Prime Minister of the Netherlands Dick Schoof arrived in India on Wednesday to attend the India AI Impact Summit 2026, as New Delhi hosts one of the most significant global gatherings on artificial intelligence.

Schoof was received at the airport in New Delhi by Minister of State Jitendra Singh.

In a post on X, the Ministry of External Affairs said his participation in the summit would further deepen and strengthen the bilateral partnership between India and the Netherlands.

The India AI Impact Summit 2026 is being held at Bharat Mandapam from February 16 to 20. The summit has brought together global policymakers, AI industry leaders, academicians, technology innovators and civil society representatives to advance discussions on artificial intelligence governance, safety and societal impact.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held several bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit with Croatia’s Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, Finland’s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.

Among other dignitaries who arrived in the national capital for the summit are Seychelles Vice President Sebastien Pillay, Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam and Sweden’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Energy, Business and Industry Ebba Busch.

The summit, the first global AI gathering to be hosted in the Global South, seeks to reflect on the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in line with the national vision of “Sarvajana Hitaya, Sarvajana Sukhaya” (welfare for all, happiness for all) and the broader principle of AI for Humanity.

With participation from more than 110 countries and 30 international organisations — including around 20 Heads of State or Government and about 45 ministers — the summit forms part of an evolving international effort to strengthen cooperation on AI governance, safety and its societal impact.

The India AI Impact Summit 2026 is guided by three foundational pillars — People, Planet and Progress — aimed at promoting human-centric AI, environmentally sustainable technological advancement and inclusive economic growth.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday termed the AI Summit a “disorganised PR spectacle” and alleged that Chinese products were being showcased at the event instead of promoting indigenous innovation.

In a post on X, the former Congress president said, “Instead of leveraging India’s talent and data, the AI summit is a disorganised PR spectacle – Indian data up for sale, Chinese products showcased.”

The remarks came amid a controversy involving Galgotias University, which allegedly displayed a robotic dog labelled “Orion” at the AI Summit Expo. Critics claimed that the robot was actually a Chinese-made Unitree Go2 and not an in-house innovation.

According to sources, the university has been asked to vacate its stall at the expo immediately.

Gandhi also tagged a post by the Indian National Congress alleging that the Modi government had made India a “laughing stock” globally on the issue of artificial intelligence. The party claimed that Chinese robots were being presented as Indian innovations at the summit.

“The Chinese media has mocked us. This is truly embarrassing for India. What is even more shameful is the fact that Modi’s minister Ashwini Vaishnaw is indulging in the same falsehood, promoting China’s robots at the Indian summit,” the Congress said.

The party further alleged that the government had caused “irreparable damage” to the country’s image and reduced AI — a field where India could emerge as a global leader — to a subject of ridicule.

February 18: Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday said the Indian Navy remains vigilant in safeguarding the country’s maritime interests and contributes to stability across wider maritime commerce.

Presiding over the International Fleet Review (IFR) off the coast of Visakhapatnam aboard an Indian naval warship in the Bay of Bengal, the President said the Navy is deployed in the region as a credible instrument of deterrence and defence against emerging maritime threats and challenges.

“Indian Navy is vigilant in safeguarding India’s maritime interests and is contributing to stability across wider maritime commerce,” Murmu said.

She noted that the Navy also plays a vital role in promoting goodwill and building bridges of trust, confidence and friendship with navies across the globe.

Highlighting the maritime legacy of Visakhapatnam, which houses the Eastern Naval Command, the President said the city has a glorious maritime past and that the fleet review underlines its enduring naval significance.

Expressing happiness at witnessing the impressive fleet of warships and displays by naval personnel from India and friendly countries, Murmu conveyed her compliments to the participating contingents.

She said the IFR reflects unity, trust and mutual respect among nations for maritime traditions, with ships bearing different flags and sailors from diverse countries symbolising the spirit of togetherness.

Reflecting on India’s deep and enduring relationship with the seas, stretching back centuries, the President described the oceans as pathways of commerce, connection and cultural exchange.

Referring to the festival of Bali Jatara celebrated in Cuttack during the week beginning on Karthik Purnima, she said it honours ancient sailors from present-day Odisha. The festival commemorates the maritime tradition of regular voyages to Southeast Asia since the era of the ancient Kalinga empire.

“These travels contributed to the exchange of trade and goods, ideas and values, shaping a shared cultural consciousness across the region,” she said.

Murmu added that the fleet review advances India’s vision of ‘Mahasagar’, symbolising mutual and historic advancement of security and growth across regions.

Nervousness before entering the examination hall turned into relief and confidence for several students who appeared for the Class 10 and 12 board examinations on Tuesday. Many described the question papers as easy to moderate and largely based on the NCERT syllabus.

The board examinations conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education began across the country on Tuesday. The Class 10 exams will conclude on March 10, while the Class 12 exams will end on April 10.

Omisha Dhondiyal from Air Force Bal Bharati School, who appeared for the Class 10 Standard Mathematics paper, said her anxiety eased once she went through the question paper.

“There was a lot of nervousness before the exam, but during the reading time I felt confident. The paper was easier compared to last year and I finished it before time, which gave me enough opportunity to revise,” she said.

A Class 12 student from the same school who appeared for the Biotechnology paper said that most of the questions were theoretical. “The paper was easier than last year. Most questions were directly from the textbook and theory-based, which made them easier to answer,” he said.

Nishtha, a Class 10 student from Delhi Public School, described the paper as straightforward. “Most of the questions were directly from NCERT and the case-study questions were simple. I was nervous at first, but the paper turned out to be manageable,” she said.

Ocean, a Class 12 student who received Set 2 of the question paper, said that even the multiple-choice questions were not tricky this time. “MCQs are usually tough, but this year they were easy. Overall, the paper was NCERT-based and doable. We had sufficient time to attempt all questions,” the student said.

Several students expressed that the relatively easy paper helped them begin their board examinations on a positive note, with some confidently expecting scores above 90 marks.

Narendra Modi on Tuesday described the India AI Impact Expo 2026 as a powerful convergence of ideas, innovation and intent, highlighting India’s growing leadership in the field of Artificial Intelligence.

The Prime Minister had inaugurated the Expo on Monday at Bharat Mandapam, where more than 600 high-potential startups and 13 country pavilions are participating, showcasing international collaboration in the AI ecosystem.

In a post on X, PM Modi said the Expo demonstrated the extraordinary potential of Indian talent in shaping the future of Artificial Intelligence for global good. He added that the event reaffirmed India’s commitment to harnessing AI responsibly, inclusively and at scale for human progress.

Global Participation and Wide Scale

Spread across 10 arenas covering over 70,000 square metres, the Expo brings together global technology firms, startups, academia and research institutions, Union ministries, state governments and international partners.

The event features 13 country pavilions representing Australia, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Serbia, Estonia, Tajikistan and Africa, underlining global cooperation in the AI domain.

Focus on People, Planet and Progress

The Expo hosts more than 300 curated exhibition pavilions and live demonstrations, structured around three thematic “chakras” — people, planet and progress.

In addition, over 600 high-potential startups are participating, many of them developing globally relevant and population-scale solutions. Several of these startups are showcasing working technologies that are already deployed in real-world environments.

The India AI Impact Expo 2026 is being seen as a major platform to position India as a global hub for ethical, scalable and inclusive Artificial Intelligence innovation.