The Times of India

Two Pakistani nationals escaped a juvenile home in Jammu and were arrested 400km away in Ambala Cantonment railway station. They had broken out with a local gangster who injured two police officers. The Pakistani duo planned to flee the country via Nepal. The injured policemen are hospitalized. A fresh FIR has been registered against the trio.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed cautious optimism following Union Law Minister Arjun Meghwal's statement on the imminent restoration of statehood. Abdullah highlighted the prolonged wait since the elected government took office, emphasizing that patience is wearing thin. He stressed that statehood is a crucial and sensitive matter, with the Supreme Court also urging its prompt return.

Jammu and Kashmir government will not sterilize monkeys despite crop destruction and public safety concerns. Instead, it plans to promote monkey-resistant crops, solar fencing, and deterrent devices. Farmers are also urged to stop feeding the animals, as the simian population continues to pose a major challenge.

US stocks saw mixed trading as consumer confidence dipped and AI's impact on earnings remained a concern. General Mills and Genuine Parts faced significant drops due to weak consumer sentiment and company forecasts. Meanwhile, Warner Bros. Discovery saw gains amid buyout talks, while Big Tech stocks experienced volatility, raising questions about AI investment returns.

Infosys shares jumped significantly following a strategic partnership with Anthropic, integrating Claude AI models into its Topaz platform. This move aims to address investor concerns about AI's impact on IT services, focusing on sectors like telecom and finance. The collaboration seeks to leverage domain expertise for complex enterprise AI applications, potentially unlocking new service lines and a substantial market opportunity.

The agriculture ministry has launched Bharat-VISTAAR, an AI-enabled system offering farmers customized digital advice for farm-level decision-making. This multilingual tool integrates AgriStack and ICAR resources to provide data-driven guidance on weather, market prices, pests, and crop management, accessible via a simple phone call.

Veteran leader Mani Shankar Aiyar asserts Congress historically thrives on internal dissent, warning suppression leads to downfall. Citing Indira Gandhi's Emergency and historical figures like Subhas Chandra Bose, Aiyar argues disagreement, not conformity, is the party's strength. He challenges the current leadership to embrace diverse opinions, fearing doom if dissent is stifled.

India and France elevated their relationship to a Special Global Strategic Partnership during French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to Mumbai. The two nations signed over 20 agreements, expanding cooperation in defense, trade, critical minerals, and innovation, including joint missile production and helicopter assembly.

Senior representatives from Reliance Industries Ltd. and the Adani Group are actively scouting candidates at the event, where aspiring professionals are presenting their rsums and GitHub portfolios to highlight their technical projects and expertise.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Bangladesh's new prime minister Tarique Rahman on his electoral victory and appointment, extending an invitation to visit India. Modi highlighted the deep-rooted friendship and shared aspirations between the two nations, emphasizing mutual prosperity and security. He expressed eagerness to strengthen bilateral relations across various sectors.

Precious metals saw a significant dip in Delhi on Tuesday, with silver falling to Rs 2.45 lakh/kg and gold to Rs 1.57 lakh/10 grams. Subdued demand, Asian market holidays, and softer US inflation data fueled expectations of Federal Reserve rate cuts, impacting global prices and futures trade.

The Reserve Bank of India has bought 47% of the Centre's bond issuances in FY26 to inject Rs 6.39 lakh crore into the banking system. This move cushions liquidity amid heavy government borrowing, preventing excessive yield hikes and supporting credit growth. The RBI's actions have helped maintain stable money market rates despite market volatility.

India's power sector tendering pipeline is now shifting towards hybrid and storage-based projects, reflecting a growing focus on improving energy reliability and supporting renewable energy integration, according to a report by Nuvama Research.

Indian equity benchmarks concluded Tuesday higher for a second day, propelled by gains in banking, IT, and capital goods sectors. The BSE Sensex rose 173.81 points to 83,450.96, while the NSE Nifty climbed 42.65 points to 25,725.40. IT stocks continued their recovery, supported by strategic AI collaborations, while defence stocks also saw an uptick.

Ahead of Kerala polls, the ruling Left government is deferring its stance on women's entry into Sabarimala. State ministers on Tuesday said the Supreme Court hasn't sought their clarification yet, and a decision will follow consultations. The government emphasized its support for devotees while awaiting the apex court's examination of constitutional questions on religious practices.

Co-Founders Nazm Salur and Serkan Boranl of Turkish food and grocery delivery startup, Getir, have filed a $700 million lawsuit against Abu Dhabi investor Mubadala Investment Company. They allege the sovereign wealth fund breached a 2024 restructuring agreement by withholding key assets, including the valuable Getir Finance platform. This legal action escalates a dispute following Uber's acquisition of Getir's Turkish operations.

Mamata also made an explosive claim amid the ongoing SIR in the poll-bound West Bengal, saying a woman functionary in the BJP IT cell emoved 58 lakh voters names in Bengal using AI. The TMC chief said in Bengal, 160 people lost their lives due to SIR anxiety, work-related pressure. Mamata said if the election commission penalises Bengal government officers, her government would 100 per cent protect them.

Prime Minister Modi and French President Macron held significant talks in Mumbai, focusing on defence and trade. Meanwhile, Tarique Rahman was sworn in as Bangladesh's new Prime Minister, ending a long era of female leadership. Iran's Supreme Leader issued a stern warning to US President Trump, as Pakistan faced deadly attacks.

New income tax rules for 2026-27 propose redesigned ITR forms with more pre-filled details, aiming for simplification. Eligibility criteria for simplified forms like ITR-1 and ITR-4 have been adjusted, allowing for two property ownership and expanding disqualifications to include new income streams. Taxpayers must carefully evaluate their eligibility annually to avoid defective returns.

Indian auto sector anticipates moderate growth in 2026-27, with passenger vehicles expected to rise 4-6%. Two-wheelers will see a slowdown after recovery, while commercial vehicles will be led by buses. Electrification is identified as a significant long-term trend shaping the industry's future amidst evolving consumer choices.

Delhi University has banned all gatherings, processions, and protests on its campuses for one month due to law and order concerns. This decision follows clashes between student groups over the now-stayed UGC equity guidelines. The university cited potential obstruction of traffic, threats to life, and disturbances to public peace as reasons for the prohibition.

The National Green Tribunal has approved the Rs 90,000-crore Great Nicobar infrastructure project, finding sufficient environmental safeguards. Dismissing petitions challenging the clearance, the tribunal noted that a high-powered committee addressed outstanding concerns. The project, crucial for national security and India's Indian Ocean presence, will proceed with strict adherence to environmental conditions.

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma had announced a 3 per cent reservation for youths from tea gardens in Grade I and Grade II government jobs in October last year during the 19th biennial general conference of the Assam Tea Tribe Students Association (ATTSA) and the central biennial general conference of the Assam Tea Tribe Womens Association.

Gold prices saw a dip of over 1% in futures trade Tuesday, influenced by easing safe-haven demand, improved geopolitical sentiment, and a stronger US dollar. Analysts suggest this is a corrective phase within a broader bullish trend, with investors advised to rebalance on dips amid choppy markets. Global markets also experienced a decline in gold futures.

India's mutual fund industry experienced robust growth in early 2026, with total assets under management reaching Rs 81.01 lakh crore, a 20.5% increase year-on-year. Equity-oriented schemes anchored this expansion, while Systematic Investment Plans (SIPs) saw significant inflows and a growing share of equity AUM. The investor base also expanded, with passive fund AUM achieving record levels.

Adani Group is launching a massive $100 billion initiative to build AI-ready data centers powered by renewable energy across India by 2035. This ambitious plan aims to create a sovereign energy and compute platform, fostering India's role in the global Intelligence Revolution. The investment is expected to spur further growth in related sectors, establishing a significant AI infrastructure ecosystem.

The brutal selloff in Indian technology stocks has been particularly noticeable across Asia, where the regions strong hardware manufacturing base continues to be regarded as essential to the broader artificial intelligence ecosystem.

New research suggests wildlife's fear of humans is not uniform. Animals exhibit strong fear responses to hunters and fishers but less so to tourists or researchers. Surprisingly, some passive human structures like roads can even act as perceived refuges for certain species.

The Supreme Court declined to entertain a plea for mandatory constitutional morality guidelines for public officials, citing the petition's focus on specific individuals. The court suggested a broader code of conduct for public figures, similar to that for public servants, emphasizing uniform application of constitutional values.

Infosys shares rose after announcing a collaboration with Anthropic. The partnership aims to build advanced AI solutions for businesses. This alliance will integrate Anthropic's Claude models with Infosys Topaz offerings. The focus is on automating workflows and accelerating software development. The collaboration will also modernize legacy systems. Infosys and Anthropic aim to help clients reimagine their operating models.

Vande Bharat train services currently operate across 82 routes, running a total of 164 services. According to the minister, these trains function as a separate category within passenger services.

Congress MP Jothimani condemned alleged misogynistic remarks by BJP district president V V Senthil Nathan, stating he views her as merely a ody, a sexual object. Police registered a case against Nathan for insulting womanhood during a BJP protest.

Gold price prediction today: Gold prices may trade with a bearish bias, and the silver market is very tight, according to Praveen Singh, Senior Fundamental Research Analyst- Currencies and Commodities at Mirae Asset Sharekhan:

Asian markets dipped Tuesday as Lunar New Year holidays kept trading subdued. Weak economic data and a significant drop in SoftBank shares dampened sentiment in Tokyo, following a recent rally. European markets closed mixed, while US markets were shut. Investor focus remains on AI investments and inflation's impact on interest rates.

Ravichandran Ashwin criticised Pakistan's decision to bowl first after winning the toss in their T20 World Cup loss to India, deeming it the match's turning point. He highlighted Pakistan's tactical errors, including bowling choices and pressure handling, as key factors in their defeat.

Pakistan's reliance on spin against India in Colombo saw them bowl 18 overs of spin, equalling a T20 World Cup record. This spin-heavy approach, previously used against Australia in 2012, was part of a strategy that ultimately failed as India won by 61 runs.