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India Pulse | February 17, 2026: Your Daily Digest of India's Governance, Progress, and Vision
The India Pulse Newsletter for February 17, 2026 covers National Consumer Helpline facilitating Rs. 52 crore in refunds across 31 sectors, Rajnath Singh and French counterpart co-chairing 6th India-France Annual Defence Dialogue, India expecting over $200 billion AI investment in next two years per Vaishnaw, Nadda launching strategy for AI in healthcare at India AI Impact Summit, Finland PM and Sweden Deputy PM arriving in New Delhi for summit, Lok Sabha Speaker attending Bangladesh PM swearing-in, Union Agriculture Minister launching farmers' digital companion Bharat Vistaar, ECI reviewing poll preparedness for Assam assembly elections and releasing final electoral roll for Gujarat.
NEWS IN DETAIL
National Consumer Helpline Facilitates Rs. 52 Crore in Refunds Across 31 Sectors
79,521 Grievances Resolved at Pre-Litigation Stage; E-Commerce Accounts for Highest Share
The National Consumer Helpline (NCH) has facilitated refunds amounting to Rs. 52 crore across 31 sectors by addressing 79,521 consumer grievances related to refund claims during the period of last nine months (from 25 April to 31 January 2026), the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution said in a statement.
The refunds were secured at the pre-litigation stage, enabling consumers to obtain timely relief without approaching Consumer Commissions, it added.
The NCH operates through a convergence model where grievances are digitally forwarded to companies for resolution within defined timelines, with continuous monitoring and consumer feedback tracking.
E-Commerce Sector Accounts for Majority of Refunds
The e-commerce sector recorded the highest number of grievances, with 47,743 complaints, resulting in refunds exceeding Rs. 36 crore. The Travel & Tourism sector followed, with refunds of more than Rs. 4 crore facilitated through the Helpline.
Refund grievances in the e-commerce sector were reported from across the country spanning metropolitan cities as well as remote regions underscoring the extensive reach and accessibility of the National Consumer Helpline as a pan-India consumer grievance platform.
Top Five Sectors Accounting for Majority of Refunds
The top five sectors, which together accounted for over 85 percent of the total refund amount, are: E-Commerce (Rs. 36,79,86,191), Travel & Tourism (Rs. 4,16,39,652), Agency Services (1,53,97,771), Electronic Products (Rs. 1,45,23,681), and General Insurance (1,18,08,426)
The NCH functions as a single-point access platform for consumers across the country to register grievances in 17 languages.
Toll-free number: 1915
WhatsApp / SMS: 8800001915
Email: nch-ca[at]gov[dot]in
NCH Mobile App
Rajnath Singh, His French Counterpart Co-Chair 6th India-France Annual Defence Dialogue
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and French Defence Minister Catherine Vautrin co-chaired 6th India-France Annual Defence Dialogue in Bengaluru on Tuesday.
Both sides signed agreements to renew Industrial Collaboration and Co-production for the next ten years. An agreement was also signed between Bharat Electronics BEL and Safran Electronics France to manufacture the Hammer air-to-ground Missile in India.
Rajnath Singh, in his opening remarks, reaffirmed the strength of the Indo-French strategic partnership amid evolving global security challenges. Noting that the recent India-EU Security and Defence Partnership provides a broader framework for enhanced bilateral and regional cooperation, he emphasised that defence remains a central pillar of India-France ties. He welcomed Cathrine Vautrin to India once again.
In her opening remarks, the French Defence Minister underlined the historic and forward-looking nature of the partnership, particularly in the aerospace and defence sector between the two countries. She called for deeper strategic dialogue amid rising geopolitical tensions.
India Expects Over $200 Billion AI Investment In Next Two Years: Vaishnaw
Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has said that India is expecting over two hundred billion dollars in AI investment in the next two years.
Addressing a press conference on the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi on Tuesday, Mr Vaishnaw said the summit is receiving a huge response, with people arriving from every corner of the country. He said India will strive to build a consensus among global leaders on the proper and responsible use of AI so that it can be utilised for the benefit of humanity.
Mr Vaishnaw highlighted that there are real difficulties and hurdles in the AI ecosystem that must be addressed through a techno-legal approach. He said these challenges cannot be resolved merely through regulations or by passing a law alone.
The Minister said that India is set to host a series of technical sessions, case discussions and parallel policy dialogues focused on artificial intelligence during the summit. He said said that global leaders, technology experts and policymakers will deliberate on the good, proper and responsible use of AI. He underlined that the government is focusing on reskilling, upskilling and creating a new talent pipeline to prepare the workforce for emerging technologies.
The minister noted that India has the potential to emerge as a global hub for semiconductor design. He said the past year has been very encouraging for India’s semiconductor mission.
Underlining that the design capabilities are the foundation of a strong semiconductor ecosystem, Mr Vaishnaw said that the design will be the primary focus for the next phase of this mission.
Nadda Launches Strategy For AI In Healthcare At India AI Impact Summit
Day two of the AI Impact Summit included panel discussions on themes like AI for Social Good and Global South collaboration, AI governance, ethics and regulatory frameworks, and Data Healthcare innovation with AI and Economic productivity and deployment in industry.
During the summit, Minister of Health and Family Welfare Jagat Prakash Nadda launched the Strategy for AI in Healthcare for India-SAHI and the Benchmark Open Data Platform in Health AI-BODH.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Nadda said that India is taking a giant leap in Health Tech through AI. He said SAHI is a national roadmap for AI in healthcare, which ensures an ethical, responsible, and people-centric approach, whereas BODH fills a crucial gap in testing and validating AI solutions deployed in the field.
Speaking at the session titled Scaling Impact from India’s Sovereign AI, CEO OF INDIA AI MISSION, Abhishek Singh, highlighted India’s growing progress in powering AI computing with green energy, attracting global interest, and offering data centre capacity at competitive costs.
The AI Impact Summit is the first-ever global AI summit to be hosted in the Global South. World leaders from twenty nations are attending the event. Over a hundred countries have been invited to the Summit, and more than 2 lakh people have registered online.
Finland PM Arrives in New Delhi for India-AI Impact Summit
Finland Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has arrived in New Delhi to participate in the India-AI Impact Summit. In a social media post, External Affairs Ministry said that the visit will further cement the diverse bilateral partnership, with a focus on digital and AI, sustainability and education sectors between India and Finland. Minister of State for Skills Development and Entrepreneurship Jayant Chaudhary received the Finnish Prime Minister at the airport.
Sweden Deputy PM Arrives in New Delhi for India-AI Impact Summit
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Energy, Business and Industry of Sweden Ebba Busch has arrived in New Delhi for the India-AI Impact Summit.
In a social media post, External Affairs Ministry said that ties between India and Sweden span a broad spectrum of cooperation, including trade, economy, science, innovation, climate action and education among others.
Lok Sabha Speaker Attends Swearing-In Ceremony Of Bangladesh PM
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla attended the swearing-in ceremony of the new Government of Bangladesh led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in Dhaka on Tuesday and extended warm congratulations to Tarique Rahman on behalf of the people of India.
The Lok Sabha Speaker also met Rahman in Dhaka and handed over a personal letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveying his invitation to Prime Minister Rahman to visit India at the earliest convenience.
Mr. Birla reiterated that India stands ready to support Bangladesh’s endeavours to build a democratic, progressive and inclusive nation.
He also reaffirmed the nation’s commitment to deepening the enduring partnership between our two neighbouring countries.
On the side-lines of the ceremony, Mr. Birla also met Maldives President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu and Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay.
Union Agriculture Minister Launches Farmers’ Digital Companion ‘Bharat Vistaar’
Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday launched the farmers’ digital companion ‘Bharat Vistaar’ from Jaipur.
The initiative aims to make farmers smart, empowered, and information-rich. Through this platform, farmers will be able to access all necessary information with a single call via their mobile phones.
Addressing the gathering on the occasion, the Union Agriculture Minister described it as a historic step toward a digital revolution in the agriculture sector.
He said the initiative will provide farmers with crop-based scientific advisory services, mandi prices, and weather information. He added that the initiative would prove decisive in extending the vision of Digital India to rural India.
He further stated that to increase farmers’ income, it is essential to connect them not only with agriculture but also with animal husbandry, for which technology is crucial.
Chief Minister of Rajasthan Bhajan Lal Sharma termed this digital initiative as the beginning of a farmers’ revolution and urged farmers to make maximum use of it.
At the programme held at the State Institute of Agricultural Management, Durgapura, the Agriculture Minister of the state, Dr. Kirori Lal Meena, said that farmers would receive comprehensive agricultural services and information in their own language on an integrated digital platform.
ECI Reviews Poll Preparedness For Forthcoming Assam Assembly Elections
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar along with Election Commissioners Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi held a detailed and a comprehensive review of the poll preparedness for the forthcoming Legislative Assembly Elections in Assam in Guwahati on Tuesday.
During day one of the two-day (Feb 17 and 18) review visit, the Commission interacted with the representatives of recognized national and state political parties: Aam Aadmi Party, Bharatiya Janata Party, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Indian National Congress, All India United Democratic Front, Asom Gana Parishad, United People’s Party Liberal and Bodoland People’s Front, and sought their suggestions.
The Commission interacted with each of the political parties giving them an opportunity to present their views, concerns and suggestions to ensure that the forthcoming elections in the State are held in a transparent and impartial manner.
Majority of political parties requested that the elections be conducted in a single phase or a maximum of two phases. The Political Parties also placed the demand to schedule the election dates keeping in mind the Bihu festival, the ECI said in a statement.
The Political Parties generally appreciated the conduct of Special Revision of the Electoral Rolls in Assam, and also gave suggestions for ensuring peaceful conduct of elections in the state, the statement added.
The Commission also held a detailed review with the IGs, DIGs, DEOs and SSPs on every aspect of election planning, EVM management, logistics, training of election staff, seizures, law and order, voter awareness and outreach activities.
ECI Releases Final Electoral Roll For Gujarat
The Election Commission of India has officially released the final electoral roll for Gujarat following a rigorous three-and-a-half-month Special Intensive Revision (SIR) campaign.
Based on the qualifying date of January 1, 2026, the state’s total voter strength now stands at 4 crore 40 lakh 30 thousand and 725, resulting in the net addition of 5.60 lakh voters since the publication of the draft roll.
Chief Electoral Officer Harit Shukla said that over 50,000 Booth Level Officers conducted door-to-door surveys to ensure accuracy. Out of the initial over 5 crore listed individuals, a total of 4 crore 34 lakh 70 thousand 109 enumeration forms were received by the commission, which were fully digitised. The subsequent registration of new voters led to the net addition of 5.60 lakh voters.
The final rolls have been distributed to all recognised political parties and are now available for public verification at polling stations and on the official portal, ceo.gujarat.gov.in.