Current Affairs 20 February 2026

Nvidia & OpenAI Partner with Indian Firms and Institutes at AI Impact Summit

At the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, global AI leaders Nvidia and OpenAI announced major collaborations with Indian industry, academia and ed-tech platforms, strengthening India’s AI ecosystem.

• Nvidia partnered with Yotta (Data centre infrastructure), Larsen & Toubro and E2E networks.
• Nvidia will provide access to:
  • Nemotron: Family of open-source Large Language Models (LLMs)
  • NeMo: Software suite for building and managing AI agents
• OpenAI partnered with leading institutions such as IIT Delhi, IIM Ahmedabad, AIIMS New Delhi, Manipal Academy, University of Petroleum & Energy , and Pearl academy.
• OpenAI also partnered with these Ed-tech companies such as PhysicsWallah, upGrad and HCL GUVI

Sarvam AI

Bengaluru-based Sarvam AI launched 35-billion parameter LLM and 105-billion parameter LLM at the India AI Impact Summit. This is a major milestone for India’s sovereign AI development.

The Sage who Reimagined Hinduism – Book released

The Vice-President of India, C. P. Radhakrishnan, released the book “The Sage who Reimagined Hinduism: The Life, Lessons and Legacy of Sree Narayana Guru” authored by Dr. Shashi Tharoor at the India International Centre, New Delhi.

About Sree Narayana Guru

• Sree Narayana Guru (1856–1928) was a great social reformer, saint and philosopher from Kerala
• His revolutionary message “One Caste, One Religion, One God for humankind”
• His important literary works include Atmopadesa Satakam, Daiva Dasakam, Jati Nirnayam and Arivu.
• He fromed Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam in 1903.

First GI-Tagged Salem Sago Consignment Exported to Canada

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) facilitated the first direct export of GI-tagged Salem Sago from Tamil Nadu to Canada.

About Salem Sago

• Derived from tapioca roots
• Tamil Nadu is the largest producer of tapioca sago in India
• Salem is the hub of India’s sago and starch industry

Vibrant Villages Programme–II (VVP–II)

The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah, will launch the Vibrant Villages Programme–II (VVP–II) at Nathanpur village in Cachar district, Assam (20 February 2026). This programme aims at the comprehensive and sustainable development of border villages through a saturation-based and convergence-driven approach.

Key Features

• This is a Central Sector Scheme
• The budget allocation for Vibrant Villages Programme II is ₹6,839 crore
• Period of implementation: Up to FY 2028–29
• Scheme Coverage: 15 States and 2 Union Territories

New Cathode Material Developed for High-Performance Zinc-Ion Batteries

Scientists from the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), Bengaluru, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science & Technology (DST), have developed a novel cathode material that significantly improves the performance of aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs). This breakthrough is important for large-scale renewable energy storage, especially for solar and wind power-based grid systems.

About the Innovation

• Developed material: Sulfur vacancy-induced 1T-phase Molybdenum Disulfide (1T-MoS₂)
• Synthesised using: Hydrothermal method
• Structure: Nanoflakes with high surface area & metallic conductivity

India France National Centre of Excellence

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the establishment of a National Centre of Excellence (NCoE) for Skilling in Aeronautics and Defence at the National Skill Training Institute (NSTI), Kanpur in collaboration with France under the PM-SETU scheme of the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE). The announcement was made during the launch of the India–France Year of Innovation.

MANAV Framework

At the India AI Impact Summit 2026 held in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented India’s human-centric roadmap for artificial intelligence through the M.A.N.A.V. framework. India positioned itself as a global leader in responsible AI, emphasising that AI must advance human dignity, ethics, inclusivity and national sovereignty.

What is MANAV?

MANAV is a India’s 5-pillar vision for AI.

• M – Moral & Ethical Systems
• A – Accountable Governance
• N – National Sovereignty
• A – Accessible & Inclusive AI
• V – Valid & Legitimate Systems (Trust & Safety)

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