25 February 2026

• India-Israel: PM Modi visits Israel (25-26 February), second visit since the Gaza war; Iron Beam laser defence system discussed; India-Israel FTA terms of reference signed.
• FTA strategy: India's FTA coverage projected to reach 71 per cent of export basket; India-EU deal, India-US framework, India-UAE and others reviewed.
• Health: Lenacapavir (the world's first HIV capsid inhibitor) approved by the FDA; implications for India's HIV programme.
• AI: IT sector sell-off on Sensex; Nifty IT Index falls 5 per cent amid concerns about Claude-class AI replacing coders.

GS area: International Relations, Security

Prime Minister Modi's visit to Israel on 25-26 February 2026 is only the second by an Indian Prime Minister since the start of the Gaza war.

• Defence agenda:
  • Iron Beam: Israel's 100kW high-energy laser air defence system for short-range threats (mortars, rockets, drones). India expressed interest in co-development.
  • Barak-8: India and Israel already co-develop the Barak-8 (MRSAM) surface-to-air missile. Extended cooperation in the next variant is under discussion.
• Trade: Bilateral trade at $3.75 billion (FY 2024-25). India-Israel FTA Terms of Reference signed in November 2025; FTA negotiations expected to begin.
• IMEC connection: The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor passes through Israel. Normalisation with Israel is a strategic precondition for IMEC's full viability.
• India's delicate balance: India's UN vote for Palestinian statehood (January 2026) and this visit to Israel happen within weeks of each other. Maintaining both relationships simultaneously is India's strategic autonomy in action.
• Netanyahu's "hexagonal alliance" proposal: Israel proposed a regional security coalition targeting Iran, with the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt and Qatar. India has not committed to joining.

Static linkage: India-Israel relations, IMEC, Iron Beam, strategic autonomy (IR/Security).

GS area: Science and Technology (Health, Biotechnology)

The US FDA approved Lenacapavir (brand name Sunlenca) in June 2025 as the world's first HIV capsid-based inhibitor. It is now in global rollout discussions.

• Mechanism: Lenacapavir disrupts the HIV capsid (the protein shell that protects the virus's genetic material). The drug causes severe structural mutations in the capsid, preventing viral replication.
• Dosing: Injected once every six months. Compared to daily oral antiretrovirals, this dramatically improves adherence.
• Efficacy: Showed 100 per cent effectiveness in clinical trials (PURPOSE 1 and PURPOSE 2 trials). This is the highest efficacy ever recorded for an HIV prevention drug.
• India's context: India has the world's third-largest HIV-positive population (approximately 2.4 million people). The National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) manages antiretroviral distribution.
• Access challenge: Gilead Sciences holds the Lenacapavir patent. The Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) is negotiating licences for generic production in developing countries. Until generics are available, the drug costs approximately $40,000 per year per patient in high-income markets.
• Significance: Lenacapavir is described as "the closest thing to an HIV vaccine" - a paradigm shift from treatment to prevention.

Static linkage: NACP, HIV/AIDS policy, pharmaceutical patents (S&T/Social Justice).

GS area: International Relations, Economy (Trade)

India's aggressive FTA strategy has transformed its trade coverage since 2019.

• From RCEP opt-out to bilateral depth: India opted out of RCEP in 2019 citing concerns about Chinese goods flooding through ASEAN routes. Since then India signed:
  • India-UAE CEPA (2022)
  • India-Australia ECTA (2022)
  • India-UK CETA (under negotiation; Social Security Agreement signed)
  • India-EU CTIA (January 2026)
  • India-US interim trade framework (February 2026)
  • India-New Zealand FTA (concluded)
  • India-Oman CEPA (signed)
• Coverage trajectory: From 22 per cent of India's export basket covered by FTAs in 2019 to a projected 71 per cent by 2026.
• $2 trillion export target: Foreign Trade Policy 2023 targets $2 trillion in merchandise exports by 2030, up from approximately $437 billion in 2023-24.
• GCC FTA: India's negotiations with the Gulf Cooperation Council are in an advanced stage. Bilateral trade with GCC is already $178.56 billion.

Static linkage: FTA policy, RCEP, WTO, export targets (IR/Economy).

GS area: Economy (Technology sector), Science and Technology

The BSE Sensex fell 1,069 points (1.28 per cent) and the Nifty IT Index fell approximately 5 per cent over five consecutive sessions following news that AI models are completing in minutes what human coders take days.

• The structural risk: India's IT sector was built on labour arbitrage: providing skilled programmers at a fraction of US costs. If AI coding assistants (Claude, Copilot, Codex) can replace significant portions of this work, the sector's foundational business model is threatened.
• R&D gap: India spends 0.64 per cent of GDP on R&D. The US spends 3.47 per cent; China 2.41 per cent; Israel 5.71 per cent. This under-investment constrains India's ability to move up the AI value chain.
• India's second-largest AI user base: India has the world's second-largest active AI user base (after the US). This creates a consumption advantage even if the production advantage lags.
• GCC opportunity: 1,600 GCCs in India employing 1.66 million professionals represent a hedge: higher-value work less susceptible to simple code automation.

Static linkage: IT sector, AI, R&D spending, knowledge economy (Economy/S&T).

GS area: International Relations, Society (Gender)

The World Bank's Women, Business and the Law 2026 report scores 190 countries on legal gender equality.

• Global legal score: 67.9 out of 100 (on formal legal equality).
• Enforcement perception score: 53.4, showing that even where laws are equal, enforcement falls short.
• Only 4 per cent of women live in economies with near-full legal equality (score of 90 or above).
• Safety enforcement failure: 80 per cent of the time, safety laws for women fail in enforcement.
• GDP impact: Closing the gender labour gap could increase global GDP by 20 per cent over the next decade.
• Childcare gap: Less than half of 190 economies provide any public financial support for childcare. Only 1 per cent of low-income economies have mandatory childcare mechanisms.
• India's specific gap: India scores below the global average on several dimensions including mobility, pay and workplace protections.

Static linkage: Gender equality, social indicators, World Bank reports (Society/IR).

• Kerala renaming as Keralam: The Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 introduced to rename the state as "Keralam" - the original Malayalam pronunciation. Renaming is permitted under Article 3 of the Constitution by Parliament.
• Congo peat carbon release: Lakes Mai Ndombe and Tumba in the Congo basin are releasing ancient carbon stored in 3,000-year-old peat. 40 per cent of the CO₂ from this process originates from the ancient peat layer. Relevant to understanding the limits of carbon sinks in global climate models.