UPSC Prelims 2026Question 65International Relations

Consider the following statements with respect to the Al Impact Summit, 2026 held in New Delhi:
1. The Summit’s intellectual framework was based on three foundational Sutras:People, Planning, and Progress.
2. The Preamble of the Summit stresses Democratising AI Resources, which acknowledges the Charter for Democratic Diffusion of Al as a binding framework to support locally relevant innovation and strengthen resilient Al ecosystems while respecting national laws.
3. The New Delhi Declaration on Al Impact was structured around seven Chakras (Pillars), which included Access for Social Empowerment, Al for Science, and Secure and Trusted Al
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Options

(a)1, 2 and 3
(b)1 and 2 only
(c)2 and 3 only
(d)3 only

Correct answer: d

Decision rule

Summit declarations and charters are voluntary and non-binding; any statement calling such a framework binding is false.

Explanation

Correct Answer

(d) 3 only

Explanation of the Correct Answer

Only Statement 3 is correct.

The India AI Impact Summit 2026 was held in New Delhi and concluded with the adoption of the New Delhi Declaration on AI Impact. The Summit was structured around three Sutras and seven Chakras.

However:

The three Sutras were People, Planet and Progress, not People, Planning and Progress.
The Charter for the Democratic Diffusion of AI was described as a voluntary and non-binding framework, not a binding framework.
The Declaration was indeed structured around seven Chakras, including Access for Social Empowerment, AI for Science, and Secure and Trusted AI. (Press Information Bureau)

Therefore, only Statement 3 is correct.

Evaluation of the Statements

Statement	Verdict	Explanation
1. The Summit’s intellectual framework was based on three foundational Sutras: People, Planning, and Progress.	Incorrect	The correct three Sutras were People, Planet and Progress, not Planning. (Press Information Bureau)
2. The Preamble stresses Democratising AI Resources and acknowledges the Charter for Democratic Diffusion of AI as a binding framework.	Incorrect	The Declaration refers to the Charter as a voluntary and non-binding framework, not a binding framework. (Press Information Bureau)
3. The New Delhi Declaration was structured around seven Chakras, including Access for Social Empowerment, AI for Science, and Secure and Trusted AI.	Correct	These were among the seven pillars of the Declaration. (Press Information Bureau)

Why Other Options Are Incorrect

Option	Verdict	Explanation
(a) 1, 2 and 3	Incorrect	Statements 1 and 2 are incorrect.
(b) 1 and 2 only	Incorrect	Both Statements 1 and 2 are incorrect.
(c) 2 and 3 only	Incorrect	Statement 3 is correct, but Statement 2 is incorrect.
(d) 3 only	Correct	Only Statement 3 accurately reflects the Summit framework and Declaration.

Relevant Supplementary Information

India AI Impact Summit 2026: Key Facts

Parameter	Details
Event	India AI Impact Summit 2026
Venue	New Delhi
Dates	18–19 February 2026 for Declaration adoption; broader Summit activities were held during February 2026
Outcome document	New Delhi Declaration on AI Impact
Guiding principle	“Sarvajan Hitaya, Sarvajan Sukhaya”
Three Sutras	People, Planet and Progress
Seven Chakras	Seven pillars of global AI cooperation
Nature of frameworks	Voluntary and non-binding
Broad objective	AI for inclusive growth, trust, access, science, resilience and social good

Seven Chakras of the New Delhi Declaration on AI Impact

Chakra / Pillar	Focus Area
Democratizing AI Resources	Affordable access to foundational AI resources
Economic Growth and Social Good	AI use cases for development and public benefit
Secure and Trusted AI	Trustworthy, secure and robust AI systems
AI for Science	AI-enabled scientific collaboration and research
Access for Social Empowerment	Equitable AI adoption for social sectors
Human Capital Development	AI skilling, reskilling and literacy
Resilient, Efficient and Innovative AI Systems	Energy-efficient and resilient AI infrastructure

Chakra / Pillar	Core Focus	Meaning
Democratizing AI Resources	Access to AI infrastructure and resources	Making AI compute, datasets, models and tools more widely accessible
Economic Growth and Social Good	Development and welfare-oriented AI	Using AI for inclusive growth, public services and productivity
Secure and Trusted AI	Safety, trust and reliability	Promoting responsible, secure and trustworthy AI systems
AI for Science	Scientific research and innovation	Applying AI to accelerate research, discovery and scientific collaboration
Access for Social Empowerment	Inclusion and empowerment	Ensuring AI benefits reach underserved and vulnerable groups
Human Capital Development	Skills and capacity building	AI literacy, skilling, reskilling and workforce preparedness
Resilient, Efficient and Innovative AI Systems	Sustainable and robust AI systems	Energy-efficient, resilient and innovation-friendly AI infrastructure

Key Takeaways from the Tables

Key Point	Explanation
Three Sutras are People, Planet and Progress	“Planning” is the incorrect word in Statement 1.
Frameworks are voluntary and non-binding	Statement 2 is incorrect because it calls the Charter binding.
Seven Chakras are pillars of action	Statement 3 correctly identifies important pillars.
Democratizing AI Resources is one Chakra	It is linked to affordable access to AI resources and local innovation.
Only Statement 3 is correct	Hence, option (d) is correct.

Key Point	Explanation
Remember the 3 Ps	The Sutras are People, Planet and Progress.
Do not write Planning	“Planning” is the trap word in the question.
Seven Chakras are action pillars	They translate broad principles into focused areas of cooperation.
Framework is non-binding	The Charter for Democratic Diffusion of AI is not a binding treaty framework.
India’s emphasis was inclusive AI	The summit focused on access, social empowerment, science, trust and development.
Statement 3-type facts are important	Access for Social Empowerment, AI for Science and Secure and Trusted AI are part of the Seven Chakras.

Context and Current Relevance

The Summit placed India at the centre of global AI governance discussions from the Global South perspective.
Its focus was on inclusive, accessible, trusted and development-oriented AI.
The voluntary and non-binding character reflects India’s preference for cooperative AI governance rather than rigid treaty-based regulation.

Table: India AI Impact Summit 2026 — Key Facts

Parameter	Details
Event	India AI Impact Summit 2026
Venue	Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi
Dates	February 2026
Hosted by	India
Global significance	First global AI summit hosted in the Global South
Core framework	Three Sutras and Seven Chakras
Three Sutras	People, Planet and Progress
Outcome document	New Delhi Declaration on AI Impact
Broad approach	Inclusive, safe, trusted, development-oriented and globally cooperative AI
Nature of cooperation	Voluntary, non-binding and collaborative framework

The official summit page describes the framework as anchored in People, Planet and Progress, while the PIB release explains that the Seven Chakras translate these Sutras into concrete areas of global cooperation. (IndiaAI)

Table: Three Sutras of the India AI Impact Summit 2026

Sutra	Meaning	Broad Focus
People	AI should empower individuals and communities	Inclusion, access, skilling, social empowerment
Planet	AI should support sustainability and ecological responsibility	Climate action, resource efficiency, resilient systems
Progress	AI should drive innovation and development	Science, economic growth, public services and social good

Table: Common MCQ Traps on India AI Impact Summit 2026

Statement Type	Correct / Incorrect	Reason
Summit was based on People, Planet and Progress	Correct	These are the three Sutras
Summit was based on People, Planning and Progress	Incorrect	“Planning” is wrong; correct term is “Planet”
New Delhi Declaration was structured around Seven Chakras	Correct	The Chakras are the seven pillars of the framework
Charter for Democratic Diffusion of AI is binding	Incorrect	It is voluntary and non-binding
Secure and Trusted AI is one of the Chakras	Correct	It is one of the pillars
AI for Science is one of the Chakras	Correct	It is included in the framework
Access for Social Empowerment is one of the Chakras	Correct	It is part of the seven-pillar structure
Summit focused only on AI safety	Incorrect	It focused on impact, inclusion, development, trust, science and sustainability

Table: India AI Impact Summit 2026 vs Earlier Global AI Summits

Summit	Host / Venue	Broad Focus
AI Safety Summit 2023	United Kingdom, Bletchley Park	Frontier AI safety and existential risks
AI Seoul Summit 2024	South Korea	AI safety, innovation and inclusivity
AI Action Summit 2025	France, Paris	AI action, governance and global cooperation
India AI Impact Summit 2026	India, New Delhi	AI for people, planet, progress, development and inclusive impact

The 2026 New Delhi summit marked a shift toward real-world AI impact, especially from the Global South perspective. Carnegie’s post-summit analysis notes that the summit placed “real-world impact” at the centre of global AI governance discussions. (Carnegie Endowment)

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