TODAY NEWS ON February 03, 2026

18% U.S. tariff on ‘Made in India’ products, says PM Modi after phone call with President Trump

Indicating a positive turn in a bilateral relationship that had been under strain because of multiple issues, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that “Made in India” products will “now” attract a “reduced tariff of 18%” in the U.S., after a telephonic conversation with President Donald Trump on Monday. The move is expected to significantly reduce the impact of the 50% penalty tariffs that Mr. Trump had imposed on India in August 2025.

Form 7 filings for deletion of names from electoral rolls spark outrage in Gujarat

Allegations have emerged in Gujarat of mass submissions of Form 7 applications seeking the deletion of names from electoral rolls. Amid the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercice, several voters have claimed that their names, phone, and Elector’s Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers were misused, and signatures forged to file false claims. In some cases, voters alleged they were asked to sign hundreds of Form 7 applications and were told the forms were for inclusion of names, not deletion.

AI grounds Boeing 787-8 plane after pilot reports fuel switch malfunction

An Air India pilot reported an instance of a fuel switch malfunction on a Boeing 787-8 flight from London to Bengaluru after it landed on Monday (February 2, 2026), following which the airline says it has grounded the aircraft and is examining the matter. The switches that supply fuel to the two engines on an aircraft were at the heart of the preliminary report into the Air India AI 171 crash in Ahmedabad last June. The preliminary report into Air India’s Ahmedabad crash, which also involved a Boeing 787 aircraft, said that the switches that supply fuel to the engine shifted or “transitioned” to the CUTOFF position one after another and there was a loss of engine thrust and both engines shut down, precipitating the crash of the Boeing 787-8 aircraft which killed at least 269. While the report didn’t specify whether this was an inadvertent or deliberate action, a tiny fragment of the exchange between the two pilots reproduced in it sparked a debate on whether the crash was a suicide attempt.

Sonam Wangchuk incited violence by referring to Nepal, Bangladesh and Arab Spring: Centre tells SC

The Centre and the Union Territory of Ladakh administration accused detained climate activist Sonam Wangchuk of using the veneer of Gandhian non-violence to disguise actual incitement to the younger and impressionable generations to turn to violence. Appearing before a Bench headed by Justice Aravind Kumar, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta reasoned that Mr. Wangchuk’s instigation even touched upon “self-immolation” and non-cooperation in case of an external aggression. The top law officer said the region was located along the border to a country with which India had a “fragile” relationship.

Investigation into PSLV failures ‘ongoing’, next launch date in June: Minister

The investigation into the causes behind the consecutive failures of the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) is ongoing, and an external team is also involved in the probe. But none of the companies that had satellites onboard the doomed rockets have expressed reservations over their reliability. ISRO is considering a fresh launch date in June, the Union Minister of State for Science and Technology, and Space, Jitendra Singh, said at a press briefing on Monday (February 2, 2026).

U.S. Justice Department says it has taken down Epstein-related files that may have had victims’ information

The Justice Department said Monday (February 2, 2026) that it had taken down several thousand documents and “media” that may have inadvertently included victim-identifying information since it began releasing the latest batch of documents related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein on Friday (January 30, 2026).

Elon Musk’s SpaceX acquires xAI

Elon Musk’s space firm SpaceX said on ‍Monday (February 2, 2026) it has acquired his artificial ​intelligence startup xAI, combining the rocket-and-satellite ‌company with the ​maker of the Grok chatbot in a move aimed at unifying Mr. Musk’s AI and space ambitions. A merger would represent one of the most high-profit corporate pairings in ​Silicon Valley, blending a space-and-defence contractor ⁠with a rapidly evolving AI developer whose costs are dominated by chips, data ​centres and energy.

Iranian media says President has ordered talks with U.S

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered the start of nuclear talks with the United States, local media said on Monday (February 2, 2026), after U.S. leader Donald Trump said he was hopeful of a deal to avert military action against the Islamic republic. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered the start of nuclear talks with the United States, local media said on Monday, after U.S. President Donald Trump said he was hopeful of a deal to avert military action against the Islamic republic.

Supreme Court issues notices to Centre, 12 states on PIL by Christian body against anti-conversion laws

The Supreme Court on Monday (February 2, 2026) sought responses from the Centre and 12 States, including Rajasthan and Arunachal Pradesh, on a fresh PIL filed by the National Council of Churches in India challenging the validity of their respective anti-conversion laws. The National Council of Churches in India (NCCI), represented by senior advocate Meenakshi Arora, also sought a stay on the operation of these State laws. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi took note of the submissions of the NCCI and sought responses from the Centre and 12 State Governments within four weeks.

SC refuses to entertain PIL questioning procedures to record caste of citizens in 2027 census

The Supreme Court on Monday (February 2, 2026) refused to entertain a PIL questioning the procedure to be adopted to record, classify, and verify the caste data of citizens in the 2027 general census. The top court, however, asked the Centre and the office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India, to consider the suggestions made by PIL petitioner Aakash Goel, an academician, on the issue. Mr. Goel, represented by senior advocate Mukta Gupta, said a transparent questionnaire, to be used for recording, classifying, and verifying the caste details of the citizens, has to be placed in the public domain. The senior advocate alleged that the Directorate of Census Operations has not disclosed the criteria for recording the caste identity of citizens “notwithstanding the acknowledgement that caste enumeration has extended beyond the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled tribes this time”.

Sheikh Hasina sentenced to 10 years in jail by Bangladesh court in two corruption cases

A Bangladesh court on Monday (February 2, 2026) sentenced deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to 10 years in jail in two separate corruption cases related to alleged irregularities in allocations of land in a government housing project. Dhaka Special Judge’s Court-4 Judge Rabiul Alam handed down the verdicts, sentencing Ms. Hasina to a total of 10 years’ imprisonment — five years in each case, state-run BSS news agency reported. The court sentenced 78-year-old Ms. Hasina, her nephew Radwan Mujib Siddiq, and her nieces, Tulip Rizwana Siddiq and Azmina Siddiq, and others in the cases over alleged irregularities in the allocation of plots under the Rajuk New Town Project in Purbachol. The judgment was pronounced at around 12.30 p.m..

PCB will follow Pakistan government decision on India boycott

Pakistan Cricket Board was on Monday (February 2, 2026) tight-lipped about its government’s decision to boycott the T20 World Cup game against India, but a well-placed source conceded that it has no choice but to follow instructions coming from the top. Amid the drama, the national team left for Colombo to play its other games in the showpiece starting February 7. The side is expected to reach the Sri Lankan capital later this evening. A top source in the PCB said the Board will follow government instructions in case another game against the arch-foes gets lined up during the knockout stage of the tournament.

Supreme Court directs Centre to constitute tribunal to settle Pennaiyar river dispute between T.N. and Karnataka

The Supreme Court on Monday (February 2, 2026) directed the Centre to constitute a tribunal to adjudicate the dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka over the sharing of Pennaiyar River water. A Bench, headed by Justice Vikram Nath, directed the Central government to issue a notification to constitute the inter-State water disputes tribunal within a month. “The Centre may place the complaint filed by Tamil Nadu before the tribunal upon its constitution,” the Bench said. Tamil Nadu, in 2018, had moved the Supreme Court against Karnataka over its work on dams and diversions structures on the river. Karnataka had no right to utilise the waters of Pennaiyar river to the detriment of the people of Tamil Nadu, the State had told the court.

Pakistani forces kill 177 Baloch militants in 48 hours, the highest toll in decades

Pakistani security forces killed about two dozen militants overnight in multiple raids in the insurgency-hit southwest bordering Afghanistan, raising the militant death toll to 177 in the past 48 hours, officials said on Monday (February 2, 2026), following a wave of coordinated insurgent attacks that killed at least 33 people, mostly civilian. Police, backed by the military, have been conducting these raids in several areas against members of the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army since early on Saturday (January 31), after nearly 200 militants in small groups carried out simultaneous suicide bombings and gun attacks on police stations, civilian homes, and security facilities across the province.

Activists flag ‘opacity, underfunding’ in rural jobs Budget

Civil society groups and rural employment activists have criticised the Union Budget’s allocations for rural job schemes, alleging that the government has offered little clarity on the transition from the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) to the new Viksit Bharat‑Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB‑GRAMG) framework, and that the promised 125 days of employment cannot be financed with the outlay provided. The Budget has earmarked ₹95,692.31 crore for VB‑GRAMG and ₹30,000 crore for MGNREGS, taking the combined allocation for the two rural employment heads to ₹1,25,692.31 crore, which the government has projected as a 43% increase over the Revised Estimate (RE) of ₹88,000 crore for MGNREGS in 2025‑26.

New school fee law will not be implemented in the current academic year: Delhi govt tells Supeme Court

The Delhi government informed the Supreme Court on Monday (February 2, 2026) that it would not implement the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Act, 2025, which seeks to regulate the fixation of fees by private schools in the national capital, from the 2025-2026 academic year. A Bench headed by Justice P.S. Narasimha reacted to the submission made by Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju, for the Director of Education, Delhi government, that “it seems better sense has prevailed finally”. In the previous court hearing, the Bench had questioned the “rushed implementation” of the 2025 Act by the government.

Trump threatens legal action against Grammy host over Epstein comment

Donald Trump threatened legal action on Monday (February 2, 2026) against the host of the 68th Grammy Awards over the comedian’s comment on the U.S. President and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. After congratulating Billie Eilish for winning the Grammy for Song of the Year for her track “Wildflower,” host Trevor Noah brought up Mr. Trump and Epstein. “Wow. That’s a Grammy that every artist wants — almost as much as Mr. Trump wants Greenland,” he quipped, referring to the president’s threats to seize the autonomous Arctic territory.

T20 World Cup | Pakistan to boycott game against India, ICC warns of serious implications

Pakistan on Sunday (February 1, 2026) announced a boycott of its high-profile men’s T20 World Cup group league match against India, a move that is likely to have serious repercussions even as the government cleared the national team’s participation in the rest of the global event starting February 7. “The Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan grants approval to the Pakistan Cricket Team to participate in the ICC World T20 2026, however, the Pakistan Cricket Team shall not take the field in the match scheduled on 15th February 2026 against India,” the government posted on social media.

China hands life sentence to former Justice Minister over bribery

China’s former Justice Minister Tang Yijun ‌was sentenced by a Chinese court ​to life in prison on Monday (February 2, 2026) for taking bribes, state broadcaster CCTV reported. The Xiamen Intermediate People’s Court in the southeastern coastal Fujian province said Tang had illegally accepted property worth more than 137 million yuan ($19.71 million) between 2006 and 2022, and abused his position to seek benefits for ​entities and individuals in areas such as ⁠company listings, land buybacks, bank loans and case handling, according to CCTV.

Name of Mira Nair, mother of NYC Mayor Mamdani, appears in email in newly-released Epstein files

Indian filmmaker Mira Nair had attended an “after party” for a film at the townhouse of convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, according to the latest Epstein files released by the US Justice Department. Ms. Nair, the mother of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, is mentioned in one of the emails as part of additional files of investigation related to millionaire sex offender Jeffrey Epstein put out in public domain by the Department of Justice on Friday (January 30, 2026). “Just left Ghislaine’s townhouse... after party for film. Bill Clinton and Jeff Bezos were there... Jean Pigozzi, director Mira Nair...etc. Film received tepid reaction although women like it much more... Hillary Swank and Gere at stupid party in Bloomingdales cheap sportwear department... very weird.