Morning Digest | January 30, 2026

India to host second India-Arab Foreign Ministers meeting on January 30

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s expected visit to Israel later this month, India is striking a balancing act, reaching out to the Arab world and hosting the second India-Arab Foreign Ministers meeting on Friday (January 30, 2026). Palestine’s Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin will attend the meeting, a day after she called on India to contribute to the massive reconstruction work required in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip.

IAF deploys helicopters to combat forest fires in Arunachal Pradesh’s Lohit Valley

The Indian Air Force (IAF) dropped at least 12,000 litres of water to combat forest fires in the Lohit Valley of Arunachal Pradesh, operating at nearly 9,500 feet in the rarefied Himalayan air. The IAF deployed Mi-17V5 helicopters for the operation, which involved challenging conditions at high altitude. This comes amid a series of rapid response operations by the IAF

Leaders welcome Supreme Court stay of UGC equity rules

Leaders across the political spectrum welcomed the Supreme Court’s stay of the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) 2026 equity regulations amidst a controversy over its definition of “caste-based discrimination”, with some calling the decision “appropriate” in light of the social tensions it had created.

SIT serves notice on former CM KCR in phone-tapping case

The Special Investigation Team on Thursday (January 29, 2026) served a notice on former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao at his residence in Nandigiri in connection with the phone-tapping case, asking him to appear for examination as part of the ongoing investigation. He was asked to make himself available on Friday (January 30, 2026) at 3 p.m

Economic Survey 2025-26: CEA recommends rationalising tax on debt-assets

The Economic Survey of India 2025-26 pitched for developing the debt securities by rationalising their taxation. The development of debt instruments like corporate bonds, as an investment avenue, would “reduce capital costs, mobilise savings efficiently, and offer households reliable income-generating products,” wrote the Chief Economic Advisor V. Anantha Nageswaran.

In Bihar, farmers’ registration work will be carried out from February 2 to 6

Bihar Chief Secretary Pratyaya Amrit on Thursday (January 29, 2026) chaired a high-level review meeting to assess the progress of the AgriStack project. During the meeting, he directed that the Farmer Registry work will be carried out across the State in mission mode from February 2 to 6 so that the maximum number of farmers can be connected to this system.

Guwahati Refinery solely supplied smokeless fuel to Indian Army during Ops Sindoor: Official

The Guwahati Refinery, owned by Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), on Thursday (January 29, 2026) said it exclusively supplied 19 thousand metric tonnes (TMT) of smokeless fuel to the Indian armed forces during Operation Sindoor. In an interaction with senior journalists, Guwahati Refinery (GR) executive director Sunil Kanti said the unit is one of the very few in the country which can produce Low Sulphur Low Aromatics SKO (LSLA SKO), and it was the sole unit to provide the specialised fuel to the army during Operation Sindoor.

‘Record the call, I’m killing her,’ recalls brother of 4-month pregnant commando murdered by husband

A desperate phone call, a husband allegedly announcing a killing in real time, and a brother forced to listen helplessly to his sister’s screams — these were the chilling final moments of a 27-year-old Delhi Police SWAT commando who later died after being brutally assaulted at her Delhi home. Kajal, posted with the Special Cell of Delhi Police and four months pregnant, was at her residence in Mohan Garden when the attack took place.

SIR in Gujarat: 6.88 lakh seek inclusion, 9.88 lakh deletion in electoral rolls

As Gujarat moves towards finalising its electoral rolls, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process has resulted in 6.88 lakh applications for the addition of names and 9.88 lakh requests for deletion, election officials said on Thursday (January 29, 2026). The draft electoral rolls were published on December 19 after the completion of the enumeration phase of the SIR, according to a statement issued by the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Gujarat.

Trump says he asked Putin not to target Kyiv for 1 week during brutal cold spell

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday (January 29, 2026) he has asked Russian President Vladimir Putin not to target the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv for one week as the region experiences frigid temperatures. The call for a pause in attacks on Ukraine’s capital comes as Russia has been pounding the country’s critical infrastructure, leaving many around the country without heat in the dead of winter.

Democrats block government funding package in Senate as negotiations continue to avert shutdown

Democrats voted to block legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security and several other agencies on Thursday (January 29, 2026) as they continued to negotiate with Republicans and the White House on new restrictions for President Donald Trump’s surge of immigration enforcement.