NGT Approves Great Nicobar Island Mega-Project (₹81,000 Crore)

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) approved the ₹81,000 crore Great Nicobar Island development project, subject to environmental safeguards, in February 2026 — green-lighting one of India’s most strategically significant but ecologically contentious infrastructure projects.

Project components:

  • International Container Transhipment Terminal (ICTT): Deep-water port to compete with Colombo, Port Klang, and Singapore
  • Greenfield international airport
  • Township for operational staff
  • Gas and solar power plant (hybrid energy)

Environmental impact: ~130 sq km of tropical rainforest (approx. 15% of the island’s landmass; ~10 million trees) will be cleared.

Sensitive ecosystems: Coral reefs, nesting beaches of leatherback sea turtles (world’s largest turtle, IUCN Vulnerable), Nicobar megapode (endemic bird), saltwater crocodiles.

Tribal communities: Shompen (Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group, ~400 individuals) and Nicobarese — displacement concerns.

Strategic significance: Great Nicobar is equidistant from Colombo (Sri Lanka), Port Klang (Malaysia), and Singapore — positioning the ICTT to capture 20–25% of trans-shipment trade currently dominated by these ports. The island is part of the Andaman & Nicobar Command (India’s only tri-service command) — critical for monitoring Malacca Strait traffic. Great Nicobar is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve (since 2013) and geologically earthquake-prone.

UPSC angle: NGT powers (NGT Act 2010), EIA Notification 2006, Expert Appraisal Committee, UNESCO Biosphere Reserves, leatherback sea turtle (Schedule I, WPA 1972), Shompen tribe (PVTG), Andaman & Nicobar Command, trans-shipment trade, India’s maritime strategy, CRZ (Coastal Regulation Zone) norms.

India’s First CBDC-Based Public Distribution System — Gujarat

Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched India’s first Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC)-based Public Distribution System in Gandhinagar, Gujarat on February 15, 2026.

  • Initial districts: Ahmedabad, Anand, Valsad, Surat (Gujarat)
  • Expansion planned: Puducherry, Chandigarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu
  • How it works: PDS ration entitlements are credited as programmable e-Rupee (e₹) — a form of digital token issued by RBI — which beneficiaries use at Fair Price Shops
  • Advantage: Eliminates leakage, pilferage, and ghost beneficiaries; programmability ensures tokens can only be used for food grains

About CBDC: The e-Rupee (e₹) is India’s digital currency issued by Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Unlike UPI (which moves existing money), CBDC is money — a direct liability of the central bank. RBI launched CBDC pilot in December 2022 for wholesale (e₹-W) and retail (e₹-R) segments.

UPSC angle: CBDC (Central Bank Digital Currency), e-Rupee, RBI CBDC pilot (2022), Public Distribution System (National Food Security Act 2013), NFSA, Aadhaar-linked ration cards, DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer), India’s fintech innovation, programmable money vs. cryptocurrency distinction.

India-AI Impact Summit 2026 — SAHI, BODH, IndiaAI Mission

The India-AI Impact Summit 2026 was held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi — organised by MeitY under the theme: “Sarvajana Hitaya, Sarvajana Sukhaya” (Welfare for all, Happiness for all). Built on three pillars: People, Planet, Progress; seven working groups: “Seven Chakras.”

Key launches:

  • SAHI (Sustainable AI in Healthcare for India): National framework for responsible AI in diagnostics, drug discovery, clinical decision-making
  • BODH: AI health solution testing and benchmarking platform (IIT Kanpur collaboration)
  • Sarvam AI: Unveiled Sarvam-30B (30 billion parameters) and Sarvam-105B (105B parameters) multilingual LLMs supporting all 22 scheduled languages
  • India AI Mission Budget: ₹10,371 crore (approved March 2024); 38,000+ GPUs available at 40% reduced cost
  • India entered US-led Pax Silica (semiconductor/AI supply chain) initiative

India’s AI context: 6 million+ AI/tech workforce; 1,800+ Global Capability Centres; 89% of new startups use AI.

UPSC angle: IndiaAI Mission (MeitY, ₹10,371 crore, 7 pillars: Compute, Datasets, Lab, Startups, Safe & Trusted AI, Application, Future Skills), Bharat Mandapam (G20 summit venue), GCC (Global Capability Centres), Pax Silica, AI governance.

Tarique Rahman Sworn in as Bangladesh PM

Tarique Rahman, Chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was sworn in as Prime Minister of Bangladesh on February 17, 2026 — Bangladesh’s first elected PM since the July 2024 revolution that ousted Sheikh Hasina.

  • BNP and allies won 209 of 297 seats in the 13th Parliamentary Elections; Jamaat-e-Islami: 77 seats; NCP: 6; Independents: 7
  • Oath administered by President Mohammed Shahabuddin; interim PM Muhammad Yunus (August 2024–February 16, 2026) stepped down
  • India-Bangladesh trade (FY25): USD 13.51 billion (India exports: USD 11.46 bn; imports: USD 2.05 bn)
  • Bangladesh imports 1,160 MW electricity from India; Maitree Super Thermal Power Plant (1,320 MW): India-Bangladesh joint project
  • India’s Lines of Credit (LoC): ~USD 8 billion (3 LoCs); USD 500 million Defence LoC
  • Key concerns for India: Northeast insurgent safe havens, minority community safety, China’s growing influence, anti-India sentiment during transition

UPSC angle: India-Bangladesh relations, LoC (Lines of Credit), Maitree STPP, India’s Act East Policy connectivity (road/rail through Bangladesh), Teesta river water sharing dispute, Farakka Barrage, BIMSTEC, SAARC, India’s neighbourhood first policy.

India Non-Fossil Power Capacity Surpasses Fossil — First Time

India added 52,537 MW of power capacity in the first 10 months of FY 2025-26 (April 2025 to January 2026):

  • Renewable: 39,657 MW (Solar: 34,955 MW; Wind: 4,613 MW)
  • Thermal: 8,810 MW | Large Hydro: 3,370 MW | Nuclear: 700 MW
  • Total installed capacity: ~521 GW
  • Non-fossil capacity: 271.9 GW — first time surpassing fossil fuel capacity in India’s history

India’s 2030 target (NDC): 500 GW non-fossil capacity — already on track to exceed. Leading states in solar: Gujarat and Rajasthan (44 GW each).

UPSC angle: India’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under Paris Agreement, PANCHAMRIT commitments (500 GW non-fossil by 2030, 50% energy from renewables by 2030, net-zero 2070), MNRE schemes, PM Surya Ghar Yojana, Green Energy Corridors, ISA (International Solar Alliance, HQ Gurugram).

Urban Challenge Fund + Startup India Fund of Funds 2.0

Cabinet approved two major funds:

  1. Urban Challenge Fund: ₹1 lakh crore central assistance (FY26–FY31, extendable to FY34) — covers 25% of project costs; minimum 50% from market sources; targets urban transformation in cities
  2. Startup India Fund of Funds 2.0: ₹10,000 crore corpus to mobilise venture capital for Indian startups; SEBI-registered Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) will deploy capital

UPSC angle: Smart Cities Mission, AMRUT 2.0, urban infrastructure financing, SEBI-regulated AIFs, National Startup Policy, Startup India (launched January 16, 2016), DPIIT, angel tax removal (2024), GIFT City IFSCA.

Railway Multitracking Projects — ₹18,509 Crore

Cabinet approved three multitracking projects covering ~389 km across four states for ₹18,509 crore (target completion: FY 2030-31):

  • Delhi–Ambala (Delhi + Haryana)
  • Kasara–Manmad (Maharashtra)
  • Ballari–Hosapete (Karnataka)

UPSC angle: Railway infrastructure, multitracking (reduces congestion, improves freight/passenger capacity), Indian Railways (world’s 4th largest network), Dedicated Freight Corridors (Eastern DFC: Ludhiana-Kolkata; Western DFC: JNPT-Dadri), National Rail Plan 2030.

PM Modi in Assam — Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu Inaugurated

PM Modi inaugurated development projects worth ₹5,450 crore in Assam, including:

  • Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu: Six-lane bridge across the Brahmaputra connecting Guwahati and North Guwahati — reduced crossing time from 30 minutes to 7 minutes (named after scholar-king Kumar Bhaskar Varma of ancient Kamarupa Kingdom, 7th century CE)
  • Landed at Emergency Landing Facility on Moran Bypass NH-37, Dibrugarh using IAF C-130J aircraft (first PM to use such a facility)
  • Inaugurated National Data Centre for North Eastern Region at Amingaon, Kamrup
  • Virtually flagged off 225 electric buses under PM-eBus Sewa Scheme

UPSC angle: Emergency Landing Facilities (strategic dual-use highways), Brahmaputra bridges (strategic for Northeast India), Kumar Bhaskar Varma (ancient Kamarupa — covers modern Assam, parts of Bangladesh), Assam’s development, PM-eBus Sewa, NeSDA (North East Special Development Assistance), Act East Policy.

Kerala’s Graphene Policy — First in India

CM Pinarayi Vijayan approved Kerala’s Graphene Policy — India’s first comprehensive policy for graphene development.

  • Incentives: 50% land lease subsidy, flexible payments, up to 45% CAPEX support
  • Graphene Innovation Centre, Kochi: ₹87 crore
  • Graphene Aurora Project: Palakkad
  • International partnerships: University of Oxford and University of Manchester (where graphene was first isolated in 2004 by Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov — Nobel Prize in Physics, 2010)
  • Graphene Parks planned on KINFRA (Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation) land

About graphene: Single layer of carbon atoms arranged in hexagonal lattice; world’s strongest material (200x stronger than steel), excellent conductor, thinnest known material. Applications: Batteries (EV, energy storage), semiconductors, composites, water filtration, medical devices.

UPSC angle: Graphene (Nobel Physics 2010, Geim + Novoselov, University of Manchester), BioE3 policy (biotechnology), critical minerals and advanced materials policy, Make in India in deep-tech, KINFRA, IndiaAI Mission.

Uday Kotak Appointed GIFT City Chairman

Uday Kotak, founder of Kotak Mahindra Bank and recipient of Padma Bhushan 2026 (Trade and Industry category), was appointed as the new Chairman of GIFT City (Gujarat International Finance Tec-City) — replacing Hasmukh Adhia (retired IAS, former Finance Secretary).

GIFT City: India’s first International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) at Gandhinagar, Gujarat. Regulated by IFSCA (International Financial Services Centres Authority) — established April 2020. Allows foreign currency transactions, offshore banking, insurance, capital markets — tax incentives to attract global financial firms.

UPSC angle: GIFT City, IFSCA (IFSCA Act 2019), IFSC, foreign currency transactions, special economic zones in financial services, Gujarat’s development model.

Henley Passport Index 2026 — India at Rank 75

India ranked 75th in the Henley Passport Index 2026, with visa-free/on-arrival access to 56 destinations — up from 85th (52 destinations) in 2025. A significant improvement of 10 positions in one year.

Top ranked (2026): Singapore, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, Spain, Finland (90+ destinations each). Pakistan ranks 102nd; China 61st; USA ~7th.

UPSC angle: Passport power, visa diplomacy, bilateral visa agreements, India’s soft power, consular relations under Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (1963), MEA’s passport services, e-Passport technology.

Ol Chiki Script Centenary Celebrations

President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated centenary celebrations for the Ol Chiki script in New Delhi — marking 100 years since Pandit Raghunath Murmu invented the script in 1925 in Rairangpur, Mayurbhanj, Odisha.

Commemorative coins and postage stamps released. Ol Chiki was included in the Eighth Schedule in 2003 for the Santhali language. Constitution translated into Santali in December 2025. UPSC examinations now conducted in Ol Chiki.

UPSC angle: Eighth Schedule (22 languages), Santhali language, tribal scripts, Santali added to 8th Schedule by 92nd Amendment (2003), linguistic rights of tribes, Raghunath Murmu (Guru Gomke — spiritual teacher).

BIRAC-RDI Fund — ₹2,000 Crore First Call

Union MoS Jitendra Singh launched the BIRAC-RDI Fund — the first ₹2,000 crore national call under BIRAC (Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council) as part of the broader ₹1 lakh crore R&D Initiative (RDI) approved in July 2025. Phase 1 deadline: March 31, 2026. Focus: Deep-tech, AI, Biotechnology.

UPSC angle: BIRAC (under Department of Biotechnology), R&D Investment (India’s GERD — Gross Expenditure on R&D — is ~0.7% of GDP vs. 2–4% in developed nations), BioE3 policy, deep-tech incubation, Startup India.

Persons in News

Tarique Rahman — Sworn in as Bangladesh PM (BNP); ends Muhammad Yunus interim period.

Uday Kotak — Appointed GIFT City Chairman; Padma Bhushan 2026 (Trade & Industry); Kotak Mahindra Bank founder.

Mia Mottley — Re-elected PM of Barbados for 3rd consecutive term; BLP won all 30 parliamentary seats (February 11, 2026).

📌 Facts Corner — Knowledgepedia

Great Nicobar Project:

  • Cost: ₹81,000 crore | Approved by: NGT (Feb 2026) + EAC
  • Components: ICTT + greenfield airport + township + gas/solar power plant
  • Forest impact: 130 sq km (~15% landmass; ~10 million trees)
  • Sensitive species: Leatherback sea turtle (IUCN Vulnerable), Nicobar megapode, saltwater crocodile
  • Tribal communities: Shompen (PVTG, ~400 individuals), Nicobarese
  • Strategic: equidistant from Colombo, Port Klang (Malaysia), Singapore
  • UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status: 2013
  • Andaman & Nicobar Command: India’s only tri-service command (HQ Port Blair)

CBDC-PDS:

  • Launched by: Amit Shah | Date: February 15, 2026 | Location: Gandhinagar, Gujarat
  • Currency: e-Rupee (e₹) — RBI CBDC; launched pilot December 2022
  • Initial districts: Ahmedabad, Anand, Valsad, Surat
  • Expansion: Puducherry, Chandigarh, DNH, Daman & Diu
  • CBDC vs. UPI: CBDC is digital money (RBI liability); UPI is a payment interface for existing bank deposits

India Power Capacity (February 2026):

  • Total: ~521 GW | Non-fossil: 271.9 GW (>50% — first time)
  • FY26 (10 months) addition: 52,537 MW | Solar added: 34,955 MW
  • Leading states: Gujarat + Rajasthan (44 GW each in solar)
  • 2030 NDC target: 500 GW non-fossil (already on track)
  • Net-zero target: 2070

Tarique Rahman — Bangladesh:

  • BNP seats: 209/297 | Jamaat-e-Islami: 77 | NCP: 6
  • India-Bangladesh trade (FY25): USD 13.51 billion
  • Electricity supply India → Bangladesh: 1,160 MW
  • Maitree STPP: 1,320 MW (Khulna, Bangladesh; India-Bangladesh joint)
  • India’s LoCs to Bangladesh: ~USD 8 billion (3 LoCs) + USD 500M Defence LoC

Kerala Graphene Policy:

  • First graphene policy in India
  • Graphene Innovation Centre, Kochi: ₹87 crore
  • Graphene isolated (Nobel Physics 2010): Andre Geim + Konstantin Novoselov, University of Manchester
  • KINFRA: Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation

GIFT City / Uday Kotak:

  • GIFT City: India’s first IFSC | Location: Gandhinagar, Gujarat
  • Regulator: IFSCA (International Financial Services Centres Authority, est. April 2020; IFSCA Act 2019)
  • New Chairman: Uday Kotak (replaces Hasmukh Adhia) | Padma Bhushan 2026

Henley Passport Index 2026:

  • India: 75th rank | Visa-free access: 56 destinations | (vs. 85th, 52 in 2025)

Ol Chiki Script:

  • Created: 1925 by Pandit Raghunath Murmu, Rairangpur, Mayurbhanj, Odisha
  • Language: Santhali | 8th Schedule inclusion: 2003 (92nd Constitutional Amendment)
  • Number of Eighth Schedule languages: 22 (Santhali was 22nd addition in 2003)

Other Relevant Facts:

  • Urban Challenge Fund: ₹1 lakh crore (FY26-31); 25% Centre + 50% market | Startup India FoF 2.0: ₹10,000 crore
  • Railway Multitracking: ₹18,509 crore, 389 km (Delhi-Ambala, Kasara-Manmad, Ballari-Hosapete)
  • Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu: Six-lane bridge, Guwahati; travel time cut 30 min → 7 min
  • BIRAC-RDI: First call ₹2,000 crore (India GERD: ~0.7% GDP; target: 2%)
  • Mia Mottley (Barbados): Re-elected Feb 11, 2026; BLP won all 30 seats; 3rd consecutive term
  • C-DOT + Rashtriya Raksha University (Gandhinagar) MoU: Innovation centre for cybersecurity, quantum, 5G

Sources: Drishti IAS, AffairsCloud, IndiaBix