IndiaAI Mission 2.0

• The Union Minister for Electronics and IT announced the upcoming IndiaAI Mission 2.0 during the India AI Impact Summit.
• This second phase of the IndiaAI Mission aims to scale up Research & Development (R&D), innovation, and the diffusion of AI across sectors.
• Compute Capacity: The government plans to procure an additional 20,000 GPUs to strengthen the “common compute” infrastructure for startups and researchers.
• MSME Support: The mission aims to package AI into ready-to-use solutions for small businesses, modelled after UPI.
• Research Focus: It will focus on deep-tech R&D, indigenous innovation and application layers.

IndiaAI Mission

• It is a national initiative launched by the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) in 2024 to build a robust AI ecosystem by democratising access to computing power.
• Nodal Agency: It is implemented by the ‘IndiaAI’ Independent Business Division (IBD) of the Digital India Corporation.

Seven Key Pillars of the Mission

• Compute Capacity: Building scalable infrastructure with over 10,000 GPUs through public-private partnerships.
• Innovation Centre: The IndiaAI Innovation Centre for developing indigenous Large Multimodal Models (LMMs) and domain-specific foundational models.
• Datasets Platform: AIKosh for providing a unified access point to high-quality, non-personal datasets.
• Application Development: Creating impactful AI solutions for critical sectors like healthcare, agriculture, and governance.
• FutureSkills: Expanding AI courses and setting up Data and AI Labs in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.
• Startup Financing: Providing streamlined access to risk capital and funding for deep-tech AI startups to support futuristic projects.
• Ethical AI: Developing governance frameworks and guidelines to ensure safe, trusted AI deployment.

Systemic Institutional Failure in Urban Governance

• The recent death of Yuvraj Mehta in Greater Noida goes beyond a mere accident, highlighting systemic failures in India’s urban governance.

Urban Infrastructure Landscape

• Road Safety: Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) attributes over 2,000 deaths annually to poor engineering, often misclassified as driver negligence.
• Economic Impact: Poor road safety and infrastructure failures cost the Indian economy about 3.14% of GDP annually.
• Capacity Deficit: Municipal corporations face staff vacancies of 35% to 41%, creating critical shortages of engineers and safety inspectors.
• Planning Gaps: NITI Aayog notes that nearly 65% of India’s urban settlements lack statutory master plans due to governance classification issues.
• Legal Challenges: Conviction rates under Section 304A remain historically low as the law struggles to pin liability on systemic institutional failure.

Key Reasons Behind Systemic Failure

• Demographic Overload: Rapid migration drives population growth beyond infrastructure capacity, forcing cities to operate at 200-300% of their designed capacity.
• Institutional Fragmentation: Governance is fragmented across multiple agencies (PWD, Jal Board, Police), creating jurisdictional silos that hinder unified accountability.
• Legal Immunity: Agencies often evade liability for operational negligence by invoking the colonial doctrine of Sovereign Immunity, leaving victims uncompensated.
• Constitutional Gaps: The 74th Amendment remains unimplemented in spirit, as states have failed to fully devolve “Funds, Functions, and Functionaries” to local bodies.
• Regulatory Failure: A nexus between contractors and officials often results in the approval of substandard projects without mandatory safety audits.
• Ethical Erosion: A “normalisation of negligence” prioritises procedural paperwork over the moral imperative to save lives in crises.
• Disaster Management: The approach is reactive, with insufficient investment in preventive audits or resilience infrastructure until tragedies occur.

Structural Reform Pathways

• Counter-Magnet Cities: Develop Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities (e.g., Patna and Lucknow) to ease migration pressure on overcrowded metros.
• Legal Reform: Enact a “Civil Liability Act” to make government agencies financially accountable, removing the sovereign immunity shield.
• Unified Governance: Establish a Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA) to eliminate inter-agency coordination failures.
• Quality Assurance: Institutionalise independent third-party safety audits for all infrastructure projects, aligned with ISO 39001 standards.
• Capacity Building: Equip urban police stations with basic disaster-response kits (e.g., drones, cutters) to enable immediate action.
• Participatory Governance: Legally empower Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) to conduct social audits of local hazards.

Front-of-Package Labelling

• The Supreme Court pushes for front-of-package (FOP) labels to help consumers make healthier food choices.
• Front-of-package (FOP) labelling is a public health intervention that provides simplified, easily visible nutritional information on packaged foods, highlighting high levels of sugar, salt, and saturated fat.

Supreme Court Intervention and Regulatory Push

• FOP Directive: Supreme Court orders the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to implement front-of-package warnings and respond within four weeks for urgent consumer protection.
• Regulatory Oversight: In 2025, SC formed an FSSAI expert committee for labelling reforms; by 2026, progress was inadequate, highlighting the Court’s dissatisfaction with delays.

Rising Dietary Risks

• Health Imperative: India faces rising diet-related diseases; 101 million diabetics, 136 million prediabetics, 35.5% hypertension, 39.5% abdominal obesity, 24% high cholesterol (ICMR-INDIAB, 2023).
• Diet Link: Excess sugar, salt, and saturated fat consumption drives non-communicable diseases.
• Consumer Empowerment: Front-of-package labelling enables informed food choices.
• Disease Prevention: Proper labelling can reduce morbidity and mortality from diet-related conditions.

Impact on Consumers and Industry

• Informed Consumer Choice: Simplified labels allow consumers to quickly identify unhealthy foods.
• Consumer Empowerment: Helps reduce the prevalence of NCDs through informed dietary decisions.
• Corporate Accountability: Encourages manufacturers to reformulate products to meet healthier nutritional standards.

India–France Ties Upgraded to a Special Global Strategic Partnership

• French President Emmanuel Macron is currently on a three-day official visit to India, marking his fourth visit to the country.

Key Outcomes of President Macron’s 2026 Visit to India

• Diplomatic Elevation: The bilateral relationship was formally elevated to a Special Global Strategic Partnership to strengthen Indo-Pacific cooperation.
• Institutional Oversight: An Annual Foreign Ministers Dialogue was instituted to monitor the implementation of the Horizon 2047 goals.
• Defence Production: A Joint Venture (JV) between BEL and Safran was established to localise HAMMER missile manufacturing in India.
• Military Interoperability: Reciprocal liaison officers were deployed at Indian Army and French Land Forces establishments to strengthen field-level coordination.
• Human Capital: The countries signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) to establish a National Centre of Excellence for Skilling in Aeronautics.
• Fiscal Alignment: Both countries signed a protocol to amend the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) to ease cross-border investments.
• Digital Infrastructure: The Indo-French Centre for Digital Sciences was launched to co-develop trusted public infrastructure and emerging technologies.
• Logistics Modernisation: The Department of Posts (India) and La Poste (France) signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) to co-develop e-commerce logistics and digital postal services.
• Innovation Synergy: The India-France Year of Innovation 2026 was launched to foster R&D synergy between startups and research institutions.
• Healthcare AI: AIIMS, New Delhi, will host the Indo-French Centre for AI in Health to integrate advanced AI into diagnostic processes.
• Professional Mobility: France operationalised a five-year Schengen visa for Indian Master’s alumni to streamline professional and academic travel.
• Overview of India-France Bilateral Relation
• Strategic Evolution: India established its first strategic partnership with France in 1998, which was elevated to a Special Global Strategic Partnership in 2026.
• Centenary Roadmap: Both nations signed the Horizon 2047 roadmap in 2023, marking 25 years of strategic partnership across three pillars – Security, Planet, and People.
• Trade Profile: France is India’s 3rd largest trade partner in the EU, with total bilateral trade reaching $15 billion in 2024-25; India maintains a positive trade balance.
• Export Basket: Refined petroleum, readymade garments, electronics, etc.
• Import Basket: Aviation equipment, electrical machinery, chemical products, etc.
• Defence Procurement: India cleared procurement of 114 Rafale jets and finalised the contract for 26 Rafale-M jets, marking its largest-ever hardware acquisition.
• Military Synergy: Regular Varuna (Naval), Shakti (Army), and Garuda (Air Force) exercises continue to strengthen tactical interoperability.
• Digital Integration: The launch of UPI at the Eiffel Tower and Galeries Lafayette marks the first major integration of Indian digital payments into the Eurozone
• Space Collaboration: ISRO and CNES are co-developing the TRISHNA thermal imaging satellite for climate monitoring, building on the success of the joint Megha-Tropiques and SARAL missions.
• Nuclear Cooperation: France became the first country to sign a Civil Nuclear Agreement with India in 2008, shortly after the NSG waiver lifted India’s nuclear isolation.
• Nuclear Project: The Indo-French Jaitapur project in Maharashtra aims to achieve a total capacity of 9.9 GW, making it the world’s largest nuclear power park.
• Strategic Alignment: Strategic autonomy, a multipolar world order, and a free and open Indo-Pacific.
• Policy Variance: Ukraine-Russia conflict, varying approaches to China, and nuclear liability laws.

India–France Defence Cooperation Gets 10-Year Extension

• India and France renewed their Defence Cooperation Agreement for another 10 years during the 6th India-France Annual Defence Dialogue in Bengaluru.
• Partnership Transition: Co-chaired by the defence ministers, the dialogue focused on transforming the buyer-seller relationship into a deep industrial partnership.
• Indigenisation Target: India formally requested that France increase the indigenous content in the proposed 114 Rafale jets to 50% and establish local MRO facilities for all French aero engines.

About Defence Cooperation Agreement

• Strategic Transition: The 2006 Defence Cooperation Agreement operationalised Indo-French relations into a comprehensive military partnership under the 1998 Strategic Partnership framework.
• Technology Transfer: It established a formal mechanism for the transfer of defence technology; India developed six Scorpene submarines under Project 75, using French technology.
• Institutional Oversight: The High Committee on Defence Cooperation (HCDC), led by Defence Secretaries, was created to oversee military, industrial, and research collaboration.
• Joint Exercises: The 2006 agreement formalised three major bilateral exercises, namely Varuna (Navy), Garuda (Air Force), and Shakti (Army; initiated in 2011).
• Security Dialogue: Both nations institutionalised a systematic exchange of views on counter-terrorism and global security threats.
• Logistics Access: The Reciprocal Logistics Support Agreement (2018) expanded the DCA by allowing the Indian Navy to use French bases in the Indian Ocean (like Reunion Island) and vice versa.

U.S. Conducts First Air Transport of Nuclear Microreactor

• The U.S. for the first time transported a nuclear microreactor to demonstrate its potential to quickly deploy nuclear power for military and civilian use.

About Nuclear Microreactors

• Nuclear microreactors are a class of very small, factory-built fission reactors that generate 1 to 20 megawatts (MW) of electrical power.
• These units are approximately 100 to 1,000 times smaller than conventional nuclear reactors.
• Key Applications: They are ideal for powering military bases, disaster-affected areas, and remote communities where transporting fossil fuels is difficult.
• Key Advantages: Microreactors provide a resilient, zero-carbon energy source with “walk-away” safety features that inherently prevent meltdowns.
• Major Challenges: High costs, regulatory delays, and physical security risks limit adoption, while its fuel raises nuclear proliferation concerns.

Key Characteristics of Nuclear Microreactors

• Factory-Fabricated: Microreactors are fully factory-fabricated and assembled before shipment to the deployment site.
• Fuel Longevity: Most designs utilise High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) to ensure high energy density and core longevity; the reactors operate for 5 to 10 years without refuelling.
• Self-Adjusting: They employ passive safety systems that automatically shut down without human intervention or external power.
• Transportable: The units are compact enough to be transported by truck, ship, or aircraft to remote and off-grid locations.
• India currently lacks the commercial capability to produce HALEU fuel, which limits indigenous microreactor development and prioritises Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).

India’s First Private Sector Helicopter Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Karnataka

• Context (PIB): PM Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron virtually inaugurated India’s first private-sector Helicopter Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Vemagal, Karnataka.
• Strategic Partnership: It operates under a strategic partnership between Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and Airbus Helicopters to manufacture the Airbus H125 light utility helicopter.
• Milestone: The project marks the first time a private Indian company has undertaken end-to-end manufacturing, integration, and testing of advanced helicopters.
• Global Footprint: Karnataka becomes home to the world’s fourth H125 manufacturing and FAL facility, joining France, the United States, and Brazil.

About Airbus H125 Helicopter

• The Airbus H125 is a single-engine light utility helicopter optimised for peak performance in high-altitude and hot environments.
• Aviation Record: It remains the only helicopter to have successfully landed on and taken off from the summit of Mount Everest (29,029 feet).
• Operational Range: The H125 offers a range of 340 nautical miles (630 km) and a standard fuel endurance of 4.5 hours.
• Multi-Modal Utility: It is a multi-mission workhorse used extensively in law enforcement, search and rescue, air ambulance, firefighting, construction support, and power-line inspection.

Tulbul Navigation Barrage Project

• The Jammu & Kashmir government has proposed reviving the Tulbul Navigation Barrage project, as the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) is in abeyance.
• The project began in 1984 but was suspended in 1987 due to Pakistan’s objection under the 1960 IWT.
• The Tulbul Navigation Barrage Project, also known as the Wular Barrage, is a strategic navigation lock-cum-control structure.
• It is located at the outlet of Wular Lake on the Jhelum River, near Sopore in Baramulla district, Jammu & Kashmir.
• It aims to maintain a minimum water depth of 4.5 feet in the Jhelum River during lean winter months.
• The project ensures year-round navigability of the river and enhances power generation for downstream projects like Uri-I and Uri-II.

About Wular Lake

• Wular Lake is the largest freshwater lake in India, located in Jammu and Kashmir.
• The lake is primarily fed by the Jhelum River; the basin was formed as a result of tectonic activity.
• It serves as a natural flood reservoir for the Kashmir Valley, absorbing excess water from the Jhelum.
• It was designated a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention in 1990.
• It contains the man-made island Zaina Lank, constructed by Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin in the 15th century.

Cheetah Gamini in Kuno National Park Gave Birth to Three New Cubs

• The South African cheetah Gamini gave birth to three healthy cubs at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh.
• Total Population: This birth brings India’s cheetah population to 38, comprising 27 Indian-born cubs and 11 translocated adults.
• Conservation Milestone: Gamini was translocated from South Africa in February 2023 as part of Project Cheetah, the world’s first intercontinental large wild carnivore translocation project.
• Habitat Distribution: Kuno National Park currently houses 35 cheetahs, while 3 adult cheetahs are located at the Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary.
• Future Expansion: Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh has been designated as the third reintroduction site.

Khorramshahr‑4 Ballistic Missile

• Rising US-Iran tensions, Tehran released striking footage of its powerful Khorramshahr‑4 missile.

Khorramshahr‑4 Ballistic Missile

• About: The Khorramshahr‑4, also known as the Kheibar missile, is a medium-range ballistic missile.
• Developed By: Iran’s state-owned Aerospace Industry Organisation (AIO).
• Target Range: Estimated 2,000 km, putting key U.S. bases and aircraft carriers within striking distance.
• Missile Size & Weight: Stands 13 m tall, 1.5 m in diameter, and weighs up to 20 tonnes.
• Payload: Can carry multiple warheads totalling 1,800 kg and strike up to 80 targets.
• Fuel & Speed: Liquid-fuelled, travels 16 Mach outside the atmosphere & 8 Mach within the atmosphere.

Bee Corridor

• The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has announced India’s first dedicated ‘Bee Corridors’ along National Highways.

What it is?

• ‘Bee Corridors’ are linear stretches of pollinator-friendly vegetation developed along National Highways.
• They will consist of flowering trees and plants that provide year-round nectar and pollen support to honeybees and other pollinators.
• Aim: To reduce ecological stress on pollinators and ensure sustained availability of nectar sources, thereby strengthening agricultural productivity and ecological balance through climate-sensitive highway plantation planning.

Key Features:

• Native, Nectar-Rich Plantation Mix: Includes species like Neem, Karanj, Mahua, Palash, Jamun and Siris to support biodiversity.
• Staggered Blooming Cycle: Ensures near-continuous flowering across seasons to maintain pollinator food supply.
• Strategic Spacing Along Highways: Flowering clusters planted every 500 m–1 km, aligned with average bee foraging distance.

Significance:

• Enhances Ecological Services: Strengthens pollination critical for agriculture and horticulture.
• Promotes Sustainable Infrastructure: Integrates biodiversity conservation into highway development.

80th Anniversary of the 1946 Royal Indian Navy Revolt

• February 18, 2026 marks the 80th anniversary of the 1946 Royal Indian Navy (RIN) Revolt, a major uprising against British rule.

1946 Royal Indian Navy Revolt:

• The Royal Indian Navy (RIN) Revolt was a five-day armed uprising (February 18–23, 1946) by Indian naval ratings against British colonial authority.
• It began as a protest over poor conditions but soon evolved into a wider anti-colonial rebellion involving sailors, workers, and civilians.

Historical Background:

• Indian ratings faced racial discrimination, poor food, low wages, and harsh treatment.
• Inspired by the Quit India Movement (1942) and the trials of the Indian National Army (INA).
• Appointment of openly racist officers, such as Arthur Frederick King at HMIS Talwar, further fuelled anger.

Leaders Associated:

• Prominent leaders of the uprising included: B. C. Dutt, M. S. Khan, Madan Singh, Salil Shyam, and Rishi Dev Puri.
• A Naval Central Strike Committee was formed to coordinate actions and present demands.

Events of the Revolt:

1. Beginning at HMIS Talwar (Bombay):

• Started with a hunger strike over poor food quality on February 18, 1946.
• Raised nationalist slogans such as “Quit India” and “Jai Hind.”

2. Rapid Spread:

• Spread to 78 ships and 20 shore establishments across Bombay, Karachi, Madras, Vishakhapatnam, Kolkata, and the Andamans.
• Nearly 20,000 naval ratings participated.

3. Popular Support:

• Workers, students, and civilians joined in solidarity.
• Hindu-Muslim unity was visible as Congress, Muslim League, and Communist flags were hoisted together.
• The Bombay Uprising of 1946 – refers to the mass protests and street battles that erupted in Bombay (now Mumbai), in support of the Royal Indian Navy (RIN) revolt against British rule.

4. Armed Confrontation:

• British troops opened fire in Bombay.
• Street battles erupted in mill districts like Kamatipura and Madanpura.
• Around 200 civilians were killed during suppression efforts.

5. End of the Revolt:

• Political leaders, including Congress and Muslim League leadership, urged restraint.
• Naval ratings surrendered on February 23, 1946.
• Leaders were arrested, and the uprising was militarily suppressed.
• However, the revolt deeply shook British confidence in maintaining control over India.

Significance:

• The revolt signalled that even the armed forces, the backbone of colonial control, could no longer be fully trusted by the British, accelerating their decision to transfer power.
• At a time of growing communal tensions, the uprising witnessed rare solidarity across religious lines, with joint protests and shared nationalist symbols.
• The movement extended beyond naval ratings, drawing workers, students, and civilians into coordinated street resistance against colonial authority.

Beat the Heat Programme

• Maharashtra has announced that 30 cities have joined the global “Beat the Heat” programme during Mumbai Climate Week 2026.

About Beat the Heat Programme:

• Beat the Heat is a global climate initiative aimed at accelerating action against extreme heat through sustainable cooling and urban resilience strategies.
• It translates the Global Cooling Pledge into practical, city-level implementation.

Launched In:

• Announced under the COP30 Presidency (Brazil).
• Supported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) through the Cool Coalition.

Aim:

• Cut greenhouse gas emissions from cooling systems while promoting energy-efficient and low-carbon technologies.
• Protect vulnerable populations by integrating affordable cooling and climate-adaptive measures into city planning.

Key Features:

• Heat Risk Assessment: Supports cities in mapping heat vulnerability and identifying hotspots.
• Nature-Based Cooling: Promotes urban greening, tree cover expansion, and shaded public spaces.
• Passive Cooling Solutions: Encourages cool roofs, reflective surfaces, and climate-sensitive building design.
• Efficient Cooling Technologies: Pushes for low-energy air-conditioning and low global-warming refrigerants.
• Policy Integration: Integrates heat resilience into urban planning, building codes, and infrastructure design.
• Financial and Institutional Support: Assists cities in accessing climate finance and strengthening implementation capacity.

Significance:

• Climate Adaptation Imperative: Addresses extreme heat, which causes more annual deaths globally than floods and storms combined.
• Urban Focus: Targets urban heat island effects, where temperatures can be up to 10°C higher than rural areas.
• NOTE: There are actually two distinct global initiatives with the exact same name, each run by a different organization.

1. The UNEP “Beat the Heat” – Focus on urban infrastructure and cooling.
2. The WHO “Beat the Heat” – Focus on human health and safety in sports event.

G7 Summit 2026

• French President Emmanuel Macron has invited Prime Minister of India to attend the 52nd G7 Summit (2026) in France.

About G7 Summit 2026:

• The G7 Summit 2026 is the annual meeting of leaders of the world’s seven advanced democracies to deliberate on global economic stability, security, climate change, and geopolitical issues.

Host Country: France

Venue: Évian, France

What is the G7?

• The Group of Seven (G7) is an informal forum of leading industrialized democracies that meet annually to coordinate responses to global economic and political challenges.
• Members of G7: United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Canada.
• The European Union (EU) participates as a non-enumerated member represented by the Presidents of the European Council and European Commission.

Origin and History:

• Established: 1975 (Rambouillet Summit, France).
• The first summit was convened by France to bring together major industrial economies.
• 1973 Oil Crisis and Financial Instability: It emerged as a response to global recession, inflation, and energy shocks following the oil embargo, requiring collective economic stabilisation.
• G6 to G7 (1976): Canada’s inclusion transformed the original G6 into the G7, strengthening North American representation and economic coordination.
• G8 Phase (1997–2014): Russia joined post-Cold War to encourage integration with Western economies, but was suspended after the Crimea annexation in 2014.
• Expansion of Agenda: Over time, the G7 evolved from a financial coordination forum into a platform addressing climate change, security, development, and global governance.

Key Functions:

• Macroeconomic Coordination: Aligns fiscal and monetary policies among major economies to manage inflation, debt crises, and financial instability.
• Global Governance Influence: Shapes norms on trade, development finance, debt restructuring, and multilateral institutional reforms.
• Security Dialogue: Provides a platform to coordinate responses to geopolitical crises, sanctions regimes, and global security challenges.
• Climate Leadership: Advances climate mitigation targets, clean energy transitions, and global environmental commitments.
• Ministerial Tracks: Specialized ministerial meetings prepare detailed policy inputs for leaders’ communiqués across sectors like finance, health, and digital governance.

Significance:

• Represents Nearly 40% of Global GDP: The collective economic weight of G7 nations gives it significant influence over global markets and financial systems.
• Shapes International Norms and Crisis Response: Its communiqués and coordinated actions often guide global responses to economic shocks, pandemics, and geopolitical conflicts.

AI-Preneurs of India

• The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) under NITI Aayog launched AI-Preneurs of India at the India AI Impact Summit 2026.

What is AI-Preneurs of India?

• AI-Preneurs of India is a flagship coffee table book that documents the journeys of 45 pioneering AI startups solving real-world problems.
• It is the 7th edition of AIM’s Innovations For You series and showcases India’s growing deep-tech and AI startup ecosystem.

Aim of the Initiative:

• Showcase purpose-driven AI innovation: Highlight startups building AI solutions aligned with national development goals and real societal needs.
• Position India as a responsible global AI contributor: Promote inclusive, ethical, and impact-oriented AI entrepreneurship on the global stage.

Key Features:

• Founder-First Storytelling: Captures the journeys, challenges, and motivations of entrepreneurs, moving beyond pure technological narratives.
• Sectoral Diversity: Features AI applications across 30+ sectors, reflecting the breadth of India’s innovation landscape.
• Nationwide Representation: Showcases startups nurtured through Atal Incubation Centres across multiple states, beyond metro hubs.
• Purpose-Led Innovation: Emphasizes AI solutions solving real-world issues in healthcare, sustainability, education, and governance.
• Policy-Ecosystem Linkage: Demonstrates synergy between public incubation platforms and private AI innovators.

Significance:

• Advances AI for social good: Reinforces India’s commitment to using AI as a tool for inclusive development.
• Strengthens innovation infrastructure credibility: Highlights the role of AIM in building a robust, mission-driven startup ecosystem.

Ravi River

• India is set to utilise surplus waters of the Ravi River through the Shahpur Kandi Dam, preventing unused flows into Pakistan.

Ravi River:

• The Ravi River is one of the five rivers of the Indus river system, which give Punjab its name (“Land of Five Rivers”).
• It is an eastern river under the Indus Waters Treaty, allocated exclusively to India.

Origin:

• Originates near the Rohtang Pass in Himachal Pradesh.
• Rises at an elevation of around 4,400 metres above sea level.
• Initially flows as two streams — Budhil and Tantgari — which later merge.

Course of the River:

• Countries: Flows through India and Pakistan.

Within India:

• Himachal Pradesh (mainly Chamba district).
• Punjab (Gurdaspur, Amritsar districts).
• Forms part of the India–Pakistan international boundary before entering Pakistan.

In Pakistan:

• Flows past Lahore.
• Eventually joins the Chenab River.
• Tributaries of Ravi River:

1. Right Bank Tributaries: Siul River, Baira River, Budhil River, and Tant Gari
2. Left Bank Tributaries: Ujh River and Chirchind Nala.

• Other Tributaries / Streams: Bhadal River, Sewa River, Bein and Basantar.
• Ravi is a Tributary of: The Ravi River ultimately joins the Chenab River, which is a major western tributary of the Indus River.

Key Features of the Ravi River:

• Total length: Approx. 720 km (about 320 km in India) – The river flows through both India and Pakistan, with nearly half its course lying within Indian territory.
• Catchment area in India: Around 5,957 sq km – A significant drainage basin in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab supports irrigation and hydropower projects.
• Flow is sustained by Himalayan snowmelt in summer and intensified by heavy monsoon rains from June to September.
• Intense rainfall often leads to high discharge levels, causing seasonal flooding in downstream areas.
• Controlled by major dams like Chamera I, II, III and Ranjit Sagar (Thein) Dam – These projects regulate water flow for hydropower generation, irrigation, and flood management.
• Shahpur Kandi Dam: A multipurpose project on the Ravi River near the Punjab–J&K border, aimed at utilising surplus eastern river waters for irrigation and reducing flow into Pakistan.