The Union government has notified amendments to the Information Technology Rules, 2021, requiring all photorealistic AI-generated content to be prominently labeled. These changes, effective February 20, 2026, aim to prevent the spread of synthetic media that could be perceived as real. Social media platforms now face stricter timelines for removing illegal material, with sensitive content like non-consensual deepfakes requiring removal within two hours. Failure to comply could lead to the loss of 'safe harbour' protection, making intermediaries liable for user-posted content. The rules also allow States to designate multiple officers for issuing takedown orders to handle large populations effectively.
Intermediaries must ensure clear and prominent labeling of synthetic content that appears real or portrays real-world events.
The timeline for removing illegal content has been reduced from 24-36 hours to just 3 hours for general illegal material.
Non-consensual deepfakes and nudity must be removed within a strict two-hour window to minimize harm.
Exam Points
Amendments made to Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
New rules come into force on February 20, 2026.
Takedown timeline for sensitive content reduced to 2 hours.
Bangladesh is set to replace Indian cotton with U.S.-produced cotton following a landmark U.S.-Bangladesh trade deal. The agreement provides Bangladesh with a 19% tariff reduction (to zero) on textile products if they use U.S. cotton or man-made fibers. This move aims to grant Bangladesh greater access to the massive U.S. textile market. However, experts warn this could restrict Bangladesh from exploring other competitive markets. Historically, India has been a major supplier, exporting $1.6 billion worth of cotton yarn to Bangladesh in 2024. The shift follows a period of strained trade relations and tit-for-tat restrictions between the two neighbors.
A new trade deal eliminates the 19% tariff on Bangladeshi textiles using U.S. cotton, incentivizing a shift away from Indian raw materials.
Bangladesh traditionally imported cotton from India and Central Asia due to a lack of domestic production for its large textile sector.
The deal is seen as a 'game changer' for access to the U.S. market, which is the largest textile market for Bangladeshi manufacturers.
Exam Points
Bangladesh imported $1.6 billion worth of cotton yarn from India in 2024.
The U.S. trade deal offers a 0% tariff (down from 19%) for specific raw material usage.
India imposed curbs on several export items to Bangladesh on May 16, 2025.
Climate change and pollution are causing a phenomenon known as 'ecological discoloration,' where flora and fauna are losing their vibrant colors. Rising temperatures and habitat loss force species to adapt their pigmentation for survival, thermoregulation, and mating. For instance, insects in the northern hemisphere are becoming lighter to prevent overheating, while some birds in urban areas are becoming duller due to pollution. In the oceans, coral bleaching is stripping reefs of their color and structural complexity. These changes disrupt ecological balances, affecting predator-prey dynamics and reproductive success across various ecosystems, from the Amazon rainforest to the Great Barrier Reef.
Ecological discoloration is a direct consequence of climate change, affecting thermoregulation and camouflage in various species.
Gloger’s rule suggests animals in warmer regions tend to be more heavily pigmented, but current rapid warming is causing lighter shifts in some species.
Urbanization and heavy metal pollution are linked to duller plumage in bird species, affecting their attractiveness to mates.
Exam Points
A 2024 study of 547 bird species in China linked urbanization to color changes.
Gloger’s Rule: Biological rule stating that within a species of endotherms, more heavily pigmented forms tend to be found in more humid environments.
Coral bleaching events were reported in Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay in February 2025.
A 'wet dress rehearsal' is a vital full-scale test in rocketry that simulates launch day activities, including the loading of cryogenic propellants. Unlike a 'dry' rehearsal, which focuses on countdown and ground systems without fuel, a wet rehearsal involves filling the rocket with liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. This process allows engineers to validate hardware, software, and timelines under actual cryogenic conditions. These tests are essential for identifying leaks in seals or connections that only manifest at extremely low temperatures. NASA recently conducted such a test for its Artemis II mission, identifying a hydrogen leak that required rectification before the actual launch.
A wet dress rehearsal is the final major test before a rocket launch, involving actual fuel loading to simulate launch conditions.
It tests the integration of people, hardware, software, and ground systems under launch-day timelines.
Cryogenic propellants like liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen are used to reveal temperature-sensitive leaks in the rocket's seals.
Exam Points
Artemis II: NASA's planned mission to send humans around the Moon.
Cryogenic propellants: Typically liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen for large rockets.
SLS (Space Launch System): The rocket used for NASA's Artemis missions.
The 'New' Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) between the U.S. and Russia expired on February 5, 2026, marking the end of a pivotal era in nuclear arms control. Originally signed in 2010, the treaty limited both nations to 1,550 deployed strategic nuclear warheads. Its expiration, amidst shifting global geopolitics and the rise of China as a nuclear power, raises fears of a renewed arms race. U.S. leadership has indicated that future agreements must include China. The end of START threatens other international frameworks like the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), necessitating a new, more inclusive approach to global nuclear stability.
The New START Treaty was the last remaining major arms control agreement between the U.S. and Russia.
The treaty had successfully reduced deployed warheads from Cold War peaks to 1,550 per side.
Geopolitical shifts towards 'imperialist structures' and tariff wars are undermining traditional arms control diplomacy.
Exam Points
New START Treaty (2010) expired on February 5, 2026.
Original START I (1991) required cutting strategic warheads to 6,000.
The 2010 treaty limited deployed warheads to 1,550 and delivery systems to 700-800.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is poised to transform the world on a scale comparable to the Industrial Revolution. Beyond Large Language Models (LLMs), AI is becoming a critical instrument in diplomacy, state-craft, and modern warfare. The conflict in Ukraine has already demonstrated the power of 'game age technology,' where AI-driven drones and electronic warfare redefine the battlefield. However, the rapid advancement of AI brings significant risks, including the potential for autonomous systems to escape human control. Experts call for effective global oversight and a set of 'checks and balances' to prevent AI from becoming a runaway threat to humankind.
AI is shifting from a secondary tool to a primary enabler of national competitiveness and military power.
The 'militarisation of AI' is moving warfare from human-controlled to autonomous systems capable of independent decision-making.
Concerns exist regarding AI 'hallucinations' in judicial settings and the potential for autonomous drone swarms to cause mass casualties.
Exam Points
World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos (January 2026) highlighted AI as a 'rupture' in global power.
The 'obiter dictum' suggests humankind must develop checks to prevent 'runaway' AI.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) introduced the Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions Regulations, 2026, to tackle persistent caste, gender, and religion-based discrimination. While the need for such intervention is widely acknowledged, the regulations have faced protests and a Supreme Court stay. Critics argue that the mandate for 'swift redressal' within rigid timelines, combined with vague definitions and central monitoring, creates a 'compliance theatre.' This environment may lead institutions to prioritize visible, performative actions over genuine structural reform, potentially disadvantaging the very marginalized communities the rules aim to protect by diluting the quality of adjudication.
The regulations aim to address long-standing discrimination in Indian higher education through mandatory equity committees.
A Supreme Court stay was issued on January 29, 2026, following protests over procedural vagueness and fear of unfair penalties.
The 'Thin Process' model is criticized for valuing speed over careful, fair adjudication of complex grievances.
Exam Points
UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026.
Supreme Court stayed the implementation on January 29, 2026.
Leading private space companies, SpaceX and Blue Origin, are increasingly prioritizing lunar missions over long-term Mars ambitions. This pivot is driven by immediate external demand, primarily from NASA’s Artemis program, and the need to mature technologies in a closer, more accessible environment. The Moon serves as a critical testing ground for life-support systems and heavy-lift rockets like SpaceX’s Starship. Additionally, the lunar race has become a symbol of geopolitical leadership, with the U.S. aiming to return humans to the Moon before rival nations. This shift reflects a pragmatic approach to building a sustainable space economy.
The Moon is a 'week away by rocketflight,' making it a more feasible immediate target than Mars for testing technology.
NASA's Artemis program provides the primary funding and demand for lunar lander development in the private sector.
SpaceX’s Starship is being developed as a transport system for both lunar and interplanetary travel.
Exam Points
SpaceX’s Starship is a key component of NASA's Artemis III mission.
Artemis III aims for a crewed lunar landing by March 2027.
Blue Origin is developing a human landing system for NASA under a separate contract.
A study published in Nature Communications reveals that 51% of the world’s coral reefs experienced moderate or worse bleaching between 2014 and 2017. This period, known as the 'Third Global Bleaching Event,' saw 15% of reefs suffer significant mortality. Experts warn that an even more severe 'Fourth Event' began in early 2023. Coral bleaching occurs when heat stress causes corals to eject symbiotic algae, leading to starvation. With global temperatures already exceeding 1.5°C on average between 2023-2025, the scientific consensus suggests most reefs may perish unless warming is drastically curtailed.
The 2014-2017 bleaching event was the most widespread and severe on record until the current 2023 event.
Bleaching is a stress response where corals lose their color and primary food source (algae) due to rising sea temperatures.
Ongoing warming threatens irreversible degradation of essential marine ecosystems that support biodiversity.
Exam Points
Study published in the journal Nature Communications.
Third Global Bleaching Event occurred between 2014-2017.
Global temperatures exceeded 1.5°C on average between 2023-2025 according to Copernicus data.
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