1 BNP chief Tarique Rahman sworn in as Prime Minister of Bangladesh
Bangladesh Nationalist Party President Tarique Rahman was sworn in as Bangladesh’s new Prime Minister . This marks a new political chapter after nearly 18 months of uncertainty under the interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus . President Mohammad Shahabuddin administered the oath of office at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban in Dhaka . This marks a departure from the long-standing tradition of holding the ceremony at the Bangabhaban . The President also sworn in 25 Cabinet Ministers and 24 Ministers of State. The allocation of portfolios is expected soon. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri represented India at the ceremony. Rahman, son of former President Ziaur Rahman and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, returned to Bangladesh in December after spending 17 years in London. His swearing-in marks the return of the BNP-led government after nearly two decades and formally replaces the interim administration led by Yunus, who took office in August 2024 following the fall of the Awami League government.
French President Emmanuel Macron has invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the 52nd G7 Summit to be held this year . France will chair the summit . In a press statement in Mumbai, President Macron said that a special meeting between India and France is needed to reach a consensus on the international agenda before the summit in Evian. Macron also stressed on developing new innovation opportunities for the youth of both countries. The G7 Summit is an annual gathering of leaders from the US, UK, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, Canada and the European Union. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had attended the summit last year at the invitation of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
3 India-France defence cooperation extended for 10 years, Hammer missile to be manufactured in India
At a high-level meeting between Rajnath Singh and Catherine Vautrin on Tuesday , India and France renewed their defense cooperation agreement for another 10 years . It was also decided to manufacture France’s state-of-the-art Hammer missile in India . The talks, held in Bengaluru, are considered a significant step in strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries. The Hammer missile is a medium-range air-to-surface guided missile, the primary weapon of the Rafale fighter aircraft . India has already purchased Rafale aircraft from France and negotiations are ongoing for new aircraft. Manufacturing the Hammer missile in India will significantly enhance the air force’s firepower. India’s Bharat Electronics Limited and France’s Safran Electronics & Defense signed an agreement to establish a joint venture to manufacture the Hammer missile.
4. Prime Minister Modi and French President announce the establishment of a ‘Special Global Strategic Partnership’ after talks.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the launch of a ” Special Global Strategic Partnership ” with France . In a joint statement with French President Emmanuel Macron at Lok Bhavan in Mumbai, he stated that this partnership is not only strategic but also crucial for global stability and prosperity amid today’s volatile global environment. Mr. Modi stated that the relationship between India and France is very special, with France being one of India’s oldest strategic partners. The two leaders virtually inaugurated the final assembly line of the H-125 helicopter in Vemagal, Karnataka , manufactured by Tata Advanced Systems in partnership with Airbus . Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and French Minister of the Army and Veterans Affairs, Catherine Vautrin, were present on site. India and France today agreed to elevate India-France relations to the level of a Special Global Strategic Partnership. Twenty-one agreements were signed between the two countries. The two sides agreed to establish an annual Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue to regularly review the implementation of the upgraded partnership and the Horizon 2047 roadmap. The two countries also agreed on the launch of the India-France Innovation Year and the India-France Innovation Network.
The 13th joint military exercise ‘Khanjar 2026’ between the Special Forces of India and Kyrgyzstan concluded with a closing ceremony at Misamari, Sonitpur district, Assam on Tuesday . The exercise, which ran from February 4 to February 17, 2026, saw elite units from both countries participating with a spirit of professionalism and mutual cooperation. The aim of the exercise was to strengthen mutual understanding, operational synergy and shared tactical capabilities. This bilateral annual exercise, which began in 2011, is held alternately in both countries. The last edition was held in Kyrgyzstan in March 2025.
6 India1.AI makes a major announcement: India will build its first ‘Humanity-First AI City’ in Bengaluru.
Bengaluru -based AI infrastructure company Bharat1.ai announced on Tuesday that it will establish the country’s first “Humanity-First AI City” in the city. The project aims to create a large platform for model training, fine-tuning, and inference . The company aims to have over 10,000 AI researchers and innovators working there by the end of this year. Under this plan, a 500,000-square-foot “B1 AI Superpark” will be built in Sarjapur . This will be a state-of-the-art AI research and innovation campus, with leading institutions from across the country as initial research partners, including IIT Kanpur’s Airavat Research Foundation, IISc’s Safety, Privacy and AI Research Centre (SPARC), the Wadhwani School of AI and Intelligent Systems (IIT Kanpur), BITS Pilani, iSpirit Foundation, and IIT Ropar. The first phase of the project will develop and test basic AI frameworks under controlled and real-world conditions. City-level open-world models will be created using high-quality multimodal data.
7 A new chapter in global tech collaboration: Infosys and Anthropic announce partnership
Indian tech giant Infosys on Tuesday announced a partnership with US-based AI company Anthropic . The two companies will jointly develop and deliver advanced enterprise AI solutions across software, manufacturing, financial services, and telecommunications . Infosys said in a statement that the partnership will integrate Infosys’ Topaz with Anthropic’s Cloudera model (including Cloudera Code) to automate complex workflows, accelerate software delivery, and develop agentic AI solutions across various industries. The partnership will begin with a dedicated Anthropic Center of Excellence in the telecommunications sector, which will build and deploy AI agents tailored to industry-specific tasks. The partnership will expand to other industries, including financial services, manufacturing, and software development.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has approved the proposed International Container Transshipment Terminal in the Great Nicobar Islands . The Tribunal stated that adequate safeguards have been established in the environmental clearance conditions. The order was passed by the Eastern Regional Bench in Kolkata, headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Srivastava. Previously, several petitions had challenged the project’s approvals, claiming violations of the Islands Coastal Regulation Zone Notification. Recognizing the project’s strategic importance, the Tribunal declined to interfere with the approvals granted in November 2022. However, it clarified that the project must proceed only with full compliance with stringent environmental safeguards. In its order dated February 16, 2026, the Tribunal underlined the project’s strategic position, particularly its geographical location near the Strait of Malacca. The Bench stated that while environmental protection is essential, India’s presence and defense needs in the Indian Ocean region cannot be ignored. The project includes an International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT) , township development and a 450 megavolt-ampere gas and solar-based power plant .
9 Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched Bharat Vistar, a digital initiative aimed at empowering and information-rich farmers.
Union Minister of Agriculture, Farmers Welfare, and Rural Development, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, launched the Bharat Vistar Yojana (Bharat Vistar Yojana ) at an event held at the State Agricultural Management Institute in Durgapura , Jaipur . Shri Bhajan Lal Sharma, Chief Minister of Rajasthan, was also present. During the event, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan also unveiled the Agri Kosh AI strategy roadmap , a farmer-focused AI hackathon . Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan stated that under the Bharat Vistar Yojana, farmers can dial 155261 to report their problems and receive immediate solutions. This number also provides access to market prices in various markets across the country. He added that the Bharat Vistar Yojana offers the ability to receive immediate answers to questions in local languages. The scheme launched in Hindi and English. Soon, farmers will be able to communicate in 11 languages. The primary objective of the Bharat Vistar Yojana is to utilize India’s leading AI-powered digital public infrastructure for farmers’ agricultural needs. Providing a multilingual AI-based interactive advisory system for the agriculture sector, Bharat Extension, AgriStack, is a single digital system integrating resources from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), various agricultural schemes, the India Meteorological Department (IMD), market prices, and state systems. Bharat Extension aims to help farmers increase productivity and reduce risk by providing them with information on services, market prices, loans, insurance, and government schemes.
The Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CARE) under the Defence Research and Development Organisation ( DRDO) in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, has developed a state-of-the-art molecular neuromorphic memory array . Speaking at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi , Dr. Malik Kumar of CARE said that the array is designed to operate in the analog domain , enabling highly efficient brain-like computing . He also described the project as a world-first initiative aimed at mimicking the computational processes of the human brain.
11 Indian Navy’s first indigenous cadet training ship ‘Krishna’ launched
The first of three indigenous cadet training ships being built by M/s L&T Shipyard for the Indian Navy was launched at the L&T Shipyard in Kattupalli, Chennai , in the presence of Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan . In keeping with maritime traditions, the ship was launched by DWWA President Anupama . The ship has been named ” Krishna ” in honor of the Krishna River, the country’s third longest river . The contract for the three cadet training ships was signed between the Ministry of Defense and M/s L&T Shipyard on March 7, 2023. The ships have been indigenously designed and built by M/s L&T. The ships are scheduled to be formally handed over to the Indian Navy at the end of 2026. These cadet training ships will be used to train officer cadets (including women) and cadets from friendly foreign countries at sea after basic training.
Iran has announced the temporary closure of the Strait of Hormuz in a show of strength during indirect talks with the US over its disputed nuclear programme . Iran said on Monday that its Revolutionary Guard has started exercises in the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, which are important international sea lanes. Iran said yesterday that it has agreed with the US on key guiding principles to resolve the dispute over Tehran’s nuclear programme. The Strait of Hormuz is a major strait in West Asia that separates the Persian Gulf south of Iran from the Gulf of Oman. To its south lies the Musandam exclave of the United Arab Emirates and Oman.
12 NHAI announces development of bee corridors along National Highways
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has announced the development of bee corridors along national highways . This initiative reflects its commitment to sustainable and environmentally friendly infrastructure development. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways stated that with this initiative, NHAI will move towards ecological plantations by creating bee-friendly vegetation. This step comes amid increasing ecological stress on pollinators, which has adversely affected pollination services, agricultural and horticultural productivity, and overall ecological balance. Based on agro-climatic conditions and local suitability, such corridors will be developed on national highways and NHAI land. NHAI plans to plant approximately 4 million trees along national highways in 2026-27, of which approximately 60 percent will be under the Bee Corridor Initiative.