03rd February 2026

1. Wings India 2026 held in Hyderabad, showcasing advancements and opportunities in civil aviation and aerospace
2. Gujarat emerges as India’s largest contributor to installed renewable energy capacity
3. Ministry of Home Affairs mandates a minimum two-year central deputation for IPS officers before appointment as IGP
4. CCRAS signs an MoU with Berhampur University to digitise rare and ancient Ayurvedic manuscripts
5. SAIL launches the ‘SAIL-e-BRATION’ initiative to highlight the steel sector’s role in nation-building and society
6. Government withdraws 18% excise duty on unmanufactured tobacco
7. Central Bank of India partners with HSBC Asset Management to provide mutual fund solutions to customers
8. At the 68th Grammy Awards, first-time Grammy wins are recorded for the Dalai Lama and K-Pop, while Bad Bunny wins Album of the Year
9. Devika Sihag secures her maiden BWF Super 300 title at the Thailand Masters
10. Indian Coast Guard Day observed to mark the force’s role in maritime security and rescue operations
11. Kabak Yano from Arunachal Pradesh successfully summits the highest peak in the Western Hemisphere
12. NSO announces a nationwide migration survey to update and strengthen migration-related data
13. India and the European Union sign an agreement to enhance cross-border digital trade cooperation
14. Pilloo AI launched to enable voice-based accounting in regional and local languages
15. An Indian-origin scientist wins the prestigious Crafoord Prize 2026
16. Yantra India Limited granted Miniratna Category-I status by the Ministry of Defence
17. India and the United States reach a trade understanding leading to tariff reductions to 18%
18. Adampur Airport renamed as Sri Guru Ravidas Maharaj Ji Airport
19. Indian Army and ITBP conduct joint exercise ‘Agni Pariksha’ in Arunachal Pradesh

National News

1. Wings India 2026 concludes at Begumpet Airport

• What
  • Wings India 2026 concluded at Begumpet Airport after four days, bringing the full civil aviation value chain together, showcasing aircraft, policy announcements, business meetings, and public displays relevant to India’s aviation sector and global participants.
• Tell me more
  • KPMG–FICCI report on India’s aviation growth outlook was released.
  • Aerobatic performances by the Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team and international aerobatic pilot Mark Jefferies were showcased.

2. Mandatory central deputation made compulsory for IPS IG empanelment

• Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) revised empanelment rules, making two years of central deputation mandatory for Indian Police Service (IPS) officers of the 2011 batch onwards for Inspector General-level posts.
• The change aims to address vacancies in Central Police Organisations and Central Armed Police Forces and aligns with Supreme Court of India directions on IPS deputation.

Source: HT

3. National Statistics Office to conduct nationwide migration survey

• What
  • National Statistics Office will conduct a nationwide Survey on Migration from July 2026 to June 2027 to generate updated data on migration patterns, labour mobility, and remittance flows in India.
• Tell me more
  • The migration survey will study rural–urban and inter-state movement, reasons and types of migration, and migrant employment, with findings supporting policy planning, as informed to Parliament by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.

4. India–EU sign arrangement on electronic signatures and seals

• What
  • Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Communication Networks, Content and Technology signed an arrangement to allow safe and trusted use of electronic signatures in India–EU digital transactions.
• Tell me more
  • Implementation in India will be done through the Controller of Certifying Authorities under the Information Technology Act, 2000.
  • It enables systems in India and the European Union to recognise each other’s electronic signatures, seals, and Public Key Infrastructure.
  • Both sides will link trusted service provider lists to verify digital documents easily.

Source: PIB

State News

1. Gujarat becomes India’s largest contributor to renewable energy capacity

• What
  • Gujarat became India’s biggest renewable energy contributor by December 2025, helping national goals of net-zero emissions by 2070 and 50% electricity from renewables by 2030 through large solar, wind, and hybrid projects.
• Tell me more
  • Gujarat achieved 42.58 gigawatt renewable capacity, forming 16.50% of India’s total, ranking first overall, first in wind, second in solar, and first in rooftop solar installations.
  • Gujarat introduced India’s first Wind Power Policy in 1993 and later solar, hybrid, waste-to-energy, and integrated renewable energy policies.
  • The Gujarat Integrated Renewable Energy Policy-2025 provides a unified framework for renewable generation, storage, grid connectivity, and digital facilitation.

Source: BS

2. Andhra Pradesh launches voice-based AI billing tool for small businesses

• What
  • Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu launched Pilloo AI, a voice-based billing and accounting agent, to help small and medium businesses manage invoices, records, and accounts easily, supporting digital growth and ease of doing business in Andhra Pradesh.
• Tell me more
  • Pilloo AI was founded by G. Sai Praneeth, with Ram Mohan Locharla as co-founder.

Source: TH

3. Adampur airport renamed after Guru Ravidas; Halwara terminal inaugurated

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi renamed Adampur airport as Sri Guru Ravidas Maharaj Ji Airport in Punjab, and virtually inaugurated the new Halwara civil terminal in Ludhiana.
• Halwara airport is near an Indian Air Force base and located in Aitiana village, Ludhiana district.
• The Adampur airport was revamped at a cost of ₹125 crore under the UDAN 5.0 scheme and serves Punjab’s Doaba region.

Source: HT

Banking and Economy

1. SAIL launches nationwide creative contest ‘सेल-e-BRATION’

• What
  • Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), a Maharatna public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Steel, launched the nationwide creative contest ‘सेल-e-BRATION’ with MyGov to highlight SAIL’s role in daily life.
• Tell me more
  • The nationwide contest invites Indian citizens to submit short videos on Steel Authority of India Limited’s role in daily life and nation-building, with MP4 entries up to 120 seconds accepted via MyGov by February 16, 2026.
  • The top five creators will receive ₹10,000 each, certificates, and official recognition on SAIL’s social media platforms.

2. Union Government withdraws excise duty on unmanufactured tobacco

• The Union Government withdrew the 18% excise duty on unmanufactured, unbranded tobacco through a gazette notification issued on February 1, 2026.
• The move provided relief to tobacco farmers and manufacturers, while the excise duty on cigarettes based on stick length remains unchanged.

Source: HBL

3. Central Bank of India partners with HSBC AMC to distribute mutual funds

• What
  • Central Bank of India signed a distributorship agreement with HSBC Asset Management (India) Private Limited to offer mutual fund products, expanding investment choices for customers and supporting diversified savings deployment in India’s mutual fund sector.

4. Yantra India Limited gets Miniratna Category-I status

• What
  • Yantra India Limited received Miniratna Category-I status from the Ministry of Defence, recognising its improved financial performance and enabling greater operational autonomy to strengthen defence manufacturing and exports in India.
• Tell me more
  • Yantra India Limited met Miniratna benchmarks through rising turnover, exports, and indigenisation since corporatisation in October 2021.
  • The board can now approve capital expenditure up to ₹500 crore without prior government approval.

5. United States reduces tariffs on Indian goods after trade understanding

• What
  • Donald Trump announced a trade understanding with India reducing United States tariffs on Indian goods to 18% from 50%, in return for India halting Russian oil purchases, buying United States energy, and lowering trade barriers, affecting bilateral trade and exports.
• Tell me more
  • The United States removed an additional 25% punitive duty imposed over India’s Russian oil purchases, restoring tariffs to an 18% level.
  • India agreed to buy oil from the United States and potentially Venezuela, and increase purchases of United States energy, technology, agriculture, and other products.

Source: RT

Defence News

1. Indian Army and ITBP conduct joint firing exercise Agni Pariksha Phase-II

• Indian Army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police conducted Phase-II of the joint firing exercise Agni Pariksha at Tezu, Arunachal Pradesh, to strengthen inter-force coordination, joint firepower use, and battlefield readiness through live-fire training.

Source: A24 ET

Awards

1. 68th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles

• The Grammy Awards are among the most prestigious honours in the global music industry, celebrating artistic and technical excellence across genres.

2. Indian-origin climate scientist Veerabhadran Ramanathan wins Crafoord Prize

• What
  • Veerabhadran Ramanathan received the Crafoord Prize for geosciences for discoveries that transformed understanding of climate change, especially the warming role of trace gases beyond carbon dioxide.
• Tell me more
  • The Crafoord Prize is often called the Nobel of geosciences.
  • His research influenced global climate science and supported policies like the 1987 Montreal Protocol that limited harmful greenhouse gases and banned chlorofluorocarbons to reduce global warming.

Source: TOI

Important Days

1. Indian Coast Guard marks 50 years on February 1

• What
  • The Indian Coast Guard was raised on 1 February 1977 with seven surface platforms and has grown to 155 ships and 80 aircraft.
• Tell me more
  • The force aims to reach 200 surface platforms and 100 aircraft by 2030.
  • The Indian Coast Guard is also known as Bharatiya Tatrakshak.

Source: NOA

Sports

1. Devika Sihag wins maiden BWF Super 300 title at Thailand Masters

• What
  • Indian badminton player Devika Sihag won her first Badminton World Federation (BWF) Super 300 women’s singles title at the Thailand Masters after Malaysia’s Goh Jin Wei retired due to injury.
• Tell me more
  • Devika became the third Indian woman to win a Super 300 singles title, after P. V. Sindhu and Saina Nehwal.
  • Thailand Masters is an international badminton tournament under the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Super 300 level, and the total prize money for all players together is USD 250,000.

Source: TH

2. Kabak Yano summits Mount Aconcagua under 7-Summit Expedition

• What
  • Indian mountaineer Kabak Yano from Arunachal Pradesh successfully summited Mount Aconcagua in Argentina, the highest peak in South America, as part of her ongoing 7-Summit Mountaineering Expedition.
• Tell me more
  • Mount Aconcagua stands at 22,831 feet above sea level and is the highest peak in the Western Hemisphere.
  • The 7-Summit Mountaineering Expedition includes climbing the highest mountain on each continent:
    • Mount Everest – Asia
    • Mount Aconcagua – South America
    • Denali – North America
    • Mount Kilimanjaro – Africa
    • Mount Elbrus – Europe
    • Mount Vinson – Antarctica
    • Mount Kosciuszko – Australia

Source: NOA

Memorandum of Understanding

1. Berhampur University partners with CCRAS to digitise Ayurvedic manuscripts

• What
  • Berhampur University signed an MoU with Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) to digitise and preserve rare Ayurvedic manuscripts, helping India protect traditional medical knowledge and make it easier for researchers to study and use.
• Tell me more
  • More than 2,000 palm-leaf manuscripts, rare Ayurveda books, and periodicals stored at the South Odisha Cultural Study Centre will be digitised using advanced technology.
  • The National Institute of Indian Medical Heritage, Hyderabad, a unit of CCRAS, will lead the project and share digitised copies with Berhampur University.

Source: TOI

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