🇮🇳 National News
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Punjab on February 1, 2026, coinciding with the 649th birth anniversary of Sant Guru Ravidas, the revered 15th-century saint.
The PM unveiled the new name of Adampur Airport as ‘Shri Guru Ravidass Maharaj Ji Airport, Adampur’ in honour of the saint.
He virtually inaugurated the new civil terminal building at Halwara Airport in Ludhiana, enhancing regional air connectivity for Ludhiana and surrounding industrial areas.
PM Modi also visited Dera Sachkhand Ballan, a major spiritual centre of the Ravidassia community in Jalandhar, and paid respects on Guru Ravidas Jayanti.
Sant Guru Ravidas was a 15th-century poet-saint who advocated for social equality and devotion. His birth anniversary is celebrated on Magh Purnima (full moon day in the Hindu month of Magh).
India hosted the 2nd India-Arab Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (IAFMM) in New Delhi on January 31, 2026, marking the first such meeting in India and the first in 10 years since the inaugural session in Bahrain (2016).
The meeting was co-chaired by External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar, Minister of State of the UAE.
Foreign ministers from all 22 Arab League member states participated, along with Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States.
India and the Arab League formally adopted the New Delhi Declaration, reflecting deeper cooperation on regional and global issues amid evolving geopolitics in West Asia.
IAFMM Timeline: 1st meeting in Bahrain (2016) → 2nd meeting in New Delhi (2026)
Union Minister of State Rao Inderjit Singh (MoSPI) announced that the National Statistics Office (NSO) will conduct a comprehensive Survey on Migration from July 2026 to June 2027.
The survey will capture rural-urban, inter-state, return, and seasonal migration, including reasons for movement, employment characteristics, and remittance flows.
India’s overall migration rate: 28.9% (Males: 10.7%, Females: 47.9%)
Marriage accounted for 86.8% of female migration, while employment drove 22.8% of male migration.
Indian Highways Management Company Limited (IHMCL), under NHAI, signed a three-year MoU with National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) to enhance cybersecurity and data protection in National Highway operations.
NFSU will provide technical guidance for setting up advanced laboratories including CCTV analysis, multimedia analysis, and digital/cyber forensics laboratories.
Key areas of collaboration include:
- Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) – Toll collection without stopping
- ATMS – Advanced Traffic Management Systems
- ANPR – Automatic Number Plate Recognition
- Traffic Management Systems
- Weigh-in-Motion (WIM) – Vehicle weight measurement
More than 1.18 lakh birds have been rescued across Gujarat during the last ten years under the state’s Karuna Abhiyan, with injuries largely caused during the Uttarayan kite-flying season.
Karuna Abhiyan was launched in 2017. Since its launch, over 1.29 lakh injured birds have received medical treatment with an overall recovery rate exceeding 92%.
| Parameter | 2026 Campaign (Jan 10-20) |
|---|---|
| Birds Treated | 16,380 |
| Birds Survived | 14,690 |
| Recovery Rate | 90% |
| Highest Cases | Ahmedabad (7,040 birds) |
| Species Treated | 41 species |
Pigeons formed the largest group of injured birds, followed by black kites, crows, and sparrow hawks.
Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh approved Miniratna Category-I status for Yantra India Limited (YIL), a Defence Public Sector Undertaking (DPSU), on February 2, 2026.
With this status, YIL’s board can approve capital expenditure up to ₹500 crore on new projects without prior government approval.
| Parameter | FY 2021-22 (H2) | FY 2024-25 |
|---|---|---|
| Sales | ₹956.32 Cr | ₹3,108.79 Cr |
| Exports | ₹0 | ₹321.77 Cr |
YIL was established on October 1, 2021, after corporatisation of the former Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) into seven new DPSUs. It produces carbon fibre composites, ammunition assemblies, armoured vehicle parts, and artillery guns.
Indian mountaineer Kabak Yano (27) from Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, successfully summited Mount Aconcagua in Argentina, the highest peak in South America (6,959 m / 22,831 ft).
She is the first woman from the Nyishi community and the fifth woman climber from Arunachal Pradesh to summit Mount Aconcagua.
This is part of her ongoing 7-Summit Mountaineering Expedition. Peaks conquered so far:
- Mount Everest (Asia) – May 2024
- Mount Kilimanjaro (Africa) – August 2025
- Mount Elbrus (Europe) – August 2025
- Mount Aconcagua (South America) – 2026
🔬 Science & Technology
Indian-origin climate scientist Veerabhadran Ramanathan was awarded the 2026 Crafoord Prize in Geosciences by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences on February 2, 2026.
The Crafoord Prize is often described as the ‘Nobel of Geosciences’. The award will be presented during Crafoord Days in Stockholm and Lund, Sweden in May 2026.
He is Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, and serves as adjunct professor at Cornell University.
- In 1975, discovered that Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) trap heat up to 10,000 times more efficiently than CO₂
- Led the Indian Ocean Experiment (INDOEX), identifying atmospheric brown clouds over South Asia
Andhra Pradesh CM N. Chandrababu Naidu launched ‘Pilloo AI’, a voice-enabled billing and accounting agent, at the AP Secretariat in Amaravati.
Pilloo AI is a voice-based digital accounting assistant that enables users to create invoices, record transactions, generate reports, and manage business accounts in native languages without requiring accounting expertise.
The platform is designed for MSMEs relying on handwritten records. Currently available in five Indian languages, it plans to expand to 50+ languages globally.
- Voice-based invoice creation
- Transaction recording in native languages
- Report generation without accounting expertise
- Designed specifically for MSMEs
📅 Important Days
World Cancer Day (WCD) is observed annually on February 4 to raise awareness about cancer prevention, early detection, and equitable access to treatment.
February 4, 2026 marks the 27th observance of WCD. The 2026 theme is ‘United by Unique’, the second year of the three-year global campaign (2025-2027).
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Date | February 4 (annually) |
| 2026 Theme | ‘United by Unique’ |
| Campaign Period | 2025-2027 (3-year) |
| Origin | Charter of Paris (Feb 4, 1999) |
| First Observance | February 4, 2000 |
| Led by | Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) |
| Symbol | Lavender ribbon |
| Official Colours | Blue & Orange |
The UN’s International Day of Human Fraternity is observed on February 4 to promote peace, tolerance, inclusion, and solidarity among people of different faiths.
February 4, 2026 marks the 6th observance. The day coincides with World Interfaith Harmony Week (first week of February since 2010).
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Date | February 4 (annually) |
| Proclaimed by | UNGA Resolution A/RES/75/200 |
| Proclamation Date | December 21, 2020 |
| Co-facilitated by | Egypt & UAE |
| First Observance | February 4, 2021 |
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