Current Affairs 17 February 2026

Bio-based Chemicals & Enzymes

Bio-based chemicals are industrial chemicals produced from biological feedstocks such as sugarcane, corn, starch, and biomass residues through fermentation or enzymatic processes. Enzymes are biological catalysts used in industries like detergents, food processing, textiles, pharmaceuticals, and biomanufacturing, and they help reduce energy consumption and emissions by operating at lower temperatures and pressures.

Why Important for India?

• Reduces import dependence on petrochemicals (e.g., large acetic acid imports)
• Creates value addition for agricultural produce
• Supports green manufacturing & circular bioeconomy
• Uses India’s strengths in fermentation technology, pharma & vaccines

Policy Support

• Identified as a priority sector under the Department of Biotechnology’s BioE3 Policy

Centenary Celebration of Ol Chiki Script

The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, inaugurated the centenary celebrations of the Ol Chiki script in New Delhi on February 16, 2026. The event was organised by the Ministry of Culture.

About Ol Chiki Script

• Invented in 1925 by Pandit Raghunath Murmu.
• Specifically developed for the Santhali language.
• Earlier, Santhali was written in Roman, Devanagari, Odia and Bengali scripts, which could not accurately represent its phonetics.
• Today, Ol Chiki is a strong symbol of Santal identity and cultural unity.

Creative Economy

India is positioning the creative economy including media & entertainment, AVGC-XR (Animation, VFX, Gaming, Comics, Extended Reality), digital content, and live events as a major driver of economic growth, employment, and global influence.

Economic Significance

• India’s Media & Entertainment sector valued at ₹2.5 trillion (2024)
• Projected to reach ₹3.06 trillion by 2027.

High-Growth Segments

• Gaming: ~₹232 billion
• Animation & VFX: ~₹103 billion
• Live entertainment: ₹100+ billion
• Digital media contributes about one-third of total revenues

AVGC-XR Ecosystem

• Identified as a technology-driven creative frontier
• Focus on original IP, global production pipelines & skill development
• Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) set up as National Centre of Excellence
• Sector expected to create ~20 lakh jobs in the next decade

Disclaimer: This article is prepared for competitive exam preparation using publicly available information.