UPSC Daily Current Affairs Quiz : 20 February 2026

Answer: (b) 2 and 4 only

Explanation:

• • Statement 1 – Incorrect The Prime Minister clearly stated that India does not fear AI and instead sees its future in Artificial Intelligence. Therefore, India views AI as an opportunity, not merely with caution or restraint.

• Statement 2 – Correct. The acronym MANAV stands for:

• • M – Moral and ethical systems
  • A – Accountable governance of AI models
  • N – National sovereignty over data
  • A – Accessible and inclusive means
  • V – Valid and legitimate uses of AI
• Statement 3 – Incorrect The Prime Minister stressed transitioning AI from a machine-centric approach to a human-centric approach, ensuring sensitivity and inclusivity.
• Statement 4 – Correct He mentioned that India is building a resilient ecosystem covering:
  • Semiconductors
  • Chip-making
  • Quantum computing
  • Secure data centres
  • IT backboneStart-up ecosystem

Answer: (b) 1, 2 and 4 only

Explanation: Statement 1 – Correct

The 2027 AI Impact Summit will be hosted in Geneva, Switzerland, as announced by Switzerland’s President Guy Parmelin.

Statement 2 – Correct: The 2028 AI Impact Summit will be hosted by the United Arab Emirates, which will work in partnership with Switzerland for the Geneva Summit.

Statement 3 – Incorrect: The Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) was signed between India and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) in 2024, not with the European Union (EU).  EFTA is a separate grouping from the EU.

Statement 4 – Correct. EFTA consists of four countries:

• Switzerland
• Norway
• Iceland
• Liechtenstein

Answer: (a) 1, 2 and 3 only

Explanation: Statement 1 – Correct:The Gates Foundation stated that Bill Gates would not deliver the keynote to ensure that the focus remained on the summit’s key priorities.

Statement 2 – Correct:He was replaced by Ankur Vohra, President of the Gates Foundation’s India and Africa offices.

Statement 3 – Correct: The controversy was linked to Mr. Gates’ past association with Jeffrey Epstein, after the release of U.S. Department of Justice documents mentioning communications between them.

Statement 4 – Incorrect: There was no official statement that the Government of India barred him. The withdrawal was announced by the Gates Foundation, and the response from Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, was non-committal.

Answer: (a) 1, 2 and 4 only

Explanation: Statement 1 – Correct.The article mentions that in 2008, Jeffrey Epstein entered into a non-prosecution agreement, pleading guilty to lesser charges and receiving a relatively lenient sentence.

Statement 2 – Correct: It states that in July 2019, Epstein was arrested again on charges not covered under the 2008 agreement.

Statement 3 – Incorrect: The article notes that names were redacted in the released documents, meaning all identities were not made public.

Statement 4 – Correct: The article argues that the Epstein files reveal deep structural linkages between political power, corporate interests, financial institutions, and wealthy elites, highlighting systemic ethical decay.

Answer: (a) 1, 3 and 4 only

Explanation: Statement 1 – Correct: Section 8(1)(j) of the Right to Information Act originally allowed withholding of personal information only if it had no relation to public activity or interest, and it included a public interest override permitting disclosure where larger public interest justified it.

Statement 2 – Incorrect: The amendment introduced through the Digital Personal Data Protection Act removes the public interest override and imposes a broader prohibition on disclosure of personal information. Hence, it does not retain the override.

Statement 3 – Correct: The editorial argues that the blanket prohibition may allow authorities to reject RTI requests concerning public officials, procurement, audits, and public expenditure by classifying them as “personal information”.

Statement 4 – Correct: The Supreme Court of India has referred the matter to a Constitution Bench, noting its constitutional sensitivity and the need to clarify the meaning of “personal information”.