TODAY NEWS ON January 29, 2026
President Murmu invokes Gandhi, Nehru, urges MPs to act as one in national interest
In her address to a joint sitting of both the Houses of Parliament, President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday (January 28, 2026) asked MPs to stand as one on issues of national security, Viksit Bharat (developed India) and the campaign for ‘swadeshi’, adding that the government was working towards social justice. Invoking Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Babasaheb Ambedkar, and leaders such as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Jayaprakash Narayan, Ram Manohar Lohia, Deendayal Upadhyaya, and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, she said that “amid different opinions and diverse viewpoints, there has been unanimity about nothing being greater than the nation.”
Macaulay’s conspiracies instilled sense on inferiority among Indians: President Murmu
Through “Macaulay’s conspiracies”, a sense of “inferiority” was instilled among the people of India during the colonial period, and now, for the first time since Independence, the Indian government has shown the courage to “strike a blow” on this, President Droupadi Murmu said on Wednesday (January 28, 2026). Addressing a joint sitting of both the Houses of Parliament, which marked the start of the Budget Session, she said, for the country to reach the goal of ‘Viksit Bharat’, as much importance is required to be given to national self-respect and cultural pride as to modern development.
Ajit Pawar, four others die in Baramati plane crash
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Ajit Pawar and four others were killed on Wednesday (January 28, 2026) after an aircraft carrying them crash-landed in Baramati in Pune district. The incident occurred when the plane made an attempt to land in Baramati, killing everyone on board, according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).The aircraft is a Learjet 45 belonging to Delhi-based charter company VSR, the aviation regulatory body said
Ajit Pawar’s funeral today in Baramati; Amit Shah to attend
The last rites of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar will be held with full State honours on Thursday (January 29, 2026) at 11 a.m. at Vidya Pratishthan in Baramati, Pune. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP national president Nitin Nabin, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the State cabinet will be present at the funeral. Leaders cutting across the political spectrum will be present, the Nationalist Congress Party said.
Air crash which killed Ajit Pawar to be probed, says Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday (January 28, 2026) announced that the air crash which killed Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar will be probed. Mr. Shinde said the crash will be investigated so that such incidents don’t happen again in future. Speaking to the media after the crash, Mr. Shinde said, “This is an extremely painful and unfortunate incident. It’s a black day for Maharashtra. One couldn’t even have dreamt of such a misfortune. This is sad news for the State. Ajit Pawar had a strong grip on administration. He was studious, articulate and hardworking.”
U.S.-Iran tensions escalate as Trump says ‘time is running’ out for Tehran
U.S. President Donald Trump has said that “a massive armada” is heading towards Iran and is ready to “fulfil its mission”, adding that time is running out for the Islamic Republic to make a deal on its nuclear programme. In response, Tehran said that if attacked, it would retaliate “like never before”.
DoPT report says 66% sanitation workers in Central govt from SC, ST, OBC groups
More than 66% of Group C safai karmacharis employed across the central government come from Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), or Other Backward Classes (OBC) backgrounds, data on reservations from the Department of Personnel and Training’s (DoPT) latest annual report for the year 2024-25 showed.
No notices to 88% Tamil Nadu voters facing deletion: Supreme Court to hear plea
Ruling party leaders in Tamil Nadu made a fervent plea that 88% of voters excluded from the draft electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in the name of logical discrepancies and mapping had not received hearing notices, compelling the Supreme Court to schedule an urgent session on January 29, 2026 with the Election Commission of India present for giving an explanation.
Supreme Court to hear Air India crash plea early as NGO flags silence from govt, AAIB
The Supreme Court on Wednesday (January 28, 2026) agreed to give a short date of hearing in petitions seeking an independent, judicially-monitored probe into the reasons behind the Air India Flight 171 crash at the Ahmedabad Airport, killing 12 crew members and 229 passengers on June 12, last year.
Federal Reserve keeps interest rates unchanged even as Trump continues to insist they be lowered
The Federal Reserve pushed the pause button on its interest rate cuts on Wednesday (January 28, 2026), leaving its key rate unchanged at about 3.6% after lowering it three times last year. Chair Jerome Powell said at a news conference that the economy’s outlook “has clearly improved since the last meeting” in December, a development that should boost hiring over time. The Central Bank, in a statement, said there were signs the job market is stabilising.
Supreme Court extends tenure of Gita Mittal Committee formed to provide ‘healing touch’ in Manipur
The Supreme Court on Wednesday (January 28, 2026) extended the tenure of its all-women committee of three former High Court judges headed by former High Court Chief Justice Gita Mittal, constituted in August 2023 to monitor the rehabilitation work in violence-torn Manipur, by another six months.
NHRC discusses human rights violations arising from re-verification of certificates of govt. employees with disabilities
Citing the human rights violations emerging from the re-verification or re-assessment of certificates of government employees with disabilities, Justice V. Ramasubramanian (retd.), Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission, on Wednesday (January 28, 2026), said that scrutiny should be done only in cases of a specific suspicion instead of mass re-verification of all employees with disability.
U.S. storm: At least 38 dead across 14 States as cold lingers in central, eastern parts
At least 38 people across 14 States had died as of Tuesday (January 27, 2026) from a powerful winter storm that left much of the central and eastern U.S. gripped by snow, ice, and below-freezing temperatures, according to local officials and news reports. The storm started to develop on Friday (January 23, 2026) and dumped snow across a large region over the weekend.
Canada PM Carney denies retracting Davos comments in talk with Trump
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday (January 27, 2026) said he spoke to U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday (January 26, 2026) but denied he had retracted comments last week that irritated the U.S. President. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that during the call, Mr. Carney “was very aggressively walking back” some of the remarks he made during a speech in Davos in which he urged nations to accept the end of a rules-based global order.
Israel to hold funeral for last hostage recovered from Gaza
The remains of the last Israeli captive recovered from the Gaza Strip were set to be buried on Wednesday (January 28, 2026) in a funeral that will help Israel turn the page after one of the most traumatic periods in its history. Ran Gvili, an off-duty police officer, was killed fighting militants during the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on southern Israel. He was then seized and taken back into Gaza by the Islamic Jihad militant group, Israeli officials say.
Opposition will use all democratic means to demand restoration of MGNREGA: Congress
The Congress on Wednesday (January 23, 2026) said that opposition parties protested against the “bulldozed repeal” of MGNREGA in a dignified manner during President Droupadi Murmu’s address to the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament, and asserted that all democratic means will be used to demand restoration of the UPA-era law. President Droupadi Murmu’s reference to the Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) [VB-G RAM G] Act in her address to the joint sitting of both houses of Parliament sparked protests from opposition parties which raised slogans demanding a roll back of the law.
Government committed to true social justice: President Murmu tells Parliament
President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday (January 28, 2026) said her government was committed to social justice in the country. In the third term of the government, she said, work is being done to further empower the poor, and social security benefits are available to nearly 95 crore citizens now. “My government is committed to true social justice,” she said, adding that 25 crore Indians moved out of poverty in the last 10 years. The President also said the government has been successful in tackling corruption and scams, and ensuring proper use of public funds.
Britain’s Starmer arrives in China as Western alliances face strain
Keir Starmer began the first visit to China by a British Prime Minister since 2018 on Wednesday (January 28, 2026), seeking to strengthen political and business ties with Beijing as relations between Western countries and the U.S. become more volatile .Mr. Starmer, whose approach to China has been criticised by some British and U.S. politicians, said Britain must remain vigilant about potential security threats but could not afford to ignore the opportunities presented by the world’s second-largest economy.
Supreme Court extends tenure of Gita Mittal Committee formed to provide ‘healing touch’ in Manipur
The Supreme Court on Wednesday (January 28, 2026) extended the tenure of its all-women committee of three former High Court judges headed by former High Court Chief Justice Gita Mittal, constituted in August 2023 to monitor the rehabilitation work in violence-torn Manipur, by another six months. A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said the committee would continue to function till July 31, 2026. The panel has so far filed over 40 reports in the Supreme Court, acting as the court’s eyes and ears in providing the ‘healing touch’ in the northeastern State.
Canada PM Carney denies retracting Davos comments in talk with Trump
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday (January 27, 2026) said he spoke to U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday (January 26, 2026) but denied he had retracted comments last week that irritated the U.S. President. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that during the call, Mr. Carney “was very aggressively walking back” some of the remarks he made during a speech in Davos in which he urged nations to accept the end of a rules-based global order.
U.S. storm: At least 38 dead across 14 States as cold lingers in central, eastern parts
At least 38 people across 14 States had died as of Tuesday (January 27, 2026) from a powerful winter storm that left much of the central and eastern U.S. gripped by snow, ice, and below-freezing temperatures, according to local officials and news reports. The storm started to develop on Friday (January 23, 2026) and dumped snow across a large region over the weekend. The snow snarled road traffic and led to widespread flight cancellations and power outages before subsiding Monday (January 26, 2026), leaving behind bitter cold that is expected to linger.
Trump warns Iraq against returning former PM al-Maliki to power amid worries about Iran influence
President Donald Trump warned Iraq on Tuesday (January 27, 2026) that the U.S. would no longer support the country if its former prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, returns to power. Mr. Trump made the threat days after the dominant political bloc known as the Coordination Framework, a collection of Shiite parties, announced it was backing the nomination of Mr. al-Maliki, who the U.S. administration views as too close to Iran. “Last time Maliki was in power, the Country descended into poverty and total chaos. That should not be allowed to happen again,” Mr. Trump said in a social media post announcing his opposition to Mr. al-Maliki.
South Korea’s former first lady sentenced to 20 months in prison for corruption
A South Korean court sentenced former first lady Kim Keon Hee to 20 months in prison for corruption on Wednesday (January 28, 2026) ahead of the verdict for disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol over his martial law imposition a year ago. The Seoul Central District Court sentenced Kim for receiving bribes from the Unification Church in return for business favours. The ruling comes about three weeks before the court delivers its verdict on the rebellion charge against Yoon. The independent counsel earlier demanded the death sentence for Yoon.
Privacy debate: Swiatek supports Gauff’s call for balance
Iga Swiatek picked up a theme that Coco Gauff left the Australian Open with after the 21-year-old American’s racket-smashing, frustration-releasing moments away from the court went viral. Gauff said a “conversations needs to be had” about the seemingly limitless access-all-areas cameras that track players from the locker room to the court and just about everywhere in between.
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