SARASIJ'S BLOG

NEWS & VIEWS|||SARASIJ|||17--02--2026

 

NEWS & VIEWS|||SARASIJ|||17--02--2026

TUESDAY|| VOL—V/2026/FEBRUARY

OPINIONATED, FOR FREE CIRCULATION.

 *उप्तं सुकृतबीजं हि सुक्षेत्रेषु महाफलम् ।*

Translation: The seed of good works, sown in the right place gives great results.



INDIA: (GOI, SWARAJYA, VISHWAMITRA, HINDU POST, INDIA TODAY).

AI IMPACT SUMMIT:

India’s flagship artificial intelligence event, the five-day AI Impact Summit was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday (February 16, 2026), drawing overwhelming crowds and packing Bharat Mandapam to capacity as thousands thronged the venue.

PM Modi has said, the theme of India-AI Impact Summit 2026 is Sarvajana Hitaya, Sarvajana Sukhaya, meaning welfare for all and happiness for all which reflects country’s shared commitment to harnessing Artificial Intelligence for human-centric progress.

Ashwini Vaishnaw  said India’s rapidly expanding creator economy is being powered by the country’s strong digital infrastructure and skilled population.

Amit Shah launches CBDC-based Public Distribution System in Gandhinagar. Digital PDS to ensure transparent, cashless food grain distribution under Digital India and ‘Minimum Government, Maximum Governance’.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicating the new Prime Minister’s Office, named Seva Teerth, to the nation on February 13, 2026. With this shift, Cabinet meetings will no longer be held in South Block, ending nearly 95 years of administrative use of the colonial-era complex.

STIMULATING ECONOMY:

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister has approved a ₹1 lakh crore Urban Challenge Fund (UCF). The scheme aims to shift India’s urban development model from grant-based funding to market-linked and reform-driven growth. With mandatory private participation and competitive project selection, the fund is expected to mobilize ₹4 lakh crore investment over five years and transform Indian cities into economic growth hubs.

Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister has approved the Startup India Fund of Funds 2.0 (FoF 2.0) with a ₹10,000 crore corpus. The scheme aims to mobilize venture capital for India’s startup ecosystem, especially in deep tech, innovative manufacturing, and early-growth sectors. The move is expected to strengthen India’s domestic investment landscape and accelerate innovation-led economic growth.

GENERAL:

India is set to establish its first National Cow Culture Museum in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh. The project will be developed within the campus of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Veterinary Science University.

 WORLD: (REUTER, AP, AFP, BLOOMBERG, CNN, WP)

Iran is pursuing a nuclear agreement with the US that delivers economic benefits for both sides, an Iranian diplomat was reported as saying, before the second round of talks between Tehran and Washington.

The US dispatched a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East and is preparing for the possibility of a sustained military campaign if the nuclear talks do not succeed, US officials told Reuters.

Trump says he will be involved ‘indirectly’ in Iran talks.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on Monday (February 16, 2026) began a series of military exercises in the Strait of Hormuz, state media reported, on the eve of talks with the United States.

Israel's cabinet approved further measures to tighten Israel's control over the occupied West Bank.  This moves Palestinians called a "de-facto annexation".

Europe aims to rely less on US defense after Trump's Greenland push. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reflected on a sense of profound change among European leaders at the Munich Security Conference when she said: "Some lines have been crossed that cannot be uncrossed anymore."

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio vowed to deepen cooperation with Central Europe as he kicked off a trip to Slovakia and Hungary, whose conservative leaders have warm ties with President Donald Trump.

A man accused of opening fire on a Jewish Hanukkah celebration at Sydney's famed Bondi Beach in an attack that killed 15 people appeared in court for the first time. The Reuters World News podcast has the latest details.

The Democratic Party is willing to spend tens of millions on a Virginia redistricting effort that could gain the party four more seats in the US House of Representatives, the chamber's top Democrat said.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, along with other foreign dignitaries, will attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new government in Bangladesh today, led by BNP Chief Tarique Rahman, scheduled in the afternoon today.

Hasina’s presence in India will not be a ‘deterrent’ to broader India-Bangladesh relation: BNP’s Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY:

World Health Organization (WHO) has prequalified an additional novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2). The move strengthens global capacity to respond to outbreaks caused by circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2).

WHO prequalification certifies that the vaccine meets international standards for safety, quality, and effectiveness. This enables UN agencies such as UNICEF to procure and distribute it globally.

CRIME & PUNISHMENT:

The Enforcement Directorate has a Rs 184-crore FEMA penalty against news portal News Click and its editor-in-chief, Prabir Purkayastha, official sources said on Monday.

The Telangana State Election Commission has issued a directive on the conduct of indirect elections to the offices of chairperson and vice-chairperson of municipalities and mayor and deputy mayor of Municipal Corporations, in compliance with orders of the Telangana High Court. The directive follows the High Court’s order in Writ Petition No. 20262 of 2021.

MISHAPS: -

In Rajasthan, eight people have been killed after a massive fire broke out in a factory in Tapukara of khairthal-Tijara district. Police and administrative authorities began relief and rescue operations.

In China, eight people were killed and left two others with minor burns following an explosion and fire at a fireworks shop, ahead of the Lunar New Year.

ENVIRONMENTAL: -

 A low-pressure area is likely to form over the central parts of southern Bay of Bengal and adjoining Equatorial Indian Ocean within the next 48 hours, with the Regional Meteorological Centre forecasting light rain at isolated places over Tamil Nadu, Karaikal and Puducherry from February 20. GOOD FOR CROPS.

DEFENSE:-

Narendra Modi will meet Emmanuel Macron to launch the ‘India-France Year of Innovation’ and advance strategic cooperation between the two nations. Macron’s three-day visit to India from today, February 17 to 19 underscores the deepening partnership, with discussions centered on artificial intelligence, defense collaboration, technology partnerships, and the Indo-Pacific.

Admiral Samuel J Paparo, Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (INDO-PACOM), has publicly praised India's Operation Sindoor, describing its tactical execution as exemplary. Speaking to journalists in New Delhi on 15 February 2026, he highlighted the operation's precision and the profound introspection that followed among Indian forces.

India has approved a monumental ₹3.25 lakh crore deal to procure 114 Rafale multirole fighter jets from France, marking one of the largest defence acquisitions in its history. This proposal, cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Security, includes 18 jets delivered in fly-away condition for rapid induction into the Indian Air Force.

India and France are set to strengthen their defense ties through a high-level dialogue scheduled for 17 February in Bangalore. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh will engage in talks with his French counterpart, Catherine Vautrin, who serves as Minister of the Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs.

DEFENSE MINISTER SHOULD HAVE BEEN A COMPETENT ENGINEER SERVED IN DEFENSE WITH HIGH MORAL RECORD.

GAMES & SPORTS: -

India’s 14-year-old cricket prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will not appear for the CBSE Class 10 board exams this year. The young star, who recently impressed the world with his batting in the Under-19 World Cup, has decided to skip the exams because of his packed cricket schedule, which includes training camps and tournaments.

Winter Olympic:- 2026 Milan-Cortina

Norway—8 Gold. Italy—6 Gold.

DAS KAPITAL:

*BSE SENSEX* 83,277.15 +650.39 (0.79%)🌲

*NIFTY* 25,682.75 +211.65 (0.83%)🌲

*GOLD* : ₹ 15,580/ 01gm (24 krt)

*SILVER* : ₹ 265,000/KG

Currency Exchange Rates:

*Euro* : ₹107/- *USD*  ₹ 91/-  * China ¥* : ₹ 13

OBITUARY:

David J. Farber, widely regarded as a “grandfather of the internet”, passed away on 7 February in Tokyo at the age of 91. According to his family, the cause of death was heart failure.

 

 

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