AI Impact Summit
1. Overview of the Summit
- The AI Impact Summit is being organised by the Union government of India in February 2026 at a scale comparable to the G-20 Summit 2023.
- The comparison is based on:
- Expected large international participation
- Extensive pre-summit events in India and abroad
- High-level political, academic, and industry engagement
2. Scale and Participation
- Expected participation includes:
- 15–20 heads of state
- Around 1,00,000 participants for the main event in February
- Participation is projected to increase further as the event approaches, reflecting growing global interest in AI governance.
3. Evolution of Global AI Summits
- The AI summits are an annual multilateral initiative focused on AI governance and impact.
- Timeline of previous summits:
- 2023: Bletchley Park, United Kingdom
- 27 participating countries
- 28 countries signed the Bletchley Declaration
- 2024: Seoul
- 2025: Paris
- Participation expanded to over 100 countries
- India was selected to host the 2026 edition
- 2023: Bletchley Park, United Kingdom
- The steady rise in participation highlights the increasing global importance of AI-related issues.
4. India’s Strategic Positioning
- Indian officials are actively using the summit to:
- Enhance India’s leadership role in global AI governance
- Strengthen India’s presence in discussions on responsible, inclusive, and safe AI
- A large number of pre-summit events are being organised domestically and internationally to build consensus and engagement.
- The 2026 summit will see new participation from Global South countries, broadening representation and inclusivity.
5. Stakeholder Involvement
- The summit will bring together:
- Top AI researchers
- Business leaders from major AI companies, including:
- Anthropic
- Google DeepMind
- Other leading global AI firms have given tentative confirmations.
- This indicates strong industry–academia–government collaboration.
6. Key Themes and Focus Areas
- The summit will deliberate on:
- Impact of AI on work and employment
- Trust and safety protocols for AI models
- Responsible deployment of AI across specific industries
- Emphasis is on balancing innovation with regulation and ethical considerations.
7. Global Significance
- The AI Impact Summit reflects:
- AI’s growing role as a global policy issue, similar in importance to economic or climate governance
- The need for multilateral cooperation in managing AI risks and benefits
- India’s hosting of the summit positions it as a key voice in shaping the future global AI framework.
India–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement – Explained
Background and Overview
- The India–New Zealand FTA was concluded in December 2025, in a record nine months after negotiations began in March 2025.
- It is India’s third FTA in 2025, following agreements with the UK and Oman.
- The agreement aims to double bilateral merchandise trade from the current $1.3 billion within five years.
- New Zealand, with a per capita income of $49,380, offers access to a high-income market and serves as a gateway to Oceania and Pacific Island nations.
Key Bargains and Trade Commitments
- Market Access
- New Zealand grants zero-duty access on 100% of Indian exports.
- India offers tariff relaxation on 95% of imports from New Zealand, with 57% duty-free from day one.
- Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)
- New Zealand commits $20 billion in FDI by 2030, with clawback provisions if investment targets are missed.
- Investment spread across 118 sectors, focusing on services, skill development, and employment generation.
- Services and Skill Mobility
- Enhanced mobility for Indian professionals, youth, and students.
- Work permits allowing 20 hours per week during studies and extended post-study work visas.
- Opportunities for Indian workers in IT, engineering, healthcare, education, construction, and cultural services.
- Cultural and Traditional Services
- First-ever New Zealand commitment to facilitate trade in Ayurveda, yoga, and traditional medicine services.
Sectoral Opportunities for India
- Boost to labour-intensive and MSME sectors, including:
- Textiles and apparel
- Leather and footwear
- Gems and jewellery
- Engineering goods
- Processed food products
- Employment generation through deeper integration into global value chains.
Sensitive Sectors Excluded by India
- India excludes dairy and key agricultural products to protect farmers and MSMEs.
- Excluded items include:
- Milk, butter, cheese, cream, yogurt
- Onions, sugar, edible oils, spices, rubber
- Reflects India’s long-standing red lines in trade negotiations.
Agricultural Cooperation Framework
- New Zealand to support India’s horticulture productivity, especially exotic fruits:
- Kiwifruit, apples, and honey
- Measures include:
- Centres of excellence
- Improved planting material
- Capacity building and technical assistance
- Post-harvest management, food safety, and supply-chain development
Strategic and Geopolitical Significance
- FTA represents a shift from short-term trade deals to long-term strategic alliances.
- Aimed at trade diversification, reducing dependence on the U.S., EU, and China.
- Particularly important amid:
- U.S. tariff hikes
- Slow progress in the Indo-U.S. trade negotiations
- Supports India’s broader foreign policy outreach to:
- Pacific region
- West Asia
- Africa
Alignment with India’s Development Strategy
- Complements initiatives such as:
- Make in India
- Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes
- Focus on:
- WTO-plus commitments
- Services, digital trade, and investment facilitation
- Signals India’s attempt to shed its protectionist image while safeguarding sensitive sectors.
Soft Power and Diaspora Linkages
- Indian diaspora makes up 5% of New Zealand’s population (≈300,000 people).
- Enhances:
- People-to-people contact
- Educational and cultural exchanges
- Soft power diplomacy
Criticisms and Concerns
- In New Zealand
- Criticism for excluding dairy and agriculture, the country’s largest export sector.
- Coalition partners call the deal “neither free nor fair”.
- Opposition to ratification expected in New Zealand Parliament (2026).
- In India
- Concerns over:
- Widening trade deficits
- Asymmetric gains
- Past FTA underperformance
- Effectiveness of safeguards yet to be tested during implementation.
- Concerns over:
Way Forward and Policy Recommendations
- Strengthen domestic competitiveness and productivity.
- Invest in R&D, quality enhancement, and compliance with global standards.
- Ensure:
- Strong rules of origin
- Robust anti-dumping mechanisms
- Support MSMEs and sensitive sectors through:
- Technology transfers
- Market-aligned reforms
- Continuous monitoring to ensure the FTA translates into sustainable economic gains.
Rationalization of International Letter Mail Services
Context and Rationale
- The initiative is undertaken by the Department of Posts in alignment with:
- Global best practices
- Decisions and regulatory framework of the Universal Postal Union (UPU)
- Objective is to modernize and strengthen international letter post services in response to:
- Growth of global e-commerce
- Rising expectations of customers for tracking and reliability
- Increasing customs, security, and compliance requirements worldwide
Key Objectives of the Reform
- Enhance:
- Customer experience
- Service reliability and accountability
- End-to-end trackability
- Customs compliance and security
- Align India’s international postal services with evolving global postal and e-commerce standards
- Phase out outdated services with limited utility and acceptance
Services Discontinued (Effective 01 January 2026)
The following outward international letter mail services will be discontinued:
- Registered Small Packet service
- Discontinued in line with UPU decisions restricting registration to document-only items
- Outward Small Packet service
- Includes letter post items containing goods sent by Surface, SAL, or Air
- Surface Letter Mail Service
- Surface Air Lifted (SAL) Letter Mail Service
- These services are withdrawn due to:
- Limited or no tracking
- Longer and uncertain delivery timelines
- Reduced acceptance by foreign postal administrations
- Stricter customs and security norms in destination countries
Services That Will Continue
- Registration facility will remain available only for documents, booked in Air mode, under:
- Letters
- Post Cards
- Printed Papers
- Aerograms
- Blind Literature
- M-bags
- Blind Literature
- Continues under existing UPU provisions
- Exempt from postal charges (except applicable air surcharge)
- Subject to destination country regulations
- M-bags
- Continue as per UPU rules
- Subject to prescribed weight limits and country-specific acceptance conditions
Impact on Exporters and Customers
- The rationalization is not intended to reduce export options
- Instead, it aims to:
- Improve reliability, transparency, and delivery assurance
- Encourage use of services better suited for goods and e-commerce
Alternative Services Promoted
- Customers sending goods abroad are encouraged to use:
- International Tracked Packet Service (ITPS)
- Other international parcel services offered by India Post
- Benefits of these alternatives:
- End-to-end tracking and visibility
- Faster and more reliable delivery
- Better compliance with customs and security norms
- Competitive and transparent pricing
- Particularly beneficial for MSMEs, small exporters, and e-commerce sellers
Implementation and Administrative Measures
- Postal officers instructed to:
- Ensure smooth implementation
- Guide customers toward suitable alternative services
- Provide wide publicity to facilitate a seamless transition
Overall Significance
- Reflects a shift towards:
- Customer-centric governance
- Digitally enabled and accountable public services
- Strengthens India’s position in the global postal and e-commerce ecosystem
- Reinforces the Department of Posts’ commitment to:
- Modernization
- Transparency
- Improved service quality and customer satisfaction
National Frequency Allocation Plan 2025 (NFAP-2025)
Background and Context
- Released by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) under the Ministry of Communications.
- NFAP-2025 is a key policy document governing the management and allocation of radio-frequency spectrum in India.
- It will come into effect from 30 December 2025.
- Acts as the principal reference framework for:
- Spectrum managers
- Telecom service providers
- Satellite operators
- Wireless equipment manufacturers
Scope and Coverage
- Covers radio-frequency spectrum from 8.3 kHz to 3000 GHz.
- Allocates spectrum to various radio-communication services, ensuring:
- Orderly spectrum use
- Interference-free operations
- Alignment with international frequency allocation norms
Objectives of NFAP-2025
- Address rapidly increasing demand for spectrum driven by digitalisation.
- Enable deployment of next-generation communication technologies.
- Ensure efficient, flexible and future-ready spectrum management.
- Harmonise India’s spectrum policy with global standards and ITU frameworks.
Key Enhancements and Strategic Revisions
Boost to Mobile Broadband (5G/6G)
- Identification of the 6425–7125 MHz band for International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT).
- Significantly enhances mid-band spectrum availability, which is critical for:
- 5G
- 5G Advanced
- Future 6G networks
- Supports high data rates, low latency, and network densification.
Support for Satellite Communications
- Allocation of Ka, Q and V bands for satellite-based services.
- Enables:
- High-throughput Geo-Stationary Orbit (GSO) satellites
- Large non-GSO constellations (LEO and MEO)
- Critical for:
- Broadband connectivity in remote and underserved areas
- Space-based digital infrastructure expansion
In-Flight and Maritime Connectivity (IFMC)
- Additional spectrum earmarked for IFMC services.
- Ensures:
- Seamless broadband connectivity on aircraft and ships
- Improved passenger experience
- Enhanced safety and operational efficiency in aviation and maritime sectors
Promotion of Emerging Technologies
- NFAP-2025 supports advanced and future communication solutions such as:
- Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communication for intelligent transport systems
- LEO/MEO satellite services
- Expanded wireless broadband applications
- Facilitates innovation in:
- Smart mobility
- Internet of Things (IoT)
- Autonomous and connected systems
Alignment with Global Standards
- Ensures spectrum harmonisation with:
- International Telecommunication Union (ITU) recommendations
- Global spectrum usage trends
- Enhances interoperability of Indian telecom networks with global ecosystems.
- Strengthens India’s position in international spectrum negotiations.
Economic and Developmental Significance
- Enables creation of a robust digital communications ecosystem.
- Supports:
- Telecom infrastructure growth
- Satellite communication industry
- Manufacturing of telecom and space equipment
- Facilitates inclusive development by improving connectivity across:
- Rural areas
- Remote regions
- Air and maritime transport corridors
Overall Significance
- NFAP-2025 reflects India’s forward-looking and technology-neutral spectrum policy.
- Balances current telecom needs with future digital ambitions.
- Plays a critical role in:
- Digital India
- Smart infrastructure development
- India’s transition towards 5G-led and 6G-ready connectivity.
MoU Between NTH and NHAI
Parties Involved
- National Test House (NTH) and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
- The MoU was signed at NHAI Headquarters, New Delhi.
Primary Objective of the MoU
- To strengthen quality assurance, quality control, and third-party testing in national highway and infrastructure projects.
- To enhance transparency, standardisation, and reliability in highway construction.
Role of National Test House (NTH)
- Empanelled as a recognised testing laboratory for NHAI.
- Will conduct testing and inspection of samples related to:
- Highway construction
- Allied infrastructure works
- Provide scientific, impartial, and time-bound test results.
Testing Infrastructure & Coverage
- Samples to be tested at NTH’s:
- Regional laboratories
- Satellite centres across India
- Key locations include:
- Ghaziabad
- Kolkata
- Mumbai
- Chennai
- Jaipur
- Guwahati
- Bengaluru
- Varanasi
- Ensures pan-India coverage and faster turnaround.
Digital & Operational Provisions
- Introduction of:
- Online test requests
- Online payment systems
- MIS-based digital reporting
- Physical test reports will also be provided.
- Coordination through designated nodal officers from both organisations.
Technical Collaboration
- NTH experts will:
- Participate in NHAI technical committees
- Provide technical inputs on quality standards and testing methodologies
- NTH will assist in upgrading and strengthening NHAI laboratory facilities, wherever required.
Capacity Building & Knowledge Sharing
- Joint organisation of:
- Training programmes
- Workshops
- Capacity-building sessions
- Targeted at enhancing technical skills of NHAI officials and engineers.
Institutional Background of NTH
- Established in 1912.
- Functions under the Department of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution.
- Recognised as a leading national scientific testing and quality assurance organisation.
Expected Outcomes & Significance
- Improved quality, safety, durability, and performance of national highways.
- Increased credibility of third-party testing in infrastructure projects.
- Greater efficiency and accountability in quality assurance processes.
- Supports the Government of India’s vision of developing strong, reliable, and world-class infrastructure.
PM-YUVA 3.0 Results Declared
About the Scheme
- PM-YUVA (Prime Minister’s Scheme for Mentoring Young Authors) 3.0 aims to identify, mentor, and promote young writers in India.
- Implemented by the National Book Trust (NBT), India.
- Operates under the Ministry of Education.
- Aligned with the vision and principles of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
- Focuses on encouraging nation building through creative and intellectual writing.
Selection Highlights
- 43 young authors selected through an All-India level contest.
- Eligibility:
- Authors below 30 years of age.
- Gender representation:
- 19 women
- 24 men
- Selected proposals are non-fiction manuscripts.
Language Diversity & Inclusivity
- Selected works span 22 official Indian languages and English, including:
- Assamese, Bangla, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Maithili, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, and English.
- Promotes:
- Linguistic diversity
- Regional representation
- Inclusive literary development across India.
Themes of PM-YUVA 3.0
The selected manuscripts are based on the following themes:
- Contribution of Indian Diaspora in Nation Building
- Indian Knowledge System
- Makers of Modern India (1950–2025)
Nature of Selected Works
- Non-fiction books covering areas such as:
- History
- Culture
- Science
- Philosophy
- Governance
- Social reform
- India’s global engagement
- Reflect India’s past, present, and future.
Mentorship & Financial Support
- Selected authors will receive:
- Six months of mentorship from eminent scholars and experts.
- Monthly scholarship of ₹50,000 during the mentorship period.
- Lifetime royalty of 10% on the published book.
- Ensures both financial security and academic guidance for young writers.
Publication Timeline & Impact
- The first set of books under PM-YUVA 3.0 will be published next year.
- Aims to:
- Nurture a new generation of Indian writers
- Strengthen India’s intellectual and literary presence nationally and globally
- Promote reading, writing, and thought leadership among youth
Overall Significance
- Reinforces India’s commitment to:
- Youth empowerment
- Cultural and intellectual growth
- Knowledge creation in Indian languages
- Supports the broader vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and cultural self-confidence.
Kavach 4.0
Overview
- Kavach 4.0 is the latest version of India’s indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system.
- It has been approved by the Research Designs & Standards Organisation (RDSO) after continuous improvements and safety assessments.
- The system is now fully functional on operational sections of Indian Railways.
- Implemented on more than 2,200 route kilometres so far.
Primary Objective
- To automatically mitigate railway safety risks by preventing accidents caused by human error or signalling failures.
- Enhances operational safety and reliability, especially on high-density rail corridors.
Core Safety Functions
- Prevention of Signal Passed at Danger (SPAD) incidents.
- Automatic speed control, including:
- Sectional speed enforcement
- Loop line speed supervision
- Permanent Speed Restriction (PSR) monitoring
- Collision avoidance, providing protection against:
- Head-on collisions
- Rear-end collisions
- Automatic brake application when safety parameters are violated.
Additional Safety Features
- SOS facility for emergency communication.
- Automatic whistling at level crossing gates to alert road users.
- Assists Loco Pilots during:
- Low visibility
- Adverse weather conditions
- High workload situations
Technological & Safety Standards
- Certified to Safety Integrity Level–4 (SIL-4):
- One of the highest global safety standards in signalling systems.
- Also certified by an Independent Safety Assessor (ISA) to meet global safety norms.
- Reflects Indian Railways’ commitment to world-class safety practices.
Key Technological Enhancements in Kavach 4.0
- Improved location accuracy:
- Enables precise real-time train positioning.
- Enhanced signal aspect information:
- Particularly effective in large and complex station yards.
- Station-to-station Kavach interface:
- Implemented through optical fibre cable (OFC) for faster and more reliable communication.
- Direct integration with electronic interlocking systems:
- Ensures seamless coordination with existing signalling infrastructure.
- Reduces dependency on manual intervention.
Operational Benefits
- Automatically enforces safety rules, reducing dependence on human response.
- Enhances safety in high-speed, high-density, and mixed-traffic environments.
- Improves system robustness, responsiveness, and scalability.
- Suitable for large-scale nationwide deployment across India’s diverse rail network.
Strategic Significance
- Represents a major milestone in Indian Railways’ safety journey.
- Strengthens India’s position in indigenous railway safety technologies.
- Supports long-term goals of:
- Accident prevention
- Modernisation of signalling systems
- Reliable and efficient rail transport
Overall Impact
- Significantly reduces the risk of train accidents caused by:
- Overspeeding
- Signal violations
- Communication failures
- Enhances passenger safety and confidence.
- Contributes to a safer, smarter, and more resilient railway system in India.
PathGennie: A New Computational Method Accelerating Drug Discovery
Overview
- PathGennie is a novel computational framework developed to accelerate the simulation of rare molecular events.
- Developed by scientists at S. N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, Kolkata, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
- Published in the Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation.
- Released as open-source software, enabling broad scientific access.
- Represents a major advancement in Computer-Aided Drug Discovery (CADD).
Problem Addressed
- In drug development, residence time (how long a drug remains bound to its target protein) is often more important than binding affinity.
- Simulating drug unbinding processes is computationally challenging because:
- These events occur on millisecond-to-second time scales.
- Standard classical Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations typically cover only nanoseconds to microseconds.
- Conventional methods overcome this by:
- Applying artificial bias forces
- Using elevated temperatures
- These approaches distort the true physics and kinetics of molecular interactions.
Core Innovation of PathGennie
- Avoids forcing molecular events artificially.
- Mimics natural selection at a microscopic scale.
- Focuses on identifying true kinetic pathways of rare molecular transitions.
How PathGennie Works
- Launches swarms of ultra-short, unbiased MD trajectories (each lasting only a few femtoseconds).
- Evaluates which trajectories make progress toward a predefined end state.
- Selectively extends productive trajectories.
- Discards unproductive ones.
- Uses a “survival of the fittest” principle for trajectory selection.
- Eliminates long waiting times associated with rare events without biasing forces or temperature manipulation.
Technical Strengths
- Retains accurate physical and kinetic behavior of molecular systems.
- Works with any type of collective variables (CVs):
- Low-dimensional
- High-dimensional
- Machine-learned CVs
- Dynamically balances:
- Exploration (searching new pathways)
- Exploitation (refining promising pathways)
- Efficiently identifies transition pathways across high energy barriers.
Proof-of-Concept Results
- Demonstrated effectiveness in uncovering multiple competing molecular pathways.
- Key examples:
- Benzene–T4 lysozyme system:
- Mapped several ligand exit routes from a deep protein pocket.
- Imatinib (Gleevec)–Abl kinase system:
- Identified three distinct dissociation pathways.
- Recovered all pathways previously known from literature.
- Benzene–T4 lysozyme system:
- Achieved accurate results:
- Without steering forces
- Using only a few iterations
- Results matched earlier biased simulations and experimental findings, validating accuracy.
Broader Applications
- Applicable beyond drug discovery to other rare-event problems, including:
- Chemical reactions
- Catalytic processes
- Phase transitions
- Self-assembly phenomena
- Suitable for any system requiring discovery of transition pathways over high energy barriers.
- Easily integrable into modern simulation pipelines.
- Compatible with machine-learning-based approaches.
Scientific and Strategic Significance
- Dramatically reduces computational cost and time.
- Improves reliability of predictions in drug discovery.
- Enhances understanding of molecular kinetics, not just thermodynamics.
- Strengthens India’s contribution to cutting-edge computational chemistry and biophysics.
- Open-source availability lowers entry barriers for researchers worldwide.
Overall Impact
- Represents a paradigm shift in simulating rare molecular events.
- Enables faster, more accurate drug development.
- Supports innovation in pharmaceuticals, materials science, and chemical engineering.