The Times of India

Official sources said BJP MLAs are in the national capital and will be electing a new leader, who will be sworn in as the new chief minister. The party has not officially declared a date for the legislative party meeting and named its general secretary Tarun Chugh as the central observer for the election of the new leader.

While also listing blatant violations of ECs lawful directions by the Bengal administration, CEC Gyanesh Kumar on Monday firmly conveyed to Mamata that the rule of law shall prevail and anybody taking law into their own hands shall be dealt with strictly, as per provisions of law and powers vested in the Commission. No pressure, obstruction, or interference of any kind by anyone should be exerted on officers engaged in SIR work, it was underlined.

Talking to reporters later in front of Nirvachan Sadan where a heavy police posse had gathered she claimed to have warned the CEC that he will end up like Jagdeep Dhankhar, seen as a reference to the former VPs sudden resignation last year. She was accompanied by party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, MP Kalyan Banerjee, and 12 members from what they claimed were SIR-affected families from Bengal.

According to a complaint filed by the boys father, a temple priest, the child had grown fond of momo sold at the roadside stall. The vendors allegedly began feeding him free of cost, winning trust bite by bite. Soon came bigger offers food, small sums of money, loyalty. Then persuasion. Unaware of the stakes, the boy began removing jewellery from home and handing it over, police said.

Senior military officials, particularly those dealing with classified information, are subject to regulations under the Official Secrets Act that restrict the publication of books or information even after retirement to prevent such classified material from becoming public. While a general one-year cooling-off period exists for taking up commercial or private employment, regulations for publishing secret content require prior govt clearance.

Speaker Om Birla failed to defuse the situation even after he gave a ruling asking Gandhi not to refer to news articles or extracts from an unpublished book and speak only on what could be authenticated by placing it on record. The LoP maintained that he should be allowed to speak on the issue, saying excerpts of the unpublished book had been published in Caravan magazine and were authentic.

The SC order may end the prevalent practice harassing people by filing mulitple cases against those whose social media post is critical of govt or party in power, and safeguards fundamental rights. The guidelines say the police must verify whether the complainant qualifies as the person aggrieved in terms of law before registering a case and conduct a preliminary probe before lodging an FIR.

Ashwini Vaishnaw said the Budget contains a proposal to expand railway link between the region and the rest of the country to four tracks, fulfilling a long-felt need. Northeast Frontier Railway GM Chetan Shrivastava said the underground stretch would run from Tin Mile Haat to Rangapani stations within Bengal. During the 2017 Doklam stand-off, military planners had talked about the vulnerability of the Siliguri stretch of the corridor.

Latest budget data released Sunday shows that govt spent nearly Rs 1,730 crore on the three components of the programme in FY26, out of a total of Rs 33,830 crore allocated in the 2024-25 budget. With the internship scheme having seen only two pilots, the Centre spent Rs 526 crore of Rs 10,800 crore allocated during FY26.

With the trade deal announced, Indian goods are suddenly looking more competitive. This means that a product will face 18% additional tariff over the MFN or product-specific rate. At 18%, the levy on Indian garments will be marginally lower than the 20% faced by those made in Bangladesh or Sri Lanka.

While PM Narendra Modi, in a post on X, which followed US President Donald Trumps announcement on Truth Social, said he had a wonderful conversation with dear friend Trump and thanked him on behalf of 1.4 billion people for the reduced tariff of 18% on Indian goods, he did not mention the trade deal at all in his post on X that followed Trumps wonderful announcement.

J&K has no NLU at present but the demand for it to be located in Jammu gained traction after CM Omar said last year that it would come up in Kashmirs Budgam. Omar has rejected the recent BJP demands, calling the controversy politically motivated and pointing out that there were no protests in the Valley when Jammu was given both an IIT and an IIM.

On Jan 6, Punjab Police detained a minor in Pathankot on charges of spying and for allegedly sharing confidential information via social media to terror agencies, ISI, and Pakistan military officers. The detention prompted a statewide alert for similar espionage activities involving children. Under Operation Trashi-I, security forces have engaged in four encounters with terrorists in the past fortnight.

GTRI says that several important questions related to the India-US trade deal remain unanswered. In a note post post Trump and PM Narendra Modis posts on social media platforms, Ajay Srivastava, founder of GTRI said: Caution, not celebration, is warranted.

GIFT Nifty surged by nearly 800 points before paring some gains, indicating a widespread relief-driven rally across markets. The rise followed remarks by US President Donald Trump that Washington would lower reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods to 18%.

With this deal, India bags a place among countries facing one of the lowest tariff rates from the Donald Trump administration. Incidentally, the 18% tariff rate is lower than Pakistans 19%, Indonesias 19%.

Donald Trump has claimed that the trade deal has been agreed after India has agreed to reduce tariffs on US goods to zero, committed to stop buying Russian crude and step up oil purchases from America, and potentially Venezuela.

In her Union Budget speech, Sitharaman announced that the investment cap for persons resident outside India (PROI), has been raised to 10% of a companys paid-up capital from the earlier level.

The BJP is poised to form the government in Manipur, with senior leader Tarun Chugh appointed as central observer to facilitate the election of the legislature party leader. This development follows the summoning of BJP-led NDA legislators to the national capital. Manipur has been under President's rule since February 2025, following ethnic violence.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra defended her brother, Rahul Gandhi, stating he quoted from a magazine referencing former Army Chief Naravane's memoir, not defaming the Army. The Lok Sabha saw disruptions and adjournment as Gandhi insisted on discussing border tensions, prompting objections from BJP members who accused him of flouting rules and demoralizing forces. Gandhi maintained national security is paramount.

Environmental activist Sonam Wangchuk, detained under NSA, is accused by the Centre of inciting Ladakh's youth for protests inspired by regime-toppling movements. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the Supreme Court that Wangchuk's speeches, referencing Nepal, Bangladesh, and the Arab Spring, aimed to create a rift between the people and the government. The court is hearing a challenge to his detention.

Air India has grounded a Boeing 787 Dreamliner after its crew reported a fuel control switch issue post-landing. This follows a 2025 crash where a similar switch malfunction led to engine failure. The airline is investigating with the manufacturer, while aviation regulators are also probing the incident, raising safety concerns.

Budget 2026 stock market picks: Motilal Oswal Financial Services shares its top 10 stock picks that investors can consider buying. Heres what the brokerage has to say:

Union Budget 2026-27 is hailed as infrastructure-led and growth-oriented by realty leaders. Increased capital expenditure, asset monetisation, and risk-sharing mechanisms are expected to boost project execution and financing. While positive for overall real estate, a lack of direct support for affordable housing was noted as a disappointment.

Rahul Gandhi's Lok Sabha speech ignited a storm by quoting an unpublished Army chief memoir, leading to protests. Mamata Banerjee clashed with Delhi Police over alleged bias. Sanjay Raut questioned Ajit Pawar's plane crash death, demanding a probe. Meanwhile, a Bangladesh court jailed ex-PM Sheikh Hasina, and China criticized the Dalai Lama's Grammy win.

The Central Bureau of Investigation, in a multinational crackdown dubbed 'Operation CyStrike' with international law enforcement agencies, targeted transnational cyber-enabled financial crime networks. Searches across India led to the dismantling of networks defrauding victims in India and five other countries: The US, UK, Singapore, Kuwait, and Ireland.

Precious metals experienced intense selling pressure on Monday, with gold and silver hitting lower circuit limits on the MCX due to aggressive profit-booking. Gold prices slumped 6%, while silver saw a sharper 12% correction, extending recent losses after a strong rally.

Lok Sabha witnessed a heated exchange as Rahul Gandhi quoted from former Army chief General MM Naravane's unpublished memoir during the Motion of Thanks. Union ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh objected, citing parliamentary rules against citing unpublished material. Gandhi defended his reference, stating it pertained to the Prime Minister's character.

India's factory activity saw a slight rebound in January, with the HSBC India Manufacturing PMI rising to 55.4, driven by stronger new orders and increased production. Despite this growth, business confidence among manufacturers weakened significantly, reaching a three-and-a-half-year low, with expectations for future output declining.

Google co-founder Sergey Brin has made his largest public donation, contributing $20 million to a new coalition tackling California's housing crisis. This significant move, part of a $35 million launch package backed by tech leaders, highlights Brin's extensive philanthropic efforts, including substantial donations to research and his own foundation, fueled by a surge in Alphabet shares.