UPSC Prelims 2026 Q65: AI Impact Summit Sutras & Chakras — Explained
Consider the following statements with respect to the AI 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 AI as a binding framework to support locally relevant innovation and strengthen resilient AI ecosystems while respecting national laws.
3. The New Delhi Declaration on AI Impact was structured around seven Chakras (Pillars), which included Access for Social Empowerment, AI for Science, and Secure and Trusted AI.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1, 2 and 3
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 3 only
Answer: (d) 3 only
Statement-wise explanation
- 1: incorrect — The Summit was built on three Sutras: People, Planet and Progress. 'Planning' was never one of them. 'Planet' stands for environmentally sustainable, energy-efficient AI, and that is the word UPSC swapped out. People means human-centric AI, and Progress means inclusive economic and technological advancement.
- 2: incorrect — The Charter for the Democratic Diffusion of AI is described as a voluntary, non-binding framework. It aims to widen access to foundational AI resources, support locally relevant innovation and build resilient AI ecosystems while respecting national laws. The whole Declaration is also non-binding and uses phrases like 'taking note of' and 'recognising'. Calling the Charter a 'binding framework' makes the statement wrong. 'Democratising AI Resources' is one of the seven Chakras, not a preamble.
- 3: correct — The New Delhi Declaration on AI Impact is organised around seven Chakras (pillars). They are: Democratising AI Resources; Economic Growth and Social Good; Secure and Trusted AI; AI for Science; Access for Social Empowerment; Human Capital Development; and Resilient, Efficient and Innovative AI infrastructure. All three pillars named in the statement are on this list.
How to eliminate
Statement 2 can be marked wrong using one word: 'binding'. Multilateral AI declarations from Bletchley (2023), Seoul (2024) and Paris (2025) were all voluntary. A summit document that 88+ countries signed, including both the US and China, could not realistically bind them. Removing statement 2 rules out every option except '3 only'. You do not need to know the Sutras at all. As a check, 'People, Planet, Progress' is a familiar sustainability triad, the same 3Ps used in India's G20 messaging. 'Planning' looks like a planted swap. Fact to remember: 3 Sutras (People, Planet, Progress) are carried out through 7 Chakras.
Know more
India-AI Impact Summit 2026 (16–20 February 2026, Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi) was the first global AI summit held in the Global South. Its motto was Sarvajan Hitaya, Sarvajan Sukhaya (welfare for all, happiness for all).
Structure: Sutras lead to Chakras
| Layer | Elements |
|---|---|
| 3 Sutras (guiding principles) | People (human-centric, rights-based AI), Planet (energy-efficient, climate-friendly AI), Progress (inclusive growth, innovation) |
| 7 Chakras (working groups / Declaration pillars) | Democratising AI Resources; Economic Growth & Social Good; Secure & Trusted AI; AI for Science; Access for Social Empowerment (Inclusion); Human Capital Development; Resilient, Efficient & Innovative AI |
Outcomes
- New Delhi Declaration on AI Impact: a non-binding declaration adopted on 21 February 2026. It was endorsed by 88 countries and international organisations, including the US, China, UK and Brazil. The number of signatories rose further after the summit.
- Charter for the Democratic Diffusion of AI: a voluntary framework for affordable access to compute, datasets and foundational models.
- Global AI Impact Commons: a platform to replicate scalable AI use cases across countries.
- Trusted AI Commons: a shared repository of tools, benchmarks and best practices for safe AI.
The summit series
| Year | Host | Name / focus |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Bletchley Park, UK | AI Safety Summit |
| 2024 | Seoul, South Korea | AI Seoul Summit |
| 2025 | Paris, France | AI Action Summit (India co-chaired) |
| 2026 | New Delhi, India | AI Impact Summit |
| 2027 | Geneva, Switzerland | Announced next host |
The focus moved from safety to action to impact. India's framing leans on digital public infrastructure: shared, open and affordable AI resources for the Global South.
In the news
India hosted the AI Impact Summit in February 2026, three months before Prelims. It was the first global AI summit in the Global South, and it ended with the New Delhi Declaration endorsed by 88+ countries. PIB's pre-summit backgrounders set out the Sutras and Chakras in detail, which made them ready material for a statement-based question.