Source: News on AIr Context: VoicERA, an open-source end-to-end Voice AI stack, was launched at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 on the BHASHINI National Language Infrastructure. What is VoicERA? VoicERA is an open-source Voice AI execution stack that serves as a national deployment layer for multilingual speech and conversational AI systems.It enables large-scale voice-based digital services across sectors such as governance, public services and innovation. Institutional Framework Objectives
Draft RBI Norms on INR Derivatives May Boost Bank Presence in GIFT City
Source: BS What is the news? Draft norms issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on rupee non-deliverable derivative contracts (NDDCs) are expected to encourage banks to expand operations in GIFT City’s International Financial Services Centre (IFSC). Background Key Provisions in the Draft Framework Facts
RBI Asks NPCI to Review UPI Autopay Over Debit Concerns
Source: Mint What is the news? The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has asked the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to review UPI Autopay after a rise in complaints about involuntary recurring payment mandates and difficulty in cancelling them. Background What is UPI Autopay? UPI Autopay is a feature of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) that allows users to set up automatic recurring payments through pre-approved mandates. Once authorised, payments are deducted automatically at scheduled intervals without requiring manual approval each time. It was launched by the National Payments Corporation of In
Daily Current Affairs (DCA) 19 February, 2026
Daily Current Affairs Quiz19 February, 2026 International Affairs 1. G7 Summit 2026 Source: Mint Context: French President Emmanuel Macron has invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the 52nd G7 Summit 2026, to be held in Évian, France. India is not a member but is often invited as an outreach partner due to its global economic and geopolitical significance. What is the G7 Summit? An annual meeting of leaders of major advanced economies to discuss: About the G7 The Group of Seven (G7) is an informal forum of leading industrial democracies. Members European Union participates as a non-enumerated member. Origin and Evolution National Affairs 1. Beat the Heat Programme Source: Indian Express Context: Maharashtra announced that 30 cities have joined the global Beat the Heat Programme during Mumbai Climate Week 2026. What is the Beat the Heat Programme? Objectives 1. Climate Mitigation 2. Climate Adaptation 2. India–France Special Global Strategic Partnership Source: News on Air Context: French President Emmanuel Macron visited India to attend the India AI Impact Summit and launch the 2026 India–France Year of Innovation. During the visit, India and France elevated ties to a “Special Global Strategic Partnership”, a long-term framework guiding cooperation till 2047. What is the Special Global Strategic Partnership? A major diplomatic upgrade that expands the relationship into a comprehensive global alliance, focusing on: 1. Strategic Autonomy 2. Global Governance 3. Security & Innovation Evolution of India–France Relations Key Agreements Under the New Partnership Innovation & Technology Defence Cooperation Nuclear Energy Indo-Pacific Cooperation Space Collaboration Mobility & Education 3. Sarvam Launches Made-in-India Large Language Models (LLMs) Source: BS Context: Indian artificial intelligence (AI) startup Sarvam launched two indigenous large language models (LLMs) specifically trained on Indian languages What Happened? Key Technical Features Large Language Models (LLMs) Large Language Models (LLMs) are advanced artificial intelligence systems trained to understand, generate, and interact using human language. They are called “large” because they are trained on massive amounts of text data and contain billions (or even trillions) of parameters — the internal settings that help the model learn patterns. Most modern LLMs use Transformer architecture (introduced in 2017). 4. AI-Preneurs of India Source: PIB Context: The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) under NITI Aayog launched AI-Preneurs of India at the India AI Impact Summit 2026. What is AI-Preneurs of India? Objectives 5. Indian Navy Launches Cadet Training Ship INS Krishna Source: TOI Context: What is INS Krishna? Purpose of Cadet Training Ships 6. Government Launches SAHI & BODH Initiatives Source: TH Context: At the India AI Impact Summit 2026, the Union Health Minister launched two major digital health initiatives: Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare These initiatives aim to ensure safe, ethical, transparent and accountable use of AI in healthcare. What is SAHI? A national governance framework and policy roadmap for responsible AI adoption in India’s healthcare sector. It acts as a policy compass guiding ethical and people-centric AI deployment. Objectives Key Features 1. Governance Framework 2. Ethical AI Standards 3. Interoperability 4. Multi-Stakeholder Model 5. Long-Term Policy Roadmap What is BODH? A national benchmarking and validation platform for health AI tools. Developed by: Objectives Key Features 1. Open Data Benchmarking 2. Performance Validation 3. Bias & Risk Assessment 4. Clinical Relevance Testing 5. Standardised Evaluation Norms 7. Bee Corridor (India’s First Pollinator Highway Initiative) Source: ET Context: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has announced the development of India’s first dedicated “Bee Corridors” along National Highways. What are Bee Corridors? Aim Key Features 1. Native Nectar-Rich Plant Species Examples include: Supports biodiversity and local ecosystems. 2. Staggered Blooming Cycle 3. Strategic Spacing Banking/Finance 1. Banks Take Cautious Approach to Acquisition Financing Under RBI Norms Source: BS What Happened? After the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued final guidelines on acquisition financing, banks are preparing to enter the segment gradually and cautiously. What is Acquisition Financing? Key RBI Guardrails (Risk Control Measures) 1. Exposure Limits 2. Corporate Eligibility Conditions Acquiring company must have: 3. Leverage Control 4. Financing Structure Purpose of Safeguards 2. NPCI–Nvidia Partnership for Sovereign AI in Payments Source: ET Context: National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) partnered with Nvidia to strengthen sovereign AI infrastructure for India’s payment ecosystem. Aim: Develop a payments-focused foundational AI model aligned with India’s regulatory and data sovereignty requirements. Key Features of the Partnership 1. Payments-Native AI Foundation 2. Use of Nvidia Nemotron Models 3. Scalable AI Architecture 3. RBI mandates Unique Transaction Identifier (UTI) for OTC derivatives Source: BL Context: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has mandated the use of a Unique Transaction Identifier (UTI) for all Over-the-Counter (OTC) derivative transactions. What is a UTI? Purpose of mandating UTI UTI will now be mandatory for all these transactions. OTC (Over-the-Counter) derivatives OTC (Over-the-Counter) derivatives are financial contracts that are traded directly between two parties, without going through a formal stock exchange. They are privately negotiated contracts. Agriculture 1. Circular Economy in Agriculture: Waste to Wealth Source: PIB Context: India is promoting a circular economy in agriculture by converting agricultural waste into energy, organic inputs, and economic value — aligning environmental sustainability with rural development. What is Circular Economy in Agriculture? A system that treats waste as a resource, not a disposal problem. Core Principles (6Rs) Goal: Keep materials in use, minimise resource extraction, and eliminate waste. Types of Agricultural Waste Value Conversion Technologies Major Government Initiatives 1. GOBARdhan Scheme 2. Crop Residue Management (CRM) 3. Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) 4. Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF) 5. Water Reuse Initiatives (Jal Shakti) Link to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Circular agriculture supports: Helps address 1.05 billion tonnes of global food waste (2022). 2. Bharat VISTAAR: Farmers’ Digital Companion Source: News on Air Context: On 17 February 2026, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched Bharat VISTAAR in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Full name: Bharat – Virtually Integrated System to Access Agricultural ResourcesIt is an AI-driven digital platform for farmers. What is Bharat VISTAAR? A digital companion for farmers that integrates agricultural data, schemes, and advisory services into a
Sarvam Launches Made-in-India Large Language Models (LLMs)
Source: BS Context: Indian artificial intelligence (AI) startup Sarvam launched two indigenous large language models (LLMs) specifically trained on Indian languages What Happened? Key Technical Features Large Language Models (LLMs) Large Language Models (LLMs) are advanced artificial intelligence systems trained to understand, generate, and interact using human language. They are called “large” because they are trained on massive amounts of text data and contain billions (or even trillions) of parameters — the internal settings that help the model learn patterns. Most modern LLMs use Transformer architecture (introduced i
India–France Special Global Strategic Partnership
Source: News on Air Context: French President Emmanuel Macron visited India to attend the India AI Impact Summit and launch the 2026 India–France Year of Innovation. During the visit, India and France elevated ties to a “Special Global Strategic Partnership”, a long-term framework guiding cooperation till 2047. What is the Special Global Strategic Partnership? A major diplomatic upgrade that expands the relationship into a comprehensive global alliance, focusing on: 1. Strategic Autonomy 2. Global Governance 3. Security & Innovation Evolution of India–France Relations Key Agreements Under the New Partnership Innovation & Technology Defence Cooperation Nuclear Energy Indo-Pacific Cooperation Space Collaboration Mobility & Education
Beat the Heat Programme
Source: Indian Express Context: Maharashtra announced that 30 cities have joined the global Beat the Heat Programme during Mumbai Climate Week 2026. What is the Beat the Heat Programme? Objectives 1. Climate Mitigation 2. Climate Adaptation
Banks Take Cautious Approach to Acquisition Financing Under RBI Norms
Source: BS What Happened? After the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued final guidelines on acquisition financing, banks are preparing to enter the segment gradually and cautiously. What is Acquisition Financing? Key RBI Guardrails (Risk Control Measures) 1. Exposure Limits 2. Corporate Eligibility Conditions Acquiring company must have: 3. Leverage Control 4. Financing Structure Purpose of Safeguards
NPCI–Nvidia Partnership for Sovereign AI in Payments
Source: ET Context: National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) partnered with Nvidia to strengthen sovereign AI infrastructure for India’s payment ecosystem. Aim: Develop a payments-focused foundational AI model aligned with India’s regulatory and data sovereignty requirements. Key Features of the Partnership 1. Payments-Native AI Foundation 2. Use of Nvidia Nemotron Models 3. Scalable AI Architecture
RBI mandates Unique Transaction Identifier (UTI) for OTC derivatives
Source: BL Context: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has mandated the use of a Unique Transaction Identifier (UTI) for all Over-the-Counter (OTC) derivative transactions. What is a UTI? Purpose of mandating UTI UTI will now be mandatory for all these transactions. OTC (Over-the-Counter) derivatives OTC (Over-the-Counter) derivatives are financial contracts that are traded directly between two parties, without going through a formal stock exchange. They are privately negotiated contracts.
