National Affairs

Cabinet Approves Continuation of Atal Pension Yojana till 2030-31

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the extension of the Atal Pension Yojana (APY) up to Financial Year 2030-31 (FY31). This comes with continued funding support for promotional activities, capacity building, and essential gap funding to ensure scheme sustainability.

• Administration: Administered by the PFRDA (Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority) under the overarching architecture of the National Pension System (NPS).
• Enrolment Metrics: As of January 19, 2026, APY has crossed 8.66 crore subscribers. Public Sector Banks (PSBs) lead the drive accounting for 70.44% of registrations, followed by Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) at 19.80%.

APY Core Eligibility & Benefits

• Target Audience: Built primarily for poor, underprivileged, and unorganized sector workers to deliver universal social security.
• Age Window: Minimum entry age is 18 years; maximum entry age is 40 years.
• Guaranteed Pay out: Subscriptions yield a government-guaranteed minimum pension ranging from ₹1,000 to ₹5,000 per month after turning 60 until death.

Union Cabinet Approves ₹5,000 Crore Equity Infusion to SIDBI for MSMEs

In a major bid to aggressively ramp up credit availability for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), the Union Cabinet greenlit a ₹5,000 crore equity infusion into the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI).

• The Blueprint: Executed by the Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance, the capital will be injected in three strategic tranches:
  • Tranche 1 (FY 2025-26): ₹3,000 crore at a book value of ₹568.65 per share.
  • Tranche 2 (FY 2026-27): ₹1,000 crore based on March 31, 2026 book value.
  • Tranche 3 (FY 2027-28): ₹1,000 crore based on March 31, 2027 book value.
• Employment & Scale Impact: Financial assistance is projected to scale up from 76.26 lakh MSMEs (FY25) to 1.02 crore MSMEs by FY28, directly generating 1.12 crore new jobs.
• Capital Adequacy: The infusion safeguards SIDBI's Capital to Risk-weighted Assets Ratio (CRAR) above the required 10.50% under stress scenarios, preserving its high-grade credit rating while expanding collateral-free digital credit and venture debt.

Overview of 86th All India Presiding Officers’ Conference (AIPOC 2026)

Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel inaugurated the 86th All India Presiding Officers’ Conference at the UP Vidhan Sabha in Lucknow. Marking the 4th time UP has hosted this prestigious summit, it registered the highest-ever participation with 36 Presiding Officers representing 24 States and UTs.

• Theme: "Strong Legislature-Prosperous Nation"
• Key Resolutions Adopted:
  1. Viksit Bharat 2047: Re-dedicating legislative house procedures toward achieving a developed nation status by 2047.
  2. Sittings Threshold: Mandating that state legislative bodies host a minimum of 30 sittings annually to ensure public accountability.
  3. National Legislative Index: Introducing a standardized benchmark to track, grade, and optimize overall legislative performance across states.
  4. Digital Capacity Building: Harnessing AI and modern technology infrastructure to train MPs and MLAs for data-driven research and digital assembly participation.

NITI Aayog Releases Roadmaps for Decarbonization in Core Sectors

Policy think-tank NITI Aayog rolled out three comprehensive transition reports mapping out carbon emission drops and green technology deployment for the Cement, Aluminium, and MSME sectors to align with India’s Net Zero 2070 target.

• Cement Sector: Production is estimated to rocket from 391 MT (2023) to 2,100 MT by 2070. The report mandates a massive carbon intensity reduction from 0.63 down to 0.09–0.13 tonnes of $CO_2$ per tonne of cement produced.
• Aluminium Sector: Outlining a phased grid transition—adopting Renewable Energy Round-the-Clock (RE-RTC) by 2030, integrating nuclear energy power between 2030–2040, and implementing Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) tech beyond 2040.
• MSME Sector: Advocating for swift alternative fuel integration, energy-efficient machinery upgrades, and green electricity networks to clean up a sector that drives 30% of India's GDP.

GeM and WTC Mumbai Partner to Drive Public Procurement

The Government e-Marketplace (GeM) signed a key Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the MVIRDC World Trade Centre Mumbai (WTC Mumbai) to deepen smaller supplier footprint in state and central procurement.

• Core Goal: Actively boost GeM’s global presence while curating inclusive vendor avenues for startups, women entrepreneurs, and niche MSMEs.
• Action Plan: Utilizing the sprawling global WTC network to host buyer-seller meets, organize trade fairs, establish policy dialogues around AI and sustainable green procurement, and seamless onboarding of international suppliers.

DIBD and Survey of India Team Up to Map 16 Lakh Indian Locations

The Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD) partnered with the Survey of India (SoI) under a landmark digitization MoU to transcribe and standardize geographical place names (toponyms) across the country using advanced speech-to-text and AI language tools.

• Target Scope: Over 16 lakh (1.6 million) locations across India will be cataloged into the National Geographical Name Information System (NGNIS).
• The Technology: Field surveys recorded in regional vernacular languages will be run through BHASHINI’s AI-powered Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) models to convert oral data into structured digital scripts (Devanagari, Roman, and local scripts).
• Use Cases: The validated, accurate dataset will optimize Open Series Maps (OSM), critical Disaster Management (DM) protocols, Infrastructure Planning, and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI).

SAMPANN Pension Portal Integrated with UMANG App

The Office of the Controller General of Communication Accounts (CGCA) has successfully linked its SAMPANN pension management system with the UMANG platform.

• The Benefit: Gives nearly 4 lakh Department of Telecommunications (DoT) pensioners seamless, instant digital access to their Pension Payment Order (PPO) numbers and Life Certificate (LC) validation histories directly via the mobile app or web portal, removing traditional physical office visit friction.

International Affairs

India Secures 6th Spot in Asia Manufacturing Index 2026

Released by Hong Kong-based advisory firm Dezan Shira & Associates, the 3rd edition of the Asia Manufacturing Index (AMI 2026) revealed that India has retained its 6th position out of 11 surveyed Asian economies.

• The Leaderboard: China maintained the 1st rank, dominating metrics across economy, workforce talent, and international trade volume. Malaysia secured 2nd place while Vietnam locked down the 3rd spot.
• India Analysis: While India gained strong points for its massive domestic consumer market, improving infrastructure, and expansive young labor pool, the report emphasized lingering bottlenecks in policy instability, slow ground execution, and lower innovation capacities.

WEF Global Risks Report 2026: Geoeconomic Friction Tops Threats

The World Economic Forum (WEF) published the 21st edition of its Global Risks Report 2026, capturing structural global shifts through its Global Risks Perception Survey (GRPS).

              [ TOP 5 LONG-TERM GLOBAL RISKS - 2036 ]
              
   1. Extreme Weather Events
   2. Biodiversity Loss & Ecosystem Collapse
   3. Critical Structural Changes to Earth Systems
   4. Proliferation of Misinformation & Disinformation
   5. Adverse Outcomes of Advanced AI Technologies

• Immediate Outlook: For the near-term landscape, geoeconomic confrontation and state-based conflicts emerged as the most disruptive immediate threats.
• India-Specific Threat Vectors: The report flagged cyber insecurity as the primary risk confronting India, closely followed by wealth/income inequality, gaps in public services/social protection frameworks, and economic stagnation.

Banking & Finance

RBI Issues Niryat Protsahan Interest Subvention Guidelines

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) laid out operational rules for commercial and co-operative banking institutions extending interest subvention on pre- and post-shipment export credit under the Export Promotion Mission (EPM) – NIRYAT PROTSAHAN.

• Objective: Lowering borrowing barriers and credit costs to improve ease of capital access for MSME manufacturer and merchant exporters.
• Eligibility Check: Exporters must hold a valid, active Importer Exporter Code (IEC) along with an active MSME Udyam Registration Number (URN). Additionally, subvention applies exclusively to exports cataloged under a positive list of tariff lines at the 6-digit HSN level.

RBI Notifies Uniform FEMA Rules for Trade; Sets Oct 2026 Timeline

The RBI issued the Foreign Exchange Management (Export and Import of Goods and Services) Regulations, 2026. Replacing the older 2015 frameworks, these strict, streamlined monitoring codes are scheduled to take effect from October 1, 2026.

• Portal Mandate: All official regulatory references to the central bank must route via the PRAVAAH portal. Suspicious or doubtful trades must route directly to the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
• Processing Timelines: Authorized Dealer (AD) banks must input Export Declaration Form (EDF) details for non-EDI ports into the EDPMS within 5 working days of receipt.
• Realization Windows: Export proceeds must be fully realized and repatriated within 15 months of shipment. For invoices settled directly in Indian Rupees (INR), the realization window is extended to 18 months.

Payoneer India Receives In-Principle Cross-Border Payment License

The RBI granted in-principle approval to Payoneer India Private Limited to operate as a Payment Aggregator – Cross Border (PA-CB).

• Operational Scope: Empowers the fintech entity to process end-to-end inward and outward cross-border transactions, helping domestic MSMEs and startups securely source international funds or clear global import payments.
• Regulatory Guardrails: The license mandates a minimum initial net worth of ₹15 crore (scaling to ₹25 crore by year three), restricts individual transaction sizes to ₹25 lakh, and enforces zero netting across distinct import/export accounts.

Fintech App ZET Secures NPCI Nod for RuPay Credit on UPI

Credit-focused Indian fintech firm ZET secured approval from the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to operate as a Third-Party Application Provider (TPAP).

• The Feature: ZET launched its dedicated UPI interface, allowing users to link and execute daily UPI transactions using RuPay credit cards issued on its app.
• Partnership Framework: The integration is backed by a core banking partnership with RBL Bank and processes via Juspay’s transaction technology stack.

Appointments & Resignations

Deepinder Goyal Steps Down as Eternal Group CEO; Albinder Dhindsa Steps In

In a significant corporate shake-up, Deepinder Goyal resigned from his role as Managing Director and CEO of Eternal Limited (the parent group governing food-delivery giant Zomato and quick-commerce platform Blinkit), effective February 1, 2026.

• Successor: Albinder Singh Dhindsa, the current CEO of Blinkit, will take over as the group CEO and Key Managerial Personnel.
• Transition Role: Post-resignation, Goyal is slated to assume the position of Vice Chairman on the Eternal Board of Directors, pending final shareholder approvals.

Tata Communications Appoints Ganesh Lakshminarayanan as MD & CEO

Tata Communications Limited announced the onboarding of former Airtel Business top executive Ganesh Lakshminarayanan as its incoming Managing Director and CEO.

• Timeline: He will formally succeed the retiring chief executive, A.S. Lakshminarayanan, on April 13, 2026.
• Profile: Brings over three decades of global B2B corporate management experience, having previously served as the MD and Group VP for ServiceNow India/SAARC region, alongside dual terms on the NASSCOM Executive Council.

State News

Odisha and Meghalaya Sign Early Childhood Education MoU

The State Governments of Odisha and Meghalaya inked a cooperative MoU in Bhubaneswar targeting progressive upgrades in Early Childhood Care, Education, and Development (ECCED).

• Core Delivery: Establishes an inter-state knowledge framework focusing on early childhood nutrition programs, responsive caregiving, and community intervention layouts. It opens paths for joint research, interstate exposure field trips, and structural training for state Anganwadi and frontline healthcare workers.

Assam Launches Direct Cash Support Scheme for Full-Time PhD Scholars

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced the launch of the ‘Atal Vichal Agragami Assam Scheme’ to incentivize state research, academic specialization, and localized innovation.

• Eligibility Rules: Open exclusively to permanent residents of Assam who are currently enrolled in full-time PhD programs at Central or State Universities located within the borders of Assam.
• Management: Executed by the Directorate of Employment and Craftsmen Training, the monthly allowance is tailored to offset fieldwork costs, data compilation expenses, and base living stipends. The portal goes live for applications on February 11, 2026.