Daily Current Affairs

The 2nd India–AI Impact Summit 2026 commenced on 16 February 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the India AI Impact Expo 2026, marking the start of the five-day global summit (16–20 February 2026).

• Organisers – MeitY in collaboration with NASSCOM, NITI Aayog, and various academic institutions
• Guiding Sutras – People, Planet and Progress
• USISPF – announced as Official Partner of the Summit

Union Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda launched two key initiatives at the summit:

• SAHI – a framework for safe and accountable healthcare AI
• BODH – a health AI benchmarking platform developed by IIT Kanpur and the National Health Authority

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) launched VoicERA, an open-source, end-to-end Voice AI stack, at the India AI Impact Summit 2026. VoicERA is deployed on the BHASHINI National Language Infrastructure.

• Led by – Digital India BHASHINI Division under Digital India Corporation
• Partners – EkStep Foundation, IIIT Bengaluru, and AI4Bharat
• Purpose – Secure, scalable deployment of voice systems across government, research institutions, and innovation ecosystems

The Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA), under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), set up a high-level Advisory Group on Ease of Doing Business (EoDB), chaired by Gyaneshwar Kumar Singh, Director General & CEO of IICA.

• MoU with MCA – to conduct a research study titled “Re-envisioning Ease of Doing Business for Viksit Bharat 2047”
• MoU with NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad – renewed for another five years

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy inaugurated the 23rd edition of BioAsia 2026 at the HITEX Exhibition Centre, Hyderabad on 17–18 February 2026.

• Theme – “TechBio Unleashed – AI, Automation and the Biology Revolution”
• Hyderabad – recognised as the “Vaccine Capital of the World”, contributing nearly one-third of global vaccine production
• Next-Gen Life Sciences Policy (2026–2030) – unveiled at WEF Davos, targeting USD 25 billion in investments and 5 lakh jobs by 2030
• BioAsia 2026 Innovation Awards – presented to five startups

India helped the Maldives construct a high-speed ferry — the first of twelve vessels — to establish transport link services. The ferry launched Raajje Transport Link (RTL) services in Faafu and Dhaalu Atolls.

G. Balasubramaniam, Indian High Commissioner to the Maldives, emphasised India’s commitment to supporting essential public services.

France-based shipping major CMA CGM signed a landmark contract with Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) to purchase six 1,700 TEU LNG-fuelled feeder container vessels for USD 360 million (over ₹3,200 crore).

• Cost per vessel – approx. USD 60 million
• CSL’s unexecuted order book – now stands at around ₹23,000 crore
• Designer – KOMAC (Korea Maritime Consultants)
• Construction site – CSL’s facility in Kochi, Kerala
• Signatories – Rodolphe Saadé (Chairman & CEO, CMA CGM) and Jose VJ (CMD, CSL)

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) granted a Mutual Fund (MF) license to ASK Asset & Wealth Management, making it the 52nd fund house in India’s MF industry.

• India’s MF Industry AUM – ₹81 lakh crore as of January 31, 2026
• In-principle approval – received from SEBI in March 2025
• Expansion scope – active equity, passive strategies, hybrid, and fixed income products beyond its existing PMS, AIFs, and private wealth services

The Food Corporation of India (FCI) signed an MoU with the World Food Programme (WFP) for the supply of rice to support global hunger relief efforts.

• Quantity – 2 lakh Metric Tonnes (MT) of rice (maximum 25% broken rice permissible)
• MoU validity – 5 years from February 17, 2026
• Current rice price – ₹2,800 per quintal (valid until March 31, 2026)
• Pricing mechanism – annual price negotiation provisions for cost predictability

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi (MNRE) and UK Deputy PM David Lammy jointly launched the ‘India–UK Offshore Wind Taskforce’ along with the ‘4th India–UK Energy Dialogue’ in New Delhi. The taskforce operates under the India–UK Vision 2035 framework.

• Early development states – Gujarat and Tamil Nadu
• Viability Gap Funding (VGF) – ₹7,453 crore allocated for early-stage offshore wind projects

The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) launched the India Grids of the Future Accelerator during Mumbai Climate Week 2026.

• GEAPP commitment – USD 25 million by 2028 to mobilise USD 100 million by 2030 through blended finance
• Target impact – support at least 15 DISCOMs, potentially benefiting nearly 300 million people
• Champion Utilities – MoUs signed with DISCOMs in Delhi and Rajasthan

Sanae Takaichi was formally reappointed as Prime Minister of Japan on February 18, 2026, following her ruling party’s landslide election victory. She is Japan’s first female Prime Minister, having first assumed office in October 2025.

Key pledges by Takaichi include:

• Suspend consumption tax on food for two years
• Bolster Japan’s defence capabilities
• Establish a National Intelligence Agency
• Strengthen cooperation with the US on rare earths and economic security

The IIT Madras Global Research Foundation launched its first international Applied AI Innovation Centre at Dubai CommerCity, Dubai, UAE. The agreement was signed on the sidelines of WORLDEF Dubai 2026.

• Initial phase – hosts six applied AI startups with a combined valuation of approximately USD 118 million
• Focus areas – product development, IP creation, and industry-government partnerships
• Framework – aligns with the India–UAE CEPA

The Government of India signed a ‘Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement on Criminal Matters’ with Nepal in Kathmandu.

• Signatories – Binod Kumar Bhattarai (Joint Secretary, Nepal) and Naveen Srivastava (Indian Ambassador to Nepal)
• Purpose – strengthen cross-border law enforcement, combat transnational crimes, and facilitate judicial cooperation
• Crimes addressed – financial fraud, money laundering, and terrorism

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) unveiled the “AI Impact Startup Book” at the India AI Impact Summit 2026. The book presents a comprehensive mapping of over 110 AI startups and non-profit organisations delivering population-scale social and economic impact across India.

Bihar unveiled a mobile-based AI-driven remote voting system at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, marking a significant step in the use of technology for democratic processes in India. The system aims to enable secure and accessible voting through AI-powered verification.

Researchers from the School of Industrial Fisheries at Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) identified a new species of pistol shrimp in the Kochi backwaters, adding to the growing catalogue of India’s marine biodiversity.

Sanae Takaichi was formally reappointed as Prime Minister of Japan on February 18, 2026. She is Japan’s first female Prime Minister, first assuming office in October 2025 after her Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) won a historic supermajority of 316 seats in snap elections on February 8, 2026.