Top Current Affairs of the Day | 17 February 2026 | NGT Nicobar, DPDP Act, 16th Finance Commission

Описание: 17 Feb | Daily Current Affairs — NGT clears Great Nicobar Project, Supreme Court to hear DPDP Act pleas, and 16th Finance Commission impact on Assam.
Perfect for ADRE, APSC, SSC, UPSC, Banking and Defence exams.

📌 IN THIS VIDEO, WE COVER:
1. NGT clears Great Nicobar Mega Project (Pages 3–8)

– National Green Tribunal dismisses appeals against Environmental Clearance
– Project cost: ₹92,000 crore
– Applied Doctrine of Balanced Approach
– Prioritised strategic, defence and national importance
– Mandated strict environmental safeguards
– High-Powered Committee (Leena Nandan) finds no violation of ICRZ-IA norms

Project Components:
✔ International Container Transshipment Terminal at Galathea Bay
✔ Greenfield dual-use International Airport
✔ 450 MVA hybrid power plant
✔ Integrated township

Strategic Importance:
– Overlooks Six Degree Channel & Strait of Malacca
– Strengthens Indo-Pacific maritime monitoring
– Supports Act East Policy & SAGAR doctrine

Concerns Raised:
– Threat to Leatherback Sea Turtle nesting
– Diversion of primary rainforest
– Tribal rights (Shompen & Nicobarese)
– Seismic Zone V risks

2. Constitution Bench to hear pleas against DPDP Act (Pages 9–14)

– Supreme Court refers challenges to larger Constitution Bench
– Debate: Privacy protection vs Government transparency

Petitioners’ Arguments:
– Violates Article 19(1)(a): Right to Know
– Violates Article 14: Manifest arbitrariness
– Article 21 conflict: Privacy vs Accountability

Key Concerns:
– Broad definition of “personal information”
– Risk of denying access to pension lists, recruitment results, public expenditure

Core Issue:
Right to Privacy vs Right to Information

3. 16th Finance Commission & Assam (Pages 15–21)

– Chaired by Dr Arvind Panagariya
– Award period: 2026–2031

Key Recommendations:
✔ Vertical Devolution retained at 41%
✔ New criterion: Contribution to GDP (10%)
✔ Reduced weights for Income Distance & Area

Impact on Assam:
– Share increased from 3.128% to 3.26%
– Additional ₹1,994 crore projected in first year
– Major grants for rural bodies, urban bodies & disaster management

Fiscal Discipline Conditions:
– Fiscal deficit capped at 3% of GSDP
– End of off-budget borrowings
– DISCOM reforms & subsidy rationalisation

Critical Catch:
– Cess & surcharge not shareable
– Higher conditionality for grants

🎯 WHY WATCH THIS VIDEO

✔ Covers Environment, Polity & Economy
✔ Strong GS + Static GK linkage
✔ Very important for UPSC, APSC, ADRE, SSC & Banking exams

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