1. PRIME MINISTER MODI ADDRESSES KNESSET DURING HISTORIC ISRAEL VISIT
SUBJECT: INTERNATIONAL
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi became the first Indian Prime Minister to address the Knesset Plenum (the Israeli Parliament) during his strategic visit to Israel in February 2026.
- The visit emphasizes India’s “de-hyphenation” policy, treating relations with Israel and Palestine as separate diplomatic tracks based on national interest.
- A landmark New Delhi Declaration on AI Impact was recently signed by over 80 nations, including Israel and Russia, during the India AI Impact Summit, showcasing India’s role in global tech governance.
- Discussions centered on the $100 billion bilateral trade target and enhancing the India-Israel defense partnership from a “buyer-seller” relationship to one of joint development.
- Both nations reaffirmed their commitment to the Abraham Accords framework and regional stability in West Asia amid ongoing geopolitical shifts.
- Concepts: De-hyphenation Policy – A diplomatic strategy to engage with two rival nations independently; Strategic Autonomy – Maintaining independent foreign policy while navigating global alliances.
2. INDIA LAUNCHES ‘PRAHAR’ NATIONAL ANTI-TERROR POLICY
SUBJECT: POLITY / NATIONAL ISSUES
- The Government of India officially launched PRAHAR, a comprehensive National Anti-Terror Policy designed to tackle evolving threats through a proactive and unified approach.
- The policy integrates the efforts of various anti-terror units across states and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to prevent attacks involving Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Digital (CBRNED) materials.
- Home Minister Amit Shah highlighted that the policy focuses on dismantling the “terror ecosystem” rather than just individual cells, emphasizing a zero-tolerance stance.
- This initiative follows a series of high-level meetings to refine digital surveillance and cyber-security measures against “sponsored terrorism” from across the border.
- Concepts: National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act – The primary legal framework for investigating terror-related offenses; Internal Security Doctrine – The strategic approach to maintaining peace within national borders.
3. INDIA’S Q3 GDP GROWTH PROJECTED AT 8.1% AMID BASE YEAR REVISION
SUBJECT: ECONOMY
- Leading economic reports from SBI Research suggest India’s GDP for the third quarter (October-December 2025) will likely cross 8%, maintaining strong momentum despite global headwinds.
- The government is set to release a new GDP series on February 27, 2026, updating the base year from 2011-12 to 2022-23 to better reflect the modern digital economy.
- The revision aims to incorporate more granular data, including GST records and e-Vahan (vehicle registration) data, potentially solidifying India’s position as the world’s fourth-largest economy.
- While industrial performance is at a six-quarter high of 8.3%, analysts at ICRA caution that a slowdown in services and agriculture might moderate the overall fiscal year growth to around 7.2%.
- Concepts: Base Year Revision – The process of updating the benchmark year for economic calculations to ensure accuracy; Gross Value Added (GVA) – A measure of the value of goods and services produced in an area, industry, or sector of an economy.
4. COMMISSIONING OF INS ANJADIP BOLSTERS NAVAL STEALTH CAPABILITIES
SUBJECT: DEFENCE
- The Indian Navy is set to commission INS Anjadip, the third indigenous Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), at the Eastern Naval Command in Chennai.
- Built by GRSE, Kolkata, the vessel is nicknamed the “Dolphin Hunter” and is specialized for detecting and neutralizing submarines in littoral (coastal) waters.
- The vessel features a high-speed Water-Jet Propulsion system, allowing it to reach 25 knots, and is equipped with the indigenous “Abhay” hull-mounted sonar.
- The Ministry of Defence also released the draft Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2026, which increases the minimum indigenous content (IC) requirement from 50% to 60%.
- Concepts: Aatmanirbhar Bharat in Defence – The initiative to achieve self-reliance in military hardware; Littoral Warfare – Combat operations in and around coastal zones.
5. UNSEASONAL RAINFALL LIKELY ACROSS SOUTH TAMIL NADU DISTRICTS
SUBJECT: NATIONAL / TAMIL NADU
- The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) has forecast unseasonal rainfall for southern Tamil Nadu districts, including Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, and Kanniyakumari, through February 26, 2026.
- A trough extending from the equatorial Indian Ocean across south Tamil Nadu is cited as the primary driver for this unusual wet spell during what is typically a dry month.
- Tamil Nadu has already recorded a surplus rainfall of 33.8 mm since January 1, well above the seasonal average of 21.5 mm.
- Light to moderate rainfall is also expected in parts of Chennai and north Tamil Nadu due to atmospheric instability and warmer sea surface temperatures.
- Concepts: Cyclonic Circulation – A system of winds rotating inwards to an area of low atmospheric pressure; Trough – An elongated region of relatively low atmospheric pressure, often associated with weather fronts.
