National Affairs

PM Narendra Modi’s Visit to Punjab (February 1, 2026)

• Occasion: Coincided with the 649th birth anniversary of Sant Guru Ravidas (15th-century saint).
• Adampur Airport Renaming: Unveiled the new name as ‘Shri Guru Ravidass Maharaj Ji Airport, Adampur’ in honor of the saint.
• Infrastructure: Virtually inaugurated the new civil terminal building at Halwara Airport in Ludhiana to boost regional air connectivity for industrial and agricultural hubs.
• Spiritual Visit: Paid respects at Dera Sachkhand Ballan (Jalandhar), a major spiritual center for the Ravidassia community.

Quick Punjab Reference:

• CM: Bhagwant Singh Mann | Governor: Gulab Chand Kataria | Capital: Chandigarh
• Key Ramsar Sites: Beas Conservation Reserve, Harike Lake

2nd India-Arab Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (IAFMM)

• Date & Venue: January 31, 2026, in New Delhi.
• Co-Chairs: Dr. S. Jaishankar (External Affairs Minister, India) and Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar (Minister of State, UAE).
• Significance: This marks the first time the meeting was hosted in India and renews high-level diplomatic engagement with the Arab League after a 10-year gap since the inaugural 2016 session in Bahrain.
• Outcome: Formally adopted the New Delhi Declaration, deepening cooperation on regional and global issues amidst evolving West Asian geopolitics. All 22 Arab League member states participated.

NSO Nationwide Survey on Migration (July 2026 – June 2027)

• Announcement: Made by MoS (IC) Rao Inderjit Singh, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
• Objective: Conduct a year-long comprehensive survey to generate updated data on migration patterns, labor mobility, and socio-economic profiles.

Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Agreements

• IHMCL & NFSU MoU: Indian Highways Management Company Limited signed a 3-year pact with the National Forensic Sciences University (Gandhinagar, Gujarat) to bolster cybersecurity in National Highway operations. It targets advanced tech like Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) and setting up Security Operations Centres (SOC).
• India-EU e-Signature Pact: MeitY and the EU's DG CONNECT signed an administrative arrangement on Advanced Electronic Signatures and Seals. Executed via the Controller of Certifying Authorities (CCA), this links Trusted Lists to enable cross-border digital signing of contracts, directly boosting international digital trade for MSMEs.

Digital Governance: NYPS 2.0

• Launch: Unveiled by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs (MoPA) on February 2, 2026.
• Upgrade Features: Removes institutional barriers from the older version. While previously limited to recognized student bodies, it now opens up to all citizens, individual groups, and educational institutions via Kishore Sabha (school level) and Tarun Sabha (UG/PG level).

Banking & Finance

World Bank USD 830 Million Loan for PM-SETU

• Program: Pradhan Mantri – Skilling and Employability Transformation Through Upgraded Industrial Training Institutes (PM-SETU).
• Objective: Revamp ITIs and National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs) through a hub-and-spoke framework (200 hubs, 800 spokes) focusing on high-demand fields like EVs, AI, green energy, and manufacturing.
• Loan Details: 19.5-year maturity period (includes a 4-year grace period). Prepared jointly by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
• Target: Train over 1 million skilled workers annually while ensuring a minimum 25% female participation.

Premium & Rural Credit Card Launches

• LUXURA Metal Credit Card: Launched by Punjab National Bank (PNB) on the Visa Infinite platform. Aimed at high-net-worth individuals, featuring zero forex mark-up, unlimited domestic/international airport lounge access, and premium lifestyle perks.
• First RRB Co-Branded Card: Tripura Gramin Bank (TGB), along with sponsor bank PNB, became the first Regional Rural Bank in India to launch a co-branded RuPay credit card, marking TGB's Golden Jubilee (50th year).

Awards, Days & State News

Key Recognitions & Expeditions

• Miniratna Category-I Status: Granted to Defence PSU Yantra India Limited (YIL) by Union Minister Rajnath Singh. This gives the board autonomy to approve capital expenditures up to Rs. 500 crore without prior government approval.
• Mount Aconcagua Ascent: 27-year-old mountaineer Kabak Yano became the first woman from the Nyishi community (and 5th woman from Arunachal Pradesh) to summit South America's highest peak (22,831 ft) as part of her 7-Summit target.
• 2026 Crafoord Prize in Geosciences: Awarded to Indian-origin climate scientist Veerabhadran Ramanathan by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. He is recognized for his 1975 discovery that CFCs trap heat 10,000 times more efficiently than $CO_2$, alongside his work on atmospheric brown clouds.

Important Days (February 4)

• World Cancer Day 2026: 27th annual observance.
  • Theme (2025-2027): "United by Unique".
  • National Milestone: MoHFW released India's first indigenous evidence-based guideline: "Lung Cancer Treatment and Palliation: Evidence-Based Guidelines".
• International Day of Human Fraternity: 6th annual UN observance promoting peace and cross-faith inclusion, co-facilitated by Egypt and the UAE.

State News: Andhra Pradesh Launches 'Pilloo AI'

• Launch: AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu unveiled Pilloo AI at the state secretariat.
• Functionality: It is India's first voice-enabled billing and accounting agent tailored specifically for MSMEs. It allows small traders to issue invoices, record sales/payments, and generate balance sheets or GST summaries simply by speaking commands in their native languages.
• Scope: Currently launching in 5 Indian languages with plans to scale to 50+ globally.