EAM in Washington for Critical Minerals Ministerial
Read this with the Quad Critical Minerals Initiative of July 2025; India is joining every table on minerals.
UPSC angle: Prelims: none. · Mains: critical minerals diplomacy.
2 Feb 2026Current affairs for UPSC
Daily notes mapped to syllabus topics, with “Asked before” PYQs and original practice MCQs.
Latest current affairs
Baggage Rules 2026: one laptop duty-free
Most passengers meet customs only through these rules, so this is ease of living at the airport.
UPSC angle: Prelims: none.
2 Feb 2026
Yantra India gets Miniratna Category-I status
Corporatisation is now showing up in sales growth.
UPSC angle: Prelims: Ratna categories.
2 Feb 2026
US cuts tariff on Indian goods to 18%
Lower tariffs restore price competitiveness for labour-intensive exports.
UPSC angle: Mains: India–US trade.
2 Feb 2026
New Income Tax Act from 1 April 2026; TCS cut on education remittances
The new Act takes over from April. Keep the STT and TCS numbers handy; they are typical Prelims fodder.
UPSC angle: Prelims: STT, LRS, TCS. · Mains: direct tax simplification.
1 Feb 2026
High Level Committee on Banking; PFC-REC to be restructured
Municipal bonds are how cities can fund themselves; the incentive targets the size problem.
UPSC angle: Prelims: municipal bonds. · Mains: financing urban infrastructure.
1 Feb 2026
Budget picks seven frontier sectors; Biopharma SHAKTI and rare earth corridors
This is industrial policy by sector. Note that all four rare earth corridor States are coastal mineral-rich States [PIB].
UPSC angle: Prelims: Biopharma SHAKTI, rare earth corridor States. · Mains: industrial policy, critical minerals.
1 Feb 2026
Budget 2026-27: fiscal deficit 4.3%, capex ₹12.2 lakh crore
The Centre has moved its fiscal anchor from the yearly deficit to the debt ratio. Learn both numbers; questions will ask which one now leads.
UPSC angle: Prelims: deficit and debt targets. · Mains: fiscal consolidation and the debt anchor.
1 Feb 2026
16th Finance Commission: States’ share stays at 41%
States wanted more than 41%. Keeping it unchanged means the real fight now is over cesses and surcharges, which are not shared.
UPSC angle: Prelims: vertical devolution share. · Mains: fiscal federalism.
1 Feb 2026
Health Ministry gets ₹1,06,530.42 crore in Budget 2026-27
More money for schemes helps PM-ABHIM and NHM.
UPSC angle: Prelims: Health budget.
1 Feb 2026Monthly compilations
October 2026
144 items
September 2026
142 items
August 2026
169 items
July 2026
165 items
June 2026
139 items
May 2026
125 items
April 2026
124 items
March 2026
122 items
February 2026
110 items
January 2026
110 items
December 2025
126 items
November 2025
110 items
October 2025
121 items
September 2025
109 items
August 2025
119 items
July 2025
106 items
June 2025
110 items
May 2025
114 items
April 2025
111 items