News 1:India ‘Studying’ U.S. Tariff Moves as Trade Deal Calculus Shifts
Preliminary Facts (For Mains Answer Introduction)
Core Legal Shift: The US Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision on February 20, 2026, struck down President Trump’s sweeping “reciprocal” tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), ruling that the power to levy taxes resides exclusively with Congress. This invalidated the legal basis for tariffs that had subjected Indian goods to duties as high as 50% .
Trump’s Immediate Response: Hours after the ruling, President Trump announced a 10% global tariff under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, effective February 24, 2026, for a duration of 150 days. He subsequently raised this to the maximum permitted 15% under the same provision, describing it as the “fully allowed, and legally tested” level .
India’s Official Position: The Commerce and Industry Ministry stated it has “noted” the US Supreme Court judgment and is “studying all these developments for their implications.” This cautious response comes as an Indian delegation was preparing to leave for Washington to finalize the legal text of the interim trade deal announced earlier in February .
Continued Tariff Pressures: Beyond the Section 122 tariffs, existing duties remain in place, including 50% Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminium and the suspension of ‘de minimis’ exemptions for low-value shipments (under $800), which significantly impact small Indian exporters and e-commerce trade .
Prelims 360
De Minimis’ Exemption (For UPSC Prelims)
Meaning:
“De minimis” (Latin: about minimal things) refers to a rule under which imports below a certain value are exempt from customs duties and detailed customs procedures.

Under U.S. customs law (Section 321 of the Tariff Act of 1930):
Goods valued at $800 or less per shipment can enter the U.S. duty-free.
No formal customs entry required.
Commonly used by e-commerce shipments (small parcels from China, etc.).

1. Based on Structure (How tariff is calculated)
1️⃣ Ad Valorem Tariff
Charged as a percentage of the value of goods.
Example: 10% on steel imports.
Most common type.
2️⃣ Specific Tariff
Fixed amount per unit.
Example: $2 per kg of sugar.
3️⃣ Compound Tariff
Combination of ad valorem + specific tariff.
Example: 5% + $1 per unit.

✅ 2. Based on Purpose / Legal Authority (Very Important for Prelims)
1️⃣ Section 301 Tariffs
Under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974
Used against countries engaging in unfair trade practices.
Example: Tariffs on Chinese goods imposed during the presidency of Donald Trump.
Target: IP theft, forced tech transfer, etc.
👉 Unilateral action by U.S.

2️⃣ Section 232 Tariffs
Under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962
Imposed for national security reasons.
Example: Tariffs on steel and aluminium imports (2018).
Justified as protecting domestic industries critical for defense.

3️⃣ Section 201 Tariffs (Safeguard Measures)
Under Section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974
Temporary tariffs to protect domestic industry from import surge.
WTO-compatible safeguard measure.
Example: Solar panel tariffs (2018).

4️⃣ Anti-Dumping Duties (ADD)
Imposed when a foreign company sells goods below fair market value.
Investigation by:
U.S. Department of Commerce
U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC)

5️⃣ Countervailing Duties (CVD)
Imposed to counter subsidies given by exporting country.
Aim: Neutralize unfair government support.

6️⃣ Most Favoured Nation (MFN) Tariff
Standard WTO rate applied to WTO members.
Based on commitments under the World Trade Organization.

7️⃣ Generalized System of Preferences (GSP)
Duty-free access to developing countries.
India earlier benefited but was removed in 2019.

✅ 3. Emergency / Special Tariffs
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA)
Allows tariffs or trade restrictions during national emergency.
Used rarely for tariffs, more for sanctions.

News 2: India, Brazil Ink Pacts on Minerals, Steel Mining; Agree to Step Up Trade Amidst US Tariff Turmoil
Preliminary Facts (For Mains Answer Introduction)
Strategic Bilateral Meeting: On February 22, 2026, a day after the US Supreme Court struck down President Trump’s IEEPA tariffs and imposed new Section 122 duties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in New Delhi. The summit included 11 Brazilian ministers and the largest-ever business delegation accompanying President Lula .
Key Agreements Signed: India and Brazil signed pivotal agreements to cooperate in rare earth and critical minerals, and steel mining. This is a significant step toward diversifying supply chains away from China’s current dominance in critical mineral processing .
Enhanced Trade Targets: The two leaders committed to enhancing bilateral trade beyond the current target of $20 billion by 2030. President Lula proposed a more ambitious target of $30 billion annually by 2030, up from the current $12-15 billion .
Digital and Strategic Partnership: They launched a joint declaration and action plan on a Digital Partnership for the future. Discussions also covered defence, energy, healthcare, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and South-South cooperation .
Coordinated Response to US Tariffs: Secretary (East) P. Kumaran briefed that both leaders discussed the US Supreme Court judgment and new tariffs, agreeing that both sides need to “study the implications” and adopt a “wait and watch” approach regarding further US administration developments .
PRELIMS 360
Rare Earth Minerals (REM)
📌 What are Rare Earths?
A group of 17 elements:
15 Lanthanides (La to Lu)

Scandium

Yttrium
They are not actually “rare,” but:
Found in low concentrations
Difficult and environmentally challenging to extract

🔎 Important Rare Earth Elements
Category
Elements
Use
Light REE
Lanthanum, Cerium, Neodymium
Magnets, batteries
Heavy REE
Dysprosium, Terbium
Defense, wind turbines

📌 Uses (Very Important for Prelims)
Permanent magnets (EV motors, wind turbines)
Missiles and defense electronics
Smartphones
Solar panels
Petroleum refining

🇮🇳 Rare Earth Sources in India
India has monazite-rich coastal sands.
Major Locations:
Kerala – Chavara
Tamil Nadu – Manavalakurichi
Odisha – Chhatrapur
Andhra Pradesh
Jharkhand
Mining & processing mainly handled by:
Indian Rare Earths Limited (IREL)
(Under Department of Atomic Energy)
👉 India has good reserves but limited processing capacity.

✅ 2️⃣ Critical Minerals (CM)
📌 What are Critical Minerals?
Minerals that are:
Essential for economy or national security
Supply chain vulnerable
Limited substitutes
👉 Definition varies by country.
India released a Critical Minerals list (2023) including 30 minerals.

🔎 Examples of Critical Minerals
Lithium
Cobalt
Nickel
Graphite
Copper
Rare Earth Elements
Platinum Group Metals
👉 Rare earths are a subset of critical minerals.

🇮🇳 Critical Minerals in India – Sources
1️⃣ Lithium
Recently discovered in:
Jammu & Kashmir (Reasi district)
Rajasthan (exploration stage)
2️⃣ Cobalt
Mainly found as by-product in:
Jharkhand
Odisha
3️⃣ Nickel
Odisha (Sukinda region)
4️⃣ Graphite
Jharkhand
Odisha
Tamil Nadu
5️⃣ Rare Earths
Coastal placer deposits (Kerala, TN, Odisha)

🌍 Global Context
China dominates:
Rare earth processing (~60–70%)
Critical mineral refining
Countries like:
China
Australia
Chile
Democratic Republic of the Congo
are major producers of various critical minerals.



NEWS 3:New Kashmir Wheat Varieties to Solve Crop Cycle Issue
Preliminary Facts (For Mains Answer Introduction)
Core Innovation: Scientists at the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Kashmir (SKUAST-K) have developed two new wheat varieties—Shalimar Wheat-3 (SW-3) and Shalimar Wheat-4 (SW-4) —specifically bred to address the critical timing challenge in Kashmir’s rice-wheat cropping system .
The Crop Cycle Problem: Wheat (a rabi crop) is sown in October and typically harvested in early summer. In Kashmir, however, farmers need to vacate fields by May-June to transplant paddy (the dominant kharif crop). Earlier wheat varieties, imported from sub-tropical regions like Haryana and Delhi, matured late (June-July), disrupting the essential rice-wheat rotation and threatening both food security and livelihoods .
Key Features of New Varieties:
SW-4: Matures by the last week of May
SW-3: Matures in the first week of June; biofortified with iron (>40 ppm) and zinc, 12% protein content, resistant to yellow rust, and potential yield up to 38 quintals per hectare
Development Timeline: The varieties were developed through nearly a decade of conventional breeding (cross-breeding and pedigree selection), followed by 2-3 years of testing at research stations and 2 years of trials in actual farmers’ fields—a total process of 9-10 years .
Current Status: In October 2025, SKUAST-K introduced SW-3 to farmers in the Gurez valley near the Line of Control, distributing 70 quintals of seeds to 700 farmers along with scientific cultivation packages .

Prelims 360
Conventional Breeding
Conventional breeding refers to traditional methods of crop/animal improvement without using genetic engineering.
It relies on:
Natural genetic variation
Selection
Controlled mating
It is widely used by institutions like the Indian Council of Agricultural Research.

🔹 1️⃣ Cross-Breeding
📌 Meaning
Cross-breeding is the mating of two genetically different individuals of the same species to combine desirable traits.
👉 Aim: Combine best traits of both parents.

🔹 Types
🔸 (A) In Animals
Example:
Indigenous cow × Exotic breed
→ Higher milk yield + disease resistance
Example breeds:
Gir (heat tolerant)
Holstein Friesian (high milk yield)

🔸 (B) In Crops
Example:
Drought-resistant variety × High-yielding variety
Used in:
Wheat
Rice
Pulses

🔹 Advantages
✔ Hybrid vigor (Heterosis)
✔ Higher productivity
✔ Better adaptability

🔹 Limitation
❌ Time-consuming
❌ Traits may segregate in next generations
❌ Not precise (unlike genetic engineering)

🔹 2️⃣ Pedigree Selection
📌 Meaning
Pedigree selection is a method where:
Superior individuals are selected
Their ancestry (pedigree) is recorded
Selection continues generation after generation
👉 Used mainly in self-pollinated crops.

🔹 Process
Cross two parents
Select superior plants in F2 generation
Record parentage
Continue selection for multiple generations
Stabilize desirable traits

🔹 Used For
Wheat
Rice
Pulses
Developed varieties are genetically uniform.


News 4:AI Impact Summit: 85 Countries, 3 Bodies Sign New Delhi Declaration
Preliminary Facts (For Mains Answer Introduction)
Landmark Consensus: At the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, 85 countries and three international organizations signed the New Delhi Declaration on Saturday, achieving broad-based consensus on a framework for artificial intelligence governance .
Key Signatories: Major global players, including the United States and China, endorsed the document, demonstrating rare alignment between the two leading AI powers on a multilateral framework .
Guiding Philosophy: The Declaration is guided by the principle of “Sarvajan Hitaya, Sarvajan Sukhaya” (Welfare for all, Happiness for all), emphasizing that the benefits of AI must be equitably shared across humanity .
Core Framework: The document offers a “Charter for the Democratic Diffusion of AI” —a voluntary and non-binding framework to promote access to foundational AI resources, support locally relevant innovation, and strengthen resilient AI ecosystems while respecting national laws .
Key Initiatives: It introduces a Global AI Impact Commons—a voluntary initiative to showcase AI use cases for governments—and emphasizes AI workforce development, reskilling, and education .

News 5: 8% of Voters Removed from Poll Rolls After SIR in 9 States, U.T.s
Preliminary Facts (For Mains Answer Introduction)
Scale of Deletion: In the final electoral rolls published after the second phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, nearly 8% of voters (approximately 1.70 crore) have been removed across nine States and Union Territories .
Coverage: The final lists were published for Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh, Goa (February 22), Gujarat (February 17), and Puducherry and Lakshadweep (February 14) .
Net Change: The combined voter strength in these States/UTs decreased from 21,45,62,215 (as on October 27, 2025, when the second phase of SIR was announced) to 19,75,33,701—a net deletion of 1,70,28,514 or 7.93% .
State-wise Variation:
Highest Deletions (State): Gujarat (13.4%)
Lowest Deletions (State): Kerala (3.22%)
Highest Deletions (UT): Andaman and Nicobar (16.87%)
Lowest Deletions (UT): Lakshadweep (0.36%)
Pending States: Final lists for West Bengal (scheduled February 28, subject to Supreme Court direction), Uttar Pradesh (April 10), and Tamil Nadu (February 23) are yet to be published .
West Bengal Controversy: The Supreme Court took an “extraordinary” decision to involve the judiciary in the revision process, citing a persistent “trust deficit” between the State government and the Election Commission (EC) leading to a “stalemate” .

News 6: Laser Pulses Turn Glass into Super-Dense Data Store
Preliminary Facts (For Mains Answer Introduction)
Core Innovation: Microsoft researchers have developed a technique to store data inside a 2-mm-thick glass plate by firing short laser pulses to create 3D pixels (voxels) in hundreds of layers within the glass .
Storage Capacity: A 120 mm x 120 mm glass plate can hold 4.8 terabytes (TB) of data—equivalent to approximately 1.2 million songs, 3.2 million photos, or 6,800 hours of video at standard quality .
Durability: A borosilicate glass version of the storage medium is projected to remain stable for up to 10 millennia (10,000 years) , vastly outlasting conventional storage media like hard drives (3-5 years), SSDs (5-10 years), and even magnetic tape (30-50 years) .
Read Mechanism: Data is “read” from the glass using microscopes combined with machine learning algorithms to interpret the patterns created by the voxels .
Multi-Bit Encoding: Each voxel can be manipulated to represent more than one bit of information, significantly increasing storage density beyond simple binary encoding .