Asia Current Affairs — Last 12 months
Daily news by your exam, state and topic — each with a short summary, key facts and MCQs.
Sun, 01 Feb 2026
Government accepts 16th Finance Commission's recommendation to keep states' share at 41%
Presenting the Union Budget 2026-27 on 1 February 2026, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the government had accepted the 16th Finance Commission's recommendation to retain the states' vertical share of devolution at 41%.
Budget 2026-27 raises public capex to ₹12.2 lakh crore, sets up Infrastructure Risk Guarantee Fund
The Union Budget 2026-27, presented on 1 February 2026, raised public capital expenditure to ₹12.2 lakh crore and announced an Infrastructure Risk Guarantee Fund and CPSE REITs.
Budget 2026-27: record ₹2.93 lakh crore rail capex, seven high-speed corridors, Dankuni–Surat freight corridor
The Union Budget 2026-27, presented on 1 February 2026, gave Indian Railways a record capital expenditure of ₹2,93,030 crore and announced seven high-speed rail corridors and a new Dankuni–Surat dedicated freight corridor.
Budget 2026-27 halves duty on personal imports to 10%, exempts 17 cancer drugs from customs duty
The Union Budget 2026-27, presented on 1 February 2026, proposed cutting the tariff on all dutiable goods imported for personal use from 20% to 10% and exempting 17 drugs, mainly for cancer, from basic customs duty.
Union Budget 2026-27 sets fiscal deficit at 4.3% of GDP; debt-to-GDP at 55.6%
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2026-27 in Parliament on 1 February 2026, estimating the fiscal deficit at 4.3% of GDP and total expenditure at ₹53.5 lakh crore.
Indian Coast Guard marks 50th Raising Day; Rajnath Singh asks for 25-year roadmap
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh attended the Indian Coast Guard's 50th Raising Day celebrations in New Delhi on 1 February 2026 and asked the force to prepare a roadmap for the next 25 years.
Budget 2026-27 proposes Bharat-VISTAAR AI tool for farmers and a Coconut Promotion Scheme
The Union Budget 2026-27, presented on 1 February 2026, proposed Bharat-VISTAAR, a multilingual AI tool integrating AgriStack and ICAR advisories, and a Coconut Promotion Scheme.
Budget 2026-27: five Regional Medical Hubs, NIMHANS-2, a girls' hostel in every district
The Union Budget 2026-27, presented on 1 February 2026, announced five Regional Medical Hubs for medical tourism, NIMHANS-2 in north India, three new All India Institutes of Ayurveda and a girls' hostel in every district.
PM inaugurates Halwara Airport terminal; Adampur Airport renamed Shri Guru Ravidass Maharaj Ji Airport
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a terminal building at Halwara Airport near Ludhiana, Punjab, on 1 February 2026, the day Adampur Airport was renamed Shri Guru Ravidass Maharaj Ji Airport on Sant Ravidass Jayanti.
Budget 2026-27: 15 archaeological sites to become cultural destinations; Khelo India Mission launched
The Union Budget 2026-27, presented on 1 February 2026, announced that 15 archaeological sites including Lothal, Dholavira and Rakhigarhi will be developed as experiential cultural destinations, and launched a Khelo India Mission for the next decade.
Budget 2026-27 creates ₹10,000 crore SME Growth Fund, sets up High Level Committee on Banking
The Union Budget 2026-27, presented on 1 February 2026, announced a ₹10,000 crore SME Growth Fund to create 'Champion SMEs' and a High Level Committee on Banking for Viksit Bharat.
Sat, 31 Jan 2026
Patna Bird Sanctuary (UP) and Chhari-Dhand (Gujarat) added to India's Ramsar list; total now 98
On 31 January 2026 Patna Bird Sanctuary in Etah (Uttar Pradesh) and Chhari-Dhand in Kutch (Gujarat) were added to the Ramsar list, taking India's Ramsar sites to 98.
Sunetra Pawar sworn in as Maharashtra's first woman Deputy Chief Minister
On 31 January 2026 NCP leader Sunetra Pawar took oath at Lok Bhavan, Mumbai, as the first woman Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, after the death of her husband Ajit Pawar.
India hosts 2nd India-Arab Foreign Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi; Delhi Declaration adopted
On 31 January 2026 New Delhi hosted the 2nd India-Arab Foreign Ministers' Meeting, co-chaired by India and the UAE, ten years after the first meeting in Bahrain (2016).
Odisha Cabinet approves Kalyani Group's ₹17,250 crore manufacturing complex in Dhenkanal
The Odisha Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, on 31 January 2026 approved the Kalyani Group's ₹17,250 crore integrated automotive, aerospace and defence components manufacturing complex at Gajamara in Dhenkanal district.
Vice-President inaugurates 39th Surajkund International Atmanirbhar Crafts Mela; Egypt partner country
On 31 January 2026 Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan inaugurated the 39th Surajkund International Atmanirbhar Crafts Mela in Faridabad, Haryana, with Egypt as partner country and UP and Meghalaya as theme states.
Elena Rybakina beats Aryna Sabalenka to win Australian Open 2026 women's singles
On 31 January 2026 Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina beat world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in Melbourne to win her first Australian Open and second Grand Slam title.
Indian Institute of Foreign Trade ranked first in Times B-School Ranking 2026
The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), under the Commerce Ministry, was ranked first in the Times B-School Ranking 2026.
MoS Savitri Thakur to lead Indian delegation at 64th UN Commission for Social Development
Minister of State for Women and Child Development Savitri Thakur was to lead India's delegation at the 64th session of the UN Commission for Social Development (CSocD) in New York.
Bharat Parv 2026 concludes at Red Fort; edition marked 150 years of Vande Mataram
Bharat Parv 2026, the Ministry of Tourism's six-day festival at the Red Fort lawns, New Delhi, ran from 26 to 31 January 2026 and marked the 150th anniversary of 'Vande Mataram'.
Tamil Nadu CM Stalin inaugurates Government Law College and TIDEL Neo Park at Karaikudi
On 31 January 2026 Tamil Nadu CM M. K. Stalin inaugurated a ₹100.45-crore Government Law College at Kazhanivasal, Karaikudi (Sivaganga) for 1,300 students and a ₹28-crore TIDEL Neo Park.
Himachal CM orders fourth phase of BPL identification survey from 1 February 2026
On 31 January 2026 Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu directed that the fourth phase of the BPL identification survey begin on 1 February 2026; 59,829 families were added in the first three phases.
Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio launches digitisation of old manual birth and death certificates
On 31 January 2026 Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio launched the digitisation of old manual birth and death certificates in Kohima, as the state moves to 100% online registration via the ORGI portal.
CCRAS and Berhampur University sign MoU to digitise rare Ayurvedic palm-leaf manuscripts
On 31 January 2026 the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) and Berhampur University, Odisha, agreed to digitise and catalogue rare Ayurvedic manuscripts kept at the South Odisha Cultural Study Centre.
Fri, 30 Jan 2026
Karnataka adds IVF and other ART procedures to AB-PMJAY–CM's Arogya Karnataka scheme as one-year pilot
By a government order dated 30 January 2026, Karnataka included IVF/ICSI and frozen embryo transfer under the AB-PMJAY–CM's Arogya Karnataka scheme as a one-year pilot for Priority Household card holders.
Amit Shah lays foundation stone of new Assam Legislative Assembly complex at Dibrugarh, the state's second capital
On 30 January 2026 Union Home Minister Amit Shah laid the foundation stone of a new Assam Legislative Assembly building in Dibrugarh, which Assam is developing as its second capital, among projects worth about ₹1,715 crore.
Railways commission record 472.3 km of Kavach 4.0 in a day; total reaches 1,306.3 route km
On 30 January 2026 Indian Railways commissioned 472.3 route km of Kavach 4.0 on three sections in a single day, the highest ever, taking Kavach 4.0 coverage to 1,306.3 route km across five zones.
Union accounts to December 2025: receipts at 72.2% and spending at 66.7% of Budget Estimates
The Centre's accounts up to December 2025 (FY 2025-26) show total receipts of ₹25,25,156 crore (72.2% of BE) and total expenditure of ₹33,80,998 crore (66.7% of BE).
Republic Day Parade 2026 awards: Maharashtra best state tableau, Indian Navy best Services contingent
On 30 January 2026 MoS Defence Sanjay Seth gave the Republic Day Parade 2026 awards: Maharashtra's Ganeshotsav tableau came first among states, Indian Navy and Delhi Police won best marching contingents.
India Energy Week 2026 concludes in Goa
India Energy Week (IEW) 2026, organised in Goa from 27 to 30 January 2026, concluded with Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri saying India is the world's third-largest energy consumer and fourth-largest refiner.