Current Affairs, 26 February 2026

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The leaders agreed to raise the Strategic Partnership to a Special Strategic Partnership for Peace, Innovation and Prosperity.

Joint research funding

Each side's contribution to the India-Israel Joint Research Calls will rise from USD 1 million to USD 1.5 million.

I4F

The Industrial R&D and Innovation Fund is run jointly by India's DST and the Israel Innovation Authority.

FTA talks

Terms of Reference for Free Trade Area negotiations were signed and the first round held in New Delhi.

UPI linkage

NPCI International and Israel's MASAV signed an MoU to examine linking UPI with Israel's payment system.

Workers

Up to 50,000 more Indian workers may go to Israel over five years.

Don’t confuse with I2U2 vs Quad: I2U2 links India, Israel, UAE and the US. The Quad links India, Australia, Japan and the US.

Don’t confuse with MASHAV vs MASAV: MASHAV is Israel's agency for international development cooperation, working on agriculture. MASAV is Israel's payment system operator, linked with NPCI International.

International bodies and relations: the largest group of news questions in Prelims (61 since 2013), often about background, members and location. In Mains, 27 news-triggered questions, mostly on India's interests.

1. 2018Mains GS2 · Q9Discuss whether India-Israel relations have acquired irreversible depth and diversity.
2. 2022Mains GS2 · Q19How I2U2 grouping of India, Israel, UAE, USA transforms India's global position.
3. 2004Prelims Q81Which statements about India-Israel diplomatic relations and Sharon's visit are correct?
4. 2023Prelims Q94Israel's relations with Arab States and the Arab Peace Initiative assertion-reason.

UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.

Corridors and status

Projects across 11 corridors are under implementation. Four are completed and four are nearing completion.

NICDC

The corporation was incorporated in January 2008 and was earlier called DMICDC. It develops, coordinates and implements NICDP.

Dholera SIR

Dholera is India's first semiconductor city and the largest DMIC node, at 920 sq km. It is run by an SPV of the Centre and Gujarat.

12 new projects

Twelve projects were approved in August 2024 at a total cost of ₹28,602 crore, following the Budget 2024-25 announcement.

Don’t confuse with NICDC vs NICDIT: NICDC is the company that plans and implements the programme. NICDIT is the trust, formerly the DMIC PITF, that funds and supports infrastructure creation.

Don’t confuse with Industrial corridor vs SEZ: A corridor is a linear development zone along transport arteries. An SEZ is a duty-free enclave with tax incentives; SEZs can sit within corridors.

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.

1. 2018Mains GS1 · Q16Significance of industrial corridors in India and their main characteristics.
2. 2022Mains GS2 · Q6Gati-Shakti needs government and private sector coordination for connectivity goals.
3. 2015Mains GS3 · Q10Issues hindering SEZs as industrial development tools: taxation, laws, administration.
4. 2023Prelims Q10Which India connectivity projects and corridor statements are correct.
5. 2025Prelims Q62INSTC multimodal corridor's connection route from India.

UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.

Body involved

NIF is an autonomous institution under the Department of Science and Technology.

Licensee and rights

Ginni Agro Products Limited gets rights for seed production, multiplication, processing, marketing and sale as TL (Truthfully Labelled) seed in designated states.

Varieties transferred

Three wheat (Kudrat 8, Kudrat 9, Annapurna) and two pigeon pea (Kudrat 3, Lalita) varieties.

Legal basis of farmers' rights

The PPVFR Act, 2001 recognises farmers as breeders and cultivators and lets them register varieties. It was enacted in line with TRIPS Article 27.3(b), which asks for protection of plant varieties.

Don’t confuse with PPVFR Authority vs NIF: The PPVFR Authority is the statutory regulator that registers plant varieties under the 2001 Act. NIF is an autonomous DST body that supports grassroots innovators and has no registration powers.

Don’t confuse with TL seed vs certified seed: Truthfully Labelled seed is self-certified by the producer on quality. Certified seed goes through a formal state seed certification agency.

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.

1. 2024Mains GS3 · Q5Explain reasons for low commercialisation of Indian patents on life materials.
2. 2019Mains GS3 · Q15How does government protect traditional medicine knowledge from pharmaceutical patenting?
3. 2015Mains GS3 · Q14Discuss pros and cons of open-sourcing the TKDL medicinal formulations database.
4. 2015Prelims Q10Which statements about NIF being a DST autonomous body are correct?

UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.

First SIM

Tripura's mission, launched in Agartala, is described as India's first State Innovation Mission.

AIM extension

The Union Cabinet decided to extend AIM and to promote State Innovation Missions across States and UTs. The Minister called this cooperative and competitive federalism.

Atal Tinkering Labs

About 10,000 ATLs have been set up so far. A decision has been taken to add 50,000 more.

Funds for deep-tech

The Minister cited a Rs 10,000 crore Fund of Funds for deep-tech startups and a Rs 1 lakh crore Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund.

Host body

AIM was launched in 2016 and sits within NITI Aayog.

Don’t confuse with AIM vs SIM: AIM is the national mission under NITI Aayog. SIMs are state-level missions that work alongside it.

Don’t confuse with Atal Tinkering Labs vs Atal Incubation Centres: ATLs are in schools to build problem-solving skills among students. Atal Incubation Centres support startups.

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.

1. 2015Mains GS3 · Q12Areas where robots can manage labour, and initiatives to propel research and innovation.
2. 2026Mains GS3 · Q12How startups promote innovation and employment, with challenges and measures to overcome them.
3. 2016Mains ESSAY · Q4Essay: whether innovation is the key determinant of economic growth and welfare.
4. 2019Prelims Q19Under which body is the Atal Innovation Mission set up?

UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.

Who made it

CERT-In, under MeitY, developed the framework together with SIA-India.

Legal status

The guidelines are advisory, not binding.

CERT-In's legal basis

CERT-In is the national agency for incident response under Section 70B of the IT Act, 2000.

Stakeholders covered

Government agencies, satellite service providers, ground station operators, equipment vendors and private space enterprises.

About SIA-India

SIA-India is a non-profit body representing India's space industry, with satellite operators, manufacturers, startups, academic institutions and law firms as members.

Adaptive model

The guidelines will be refined periodically through structured industry consultation.

Don’t confuse with CERT-In vs NCIIPC: CERT-In is the national agency for incident response under Section 70B of the IT Act. NCIIPC protects critical information infrastructure and is a separate body.

Don’t confuse with SIA-India vs IN-SPACe: SIA-India is a non-profit industry association. IN-SPACe is the government's space sector promotion and authorisation body.

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.

1. 2017Mains GS3 · Q9Discuss threats of cyber attack and the security framework to prevent it.
2. 2022Mains GS3 · Q19Elements of cyber security and whether India has a comprehensive National Cyber Security Strategy.
3. 2021Mains GS3 · Q10Impact of cross-border cyber attacks on internal security and defensive measures.
4. 2017Prelims Q85Which entities are legally mandated to report cyber security incidents in India?

UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.

Reservation for ex-servicemen

Railways provides 10% horizontal reservation in Level-2/above posts and 20% in Level-1 posts for ex-servicemen.

Reservation for ex-Agniveers

Railways has earmarked 5% of Level-2/above posts and 10% of Level-1 posts for ex-Agniveers.

Who recruits

Level-1 recruitment is through Railway Recruitment Centres (RRCs) and Level-2/above through Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs), by competitive exams.

Contract Pointsmen

Ex-servicemen will be hired as Pointsmen on contract until regular recruitment is completed; over 5,000 Level-1 posts are being processed.

Legal basis of the rules

The 1979 re-employment rules are framed under the proviso to Article 309 of the Constitution.

Legal basis

The amendment is notified under Article 309 of the Constitution, which covers recruitment and service conditions of persons serving the Union.

Key change

Rule 2(c)(i) now explicitly lists the Military Nursing Service of the Indian Union alongside the Regular Army, Navy and Air Force.

Coverage of rank

The definition covers service in any rank, combatant or non-combatant.

Reservation

Benefits for MNS personnel include 10% reservation in Group C and 20% in Group D central posts.

Reason

The change ends doubt over whether MNS officers, who are commissioned, got the same benefits as other veterans.

Don’t confuse with Horizontal vs vertical reservation: Vertical reservation applies to groups like SC/ST/OBC; horizontal reservation, as for ex-servicemen, cuts across those categories.

Don’t confuse with Ex-servicemen vs ex-Agniveers: Ex-servicemen are retired regular personnel under the 1979 rules; ex-Agniveers are those who complete the short Agnipath tenure and have separate, smaller quotas.

Don’t confuse with Article 309 vs Article 53/73: Article 309 empowers rules on recruitment and service conditions of Union services. Articles 53 and 73 deal with the extent of Union executive power.

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.

1. 2019Mains GS2 · Q2How CAT, handling central government employees' grievances, functions as independent judicial authority
2. 2018Mains GS2 · Q2Can NCSC enforce constitutional reservation for SCs in religious minority institutions?
3. 2023Prelims Q40Whether Article 16(4) reservation is limited by Article 335 efficiency of administration
4. 2002Prelims Q140What the 93rd Amendment Bill dealt with, including backward class government employment reservation
5. 2026Prelims Q54Whether 'law' in Article 13 includes rules, regulations, ordinances, and customs having force of law

UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.

Second round

The second round of negotiations was held from 20 to 23 July 2026 at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi.

Terms of Reference

The ToR signed in November 2025 gives the structured framework for the talks.

Trade size

Total merchandise trade between the two was USD 3.93 billion in FY 2025-26.

Chapters discussed

Experts covered goods, services, rules of origin, SPS measures, technical barriers to trade, IPR, customs procedures and trade facilitation, and economic cooperation.

Chief negotiators

India's chief negotiator is Ajay Bhadoo, Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce.

Round one dates and place

The first negotiating round was held in New Delhi from 23 to 26 February 2026.

Areas discussed

Talks covered goods, services, rules of origin, SPS measures, technical barriers to trade, customs procedures, IPR and digital trade.

Next steps

The sides will continue inter-sessional talks virtually. The next in-person round is in Israel in May 2026.

Don’t confuse with FTA vs CEPA: An FTA mainly covers tariff cuts on goods and often services. A CEPA is wider and adds investment and economic cooperation.

Don’t confuse with Rules of origin vs SPS: Rules of origin decide which goods qualify for tariff benefits. SPS measures deal with food safety and plant and animal health.

Don’t confuse with FTA vs Terms of Reference: The ToR is only the framework and scope for talks. The FTA is the final binding trade agreement that follows negotiation.

Don’t confuse with Rules of origin vs SPS measures: Rules of origin decide whether a product qualifies for tariff concessions. SPS measures are food safety and plant and animal health rules.

International bodies and relations: the largest group of news questions in Prelims (61 since 2013), often about background, members and location. In Mains, 27 news-triggered questions, mostly on India's interests.

1. 2014Mains GS2 · Q17Impact on India's interests of agreements lowering IT product tariffs to zero.
2. 2018Mains GS2 · Q9Discuss how India's relations with Israel have gained depth and diversity.
3. 2025Mains GS3 · Q2Challenges to Indian economy amid shift from free trade to bilateralism and protectionism.
4. 2013Mains GS2 · Q20Policy constraints inhibiting India-Japan economic ties despite recent growth.
5. 2010Prelims Q15Context of 'Special Safeguard Mechanisms' phrase: UNEP, WTO, ASEAN-India FTA, or G-20?
6. 2017Prelims Q82Which bilateral trade and investment agreement negotiations was India involved in? Options given.

UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.

Objective

NGHM aims to make India a global hub for production, usage and export of green hydrogen and its derivatives.

SIGHT

SIGHT stands for Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition. Mode 2B covers refinery green hydrogen production.

Implementation model

Projects run on Build Own Operate basis through private developers, who make project-specific investments.

Nodal ministry

The Mission is run by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.

Outlay

The Mission was launched in 2023 with an outlay of ₹19,744 crore.

Targets

The Mission targets 5 MMT of green hydrogen capacity, backed by 125 GW of dedicated renewable energy capacity.

Certification portal

The GHCI portal, developed by MNRE, supports certification and compliance under the Green Hydrogen Certification Scheme of India.

Electrolyser manufacturing

Incentives have gone to 15 companies for 3,000 MW per annum of indigenous electrolyser capacity.

State policies

Six states have notified dedicated green hydrogen policies, seven have integrated hydrogen into existing policies, and four more are finalising theirs.

Mission outlay

The Mission has an outlay of ₹19,744 crore.

2030 target

The Mission targets at least 5 million metric tonnes of green hydrogen a year by 2030.

Who ran the bidding

SECI ran competitive bidding for supply of green ammonia to fertiliser units.

Allocation

About 7,24,000 tonnes per annum was allocated to developers, linked to 13 fertiliser units.

Prices

The lowest discovered price is about ₹49.75 per kg, in a range of ₹49.75 to 64.74 per kg.

Forex savings

Savings of about $2.5 billion over 10 years are expected by replacing imported grey ammonia in non-urea fertiliser units.

Notifying body

MNRE notified the standards on 27 February 2026 under the National Green Hydrogen Mission.

Renewable energy definition

Renewable energy includes stored or grid-banked renewable electricity.

Verification

Measurement, monitoring, verification and certification methods will be issued separately by MNRE.

Project cost

The jetty is approved at an estimated ₹797.17 crore.

Capacity

The facility will handle 4.0 million tonnes per annum.

Port support

The Port Authority gives capital support of 20% of the cost, ₹159.43 crore, during construction.

Timeline

The project is expected to be completed within 24 months.

Other cargo

The jetty will also handle other liquid cargo to ensure use during the early phase of the green hydrogen sector.

Don’t confuse with Green vs grey hydrogen: Green hydrogen is made by electrolysis of water using renewable power. Grey hydrogen is made from natural gas or other fossil fuels and emits CO2.

Don’t confuse with BOO vs BOT: In BOO the developer keeps ownership of the asset. In BOT, it is transferred to the authority after a fixed period.

Don’t confuse with SIGHT vs the Mission: SIGHT is the incentive programme within the Mission, not the Mission itself.

Don’t confuse with Green vs grey ammonia: Green ammonia is made from hydrogen produced by electrolysis using renewable power. Grey ammonia is made from fossil fuels, and India imports it for fertilisers.

Don’t confuse with Biogenic vs non-biogenic emissions: The thresholds count only non-biogenic greenhouse gas emissions, not those from biological sources.

Don’t confuse with Green hydrogen vs green ammonia: Ammonia is a derivative made from green hydrogen. It is easier to store and ship.

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.

1. 2025Mains GS3 · Q6Achieving energy independence via clean technology by 2047; biotechnology's role.
2. 2016Mains GS3 · Q11Status and targets of renewable energy; importance of National LED Programme
3. 2022Mains GS3 · Q12Will India meet 50% renewable energy by 2030? Subsidy shift.
4. 2026Prelims Q45Correct statements on green hydrogen and NGHM's emission target.
5. 2024Prelims Q37Exhaust emission from hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric vehicles.
6. 2023Prelims Q60Which statements on green hydrogen's uses as fuel are correct?

UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.

Implementing ministry

The scheme is run by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, with NSKFDC among the agencies involved.

Stipend and certificate

Workers with at least 70 per cent attendance get a certificate and a Rs 1,000 stipend after assessment.

West Bengal profiling

West Bengal has profiled 7,630 sewer and septic tank workers and distributed PPE kits to identified workers.

Technical partner

CSIR-CMERI is proposed as a one-stop centre for training, testing and verification of safety equipment for sanitation workers.

Core aim

Workers should not have to enter sewers or septic tanks manually.

Launch year

The scheme began in FY 2023–24.

Sewer worker coverage

90,942 sewer and septic tank workers were profiled and 89,248 validated.

Waste pickers added

Waste pickers became a target group from June 2024, in urban and rural areas.

New PSSO component

A 25% upfront capital subsidy now goes to private sanitation service organisations and private contractors for mechanised equipment.

ERSUs

Safety devices have been sent to Emergency Response Sanitation Units set up in larger municipal corporations and districts.

Nodal ministry

The scheme sits with the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, which was represented by its Minister of State at the event.

Workers verified

Across the country, 89,248 sewer and septic tank workers have been verified so far.

Waste pickers

The scheme also profiles waste pickers: 1,87,120 have been profiled across the country.

Health cover

Workers are linked to Ayushman Bharat health insurance. Ayushman cards were given at the event.

Livelihood support

Workers who completed skill training received sewing machines to support alternative livelihoods.

Implementing partner

NSKFDC, the National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation, is a partner agency; its Managing Director attended.

Don’t confuse with NAMASTE vs SRMS: SRMS (Self-Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers) was the earlier rehabilitation scheme. NAMASTE focuses on sewer and septic tank workers, safety and mechanisation.

Don’t confuse with NAMASTE vs Manual Scavengers Act, 2013: The 2013 Act is a law that prohibits manual scavenging and hazardous cleaning. NAMASTE is a scheme that helps put its aims into practice.

Don’t confuse with Swachh Bharat Mission: SBM deals with sanitation infrastructure and cleanliness. NAMASTE targets the safety and livelihoods of sanitation workers.

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.

1. 2017Mains GS2 · Q6Examine synchronising WASH beneficiary segments with anticipated outcomes for effective policy implementation.
2. 2026Mains GS3 · Q17Challenges to solid waste management, and the policy framework with Delhi and Indore cases.
3. 2019Mains GS2 · Q18Discuss why welfare schemes for vulnerable sections are ineffective without awareness and involvement.
4. 2016Prelims Q16Rashtriya Garima Abhiyaan aims to eradicate manual scavenging and rehabilitate manual scavengers?
5. 2017Prelims Q97Which rights under Right against Exploitation cover forced labour and human trafficking prohibition?

UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.