{"id":66483,"date":"2026-02-11T18:33:41","date_gmt":"2026-02-11T13:03:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=66483"},"modified":"2026-02-12T11:30:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T06:00:13","slug":"news-in-short-11-02-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/11-02-2026\/news-in-short-11-02-2026","title":{"rendered":"News In Short 11-02-2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS1\/Personality in News<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay on his death anniversary (11 February).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya (1916\u20131968<\/strong><strong>)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Born on September 25, 1916, Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya was a political thinker, economist, and founder of the <strong>Bharatiya Jana Sangh<\/strong> (BJS).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>He studied in Kanpur and later joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), becoming a full-time <em>pracharak<\/em> in 1942.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>He was known for propounding the philosophy of <strong>Integral Humanism (Ekatma Manav Darshan)<\/strong>, which emphasized harmony between material and spiritual development, decentralization, and a self-reliant village-based economy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>He also contributed to ideological journalism through publications such as <em>Rashtra Dharma<\/em> (monthly), <em>Panchajanya<\/em> (weekly), and <em>Swadesh<\/em> (daily).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Legacy&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>He propounded the concept of <strong>Antyodaya<\/strong>, meaning the \u201crise of the last person,\u201d focusing on uplifting the poorest and most marginalized sections of society.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Government schemes named after him include: Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) and Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pib.gov.in\/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2226153&amp;reg=3&amp;lang=2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>PIB<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>India Records Highest-ever Tea Exports in 2025<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/ Agriculture<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India recorded its highest-ever tea exports in 2025, touching 280.40 million kg during January\u2013December 2025,\u00a0 marking a significant increase from 256.17 million kg in 2024.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About Tea<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India is the<strong> second largest tea exporter in the world.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Types of tea exported:<\/strong> Primarily black tea (96%), with small quantities of regular, green, herbal, masala, and lemon tea.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Key driver: <\/strong>Significant rise in shipments to West Asia, especially <strong>Iraq, UAE and Iran<\/strong>, now accounting for 20% of India&#8217;s tea exports.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Exports to China surged to <strong>16.13 million kg<\/strong> in 2025, compared to just 6.24 million kg in 2024.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>India\u2019s Export destinations: <\/strong>Over 25 countries, including UAE, Iraq, Iran, Russia, US, and UK.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Prominent tea regions:<\/strong> Assam (Assam Valley, Cachar) and West Bengal (Dooars, Terai, Darjeeling).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Global reputation:<\/strong> Indian teas, especially Assam, Darjeeling, and Nilgiri, are renowned for their quality.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>China <\/strong>is the largest tea producing country in the world <strong>followed by India.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Geographical Condition for Tea production<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The tea plant grows well in<strong> tropical and subtropical <\/strong>climates. Tea bushes require a <strong>warm and moist frost-free climate<\/strong> all through the year.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Soil:<\/strong> It requires deep and fertile well-drained soil, rich in humus and organic matter.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Temperature:<\/strong> The average annual temperature for tea plants to grow well is in the range of <strong>15-23\u00b0C.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Precipitation:<\/strong> The rainfall needed is between <strong>150-200 cm.<\/strong> Frequent showers evenly distributed over the year ensure <strong>continuous growth of tender leaves.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Major tea producing states<\/strong> are Assam, hills of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Apart from these, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Meghalaya, Andhra Pradesh and Tripura are also tea-producing states in the country.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Tea Board of India<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It was set up as a <strong>statutory body in 1954<\/strong> under the <strong>Tea Act, 1953.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It was established for the purposes of <strong>regulating the Indian tea industry and protecting the interests of tea producers in India.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>All teas produced in the tea growing areas of India are <strong>administered by the Tea Board.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Board consists of <strong>32 Members, <\/strong>including Chairman and Deputy Chairman appointed by the Government of India representing different sections of the Tea industry.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Board\u2019s <strong>Head Office is situated in Kolkata<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.business-standard.com\/industry\/news\/indias-tea-exports-touch-all-time-high-in-2025-126020900317_1.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>BS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Network Readiness Index Report 2025<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/ Governance, GS3\/Infrastructure<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India is placed at <strong>45th rank<\/strong> (with score <strong>54.43<\/strong> out of 100) as per the <strong>Network Readiness Index 2025 report <\/strong>released in 2026.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The report has been prepared by the <strong>Portulans Institute<\/strong>, <strong>an independent, non-profit research and educational institute<\/strong> based in <strong>Washington DC.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The report maps the <strong>network-based readiness landscape of 127 <\/strong>economies based on their performance in<strong> four pillars: <\/strong>Technology, People, Governance and Impact, covering a total of<strong> 53 indicators.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Top Three Nations:<\/strong> USA, Finland, Singapore<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The report states that India secured;\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>1st rank<\/strong> in \u201cAnnual investment in telecommunication services\u201d, \u201cAI scientific publications\u201d, \u201cICT services exports\u201d and \u201cE-commerce legislation\u201d,\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>2nd rank <\/strong>in \u201cFTTH\/Building Internet subscriptions\u201d, \u201cMobile broadband internet traffic within the country\u201d and \u201cInternational Internet bandwidth\u201d, and\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>3rd rank<\/strong> in \u201cDomestic market scale\u201d and \u201cIncome Inequality\u201d.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>India is ranked 2nd <\/strong>in the group of lower-middle-income countries.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pib.gov.in\/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2225406&amp;reg=3&amp;lang=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>PIB<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>US\u2013Bangladesh Trade Pact Dents India\u2019s tariff edge in American Market<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/IR<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The US has signed a <strong>new trade pact with Bangladesh.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Under the US\u2013Bangladesh pact, American tariffs on Bangladeshi exports have been <strong>reduced to 19% from 20%,<\/strong> significantly lower than the 37% rate imposed in 2025.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The agreement offers <strong>zero-duty access for certain apparel products,<\/strong> provided they are manufactured <strong>using US-origin cotton and man-made fibres.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>India\u2019s Export:<\/strong> India exported $1.47 billion worth cotton yarn (570 million kg) to Bangladesh, which is the <strong>biggest destination for Indian yarn, in 2024-2025.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Almost 20% of Bangladesh\u2019s garment exports and 26% of India\u2019s cotton apparel exports are to the U.S.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Concerns for India:<\/strong> The zero-duty clause for Bangladesh could neutralise India\u2019s relative tariff advantage under the India\u2013US deal, where the average textile tariff is expected to come down to around 18%.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Exports of Raw Cotton Material: <\/strong>More than 70 percent of India\u2019s exports in this category are destined for Bangladesh.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A shift toward American cotton would therefore directly displace Indian shipments.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/business\/us-bangladesh-trade-agreement-a-cause-of-concern-for-indian-apparel-exporters\/article70614408.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>TH&nbsp;<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Gold ETFs<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Economy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In a first for India, investments in gold Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) in January were greater than inflows into equity-oriented mutual funds.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This underscores the <strong>surge in demand for the gold as an investment option,<\/strong> as gold prices continue to hit new highs.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Inflows into gold ETFs\u00a0 more than doubled in January from December 2025 to an all-time high of Rs 24,040 crore.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Gold Exchange Traded Funds<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A gold ETF is a <strong>fund that invests in gold bullion<\/strong> and aims to track the performance of the price of gold.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>They are traded like shares on exchanges<\/strong> such as the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) through a demat and trading account.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Value moves largely with international gold prices and rupee-dollar exchange rates.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Significance<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Easily bought\/sold on stock exchanges and there is no need for physical storage or vaults.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Gold generally has a low correlation with equity markets, helping diversify risk within a portfolio.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Difference between Gold ETFs and Digital Gold<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Regulation:<\/strong> Gold ETFs are regulated by SEBI, whereas Digital Gold is not regulated by any financial market regulator.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Platform of Purchase:<\/strong> Gold ETFs are traded on stock exchanges, while Digital Gold is bought through online apps and platforms.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Demat Requirement:<\/strong> Gold ETFs require a demat and trading account; Digital Gold does not.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Pricing Mechanism:<\/strong> Gold ETF prices are market-linked and transparent; Digital Gold prices include platform-determined spreads.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: IE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong> Context <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> The Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay on his death anniversary (11 February). <\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong> Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya (1916\u20131968) <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> Born on September 25, 1916, Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya was a political thinker, economist, and founder of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS). <\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> He studied in Kanpur and later joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), becoming a full-time pracharak in 1942. <\/li>\n<p><a href=\" https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/11-02-2026\/news-in-short-11-02-2026\" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-66483","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66483","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=66483"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66483\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":66496,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66483\/revisions\/66496"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=66483"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=66483"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=66483"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}