 |
India Pulse | February 23, 2026: Your Daily Digest of India's Governance, Progress, and Vision
The India Pulse Newsletter for February 23, 2026 covers Home Ministry unveiling new National Counter-Terrorism Policy & Strategy, FM Sitharaman launching National Monetisation Pipeline 2.0, Lok Sabha Speaker constituting Parliamentary Friendship Groups with over 60 countries, President Murmu’s four-day visit to Maharashtra Jharkhand Rajasthan, Canadian PM’s upcoming India visit, Amit Shah stating Bharat Taxi empowers drivers as profit-sharing owners, CCPA imposing Rs. 15 lakh penalty on Vajirao & Reddy Institute for misleading CSE ads, Piyush Goyal emphasising zero defect zero effect equal opportunity growth pillars, Labour Ministry amending welfare scheme guidelines, and Indian Navy to commission Anjadip.
NEWS IN DETAIL
Home Ministry Unveils New National Counter-Terrorism Policy & Strategy
‘Prahar’ To Tackle Evolving Terror Threats With Proactive Approach
The Ministry of Home Affairs unveiled the country’s new national counter-terrorism policy and strategy titled ‘PRAHAAR’. The strategy outlines a comprehensive framework to address evolving terror threats using a proactive approach to prevent and counter terrorist threats.
PRAHAAR stands for Prevention of terror attacks to protect Indian citizens and interests, Responses, which are swift and proportionate to the threat posed, Aggregating internal capacities for achieving synergy in a whole-of-government approach, Human rights and ‘Rule of Law’ based processes for mitigation of threats, Attenuating the conditions enabling terrorism, including radicalisation, Aligning and shaping the international efforts to counter terrorism and Recovery and resilience through a whole-of-society approach.
The Ministry said that while the nature of threats continues to change and present new challenges, the country remains committed to opposing terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. It said that India has always stood by the victims of terrorism and has been steadfast in its belief that there can be no justification for violence in the world. The Ministry noted that this principled approach informs the Indian policy of zero tolerance against terrorism.
To build consensus on the understanding of terrorism and the rights of victims of terrorism, India will continue to work for a comprehensive framework on international terrorism.
It will pursue its counter-terrorism policy and strategy ‘Prahaar’, which aims to criminalise all terrorist acts and deny access to funds, weapons and safe havens to the terrorists, their financiers and supporters. India will continue its efforts together with the international community to counter the global challenge of misuse of Information and Communications Technology for terrorist purposes.
Besides, investment in technology and partnerships with private enterprise have been included to mitigate futuristic terror threats.
The document underscores India’s decades-long experience and leadership in combating terrorism, firmly rejecting any attempt to link terrorism with any particular religion, ethnicity, nationality, or civilisation.
It reiterates the government’s unwavering zero-tolerance approach towards terrorism and violence while emphasising support for victims and rejecting any justification for acts of terror under any circumstances.
FM Sitharaman Launches National Monetisation Pipeline 2.0
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has launched the second phase of asset monetisation pipeline of Central ministries and public sector entities in New Delhi.
The second phase of the pipeline has been developed by NITI Aayog, in consultation with infrastructure line ministries, based on the mandate for ‘Asset Monetisation Plan 2025-30’ as announced in the Union Budget 2025-26.
The National Monetisation Pipeline 2.0 estimates aggregate monetisation potential of 16.72 lakh crore rupees, including private sector investment of 5.8 lakh crore rupees under asset monetisation pipeline of Central ministries and public sector entities, over the five-year period from Financial Year 2025-26 to Financial Year 2029-30.
In her address, Ms Sitharaman complimented all the ministries and departments of the Government and NITI Aayog for meeting nearly 90 percent of the target of six lakh crore rupees set for four years in the implementation of the National Monetisation Pipeline 1.0.
She said NMP 2.0 is aligned with the mission of achieving Viksit Bharat through accelerated infrastructure development and it has the potential to fuel India’s growth momentum.
The National Monetisation Pipeline 2.0 was released in presence of CEO, NITI Aayog and the Secretaries of infrastructure line ministries, along with the Secretaries of the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Law and the Chief Economic Adviser.
Lok Sabha Speaker Constitutes Parliamentary Friendship Groups With Over 60 Countries
In a significant step to widen the country’s inter-parliamentary engagement with the world, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has constituted Parliamentary Friendship Groups with more than 60 countries. The move reflects a conscious effort by the Parliament to deepen dialogue and exchanges with legislatures across continents and to complement traditional diplomacy with sustained parliamentary interaction.
The Friendship Groups bring together Members of Parliament from across the political spectrum. Senior leaders and MPs Ravi Shankar Prasad, Dr M. Thambidurai, P. Chidambaram, Ram Gopal Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav, T.R. Baalu, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Kanimozhi, Asaduddin Owaisi, Dr. Sasmit Patra, Shrikant Eknath Shinde, PV Midhun Reddy, Rajiv Pratap Rudy and Praful Patel, among others, will lead these groups.
Some of the countries with whom Parliamentary Friendship Groups have been constituted include Sri Lanka, Germany, New Zealand, Switzerland, South Africa, Bhutan, Saudi Arabia, Israel, the Maldives, the USA, Russia, the EU Parliament, South Korea, Nepal, the United Kingdom, France, Japan, Italy, Oman, Australia, Greece, Singapore, Brazil, Vietnam, Mexico, Iran and the UAE.
The idea behind the initiative is to allow lawmakers to speak directly to their counterparts abroad, share legislative experience, and build trust through regular engagement and exchange best practices to further strengthen bilateral relations and promote greater mutual understanding.
President Murmu To Be On Four-Day Visit To Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Rajasthan
President Droupadi Murmu will be on a four-day visit to Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Rajasthan from February 24, 2026. The President will inaugurate the nationwide campaign Saving Lives and Building a Healthier Bharat at Lok Bhavan, Mumbai, on Tuesday.
The President will grace the National Arogya Fair 2026, being organised by the Union Ministry of AYUSH at Shegaon, Buldhana, on Wednesday. She will also grace the state-level launch of the golden era of Maharashtra through Unity and Trust, organised by Brahma Kumaris in Nagpur.
The President will participate in the Bhoomi pujan ceremony of Sri Jagannath Temple, Jamshedpur, on Thursday, which is being organised by Shri Jagannath Spiritual and Cultural Charitable Centre Trust, Jamshedpur, Jharkhand. She will also visit the Manipal TATA Medical College, Jamshedpur and interact with the students.
On Friday, the President will witness Ex Vayushakti at Pokharan in Rajasthan.
Canadian PM to Begin India Visit in Mumbai, Hold High-Level Talks in New Delhi
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to visit India from February 26 to March 7, 2026, marking a major reset in the relationship between the two nations. This is the first official visit by a Canadian leader since ties were strained under the previous administration.
In a statement from the Canadian Prime Minister’s office, Mr Carney will start his trip in Mumbai to meet with business leaders before heading to New Delhi for high-level talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 2, 2026.
The statement further mentioned that the two leaders will focus on building new partnerships in clean energy, artificial intelligence, defence, and technology. It said the major goal of the visit is to fast-track negotiations for the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.
The Canadian PMO highlighted that India is the world’s fastest-growing major economy and a powerhouse in global commerce and technology. India was Canada’s seventh-largest goods and services trading partner in 2024, with two-way trade reaching 30.8 billion dollars.
Earlier, Prime Minister Modi met Carney on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg last November, where he noted that India has set a target of 50 billion USD by 2030 for bilateral trade between the two countries. Prime Minister Modi mentioned that India and Canada have great potential in strengthening trade and investment linkages.
Bharat Taxi Aims To Empower Driver As Profit-Sharing Owner: Amit Shah
Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah interacted with drivers (Saarthis) of Bharat Taxi in New Delhi.
He stated that the objective is to make the taxi owner prosperous, and the ‘Sarathi’ is the real owner .
Mr. Shah said that the ‘Sarathis’ are the owners of Bharat Taxi and will also have a share in its profits. The Minister of Cooperation said, that in the coming three years, ‘Bharat Taxi’ will be present in every municipal corporation across the country.
Mr Shah said that Bharat Taxi Cooperative is to empower the drivers by providing them the ownership of their work.
Shah said that Bharat Taxi has been established by bringing together five major cooperatives of the country. He stated that as the number of ‘Sarathis’ increases, any ‘Saarthi’ who wishes to become a partner will gain ownership rights by purchasing shares worth Rs. 500.
The Minister said that 20 percent of Bharat Taxi’s total earnings will be deposited into Bharat Taxi’s account as the Sarathis’ capital, and 80 percent of the money will be returned to the Sarathis’ accounts based on how many kilometres the taxi has travelled.
Mr. Shah said that the initial 3 years will go towards the expansion of Bharat Taxi, and after that, whatever profit is generated, 20 percent of it will remain with Bharat Taxi, and 80 percent will be returned to the Sarathi brothers.
The Minister said that the concept of ‘Sarathi Didi’ (lady driver) has been envisioned in Bharat Taxi. The ‘Sarathi Didi’ facility of Bharat Taxi will make women Sarathis self-reliant and will ensure the safety of women passengers and Sarathis.
He said that the objective of Bharat Taxi is not to earn profit because the Sarathis themselves are the owners of this cooperative.
Mr. Shah said that the companies currently in existence do not have the welfare of the Sarathis as their objective, but the objective of Bharat Taxi is both the welfare of the Sarathis and treating the customer well
CCPA Imposes Penalty Of 15 Lakh On Vajirao & Reddy Institute For Issuing Misleading Ads In Relation To CSE
The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a penalty of 15 lakh rupees on Vajirao and Reddy Institute for issuing misleading advertisements in relation to the Civil Services Examination (CSE), 2023, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution said in a statement.
The Authority observed that the Institute deliberately concealed important information in its advertisements, namely, the specific courses opted for by the successful candidates. The Institute published photographs of successful candidates of UPSC CSE 2023 on its official website soon after the declaration of the results.
The Institute published the following claims on its official website, along with the names and photographs of successful candidates of UPSC CSE 2023, soon after the declaration of the results on 16.04.2024:
“Over 645 Selections Out of 1016 Vacancies in UPSC CSE 2023 From Vajirao & Reddy Institute”
“6 in Top 10 AIR”
“35 in Top 50 AIR”
“64 in Top 100 AIR”
The CCPA noted that the Institute published the above claims while simultaneously advertising various courses offered by it on its official website, namely: GS/Complete Course/Foundation Course, Pre-Foundation Course, Weekend Course, Optional Subject Course, and GS Pre-cum-Mains Course.
CCPA said that these representations created a misleading impression among consumers that all the successful candidates had enrolled in these regular courses advertised by the Institute.
During the proceedings, the CCPA examined the enrolment forms of the successful candidates submitted by the Institute. It was found that 431 enrolment forms did not specify or mention the course(s) for which the students had enrolled. Further, these enrolment forms did not indicate the date on which they were filled.
With respect to the remaining enrolment forms where course names were mentioned, it was observed that many of them reflected only “Interview Guidance Programme” or “Mock Interview”, which means such candidates had already cleared the Preliminary and Mains stages independently and had approached the Institute solely for mock interviews or interview guidance at the final stage. Therefore, such advertisement creates a misleading impression regarding the extent of services actually provided.
The CCPA further noted that Vajirao & Reddy Institute had earlier been proceeded against for publishing misleading advertisements in relation to UPSC CSE 2022 results and a penalty of Rs. 7 lakh was imposed on them.
Zero Defect, Zero Effect & Equal Opportunity for All Key Pillars of Country’s Growth Story: Goyal
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said that zero defect, zero effect and equal opportunity for all are key pillars of the country’s growth story.
Addressing the plenary session at the National Quality Conclave 2026 virtually in New Delhi, Mr Goyal said these pillars will help reinforce the vision of quality-driven, sustainable, and inclusive development in the country.
He said that industries should adopt better standard operating processes, testing and certification protocols and shared infrastructure to enhance the global competitiveness of the products.
Highlighting the labour-intensive sectors – footwear, leather, textiles, and pharma – Mr Goyal said that these sectors should focus on process improvement and skilling the workforce, ultimately leading to better and higher-quality productivity.
Labour & Employment Ministry Decides To Amend Relevant Provision Guidelines Of Labour Welfare Scheme
Labour and Employment Ministry has decided to amend the relevant provision guidelines of the Labour Welfare Scheme (Education Component). This will allow students who are availing the Ministry’s welfare-based scholarship to also receive a merit-based scholarship from any Central or State Government agency.
The Ministry said that this reform ensures deserving students from unorganised worker families are not deprived of educational opportunities due to overlapping eligibility conditions. It added that the measures are aimed at directly benefiting the wards of Beedi, Cine, and Non-Coal Mine workers by improving access to higher education and reducing dropout rates.
With this amendment, the students will now be able to pursue higher education with enhanced financial support, including access to better merit-based scholarships.
Indian Navy To Commission Anjadip
The Indian Navy is set to enhance its Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) capabilities with the commissioning of Anjadip, the third vessel of the eight-ship Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC) project. The warship will be formally commissioned into the Eastern Naval Command at Chennai Port on February 27, 2026.
The ceremony will be presided over by Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Chief of the Naval Staff.
The vessel is engineered to act as a ‘Dolphin Hunter’, focused on the detection, tracking, and neutralisation of enemy submarines in coastal areas. The ship is packed with an indigenous, cutting-edge Anti-Submarine Warfare weapons and sensor package, including the Hull Mounted Sonar Abhay, and armed with Lightweight Torpedoes and ASW Rockets.
In addition to its primary ASW role, the agile and highly manoeuvrable warship is also equipped to undertake Coastal Surveillance, Low-Intensity Maritime Operations (LIMO) and Search & Rescue operations.
The 77 meter-long ship, features a high-speed Water-Jet Propulsion system, enabling it to achieve a top speed of 25 knots for rapid response and sustained operations.