Current Affairs 13 February 2026

Content

1. Govt. unveils new CPI series; retail inflation in Jan. at 2.75%
2. Dal Lake – environmental degradation and conservation challenges
3. Substantive motion in Parliament
4. Pothole-related road fatalities jumped 53% in 5 years
5. How Tamil, Sanskrit, Prakrit names ended up on walls of Egyptian tombs
6. Civil society, scientists raise alarm over safety gaps in WHO pandemic pact

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Govt. unveils new CPI series; retail inflation in Jan. at 2.75%

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Source :The Hindu

Why in news ?

New base year and latest inflation

• MoSPI released a new CPI series with base year 2024, replacing 2012, reporting January 2026 retail inflation at 2.75%, within RBI’s tolerance band.
• As it is the first release under the new base, long-term comparison with old series is limited, a common transition issue seen in statistical rebasing globally.

Basics and static context

What is CPI and why it matters ?

• Consumer Price Index (CPI) measures change in retail prices of a fixed basket of goods and services consumed by households; it is India’s main indicator of inflation and cost of living.
• CPI is used by the RBI for inflation targeting (4% ±2%) under the Monetary Policy Framework Agreement, guiding repo rate decisions that affect loans, savings and growth.

Who compiles CPI ?

• CPI is compiled by MoSPI’s National Statistical Office (NSO) through nationwide price collection; methodology aligns with international standards used by UN, IMF and ILO for comparability.
• India publishes multiple CPIs (Rural, Urban, Combined), but CPI-Combined is the key headline number for macroeconomic policy and RBI targeting.

What changed in the new CPI ?

Updated consumption basket

• Total items increased from 299 to 358, reflecting diversification of consumption; goods rose to 308 and services to 50, capturing modern spending like telecom and services better.
• Basket weights are derived from HCES 2023–24, ensuring CPI mirrors current household spending, unlike outdated baskets that may over/understate inflation.

Wider data coverage

• Rural price collection expanded to 1,465 markets (from 1,181) and urban to 1,395 (from 1,114), improving geographical representation and statistical reliability.
• Larger sample sizes reduce volatility and bias, similar to how periodic updates improved accuracy in GDP and IIP series.

Economic rationale for rebasing

Reflecting structural change

• Over a decade, rising incomes, urbanisation and digitalisation shift spending toward services, health, education and communication, requiring updated CPI weights.
• Without rebasing, inflation may be mismeasured; for example, over-weighting cereals when diets diversify could distort true cost-of-living changes.

Policy credibility

• Accurate CPI strengthens monetary policy credibility, as RBI decisions depend on realistic inflation signals.
• Investors and rating agencies rely on credible inflation data for macroeconomic assessments.

Limitations and cautions

Comparability issues

• New base breaks direct comparison with older series; analysts often create back-casted series later for continuity.
• Short-term movements may reflect methodological shifts as well as real price changes.

Data challenges

• Informal markets, quality changes and new products complicate price measurement, a universal CPI challenge noted by statistical agencies worldwide.
• Rapid tech evolution (e.g., smartphones) requires frequent basket updates to avoid substitution bias.

Way forward

Strengthening price statistics

• Regular 5-year rebasing cycles can keep CPI aligned with fast-changing consumption patterns.
• Greater use of digital price collection and scanner data can improve timeliness and coverage.

Communication and transparency

• Clear public communication on methodology helps avoid misinterpretation of inflation trends during base changes.
• Publishing concordance tables between old and new series aids researchers and policymakers.

CPI vs WPI

Feature	CPI (Consumer Price Index)	WPI (Wholesale Price Index)
Meaning	Measures change in retail prices faced by consumers	Measures change in wholesale prices at producer/wholesaler level
Compiled by	NSO (MoSPI)	Office of Economic Adviser, DPIIT (Ministry of Commerce)
Base Year (latest)	2024 (new series)	2011–12
Purpose	Measures cost of living & inflation for consumers	Measures price trends in bulk trade/production
Coverage	Goods + Services	Only Goods (no services)
No. of items	~358 items (new series)	~697 items
Major weight	Food & beverages have high weight (~45% earlier series)	Manufactured products have highest weight (~64%)
Population scope	CPI-Rural, CPI-Urban, CPI-Combined	Single national index
Policy relevance	RBI uses CPI for inflation targeting (4% ±2%)	Used for business decisions, deflator in national accounts
Reflects	Demand-side inflation (consumer impact)	Supply-side/producer inflation
Volatility	More volatile due to food & fuel	Less volatile than CPI in many cases
Global comparability	Internationally used for inflation targeting	Less used globally for policy targeting
Example use	DA revision, wage indexation	Industrial price trends, contract escalation

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Dal Lake – environmental degradation and conservation challenges

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Source :The Hindu

Why in news ?

Policy shift in conservation

• J&K government shelved the ₹416.72-crore Dal restoration plan (approved 2009) and proposed an in-situ conservation approach, allowing dwellers to continue living on the lake.
• The earlier plan targeted relocation of ~9,000 families, but only 1,808 families were rehabilitated in 17 years, achieving about 27% of intended conservation outcomes.

Basics and static context

Location and physical features

• Dal Lake is an urban freshwater lake in Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, fed by springs and channels from the Zabarwan range, historically covering ~22–25 sq km including marshes and floating gardens.
• It is divided into basins like Gagribal, Lokut Dal, Bod Dal and Nigeen, with interconnected channels; shallow depth and slow flushing make it naturally vulnerable to pollution accumulation.

Ecological and economic significance

• Dal Lake supports tourism, fisheries, lotus cultivation and houseboat livelihoods, forming a key part of Kashmir’s economy and cultural identity.
• It functions as an urban ecological buffer, moderating microclimate, supporting biodiversity, and storing floodwaters in the Jhelum basin.

Environmental pressures

Sewage and pollution load

• Untreated sewage from households, hotels and houseboats enters the lake through point and non-point sources; SKUAST (2022) flagged “extreme pollution loads” and deteriorating water quality.
• High organic load raises BOD and nutrient levels, accelerating eutrophication, a pattern also observed in other urban lakes like Bengaluru’s Bellandur.

Eutrophication and weed growth

• Excess nitrogen and phosphorus from sewage and fertilisers cause algal blooms and macrophyte overgrowth, choking open water and reducing dissolved oxygen for fish.
• Proliferation of weeds like Eichhornia (water hyacinth) reduces water spread and impedes navigation and recreation.

Catchment degradation

• Deforestation, grazing and agriculture in the catchment increase silt and nutrient inflow, shrinking effective water area and altering lake morphology.
• Land use change in the Zabarwan foothills has increased runoff and sedimentation, a common driver of lake ageing.

Encroachment and population pressure

• Expansion of settlements, houseboats and floating gardens (raad) leads to encroachment and solid waste generation, converting water areas into marshy land.
• Urban lakes worldwide show similar stress where shoreline regulation is weak, e.g., Dal-like pressures on Nainital Lake.

Reduced inflows and circulation

• Blocked or reduced inflows and internal channels lower water circulation and flushing, concentrating pollutants and accelerating stagnation.
• Hydrological fragmentation disrupts natural self-cleansing capacity of the lake.

Invasive species and biodiversity loss

• SKUAST noted invasive plants and animals altering native biodiversity; invasive macrophytes outcompete native flora and change habitat structure.
• Biodiversity simplification reduces ecological resilience and fisheries productivity.

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Substantive motion in Parliament 

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Source : The Hindu

Basics and concept

What is a substantive motion ?

• A substantive motion is a self-contained, independent proposal submitted for the decision of the House, drafted to express a definite opinion, will, or order of Parliament.
• It is different from subsidiary or procedural motions because it does not depend on another motion and itself becomes the subject of debate and voting in the House.

Source in parliamentary practice

• Not explicitly in the Constitution but derived from Rules of Procedure of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and classical texts like Kaul & Shakdher: Practice and Procedure of Parliament.
• Rooted in the Westminster parliamentary tradition, where motions are primary tools for the House to articulate collective decisions and hold members or government accountable.

Types and scope

Common examples

• Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address, election/removal motions for Speaker or Deputy Speaker, and motions on matters of public importance are classic substantive motions.
• Substantive motions can relate to privileges, conduct of members, or policy positions, provided they meet admissibility rules and are framed in proper parliamentary language.

Who can move it ?

• Usually moved by any member who gives prior notice; in certain cases (like motions concerning ministers), conventions and rules determine who may move it.
• Notice period and format are regulated by the Rules of Procedure, ensuring seriousness and preventing frivolous use.

Procedure

Admissibility and listing

• The Speaker/Chairman decides admissibility, checking relevance, clarity, and conformity with rules; motions cannot raise matters sub judice or violate privilege norms.
• Once admitted, it is listed for business, and time for discussion is allocated by the Business Advisory Committee or by the Chair.

Debate and voting

• Members debate the motion; the mover has a right of reply at the end of discussion, a key feature of substantive motions.
• The motion is then put to vote; if passed, it becomes the formal decision or opinion of the House.

Constitutional and governance relevance

Link with collective responsibility

• Though distinct from a no-confidence motion, substantive motions contribute to the system where the executive is accountable to the legislature under Article 75 (collective responsibility).
• They provide a structured way for Parliament to record positions on governance, ethics, and institutional matters.

Instrument of deliberative democracy

• They enable discussion on public issues beyond routine law-making, strengthening Parliament’s role as a deliberative forum, not merely a legislative factory.
• By requiring formal notice and voting, they promote reasoned debate and recorded decisions, key to transparent governance.

Distinction from other motions

Vs. no-confidence motion

• A no-confidence motion targets the Council of Ministers and, if passed, has direct political consequences; a substantive motion may not necessarily test government majority.
• All no-confidence motions are substantive, but not all substantive motions are no-confidence motions, showing broader scope.

Vs. adjournment and calling attention

• Adjournment motions are exceptional devices to discuss urgent matters and interrupt normal business; they have stricter admissibility and are not routine substantive expressions of House opinion.
• Calling attention is informational and does not culminate in a formal decision of the House, unlike substantive motions that end in a vote.

Significance

Institutional accountability

• Substantive motions can address conduct of high authorities or members, helping maintain ethical standards and institutional integrity within Parliament.
• They create a formal parliamentary record, which can guide future conventions and interpretations.

Democratic value

• They operationalise the idea that Parliament is the sovereign deliberative body in a parliamentary democracy, expressing the will of the people through elected representatives.
• Their structured nature balances free speech of members with procedural discipline.

Types of Motions in Indian Parliament 

Type of Motion	Meaning / Purpose	Key Features	Example / Use
Substantive Motion	Independent, self-contained proposal for House decision	Needs notice; debated and voted; expresses definite opinion/will of House	Motion of Thanks to President’s Address
Substitute Motion	Moved in place of original motion	If adopted, replaces original; must relate to same subject	Alternative version of a policy motion
Subsidiary Motion	Depends on another motion	Cannot stand alone; aids discussion or disposal of main motion	Amendments, procedural motions
Amendment Motion	Seeks to modify a motion	Can add/delete/alter words; voted before main motion	Amending Motion of Thanks
No-Confidence Motion	Tests majority of Council of Ministers	Lok Sabha only; needs 50 members’ support to admit; if passed, govt resigns	Used to remove government
Confidence Motion (Trust Vote)	Govt proves majority	Initiated by govt; simple majority required	During coalition uncertainty
Adjournment Motion	Raises urgent matter of public importance	Interrupts normal business; exceptional device; LS mainly	Major accident/scam issue
Calling Attention Motion	Draws minister’s attention to urgent matter	Minister makes statement; no voting; informational	Law & order issue
Privilege Motion	Addresses breach of parliamentary privilege	Against MP/minister for misleading House	False statement in House
Censure Motion	Expresses strong disapproval of govt policy	Must state reasons; LS; political pressure but not removal	Policy failure criticism
Cut Motions	Reduce demands in Budget	Types: Policy, Economy, Token; tool for financial control	Reduce demand for a ministry
Half-Hour Discussion Motion	Clarifies matters needing explanation	Based on starred/unstarred questions; short duration	Clarifying policy detail
Closure Motion	Ends debate	If accepted, House votes on main motion	To avoid prolonged debate

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Pothole-related road fatalities jumped 53% in 5 years

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Source : Indian Express

Basics and static context

What counts as pothole-related accidents ?

• Pothole-related accidents are crashes where road surface defects directly cause loss of control, recorded in police FIRs and compiled by MoRTH in its annual Road Accidents in India reports.
• They fall under infrastructure-related causes, alongside poor signage and road design; globally, WHO notes road infrastructure quality significantly influences crash risks, especially for two-wheelers and pedestrians.

Scale of the problem in India

• India records about 1.7 lakh road deaths annually (2024), the highest in the world; even small shares from potholes translate into thousands of preventable deaths.
• India has the second-largest road network (~63 lakh km), including ~1.46 lakh km of National Highways, making maintenance a massive governance and fiscal challenge.

Why in news ?

Sharp rise in fatalities

• Lok Sabha data show pothole deaths rose from 1,555 (2020) to 2,385 (2024) — a 53% jump, signalling worsening road maintenance outcomes despite rising infrastructure spending.
• Total pothole-linked deaths over 2020–24 reached 9,438, averaging nearly 5 deaths daily, highlighting that potholes are not minor defects but serious safety hazards.

Data and trends

Accident and injury pattern

• Pothole accidents increased from 3,713 (2020) to 5,432 (2024); grievous injuries also remained high, showing that many victims survive with long-term disabilities.
• Minor injuries crossed 10,000 cases in five years, indicating a broader safety burden beyond fatalities, including healthcare costs and productivity losses.

State-wise concentration

• Uttar Pradesh contributes the largest share of deaths, consistent with its overall high road fatality numbers and vast road network.
• MP, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Assam together account for over 80% of pothole deaths, showing regional clustering linked to traffic density and maintenance gaps.

Governance and policy dimension

Maintenance vs construction bias

• India’s road policy has prioritised new highway construction, but maintenance budgets and monitoring often lag, leading to rapid deterioration, especially after monsoons.
• Contracts sometimes focus on asset creation, not lifecycle upkeep; performance-based maintenance is less uniformly enforced across states and urban local bodies.

Accountability issues

• Multiple agencies (NHAI, PWDs, municipalities) share responsibility, causing diffused accountability when pothole deaths occur.
• Though courts have occasionally held authorities liable, routine criminal or financial accountability for negligence remains rare.

Economic and social implications

Economic costs

• Road crashes cost India an estimated ~3–5% of GDP annually (various government and World Bank estimates); pothole crashes add to repair costs, medical bills and productivity losses.
• Logistics delays from poor road quality raise transport costs, indirectly affecting inflation and competitiveness.

Social justice angle

• Victims are often two-wheeler riders and lower-income commuters, who are more exposed and less protected than car occupants.
• Families of victims face sudden income shocks, linking road safety with poverty and social protection concerns.

Environmental and urban angle

Urban flooding and potholes

• Poor drainage and waterlogging accelerate pothole formation; cities with clogged stormwater systems see roads degrade quickly after heavy rains.
• Climate change–linked extreme rainfall events can worsen this cycle, raising maintenance demands.

Challenges and way forward

Structural challenges

• Reactive “patchwork repairs” dominate over scientific resurfacing, leading to recurring potholes within a single season.
• Weak data integration between police, transport and road agencies limits targeted interventions on blackspots.

Reform priorities

• Adopt performance-based maintenance contracts with penalties for defects, as used in some highway PPP models.
• Use geo-tagging, citizen-reporting apps and third-party audits to monitor road quality; some cities already pilot such digital grievance systems.
• Integrate road safety with Safe System Approach (safer roads, vehicles, speeds, users, post-crash care) recommended by WHO.

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How Tamil, Sanskrit, Prakrit names ended up on walls of Egyptian tombs

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Source : Indian Express

Why in news ?

New academic findings

• Recent publication of the 30-inscription corpus strengthens evidence of early India–Egypt links, moving beyond speculative trade theories to direct epigraphic proof of Indian presence in Egypt.
• It feeds into broader debates on ancient globalisation, showing mobility across the Red Sea and Indian Ocean two millennia ago, comparable to Roman–Indian trade evidenced by Muziris finds.

Basics and historical context

What are these inscriptions

• Graffiti-style inscriptions in Tamil-Brahmi, Prakrit and Sanskrit found in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings (c. 300 BCE–200 CE), showing visiting foreigners carved names, origins, and devotional messages, like ancient travel records.
• Unlike royal hieroglyphs, these are informal visitor inscriptions, similar to pilgrimage graffiti at Indian Buddhist sites like Sanchi, where travellers recorded names, places, and religious sentiments.

Who deciphered them ?

• A 2024–25 study by Charlotte Schmid (EFEO, Paris) documented 30 Indian-language inscriptions, using epigraphy and comparative linguistics to identify Tamil-Brahmi scripts and Indo-Aryan linguistic features.
• Cross-referencing letter forms with Sangam-era Tamil-Brahmi (3rd BCE onward) helped date inscriptions, as shapes of “ra,” “na,” and vowel markers match early South Indian cave inscriptions.

What the names show ?

• Names like “Korran,” “Kopan,” and “Saman” resemble Tamil and Prakrit naming traditions; for example, “Korran” parallels Sangam titles for chieftains and warriors in Chera–Pandya regions.
• Some inscriptions include place-based identifiers, implying travellers linked identity to homeland, similar to donative inscriptions in India stating “so-and-so from Karur or Madurai.”

Trade and connectivity dimension

Indian Ocean trade networks

• Between 1st BCE–2nd CE, Indo-Roman trade flourished; Roman coins found in Tamil Nadu and the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea describe Indian merchants sailing to Egyptian Red Sea ports like Berenike.
• These inscriptions suggest some traders or pilgrims travelled onward to the Nile valley, showing routes were not just maritime but linked to inland cultural landmarks.

Cultural cosmopolitanism

• Ancient port cities like Alexandria and Berenike were multicultural hubs; archaeological finds include Indian beads and pepper, supporting textual evidence of Indo-Mediterranean exchange.
• Multilingualism was common among merchant groups; Prakrit and Tamil functioning as trade languages parallels use of Aramaic or Greek across West Asian trade corridors.

Social and cultural insights

Travel motivations

• Not all travellers were merchants; some inscriptions resemble pilgrimage-style declarations, suggesting curiosity, ritual travel, or status display, similar to elites visiting sacred or famous sites.
• Valley of the Kings was a famed site even in antiquity; Greek and Latin graffiti there show it functioned as an early tourist destination by 1st millennium BCE–CE.

Identity expression

• Writing one’s name in native script abroad signals strong cultural identity; comparable to Indian merchant guild inscriptions in Southeast Asia asserting community presence.
• Scripts acted as cultural markers; Tamil-Brahmi use abroad indicates literacy among sections of early South Indian trading communities.

Historiographical significance

Rethinking isolationist views

• Findings challenge older views that ancient Indian societies were regionally confined, instead supporting models of long-distance mobility and interaction across Afro-Eurasia.
• They complement evidence like Indian cotton in Egypt and Roman gold in South India, forming a multi-source case for deep connectivity.

Limits of evidence

• Small sample size (≈30 inscriptions) means presence, not population scale; like Roman coins in India, they indicate contact but not large migration.
• Epigraphy shows who left marks, not entire communities; absence of evidence elsewhere doesn’t negate wider interaction networks.

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Civil society, scientists raise alarm over safety gaps in WHO pandemic pact

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Source : Down to Earth

Why in news ?

Ongoing WHO negotiations

• WHO members are negotiating the PABS annex before the 79th World Health Assembly (May 2026), making it the last unresolved operational pillar of the first global pandemic treaty.
• February 2026 open letters from scientists and civil society flagged weak biosecurity and diluted benefit-sharing, warning current draft may prioritise speed over safety and fairness.

Basics and static context

What is pathogen sharing and why it exists ?

• Pathogen sharing involves countries providing virus samples and genetic sequences to global databases for surveillance, vaccine R&D and diagnostics; e.g., rapid SARS-CoV-2 sequencing in 2020 enabled mRNA vaccine design within months.
• WHO-led systems like GISRS for influenza since 1952 show pathogen sharing accelerates risk detection; seasonal flu vaccines are reformulated biannually using globally shared strains, demonstrating long-standing public-health value.

What is PABS under the Pandemic Agreement ?

• Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) links rapid sharing of pathogens with fair access to vaccines, drugs and diagnostics; conceptually similar to WHO’s Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Framework.
• The Pandemic Agreement (2025) emerged after COVID-19 exposed governance gaps; despite COVAX, high-income countries pre-purchased large shares of early doses, leaving low-income countries dependent on donations and delayed supply.

Global equity dimension

COVID-era lessons

• During COVID-19, over 70% of people in low-income countries had not received a first dose by mid-2021, while many rich countries had surplus contracts, illustrating structural inequity in vaccine access.
• Countries like South Africa shared variant data (e.g., Omicron) but later faced travel bans and delayed vaccine access, creating distrust around “share-now, benefit-later” arrangements.

Biosecurity and technology risks

Misuse of genetic data

• Public genetic sequences can enable synthetic reconstruction of viruses; in 2017, researchers recreated horsepox virus, showing feasibility of synthesising large viral genomes using commercially available DNA fragments.
• Costs of DNA synthesis have fallen sharply over two decades, lowering entry barriers for advanced labs and raising dual-use concerns when oversight and identity verification are weak.

AI and synthetic biology

• AI tools can assist in protein design and sequence optimisation; while beneficial for vaccines, the same tools could hypothetically help design more transmissible or immune-evasive variants if misused.
• Experts note bio-risk now combines digital (cyber + data) and biological domains, requiring cybersecurity standards for genomic databases similar to those used in critical digital infrastructure.

Governance and legal concerns

Accountability gaps

• Civil society letters argue draft PABS makes benefit sharing optional, allowing companies to choose contribution types; contrast this with PIP Framework where manufacturers commit specific benefit contributions.
• Lack of mandatory reporting for lab accidents or cyber breaches contrasts with biosafety norms in many countries where notifiable incidents are legally reportable to regulators.

Transparency deficits

• Critics highlight limited pre-sharing of negotiation texts and restricted civil society participation, unlike some climate negotiations where draft texts are circulated widely for stakeholder input.

Public health and development implications

Trust and cooperation

• If countries fear unfair returns, they may delay sharing samples; Indonesia in 2007 withheld H5N1 samples over vaccine access concerns, showing how equity disputes can hinder surveillance.
• Reduced sharing slows variant detection, undermining early warning systems that saved time during Ebola, Zika and COVID-19 responses.

Way forward

Stronger safeguards

• Mandate verified identities and access logs for genomic databases, similar to controlled-access clinical data repositories used for human genome research.
• Require reporting of lab incidents and risky research, aligning with Biosafety Level (BSL) norms already applied in high-containment laboratories worldwide.

Fair benefit sharing

• Create binding financial and product commitments from companies, with predefined shares for WHO stockpiles, learning from advance market commitments used in pneumococcal vaccines.
• Guarantee technology transfer and licensing during emergencies, as seen in mRNA tech-transfer hubs supported by WHO in countries like South Africa.

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