UPSC Key: India-Russia relations, US revises fact sheet, and India’s new telescopes

— What is the history of India-Russia bilateral relations?

— What are the areas of cooperation between India and Russia?

— Know the key highlights of 23rd India-Russia summit.

— What are the emerging challenges to India-Russia ties?

— Know about the BRICS.

— What is the stand of India on Russia-Ukraine war?

— How is the pressure from the US impacting the bilateral relationship between India and Russia?

Key Takeaways:

— Responding to a lawmaker in the State Duma (Lower House of Russian Parliament), Lavrov said, “You mentioned that Donald Trump announced India’s agreement to no longer purchase Russian oil. I have not heard such a statement from anyone else, including Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi and other Indian leaders.”

— As India kicks off its BRICS presidency this year with the first Sherpa meeting held in New Delhi recently, Lavrov said that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told the first meeting of Sherpas that energy security will be one of the top items of the summit that Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to attend.

— A new meeting between the leaders of the two countries is expected to take place on the sidelines of the BRICS summit, Lavrov told the Russian Parliament. “Russia is ready to go as far in relations with India as New Delhi would desire”, he said, adding, “the sky is the limit”.

— Speaking during the Government Hour of the State Duma, Lavrov said Putin’s state visit to India in December 2025 had further enriched relations between Moscow and New Delhi.

— On January 1, India formally assumed the chairmanship of BRICS, a 10-member bloc comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, along with five new members. The first meeting of BRICS Sherpas and Sous Sherpas under India’s Chairship was held on February 9-10 in New Delhi. It was Chaired by Secretary (Economic Relations) Sudhakar Dalela, India’s BRICS Sherpa, supported by Joint Secretary (Multilateral Economic Relations) Shambhu L Hakki, India’s BRICS Sous Sherpa.

— BRICS Sherpas and senior officials from Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and UAE participated in the meeting. The BRICS Sherpas and Country Representatives jointly called on the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday. During the meeting, India presented the priorities for its Chairship in 2026 under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”.

Do You Know:

— India-Russia bilateral relations date back seven decades. The bilateral diplomatic relations have gone through several periods since their formal establishment in 1947 but have remained strong and even grown. The recent visit of Prime Minister Modi to Russia demonstrates India’s commitment to its partnership with Russia as it has been a longstanding and reliable partner for India. The India-Russia relations have been a key pillar of India’s foreign policy. 

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Hope US deal won’t mean Delhi-Moscow ties suffer: Russia

📍UPSC Issue at a Glance | India-Russia Relations: 4 Key Questions You Must Know for Prelims and Mains

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(1) Recently, India signed a deal known as ‘Action Plan for Prioritization and Implementation of Cooperation Areas in the Nuclear Field’ with which of the following countries? (UPSC CSE 2019)

(a) Japan

(b) Russia

(c) The United Kingdom

(d) The United States of America

 

FRONT

US revises its India trade deal fact sheet, drops ‘certain pulses’

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies-II, III: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests; Indian Economy, Effects of liberalisation on the economy.

What’s the ongoing story: A day after unilaterally releasing a fact sheet on the interim India-US trade agreement, mentioning “certain pulses” among American agricultural products that will see tariff cuts by New Delhi, the White House has updated the document, removing those two words.

Key Points to Ponder:

— Read about the evolution of India-US relations.

— Know the key highlights of the India-US Interim deal.

— What was the impact of US reciprocal tariffs on India?

— What is the significance of the India-US interim trade deal? 

— What are the concerns associated with the India-US interim trade deal?

Key Takeaways:

— It has also made another key change in a reference to the purchase of $500-billion worth of US products overall, changing “India commits” in this context to “India intends”.

— The original fact sheet had led to protests by Opposition leaders who posted screenshots of the document on social media, alleging that India had conceded the interests of its farmers under pressure from the Trump administration.

— The original fact sheet released early Tuesday (IST), titled ‘The United States and India Announce Historic Trade Deal (Interim Agreement)’, stated: “India will eliminate or reduce tariffs on all US industrial goods and a wide range of US food and agricultural products, including dried distillers’ grains (DDGs), red sorghum, tree nuts, fresh and processed fruit, certain pulses, soybean oil, wine and spirits, and additional products.”

— The reference to “certain pulses” was not part of the joint statement released on February 7 about the interim trade agreement framework.

— The revised fact sheet states: “India will eliminate or reduce tariffs on all US industrial goods and a wide range of US food and agricultural products, including dried distillers’ grains (DDGs), red sorghum, tree nuts, fresh and processed fruit, soybean oil, wine and spirits, and additional products.”

— The original fact sheet had said that India would purchase US energy, information and communication technology, “agricultural”, coal, and other products. The word “agriculture” has been dropped in the revised fact sheet.

From the Explained Page- “Pulses, tax: How US toned down its trade fact sheet”

— The US on Wednesday revised a factsheet it had released on February 9 about the trade deal with India, softening its claims about the gains it had secured from New Delhi and entirely dropping a section on digital services taxes. It also made one change to the India-US joint statement of February 6, replacing the word “committed” with “intends” to reflect the non-binding nature of the provision. 

— Another section in the factsheet included “certain pulses” among the agricultural products India had committed to reducing tariffs on. The joint statement, to be clear, had made no mention of pulses.  The updated factsheet drops the mention of pulses.

— The section on digital services taxes said: “India will remove its digital services taxes and commit to negotiate a robust set of bilateral digital trade rules that address discriminatory or burdensome practices and other barriers to digital trade, including rules that prohibit the imposition of customs duties on electronic transmissions.” This section, which has now been removed altogether, did not feature in the India-US joint statement.

— The sections in the factsheet and joint statement that have been modified had sparked criticism from Opposition parties and farmers in India. 

— The US has removed the term “certain pulses” from among the items India had “committed” to purchasing. While “pulses” were not mentioned in the joint statement, Commerce Ministry sources have said that market access to pulses is indeed part of the deal. The extent is not clear yet.

— As per the latest data, India’s pulses imports in the first nine months of 2025-26 stood at $2.53 billion, down 33% from the same period last year. In all of 2024-25, India’s pulses imports from the entire world rose 46% to $5.48 billion. The US, however, was a minor source of India’s pulses imports at just $90 million.

— India imports about a fifth of its yearly consumption of pulses to meet domestic demand, with key countries from where these importers are secured being Canada, Russia, Brazil, Myanmar, and African nations like Mozambique and Malawi.

— The dropping of ‘pulses’ from the revised fact sheet comes at a time when the Indian government is attempting to push for self-reliance in the segment. For India, market access to agriculture has long been a sensitive point in trade deal negotiations. Farmers have historically pushed for agriculture to be kept out of multilateral and bilateral agreements, citing steep international subsidies in the West.

— While a section of Indian farmers have said the access for dried distillers’ grains (DDGs) could prove helpful, some see it as a backdoor entry of genetically modified (GM) products in the country, as DDGs are derived from GM items. Farmer unions also fear that control over India’s animal feed market could be monopolised by US corporations.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍UPSC Issue at a Glance | India-US Interim Trade Deal: Backdrop, key highlights, gains, and concerns

📍Pratap Bhanu Mehta writes: India-US deal is one-sided. It creates vulnerabilities

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(2) In the context of global oil prices, “Brent crude oil” is frequently referred to in the news. What does this term imply? (UPSC CSE 2011)

1. It is a major classification of crude oil.

2. It is sourced from the North Sea.

3. It does not contain sulfur.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 2 only

(b) 1 and 2 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

‘What introduces friction into the ties between India and the United States is that Washington is still unable to find for India a position in its global strategy, which would satisfy India’s National self-esteem and ambitions’. Explain with suitable examples. (UPSC CSE 2019)

 

PARLIAMENT

All six stanzas of Vande Mataram, running 3 minutes and 10 seconds, must before National Anthem: MHA

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

What’s the ongoing story: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has directed that all six stanzas of Vande Mataram, written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, will be sung first when the National Song and National Anthem are played together.

Key Points to Ponder:

— What is the significance of national symbols for nations culture and integrity?

— What are the legal provisions regarding protection of national symbols?

— What are fundamental duties?

— What are the significance of fundamental duties?

— Know about the history and controversy around the National song

— When was the National song adopted?

— Know about the provisions of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971

— What is the significance of Vande Matram in the independence movement?

Key Takeaways:

— In an order, issued on January 28, the MHA gave the first set of protocols for singing the National Song to the police chiefs and chief secretaries of states and Union Territories, and directed that six stanzas of it, with duration of 3 minutes 10 seconds, must be sung on official functions such as the arrival of the President, unfurling of the tricolour, and speeches of governors.

— The move comes even as the Centre has launched a year-long celebration of Vande Mataram. The first phase was completed in November; the second is scheduled for this month; the third for August 2026; and the fourth for November 2026.

— “Whenever the official version of the National Song is sung or played, the audience shall stand to attention. However, when in the course of a newsreel or documentary the National Song is played as a part of the film, it is not expected of the audience to stand as standing is bound to interrupt the exhibition of the film and would create disorder and confusion rather than add to the dignity of the National Song,” it added.

— In recent years, several petitions have been filed in courts seeking a framework for the rendition of Vande Mataram and clarity on whether penalties can be imposed under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, which was enacted to prevent disrespect for national symbols.

— In 2022, the Centre informed the Supreme Court that while the 1971 law makes it an offence to prevent the singing of the national anthem or cause disturbance to an assembly engaged in such singing, similar penal provisions have not been made for the national song.

— The National Anthem enjoys explicit constitutional and statutory protection, unlike the National Song. 

— Article 51A(a) of the Constitution places a fundamental duty on citizens to respect the national anthem, with its recitation and use governed by detailed executive orders issued by the MHA.

— Vande Mataram emerged as a rallying cry during the Swadeshi movement (1905–08), becoming closely associated with the freedom struggle. 

Do You Know:

— The fundamental duties were incorporated in Part IV-A of the Constitution by The Constitution (42nd Amendment) Act, 1976, during Indira Gandhi’s Emergency. Article 51(A) describes 11 fundamental duties — 10 came with the 42nd Amendment; the 11th was added by the 86th Amendment in 2002, when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was Prime Minister.

— Article 51(A) says it shall be the duty of every citizen of India:(a) to abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the National Anthem;

(b) to cherish and follow the noble ideals which inspired our national struggle for freedom;

(c) to uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India; and more.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍From ‘national song’ to ‘modern anthem’ – the journey of Vande Mataram

📍Knowledge Nugget: MHA issues first protocol on Vande Mataram — What does it say?

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(3) Which among the following events happened earliest? (UPSC CSE 2018)

(a) Swami Dayanand established Arya Samaj.

(b) Dinabandhu Mitra wrote Neeldarpan.

(c) Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay wrote Anandmath.

(d) Satyendranath Tagore became the first Indian to succeed in the Indian Civil Services Examination

 

EXPLAINED

India’s new telescopes are set to be a game-changer for astronomy

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: General Studies-III: Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.

What’s the ongoing story: In this year’s Union Budget, the government sanctioned the establishment of two new telescopes to study the sun and the origins of the universe, besides the upgradation of an existing telescope, in Ladakh.

Key Points to Ponder:

— What is the purpose of the dark sky reserve?

— Why is Ladakh a major centre of astronomy in the country?

— What is the purpose of a ground-based solar observatory?

— What is the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT)?

— What is the Square Kilometre Array?

Key Takeaways:

— Ladakh is already a major centre of astronomy in the country, being home to several big and small telescopes. There, the village of Hanle also has been identified as India’s first and only Dark Sky Reserve, a protected area meant to preserve the natural darkness of the night sky.

— One of the new telescopes meant to study the sun, the National Large Solar Telescope (NLST) is a 2-metre aperture solar telescope, coming up in the Merak region near the Pangong Tso lake. 

— The NLST will operate in the visible and near-infrared wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum. Even though all astronomers study the same light, the electromagnetic spectrum (range of radiation including gamma, X-ray, radio, optical, infra-red, etc.) they are looking at may differ. Also, not all light penetrates the Earth’s atmosphere, so scientists have to carefully design observational facilities based on their sensitivities, either from the ground or in space.

— NLST will help solar physicists to study the fundamental solar dynamics and magnetism, energetic solar events, and map various space-weather processes having a direct bearing on the Earth and national space assets, like satellites and space launches.

— The second telescope is the National Large Optical–Near Infrared Telescope (NLOT), a 13.7-metre aperture segmented-mirror telescope which will be built in Hanle. In a segmented-mirror telescope, a larger primary mirror comprises highly complex, smaller hexagonal mirror segments. 

— In NLOT’s case, the 13.7-metre primary mirror will have 90 smaller segmented mirrors arranged in a fashion that they all collect light but act as one, large mirror.

— In building NLOT, India can count on its experience of its participation in the ongoing construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT), a major international collaborative project involving India, the US, Canada, China, and Japan that aims to significantly advance our understanding of the universe.

— Besides the two new telescopes, the government also approved the upgradation of the 2-metre Himalayan Chandra Telescope (HCT), which was one of the first facilities to come up in Ladakh. Having completed 25 years of operations and provided continuous and critical data on transient astronomy (study of short-lived cosmic events that dramatically change brightness, such as supernovae), HCT is gearing up for its first major upgrade.

— HCT’s operations will complement operations of international facilities like LIGO-India and the Square Kilometre Array.

Do You Know:

— Ladakh and the higher reaches of Uttarakhand possess some of India’s darkest skies (least light polluted), which allow the naked eye to see our own galaxy, the Milky Way, besides a host of planets, double stars, galaxies, nebulae, constellations and meteor showers.

— Taking note of growing interest in the skies, the governments of Ladakh and Uttarakhand have added astronomy tourism to their list of visitor attractions.

—  From promoting astronomy tourism in homestays at popular tourist destinations, pursuing astrophotography as a hobby or profession and handy updates on celestial events via social media to easy access to advanced telescopes and allied softwares — Ladakh and Uttarakhand governments are leaving no stone unturned to make star parties a hit.

— In 2022, Ladakh designated an area of 1,073 sq km as India and Asia’s first dark sky reserve, named the Hanle Dark Sky Reserve (HDSR). Local homestay owners, trained to become ‘astronomy ambassadors’, were encouraged to promote astronomy locally and offer tours to visitors. Besides this, the local community was sensitised about the need to protect the skies and to limit light sources.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍ISRO’s Analog mission HOPE — A must-know for UPSC exam

📍In search of dark skies: The growing allure of stargazing

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(4) Consider the following phenomena: (UPSC CSE 2018)

1. Light is affected by gravity.

2. The Universe is constantly expanding.

3. Matter warps its surrounding space-time.

Which of the above is/are the prediction/predictions of Albert Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity, often discussed in media?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

 

THE EDITORIAL PAGE

US deal raises questions. PM must take a leaf out of Manmohan Singh’s book

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

What’s the ongoing story: Sanjaya Baru writes: Trade diplomacy is a game of chess. The real world of trade negotiations rarely conforms to David Ricardo’s theory of comparative advantage where the French sell their wine to England and the British sell their cloth to France. Trade negotiations are also about asserting national power and security.

Key Points to Ponder:

— ‘Trade policy is national security policy.’ Do you agree?

— Why did India not join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)?

— What are the major outcomes of the India-US interim trade deal?

— What is the significance of trade deals that India has signed in recent times?

Key Takeaways:

— It is, therefore, entirely understandable that President Donald Trump chose to weaponise tariffs in his quest to reassert American power. US allies in Europe and Asia quickly capitulated, but China, Brazil and India had held out. It would seem from the manner in which India has agreed to end the impasse that it has also capitulated.

— In matters pertaining to national security, a government should not only be doing the right thing, but should also be seen to be doing the right thing.

— Returning from his visit to Washington, DC in July 2005 Prime Minister Manmohan Singh chose to address Parliament, offering a detailed account of his discussions with President George Bush.

— For three years, Parliament was allowed to discuss in minute detail all aspects of the nuclear deal. Despite that, opposition political parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party, voted against the deal. Many even in the Congress party were unhappy with the deal. It was Singh’s transparency that earned him the trust of the Indian electorate and secured him a second term in office in 2009.

— It is most unfortunate that the Modi government has fudged the issue on the final agreement with the US, with Trump making claims about a Russian oil conditionality that India has neither rejected nor accepted. It was left to the foreign secretary, Vikram Misri, to make a typically diplomatic statement that can be interpreted in various ways.

— Rather than celebrate the trade deal as a great achievement, the Modi government ought to have stated honestly that this was the best it could do under the circumstances to safeguard livelihoods in export-oriented sectors. 

— India walked out of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) using the language of national interest when, in fact, it was defending livelihoods in sectors that were unwilling to expose themselves to global competition.

— The India-US trade deal may be the best under the circumstances, but it is not a favour done to India. It is a price India has agreed to pay to keep the US on its side. That is how the world will view the deal. 

— What Trump has delivered to India is a reality check. After humiliating Indian political leadership with jokes and jibes and what seemed like veiled threats — “I don’t want to end his (Modi’s) political career” —Trump has deliberately interpreted the trade deal as Indian capitulation by explicitly linking it to ending Indian purchase of Russian oil.

— Today there is no clarity on the longevity of the trade deal. Other countries, too, have been held on a short leash with uncertainty about the near future. Will Indian support to the US on various fronts and various causes be tested on a daily basis?

— There are still far too many questions about the deal and the government has understandably called it a “Framework for an Interim Agreement”. It is best that the Prime Minister comes clean and offers his understanding of where India stands on its external economic policies vis-à-vis the US and BRICS countries rather than fudge issues and pretend to be Chanakyan.

Do You Know:

— C Raja Mohan writes: Tucked away in the India–US joint statement outlining the framework for an interim trade deal is an innocuous paragraph on “economic security”. Although the idea of economic security is not new, it has now acquired a new prominence. It heralds the return of economic statecraft to the very centre of grand strategy.

— Delhi’s recent focus on signing free-trade agreements with Western partners marks an important pivot. After years of looking east for trade partnerships, Delhi has come to terms with a reality staring it in the face – the significant complementarity with the Western economies.

— Indian diplomacy did adopt the language of economic resilience and trusted supply chains in the late 2010s, especially under the rubric of the Quad. India’s trade policy has finally caught up after Delhi withdrew from RCEP talks on Asia-wide free trade in 2019, focused on trade deals with the West and brought some of them to a close in the last few months.

— The volatility of US policies and the inherent dynamism in the geoeconomic relationships between the US, China and Russia demand that Delhi continuously tend its foreign economic policy. India’s ability to secure its position in the unfolding geoeconomic world will depend even more on how deep its economic reform and technological modernisation at home are.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Lessons from Davos: Trump is a bully and appeasement policy doesn’t work with him

📍C Raja Mohan writes: In the new world order, economic policy is also foreign policy 

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

“The USA is facing an existential threat in the form of China, that is much more challenging than the erstwhile Soviet Union.” Explain. (UPSC CSE 2021)

 

THE IDEAS PAGE

In an AI world, Global South must assume leadership

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies-II, III: Government policies and interventions, Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life, Awareness in the fields of IT. 

What’s the ongoing story: S Krishnan writes- “India’s position as a rising power in the sphere of technology and AI is becoming clearer by the day. We are no longer seen only as a hub for IT services or talent. We are now being recognised as a nation capable of building, deploying and governing AI at a scale very few countries can match. This change has been led by a combination of targeted policy interventions, the introduction of large digital public platforms and the cultivation of a workforce that is technically capable.”

Key Points to Ponder:

— Know about Artificial Intelligence and its application.

— What are the various applications of AI?

— What are the ethical issues related to AI?

— What are the initiatives taken by India to integrate AI?

— Read about the IndiaAI Mission.

— What is the Global AI Vibrancy Rankings?

— Why is a global compact on AI the need of the hour?

— What are the important bilateral cooperation signed by India to promote AI?

— What are the Challenges associated with IndiaAI?

Key Takeaways:

— “Our early focus on society-wide technological integration has been key to this transition. Over the past decade, India created a strong foundation through its digital public infrastructure, which includes Aadhaar, UPI, DigiLocker and many others. These systems have generated a level of data standardisation and interoperability that makes it possible to apply AI in meaningful ways across large populations. It has systems that can support AI-led innovation in governance, public services and commercial applications.”

— “A major policy push came with the IndiaAI Mission launched in 2024. The Mission aimed to strengthen the entire AI ecosystem by investing in computing power, building high-quality datasets, research labs, empowering startups, and designing targeted skilling programmes. A national AI compute platform with more than 38,000 GPUs has been set up to support domestic research and model development.”

— “More than 22,000 GPUs have been allocated to a total of 291 end users, including state and central government departments, researchers, students, and MSMEs. This is important because access to compute has become one of the biggest barriers for countries in Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America that want to build advanced AI systems. By alleviating this barrier, the Mission is helping Indian researchers and start-ups compete with global players on more equal terms.”

— “India’s talent and workforce continue to be our strongest advantage. The country ranked second in terms of talent in the recent Global AI Vibrancy Rankings published by Stanford University. It has one of the world’s largest pools of engineers, coders and data scientists. This scale has been crucial because AI adoption requires a broad base of people who can integrate AI tools into healthcare systems, supply chains, government processes and industrial operations. India’s workforce gives the country a long-term structural strength that many advanced economies cannot replicate.”

— “India’s journey stands out because it applies AI to public-sector problems at population scale. It also stands out for the rapid growth of its AI start-up ecosystem. Companies working in HealthTech, AgriTech, FinTech, logistics and education are building solutions designed for Indian conditions, where affordability, scale and linguistic diversity matter.”

— “The way forward is to guide AI development in a responsible manner, where innovation is encouraged while avoiding misuse. Since AI brings both opportunities and risks, global regulatory frameworks must evolve to support innovation while also addressing concerns over misuse, bias, and safety. India aims to achieve trust without restricting progress.”

— “As India strengthens its domestic AI ecosystem, it will have greater influence in global discussions on AI standards, safety norms and ethical frameworks. This influence will matter in a world where technological power is becoming as important as traditional economic or military power.”

— “While India’s journey is still underway, the direction is clear. Research intensity must increase. Domestic hardware capability needs to be developed. Data quality and cybersecurity need continuous strengthening. India is moving from being a consumer of global technologies to a contributor to frontier innovation.”

Do You Know:

— Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to the field of computer science which aims to make computer systems think, reason, learn, and act to solve a complex system like humans.

— AI can be classified into two types: Artificial Narrow Intelligence (ANI) also known as weak AI and Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) also referred to as strong AI. 

— The IndiaAI Mission seeks to create a comprehensive ecosystem that encourages AI innovation by democratising computing access, improving data quality, developing indigenous AI capabilities, attracting top AI talent, facilitating industry collaboration, providing startup risk capital, ensuring socially impactful AI projects, and promoting ethical AI.

—  This mission promotes the responsible and inclusive growth of India’s AI ecosystem through the following seven pillars:

(i) IndiaAI Compute Capacity

(ii) IndiaAI Innovation Centre

(iii) IndiaAI Datasets platform

(iv) IndiaAI Application development initiative

(v) IndiaAI Future skills

(vi) IndiaAI Startup Financing

(vii) Safe and Trusted AI

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍AI basics: What are artificial intelligence and machine learning?

📍UPSC Issue at a Glance | Deepfakes: 5 Key Questions You Must Know for Prelims and Mains

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(5) With the present state of development, Artificial Intelligence can effectively do which of the following? (UPSC CSE 2020)

1. Bring down electricity consumption in industrial units

2. Create meaningful short stories and songs

3. Disease diagnosis

4. Text-to-Speech Conversion

5. Wireless transmission of electrical energy

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1, 2, 3 and 5 only

(b) 1, 3 and 4 only

(c) 2, 4 and 5 only

(d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

Introduce the concept of Artificial Intelligence (AI). How does Al help clinical diagnosis? Do you perceive any threat to privacy of the individual in the use of Al in healthcare? (UPSC CSE 2023)

 

ALSO IN NEWS
From a very quiet life in Hyderabad to a national probe: Inside India’s first ‘ricin bioterrorism’ case	Last month, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) handed over what it describes as a bioterrorism case to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The development came two months after Saiyed and two other men — Azad Suleman Sheikh, 20, and Mohammad Suhail Mohammad Saleem Khan, 23 — were arrested in what is being seen as India’s first bioterrorism plot involving the deadly ricin toxin. Ricin is a protein that can be extracted from the castor bean, grown industrially for castor oil production in countries such as India, Brazil and China, and is fatal to humans even in minor doses. It is listed as a Schedule 1 toxin under the Chemical Weapons Convention — substances that pose the highest risk of being used as chemical weapons. There is currently no antidote for ricin poisoning. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons notes that ricin has never been used as a military weapon, although limited weaponisation was achieved during World War II.
Rafale, Su-30, Tejas to be part of ‘Vayu Shakti’ at Pokhran	The IAF is looking forward to inducting a lot more of the newer-generation aircraft into its inventory, Vice Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor, said on Wednesday. Addressing reporters ahead of Exercise Vayu Shakti — where the IAF will demonstrate its full spectrum of combat and firepower capabilities at the Pokhran range close to the India-Pakistan border in Rajasthan on February 27 — he said the biennial demonstration this time assumes a different connotation as this is taking place after last year’s Operation Sindoor.The exercise will also feature advanced weapon systems such as Short Range Loitering Munitions (SRLM), Akash, SpyDer and Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems (CUAS), carrying out day, dusk and night missions, it added.
Led by Rajasthan, UP and Maharashtra, toll collection set for record high in FY26	Toll collection at the country’s national highways (NHs) — one of the metrics of economic activity — is set to hit a new record during FY26. During the first three quarters of FY26, a user fee of Rs 50,345 crore was collected, which is almost 82% of the total toll collection in FY25, when a user fee of Rs 61,408 crore was charged from vehicles, the government told Parliament on Wednesday. The pace of collection indicates that toll revenues in this financial year are likely to surpass those of previous years. The government has also decided to implement multi-lane free flow (MLFF) tolling through automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) with AI analytics and RFID-based Electronic Toll Collection (FASTag) which will facilitate barrier-less tolling and increase toll collection further. While state-wise toll collection data for the current financial year is yet to be released, an analysis of the past five years shows that the increase in toll revenues has been largely driven by five states: Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.
Scorecards forget civil service isn’t only for disposing files	Shailaja Chandra writes- “The Indian Express reported on February 9 that the Cabinet Secretariat has begun using performance scorecards for Union secretaries. This marks a major change in the evaluation process for senior civil servants at the Centre. The scorecard covers a dozen parameters and relies on quantifiable indicators such as file disposal rates, reduction of pendency, expenditure control, and output delivery. Negative marks penalise lapses, while the cabinet secretary keeps a small discretionary part while awarding marks. What is striking is not what these scorecards measure, but what they omit. At present, about 100 secretaries serve in the Government of India, with some 80 from the IAS. Those from non-IAS backgrounds — the Indian Foreign Service, other central services, engineers, scientists, economists — are, like IAS secretaries, involved in policy formulation and offering strategic guidance to ministers. No less important is a secretary’s ability to anticipate consequences by ensuring proposals are administratively workable, fiscally sustainable, and politically viable. None of the parameters seem to recognise these responsibilities — the hallmark of a permanent civil service in a parliamentary system.

 

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