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GK Update

Tue 17 Feb, 2026

National News

India AI Impact Expo 2026

  • Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the India AI Impact Expo 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.
  • The expo is a central component of the five-day India AI Impact Summit 2026 (February 16–20), the first global AI summit hosted in the Global South.
  • The expo is structured around three foundational pillars: People, Planet, and Progress.

Farmers digital companion ‘Bharat Vistaar’

  • Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched Bharat-VISTAAR (Virtually Integrated System to Access Agricultural Resources) in Jaipur.
  • Minister also unveiled the AI for Agriculture Roadmap and announced an AI Hackathon to further encourage agritech innovation.

Bharat-VISTAAR (Virtually Integrated System to Access Agricultural Resources)

  • One-Stop Gateway: Integrates data from multiple sources like ICAR for scientific practices, IMD for weather forecasts, and Agmarknet for real-time market prices.
  • AI Digital Expert 'Bharati': A talking AI assistant that converses with farmers in simple language to answer queries about crop management, soil health, and pest alerts.
  • Government Schemes: Provides information and application status for 10 major central schemes, including PM-KISAN, PM Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), and Kisan Credit Card (KCC).

SAHI and BODH Initiatives

  • The Strategy for Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare for India (SAHI) and the Benchmarking Open Data Platform for Health AI (BODH) are two flagship national initiatives launched at the India AI Impact Summit.
  • Together, they establish a dual framework of policy guidance and technical infrastructure to build a responsible and globally competitive health AI ecosystem in India.

About SAHI and BODH

SAHI (Strategy for Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare for India)

SAHI serves as the national guidance framework for the structured adoption of AI across India's healthcare system. Its primary functions include:

  • Strategic Direction: Provides a roadmap for governance, data stewardship, and the validation of AI solutions.
  • Safe & Ethical Adoption: Ensures that AI deployment is evidence-based, inclusive, and aligned with national public health priorities.
  • Institutional Support: Assists Indian states and healthcare institutions in implementing AI responsibly while maintaining accountability and safety.

BODH (Benchmarking Open Data Platform for Health AI)

Developed by IIT Kanpur in collaboration with the National Health Authority (NHA), BODH is a technical evaluation platform designed to verify AI tools before they are deployed at scale.

  • Privacy-Preserving Technology: It allows for the rigorous testing of AI models using real-world health data without sharing or exposing underlying datasets or sensitive patient information.
  • Digital Public Good: Positioned under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), it aims to enhance transparency and quality assurance in health AI.
  • Reliability Testing: Ensures that AI systems perform consistently across different regions, hospitals, and diverse patient populations.

Election Commission’s Annual Sports Week 2026

  • Election Commission commenced the celebration of its Annual Sports Week 2026 in New Delhi.

Election Commission of India (ECI)

  • Type: Constitutional independent body
  • National Voters' Day: 25 January
  • Constitutional Provisions: Articles 324 to 329
  • Composition of Commission: Three-member body (Chief Election Commissioner, two Election Commissioners)
  • Appointment: By the President (on the recommendation of the selection committee)
  • Tenure: 6 years or 65 years of age (whichever is earlier)
  • Procedure of Removal: Like a Supreme Court Judge (by impeachment)
  • Other Election Commissioners: Can be removed by the President, but on the recommendation of the CEC

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Second round of Ukraine and Russia Talks

  • Ukrainian and Russian officials met in Switzerland for a second round of talks brokered by US President Donald Trump.

Russia

  • Capital: Moscow
  • Time Zones: 11
  • President: Vladimir Putin
  • Prime Minister: Mikhail Mishustin
  • Currency: Russian Ruble (RUB
  • Government Type: Federal Semi-Presidential Republic
  • Parliament: Comprises State Duma (Lower House) & Federation Council (Upper House)
  • Major Rivers: Volga (longest in Europe), Ob, Yenisei, Lena, Amur (forms Russia-China border)
  • Major Lakes: Baikal (world’s deepest and oldest freshwater lake), Ladoga, Onega
  • Major Mountains: Ural, Caucasus (Mt. Elbrus, highest peak in Europe)
  • Major Grasslands: Russian Steppes
  • Major Deserts: Caspian Depression (semi-arid)
  • Major Seas: Black, Caspian, Baltic, Barents, Okhotsk
  • Bordering Nations: 14 countries Including China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Norway, North Korea, Poland (via exclave)
  • Space Agency: Roscosmos
  • Trans-Siberian Railway: Moscow to Vladivostok (~9,300 km)
  • Major Ports: Murmansk (ice-free Arctic port), Vladivostok, St. Petersburg

SUMMITS AND CONFERNCES

23rd edition of BioAsia 2026 international summit

  • Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy inaugurated the 23rd edition of BioAsia 2026 international summit in Hyderabad, Telangana.
  • Theme of this event was "TechBio Unleashed – AI, Automation & the Biology Revolution".

‘Manthan’ Conclave of State Cooperation Ministers in Gandhinagar

  • Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the "Manthan" national conclave of State/UT Cooperation Ministers at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar, focusing on accelerating the "Sahkar se Samriddhi" vision.
  • The meeting included state representatives to discuss cooperative policy, with Shah virtually inaugurating five Gujarat cooperative projects worth ₹258 crore and laying foundations for two APMC warehouses.

6th India-France Annual Defence Dialogue

  • Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his French counterpart Catherine Vautrin co-chaired 6th India-France Annual Defence Dialogue in Bengaluru.

Key highlights

  • Renewed Strategic Framework: The two nations renewed their bilateral defence cooperation agreement for another 10 years, solidifying long-term strategic ties.
  • Joint Missile Production: An MoU was signed for a joint venture to manufacture Hammer precision-guided missiles in India, involving Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and France's Safran Electronics and Defence.
  • The ministers were scheduled to witness the virtual inauguration of the H125 Light Utility Helicopter Final Assembly Line by Tata Airbus at Vemagal, Karnataka.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year (ISWOTY) for 2025

  • Cricketer Smriti Mandhana was named the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year (ISWOTY) for 2025 at an awards ceremony in New Delhi.

BBC ISWOTY 2025 Winners & Honourees

  • BBC Emerging Player of the Year: Divya Deshmukh (Chess) – For becoming the first Indian and youngest-ever winner of the FIDE Women’s World Cup at age 20.
  • BBC Para-Sportswoman of the Year: Preethi Pal (Athletics) – For her trailblazing performance winning two bronze medals at the 2024 Paris Paralympics and subsequent success at the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships.
  • BBC Lifetime Achievement Award: Anjali Bhagwat (Shooting) – Recognised as a pioneer in Indian shooting and the first Indian woman shooter to reach an Olympic final.
  • BBC Star Performers of the Year:
    • Indian Women's Cricket Team (Senior and Blind teams)
    • Indian Women's Kabaddi Team
    • Para-athletes: Ekta Bhyan, Deepthi Jeevanji, and Preethi Pal
  • BBC Changemakers of the Year:
    • Indian Women's Ice Hockey Team
    • Field Hockey Veterans: Rajbir Kaur and Savita Punia
    • Paani Devi (Grassroots sports contribution)

IPS officer Sagar Preet Hooda

  • The 1997 batch IPS officer Sagar Preet Hooda, Director General of Police, Chandigarh, has been conferred the President’s Medal for Distinguished Service, one of the highest recognitions for exemplary and meritorious service in policing.

ECONOMY & BANKING

Indian Natural Gas futures

  • National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) received Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) approval to launch rupee-denominated Indian Natural Gas futures, aiming to enhance price discovery and risk management for domestic market participants.
  • These derivatives will enable city gas distributors, power generators, fertilizer manufacturers, and industrial users to hedge against price volatility.

National Stock Exchange of India (NSE)

  • Incorporation: 1992 (based on Pherwani Committee recommendations).
  • Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra.
  • Key Index: NIFTY 50 (launched in 1996), NIFTY Next 50, India VIX.

Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)

  • Establishment: Set up in 1988 as a non-statutory body; became statutory on Jan 30, 1992.
  • Statutory Body: Established under the SEBI Act, 1992.
  • Headquarters: Mumbai
  • Powers: Quasi-legislative (drafts regulations), Quasi-judicial (passes rulings), and Quasi-executive (investigates).

PERSON IN NEWS

Bharat Ratna Karpoori Thakur

  • February 17, 2026, marked the death anniversary of Bharat Ratna Karpoori Thakur (1924–1988), the legendary socialist leader and former Chief Minister of Bihar.
  • Known as "Jan Nayak" (People's Leader), he is being remembered across India for his lifelong commitment to social justice and the upliftment of the backward classes.

Muhammad Yunus

  • Bangladesh's interim leader Muhammad Yunus officially announced his resignation on, marking the formal end of the transitional government.
  • This move followed the first general elections held since the 2024 uprising that ousted Sheikh Hasina.

ART & CULTURE

Losar Festival from 18–20 February Marks Start of Fire Horse Year

  • The Losar Festival, or Tibetan New Year, Took place from 18–20 February 2026, marking the beginning of the Year of the Fire Horse 2153. This is a rare celestial combination in the Tibetan 60-year cycle, occurring only once every six decades.
  • The Horse symbolizes movement, speed, and spiritual vitality (often linked to the Lungta or Wind Horse), while the Fire element adds passion and transformation. It is considered an auspicious time for starting new projects and taking bold risks.

Losar Festival

  • Celebrated across the Himalayan region, including Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, and Indian states like Himachal Pradesh (McLeod Ganj), Ladakh, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh.
  • A period of purification and renewal involving cleansing homes, lighting butter lamps, and hanging new prayer flags. In the Year of the Horse, spiritual merit for certain activities—such as the Kailash Mansarovar Parikrama—is believed to be multiplied 13 times.

Ol Chiki script of Santhali language

  • President of India, Droupadi Murmu inaugurated centenary celebrations of the Ol Chiki script (1925–2025) in New Delhi.
  • The event honored the script's creation by Pandit Raghunath Murmu in 1925, which transformed the Santhali language from an oral tradition into a standardized written medium.
  • The Government of India released a ₹100 commemorative coin and a postage stamp to mark 100 years of the script. The coin features a portrait of Pandit Raghunath Murmu on the reverse.

About Santhali language & Script

  • Constitutional Status: Included in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution via the 92nd Amendment Act, 2003 (effective 2004).
  • Language Family: Belongs to the Munda branch of the Austroasiatic language family.
  • Script: Written in Ol Chiki, developed in 1925 by Pandit Raghunath Murmu (known as Guru Gomke).

ENVIRONMENT + SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Great Nicobar Island mega-infrastructure project

  • A Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) cleared the way for the ₹92,000-crore Great Nicobar Island mega-infrastructure project.
  • The Bench, led by Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava, ruled that there was "no good ground to interfere" with the project's Environmental Clearance (EC), emphasizing its strategic importance and national security significance.

The mega-project, spread over 166 sq km, includes:

  • An International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT) at Galathea Bay.
  • A dual-use (military-civil) international airport.
  • A 450 MVA gas and solar-based power plant.
  • An integrated township development.

National Green Tribunal (NGT)

  • Established: 2010
  • Act: National Green Tribunal Act, 2010
  • Operational from: 18 October 2010
  • Nature: Specialized environmental judicial body
  • Objective: Effective and expeditious disposal of environmental cases

NGT deals with cases related to major environmental laws such as:

  • Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974
  • Water Cess Act, 1977
  • Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980
  • Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981
  • Environment Protection Act, 1986
  • Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991
  • Biological Diversity Act, 2002

Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and Indian Forest Act 1927 are NOT under NGT jurisdiction

DEFENCE NEWS

International Fleet Review (IFR) 2026

  • The International Fleet Review (IFR) 2026 was hosted by the Indian Navy in Visakhapatnam (Vizag), Andhra Pradesh.
  • This prestigious event marks the first time India is simultaneously hosting three major maritime engagements: the IFR, Exercise MILAN 2026, and the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) Conclave of Chiefs.
  • Theme of International Fleet Review (IFR) 2026 is "United Through Oceans, Strengthening Bridges of Friendship".

Indian Navy

  • Founded: 26 January 1950
  • Navy Day: 4 December
  • Motto(s): Shaṁ No Varunaḥ
  • Supreme Commander: President Droupadi Murmu
  • Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS): Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi

 

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