Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman launched the second phase of asset monetisation pipeline of Central ministries and public sector entities - ‘National Monetisation Pipeline 2.0 (NMP 2.0)’.
The second phase of the pipeline has been developed by NITI Aayog, in consultation with infrastructure line ministries, based on the mandate for ‘Asset Monetisation Plan 2025-30’ as announced in the Union Budget 2025-26.
The NMP 2.0 estimates aggregate monetisation potential of ₹16.72 lakh crore, including private sector investment of ₹5.8 lakh crore under asset monetisation pipeline of Central ministries and public sector entities, over the five-year period from FY 2026 to FY 2030.
The Union Minister of Finance observed that the NMP 1.0 was the first of its kind of pipeline at a large scale, and best practices learnt by the authorities concerned should be leveraged in NMP 2.0.
Smt. Sitharaman underscored that the learnings and experiences of NMP 1.0 will serve as a guide to ensure that resources and opportunities are optimised to achieve results in a time-bound manner. The Union Finance Minister exhorted all the departments to focus on process simplification and standardisation so that monetisation becomes a seamless experience.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that a statue of British architect Edwin Lutyens at Rashtrapati Bhavan will be replaced with that of C Rajagopalachari, the first Indian governor-general of independent India.
The announcement was made by PM Modi during his monthly radio address, ‘Mann ki Baat.’
Edwin Lutyens was a British architect and town planner who, in collaboration with Sir Herbert Baker, designed several monumental buildings in New Delhi, including Rashtrapati Bhavan, North Block, South Block, and India Gate.
Highlighting Rajagopalachari's achievements, PM said that he was among those who “saw power not as a position but as a service,” adding that his self-restraint and independent thinking are an ispiration of Indians.
He announced celebrations of 'Rajaji Utsav' on February 23, during which the statue of C Rajagopalachari will be unveiled in the central courtyard of Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Along with this, an exhibition on Rajagopalachari will take place during the Rajaji Utsav, running from February 24 to March 1.
PhonePe has announced the launch of an AI-powered natural language search feature built using Microsoft Foundry.
This feature enables PhonePe users to initiate and complete in-app tasks via natural language text or voice commands, enhancing convenience and bringing personalization to the platform’s overall experience.
The feature uses capabilities enabled by Microsoft Foundry to replace traditional navigation with intent-based routing, directly guiding users to their intended destination.
Beyond simple transactions, this feature captures insights and can interpret whether a user is trying to make a payment, complete a purchase, or reach support for help.
All of this is achieved via a hybrid model that combines local on-device and cloud inferencing, while keeping all processing secure and ensuring privacy with no personal or transactional data leaving the PhonePe environment.
Rahul Chari- Founder, Whole-time Director & CTO, PhonePe.
The next Artificial Intelligence (AI) Impact Summit in 2027 will be held in Geneva, announced Switzerland’s President Guy Parmelin, making a pitch for smaller countries to “come together” to ensure good governance of AI development, so it is not held in the hands of a few “big powers”.
Switzerland is looking forward to hosting the 2027 AI Summit in Geneva — and to working with the subsequent incoming host of the 2028 AI Summit, the United Arab Emirates, as partner for the Geneva Summit,” Mr. Parmelin told journalists at Switzerland’s “Country Pavilion” at the Bharat Mandapam complex after the plenary session.
Mr. Modi welcomed plans to hold the Fifth Summit in Switzerland. Since the first summit in the U.K. in 2023, AI Impact Summits have been hosted by South Korea, France, and India.
Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan on February 21, 2026 released the updated versions of the Constitution of India in Tamil and Gujarati languages, along with the 8th Edition of the Legal Glossary (English-Hindi) at Uprashtrapati Bhavan (Vice President’s Enclave) in New Delhi on the occasion of International Mother Language Day.
Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, the Hon’ble Minister of State (Independent charge) for Law and Justice commended the Department’s work and highlighted the background of International Mother Language Day, recalling the then East Pakistan’s struggle in 1952 to protect Bengali language against the imposition of Urdu.
He referred to the UNESCO Resolution, the UN General Assembly Resolution, and the declaration of 2008 as the International Language Year. He recalled the release of the first edition of Santhali version of the Constitution by the Hon’ble President on 25 December 2025 and her appreciation for this initiative.
The National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a private pharmaceutical company in New Delhi. The Department of Pharmaceuticals under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers informed that the MoU will advance pharmaceutical education and research in the country.
On the occasion, Cohort 2 of Alliance for Medicinal Research, Innovation, Translation and Value Acceleration (AMRITVA), was also launched. The AMRITVA initiative aims to translate academic and institutional pharmaceutical research into entrepreneurial and market-orientated initiatives, strengthening the country’s pharmaceutical innovation ecosystem.
Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Shri J.P. Nadda launched the indigenously manufactured Tetanus and Adult Diphtheria (Td) Vaccine at the Central Research Institute (CRI), Kasauli in Himachal Pradesh.
With the formal launch of the Td vaccine , the vaccine has now been introduced for supply under the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP).
The Central Research Institute will supply 55 lakh doses to the UIP by April 2026, with production expected to scale up progressively in subsequent years to further strengthen the Universal Immunization Programme of the Government of India, he stated.
Shri Nadda emphasized that CRI is the first government institute to manufacture vaccines under Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) standards, reflecting the modernization and revitalization of public sector vaccine manufacturing units.
Highlighting the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP), he described it as the world’s largest immunization programme.
The UIP currently provides 11 vaccines protecting against 12 vaccine-preventable diseases, in which CRI has made substantial contributions. He noted that every year approximately 2 to 2.5 crore children are born and a similar number of women become pregnant. From the time of pregnancy registration, beneficiaries are tracked through digital platforms such as U-WIN.
In view of this in 2006, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended that countries transition from Tetanus Toxoid (TT) vaccine to Td vaccine. This recommendation was reaffirmed in the WHO Tetanus Vaccine Position Paper (2017) and through deliberations of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) in 2002 and 2016.
Rating agency ICRA has projected India's year-on-year (YoY) GDP growth to moderate to 7.2 per cent in the third quarter (Q3) of FY2025-26, compared with 8.2 per cent recorded in Q2 FY2025-26, citing slower expansion in services and agriculture despite improved industrial performance.
Lower expansion in the services (+7.8% in Q3 2025-26 against +9.2% in Q2 2025-26) and agriculture (+3.0% in Q3 2025-26 against +3.5% in Q2 2025-26) sectors is likely to outweigh a pick-up in the performance of the industrial sector (six-quarter high of +8.3% in Q3 2025-26 against +7.7% in Q2 2025-26), the report said.
The iconic Our Lady of Grace Cathedral in Vasai in Palghar district of Maharashtra has been conferred with the 2025 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.
The Vasai Cathedral, as it is popularly known, is located at Papdy in Vasai West, nearly 80 km away from downtown Mumbai.
The church dates back to 1574.
The UNESCO citation said, “The conservation of the Our Lady of Grace Cathedral, a tangible testament to the establishment of Catholicism in Maharashtra, is noteworthy for reviving a sixteenth-century structure that embodies the architectural legacy of the Portuguese colonial architecture in India.
A Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) was signed between Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN), the Department of Telecommunications, the Ministry of Communications, the Government of India, and the Government of Andhra Pradesh for the expedited implementation of the Amended BharatNet Programme (ABP) in the State.
The memorandum establishes a broad framework for collaboration between DBN and the Government of Andhra Pradesh to facilitate faster rollout of the Amended BharatNet Programme. Under the Memorandum, the State Government shall extend full support for expedited implementation, including facilitation of Right of Way (RoW), infrastructure access,
and necessary coordination support. Funding for the project is intended to be provided majorly by DBN along with contributions from the State Government as per mutually agreed arrangements. The network created under the program shall be effectively utilized by the state government to maximize socio-economic impact.
Indian Navy’s Sail Training Ship INS Sudarshini arrived at Safaga, Egypt on 21 Feb 2026 as part of her ongoing Lokayan-26 deployment. Covering a distance of 1,832 nautical miles in 16 days, the passage from Salalah to Safaga marks a significant milestone, highlighting the resilience, confidence, and endurance of the ship’s crew.
On arrival, the ship was warmly received by officials of the Egyptian Navy and representatives from the Indian Embassy. The Commanding Officer, INS Sudarshini, called on Rear Admiral Ramy Ahmed Ismail Mohamed, Base Commander Red Sea and Safaga Naval Base.
he visit of INS Sudarshini to Safaga reaffirms the Indian Navy’s continued commitment to maritime outreach under the “Bridges of Friendship” initiative and underscores the strong and enduring ties between India and Egypt.
During the recent visit of the President of France to India, the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the French Republic have signed a Protocol amending the India-France Double Taxation Avoidance Convention, signed on 29 September 1992 (‘India-France DTAC’).
The Amending Protocol was signed by Mr. Ravi Agrawal, Chairperson, Central Board of Direct Taxes, Government of India, and Mr. Thierry Mathou, Ambassador of France to India, on behalf of their respective Governments.
The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, has released the 27th edition of its monthly ‘Secretariat Reforms’ report for January 2026.
The report provides an extensive analysis of the ongoing initiatives aimed at transforming governance and administration through (i) Swachhata and Reducing Pendency to Minimum Levels (ii) Increasing Efficiency in Decision Making, (iii) e-Office Implementation and Analytics,
Sarvam AI is an organization that is developing artificial intelligence tailored to India’s needs by building foundational components and applying them to the country’s unique linguistic, enterprise, and governance requirements. The company has built a full-stack AI platform, with everything developed, deployed, and governed entirely in India.
At the India AI Impact Summit 2026, Union Minister Shri Amit Shah stated that Sarvam AI exemplifies why the future belongs to India. He noted that the company is ensuring technology reaches every citizen, advancing the vision of Viksit Bharat, where innovation serves as a trusted ally in empowering people and strengthening the nation.
Argentine tennis player Tomas Martin Etcheverry has won his maiden ATP Tour title, claiming the ATP 500 Rio Open with a 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-4 victory over Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo at the final in Brazil. Rain had delayed his semi-final, forcing him to play two matches in a single day. The 26-year-old rose to the challenge to secure the biggest title of his career.
t is his first ATP crown after finishing runner-up in three previous finals.
Etcheverry also recorded his 100th tour-level match win during the tournament. He defeated Tabilo in Buenos Aires last week and repeated the win in Rio, extending his head-to-head lead to 2-0.
With the win, Etcheverry has jumped 18 places to World No. 33 and will return to the Top 40 for the first time since last February. Earlier, in men’s doubles, Brazil’s Joao Fonseca and Felipe Melo defeated Constantin Frantzen of Germany and Belgium’s Robin Haase 4-6, 6-3, 10-8. It was Fonseca’s first home title and Melo’s second straight trophy.
