NATIONAL NEWS

Two-year central deputation for IPS officers

• The Union Home Ministry has made a minimum of two years of central deputation at the Superintendent of Police (SP) or Deputy Inspector General (DIG) level mandatory for Indian Police Service (IPS) officers of the 2011 batch and onwards to be eligible for empanelment as Inspector General (IG) or equivalent at the Centre.
• This policy aims to fill mounting vacancies in Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and central agencies while ensuring senior officers gain necessary ground-level experience.
• It will also address the shortage of officers at the DIG and SP ranks at the Centre, which has seen significant vacancies in organizations like the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

‘Bharat Ratna Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Advocate Training and Research Centre’ (BBATRC)

• Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and former Chief Justice of India Justice Bhushan R. Gavai inaugurated India’s first ‘Bharat Ratna Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Advocate Training and Research Centre’ (BBATRC) at Taloja in Navi Mumbai.
• Designed to bridge the gap between classroom legal education and practical court craft for young lawyers.

UMEED Central Portal

• Ministry of Minority Affairs officially launched the Survey Module and the Waqf Property Lease Module on the UMEED Central Portal. These tools aim to modernize Waqf administration by ensuring real-time monitoring and public participation.

STATE SPECIAL NEWS

Fifth Loka Kerala Sabha

• The fifth edition of the Loka Kerala Sabha concluded in Thiruvananthapuram.
• The three-day event brought together over 500 expatriate delegates from 125 countries and 23 Indian states to deliberate on issues concerning the global Keralite diaspora and their role in Kerala's development.

N. Chandrababu Naidu achieved a Guinness World Record

• Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu achieved a Guinness World Record on January 31, 2026, by overseeing the distribution of 5,555 e-cycles within a 24-hour period.
• That initiative was part of the Swarna Kuppam Vision 2029, aiming to transform the area into India's first Net-Zero model constituency in collaboration with IIT Kanpur.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

48th Annual Nawam Maha Perahera

• The 48th Annual Nawam Maha Perahera was Organized by the Gangaramaya Temple in Colombo.
• Held on the Nawam Full Moon Poya Day, the festival commemorates the appointment of Arahath Sariputta and Arahath Moggallana as the chief disciples of Lord Buddha.

British PM Keir Starmer concludes China visit

• British Prime Minister Keir Starmer concluded his three-day visit to China on January 31, 2026, announcing approximately £4.5 billion in secured trade and market access deals aimed at stabilizing bilateral relations.
• This marked the first visit by a British Prime Minister to China in eight years.

SUMMITS AND CONFERNCES

64th Session of United Nations Commission for Social Development

• Minister of State for Women and Child Development Savitri Thakur will lead the Indian delegation at the 64th Session of the United Nations Commission for Social Development at the UN Headquarters in New York.
• United Nations Commission for Social Development (CSocD)
• Establishment: Originally established in 1946 as the "Social Commission," it was renamed in 1966.
• Parent Body: It is a functional commission of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
• Headquarters: Meetings are held annually at the UN Headquarters in New York, typically in February.
• Since 1995, it has been the lead UN body for following up on the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action from the World Summit for Social Development.

APPOINTMENTS

Sunetra Pawar becomes Maharashtra’s Deputy CM

• Sunetra Pawar made history on January 31, 2026, by becoming the first woman Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
• Her elevation follows the tragic death of her husband and former Deputy CM, Ajit Pawar, in a plane crash on January 28, 2026.
• To take the position, she resigned from her seat as a Rajya Sabha MP. She must now be elected to either the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly or the Legislative Council within six months.
• As Deputy CM, she has been assigned three key portfolios: State Excise, Sports and Youth Welfare, and Minority Development and Aukaf.

IMPORTANT DAYS

Ravidas Jayanti

• The 649th birth anniversary of Guru Ravidas was observed on February 1
• This sacred day, also known as Guru Ravidas Jayanti, is celebrated annually on the Magha Purnima (full moon day of the Magh month).

Guru Ravidas (Raidas)

ECONOMY & BANKING

39th India International Leather Fair

• The 39th edition of the India International Leather Fair held in Chennai.
• This flagship B2B event, organized by the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), showcases the complete leather value chain, including raw materials, finished products, machinery, and technology.
• Participating countries include Germany, Italy (both featuring dedicated country pavilions), Australia, China, Spain, and the UK.

SAIL-eBRATION

• SAIL-eBRATION is an ongoing reel-making contest launched by the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) in collaboration with MyGov India.
• The competition invites Indian citizens to showcase SAIL’s contribution to nation-building through creative video content.

Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL)

ART & CULTURE

Darshan queue pavilion inaugurated at Trimbakeshwar

• Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat inaugurated the administrative building and darshan queue pavilion constructed under the Ministry of Tourism’s PRASAD scheme at Nivrutti Maharaj Ashram in Trimbakeshwar in Maharashtra’s Nashik district.

PRASAD scheme

DEFENCE NEWS

50th Raising Day of Indian Coast Guard

• The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) celebrated its 50th Raising Day on February 1, 2026. This milestone marks five decades since its interim establishment in 1977.

Indian Coast Guard