News of The Day : 12th February 2026

News of The Day – 12th Feb 2026

The Hindu, Indian Express, Live Mint, Business Standard, Economic Times, PIB and AIR, etc

(with Syllabus Relevance)

(GS-1: History)

• About Vande Mataram
  • Composed by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay (Anandamath, 1882).
• Difference between National Song & National Anthem
• Art. 51A(a) – respect to national symbols.
• SC judgments on compulsory singing (Bijoe Emmanuel case, 1986).

(GS-1:Art & Culture)

• Tamil-Brahmi script dates to the early historic period (circa 3rd century BCE).
• Evidence of Indo-Roman trade via Red Sea routes.
• Links to ports like Muziris, Arikamedu.
• Reflects maritime trade, spice route & cultural exchanges.

(GS-2: Polity & Governance )

• About the 16th Finance Commission.
  • constituted to recommend tax devolution & grants for 2026–31.
  • Constitutional Provision (Art. 280)
• Debate on vertical devolution share between Centre–States.
• Horizontal distribution criteria: population (2011), income distance, area, forest cover, demographic performance.
• Implications for cooperative vs competitive federalism & fiscal autonomy.

• About Ayushman Sahakar Scheme
• Launched by NCDC (National Cooperative Development Corporation).
• Provides term loans to cooperatives to set up hospitals, medical colleges & health infrastructure.
• Promotes cooperative model in healthcare delivery.
• Supports Ayushman Bharat goals & rural health access.
• Encourages women & farmer-led cooperatives in the health sector.

(GS 2: Polity and Governance)

• About Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2025
• Criteria for Evaluation
• India’s Position: Factors responsible.

(GS-2: Polity and Governance)

• Proposed framework for publications by retired armed forces personnel.
• Balances freedom of speech (Art. 19(1)(a)) with national security concerns.
• Issues of classified information & Official Secrets Act, 1923. 
• Raises debate on civil-military relations & transparency.

(GS-3: Defence & Security)

• About Exercise Vayushakti 2026
• Indian Air Force’s major firepower demonstration exercise.
• Demonstrates network-centric warfare capability & jointness.
• Enhances deterrence & operational preparedness.

(GS-3: Science & Tech)

• KFD (Monkey Fever) – viral haemorrhagic disease caused by flavivirus.
• Transmitted by tick bites; endemic to Western Ghats (Karnataka, Kerala, Goa, Maharashtra).
• Seasonal outbreaks; high-risk forest-dependent communities.
• Improved vaccines aim for better efficacy & longer immunity.
• Important for zoonotic disease preparedness & One Health approach.

(GS-3: Science & Tech)

• Chandrayaan-4 aims at a lunar sample return mission.
• Built on Chandrayaan-3’s soft landing success.
• Focus on lunar south pole exploration.
• Strengthens India’s deep-space exploration & planetary science capabilities.
• Boosts international collaboration in lunar research.