News of The Day : 19th February 2026

(with Syllabus Relevance)

(GS-1: Modern History)

• About the Royal Indian Navy Mutiny.
  • Triggered by poor conditions & nationalist sentiments among ratings.
  • Mediation and outcomes.
• Reflected mass discontent against British rule.

(GS-2: Polity & Governance)

• Concerns over under-representation of women, SC/ST/OBC & minorities in higher judiciary.
• Collegium system & transparency debate.
• Article 124 & 217 appointment of judges.
• Judicial diversity linked to access to justice & constitutional morality.

(GS-2: International Relations)

• India and Ireland bilateral meet.
• Strengthening India–Ireland cooperation in 5G/6G, AI & cybersecurity.
• Focus on digital public infrastructure (DPI) & startups.
• Enhances India–EU tech engagement.

• About Circular economy in Agriculture.
• Focus on crop residue management, bio-CNG, composting & biomass energy.
• Aligns with the GOBAR-Dhan scheme & SATAT initiative.
• Reduces stubble burning & methane emissions.
• Promotes sustainable agriculture & income diversification.

• Growth under Drone Rules 2021 & Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme.
• Applications: agriculture, logistics, defence surveillance, disaster management.
• Promotes Atmanirbhar Bharat & startup ecosystem.
• Integration with Digital Sky platform.

(GS-3: Science & Tech)

• About AI responsibility pledges
  • Public campaign promoting ethical & responsible AI usage.
• Supports IndiaAI Mission & global AI governance norms.
• Reflects emphasis on inclusivity, transparency & accountability.

• About VoicERA:
  • AI-driven multilingual voice-based governance interface.
• Enhances accessibility & digital inclusion.
• Supports Digital India & inclusive service delivery.

(GS-3: Science & Tech)

• Debate on generative AI’s impact on human creativity, originality & intellectual property.
• Ethical issues: authorship, plagiarism, bias in AI-generated content.
• AI as augmentation vs replacement of human imagination.

(GS-3: Environment )

• Maharashtra partners with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
• About ‘Beat the Heat’ initiative
  • Addresses urban heat islands & extreme heat risks.
• Focus on cool roofs, early warning systems & climate-resilient urban planning.
• Linked to the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).

(GS-3: Security)

• Growing integration of AI in military systems – surveillance, autonomous weapons, logistics & cyber operations.
• Concerns over Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS) and accountability gaps.
• Raises issues of international humanitarian law (IHL), proportionality & distinction principles.
• UN Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW).
• India’s push for responsible AI & dual-use regulation.