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India Pulse | February 13, 2026: Your Daily Digest of India's Governance, Progress, and Vision
The India Pulse Newsletter for February 13, 2026 covers 20 world leaders attending India-AI Impact Summit from February 16-20, over 3 crore suspicious user IDs deactivated using Aadhaar and cybersecurity per Vaishnaw, President Murmu starting nationwide Karmayoga Drive, ECI instructing West Bengal DEOs to upload mandatory SIR documents, Vice President describing PM Modi’s Seva Teerth unveiling as historic moment, government approving 25 LMT wheat export, and IAF conducting in-situ joint exercise with Royal Thai Air Force.
NEWS IN DETAIL
20 World Leaders to Attend India-AI Impact Summit From 16–20 February
World leaders from twenty nations are scheduled to attend the India-AI Impact Summit being hosted by India from 16th to 20th of this month.
They include President of France, Emmanuel Macron, Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of Spain, Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón, President of Switzerland, Guy Parmelin, Netherlands Prime Minister Dick Schoof, UAE’s Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Prime Minister of Mauritius Dr Navinchandra Ramgoolam, Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Disanayaka, Vice President of Seychelles, Sebastien Pillay and Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay.
The External Affairs Ministry said in a statement that leaders from Bolivia, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Guyana, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein, Serbia, and Slovakia are also set to participate in the summit. Ministerial delegations from over 45 countries would be participating in the Summit. The UN Secretary General and senior officials from several international organisations will also join the deliberations.
Over 3 Crore Suspicious User IDs Deactivated Using Aadhaar & Cybersecurity: Vaishnaw
Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday said that Aadhaar-based authentication, multi-layer cybersecurity, and anti-fraud measures have led to the deactivation of 3.03 crore suspicious User IDs in 2025.
In a written reply in Rajya Saba, Mr Vaishnaw said this has ensured seamless booking for genuine users. He highlighted that Indian Railways has taken a number of measures to prevent auto-filling of forms by hacking tools and curb fraud in Tatkal ticketing booking through the internet, and to safeguard the system from cyber attacks.
Aadhaar authentication provides instantaneous verification of user uniqueness, which is critical considering the time-sensitive nature of Tatkal ticket booking. Several application-level security controls have been implemented, including a CAPTCHA mechanism deployed at multiple levels to avoid scripting and Brute-Force Attack.
President Murmu Starts Nationwide Karmayoga Drive
President Droupadi Murmu on Friday inaugurated an All-India Conference and launched a nationwide campaign, ‘Karmayoga for Empowered Bharat’, of the Brahma Kumaris in New Delhi.
The President also launched the Silver Jubilee celebrations of the Om Shanti Retreat Centre. The launch highlighted that combining material prosperity with spiritual values leads to a sustainable and peaceful society.
Organized by the Brahma Kumaris at Vigyan Bhavan, the campaign seeks to underline the relevance of Karmayoga in fostering a resilient, ethical, and developed India.
Addressing the gathering, President Murmu emphasized that achieving national goals requires integrating economic progress with morality and spirituality.
She highlighted that a developed nation requires healthy, educated, and responsible citizens, and that active public participation is essential for progress. The President praised the Brahma Kumaris as a leading spiritual organization run by women, contributing significantly to social and national initiatives.
ECI Instructs West Bengal DEOs To Upload Mandatory SIR Documents
The Election Commission of India has instructed all the District Election Officers of West Bengal to ensure documents which are mandated by the Commission and the Supreme Court, get uploaded in respect of the ongoing SIR process.
The Commission has made it clear by 5 pm of 16th February, all the District Election Officers (DEOs) would personally scrutinise all the documents submitted by the people in the hearing phase. If any unwarranted documents found uploaded after the scrutiny phase, then the DEOs would be held responsible.
The full bench of ECI presided by the Chief Election Commissioner held a virtual meeting with the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal attended by the DEOs and special roll observers to review the SIR process.
Reports of uploading improper documents came to light from many places in West Bengal for which the Commission has taken a strong stance.
VP Describes Unveiling Of Seva Teerth By PM Modi As Historic Moment
Vice President C P Radhakrishnan on Friday described the unveiling of Seva Teerth by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a historic moment.
In a social media post, VP Radhakrishnan said that the Seva Teerth symbolises India’s forward march towards a self-reliant and Viksit Bharat.
He said that it has enabled the country to move beyond the symbols of the past and colonial legacy to embrace ideals rooted in Seva and Kartavya.
Govt Approves 25 LMT Wheat Export
The government has approved the export of 25 Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT) of wheat along with an additional 5 LMT of wheat products to stabilise domestic markets and ensure remunerative returns to producers.
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution said that this decision was taken after a comprehensive assessment of the current availability and price scenario. It added that the government’s decision to permit export of 25 LMT of wheat and 5 LMT of wheat products will help stabilise domestic prices, improve market liquidity, ensure efficient stock rotation, and strengthen farmers’ income.
It said that wheat stock availability with private entities during 2025-26 stands at approximately 75 LMT, which is nearly 32 LMT higher compared to the corresponding period last year. Similarly, wheat acreage in Rabi 2026 has increased to about 334 lakh hectares compared to over 328 lakh hectares last year.
IAF Conducts In-Situ Joint Exercise With Royal Thai Air Force
The Indian Air Force (IAF) conducted an In-situ Exercise with the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) in the Indian Ocean Region from February 9-12, 2026, strengthening military cooperation and enhancing mutual understanding between the two countries.
The bilateral engagement between the two countries was executed in the form of an air combat training exercise, featuring Su-30MKl multirole fighter from the Indian Air Force (IAF) and SAAB Gripen jets from the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF).
Extended range operations by the IAF aircraft over the maritime domain were ensured by the IAF IL-78 mid-air refuelling tankers. The exercise was conducted under the enhanced surveillance and command capabilities of Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft from the IAF and Ground Control Interception (GCI) element from the RTAF.
The IAF participating forces operated from airbases in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, while the Thai Gripens operated from airbases in Thailand.
The exercise was designed to demonstrate IAF’s reach as well as interoperability with a Friendly Foreign Country (FFC) in the IOR. This exercise provided operational exposure to participating forces and exchange of best practices between IAF and RTAF. This exercise reflects the deepening “Act East” partnership between India and Thailand, expanding into the aerospace domain.