STATE SPECIAL NEWS

Yumnam Khemchand Singh appointed as CM of Manipur

• Yumnam Khemchand Singh was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Manipur.
• Khemchand Singh is a 62-year-old engineer from the Meitei community. He previously served as the Speaker of the Manipur Legislative Assembly (2017–2022) and as a cabinet minister in the Biren Singh ministry.
• His appointment followed a nearly year-long period of President's Rule, which was imposed in February 2025 after the resignation of the previous Chief Minister, N. Biren Singh, amid ethnic unrest in the state.
• To ensure inclusive representation, two Deputy CMs named Nemcha Kipgen (representing the Kuki-Zo community) and Losii Dikho (representing the Naga community) were appointed in the State.

2nd Cancer Conclave in Shillong

• The State Cancer Society of Meghalaya held the 2nd Meghalaya Cancer Conclave at Vivanta, Shillong, on February 4, 2026, coinciding with World Cancer Day.
• The event brought together medical professionals, health officials, and policymakers to address the state's high cancer burden, particularly in the East Khasi Hills district.

Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority

• Central Government, the Nagaland Government, and the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO) signed a historic tripartite Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) in New Delhi for the formation of the Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA).
• The pact was signed in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio.
• The FNTA is a unique autonomous administrative arrangement for six eastern districts of Nagaland: Kiphire, Longleng, Mon, Noklak, Shamator, and Tuensang.
• The new authority will have executive, legislative, and financial autonomy to address the long-standing "development deficit" in the region.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Critical Minerals Ministerial

• U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial at the Department of State in Washington, D.C..
• The summit brought together delegations from over 50 nations and the European Commission to address global supply chain vulnerabilities and reduce reliance on China-dominated markets.

United Nations Honour Roll

• India has officially joined the United Nations Honour Roll by paying its 2026 regular budget dues of $35.187 million in full.
• The payment represents India’s 1.016% share of the total $3.45 billion UN regular budget for 2026, which covers core operations excluding peacekeeping.
• As of early February 2026, India is among approximately 51 member states (out of 193) that have already cleared their annual dues in full.

SUMMITS AND CONFERNCES

Black Swan Summit India

• The two-day Black Swan Summit India held in Bhubaneswar, Odisha was organised by the Odisha Government in partnership with the Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN), the summit is a key component of the state's BharatNetra initiative.
• Theme of the Summit was "Reshaping India's Digital Finance Economy," focusing on the impact of AI and future technology stacks on global capability centres and the future of jobs in FinTech and InsurTech.

BharatNetra Initiative

PLASTINDIA 2026

• PLASTINDIA 2026, one of the world’s premier plastics exhibitions, commenced in New Delhi.
• The exhibition is themed "BHARAT NEXT," aligning with the vision of a self-reliant and developed India (Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat).
• For the first time, it is being held as a Zero Waste exhibition, with all waste generated at the venue being recycled or repurposed.

ECONOMY & BANKING

Bharat Taxi

• Union Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah launched Bharat Taxi, India’s first cooperative-based ride-hailing platform, in New Delhi.
• Aligned with the "Sahkar se Samriddhi" (Prosperity through Cooperation) vision, the platform is designed to disrupt the dominance of private aggregators by empowering drivers as owners.

About Bharat Taxi

India and the Gulf Cooperation Council

• India and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) signed the Terms of Reference (ToR) at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi, to formally launch negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
• The ToR was signed by Shri Ajay Bhadoo (India's Chief Negotiator) and Dr. Raja Al Marzouqi (GCC Chief Negotiator) in the presence of Union Minister Piyush Goyal.
• The ToR defines the scope and modalities for the upcoming negotiations, aiming to provide predictability and stability to economic ties.

PERSON IN NEWS

Andre Beteille

• Renowned Indian sociologist, writer, and Padma Bhushan awardee André Béteille passed away at the age of 91.
• His seminal work, Caste, Class and Power (1965), based on extensive fieldwork in a Tamil Nadu village (Sripuram), reshaped how scholars understood the shifting dynamics of traditional hierarchy in modern India.
• In addition to his study on caste, he authored influential books such as Society and Politics in India, The Idea of Natural Inequality and Other Essays, and his memoir, Sunlight on the Garden.
• He served as a Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the Delhi School of Economics University of Delhi and was the first Chancellor of Ashoka University from 2014 to 2017.

ART & CULTURE

Goa Book Festival 2026

• National Book Trust (NBT) in association with the Government of Goa and the Lokmanya Cultural Foundation organised Goa Book Festival 2026 in Panaji.

DEFENCE NEWS

INS Sudarshini’s first international port call

• The Indian Navy’s sail training ship INS Sudarshini arrived at the port of Salalah, Oman, marking the first international port call of its historic 10-month transoceanic voyage, Lokayan 26.
• The deployment is a key milestone intended to showcase India’s rich maritime heritage while fostering international maritime cooperation and diplomacy.
• The voyage aligns with India’s MAHASAGAR vision (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions), serving as a symbol of maritime diplomacy and goodwill across the oceans.

Indian Navy

Joint Mount Aconcagua Expedition

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh officially flagged off a joint mountaineering expedition to Mount Aconcagua (6,961 m) in Argentina from the South Block in New Delhi.
• It is a joint effort by the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) and the Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering & Winter Sports (JIM&WS).
• A six-member team of instructors, led by Col Hem Chandra Singh, is participating. The other team members are Capt G Santhosh Kumar, Shri Deep Bahadur Sahi, Shri Vinod Gusain, Nb Sub Bhupinder Singh, and Hav Ramesh Kumar.

SPORTS

Mirabai Chanu

• Mirabai Chanu set three new National records as she totalled 205kg to win the women’s 48kg title in National weightlifting championships at Modinagar.

Esha Singh clinched a gold medal

• Olympian Esha Singh clinched a gold medal in the final of women's individual 10m air pistol event at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range in Delhi on the opening day of Asian Rifle and Pistol Championship.