20th FEBRUARY 2026 ENGLISH TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS PDF TNPSC SHOUTERS
India joins US-led 'Pax Silica' consortium
- Pax Silica is a group of trusted nations committed to protecting the silicon wafer, from semiconductor manufacturing to AI infrastructure. The US-led consortium aims to ensure that emerging technologies are transparent and governed by democratic societies.
- India formally joined the consortium today. India signed the agreement in the presence of Indian Minister of Communications Ashwini Vaishnav, US Under Secretary of State for Economic Development, Energy and Environment Jacob Helberg, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gore, among others, at the ongoing AI Impact Summit in Delhi.
- The consortium includes Australia, Greece, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Qatar, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and the UK. It is noteworthy that Canada, the Netherlands, the European Union and Taiwan have not signed the agreement.
- Just as a plane or helicopter uses a parachute to jump down from the sky, a drogue parachute will be used to limit the speed of the aircraft when it lands. Such a parachute will be used for the Gaganyaan project spacecraft that will send humans to space.
- The DRDO tested this parachute at the test center in Chandigarh on Wednesday. In a statement issued by the Ministry of Defense, the successful testing of the drogue parachute for the Gaganyaan project is a major milestone in India's plan to send humans to space.
- It has been stated that this test has proven that India has acquired expertise in designing and manufacturing high-power ribbon parachutes.
- The first meeting of the peace committee proposed by Trump to end the Israel-Hamas war last September was held in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. The leaders of various world countries participated in it.
- President Trump’s speech at the event: Several member countries of the peace committee have so far raised $7 billion for the reconstruction of Gaza. The United States will provide an additional $1 billion. Similarly, the UN will provide $2 billion for humanitarian aid.
- For the sake of lasting peace in Gaza, five countries, namely Indonesia, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, and Albania, are sending soldiers to the international force to be deployed there. Egypt and Jordan have taken on the responsibility of training the Gaza police, he said.
- US President Donald Trump announced that $17 billion (approximately Rs. 1.55 lakh crore in Indian currency) will be allocated by the US and the Peace Corps for reconstruction work
