February 2026 Current Affairs for Competitive Exams with 100 Practice MCQs

Defence February 2026 Current Affairs

1. Union Budget 2026-27: Defence Allocation

• Name of Project: Union Budget 2026-27 (Defence Outlay)
• Type: National Budgetary Allocation
• Purpose / Objective: To modernize the armed forces and enhance “Aatmanirbharta” (Self-Reliance).
• Location: Parliament of India, New Delhi.
• Armed Forces Involved: Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force.
• Key Features / Capabilities: Total outlay of ₹7,84,678 crore. A dedicated fund for Deep Tech in defense was established.
• Recent Updates: 75% of the ₹2.19 lakh crore capital budget is now earmarked specifically for domestic procurement.

2. Exercise MILAN 2026

• Name of Exercise: MILAN 2026 (13th Edition)
• Participating Countries: 52 countries (including major global navies).
• Type: Multilateral Naval Exercise.
• Purpose / Objective: To enhance professional interaction between friendly foreign navies and learn from each other’s strengths.
• Location / Area: Visakhapatnam (City of Destiny).
• Armed Force Involved: Indian Navy.
• Key Features / Capabilities: Featured the first-ever Maritime Technical Exposition (MTEX-26).
• Recent Updates: Concluded on February 25, 2026, with over 40 ships and 30+ aircraft participating.

3. INS Anjadip (Commissioning)

• Name of Project: INS Anjadip (ASW-SWC)
• Type: Naval Ship Commissioning.
• Purpose / Objective: Sub-surface surveillance in coastal waters and “Search and Attack” unit missions.
• Location / Area: L&T Kattupalli, Chennai.
• Armed Force Involved: Indian Navy.
• Developed by: Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) in partnership with L&T.
• Date: February 27, 2026.
• Key Features / Capabilities: 3rd ship of the Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft class; designed to replace the aging Abhay-class corvettes.

4. VSHORADS (DRDO Test)

• Name of Project: Very Short Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS)
• Type: Missile Test (MANPADS).
• Purpose / Objective: Neutralizing low-altitude aerial threats at short ranges.
• Location / Area: ITR, Chandipur, Odisha.
• Developed by: DRDO (Research Centre Imarat).
• Date: February 27, 2026.
• Key Features / Capabilities: 4th Generation MANPADS featuring a miniaturized Reaction Control System (RCS) for high maneuverability.

5. Exercise Vayu Shakti-26

• Name of Exercise: Vayu Shakti-26
• Type: Triennial Firepower Demonstration.
• Purpose / Objective: To showcase the IAF’s ability to conduct full-spectrum operations.
• Location / Area: Pokhran Range, Rajasthan.
• Armed Force Involved: Indian Air Force.
• Important Equipment Used: Samar Air Defence System and Prachand Light Combat Helicopter.
• Key Features / Capabilities: First large-scale demonstration of coordinated firepower roles between new indigenous assets.

6. Exercise Dharma Guardian

• Name of Exercise: Dharma Guardian (7th Edition)
• Participating Countries: India and Japan.
• Type: Joint Military Exercise.
• Purpose / Objective: To enhance interoperability in semi-urban terrain operations.
• Location / Area: Chaubattia, Uttarakhand.
• Armed Force Involved: Indian Army & Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF).
• Date: Began February 24, 2026.

7. Exercise Khanjar

• Name of Exercise: Khanjar (13th Edition)
• Participating Countries: India and Kyrgyzstan.
• Type: Joint Special Forces Exercise.
• Purpose / Objective: Counter-terrorism and special forces “Leapfrogging” techniques.
• Location / Area: Misamari, Assam.
• Armed Force Involved: Special Forces units.
• Recent Updates: Concluded in February 2026 with a focus on high-altitude and rugged terrain tactics.

8. Strategic Missile Tests (Agni-3 & SFDR)

• Name of Project: Agni-3 (Training Launch) and SFDR.
• Type: Strategic Ballistic Missile & Propulsion Tech.
• Purpose / Objective: Validating intermediate-range strike capability and long-range interception.
• Developed by: DRDO / Strategic Forces Command (SFC).
• Date: February 2026.
• Key Features / Capabilities: Agni-3 has a range of 3,000 km to 5,000 km. SFDR allows missiles to intercept threats at supersonic speeds.

9. Yantra India Limited (YIL) Status

• Name of Project: Yantra India Limited (Miniratna Upgrade)
• Type: Corporate Reclassification.
• Organization: Yantra India Limited (Ministry of Defence).
• Date: February 14, 2026.
• Key Features / Capabilities: Specializes in specialized components and ammunitions.
• Recent Updates: Granted Miniratna Category-I status following a record profit year in the post-corporatization era.

Railway February 2026 Current Affairs 

1. Union Budget 2026-27: Railway Outlay

• Name of Project: Union Budget 2026-27 (Railway Sector)
• Budget or Cost: Record Capital Expenditure (Capex) of ₹2,93,030 crore.
• Purpose / Objective: Modernization, safety enhancement, and achieving the “Viksit Bharat” vision.
• Technology Used: Kavach 4.0 (Automatic Train Protection) and Vande Bharat standard bogies.
• Key Features / Capabilities: Upgrading 40,000 normal rail bogies to Vande Bharat safety and comfort standards.
• Recent Updates: A massive ₹1.20 lakh crore safety fund was established, prioritizing the rollout of Kavach 4.0 across the Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Howrah high-density networks.

2. Seven New High-Speed Rail Corridors

• Name of Project: High-Speed Rail (HSR) Expansion Phase II
• Route Details: Includes Varanasi – Siliguri (via Patna) and Hyderabad – Bengaluru.
• Type of Train: Bullet Train / High-Speed Rail.
• Speed and Special Features: Designed for a maximum operational speed of 320 kmph.
• Technology Used: Japanese Shinkansen technology frameworks.
• Purpose / Objective: To provide rapid connectivity between regional IT hubs and strategic corridors linking the Heartland to the Northeast.
• Recent Updates: Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for all seven corridors were officially sanctioned in February 2026.

3. Vande Bharat Sleeper (Northeast Launch)

• Name of Train: Howrah – Kamakhya Vande Bharat Sleeper
• Route Details: Howrah (West Bengal) to Kamakhya (Guwahati, Assam).
• Launch Date: February 2026.
• Type of Train: Semi-High Speed Sleeper Train.
• Important Zones: Eastern Railway (ER) and Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR).
• Record / Achievement: The first Vande Bharat Sleeper to serve and connect the Northeast region.
• Purpose / Objective: To provide premium, high-speed overnight connectivity between Kolkata and Guwahati.

4. East-West Dedicated Freight Corridor (EW-DFC)

• Name of Project: East-West Dedicated Freight Corridor (EW-DFC)
• Route Details: Dankuni (West Bengal) to Surat (Gujarat).
• Length: 2,052 km.
• Type of Corridor: Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC).
• Purpose / Objective: To reduce India’s logistics cost from 14% to 8% of GDP by ensuring faster freight movement.
• Ministry Involved: Ministry of Railways / DFCCIL.
• Recent Updates: Construction and land acquisition phases saw significant acceleration in February to meet the 2027 completion targets.

5. Gajraj System (AI Intrusion Detection)

• Name of Project: Gajraj System (Project Elephant)
• Technology Used: AI-based Optical Fiber Sensing (Sensation through vibration).
• Purpose / Objective: To detect elephant movement near tracks and prevent collisions.
• Recent Updates: Reached a record 95% accuracy in February 2026 trials across the West Bengal and Assam forest corridors.
• Record / Achievement: One of the world’s most successful AI integrations for wildlife conservation in railway operations.

6. Ujjain Bypass Project

• Name of Project: Ujjain Junction Bypass
• Route Details: Facilitates movement between Indore and Ahmedabad.
• Purpose / Objective: To eliminate the time-consuming engine reversal process at Ujjain Junction.
• Special Features: Saves approximately 45–60 minutes of travel time for through-trains.
• Recent Updates: The project became a major focus in the February infrastructure report as a model for “De-bottlenecking” major junctions.

7. Digital Initiatives: e-RCT & Rail Parcel App

• Name of Project: e-Railway Claims Tribunal (e-RCT) and Integrated Rail Parcel App.
• Launch Date: February 14, 2026 (e-RCT full operationalization).
• Technology Used: Video-conferencing and digital document verification.
• Purpose / Objective: To provide a paperless, “Door-to-Door” logistics service and a digital platform for accident/insurance claims.
• Recent Updates: The Rail Parcel service is now integrated with India Post for seamless “Last Mile” delivery across the South Central Railway (SCR) and beyond.

8. Amrit Bharat Station Scheme

• Name of Project: Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS)
• Ministry Involved: Ministry of Railways.
• Purpose / Objective: Redevelopment of railway stations with modern amenities, rooftop plazas, and city centers.
• Recent Updates: As of February 2026, over 600 stations have entered the “Advanced Phase” of construction, with many scheduled for inauguration by late 2026.

Indices & Rankings February 2026 Current Affairs 

1. Henley Passport Index 2026 (Q1 Update)

• Released by: Henley & Partners
• Purpose: Measures the travel freedom of citizens based on the number of destinations they can access without a prior visa.
• India’s Rank: 80th
• Top Country (Rank 1): Singapore
• Total Countries Covered: 199 passports and 227 travel destinations.
• Parameters / Criteria: Data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
• Year of Report: 2026 (Q1)
• India’s Previous Rank: 85th (2025)
• Important Highlights: Indian passport holders now have visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 55 destinations.
• Recent News: Japan and South Korea currently share the 2nd position globally.

2. Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2025

• Released by: Transparency International
• Purpose: Ranks countries by their perceived levels of public sector corruption.
• India’s Rank: 91st
• Top Country (Rank 1): Denmark (Score: 89)
• Total Countries Covered: 182 countries.
• Parameters / Criteria: Score based on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).
• Year of Report: Released in February 2026 (Data for 2025).
• India’s Previous Rank: 96th
• Important Highlights: India’s score improved to 39/100. The rise is attributed to increased digital transparency and the “Faceless Assessment” systems in governance.

3. EIU Democracy Index 2025/26

• Released by: Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)
• Purpose: Measures the state of democracy based on political and civil liberties.
• India’s Rank: 41st
• Top Country (Rank 1): Norway
• Last Rank Country: Afghanistan (167th)
• Total Countries Covered: 167
• Parameters / Criteria: Electoral process, pluralism, civil liberties, functioning of government, and political participation.
• Year of Report: 2026
• Important Highlights: India is classified as a “Flawed Democracy.” The ranking saw a slight upward trend due to record-high scores in the “Political Participation” category.

4. Global Innovation Index (GII) 2025

• Released by: World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
• Purpose: Ranks world economies according to their innovation capabilities.
• India’s Rank: 38th
• Top Country (Rank 1): Switzerland
• Total Countries Covered: ~130 economies.
• Parameters / Criteria: Institutions, Human Capital & Research, Infrastructure, Market Sophistication, and Business Sophistication.
• Year of Report: 2025/26
• India’s Previous Rank: 40th
• Important Highlights: India remains the innovation leader in the “Lower-Middle-Income” group. Bengaluru, Delhi, and Mumbai are recognized among the top 100 global science and technology clusters.

5. Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2026

• Released by: Germanwatch, NewClimate Institute, and CAN.
• Purpose: Tracks climate protection efforts of the 63 countries responsible for 90% of global GHG emissions.
• India’s Rank: 23rd (Significant Drop)
• Top Country (Rank 1): None (Spots 1-3 remain vacant); Denmark is effectively 1st at 4th place.
• Year of Report: 2026
• India’s Previous Rank: 7th (2025)
• Important Highlights: India fell out of the top 10 for the first time in years.
• Recent News: Following the UN COP30 Summit in Brazil, updated criteria regarding the speed of renewable energy transition (relative to total demand) caused India’s rank to slide to 23rd.

6. Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Index 2025/26

• Released by: Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security (GIWPS).
• Purpose: Measures women’s inclusion, justice, and security.
• India’s Rank: 131st
• Top Country (Rank 1): Denmark
• Total Countries Covered: 181
• Year of Report: 2026
• Important Highlights: India scored 0.607, reflecting ongoing challenges in women’s workforce participation and community safety despite legislative progress.

Quick Comparison Table for Revision

Index	India’s Rank	Top Country	Released By
Henley Passport	80th	Singapore	Henley & Partners
Corruption (CPI)	91st	Denmark	Transparency Intl.
Democracy Index	41st	Norway	EIU
Innovation (GII)	38th	Switzerland	WIPO
Climate (CCPI)	23rd	Denmark (at 4th)	Germanwatch

Exam Tip: Pay special attention to the CCPI 2026 ranking. India’s drop from the top 10 to 23rd is a major analytical point that reflects shifting global standards for renewable energy benchmarks.

Important Summits & Conferences

1. India AI Impact Summit 2026

• Organized by: Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) under the IndiaAI Mission.
• Venue / Host City: Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, India.
• Date / Year: February 16–20, 2026.
• Theme: Based on three pillars: People, Planet, and Progress.
• Purpose / Objective: To establish a global framework for ethical AI and promote social inclusion through technology.
• Key Decisions / Agreements: Launch of the “Delhi Declaration on Responsible AI.”
• Edition Number: 1st Major Global AI Summit hosted by India.
• India’s Role: Hosted as the leader of the Global South to democratize AI technology.
• Important Highlights: Focused on reducing the digital divide and ensuring AI safety for all nations.

2. 62nd Munich Security Conference (MSC)

• Organized by: Munich Security Conference Foundation.
• Venue / Host City: Hotel Bayerischer Hof, Munich, Germany.
• Date / Year: February 13–15, 2026.
• Purpose / Objective: Debating international security policy and defense architecture.
• Participating Countries / Leaders: Global heads of state, defense ministers, and NATO officials.
• Edition Number: 62nd Edition.
• Important Highlights: Often called the “Davos of Defence.” The 2026 session was dominated by discussions on European security and the role of AI in modern warfare.

3. IONS Conclave of Chiefs (CoC) 2026

• Organized by: Indian Navy.
• Venue / Host City: Visakhapatnam, India.
• Date / Year: Early February 2026.
• Purpose / Objective: To increase maritime cooperation among the navies of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
• Participating Countries: 25 member nations and 8 observer nations.
• India’s Role: India assumed the Chairmanship of IONS for the 2026–2028 cycle.
• Important Highlights: Focus on Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) and Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief (HADR).

4. Wings India 2026

• Organized by: Ministry of Civil Aviation, AAI, and FICCI.
• Venue / Host City: Begumpet Airport, Hyderabad, India.
• Date / Year: February 2026.
• Theme: “Connecting India to the World: The Future of Aviation.”
• Purpose / Objective: To showcase the latest in civil aviation, commercial, and general aviation.
• Edition Number: Bi-annual event.
• Important Highlights: Announced the expansion of UDAN 6.0, which will now specifically focus on heliports and water aerodromes.

5. Asia Economic Dialogue (AED) 2026

• Organized by: Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and Pune International Centre.
• Venue / Host City: Pune, India.
• Date / Year: February 19–21, 2026.
• Theme: “Geo-Economic Transitions in a Multipolar World.”
• Purpose / Objective: To discuss global trade, supply chain resilience, and digital economy transitions.
• India’s Role: Flagship geo-economics conference of the MEA.
• Important Highlights: Heavy focus on the leadership role of the Global South in the evolving global digital economy.

6. World Ocean Science Congress (WOSC) 2026

• Organized by: CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) and Vijnana Bharati (VIBHA).
• Venue / Host City: Goa, India.
• Date / Year: February 25–27, 2026.
• Theme: “Sustainable Oceans for a Resilient Planet.”
• Purpose / Objective: Addressing marine biodiversity and the “Blue Economy.”
• Important Highlights: Key discussions centered on Blue Economy 2.0 and the environmental safeguards required for deep-sea mining.

7. Bharat Bodhan AI Conclave 2026

• Organized by: Ministry of Education in collaboration with MeitY.
• Venue / Host City: Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
• Date / Year: Mid-February 2026.
• Theme: “Sovereign AI Ecosystem for Education.”
• Purpose / Objective: Integrating AI into the Indian education system.
• India’s Role: Aiming to build a “Sovereign AI” to protect national data.
• Important Highlights: Development of Bhashini-integrated AI tools to allow students to learn complex STEM subjects in their mother tongues.

8. GRP Chiefs Conference 2026

• Organized by: Railway Protection Force (RPF).
• Venue / Host City: New Delhi, India.
• Date / Year: February 2026.
• Purpose / Objective: Coordination between State Government Railway Police (GRP) and the Central RPF.
• Important Highlights: Major focus on implementing Facial Recognition System (FRS) and enhancing “Project Meri Saheli” for the safety of women passengers.

9. Women UNLIMITED Leadership Summit 2026

• Organized by: Indo-Pacific Leadership Progam.
• Venue / Host City: Sydney and Canberra, Australia.
• Date / Year: February 2026.
• Purpose / Objective: Empowering women in STEM and Governance across the Indo-Pacific.
• Participating Countries: Delegations from Quad nations (India, Australia, Japan, USA).
• Important Highlights: Discussion on achieving gender parity in emerging technologies like Quantum Computing and Green Energy.

Science & Technology

1. Phosphine-Life Signatures on Venus

• Field: Astronomy / Astrobiology.
• Organization / Lab: International team of astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).
• Year of Discovery: February 2026.
• Purpose / Use: Investigating the possibility of extraterrestrial life in the solar system.
• Working Principle: Detected stable Phosphine ($PH_3$) gas in the deeper atmospheric layers of Venus. On Earth, phosphine is a primary “biosignature” produced by anaerobic life.
• Impact / Significance: Challenges existing planetary chemistry models; if not biological, it indicates an unknown “exotic” chemical process.
• Recent Developments: This high-resolution confirmation has accelerated the timelines for ISRO’s Shukrayaan-1 and NASA’s DAVINCI/VERITAS missions.

2. Graphene-Bio Water Filters

• Field: Environmental Technology / Nanotechnology.
• Inventor / Scientist: Scientists at IIT Madras.
• Country of Origin: India.
• Year of Invention: February 2026.
• Purpose / Use: Low-cost desalination and purification of drinking water for rural households.
• Key Features: Made of a Graphene-biological composite; uses “biomimetic channels” inspired by mangrove roots.
• Impact / Significance: Removes 99.9% of microplastics and heavy metals (Arsenic/Lead) while using 50% less energy than traditional Reverse Osmosis (RO) systems.
• Important Facts: Directly aligns with the goals of India’s Jal Jeevan Mission.

3. First “Biological” Computer Chip (Cyborg Chip)

• Field: Neuromorphic Computing / Biotechnology.
• Organization / Lab: IISc Bengaluru in partnership with a private tech startup.
• Country of Origin: India.
• Year of Discovery: February 19, 2026.
• Working Principle: Integrates living neurons with silicon circuits using “Synthetic Synapses” to allow biological-to-digital communication.
• Purpose / Use: Extreme-efficiency AI processing, advanced prosthetics, and Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI).
• Impact / Significance: Hardware that mimics the human brain structure, consuming 1,000 times less power than current GPUs.

4. Discovery of the “Ghost” Human Lineage

• Field: Genomics / Palaeoanthropology.
• Field of Discovery: West African populations’ DNA.
• Year of Discovery: February 2026.
• Key Features: Identification of DNA sequences from a previously unknown, extinct hominin group that interbred with ancient humans in Africa.
• Working Principle: Used advanced AI algorithms to sift through genomic data to find anomalies that do not match known ancestors like Homo erectus or Neanderthals.
• Impact / Significance: Rewrites the “Out of Africa” theory, proving that human evolution was “web-like” rather than a linear progression.

5. Portable Green Ammonia Small-Scale Reactors

• Field: Green Energy / Sustainable Agriculture.
• Location of Pilot: Gujarat, India.
• Year of Invention: Late February 2026.
• Purpose / Use: Decentralized production of carbon-free fertilizer for farmers.
• Working Principle: Uses solar power to split water into Hydrogen, then combines it with Nitrogen from the air (bypassing the carbon-heavy Haber-Bosch process).
• Impact / Significance: A major milestone for the National Green Hydrogen Mission; allows on-site production, reducing logistics costs and carbon footprints.
• Important Facts: This is the world’s first batch of Green Ammonia produced using a portable, solar-powered unit.

Quick Revision: Science & Tech Highlights (Feb 2026)

Discovery / Invention	Entity Involved	Core Concept
Phosphine Gas	JWST / NASA / ISRO	Venusian Biosignature ($PH_3$).
Graphene-Bio Filter	IIT Madras	Mangrove-inspired desalination.
Cyborg Chip	IISc Bengaluru	Neurons integrated with Silicon.
Ghost Lineage	Genomic Researchers	New extinct African human cousin.
Green Ammonia	Gujarat Pilot	Solar-powered nitrogen fixation.

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Exam Tip: For UPSC/State PCS, focus on the term “Neuromorphic Computing” (connected to the IISc chip) and “Biosignatures” (connected to Venus). These technical terms are often used in the “Description” part of multiple-choice questions. For SSC/Banking, remember the IIT Madras and Gujarat locations for the filter and ammonia projects respectively.

Organizations & Committees

1. 16th Finance Commission

• Formed by: President of India (under Article 280 of the Constitution).
• Established Year: Constituted in late 2023; Report tabled February 1, 2026.
• Purpose / Objective: To define the financial relations between the Central Government and the State Governments for the 2026–2031 period.
• Head / Chairperson: Dr. Arvind Panagariya (Former Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog).
• Type: National (Constitutional Body).
• Key Recommendations:
  • Vertical Devolution: Recommended maintaining the States’ share of central taxes at 41%.
  • New Parameter: Introduced “Contribution to GDP” (weighted at 10%) as a devolution criterion to reward economic productivity.
• Recent Updates: The report emphasizes “Fiscal Efficiency” and provides a roadmap for state-level debt consolidation through 2031.

2. Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice

• Type: National (Parliamentary Committee).
• Purpose / Objective: To examine the working of ministries and suggest reforms in recruitment and judicial processes.
• Head / Chairperson: Member of Parliament (Chairmanship varies by session).
• Key Functions / Roles: Legislative oversight of the UPSC, SSC, and the Ministry of Law.
• Important Recommendations (Feb 2026):
  • CSAT Reform: Suggested rationalizing the Civil Services Aptitude Test to ensure a level playing field for humanities students.
  • Transparency: Proposed the “Immediate Answer Key” model, requiring provisional keys to be released within 48 hours of exams.
• Recent Updates: The committee conducted a comprehensive appraisal of the SSC and UPSC in mid-February to address recruitment delays.

3. National Skills Qualifications Committee (NSQC)

• Full Form: National Skills Qualifications Committee.
• Organization Involved: Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE).
• Purpose / Objective: To approve National Occupational Standards (NOS) and Qualification Packs (QPs) for the Indian workforce.
• Head / Chairperson: Secretary, MSDE.
• Type: National.
• Key Functions / Roles: Quality assurance and standardization of vocational training in India.
• Recent Updates: In its 47th meeting (February 2026), the committee approved “Industry 4.0” files, including certifications for Green Hydrogen Technicians and Generative AI Developers.

4. Hindi Advisory Committee

• Full Form: Hindi Salahkar Samiti.
• Organization involved: Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilisers.
• Mandate: To ensure the implementation of the Official Languages Act, 1963.
• Head / Chairperson: Jagat Prakash Nadda (Union Minister).
• Type: National (Advisory).
• Recent Updates: Reconstituted on February 26, 2026, with a focus on translating technical pharmaceutical and fertilizer documentation into Hindi for better accessibility.

5. IndiaAI Impact Summit (Governance Framework)

• Organization: Part of the IndiaAI Mission (under MeitY).
• Venue: Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
• Purpose / Objective: To establish a “Sovereign AI” framework and global ethical standards.
• Members: 88 nations signed the Delhi Declaration.
• Important Highlights: Introduced the “Seven Working Chakras” of AI governance:
  1. Human Capital & Skilling
  2. Data Governance
  3. AI Safety & Ethics
  4. Sovereign AI Infrastructure
  5. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
  6. Startup Ecosystems
  7. Public Sector Application

6. Quick Reference: Key Organizational Heads (Feb 2026)

Organization	Head / Chairperson	Designation	Type
GIFT City	Uday Kotak	Chairman	National
NITI Aayog	Nidhi Chhibber	Interim CEO	National
Yes Bank	Vinay Muralidhar Tonse	MD & CEO	Private/Banking
ICAI	Prasanna Kumar D	President	Statutory Body
Naval Armament	Divakar Jayant	Director General (DGONA)	Defence/National

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Editorial Note: The 16th Finance Commission’s inclusion of “Contribution to GDP” as a metric is a significant departure from previous commissions and is likely to be a core focus for upcoming competitive exams.