerala First State to Declare Tidal Flooding a State-Specific Disaster
Kerala became the first Indian state to officially declare tidal flooding a 'State-specific disaster,' making victims eligible for financial...
Jammu & Kashmir Statehood: Union Law Minister Signals Imminent Decision
Union Law Minister Arjun Meghwal stated in February 2026 that a decision on restoring statehood to Jammu & Kashmir would come 'soon,' citing...
India's Bay of Bengal Strategy: Great Nicobar Project and the Maritime Power Play
India is set to launch construction on the Great Nicobar Island mega-infrastructure project after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) cleared ...
India Offers Limited Agricultural Quotas in Proposed US Interim Trade Deal
India has offered tariff-rate quotas for most agricultural products in its proposed interim trade agreement with the United States, with off...
India Seals 5,000-Tonne Basmati Rice Export Deal with the United States
A member company of the Indian Rice Exporters Federation (IREF) finalized a commercial deal to export 5,000 tonnes of premium basmati rice t...
Supreme Court: Political Leaders Must Foster Fraternity, Declines to Issue Speech Guidelines
The Supreme Court, while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking guidelines for political leaders and media on communally sensiti...
India Unveils Sovereign AI Models at AI Impact Summit 2026
At the India AI Impact Summit 2026 (Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, February 16–21, 2026), IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that India's s...
India's Textile Exports Dip 3.75% in January 2026; India-US Interim Trade Deal Offers Outlook Boost
India's combined textile and apparel exports fell by 3.75% year-on-year in January 2026, to $3,275.44 million from $3,403.19 million in Janu...
Deepfake Regulation: Calls for Stronger Law as IT Rules 2026 Take Effect
At the AI Impact Summit 2026 (February 16–21, Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi), the Union IT Minister stated that India needs 'much stronger regu...
India's Multi-Front Trade Diplomacy: Jaishankar's "Position of Strength" Doctrine
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, speaking at and on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference 2026, stated that India is engag...
NHAI Accepts NHIT's Rs 6,221 Crore Offer to Monetise Two Highway Stretches
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) accepted a Rs 6,220.90 crore offer from National Highways Infra Trust (NHIT) to monetise two...
NHAI Realises ₹12,357 Crore from Highway Monetisation in 2025-26, Falls Short of ₹15,000 Crore Target
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) received ₹12,357 crore toward asset monetisation for FY 2025-26, falling short of both the o...
India and France Elevate Ties to Special Global Strategic Partnership
India and France elevated their bilateral relationship to a 'Special Global Strategic Partnership' during French President Emmanuel Macron's...
Darpan Jain: India's Chief Negotiator for the India-US Trade Agreement
Darpan Jain, a 2001-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Karnataka cadre, has been appointed India's chief negotiator fo...
NGT Clears Great Nicobar Mega-Infrastructure Project with Environmental Safeguards
A six-member special bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) ruled on February 16, 2026, that it found 'no good ground' to interfere with...
Adani Group's $100 Billion Bet: Renewable-Powered AI Data Centres to Create a $250 Billion Ecosystem by 2035
The Adani Group announced a direct investment of USD 100 billion to develop renewable-energy-powered, hyperscale AI-ready data centres acros...
AI Impact Summit 2026: Real-World AI Solutions and India's Global South Leadership
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 opened on February 16–21, 2026, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi — the first global AI summit hosted by a devel...
Government Launches AI-Powered Bharat-VISTAAR Platform to Transform Agricultural Advisory Services
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched Bharat-VISTAAR (Virtually Integrated System to Access Agricultural Resources) on F...
AI Is a "Stress Test" of India's State Capacity, Says Chief Economic Adviser
Chief Economic Adviser V. Anantha Nageswaran, speaking at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, described artificial intelligence as a 'stress te...
UPI and RuPay: Value-Added Services Are the Next Frontier, But Potential Far From Fully Realised
A Ministry of Finance report on the decade of UPI finds that while adoption has surged beyond urban areas, the system's potential in value-a...
AI as Enabler for Distributed Renewable Energy: India's Decentralised Power Transition
Experts and government officials at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi highlighted artificial intelligence as a potential game-cha...
India-US Trade Talks: Delegation to Washington as January Exports Fall 22%
An Indian trade delegation, led by Chief Negotiator Darpan Jain (Joint Secretary, Ministry of Commerce), was scheduled to travel to Washingt...
PM Modi Positions India as Global Data Hub Ahead of AI Impact Summit 2026
On the eve of the India AI Impact Summit 2026 (Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, February 16–21), PM Narendra Modi stated 'We invite the whole wor...
India-US Defence Partnership: USINDOPACOM Chief's Five-Day India Visit
Admiral Samuel J. Paparo, Commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM), completed a five-day visit to India (February 14–19, 2026)...
Jammu & Kashmir's Skewed Reservation Data Sharpens Quota Debate
Data on J&K's reservation structure has intensified a political and legal controversy: total reservations in J&K now stand at approximately ...
Hornbill Restaurants: Chhattisgarh's Habitat Innovation for a Rare Western Ghats Bird
The Chhattisgarh Forest Department is establishing six 'hornbill restaurants' within the Udanti Sitanadi Tiger Reserve (USTR) in Gariaband d...
NGT Clears Rs 80,000-Crore Great Nicobar Project, Citing Strategic Importance
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on February 16, 2026 upheld the environmental clearance (EC) granted in 2022 for the Rs 80,000-crore Great...
Odisha Village Ends Three-Month Anganwadi Boycott Over Dalit Cook
After a three-month boycott, residents of Nuagaon village under Ghalimala gram panchayat in Kendrapara district, Odisha, began sending their...
India Pivots to Indigenously Designed 280 km/h High-Speed Trains After Vande Bharat Success
Following the success of the Vande Bharat Express programme, the Government of India has shifted strategy for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Spee...
Vande Bharat Sleeper Train: RVNL-Russia TMH Joint Venture Targets June 2026 Prototype
Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) and its Russian partner Transmashholding (TMH) are targeting June 2026 to roll out the first prototype of th...
PM Modi to Visit Israel on February 25-26 for Talks with Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that PM Narendra Modi will visit Israel on February 25-26, 2026, making it a two-day sta...
Terrorist Posters in Kathua and New Border Restrictions: Security Forces on High Alert in Jammu
Security forces were placed on high alert in the Jammu region following the appearance of terrorist posters in Kathua district and the impos...
AI Summit Presents Historic Opportunity for Global South to Shape AI Governance
India's hosting of the AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi (19–20 February) marked the first time this global AI governance dialogue moved be...
US-India Trade Deal: Agricultural Gains and Vulnerabilities
India and the United States announced an interim bilateral trade framework on February 7, 2026, reducing US reciprocal tariffs on Indian goo...
How India's Fertilizer Industry Became Synonymous With Controls: And at What Cost
A detailed policy analysis highlighted how India's fertilizer sector has accumulated one of the most extensive regulatory control regimes of...
AI Reshapes Statecraft: Prediction Markets Challenge Diplomats and Intelligence Agencies
As AI capabilities advance, analysts and policymakers are examining how artificial intelligence is fundamentally reshaping statecraft — the ...
AI Governance Debate Shifts from Use to Accountability: Expert Analysis
In the context of India's AI Impact Summit 2026, a leading expert on AI policy argued that the global AI governance debate has matured — shi...
Government Launches Bodhan AI and EduAI Stack to Integrate Artificial Intelligence in School Education
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launched Bodhan AI as a Centre of Excellence for AI in education at the two-day Bharat Bodhan AI...
High-Quality Space Cameras and India's Space Situational Awareness Ambitions
Hyderabad-based Azista Space successfully imaged the International Space Station (ISS) from its own satellite in orbit on February 3, 2026, ...
Supreme Court to Examine Whether ED Can Seize Assets Linked to Non-Scheduled Offences Under PMLA
The Supreme Court is set to hear a significant question on the scope of the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) powers under the Prevention of Mo...
India in Talks with 30+ Countries on Techno-Legal Framework for AI Copyright and Deepfakes
Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw stated at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 that India is in discus...
India AI Impact Summit Draws Massive Registrations; MeitY Signals AI Governance Shift
India hosted the AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi from 19–20 February 2026, the first global AI governance summit held in the Global South...
Rural Slowdown Pushes India's January Unemployment Rate to 5%
India's unemployment rate rose to 5% in January 2026 from 4.8% in December 2025 among persons aged 15 years and above, according to the Peri...
Fiscal Prudence During Elections: Balancing Welfare Commitments and Fiscal Discipline
An analysis highlights growing concerns about fiscal discipline eroding during election cycles, as political parties across states make larg...
India's January Trade Deficit Hits 3-Month High as Gold Imports Surge 359%
India's merchandise trade deficit widened to $34.68 billion in January 2026 — a three-month high — driven by a massive surge in bullion impo...
India AI Impact Summit 2026: Global South's First Major AI Governance Forum
India hosted the AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, the first global AI summit hosted in the Global South, with over 20 heads of state, 60 ...
India to Finalise Legal Text of Interim Trade Deal with the United States
India's Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal announced on February 16, 2026, that a team of Indian officials will visit the US next week (start...
The UAE-India Economic Corridor: CEPA, IMEC, and Bilateral Trade Growth
India-UAE bilateral merchandise trade has nearly doubled from $43.3 billion in FY 2020-21 to $83.7 billion in FY 2023-24 since the signing o...
Scientists Urge Tamil Nadu CM to Withdraw Mamallan Reservoir Proposal Over Ecological Concerns
A group of 22 leading scientists, including ecologists, ornithologists, coastal social scientists, and contributors to national and global c...
CCPA Fines Snapdeal ₹5 Lakh for Selling Non-BIS Compliant Toys; Notices to Amazon, Flipkart
The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) imposed a penalty of ₹5 lakh on Snapdeal for selling toys that did not carry mandatory Bure...
Bangladesh Mob Lynching of Hindu Worker Dipu Das: Minority Rights and India-Bangladesh Relations
In December 2025, Dipu Chandra Das, a 27-year-old Hindu factory worker in Bangladesh, was accused by Muslim colleagues of making derogatory ...
Coal-Fired Power Generation Falls in Both India and China in 2025: First Time in Over 50 Years
Coal-fired power generation declined simultaneously in both India and China in 2025, the first time this has occurred since 1973 — a gap of ...
Tamil Nadu's Pre-Election Cash Transfers and the Freebies Debate
With Tamil Nadu Assembly elections approaching in 2026, major political parties have announced large-scale cash transfer schemes targeting w...
Digital Trade Excluded from India-US Interim Deal: Deferred to Broader BTA
Indian negotiators confirmed that digital trade issues — including e-commerce rules and India's digital services tax — are not part of the I...
India's Merchandise Exports Rise Marginally 0.61% to $36.56 Billion in January 2026
India's merchandise exports in January 2026 rose marginally by 0.61% to $36.56 billion, compared to $36.34 billion in January 2025, reflecti...
Government Plans to Revive Private Investment in Highway Construction with Rs 1 Trillion Target
The central government is preparing new rules to revive private investment in highway construction, a decade after investors retreated due t...
Coal India Doubles Solar Capex to ₹961 Crore, Surpasses FY26 Target
Coal India Limited (CIL) spent ₹961 crore on solar energy capital expenditure (capex) in the period April–January FY2025-26, a 2.33-fold jum...
US Conducts First Air Transport of Nuclear Microreactor to Demonstrate Technology's Viability
For the first time in history, the US Department of Defense and Department of Energy successfully airlifted a nuclear microreactor, transpor...
In a Shift, Financial Creditors Now Dominate Initiation of Insolvency Cases Under IBC
Banks and financial creditors accounted for 47% of cases admitted under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) between April and December ...
India's January 2026 Trade Deficit Widens Sharply Amid Gold Import Surge
India's merchandise trade deficit surged to $34.68 billion in January 2026, up sharply from $23.43 billion in January 2025 and well above ma...
NSE Receives SEBI Approval for India's First Natural Gas Futures Contract in Partnership with IGX
SEBI granted approval to the National Stock Exchange (NSE) on 16 February 2026 to begin the process of launching Indian Natural Gas Monthly ...
Proposal for an Indian Scientific Service to Bridge the Administrator-Scientist Divide
An opinion article has proposed the creation of an Indian Scientific Service (ISS) to address the structural gap between scientific expertis...
Loggerhead Turtles Face Four-Pronged Threats Due to Climate Change
A landmark 17-year study of loggerhead sea turtles nesting in Cabo Verde, conducted by researchers from Queen Mary University of London and ...
Currency in Circulation Hits Record Rs 40 Lakh Crore Despite Surging UPI Transactions
SBI Research reported that Currency in Circulation (CiC) reached an all-time high of approximately Rs 40 lakh crore by January 2026 end, wit...
Gene Editing Trials Target High Cholesterol: CRISPR's Leap from Lab to Clinic
Scientists are testing whether gene-editing techniques — specifically CRISPR-based base editing — can offer a one-time therapeutic fix for d...
Asia Needs a Common Framework to Build Trust in AI: Key Arguments
An analysis published ahead of the India AI Impact Summit argues that Asia requires a shared AI governance framework that balances technolog...
Thales Opens Global R&D Centre in Bengaluru Under India-France Year of Innovation
French aerospace and defence major Thales inaugurated its Research & Technology (R&T) centre in Bengaluru on February 16, 2026, during the I...
Indian Customs Detain Ship with 309 Containers for Faking Walnut Origin
Indian customs officials at Nhava Sheva (Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust) detained a ship carrying 309 containers of dry fruits, primarily walnu...
US Military Commander and Envoy Visit Indian Army Western Command
US Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) chief Admiral Samuel J. Paparo and newly appointed US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor visited the Indian ...
RBI Governor Urges MSMEs to Pursue Formalisation and Credit Discipline for Long-Term Resilience
RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra, at a stakeholder meeting with select MSMEs and representatives of MSME associations on 16 February 2026, empha...
ISMA Rules Out Ethanol Inclusion in India-US Trade Deal Framework
ISMA Director General Deepak Ballani stated there is 'no question' of ethanol being included in the India-US bilateral trade agreement, asse...
PM Modi Declares India at the Forefront of AI Transformation at Global Summit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the India AI Impact Expo 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, declaring that India stands at the for...
Tamil Nadu Economic Survey 2025-26: Fastest Growth in India, But the Trillion-Dollar Clock is Ticking
Tamil Nadu's Economic Survey 2025-26, tabled before the state budget, projected that the state can achieve a $1 trillion economy if it susta...
Agritech's Accountability Gap: Who Regulates Farm Advisories?
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has flagged a major accountability gap: private agritech companies providing agricultural...
Data Centres and Asia's Energy Dilemma: Growth vs. Green
Data centres across Asia are experiencing explosive growth driven by the artificial intelligence boom, cloud computing demand, and digital s...
Tamil Nadu's Trillion-Dollar Economy: A Moving Target
Tamil Nadu's $1 trillion economy target — originally set for 2030 — is likely to be delayed by at least a year, with economic analysts point...
AI Governance as Global Responsibility: India's Framework at the AI Impact Summit
Discussions at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 — held in February 2026 and co-organised by MeitY and IndiaAI — centred on the proposition th...
Major Steelmakers Bet Big on Scrap as India's Green Steel Norms Roll Out
Tata Steel, JSW Steel, and ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel (AM/NS) are ramping up investments in scrap-based steelmaking in response to India's n...
Urban Cooperative Banks: Growth Without Scale: The 2% Problem
Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs) have doubled their loan portfolios over the past five years, with total advances reaching approximately ₹3.70...
US Military Boards Sanctioned Oil Tanker in Indian Ocean: Maritime Law and Sanctions Enforcement
US military forces boarded a sanctioned oil tanker in the Indian Ocean, the latest in a series of such interdictions in early 2026; at least...
UK Deputy PM Calls India AI Impact Summit an 'Important Moment' for Global AI
UK Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy described the India AI Impact Summit 2026 as an 'important moment' to unlock the full benefits of artif...
Israel's West Bank Land Registration: De Facto Annexation and International Law
Israel's cabinet approved a formal land registration process in Area C of the West Bank — the first such move since Israel occupied the terr...
ISRO Debris in Maldives: Space Law, Bilateral Relations, and the Growing Problem of Orbital Waste
A payload fairing bearing the ISRO logo and India's national emblem was discovered on February 12, 2026, on an uninhabited island (L. Kunaha...
Iran-US Nuclear Diplomacy: Geneva Talks and the Road Beyond JCPOA
Iran's Foreign Minister met with US negotiators in Geneva for a second round of indirect talks on the nuclear program, mediated by Oman's Fo...
RBI Notifies Amended ECB Framework with Eased On-Lending and Cost Norms
The Reserve Bank of India notified the Foreign Exchange Management (Borrowing and Lending) (First Amendment) Regulations, 2026, overhauling ...
India Energy Stack: A Game Changer for Distributed Renewable Energy
The India Energy Stack (IES) is being developed by the Ministry of Power as a Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for the electricity sector...
RBI Deputy Governor: Formal Credit Access for MSMEs Remains an Unresolved Challenge
At the same stakeholder meeting on MSMEs hosted by the Reserve Bank of India in February 2026, the RBI Deputy Governor highlighted that impr...
AI Impact Summit: Panellists Warn "If You Don't Upskill, You'll Drown"
At panel discussions during the India AI Impact Summit 2026 (February 16-21, Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi), experts and industry leaders deliv...
India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement: Chief Negotiator Visit and Interim Deal Progress
India's chief trade negotiator Darpan Jain, Joint Secretary in the Commerce Ministry, was scheduled to lead a delegation to Washington DC fo...
Hasina's Presence in India: Navigating a Delicate Reset in India-Bangladesh Relations
Bangladesh's new BNP government, led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman (inaugurated February 17, 2026), has stated that Sheikh Hasina's conti...
Jamaat-e-Islami's Remarkable Electoral Comeback in Bangladesh's 2026 Elections
Bangladesh held its 13th national parliamentary election on February 12, 2026 — the first since the 2024 student-led uprising ousted Sheikh ...
Kerala Government to Take Stand on Sabarimala Women Entry Ahead of Supreme Court Hearing
The Supreme Court of India on 16 February 2026 scheduled a batch of review petitions concerning the September 2018 Sabarimala judgment for h...
India's Merchandise Trade Deficit Surges to $34.68 Billion in January 2026 on Gold Import Surge
India's merchandise trade deficit widened sharply to $34.68 billion in January 2026, up from $25.04 billion in December 2025 and significant...
India Seizes Iran-Linked US-Sanctioned Tankers, Steps Up Maritime Surveillance
The Indian Coast Guard intercepted three US-sanctioned oil tankers approximately 100 nautical miles west of Mumbai on 6 February 2026, follo...
Bangladesh's Political Transition and What It Means for India
Tarique Rahman was sworn in as Prime Minister of Bangladesh on 17 February 2026, after the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) secured a deci...
DLI Scheme-Backed Chip Design Startups Continue to Attract Leading Investors
Semiconductor chip design startups supported under India's Design Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme continue to attract significant venture capi...
India's Free Trade Agreements and the Revival of Brand India in Global Manufacturing
An analysis published in mid-February 2026 argued that after years of struggling to establish itself as a credible manufacturing and export ...
Centre Launches Bharat-VISTAAR AI Platform for Farmers
Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched Bharat-VISTAAR (Virtually Integrated System to Access Agri...
Iran FM in Geneva for Nuclear Talks as IRGC Launches Drills Near Strait of Hormuz
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Geneva for a second round of nuclear talks with the United States, meeting IAEA Director ...
PM Modi Hosts World Leaders at AI Impact Summit: India's Global AI Leadership Moment
Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed heads of state and global technology leaders to the India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, Ne...
Iran Meets IAEA in Geneva Ahead of Second Round of US Nuclear Talks
Iran met with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi in Geneva in mid-February 2026, as IAEA provided tech...
District Cooling: India's High-Efficiency Answer to the Urban Heat Crisis
District cooling systems (DCS) — centralised chilled-water networks that supply air-conditioning to multiple buildings from a single plant —...
India's Wholesale Inflation Rises to 1.81% in January 2026: A Ten-Month High
India's Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation rose to 1.81% in January 2026, a ten-month high, up from 0.83% in December 2025. The inc...
Private Equity and Pension Funds Enter India's BOT Road Auction Room
The Indian government has signalled an opening of Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) highway auctions to a broader class of investors — private eq...
India Considers Three-Tier Overhaul of Press Note 3 to Ease FDI from Neighbouring Countries
The Indian government is reviewing Press Note 3 (2020 Series) and considering a three-tier framework to ease Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)...
India Can Lead Globally in AI: But Only If Technology Aligns with Mass Employability
Ahead of the India AI Impact Summit held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi (February 16-21, 2026), Chief Economic Adviser V. Anantha Nageswaran ...
Government Plans 'Champion CPSEs' for Viksit Bharat by 2047
The Government of India is planning to identify and develop 'Champion CPSEs' (Central Public Sector Enterprises) as part of its Viksit Bhara...
Indian Delegation to Finalise Legal Text for India-US Interim Trade Pact
Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal confirmed that India's chief trade negotiator will lead a delegation to Washington next week to finalise t...
India-US Interim Trade Deal: Legal Text Finalisation Underway
India's chief trade negotiator, Joint Secretary Darpan Jain, was set to lead a delegation to Washington to finalise the legal text of an int...
India-UK Free Trade Agreement Targeted for Operationalisation by April 2026
Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal stated that India and the UK are making a 'genuine effort' to operationalise their bilateral Free Trade Ag...
China's Russian Oil Imports Hit New Record as India Cuts Back
China's imports of Russian crude oil are set to reach a new record of approximately 2.07-2.08 million barrels per day (bpd) in February 2026...
PLFS January 2026: India's Unemployment Rate at 5%, Driven by Seasonal Rural Slack
The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) Monthly Bulletin for January 2026, released by MoSPI, showed India's unemployment rate at 5% for per...
SEBI's Regional Investor Awareness Initiative: Financial Literacy as Regulatory Mandate
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) conducted a Regional Event cum Workshop on financial literacy and investor awareness in Fe...
Digital Trade Chapter Excluded from India-US Interim Pact, Deferred to Bilateral Trade Agreement
India and the US have not negotiated a chapter on digital trade in the interim trade pact announced on 6 February 2026. The digital trade ch...
PERT: A Single Prime Editing Strategy to Treat Multiple Genetic Disorders
Researchers have developed PERT (Prime Editing-mediated Readthrough of premature Termination codons), a disease-agnostic genome editing stra...
India's Unemployment Rate Rises to 5% in January 2026; Women Disproportionately Affected
India's unemployment rate for persons aged 15 years and above rose to 5% in January 2026, up from 4.8% in December 2025, according to the Pe...
Trade Deals with US and EU Could Unlock $400 Billion Opportunity for India's Agriculture Sector
A senior Commerce Ministry official stated that trade deals with the US and EU will unleash a potential of $400 billion for India's agricult...
Wholesale Inflation at 10-Month High of 1.81% in January 2026; New CPI Series Shows 2.75%
India's WPI-based wholesale inflation climbed to a 10-month high of 1.81% in January 2026, up sharply from 0.83% in December 2025. The jump ...
India's Trade Deficit Widens to $34.68 Billion in January 2026 as Gold Imports Surge
India's merchandise trade deficit widened to $34.68 billion in January 2026, up sharply from $25.04 billion in December 2025. Gold imports s...
India-US Interim Trade Deal Moves Toward Legal Finalisation
India's Chief Trade Negotiator and Special Secretary in the Department of Commerce, Rajesh Agrawal, confirmed that a delegation will travel ...
Wholesale Price Inflation Rises to 1.81% in January 2026, Three-Month Upward Trend Continues
India's Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation rose to 1.81% in January 2026, marking a 10-month high and extending the upward momentum...
India-US Trade Deal Raises Concerns Among Himalayan Apple Farmers Over Tariff Reduction
Under the India-US interim trade framework announced on 6 February 2026, India will significantly reduce tariffs on US apples, allowing entr...
CCPA Fines Snapdeal ₹5 Lakh for Selling Toys Without BIS Certification
The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) imposed a penalty of ₹5 lakh on e-commerce platform Snapdeal (operating as Ace Vector Limit...
India's Wholesale Price Inflation Rises to 10-Month High of 1.81% in January 2026
India's Wholesale Price Index (WPI) based inflation rose to 1.81% in January 2026, a 10-month high, up from 0.83% in December 2025. The spik...
World's Largest AI Summit Opens in New Delhi: India's Moment in Global AI Governance
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 opened at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, drawing packed halls with over 20 heads of state, 500+ AI industry lea...
India's Unemployment Rate Rises Marginally to 5% in January 2026
India's unemployment rate rose marginally to 5% in January 2026, up from 4.7% in November 2025. The increase reversed a declining trend that...
RBI Governor Pushes MSMEs to Formalize, Digitize, and Maintain Credit Discipline
RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra, at a stakeholder meeting with MSME enterprises and their representative associations in February 2026, emphasi...
India AI Impact Summit 2026: India's Vision for Inclusive and Responsible AI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi (February 19–21, 2026), calling it a ...
India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement Concluded After Rapid Negotiations
New Zealand Minister for Science and Technology Shane Reti described the India-New Zealand FTA as a significant milestone that will elevate ...
NGT Clears Rs 81,000-Crore Great Nicobar Mega Infrastructure Project
A six-member special bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), headed by Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava, dismissed multiple appea...
India Promotes Biopharma and Semiconductor Missions on the Global Stage
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman undertook a visit to North America to promote two flagship manufacturing missions announced in Union Bud...
India Considers Easing FDI Restrictions on Chinese Investment to Boost Manufacturing
India is reviewing its Press Note 3 (2020) policy that mandates prior government approval for all FDI from countries sharing a land border, ...
India-France Ties Elevated to Special Global Strategic Partnership at Modi-Macron Mumbai Summit
Prime Minister Modi hosted French President Emmanuel Macron for bilateral talks at Lok Bhavan, Mumbai, on February 17, 2026, during Macron's...
RBI Governor Meets MSMEs in Mumbai, Reaffirms Timely Credit Access as Key Policy Priority
RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra held a stakeholder meeting with select MSMEs and MSME association representatives in Mumbai on February 16, 202...
RBI Amends FEMA Borrowing and Lending Regulations, Liberalises External Commercial Borrowing Framework
The Reserve Bank of India notified the Foreign Exchange Management (Borrowing and Lending) (First Amendment) Regulations, 2026, significantl...