UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 19 February 2026
Kartavya Desk Staff
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 19 February 2026 covers important current affairs of the day, their backward linkages, their relevance for Prelims exam and MCQs on main articles
InstaLinks : Insta Links help you think beyond the current affairs issue and help you think multidimensionally to develop depth in your understanding of these issues. These linkages provided in this ‘hint’ format help you frame possible questions in your mind that might arise(or an examiner might imagine) from each current event. InstaLinks also connect every issue to their static or theoretical background.
Table of Contents
GS Paper 2:
• The Need for Diversity in the Judiciary
The Need for Diversity in the Judiciary
GS Paper 4:
• Digital Media and Code of Ethics
Digital Media and Code of Ethics
Content for Mains Enrichment (CME):
• India-UK Offshore Wind Taskforce
India-UK Offshore Wind Taskforce
Facts for Prelims (FFP):
• VoicERA Launched on BHASHINI National Infrastructure
VoicERA Launched on BHASHINI National Infrastructure
• Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Limited
Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Limited
• America-India Connect Subsea Cable Initiative
America-India Connect Subsea Cable Initiative
• Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)
Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)
• The Privileges Committee
The Privileges Committee
• AI-for-Energy mission
AI-for-Energy mission
Mapping:
• Strait of Hormuz
Strait of Hormuz
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 19 February 2026
GS Paper 2 :
The Need for Diversity in the Judiciary
Source: TH
Subject: Polity
Context: Rajya Sabha MP P. Wilson has introduced a private member’s Bill, the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2026, seeking to mandate social diversity in the higher judiciary and establish regional benches of the Supreme Court to ensure equitable access to justice.
About The Need for Diversity in the Judiciary:
What it is?
• Judicial diversity refers to the representation of various social, gender, and regional groups within the court system. It ensures that the bench reflects the diverse fabric of Indian society, thereby enhancing the legitimacy and inclusivity of judicial interpretations.
Key Data/Facts on the Indian Judiciary:
• Caste Representation: Between 2018 and 2024, approximately 78% of judges appointed to High Courts belonged to upper castes, while SCs and STs accounted for only about 5% each.
• Gender Gap: As of August 2024, women constitute only 14% of High Court judges; currently, there is only one sitting woman judge in the Supreme Court (Justice B.V. Nagarathna).
• Minority Representation: Religious minorities account for less than 5% of the judges appointed to the higher judiciary in the last six years.
• Pendency Crisis: As of January 2026, the Supreme Court has over 90,000 pending cases, with a significant portion being appellate matters from High Courts geographically close to Delhi.
• Vacancies: High Courts continue to struggle with a nearly 33% vacancy rate, affecting the speed of justice delivery.
Constitutional Provisions:
• Article 124: Governs the appointment of Supreme Court judges by the President in consultation with the CJI.
• Article 217: Outlines the appointment process for High Court judges.
• Article 130: Allows the Chief Justice of India, with Presidential approval, to appoint other places as seats for the Supreme Court—providing the legal basis for regional benches.
Need for Diversity in Judiciary:
• Enhanced Public Trust: A diverse judiciary strengthens legitimacy because citizens feel the institution reflects India’s social reality and constitutional promise of representation.
E.g. The positive response to Justice B.R. Gavai’s elevation showed how representation of marginalized communities improves faith in judicial fairness and inclusiveness.
• Inclusivity in Interpretation: Judges’ lived experiences influence interpretation of rights, helping courts understand social contexts behind legal disputes more effectively.
E.g. Women judges often bring greater sensitivity in gender-related cases, reflected in the Supreme Court’s emphasis on gender-sensitization in marital and domestic violence matters.
• Correcting Historical Under-representation: Diversity helps address historical exclusion of certain groups and ensures equal opportunity in higher judicial appointments.
E.g. India not having a woman Chief Justice for over seven decades highlights systemic barriers that diversity-oriented reforms seek to overcome.
• Democratization of the Bar: Representation at higher levels motivates aspiring lawyers from diverse backgrounds to pursue litigation and judicial careers.
E.g. The Supreme Court Bar Association’s push for one-third women representation aims to create visible role models and broaden participation in legal practice.
• Advancing Social Justice: A diverse bench aligns judicial functioning with constitutional goals of equality and social justice by reflecting varied social realities.
E.g. The P. Wilson Bill argues that without diversity, backward communities remain underrepresented in decision-making spaces of justice delivery.
Challenges Associated with Diversity:
• Opaque Collegium System: Lack of transparency in appointments may unintentionally perpetuate elite networks and limit opportunities for marginalized candidates.
E.g. Delays or rejections of women candidates since 2020 without clear reasons indicate how opacity affects diversity outcomes.
• “Old Boys’ Club” Mentality: Informal professional networks and patriarchal norms often favour established male circles, restricting advancement for others.
E.g. Women lawyers frequently face higher scrutiny and career interruptions, creating a funnel effect where fewer reach senior positions.
• Lack of Formal Reservation: Absence of constitutional quotas in higher judiciary means diversity depends largely on discretion rather than structured inclusion.
E.g. Even where lower judiciary follows caste reservations, similar representation fails to carry forward into High Courts due to no mandate.
• Geographical Barriers: Centralisation of legal practice around Delhi limits access for lawyers from distant regions, reducing regional diversity in elevations.
E.g. High litigation costs prevent many lawyers from states like Tamil Nadu or the Northeast from building Supreme Court visibility.
• Structural Barriers for Women: Inadequate workplace infrastructure and support systems discourage sustained participation of women in long legal careers.
E.g. Reports showing lack of separate washrooms in many district courts highlight practical challenges that hinder women’s retention in the profession.
Way Ahead
• Reviving the NJAC: Re-introduce a transparent body with representatives from the executive and civil society, balanced by judicial independence.
• Establishing Regional Benches: Set up permanent SC benches in Chennai, Mumbai, and Kolkata to decentralize justice and reduce travel costs for the poor.
• Institutionalizing Diversity Metrics: Include demographic diversity as a formal criterion in the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) for appointments.
• Time-bound Appointments: Mandate the government to clear Collegium names within 90 days to prevent pocket vetoes of diverse candidates.
• Mentorship Programs: Create formal pipelines to mentor first-generation and marginalized lawyers for future judicial roles.
Conclusion
The pursuit of a diverse judiciary is not about compromising merit, but about enriching it with the collective wisdom of a billion people. By implementing the reforms suggested in the P. Wilson Bill and addressing structural biases, India can transform its courts into truly inclusive institutions. Ultimately, a judge who understands the social context of the litigant is a stronger guardian of the Constitution.
Q. Assess how performance evaluation of judges can contribute to improving judicial efficiency in India. Discuss limitations of disposal-rate based metrics. Propose holistic benchmarks aligned with constitutional values of justice. (15 M)
#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 19 February 2026 GS Paper 4:
Digital Media and Code of Ethics
Source: TOI
Subject: Code of ethics and code of conduct
Context: The Uttarakhand High Court issued a stern warning to journalists and digital creators, emphasizing that media operations on social and digital platforms must strictly adhere to a prescribed code of ethics to avoid legal consequences, including criminal charges for defamation or extortion.
About Digital Media and Code of Ethics:
What it is?
• A Code of Ethics for digital media is a set of guidelines and regulatory standards designed to ensure accuracy, fairness, and accountability in online journalism.
• In India, this is primarily governed by the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, which mandate that digital news publishers follow the Norms of Journalistic Conduct.
Data/Facts on Digital Media and Ethics:
• Massive User Base: As of 2026, India has over 1.03 billion internet users, with approximately 800 million active on social media, making the impact of unverified digital media bites instantaneous and widespread.
• Rise of Deepfakes: The IT Amendment Rules 2026 specifically target Synthetically Generated Information (SGI), requiring platforms to label AI content to prevent the ethical breach of deceptive impersonation.
• Compliance Timelines: Under the latest 2026 regulations, the window for taking down prohibited or defamatory content has been compressed from 36 hours to just 3 hours to mitigate real-time harm.
• Trust Deficit: A 2025 Reuters Digital News Report flagged that only 36% of Indian news users trust the media overall, largely due to the rise of sensationalist clickbait and a lack of pre-publication verification.
Need for Digital Media to Follow Code of Ethics:
• Prevention of Character Assassination: Unverified content can destroy reputations before the truth catches up.
E.g. In the Uttarakhand HC case, an unverified social media post led to immediate departmental action against an SBI branch manager despite the original complaint being withdrawn.
• Curbing Viral Misinformation: Digital speed amplifies falsehoods at an exponential rate.
E.g. False death rumors of veteran actor Dharmendra circulated widely before verification, causing unnecessary distress to his family and the public.
• Maintaining Public Order: Misleading reports on sensitive issues can incite real-world violence.
E.g. A video from Myanmar mislabelled as Manipur violence in late 2025 went viral on digital platforms, threatening communal harmony before fact-checkers intervened.
• Protecting Vulnerable Groups: Ethics prevent the secondary victimization of children and crime victims.
E.g. The Arunachal Press Club issued an apology in late 2025 after a digital channel unethically published an interview with a minor victim in a child abuse case.
• Preserving Democratic Integrity: Ethical journalism ensures that voters receive facts, not paid news or propaganda.
E.g. During the 2025-26 State Elections, the ECI flagged numerous digital-only outlets for publishing exit polls and biased content in violation of the silence period.
Challenges in Implementation by Digital Media:
• The Clicks Economy: Ad-driven models reward sensationalism over sober reporting.
E.g. Many digital paparazzi outlets in 2025 were criticized for leaking hospital footage of celebrities just to drive engagement and ad revenue.
• Anonymity and Ghost Portals: Many digital news outlets operate without a physical address or registered editor.
E.g. Law enforcement agencies in 2026 reported difficulties in serving notices to WhatsApp-based news groups that frequently share defamatory stings.
• Speed vs. Accuracy: The pressure to be the first to break a story often leads to skipping the verification stage.
E.g. The Uttarakhand HC noted that the petitioner failed to make any attempt to verify allegations with the parties involved before circulating a media bite.
• Technological Barriers (AI/Deepfakes): Distinguishing between real and synthetic media is becoming technically difficult for small creators.
E.g. In early 2026, several regional digital news creators unintentionally shared AI-cloned audio of politicians, thinking it was a genuine leak.
• Weak Self-Regulation: While a three-tier mechanism exists, small digital publishers often bypass self-regulatory bodies.
E.g. The Supreme Court in 2025 called existing fines for media ethics violations toothless, as the profit from sensationalism far outweighs the penalty.
Way Ahead:
• Mandatory Registration: Ensure all digital news publishers register with the MIB to bring them under the formal Grievance Redressal Mechanism.
• Verification-First Protocol: Digital newsrooms must adopt a pause before publish policy, especially for content involving private individuals or criminal allegations.
• AI-Labeling Compliance: Platforms must strictly implement the 2026 IT Rules to ensure all synthetic media is clearly watermarked.
• Legal Literacy for Journalists: State governments should conduct workshops on the Norms of Journalistic Conduct and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) provisions related to defamation.
• Tiered Penalty Structure: Increase the financial and legal penalties for repeat offenders who use digital platforms for extortion or trial by media.
Conclusion:
The Uttarakhand High Court’s warning serves as a timely reminder that the fourth pillar of democracy must not crumble under the weight of digital irresponsibility. Freedom of speech does not equate to a license for character assassination or the spread of unverified rumors. For digital media to survive as a credible source of information, it must balance its unprecedented speed with the timeless virtues of truth and ethical restraint.
Q. A code of ethics is the need of the hour in all government institutions. In this context, explain the role that a code of ethics plays in governance.[10M]
#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 19 February 2026 Content for Mains Enrichment (CME)
India-UK Offshore Wind Taskforce
Context: India and the United Kingdom launched the India-UK Offshore Wind Taskforce under Vision 2035 to accelerate cooperation in offshore wind energy development.
About India-UK Offshore Wind Taskforce:
What it is?
• The India-UK Offshore Wind Taskforce is a bilateral cooperation platform launched under the Fourth India-UK Energy Dialogue to strengthen collaboration in offshore wind energy.
• It brings together policy makers, industry stakeholders, and technical experts to guide the development of India’s emerging offshore wind sector using UK expertise and Indian market scale.
Aim / Objectives:
• Accelerate offshore wind deployment through strategic India-UK cooperation.
• Develop a robust offshore wind ecosystem including policy, infrastructure, and financing frameworks.
• Promote long-term energy security and industrial competitiveness under Vision 2035.
Key Features:
• Strategic Leadership Platform: Provides coordinated guidance for India’s nascent offshore wind sector.
• Three Priority Pillars: Ecosystem planning & market design (seabed leasing, revenue certainty). Infrastructure & supply chains (ports, manufacturing, marine logistics). Financing & risk mitigation (blended finance, institutional capital mobilisation).
• Ecosystem planning & market design (seabed leasing, revenue certainty).
• Infrastructure & supply chains (ports, manufacturing, marine logistics).
• Financing & risk mitigation (blended finance, institutional capital mobilisation).
• Identified Offshore Zones: Initial development planned off Gujarat and Tamil Nadu coasts.
• Government Support: Viability Gap Funding (VGF) scheme of ₹7,453 crore to support early projects.
• Energy Transition Linkage: Supports National Green Hydrogen Mission through renewable coastal power supply.
Relevance for UPSC Exam:
• GS Paper II – International Relations
• India-UK bilateral cooperation in energy and technology. Climate diplomacy and strategic partnerships.
• India-UK bilateral cooperation in energy and technology.
• Climate diplomacy and strategic partnerships.
• GS Paper III – Environment & Energy
• Renewable energy transition and clean energy technologies. Offshore wind as part of India’s climate commitments and energy security strategy. Green hydrogen ecosystem and decarbonisation pathways.
• Renewable energy transition and clean energy technologies.
• Offshore wind as part of India’s climate commitments and energy security strategy.
• Green hydrogen ecosystem and decarbonisation pathways.
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS –19 February 2026 Facts for Prelims (FFP)
VoicERA Launched on BHASHINI National Infrastructure
Source: PIB
Subject: Miscellaneous/Science and Technology
Context: VoicERA, an open-source end-to-end Voice AI stack, was launched at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 on the BHASHINI National Language Infrastructure.
About VoicERA Launched on BHASHINI National Infrastructure:
What is VoicERA?
• VoicERA is an open-source, end-to-end Voice AI execution stack deployed on India’s BHASHINI National Language Infrastructure. It acts as a national execution layer for multilingual Voice and Language AI, enabling scalable deployment of speech and conversational systems across sectors.
Launched by:
• Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD) under the Digital India Corporation (DIC), MeitY
• Launched at the India AI Impact Summit 2026
• Developed in collaboration with EkStep Foundation, COSS, IIIT Bengaluru, and AI4Bharat
Objectives:
• To build a common, multilingual Voice AI platform that enables citizens to access government services through natural speech, making digital governance more accessible and user-friendly across languages.
• To provide an open-standard, interoperable framework that reduces duplication and vendor dependence while ensuring secure, scalable deployment for government, research, and innovation use cases.
Key Features:
• Open Source & Interoperable: Built as a digital public good with modular design, allowing developers and institutions to freely adopt, modify, and integrate the system across platforms.
• Cloud & On-Premise Ready: Can be deployed either on cloud infrastructure or local servers, giving flexibility to organisations based on security and operational needs.
• Multilingual Voice AI: Supports real-time speech recognition and conversational AI across multiple Indian languages to ensure inclusive and accessible communication.
• Pluggable Architecture: Uses a modular framework that enables easy integration with existing government applications, APIs, and service delivery systems.
• Population-Scale Deployment: Designed to handle large user volumes, making it suitable for nationwide public services and high-scale citizen interactions.
• Secure Execution Layer: Provides a secure backend environment ensuring safe processing of voice data while enabling reliable and scalable citizen engagement.
Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Limited
Source: TH
Subject: Economy
Context: Union Home and Cooperation Minister formally launched ‘Bharat Taxi’, India’s first cooperative-based taxi service, aimed at transforming the unorganised taxi sector into an ownership-driven model for drivers.
About Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Limited:
What it is?
• Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Limited is a multi-state cooperative society registered under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002. It is the body responsible for operating the Bharat Taxi platform.
• Unlike traditional corporate aggregators, it is owned and governed by the drivers themselves, who are referred to as ‘Sarathis’.
• Established In: June 6, 2025.
• Promoted By: Leading cooperative institutions including NCDC, IFFCO, GCMMF (Amul), KRIBHCO, NAFED, NABARD, NDDB, and NCEL.
Aim and Objectives:
• Empowerment: To shift the unorganised taxi sector into an ownership-rights model where the driver is the Malik (owner).
• Economic Freedom: To eliminate high middleman commissions (often 20-30%) and ensure 100% of the fare (minus a nominal daily access fee) goes directly to the Sarathi.
• Women’s Safety: To provide safe, affordable, and dignified travel for women through the ‘Sarathi Didi’ initiative.
• Social Security: To provide gig workers with access to health insurance, pensions, and government welfare schemes.
How the Model Works?
• Ownership via Shares: Drivers become members of the cooperative by purchasing shares (as low as ₹500). This entitles them to a share in the profits and a vote in the board’s decision-making.
• Zero-Commission Model: The platform does not take a percentage of every ride. Instead, it operates on a transparent, flat daily access fee (approx. ₹30 for cabs and ₹18 for autos).
• Direct Payment: Fare payments are transferred automatically and immediately into the Sarathi’s bank account.
• Democratic Governance: Two representatives chosen by the Sarathis sit on the Board of Directors to look after the interests of the community.
Key Features:
• Sarathi Didi: A dedicated in-app window allowing women passengers to book rides specifically with female drivers (Sarathi Didis) on two-wheelers.
• No Surge Pricing: Provides transparent and fixed pricing for passengers, even during peak hours.
• Integrated Services: Includes two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and four-wheeler taxis on a single platform.
• Social Safety Net: Integrated with the e-Shram portal, giving drivers access to Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (free treatment up to ₹5 lakh) and other gig-worker benefits.
Significance:
• By offering an alternative to the Western commission-based model, it forces private competitors to reduce their fees to remain competitive.
• Within three years, the service is planned to expand across India, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.
America-India Connect Subsea Cable Initiative
Source: News on Air
Subject: Science and Technology
Context: Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced the billion “America-India Connect” initiative at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, aiming to bridge the AI divide by linking India directly to the US and the Southern Hemisphere via advanced subsea cables.
About America-India Connect Subsea Cable Initiative:
What it is?
• A massive collaborative digital infrastructure project that anchors Google’s five-year, billion investment in India. It involves the construction of multiple international subsea cables and a new subsea gateway on India’s east coast to provide high-speed, resilient connectivity for AI and cloud workloads.
Announced By: Google during the India AI Impact Summit 2026.
• To democratize AI access and prevent a digital divide from becoming an AI divide.
• To increase the reach, reliability, and resilience of digital connectivity across four continents.
• To establish India as a global AI hub by providing the low-latency infrastructure required for frontier AI models.
Key Features:
• New Subsea Gateway: Establishment of India’s first major international subsea gateway in Visakhapatnam (Vizag), providing geographic diversity from existing landings in Mumbai and Chennai.
• Three New Subsea Paths: Direct routes connecting India to Singapore, South Africa, and Australia.
• Four Strategic Fiber Routes: New paths linking the US East/West coasts to India via Africa and the South Pacific.
• West Coast Connectivity: A direct fiber-optic path between Mumbai and Western Australia.
• AIIMS Partnership: Parallel announcement of a collaboration with AIIMS to develop AI tools that help patients input symptoms and generate preliminary reports to assist doctors.
• Skilling Integration: Collaboration with Karmayogi Bharat to provide AI-enabled training to 20 million public servants across 800+ districts.
Significance
• For a nation of 1.4 billion people, adding Vizag as a gateway ensures that India’s digital backbone remains functional even if traditional route face outages.
Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)
Source: TH
Subject: Science and Technology
Context: Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) are in focus as they have become the backbone of modern AI systems, cloud computing, and high-performance digital infrastructure.
About Graphics Processing Unit (GPU):
What is a GPU?
• A Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) is a specialised computer processor designed to perform many simple calculations simultaneously, making it ideal for parallel processing tasks.
• Unlike CPUs, which handle fewer complex tasks, GPUs excel at repetitive, data-intensive computations.
Origin:
• The term GPU gained prominence in 1999, when Nvidia launched the GeForce 256, marketed as the world’s first GPU.
Aim: The primary aim of a GPU is to handle embarrassingly parallel workloads—tasks that can be broken down into thousands of smaller, independent calculations performed simultaneously.
How it Works?
A GPU works through a process called a rendering pipeline (or a compute pipeline for non-graphics tasks):
• Vertex Processing: It calculates the position of 3D objects on a 2D screen using matrix mathematics.
• Rasterization: It converts these geometric shapes into pixels (fragments).
• Shading: It determines the color, lighting, and texture of each pixel simultaneously across thousands of cores.
• Output: The final image is written to VRAM (Video RAM) and sent to the monitor.
In modern AI, the GPU skips the visual steps and uses its cores to perform massive matrix multiplications, which are the mathematical foundation of neural networks.
Key Features:
• Parallel Architecture: Contains hundreds or thousands of small, specialized cores (e.g., CUDA cores or Tensor cores).
• High Memory Bandwidth: Uses specialized memory like GDDR6X or HBM3 (High Bandwidth Memory) to move massive amounts of data quickly.
• Programmability: Through platforms like Nvidia CUDA or OpenCL, developers can use GPUs for non-graphics tasks (GPGPU).
• Energy Density: High-end GPUs in 2026 can consume over 1000W per device, requiring advanced liquid cooling in data centres.
Applications:
• Artificial Intelligence: Training and running Large Language Models (LLMs) like GPT-4 or Gemini.
• Gaming & VR: Real-time ray tracing and high-frame-rate 4K/8K rendering.
• Scientific Simulation: Weather modelling, molecular dynamics for drug discovery, and genomic sequencing.
• Professional Visualization: 3D CAD modelling, video editing, and digital twins for industrial AI factories.
• Blockchain: Handling complex Proof of Work hashes for cryptocurrency mining.
The Privileges Committee
Source: NIE
Subject: Polity
Context: Privileges Committee and the Ethics Committee, have not been constituted in the Lok Sabha (the lower house of India’s Parliament) nearly two years.
About The Privileges Committee:
What it is?
• The Privileges Committee is a specialized standing committee of the legislature (Parliament or State Assemblies) that acts as a quasi-judicial body.
• It is tasked with safeguarding the privileges—special rights and immunities—of the House and its members to ensure they can function without outside interference or fear.
Origin:
• The concept is rooted in British Parliamentary conventions. Historically, these privileges were developed in medieval England to protect the House of Commons from the absolute power of the Monarch.
Articles Associated:
• Article 105: Defines the powers, privileges, and immunities of the Parliament (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha) and its members.
• Article 194: Defines the same for State Legislatures (Assemblies and Councils) and their members.
Aim: To investigate any action that casts reflections, insults, or obstructs the House, its committees, or its members, thereby protecting the dignity and authority of the legislative institution.
Members:
• Lok Sabha: 15 members nominated by the Speaker.
• Rajya Sabha: 10 members nominated by the Chairman.
• State Legislatures: Typically consists of 9 to 15 members (e.g., the Maharashtra Legislative Council committee currently has 9 members).
Key Functions:
• Examination: Investigates every question of breach of privilege referred to it by the House or the Presiding Officer.
• Evidence Collection: Has the power to summon individuals (both members and outsiders), record statements, and demand relevant documents.
• Determination: Evaluates the facts to decide if a breach of privilege or contempt has occurred.
• Recommendation: Submits a report to the House recommending a specific course of action, which may include: Admonition or Reprimand: A formal public scolding. Imprisonment: For the duration of the House session (rare). Suspension/Expulsion: If the offender is a member of the House. Unconditional Apology: Often, if the accused offers an apology, the committee recommends dropping the matter.
• Admonition or Reprimand: A formal public scolding.
• Imprisonment: For the duration of the House session (rare).
• Suspension/Expulsion: If the offender is a member of the House.
• Unconditional Apology: Often, if the accused offers an apology, the committee recommends dropping the matter.
Significance:
• Ensures that lawmakers can speak and vote freely without being sued for defamation in court for their actions inside the House.
• Acts as a deterrent against libels or physical obstructions that might hinder the democratic process.
AI-for-Energy mission
Source: DTE
Subject: International Organisation
Context: The International Solar Alliance (ISA) launched a global AI-for-Energy mission at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi to fast-track clean energy adoption across 120+ member countries.
About AI-for-Energy mission:
What it is?
• A strategic international initiative designed to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the clean energy infrastructure of developing and emerging economies.
• It leverages the India Energy Stack—a digital public infrastructure model—to modernize grids and decentralize power systems.
Launched By: The International Solar Alliance (ISA), in partnership with India’s Ministry of Power, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), and REC Limited.
• To assist member countries in digital leapfrogging, bypassing legacy infrastructure hurdles.
• To transform power grids into smart, bidirectional systems capable of absorbing high levels of renewable energy.
• To ensure equitable and affordable access to electricity through data-driven planning and service delivery.
Key Features:
• India Energy Stack: Using India’s interoperable digital platform (similar to UPI for payments) as a global template to connect consumers, vendors, and utilities.
• Digital Twin Technology: Showcasing virtual replicas of distribution networks (DISCOMs) for real-time simulation, predictive maintenance, and outage management.
• Citizen-Centric Tools: Tools like the One Solar App for transparent net-metering and performance tracking of rooftop solar installations.
• Geospatial Mapping (GIS): Utilizing GIS-based tools for asset-level visibility and optimized infrastructure planning in rural and urban sectors.
• Technical Capacity Building: A focus on five priorities: AI for distributed energy, start-up innovation, interoperable standards, citizen benefits, and sustainable financing.
Significance:
• AI helps manage the complexity of millions of prosumers, ensuring grid stability during peak demand.
• By reducing technical losses and lowering the cost of digital tools, the mission makes clean energy financially viable for low-income nations.
#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 19 February 2026 Mapping:
Strait of Hormuz
Source: FP
Subject: Mapping
Context: Iran temporarily shut parts of the Strait of Hormuz to conduct live-fire military drills named “Smart Control of the Strait of Hormuz.”
• This rare move coincided with indirect nuclear talks in Geneva and served as a strategic signal to the U.S. amid escalating regional tensions.
About Strait of Hormuz:
What it is?
• The Strait of Hormuz is the world’s most vital oil transit chokepoint. It is a narrow maritime passage that serves as the only sea exit for the Persian Gulf, linking it to the Gulf of Oman and the open ocean.
Located In: It is situated in the Middle East, separating the northern coast of Iran from the Arabian Peninsula.
• Links the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean through the Gulf of Oman.
Neighbouring Nations:
• Iran: Controls the northern coastline and several strategic islands (Qeshm, Hormuz, Larak).
• Oman: Controls the southern coast via the Musandam Peninsula exclave.
• United Arab Emirates (UAE): Located to the south and west; home to major ports like Fujairah.
Key Geographical Features:
• Dimensions: Approximately 167 km long and only 33 km wide at its narrowest point (between Iran and the Musandam Peninsula).
• Shipping Lanes: Due to shallow waters near the coast, tankers must use two 3-km wide shipping lanes (one inbound, one outbound) separated by a 2-km buffer zone.
• Strategic Islands: Iran maintains a heavy military presence on islands like Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs, which allow for de facto control over the shipping channels.
• Bathymetry: The water is deep enough (60–100 meters) to handle the world’s largest VLCCs (Very Large Crude Carriers), making it irreplaceable for bulk energy transport.
Significance:
• Roughly 20% of the world’s total petroleum liquids and 20% of global LNG pass through the strait daily—amounting to approximately 20 million barrels of oil.
• Any closure or even a slowdown in traffic spikes global oil prices and shipping insurance premiums instantly.
Facts for Prelims – 19th Feb Current Affairs Video
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