The Hindu Morning Digest: February 11, 2026

Former Army General Naravane confirms Penguin’s claim that memoir is as yet unpublished

Amidst a growing parliamentary storm over his book, Four Stars of Destiny, former Army Chief Gen. M. M. Naravane on Tuesday (February 10, 2026) confirmed his publisher’s contention that the memoir has not been officially published. Penguin Random House India said it holds the sole publishing rights to Four Stars of Destiny and asserted that the book has not gone into publication. Sharing the statement by PRHI on social media, Gen. Naravane said, “This is the status of the book”. Gen. Naravane’s clarification follows remarks by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who earlier in the day cited a December 2023 social media post by General Naravane stating that the book was “available now”, to counter the publisher’s claim that the memoir has not yet been published.

Bangladesh plans to shift from Indian to U.S. cotton

Bangladesh will replace Indian cotton with U.S.-produced cotton as a result of the U.S.-Bangladesh trade deal that was inked on Monday (February 9, 2026), said a spokesperson for the interim government in Dhaka. Speaking to The Hindu exclusively, Shafiqul Alam, information adviser to Chief Adviser Mohammed Yunus, said the trade deal is a “game changer” that can provide Bangladesh with greater access to the U.S. market. Leading economist Professor Selim Jehan of BRAC University in Dhaka said the deal has made Bangladesh’s cotton market “attractive” for the U.S. but cautioned that Bangladesh should ensure that the U.S. cotton is of high quality.

Label all photorealistic AI content online, says Centre

The Union Government has notified amendments requiring photorealistic AI-generated content to be prominently labelled and significantly shortening timelines for the takedown of illegal material, including non-consensual deepfakes. The changes, under the Information Technology Act, 2021, will come into force on February 20. Under the amended rules, social media platforms will now have between 2 and 3 hours to remove certain categories of unlawful content, a sharp reduction from the earlier 24-36 hour window. Content deemed illegal by a court or an “appropriate government” will have to be taken down within 3 hours, while sensitive content, featuring non-consensual nudity and deepfakes, must be removed within 2 hours. 

Bharatiya Kisan Union opposes deal with U.S., to burn effigies of Modi, Trump

The Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) has announced a series of protests, including the burning of the effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and United States President Donald Trump at all villages against the India-U.S. bilateral agreement. BKU leader Rakesh Tikait told reporters in Delhi on Tuesday (February 10, 2026) that the Union Government had lost the trust of farmers and the trade agreements with the U.S. and the European Union would have far-reaching adverse impacts on farmers. Mr. Tikait said a series of recent policy announcements, such as the Seeds Bill and the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, were targeted against farmers

MHA sidesteps query on Agniveers’ career progression

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Tuesday (February 10, 2026) evaded a response to a pointed question from Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi in Lok Sabha on why it—and not the Ministry of Defence—has been assigned the responsibility of coordinating the career progression of Agniveers, despite their service in the armed forces. Mr. Gandhi sought to know whether the MHA had been tasked with coordinating the post-service career progression of Agniveers, and whether the government had assessed possible overlap or coordination challenges between the MHA and the Defence Ministry in managing the transition of ex-Agniveers. He also asked for details of the specific activities and programmes that the MHA would oversee for them.

Supreme Court asks ECI to consider writ petitioner’s suggestions against excessive poll expenditure

The Supreme Court on Tuesday (February 10, 2026) asked the Election Commission of India (ECI) to consider suggestions made in a writ petition to frame a standard operating procedure to trim election expenditure. A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said the suggestions made by petitioner Prabhakar Deshpande were “worth consideration”. Mr. Deshpande, an IIT graduate and chemical engineer, had sought directions for the poll panel to formulate a plan of action against erring candidates and to re-examine the cap on election expenses to ensure democratic credibility.

Election Commission extends deadline for Bengal SIR hearings to February 14

The Election Commission of India on Tuesday (February 10, 2026) extended the deadline for Special Intensive Revision (SIR) hearings in West Bengal to February 14, 2026. The date for publication of the final voter lists has been moved to February 28. This came after the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal sent a formal request to the ECI for an extension on February 7, citing pending work. The Supreme Court on Monday (February 9, 2026) asked the ECI to extend the SIR deadlines by at least one week.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Lutnick acknowledges meetings with Epstein that contradict previous claims

Under questioning from Democrats on Tuesday (February 10, 2026), Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick acknowledged that he had met with Jeffrey Epstein twice after his 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a child, reversing Mr. Lutnick’s previous claim that he had cut ties with the late financier after 2005. Mr. Lutnick once again downplayed his relationship with the disgraced financier who was once his neighbour in New York City as he was questioned by Democrats during a subcommittee hearing of the Senate Appropriations Committee. He described their contact as a handful of emails and a pair of meetings that were years apart. “I did not have any relationship with him. I barely had anything to do with him,” Mr. Lutnick told lawmakers.

U.S. to scrap legal cornerstone of climate regulations this week

U.S. President Donald Trump is set this week to scrap a landmark scientific finding that greenhouse gases jeopardise public health by driving climate change — the bedrock of U.S. regulations to curb planet-warming pollution. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last summer proposed reversing the so-called “endangerment finding” of 2009, in the administration’s latest boost to the fossil fuel industry. “On Thursday, President Trump will be joined by (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin to formalise the rescission of the 2009 Obama-era endangerment finding,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told a news briefing Tuesday (February 10, 2026).

Bangladesh elections 2026: Will hand over power to elected government fast, says Yunus

The February 12 election is not just a routine political event but a moment when the people of Bangladesh will determine the course of their collective destiny, Chief Adviser of the interim government Muhammad Yunus said on Tuesday (February 10, 2026). Mr. Yunus called for citizens to vote in favour of the popular referendum on the ‘July Charter’ that will bring substantial changes to the Constitution. “The task of the interim government will end with the election of a new government. We will return to our respective professions after handing over power with joy and pride to the newly elected government,” said Mr. Yunus.

Bangladesh Hindu businessman, 62, hacked to death days before polls

A Hindu businessman was brutally killed in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh district, days before the country heads to the polls, a local media report said on Tuesday (February 10, 2026). The incident has once again raised concerns over the safety of minorities in the neighbouring country. The 62-year-old victim, Susen Chandra Sarkar, was hacked to death inside his shop late on Monday night (February 9, 2026) at Bogar Bazar in Trishal Upazila. A resident of Southkanda village, Mr. Sarkar was the owner of Bhai Bhai Enterprise. 

Published – February 11, 2026 06:50 am IST