India’s most defence-intensive week of 2026. The 114 Rafale deal — India’s largest ever defence procurement — was cleared by DAC. Exercise MILAN 2026 at Visakhapatnam became the biggest multilateral naval exercise India has ever hosted. India-France relations hit a historic high with “Special Global Strategic Partnership” status. Bihar became Naxal-free. India launched the world’s first CBDC-based PDS. And the India AI Impact Summit concluded with 88 nations endorsing the New Delhi Declaration — positioning India as the architect of inclusive global AI governance.

Defence & Security

114 Rafale Jets — India’s Largest Ever Defence Deal

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, approved procurement of 114 Rafale fighter jets from France at Rs 3.25 lakh crore (~USD 40 billion) — India’s single largest defence deal ever.

Deal structure:

  • 96 aircraft for the IAF (single-seat Rafale C variant) + 26 Rafale-M (Marine) for the Indian Navy (carrier-capable)
  • 52 to be built in India (HAL Nasik facility) under Technology Transfer (ToT)
  • 62 direct-from-France deliveries, with the India-built jets following over 7–10 years
  • Offset clause: 50% of contract value → Indian defence industry participation

Background:

  • India previously purchased 36 Rafale jets in 2016 (Rs 59,000 crore deal; all delivered by 2022)
  • Those 36 formed 2 IAF squadrons; India needs 42 squadrons (current strength ~31-33)
  • Navy’s INS Vikrant (Indigenous Aircraft Carrier-1) requires carrier-compatible jets — Rafale-M fills this role

UPSC Angle — GS-3 / Security: Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP 2020) categories (Buy Indian, Buy & Make Indian, Make); HAL’s manufacturing capacity; India’s Fighter Modernisation Programme; Positive Indigenisation List; IAF’s squadron strength vs. sanctioned strength; India-Pakistan-China air balance.

Exercise MILAN 2026 — 74 Nations at Visakhapatnam

The 13th Exercise MILAN was inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at Visakhapatnam (Feb 15–25, 2026) — with a record 74 participating nations, making it the largest multilateral naval exercise India has ever hosted.

MILAN background:

  • Launched: 1995 by Indian Navy at Andaman & Nicobar Command
  • Frequency: Biennial (every 2 years)
  • Name: “MILAN” = “meeting” in Hindi
  • Originally involved small IOR navies (4 nations in 1995); expanded significantly post-2018

What happens at MILAN:

  • Harbour Phase: seminars, professional exchanges, cultural events
  • Sea Phase: coordinated manoeuvres, anti-piracy, search-and-rescue, HADR exercises
  • 2026 focus areas: Undersea domain awareness, maritime cybersecurity, drone warfare at sea

India’s strategic messaging: With 74 nations — including QUAD partners (US, Japan, Australia), ASEAN navies, Pacific Island states, Africa — MILAN demonstrates India as the preferred maritime security partner of the Global South.

UPSC Angle — GS-3 / Security: MILAN vs. RIMPAC (US-led) vs. Malabar (India-US-Japan) distinction; SAGAR doctrine; Indian Navy’s mission-based deployment (MBD) in IOR; Andaman & Nicobar Command (tri-service); India’s Far Seas operations doctrine.

Bihar Declared Naxal-Free — LWE Endgame

Bihar became India’s first state declared completely free of Left Wing Extremism after Suresh Koda — identified as the last armed Maoist — surrendered in Munger district, completing the clearance of all 23 previously-affected districts.

LWE trajectory:

  • LWE-affected districts: 126 (2010) → ~38 (2026 national) — Bihar down from 23 → 0
  • Naxalbari origin: 1967, Darjeeling, West Bengal (Charu Mazumdar, Kanu Sanyal)

SAMADHAN strategy (2017): India’s multi-pronged LWE response:

  • S — Smart Leadership
  • A — Aggressive Strategy with proactive operations
  • M — Motivation and Training
  • A — Actionable Intelligence Network
  • D — Dashboard-Based KPIs and Key Performance Indicators
  • H — Harnessing Technology
  • A — Action Plan for each Theatre
  • N — No access to Financing

Bihar’s success factors:

  • Aggressive surrender scheme (cash + rehabilitation)
  • Development push in LWE districts (roads, schools, mobile towers)
  • CoBRA battalion deployment + state police coordination
  • Sealing of Bengal-Jharkhand borders (Maoist supply routes)

UPSC Angle — GS-3 / Security: LWE vs. insurgency distinction; Fifth Schedule (Scheduled Areas governance); Scheduled Tribe land rights and Maoist recruitment; Aspirational Districts convergence in LWE zones; CAG reports on development in LWE areas.

CTS Krishna — Indigenous Naval Training Ship

India launched Cadet Training Ship (CTS) Krishna at L&T Shipbuilding, Kattupalli, Chennai — the first of three planned indigenous training vessels for the Indian Navy. Launched by Anupama Chauhan (DWWA President).

Significance: Reduces dependence on foreign training ships; India currently trains naval cadets partially on hired/leased vessels. CTS Krishna marks India’s indigenous capability in specialised naval training ship construction.

L&T Kattupalli: India’s largest and most modern private shipyard — strategically important for India’s naval shipbuilding ambitions. Also building frigates and other warships.

UPSC Angle — GS-3 / Security + Economy: India’s shipbuilding capacity vs. defence procurement needs; Make in India in defence; GRSE (Kolkata) + L&T Kattupalli + MDL (Mumbai) — India’s major naval shipyards; Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Policy.

International Relations

India-France Special Global Strategic Partnership

French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit upgraded India-France relations to a “Special Global Strategic Partnership” — above the existing Strategic Partnership (1998) — anchored by three major agreements.

Three pillars of the upgraded relationship:

  1. Rafale-Marine (26 jets) for Indian Navy — finalisation of carrier-capable Rafale-M jets for INS Vikrant; DAC had approved this as part of the 114-jet mega-deal (same week)

  2. 100 GW Nuclear Target by 2047: India-France civil nuclear cooperation expanded — targeting deployment of EPR (Evolutionary Pressurised Reactor) reactors at Jaitapur, Maharashtra (6 reactors × 1,650 MW = 9,900 MW — would be world’s largest nuclear power park when complete)

  3. H-125 Helicopter Manufacturing: Airbus Helicopters + Tata Advanced Systems JV to manufacture H-125 light utility helicopters in India — India’s first private-sector helicopter manufacturing facility. Replaces ageing Cheetah/Chetak fleets.

India-France historical markers:

  • 1998: Strategic Partnership (oldest India has with any country)
  • 2003: India-France space cooperation (ISRO-CNES)
  • 2016: Rafale jets deal (36 jets)
  • 2026: “Special Global Strategic Partnership” + 114 Rafale + Jaitapur nuclear + H-125

UPSC Angle — GS-2 / IR: France’s Indo-Pacific strategy (La Perouse exercise with India); Jaitapur JNPP controversy (seismic zone, Marine protected area, local opposition); France as only P5 member outside US-UK to deeply engage India on defence; CNES-ISRO joint satellite missions (Megha-Tropiques, TRISHNA upcoming).

Economy & Development

CBDC-Based PDS — World’s First e-Rupee Food Subsidy System

India launched the world’s first CBDC (Central Bank Digital Currency)-based Public Distribution System in Gandhinagar, Gujarat — integrating the e-Rupee (Digital Rupee) into India’s Rs 2 lakh crore food subsidy architecture.

What makes this unique — programmability:

  • Traditional PDS: beneficiary gets a ration card → goes to Fair Price Shop → receives subsidised grain
  • CBDC-PDS: beneficiary receives programmable digital tokens — can only be used to purchase specific items (rice, wheat, pulses, oil) at authorised Fair Price Shops
  • Eliminates diversion (grain sold in black market by corrupt dealers) — tokens cannot be converted to cash or spent elsewhere
  • Aadhaar-linked biometric authentication at FPS

e-Rupee (CBDC) facts:

  • Launched: December 1, 2022 (retail pilot); December 1, 2023 (full roll-out)
  • Type: Retail CBDC (e-R) — for citizens; plus Wholesale CBDC (e-W) for interbank settlement
  • Issued and managed by RBI (not banks)
  • Works offline via NFC (near-field communication) for low-connectivity areas

UPSC Angle — GS-3 / Economy: CBDC vs. UPI vs. cryptocurrency distinction; RBI’s digital currency mandate (RBI Act Section 26); programmable money advantages (conditionality, traceability, eliminating leakage); PMGKAY (PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana) → National Food Security Act 2013 architecture; AadhaarlinkedPDS → One Nation One Ration Card.

Export Promotion Mission — Niryat Framework for MSME Exports

The government launched 7 new interventions under the Export Promotion Mission (EPM) — a Rs 25,060 crore, 6-year (2025-31) programme — through the “Niryat” (export) framework targeting MSMEs, e-commerce exporters, and geographically disadvantaged districts.

Two-stream Niryat framework:

  1. Niryat Mitra: Mentorship and handholding for first-time MSME exporters — includes export credit facilitation, ECGC (Export Credit Guarantee Corporation) cover, logistics subsidies
  2. Niryat Hub: 75 District Export Hubs (DEH) in underperforming districts — cluster-based, integrating ODOP (One District One Product) with export targets

India’s export target: $1 trillion by 2030 (goods + services); current level ~$778 billion (FY25). MSMEs contribute 45% of exports but face challenges: compliance costs, trade finance gaps, logistics inefficiency.

UPSC Angle — GS-3 / Economy: India’s export promotion architecture (DGFT + Commerce Ministry + EXIM Bank + ECGC); RoDTEP (Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products) scheme; MSME’s share in total exports; India’s FTA strategy and market access; WTO-compatibility of export subsidies (India’s dispute with US/EU at WTO over certain schemes).

Environment & Ecology

Great Nicobar Island Project — NGT Approval

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) approved the Rs 81,000 crore Great Nicobar Island development project — India’s most strategically significant and ecologically contested infrastructure plan.

Project components:

  1. Transshipment Port — to capture Indian Ocean container transshipment traffic (currently dominated by Colombo, Singapore, Port Klang)
  2. International Airport — upgrade existing facility for wide-body aircraft
  3. Township — for 3.5 lakh residents (workers + families)
  4. 270 MW Holistic Power Plant

Ecological concerns:

  • 130 sq km of tropical rainforest to be cleared — Great Nicobar’s primary forest is one of the most biodiverse in India
  • Shompen tribe (~250–400 individuals; Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group, PVTG) — some settlements within project area
  • Leatherback sea turtle nesting beaches (IUCN Vulnerable) at direct risk from port construction and light pollution
  • Nicobar Megapode (Schedule I, WPA) — endemic bird species nesting habitat loss
  • Galathea Bay (proposed port site) — currently a wildlife sanctuary (Galathea National Park)

Strategic rationale: Great Nicobar lies at the southern tip of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands — 90 nautical miles from the Malacca Strait and critical Indian Ocean shipping lanes. India needs a strategic port to monitor and project power in this zone.

UPSC Angle — GS-3 / Environment: NGT’s jurisdiction and powers; EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) notification 2006; PVTG (Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups) rights under PESA + Forest Rights Act 2006; Shompen’s status; Leatherback turtle biology; CRZ (Coastal Regulation Zone) IA notification; Andaman & Nicobar’s strategic geography.

Science & Technology

India AI Impact Summit 2026 — New Delhi Declaration

The India AI Impact Summit 2026 (Feb 16–22, New Delhi) concluded with 88 nations endorsing the New Delhi Declaration on AI Impact — establishing India as a key architect of inclusive global AI governance.

Summit milestones:

  • Sarvam AI unveiled India’s first 30-billion and 105-billion parameter large language models — domestically trained, targeting Indian-language excellence
  • VoicERA launched: MeitY’s open-source multilingual Voice AI stack — enables Indian startups to build voice applications in 22 scheduled languages without paying Western API fees
  • India AI Governance Framework: 7 principles — Safety, Transparency, Accountability, Fairness, Privacy, Reliability, Inclusivity

New Delhi Declaration — 7 “Chakra” pillars:

  1. Democratising AI Resources (compute, data access for Global South)
  2. Trusted and Safe AI (risk-proportionate regulation)
  3. AI for Public Good (governance, healthcare, agriculture applications)
  4. Linguistic and Cultural Diversity (multilingual AI)
  5. Capacity Building (Global South skills development)
  6. Open Source AI (reducing proprietary lock-in)
  7. Environmental Sustainability of AI

India’s positioning: Distinct from Bletchley Park (UK, 2023) and Seoul (South Korea, 2024) AI safety summits — which focused on existential risk from frontier AI (GPT-4 class models). India’s declaration emphasises access, inclusion, and application — reflecting the Global South’s different AI needs and risk profile.

UPSC Angle — GS-3 / S&T: IndiaAI Mission (Rs 10,300 crore); EU AI Act (risk classification: unacceptable/high/limited/minimal); NITI Aayog’s National AI Strategy (2018); G20 AI Principles (India’s G20 presidency 2023); ITU AI for Good; UNESCO Recommendation on AI Ethics (2021); India’s data governance gap (DPDP Act 2023 operationalisation pending).

History, Art & Culture

International Mother Language Day — Feb 21, 2026

International Mother Language Day is observed on February 21 each year — established by UNESCO in 1999 to commemorate the 1952 Dhaka Language Movement (Bhasha Andolan) in then-East Pakistan.

Historical origin: On February 21, 1952, students of Dhaka University demonstrated for the right to use Bengali as an official language alongside Urdu. Pakistani police fired on the crowd — 4 students killed (Abul Barkat, Rafiquddin Ahmed, Abul Jabbar, Shafiqur Rahman). This martyrdom galvanised Bengali identity and ultimately contributed to Bangladesh’s 1971 independence.

2026 theme: “Fostering multilingualism for inclusion in education and society”

India’s language landscape:

  • India has 6,000+ languages/dialects (Linguistic Survey of India)
  • 22 Scheduled Languages (8th Schedule of Constitution); multiple languages have Classical Language status
  • People’s Linguistic Survey of India (PLSI) documented 780 languages (some extinct)
  • UNESCO Atlas of World’s Languages in Danger: several Indian languages listed as endangered

NEP 2020 and mother tongue: NEP mandates mother tongue/home language as medium of instruction at least until Grade 5 (preferably Grade 8) — major departure from English-medium dominance.

UPSC Angle — GS-1 / Culture + GS-2 / Polity: 8th Schedule addition (Articles 344, 351); Classical Language criteria (MHA); Three-Language Formula; Language dispute and States Reorganisation Act 1956; linguistic minorities rights (Articles 29, 30, 350A, 350B); UNESCO endangered language criteria.

📌 Facts Corner — Week 8 Knowledgepedia (Feb 16–22, 2026)

114 Rafale Deal:

  • Cost: Rs 3.25 lakh crore (~USD 40 billion); India’s largest ever defence deal; DAC chair: Rajnath Singh
  • Split: 96 Rafale C (IAF) + 26 Rafale-M (Navy for INS Vikrant); 52 to be built in India (HAL Nasik)
  • Previous deal: 36 Rafale jets 2016, Rs 59,000 crore; all delivered by 2022; formed 2 IAF squadrons
  • IAF sanctioned strength: 42 squadrons; current: ~31-33; Rafale fills MRF (Medium Role Fighter) gap

Exercise MILAN 2026:

  • 13th edition; Visakhapatnam; Feb 15-25, 2026; 74 nations (record); Defence Min Rajnath Singh inaugurated
  • Founded: 1995 by Indian Navy; started with 4 nations at Andaman & Nicobar; biennial
  • MILAN = “meeting” (Hindi); harbour phase (seminars) + sea phase (exercises)
  • Themes 2026: undersea domain, maritime cyber, drone warfare

India-France Special Global Strategic Partnership:

  • Upgraded from: Strategic Partnership 1998 (oldest India has with any country)
  • Rafale-M: 26 jets for Navy/INS Vikrant; Jaitapur JNPP: 6 × EPR reactors (1,650 MW each) = 9,900 MW total
  • H-125 helicopter: Airbus + TASL (Tata Advanced Systems); first private helicopter manufacturing in India
  • La Perouse: India-France-US-AUS-UK naval exercise in Indo-Pacific

Bihar Naxal-Free:

  • Suresh Koda: last armed Maoist; surrendered Munger; all 23 districts cleared
  • Naxalbari origin: 1967, Darjeeling, WB; Charu Mazumdar + Kanu Sanyal
  • SAMADHAN: 2017 strategy (8 pillars); LWE districts: 126 (2010) → ~38 (2026); Bihar: 23 → 0
  • CoBRA: CRPF’s 10-battalion jungle warfare unit; key in Bihar operations

CBDC-PDS:

  • World’s first CBDC-based PDS; launched Gandhinagar, Gujarat; Home Min Amit Shah
  • e-Rupee (Digital Rupee): launched Dec 1, 2022 (retail pilot); issued by RBI
  • Programmable: tokens locked to FPS purchases (rice/wheat/pulses/oil); eliminates diversion
  • Retail CBDC (e-R) for citizens; Wholesale CBDC (e-W) for interbank; works offline via NFC

New Delhi Declaration on AI:

  • Summit: India AI Impact Summit 2026; Feb 16-22, New Delhi; 88 nations endorsed
  • 7 Chakra pillars: Democratise, Trust/Safety, Public Good, Linguistic Diversity, Capacity Building, Open Source, Environmental Sustainability
  • Sarvam AI: 30B + 105B parameter LLMs; VoicERA: MeitY open-source voice AI stack (22 languages)
  • India AI Governance Framework: 7 principles: Safety, Transparency, Accountability, Fairness, Privacy, Reliability, Inclusivity
  • Contrast: Bletchley (2023, UK) + Seoul (2024, SK) = existential risk focus; India = access + inclusion focus

Great Nicobar Project:

  • Cost: Rs 81,000 crore; NGT approved Feb 2026; transshipment port + airport + township + 270 MW power plant
  • Ecology: 130 sq km tropical rainforest cleared; Shompen PVTG (~250-400 pop.); Leatherback turtle nesting sites; Nicobar Megapode (Schedule I)
  • Strategic: 90 nautical miles from Malacca Strait; Indian Ocean shipping lane control; Andaman & Nicobar Command
  • Galathea Bay (port site) = former wildlife sanctuary

Export Promotion Mission:

  • Rs 25,060 crore; 6 years (2025-31); 7 new interventions; Niryat Mitra + Niryat Hub
  • 75 District Export Hubs; ECGC cover; ODOP linkage; MSMEs = 45% of India’s exports
  • India’s export target: USD 1 trillion by 2030 (goods + services); FY25: ~USD 778 billion

Mother Language Day:

  • Date: February 21 (annual); UNESCO declared 1999; commemorates 1952 Dhaka Language Movement
  • 4 student martyrs (Feb 21, 1952): Abul Barkat, Rafiquddin Ahmed, Abul Jabbar, Shafiqur Rahman
  • India: 6,000+ languages; 22 Scheduled Languages (8th Schedule); People’s Linguistic Survey: 780 languages
  • NEP 2020: mother tongue medium instruction to Grade 5 (preferred Grade 8)

Other Relevant Facts:

  • Seva Teertha: new integrated PMO complex; replaces South Block (1930, Lutyens’ Delhi); PM RAHAT scheme for road accident victims (launched from new complex)
  • PMGKAY: PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana; free grain to 81.35 crore beneficiaries; linked to NFSA 2013 (10 kg free grain under PM AWAS PLUS)
  • CTS Krishna: L&T Shipbuilding, Kattupalli, Chennai; first of 3 training ships; launched by DWWA President Anupama Chauhan

Sources: PIB, The Hindu, Indian Express, DD News