UPSC current affairs · Thursday

Current Affairs, 12 February 2026

12 issues picked from 102 PIB releases · about 2 minutes each · written by UPSC Grade, each fact checked against its PIB release or by a second model

How to readRead “Why in news” and “What it is” for every issue. Open For Prelims or For Mains for the exam you’re preparing for, then Test yourself at the foot of each card. Half the news questions in Prelims are answered from background, not the news itself.

In 60 seconds

Defence Acquisition Council (AoN approvals). DAC grants AoN for Rs 3.60 lakh crore of Services proposals, including Rafale MRFA and P8I.
Combined Maritime Forces and CTF 154. Indian Navy takes first-ever command of CMF's training-focused Combined Task Force 154 in Bahrain.
Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC). ITEWC at INCOIS meets all tsunami warning benchmarks; mock drills and new HPC Tarang strengthen preparedness.
Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) Phase II. SBM(G) Phase II reports 4.96 lakh ODF Plus (Model) villages; IEC spending capped at 5%.
Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (PoSH) Act, 2013. PIB explains PoSH Act duties and the SHe-Box portal for online workplace harassment complaints.
Gaganyaan Mission. Gaganyaan advances through ground tests; scope widened to eight missions; about ₹6018 crore spent.
Digital Intelligence Platform (DoT). DoT's Digital Intelligence Platform shares fraud data with banks and police; 88 lakh SIMs cut, spoofed calls down 99%.
National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE). DST backs climate centres, excellence centres and research projects across Himalayan states under NMSHE.
National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008. Partly open expressways will charge normal highway toll, not the 25% higher rate, from 15 February 2026.
BharatNet. BharatNet has connected about 2.14 lakh gram panchayats; NBM 2.0 sets 2030 broadband targets.
NALSA SAMVAD Scheme, 2025. NALSA's SAMVAD scheme sets up 690 district units for tribal and nomadic communities' legal access.
NITI Frontier Tech Hub. NITI roadmap targets $750–850B technology services sector by 2035 through AI-led shift.

Defence and security

Defence Acquisition Council (AoN approvals)

GS3 SecurityPrelims and Mains

Why in news: On 12 February 2026, the Defence Acquisition Council chaired by Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh gave Acceptance of Necessity for proposals worth about Rs 3.60 lakh crore for the IAF, Army, Navy and Coast Guard.
What it is: The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) is the Ministry of Defence's top body for approving capital acquisition proposals. It is chaired by the Raksha Mantri. Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) is its first approval, which lets a proposal move on to the later stages of procurement under the Defence Acquisition Procedure.

Body and chair: The DAC, chaired by the Raksha Mantri, gave the AoN approvals on 12 February 2026.
IAF items: AoN covered Multi Role Fighter Aircraft (Rafale), Combat Missiles and the Air-Ship Based High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (AS-HAPS).
Made in India MRFA: Most of the MRFA to be procured will be made in India.
Army items: The Army got AoN for Vibhav anti-tank mines and overhaul of ARV, T-72 and BMP-II vehicle platforms.
Coast Guard item: The ICG got AoN for an Electro-Optical/Infra-Red system for Dornier aircraft.

Don’t confuse with AoN vs contract approval: AoN is the DAC's first clearance of a need. Contract signing and its approval by the competent financial authority (the Cabinet Committee on Security for large deals) come later.

Don’t confuse with DAC vs Defence Procurement Board: The DAC is chaired by the Raksha Mantri and decides on AoN. The Defence Procurement Board, chaired by the Defence Secretary, is a separate body.

Defence: Prelims tests exercises (with whom), equipment (who makes it) and firsts.

Test yourselfMains

Source: PIB, Ministry of Defence, 12 Feb, 16:07 IST · Release 284101

Issue page →

Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.

Defence and security

Combined Maritime Forces and CTF 154

GS3 SecurityGS2 International groupingsPrelims and Mains

Why in news: On 11 Feb 2026, at CMF Headquarters in Manama, Bahrain, the Indian Navy took command of Combined Task Force (CTF) 154 for the first time. Cmde Milind Mokashi took over from the outgoing Italian Navy commander.
What it is: The Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) is a multinational naval partnership headquartered in Manama, Bahrain, and led by the US Navy's NAVCENT. It runs task forces for maritime security, counter-piracy and training. CTF 154 is its training and capacity-building task force.

Role of CTF 154: It trains and builds the capacity of CMF member nations.
Set-up: CTF 154 was established in May 2023.
Training pillars: The five pillars are Maritime Domain Awareness, Law of the Sea, Maritime Interdiction Operations, Maritime Rescue and Assistance, and Leadership Development.
Other task forces: CTF 150 covers maritime security, CTF 151 counter-piracy, CTF 152 the Arabian Gulf, and CTF 153 the Red Sea.
Membership: CMF has 47 member nations.

Don’t confuse with CMF vs. IFC-IOR: CMF is a US-led multinational naval partnership based in Bahrain. The Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region is run by the Indian Navy in Gurugram and shares maritime information.

Defence: Prelims tests exercises (with whom), equipment (who makes it) and firsts.

No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: First Indian command of a CMF task force; a lasting grouping, but UPSC has set only 8 defence Prelims questions, mostly on hardware.

Source: PIB, Ministry of Defence, 12 Feb, 10:39 IST · Release 284059

Issue page →

Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.

Science and technology

Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC)

GS3 Disaster ManagementPrelims and Mains

Why in news: On 12 February 2026, the Minister of State for Earth Sciences told Rajya Sabha that ITEWC has met all UNESCO-IOC performance indicators. It monitored 145 earthquakes of magnitude 6.5 or more in five years.
What it is: ITEWC is India's national tsunami warning centre, housed at INCOIS, Hyderabad, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences. It was set up after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. It detects tsunami-causing earthquakes and issues advisories to disaster managers.

Location and parent body: ITEWC sits at INCOIS, Hyderabad, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, and has been operational since 15 October 2007.
Key performance indicators: UNESCO-IOC KPIs are assessed yearly. They include detection within 10 minutes, monitoring all earthquakes of magnitude 6.5 or more, magnitude difference within 0.3, and location and depth accuracy within 30 km.
Four advisory categories: Warning means move to higher ground, Alert means avoid beaches and low-lying areas, Watch means no immediate action, and No Threat means safe.
Who orders evacuation: INCOIS issues advisories, but evacuation orders come from state and local authorities.
HPC Tarang: INCOIS has commissioned HPC-Tarang, a computing system dedicated to tsunami forecasting and operational ocean services.
Mock drills: Eight drills were held in five years, two of them regional: IOWave23 and IOWave25.

Don’t confuse with INCOIS vs ITEWC: INCOIS is the wider ocean information agency, providing storm-surge, wave and current advisories. ITEWC is its tsunami warning centre.

Don’t confuse with Advisory vs evacuation: The centre issues advisories. States and local bodies order evacuation.

Science and technology: 57 Prelims questions since 2013; most test the concept behind the news, not the news itself. In Mains, 12 news-triggered questions.

No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Lasting body at INCOIS with a 2007 start and UNESCO-IOC links; disaster early warning is asked rarely, and the item has few new facts.

Source: PIB, Ministry of Earth Science, 12 Feb, 12:50 IST · Release 284064

Issue page →

Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.

Scheme

Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) Phase II

GS2 Welfare schemesPrelims and Mains

Why in news: On 12 February 2026, the Jal Shakti Ministry told the Lok Sabha how far SBM(G) Phase II has progressed. It gave State-wise counts of ODF Plus (Model) villages and waste-management coverage as on 10 February 2026.
What it is: Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) Phase II runs from 2020-21 to 2026-27. It moves villages from Open Defecation Free (ODF) status to ODF Plus (Model) status. This needs solid and liquid waste management and visible cleanliness, along with lasting behaviour change.

Duration: Phase II runs from 2020-21 to 2026-27.
Aim: Move villages from ODF to ODF Plus (Model), with solid and liquid waste management and visual cleanliness.
IEC and capacity building cap: Up to 5% of total project funds, of which up to 2% at the Centre and up to 3% at State/district level.
Ministry: The mission is run by the Ministry of Jal Shakti (Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation).

Don’t confuse with ODF vs ODF Plus: ODF means no open defecation. ODF Plus adds solid and liquid waste management and visual cleanliness.

Don’t confuse with SBM(G) vs SBM(Urban): SBM(G) covers rural areas under Jal Shakti. SBM-Urban is run by the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry.

Schemes: 52 Prelims questions since 2013, 10 in Prelims 2026 alone. They test features, the period and who funds it. In Mains, 33 news-triggered questions, mostly GS3.

No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Scheme with ODF Plus focus, 2020-21 to 2026-27; schemes are 16% of Prelims news questions, but this release adds few new facts.

Source: PIB, Ministry of Jal Shakti, 12 Feb, 15:40 IST · Release 284098

Issue page →

Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.

Law and statutory body

Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (PoSH) Act, 2013

GS2 Women-related lawsPrelims and Mains

Why in news: On 12 February 2026, PIB published an explainer on the PoSH (SH) Act, 2013 and the SHe-Box portal, which the Women and Child Development Ministry launched on 29 August 2024 for online complaints.
What it is: The PoSH Act, 2013 is the central law against sexual harassment of women at work. It requires employers to set up complaint committees and sets out a process for inquiry and redressal. It built on the Vishaka guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court in 1997.

Coverage: The Act covers all women, whatever their age, employment status or type of work, in public or private and organised or unorganised sectors.
Internal Committee: Every employer must set up an Internal Committee where the workplace has more than ten employees.
Local Committee: The appropriate government sets up a Local Committee in every district. It hears complaints from small establishments or complaints against the employer.
SHe-Box: The SHe-Box portal is a central platform to file and track workplace sexual harassment complaints under the Act.
Origin: The Act followed the Supreme Court's 1997 Vishaka v. State of Rajasthan judgment, which issued guidelines on workplace harassment.
Launches on 14 Feb 2026: Four items were launched: SHe-Box logo, PoSH Voluntary Compliance Checklist, SHe-Box integration with Mission Shakti App, and Karmayogi Bharat PoSH training link.
Reach of SHe-Box: The Minister said over 1.48 lakh institutions are registered on the portal and more than 60,000 Internal Committees function actively.
Informal sector gap: The Secretary noted women's labour force participation at 42 per cent and over 80 per cent of women in the informal sector, so coverage must widen.
Committee structure: The Act requires an Internal Committee at workplaces with 10 or more employees and a Local Committee in each district for other cases such as the informal sector.
Penalty: A first violation attracts a fine of Rs 50,000. Repeat violations attract double the fine and possible licence cancellation or non-renewal.
Nodal ministry and SHe-Box: The Ministry of Women and Child Development is the nodal ministry. It launched the SHe-Box portal on 29 August 2024 as a single-window complaint platform.

Don’t confuse with Internal Committee vs Local Committee: The Internal Committee is set up by the employer. The Local Committee is set up by the district-level appropriate government for small units or complaints against the employer.

Don’t confuse with PoSH Act vs Mission Shakti: PoSH is a law on workplace harassment. Mission Shakti is a Ministry scheme for women's safety and empowerment, including One Stop Centres and helplines.

Don’t confuse with Vishaka guidelines vs PoSH Act: Vishaka (1997) was judicial guidance. The PoSH Act (2013) is a statute.

Laws, judgments and statutory bodies: 30 Prelims questions since 2013 (what the law says, who chairs, legal basis). In Mains, 44 news-triggered questions, most in GS2, asking for provisions and challenges.

Why it matters

Gives statutory protection to women in both organised and unorganised work, going beyond the court-made Vishaka guidelines.
Makes employers accountable for a safe workplace and for awareness programmes.
A statutory complaint route and a digital portal make redressal more accessible and traceable.
Safe workplaces support women's labour force participation and economic empowerment.
Gives statutory backing to the rights to equality, dignity and practising a profession under Articles 14, 15, 19(1)(g) and 21.
Covers women in all sectors, including domestic workers and the unorganised sector, which supports women's workforce participation.

Problems

Many small and unorganised workplaces have no committee, and awareness of the Act is low.
Fear of retaliation and stigma discourage women from filing complaints.
Over 80 per cent of women work in the informal sector, where committees and awareness are weak.
Many workplaces have not set up committees or registered, so compliance remains uneven.
Many workplaces have not constituted ICs, and Local Committees are not set up in every district, which led to Supreme Court directions.
Underreporting and fear of retaliation, and the lack of national data before SHe-Box, weaken monitoring.

Way forward

Ensure Internal and Local Committees exist and function, with regular monitoring and public data on cases.
Train committee members and spread awareness, using the SHe-Box portal for tracking complaints.
Strengthen Local Committees and awareness at district level, especially for informal workers.
Use SHe-Box registration, training and compliance checklists to monitor and enforce committee formation.
Ensure ICs and LCs are constituted everywhere, with regular training of members and awareness drives.
Use SHe-Box data for monitoring, with nodal officers keeping committee details and annual reports updated.

Put in your answer

SHe-Box portal: A central platform to file and track workplace harassment complaints under the PoSH Act.

Vishaka judgment, 1997: The Supreme Court's guidelines on workplace sexual harassment that preceded the 2013 Act.

Vishaka guidelines, 1997: The Supreme Court laid down guidelines on workplace sexual harassment, which the 2013 Act later codified.

SHe-Box scale: Over 1.5 lakh workplaces onboarded and Local Committees active in every district, according to the Secretary.

Companies Act disclosure: Constitution of the IC is now a mandatory disclosure under the Companies Act, 2013.

No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Lasting law already on file; the explainer restates standing provisions such as Internal Committees and the SHe-Box portal, but there is little new for a question.

Source: PIB Headquarters, 12 Feb, 16:03 IST · Release 284100

Issue page →

Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.

Science and technology

Gaganyaan Mission

GS3 Science and Technology - SpacePrelims and Mains

Why in news: On 12 February 2026, the Minister of State Dr. Jitendra Singh told the Rajya Sabha about Gaganyaan's progress over the past year. He listed parachute, crew module and propulsion tests, the spending so far, and the revised eight-mission plan.
What it is: Gaganyaan is ISRO's human spaceflight programme. It aims to send a crew to low Earth orbit and bring them back safely, using the human-rated LVM3 (HLVM3) launch vehicle. It is also the base for the planned Bharatiya Antariksh Station.

Air drop tests: IADT-01 and IADT-02 tested the deceleration system with a simulated crew module.
Timeline: The first uncrewed mission, carrying the Vyommitra half-humanoid, is targeted for Q4 of 2026.
Funding: The Union Cabinet approved ₹20,193 crore for 8 missions in September 2024.
International cooperation: Russia's Roscosmos supplies subsystems and trained the first Gaganyatris at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre. ESA supports network operations, and Australia's space agency supports crew recovery.
Revised scope: In October 2024 the programme grew from three missions (G1, G2, H1) to eight missions.
Mission sequence: Three uncrewed missions (G1, G2, G3) come first, then two crewed missions (H1, H2). Next are a docking mission to a space station (G4), launch of BAS-01 and a docking mission to BAS-01 (G5).
Cumulative expenditure: About ₹6018 crore had been spent by January 2026.
IADT-01: The first Integrated Air Drop Test validated end-to-end performance of the Crew Module's parachute-based deceleration system.
Service Module propulsion test: A 350-second hot test validated integrated performance for an off-nominal mission profile.
Launch vehicle: Gaganyaan uses the human-rated LVM3 (HLVM3).

Don’t confuse with TV-D1 vs IADT: TV-D1 tests the Crew Escape System in flight. The IADTs test the parachute-based deceleration system of the crew module.

Don’t confuse with Gaganyaan vs Bharatiya Antariksh Station: Gaganyaan is the crewed orbital flight programme. BAS is a planned space station, targeted for 2035.

Don’t confuse with TV-D vs IADT: TV-D missions are Test Vehicle flights that test the crew escape system in flight. IADT is an Integrated Air Drop Test of the parachute descent system.

Don’t confuse with G-series vs H-series: G missions are uncrewed flights. H missions carry a crew.

Science and technology: 57 Prelims questions since 2013; most test the concept behind the news, not the news itself. In Mains, 12 news-triggered questions.

No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Lasting human spaceflight programme with test progress and spending of about Rs 6018 crore; science and tech is 17% of Prelims news questions, but this reply is a progress update.

Source: PIB, Department of Space, 12 Feb, 16:08 IST · Release 284102

Issue page →

Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.

Science and technology

Digital Intelligence Platform (DoT)

GS3 Internal SecurityPrelims and Mains

Why in news: On 12 February 2026, Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply how the DoT's Digital Intelligence Platform has cut telecom fraud, with over 88 lakh connections disconnected.
What it is: The Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP) is a secure online platform built by the Department of Telecommunications. It lets agencies, banks, payment providers and telecom operators share data on mobile numbers misused for cybercrime and financial fraud. DoT analyses the data and sends back lists and risk scores so that stakeholders can act.

Who built it and why: DoT developed DIP for two-way information sharing to stop misuse of telecom resources in cybercrime and financial fraud.
Who is onboarded: More than 1,200 organisations, including central security agencies, police of 36 states and UTs, I4C, banks, UPI providers and TSPs.
Sanchar Saathi link: Citizen reports of suspected fraud on Sanchar Saathi (7.93 lakh) led to 39.53 lakh disconnections.

Don’t confuse with DIP vs Sanchar Saathi: DIP is the DoT's platform for institutions (agencies, banks, TSPs) to share data. Sanchar Saathi is the citizen-facing portal whose fraud reports feed DoT action.

Don’t confuse with ASTR vs FRI: ASTR detects suspicious connections, which are then disconnected after reverification. FRI scores the risk of a number so financial institutions can act on it.

Science and technology: 57 Prelims questions since 2013; most test the concept behind the news, not the news itself. In Mains, 12 news-triggered questions.

No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Lasting DoT platform against telecom fraud; cybersecurity topic, but UPSC rarely asks about individual portals.

Source: PIB, Ministry of Communications, 12 Feb, 16:42 IST · Release 284109

Issue page →

Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.

Scheme

National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE)

GS3 EnvironmentPrelims and Mains

Why in news: On 12 February 2026, the Science and Technology Minister told the Rajya Sabha about the projects and centres the Department of Science and Technology supports under NMSHE.
What it is: NMSHE is one of the eight missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). It aims to assess the health of the Himalayan ecosystem and build knowledge and policy support for sustaining it. The Department of Science and Technology is the nodal agency.

State Climate Change Centres: SCCCs have been set up in all 13 States/UTs of the Indian Himalayan Region. They help states with vulnerability and risk assessment, awareness and capacity building.
Centres of Excellence: Three CoEs exist: University of Kashmir (Srinagar), Sikkim University (Gangtok) and Tezpur University (Tezpur).
Areas of SCCC networking: SCCCs are networked with experts for disaster risk reduction, GLOF risk assessment, Himalayan ecosystem dynamics, hydrology and climate resilience.
Parent framework: NMSHE is one of the eight national missions under the NAPCC, launched in 2008.

Don’t confuse with NMSHE vs NMSKCC: NMSHE (Himalayan ecosystem) and the National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change are separate NAPCC missions; both are run by DST.

Schemes: 52 Prelims questions since 2013, 10 in Prelims 2026 alone. They test features, the period and who funds it. In Mains, 33 news-triggered questions, mostly GS3.

No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Mission under NAPCC with State Climate Change Centres in 13 Himalayan States/UTs; a standing topic, but no fresh debate.

Source: PIB, Ministry of Science & Technology, 12 Feb, 16:56 IST · Release 284112

Issue page →

Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.

Law and statutory body

National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008

GS3 InfrastructurePrelims and Mains

Why in news: On 12 February 2026 the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways notified an amendment to the National Highways Fee Rules, 2008. From 15 February 2026, partly open National Expressways will charge the lower National Highway toll rate on the completed length.
What it is: The National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008 set how user fee (toll) is fixed and collected on national highways, permanent bridges, bypasses and tunnels. They are framed under the National Highways Act, 1956. The rules fix fee by vehicle type and are amended from time to time, including the penalty for entering a lane without valid FASTag.

Penalty for no valid FASTag, paying cash: A vehicle without a valid, functional FASTag pays twice the applicable user fee if it pays in cash.
UPI rate: A user without FASTag who pays by UPI is charged 1.25 times the user fee for the vehicle category.
FASTag penetration: FASTag penetration is over 98 percent. It uses RFID tags fixed on vehicles.
Scale: The change would cover over 1,150 fee plazas on National Highways and Expressways.
Legal basis: The fee rules are made under the National Highways Act, 1956.
Change made: On a National Expressway not open end to end, the completed length will be charged at the lower National Highway rate.
Earlier position: Expressway fee was 25% above the normal National Highway fee, even for a partly completed expressway.
Name of amendment: It is titled the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) (Amendment) Rules, 2026.
Stated aim: To push traffic onto the opened expressway stretches and decongest parallel old highways, speeding up logistics and cutting pollution.
Parent law: The 2008 Rules are made under the National Highways Act, 1956, administered by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways.

Don’t confuse with FASTag vs UPI payment: FASTag is a prepaid RFID tag that debits automatically. UPI is a mobile instant payment system used at the plaza by those without FASTag.

Don’t confuse with NHAI vs Ministry of Road Transport and Highways: NHAI implements the toll plan. The Ministry frames the policy and the fee rules.

Don’t confuse with National Highway vs National Expressway fee: Expressways are access-controlled and normally carry a fee 25% higher than normal National Highways. The cut applies only to the completed length of a partly open expressway.

Don’t confuse with Fee Rules 2008 vs National Highways Act 1956: The Act is the parent law. The Rules are delegated legislation framed under it that set fee rates and collection.

Test yourself

Source: PIB, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, 12 Feb, 17:51 IST · Release 284129

Issue page →

Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.

Scheme

BharatNet

GS3 InfrastructureGS2 GovernancePrelims and Mains

Why in news: On 12 February 2026, Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia told the Rajya Sabha that nearly 2.14 lakh gram panchayats are online under BharatNet. He also set out National Broadband Mission 2.0 targets for 2030 and urged states to adopt the Right of Way rules.
What it is: BharatNet is the Government of India's programme to connect gram panchayats with optical fibre cable and give rural areas broadband. Phases I and II linked most panchayats. The Amended BharatNet Programme now aims to cover the rest and extend service to villages and households.

Technology: Connectivity comes by laying Optical Fibre Cable up to gram panchayats.
Amended programme: The remaining panchayats and villages fall under the amended BharatNet programme, a $16.9 billion initiative.
ROW disposal time: Average ROW application disposal time fell from 455 days to 30.4 days.

Don’t confuse with BharatNet vs National Broadband Mission: BharatNet is the fibre rollout programme to panchayats. NBM is the wider mission with targets for broadband access, speed, and ROW reform.

Schemes: 52 Prelims questions since 2013, 10 in Prelims 2026 alone. They test features, the period and who funds it. In Mains, 33 news-triggered questions, mostly GS3.

No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Rural broadband programme with 2.14 lakh gram panchayats connected and NBM 2.0 targets for 2030; a lasting scheme but a progress reply.

Source: PIB, Ministry of Communications, 12 Feb, 18:11 IST · Release 284138

Issue page →

Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.

Scheme

NALSA SAMVAD Scheme, 2025

GS2 PolityGS2 Welfare schemesPrelims and Mains

Why in news: On 12 February 2026, the Law Minister told the Rajya Sabha that 690 district-level SAMVAD Units have been set up under the NALSA SAMVAD Scheme, 2025, to give legal aid to tribal and denotified communities.
What it is: NALSA SAMVAD is a scheme of the National Legal Services Authority, launched in April 2025. It aims to give Scheduled Tribes, PVTGs and De-Notified/Nomadic Tribes real access to justice through community-based outreach. It works through the existing State, District and Taluk legal services bodies.

Full form and target groups: SAMVAD stands for Strengthening Access to Justice for Marginalized, Vulnerable Adivasis and Denotified/Nomadic Tribes. It covers STs, PVTGs and DNTs.
Who runs it: The scheme was launched by NALSA and is implemented through State and District Legal Services Authorities, with Taluk Legal Services Committees reporting.
Core structure: Dedicated SAMVAD Units at district level, identification of tribal communities in each Taluk, annual action plans, and trained panel lawyers and para-legal volunteers from tribal areas.
Outreach methods: Awareness programmes in habitations, door-to-door outreach, legal literacy in local languages, legal services camps, and coordination with Gram Sabhas.
Monitoring: Taluk, District and State bodies send quarterly reports in standard formats; NALSA reviews them nationally. A revised roadmap sets consolidated biennial reports from State authorities.
Legal basis of NALSA: NALSA is a statutory body constituted under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, to give free legal services, in line with Article 39A.

Don’t confuse with NALSA vs SAMVAD Units: NALSA is the national statutory body. SAMVAD Units are district-level units under the scheme, run through State and District Legal Services Authorities.

Don’t confuse with PVTGs vs DNTs: PVTGs are a category within Scheduled Tribes. DNTs are communities once notified under colonial criminal tribes laws and are not necessarily STs.

Schemes: 52 Prelims questions since 2013, 10 in Prelims 2026 alone. They test features, the period and who funds it. In Mains, 33 news-triggered questions, mostly GS3.

No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Legal access scheme for STs, PVTGs and DNTs launched in April 2025 with district SAMVAD Units; fits the scheme and justice themes, though it is a new niche scheme.

Source: PIB, Ministry of Law & Justice, 12 Feb, 19:22 IST · Release 284151

Issue page →

Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.

Report or index

NITI Frontier Tech Hub: Technology Services Reimagination Ahead

GS3 EconomyPrelims and Mains

Why in news: On 12 February 2026, NITI Aayog's Frontier Tech Hub released a ten-year roadmap, 'Technology Services – Reimagination Ahead'. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal unveiled it.
What it is: 'Technology Services – Reimagination Ahead' is a ten-year roadmap from NITI Aayog's Frontier Tech Hub. It sets out how India's technology services sector can shift from labour-arbitrage work to IP-led, outcome-oriented and platform-driven models in the AI era. It is linked to the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.

Publisher: The roadmap comes from NITI Aayog's Frontier Tech Hub, which acts as an action tank for Viksit Bharat.
Size and target: The sector is about $265B now. The roadmap says it can reach $750–850B by 2035.
Five growth levers: Agentic AI, Software & Products, Digital Infrastructure, Innovation-led Engineering, and India-for-India solutions.
Core shift: AI moves value away from labour-arbitrage services to IP-led, outcome-oriented and platform-driven delivery.
Hub's scope: The Hub works with over 100 experts and is shaping a 10-year roadmap across 20+ sectors.

Don’t confuse with NITI Frontier Tech Hub vs NITI Aayog: The Hub is a unit within NITI Aayog focused on emerging technologies. NITI Aayog is the wider government policy think tank.

Reports and indices: 14 Prelims questions since 2013; they test who publishes a report and what it measures.

No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: NITI roadmap sees the tech services sector growing from about $265B to $750-850B by 2035; reports are 4% of Prelims news questions, mostly on the publisher.

Source: PIB, NITI Aayog, 12 Feb, 21:24 IST · Release 284160

Issue page →

Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.

Quick facts

ICMR-NIRT study: six-month all-oral BPaL and BPaLM regimens for MDR/RR-TB are cost-effective versus longer regimens under NTEP.
First Emergency Landing Facility in the North East on the Moran bypass, Dibrugarh, Assam, to be inaugurated on 14 Feb 2026.
MoD signed a Rs 2,312 crore contract with HAL for eight Dornier 228 aircraft for the Indian Coast Guard under Buy (Indian).
ILO data: India's social security coverage rose from 19% in 2015 to 64.3% in 2025.

Source: PIB, 12 Feb

What we left out: 86 of 102 releases

Speeches without a decision (4)
Ceremonies and campaigns (4)
Same issue as another release (41)
Conclaves and workshops (6)
Routine data replies (23)
Days and observances (1)
Routine MoUs and agreements (2)
Routine project sanctions (3)
Events and schedules (1)
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Practise the day’s news

In UPSC’s formats, inside each issue. The answer and why come after you choose.

1Defence Acquisition Council (AoN approvals)MCQ · 5 true or false
2National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008MCQ · 4 true or false

Mains question of the day

15 marks · 250 words

The Defence Acquisition Council recently gave Acceptance of Necessity for proposals worth about Rs 3.60 lakh crore for the Air Force, Army, Navy and Coast Guard. Examine the role of the Defence Acquisition Council and the Defence Acquisition Procedure in capital procurement, and discuss the challenges in achieving self-reliance in defence.

From: Defence Acquisition Council (AoN approvals)

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The day before

Wednesday, 11 February 2026Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan (PM-JUGA / DAJGUA) · Bharatiya Antariksh Station · PM-JANMAN and Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan and 9 more

The day after

Friday, 13 February 2026Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 (VB-G RAM G) · PLI Scheme · Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2026 and 9 more

All days

Practice · 2 Mains question