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At IndiaVerve, we go beyond the noise to bring you meaningful stories of change, resilience and progress—from India to the world stage. Our mission is to bring readers credible, wide-ranging coverage across politics, business, sports, culture, society and more.
At IndiaVerve, we go beyond the noise to bring you meaningful stories of change, resilience and progress—from India to the world stage. Our mission is to bring readers credible, wide-ranging coverage across politics, business, sports, culture, society and more.
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Day: February 1, 2026

Pakistan launches security crackdown after deadly Balochistan attacks

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Pakistan has intensified security operations in Balochistan after a wave of coordinated suicide bombings and armed assaults left dozens dead across the province, a day after authorities said calm had largely returned to the region.

Security officials said the raids targeted separatist militants following attacks in at least 10 cities, including Quetta and the port town of Gwadar. At least 31 civilians and 17 security personnel were killed in the violence. Balochistan chief minister Sarfraz Bugti reportedly said security forces had killed 145 suspected militants within 40 hours of the attacks, with bodies taken into official custody.

The assaults began before dawn on Saturday, when heavily armed groups struck police stations, military facilities, banks and transport infrastructure. Rail tracks were damaged, roads were blocked, and suicide bombers hit sensitive areas in Quetta, including the city’s high-security zone near government offices.

The outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the attacks and alleged heavy casualties among security forces, claims that could not be independently verified.

Pakistan’s interior minister Mohsin Naqvi visited Quetta to meet victims’ families and review the situation. He accused India of backing the militants, a charge New Delhi rejected. Mobile internet services remain suspended in Quetta, Gwadar and other towns as security forces continue search and clearance operations.

According to reporting by The Guardian, video footage circulating online showed militants moving openly through parts of Quetta, attacking buildings and vehicles. Local officials also confirmed a suicide car bombing near the city’s administrative district that killed senior police officers.

Defence minister Khawaja Asif said security forces were conducting “mopping-up operations” and insisted that order had been restored. The latest violence has revived concerns over the long-running Baloch insurgency, which dates back decades and has intensified in recent years despite official claims that it had been brought under control.

Iran warns US of regional war if conflict begins

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New Delhi: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday warned that any US-led war against Iran would escalate into a wider regional conflict.

Addressing a large gathering in Tehran, Khamenei said Iran does not seek war. However, he stressed that the country would respond with force to any attack.

“Any strike on the Islamic Republic will face a powerful response,” he said.

The remarks came as army personnel gathered at the Imam Khomeini Mausoleum. They renewed their allegiance to the ideals of the late founder of the Islamic Republic, according to Tehran Times.

Khamenei said US threats were nothing new. He added that Iran would not be intimidated by warships, aircraft, or military pressure.

He also claimed that recent unrest in Iran was a coup-like plot. According to him, it aimed to damage sensitive government installations.

Meanwhile, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf criticised European states. He said Iran would treat EU armies as terrorist groups.

The warning followed moves in Europe to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation. Ghalibaf said European nations would bear responsibility for the consequences.

Union Budget 2026 lays out growth, jobs and ease-of-living roadmap

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New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday presented the Union Budget 2026–27 in Parliament, setting out a wide-ranging economic and governance roadmap anchored in three “kartavyas” — accelerating growth, building people’s capacity, and ensuring inclusive development under the vision of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas.

This is the first Union Budget prepared in Kartavya Bhawan. The Finance Minister said the Budget aims to enhance productivity and competitiveness, strengthen resilience amid global volatility, and ensure that families, regions and sectors can meaningfully participate in India’s growth journey.

Fiscal position and budget estimates: The government has estimated total expenditure for 2026–27 at ₹53.5 lakh crore, while non-debt receipts are projected at ₹36.5 lakh crore. The Centre’s net tax receipts are estimated at ₹28.7 lakh crore. Gross market borrowings are pegged at ₹17.2 lakh crore, with net market borrowings from dated securities estimated at ₹11.7 lakh crore.

The fiscal deficit for 2026–27 is projected at 4.3 percent of GDP, compared with 4.4 percent in the revised estimates for 2025–26. The debt-to-GDP ratio is expected to decline to 55.6 percent in 2026–27 from 56.1 percent a year earlier.

First kartavya: Accelerating and sustaining economic growth: To scale up manufacturing in seven strategic and frontier sectors, the Budget announced Biopharma SHAKTI with an outlay of ₹10,000 crore over five years to develop India as a global biopharma manufacturing hub. The initiative includes setting up three new National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, upgrading seven existing ones, and creating a network of over 1,000 accredited clinical trial sites.

The government will launch India Semiconductor Mission 2.0 to strengthen domestic capabilities in equipment, materials and full-stack design, supported by industry-led research and training centres. The outlay for the electronics components manufacturing scheme has been increased to ₹40,000 crore.

Dedicated rare earth corridors will be established to support mineral-rich states such as Odisha, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The Budget also proposes chemical parks, hi-tech tool rooms, a container manufacturing scheme, and a comprehensive programme to strengthen capital goods manufacturing.

For textiles, the government announced a national fibre scheme, cluster modernisation support, mega textile parks, and targeted measures for khadi, handloom and handicrafts, including global market linkages and skilling.

A scheme to revive 200 legacy industrial clusters has been announced, along with a ₹10,000 crore SME Growth Fund to create future “champion SMEs”. Public capital expenditure will rise to ₹12.2 lakh crore in 2026–27. An Infrastructure Risk Guarantee Fund will be set up to improve private sector confidence during the construction phase of large projects.

Major logistics initiatives include new dedicated freight corridors, 20 additional national waterways over five years, coastal cargo incentives, and support for inland waterway ship repair hubs. Seven high-speed rail corridors will connect major city pairs such as Mumbai–Pune, Delhi–Varanasi and Varanasi–Siliguri.

Second kartavya: Building people’s capacity: The Budget proposes setting up a high-powered Education-to-Employment and Enterprise Committee to strengthen services-led growth. The government plans to add 1 lakh allied health professionals over five years and establish five regional medical hubs to promote medical tourism.

In education, five university townships will be created near industrial and logistics corridors. One girls’ hostel will be built in every district through viability gap funding or capital support.

Tourism will receive focused attention through the upgrade of the National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology into a National Institute of Hospitality and a pilot scheme to upskill 10,000 tourist guides at 20 sites. A National Destination Digital Knowledge Grid will digitally document cultural, spiritual and heritage locations.

Fifteen archaeological sites, including Lothal, Dholavira, Rakhigarhi and Sarnath, will be developed as experiential cultural destinations. The Khelo India Mission will be launched to transform the sports ecosystem over the next decade.

Third kartavya: Inclusive development: To raise farm incomes, the government announced integrated development of 500 reservoirs and Amrit Sarovars, support for high-value crops in coastal areas, and a coconut promotion scheme. A new AI-based platform, Bharat-VISTAAR, will integrate agricultural advisory systems in multiple languages.

Targeted initiatives include Divyangjan Kaushal Yojana for skill development, expansion of mental health infrastructure with NIMHANS-2, and focused development of Purvodaya and North-Eastern states. A Buddhist circuit will be developed across six North-Eastern states.

States will receive ₹1.4 lakh crore as Finance Commission grants in 2026–27.

Tax reforms and ease of living: A new Income Tax Act will come into effect from April 2026, with simplified rules and redesigned forms. The Budget announced major rationalisation of TDS and TCS, including reducing TCS on overseas tour packages and on education and medical remittances to 2 percent.

Compliance measures include simplified return revisions, automated lower-deduction certificates, integration of assessment and penalty proceedings, and decriminalisation of minor offences. Targeted tax relief has been extended to cooperatives, the IT sector and global service providers.

On indirect taxes, customs duty exemptions have been proposed to support energy transition, electronics, aviation, nuclear power and critical minerals. Customs processes will shift towards trust-based systems, wider use of AI-enabled scanning, and a single digital clearance window.

A broad reform agenda: The Union Budget 2026 highlights reflect a broad reform agenda that combines fiscal consolidation with growth-oriented spending, tax simplification and targeted social investment. The government said the measures are designed to strengthen India’s long-term economic foundations while improving ease of living and ease of doing business.

Budget boosts Odisha waterways, rare earths, turtle conservation

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Bhubaneswar: The Union Budget 2026–27 has outlined a major push to strengthen green logistics, mineral value chains, and coastal conservation in Odisha.

Presenting the Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the operationalisation of National Waterway-5 to improve inland cargo movement in the State.

The waterway will link mineral-rich Talcher and Angul with industrial hubs such as Kalinga Nagar. It will also connect these regions to the ports of Paradip and Dhamra.

The government aims to move bulk cargo through waterways to reduce logistics costs and emissions. Inland transport also eases pressure on roads and rail networks, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said in a post on X.

Officials expect the project to support industrial expansion, port-led development, and local skill generation. The corridor will also improve coal and mineral evacuation efficiency.

The finance minister also announced extended central support for dedicated rare-earth corridors in mineral-rich states, including Odisha.

The move follows the launch of the rare-earth permanent magnet scheme in 2025. The corridors aim to strengthen domestic supply chains for clean energy and electronics.

Odisha holds significant reserves of rare-earth-bearing minerals. Policy support could attract processing and downstream manufacturing investments.

The Budget further announced the development of Turtle Trails along Odisha’s coast.

These trails will create protected pathways near key nesting beaches. The initiative will support turtle conservation and regulated eco-tourism.

The programme will also help coastal communities through sustainable livelihood opportunities linked to conservation activities.

Together, the measures underline the Centre’s focus on green transport, strategic minerals, and biodiversity protection in Odisha.

Devika Sihag wins maiden BWF super 300 title

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New Delhi: Young Indian shuttler Devika Sihag secured her first BWF Super 300 title after winning the women’s singles crown at the Thailand Masters on Sunday.

The 20-year-old from Haryana led Malaysia’s Goh Jin Wei 21-8, 6-3 in the final before the match ended. Goh retired due to a hamstring injury, conceding the contest midway.

The Thailand Masters carries a total prize purse of USD250,000. The victory marks the biggest title of Devika’s professional career so far, according to reports.

Devika currently holds a world ranking of 63. She trains under Coach Umendra Rana at the Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence in Bengaluru.

She also trains alongside two-time Olympic medallist P. V. Sindhu. Indonesian Coach Irwansyah Adi Pratama guides both players.

Devika has shown steady improvement on the international circuit. She opened her international title account at the Malaysia International tournament in August 2025.

Later that year, she played a key role in India’s bronze medal finish at the World University Games mixed team event.

Her consistency stood out during the previous season. She finished runner-up at the Indonesia Masters Super 100.

Devika also reached four finals in 2024. She won titles at the Swedish Open and Portugal International.

She finished second at the Estonian International and Dutch International during the same season.

Union Budget 2026 puts tourism, hospitality and education at centre of growth push

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New Delhi: Tourism, hospitality and education emerged as major pillars of the Union Budget 2026, as the government outlined a broad strategy to drive economic growth, employment and skill development across regions.

Presenting the Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman positioned tourism as a key engine of jobs and infrastructure creation. She announced the development of seven high-speed rail corridors linking major economic and tourist hubs, including Mumbai–Pune, Pune–Hyderabad, Hyderabad–Bengaluru, Hyderabad–Chennai, Chennai–Bengaluru, Delhi–Varanasi and Varanasi–Siliguri. The corridors aim to improve connectivity and reduce travel time between important urban and cultural centres.

The Finance Minister also unveiled a pilot programme to improve visitor experience at heritage destinations. “I also propose a pilot scheme for upskilling 10,000 guides in 20 iconic tourist sites, with standardised, high-quality, 12-week training in hybrid mode, in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Management,” Sitharaman said in her Budget speech.

As part of efforts to strengthen hospitality education, the government will upgrade the National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology into a National Institute of Hospitality. The proposed institute will align academic training more closely with industry needs.

To expand cultural tourism, the Budget proposed development of 15 major archaeological and heritage sites, including Lothal, Dholavira, Rakhigarhi, Adichanallur, Sarnath, Hastinapur and Leh Palace. Sitharaman also announced plans for a National Destination Digital Knowledge Grid to digitally document sites of cultural, spiritual and historical importance across the country. In addition, ecologically sustainable hiking and trekking trails will be developed in several mountain regions.

The Budget also highlighted a regional tourism push. “I propose the development of an integrated East Coast Industrial Corridor with a well-connected node at Durgapur, creation of five tourism destinations in the five Purvodaya States, and the provision of 4,000 e-buses,” the Finance Minister said. The government also renewed its focus on seaplane operations, offering incentives for manufacturing and subsidies for operations to improve last-mile air connectivity in coastal and island regions.

International travel is expected to become more affordable following a reduction in Tax Collected at Source on overseas tour packages. The TCS rate has been cut to 2 per cent from earlier slab-based rates of 5 per cent and 20 per cent, with no minimum threshold.

Alongside tourism, education received a significant allocation. The government earmarked ₹1.39 lakh crore for the education sector in FY27, marking a rise of over 14 per cent from the revised estimates of the previous year. School education and literacy received ₹83,562 crore, while higher education was allocated ₹55,727 crore. The PM-POSHAN mid-day meal scheme saw a 20 per cent increase to ₹12,750 crore, and PM SHRI schools were allocated ₹7,500 crore.

The Budget also proposed setting up three new institutes of Ayurveda and upgrading AYUSH laboratories and pharmacies to support education and exports. A new National Institute of Design will be established in eastern India, while AVGC content creator labs will be set up in 15,000 schools and 5,000 colleges through the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies. Plans were also announced for three new All India Institutes of Ayurveda and three new National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research.

Further measures include the development of five university townships along industrial corridors to strengthen industry–academia linkages, construction of a girls’ hostel in every district to improve access to higher education, and a reduction in TCS from 5 per cent to 2 per cent on overseas education and medical expenses under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme. The government also proposed upgrading four telescope infrastructure facilities to boost scientific research and student access to advanced tools.

Together, the Union Budget 2026 tourism and education initiatives signal a coordinated push to combine infrastructure, skills and knowledge as drivers of long-term growth.

Berhampur University, CCRAS to digitise ayurveda manuscripts

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Bhubaneswar: In a major step to preserve the country’s traditional medical knowledge, Berhampur University and the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) will sign an MoU to digitise rare Ayurvedic manuscripts stored in Odisha.

The agreement will focus on palm-leaf manuscripts and old Ayurvedic texts preserved at the South Odisha Cultural Study Centre of Berhampur University. Many of these documents remain unpublished and difficult to access.

The MoU signing will take place at the Central Ayurveda Research Institute in Bhubaneswar. Senior academicians and Ayurveda experts will attend the event, according to an official statement.

Under the collaboration, the National Institute of Indian Medical Heritage, Hyderabad, will lead the technical work. The institute functions under CCRAS.

Berhampur University holds more than 2,000 palm-leaf manuscripts. Several texts contain original Ayurvedic formulations and clinical observations. Fragile physical condition limits their use by researchers.

CCRAS will apply modern digitisation tools to preserve the manuscripts. Digital copies will be shared with the university for academic use.

The project also includes detailed cataloguing of the manuscripts. Researchers will get access to a structured database with 44 descriptive fields.

CCRAS will host the catalogue on the AMAR Portal. Scholars across the world will be able to view the metadata online.

Experts will also select important manuscripts for further work. Teams will transcribe, transliterate, and translate these texts into modern languages.

CCRAS Director General Prof. Rabinarayan Acharya said the initiative supports India’s national effort to document traditional knowledge. He stressed the need to connect ancient wisdom with present-day research.

Berhampur University Vice Chancellor Prof. Geetanjali Das said the partnership strengthens cultural preservation. She added that it improves global academic visibility for the university.

The MoU will remain valid for two years. Both institutions agreed to follow confidentiality and intellectual property norms.

Berhampur University will retain ownership of the manuscripts. The project will share knowledge responsibly with scholars and the public.

Officials from CARI Bhubaneswar, NIIMH Hyderabad, and Berhampur University will coordinate the programme.

Nirmala Sitharaman reaches Parliament, Union Budget to be presented at 11am

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New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present the Union Budget 2026 in Parliament today, February 1, marking her ninth consecutive budget under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The presentation is historic, as it is the first time India’s Union Budget will be delivered on a Sunday.

Ahead of the budget, the Economic Survey 2026 projected strong economic momentum for the country. It estimated India’s GDP growth at 7.4 per cent in the financial year 2025–26, with growth expected to moderate slightly to a range of 6.8 to 7.2 per cent in FY27. The survey attributed the outlook to sustained regulatory reforms, a stable macroeconomic environment, and a renewed emphasis on boosting private sector investment.

PM Modi Israel visit: MEA dismisses Epstein emails

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New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Saturday denied claims in newly released emails from the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, which suggested that US President Donald Trump influenced Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Israel in 2017. The MEA called the emails “trashy ruminations by a convicted criminal.”

The emails and messages, released by the US government on Friday, mention India, Modi, and a desire to boost US-India engagement. Epstein claimed he would arrange a meeting between Modi and Republican strategist Steve Bannon after the 2019 general election. The emails also show Epstein corresponding with Indian businessman Anil Ambani on these matters.

Epstein linked a Modi-Trump meeting on June 25-26, 2017, to the PM’s Israel visit from July 4-6. He claimed the visit “worked” because Modi had followed advice from the US president.

In a post on X, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: “Beyond the fact of the prime minister’s official visit to Israel in July 2017, the rest of the allusions in the email are little more than trashy ruminations by a convicted criminal, which deserve to be dismissed with the utmost contempt.”

The emails form part of around three million pages released by the US Department of Justice, related to Epstein’s investigations into his criminal network and influence operations.

BJD questions farm growth claims

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Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Saturday questioned the State government’s claims on agricultural growth and farmers’ welfare, alleging that massive expenditure has failed to translate into meaningful relief on the ground.

In a press release, the party stated that Rs 78,000 crore has been spent on the agriculture sector over the last five years, yet farmers continue to face distress.

A post on X alleges that, despite official claims of 14% growth in agriculture, farmers are still unable to recover even their basic cultivation costs.

Citing official data, the BJD claimed that farmers’ incomes have risen by only 10–15%, which it said is inadequate in the face of rising prices of fertilisers, seeds, diesel, and electricity. The party further alleged weaknesses in procurement systems and claimed that many farmers are being forced to sell their produce below the Minimum Support Price.

The BJD also highlighted rising prices of essential commodities and declining purchasing power, alleging that government claims on employment generation and economic stability do not reflect ground realities.

The party demanded that the government focus on the effective implementation of welfare schemes, price control measures, and genuine farmer support, rather than what it described as publicity-driven narratives.

Rising costs of fertilisers, seeds, diesel, and electricity have sharply increased the cost of cultivation. Farmers are being pushed into financial insecurity and debt, while official advertisements continue to project “false success stories,” according to the BJD.