English-language national news, explainers and fact checks.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar died on January 28, 2026, when a chartered Learjet 45XR crashed during a landing attempt at Baramati Airport. The tragedy has triggered a political shockwave and an aviation investigation, with the state declaring a period of mourning and leaders across parties offering tributes.
The European Union and India signed a Security and Defence Partnership on January 27, 2026, on the margins of the EU–India Summit. The pact creates a structured framework for deeper cooperation across areas like maritime security, cyber threats, counter-terrorism and defence-industry collaboration.
India’s Parliament begins its Budget Session on January 28, 2026, and it is scheduled to run till April 2 with a break in between. The Union Budget 2026-27 is slated to be presented on February 1, with key legislative and policy debates expected through the session.
The Reserve Bank of India has issued draft directions proposing a principle-based resolution regime for loans impacted by natural calamities. The framework would give banks and NBFCs discretion to design and implement relief plans within prescribed windows, and the RBI has invited public comments till February 17, 2026.
England beat India by 26 runs in the third men’s T20 international in Rajkot, narrowing the series gap and staying alive in the contest. England posted a competitive total despite a late wobble, while Adil Rashid’s economical spell and timely wickets stalled India’s chase.
Indian authorities say a Nipah virus outbreak linked to two confirmed cases in West Bengal has been contained. The Health Ministry said contacts were traced, quarantined and tested, while monitoring continues as other Asian countries tighten screening for travellers arriving from India.
The 38th National Games began on 28 January, with an opening ceremony in Uttarakhand and the Prime Minister inaugurating the event. The Games are scheduled to run through mid-February and are being staged across multiple host cities in the state. With thousands of athletes expected across dozens of sports, the event is a major domestic platform for emerging talent and a key fixture in India’s sporting calendar.
Payments infrastructure firm Juspay has closed a $50 million Series D follow-on round led by WestBridge Capital, valuing the Bengaluru-based company at about $1.2 billion. The transaction includes both primary and secondary components, providing growth capital while offering liquidity to early investors and employees. Juspay says it processes over 300 million transactions daily, with annualised total payment volume exceeding $1 trillion.
Indian authorities said a Nipah virus outbreak linked to cases in West Bengal has been contained, after confirming infections and quarantining contacts. The government said hundreds of contacts were traced, quarantined and tested, and monitoring continues. Several countries in Asia reportedly strengthened screenings for travellers arriving from India as health agencies tracked any wider risk.
Microsoft has introduced Maia 200, its next-generation in-house AI inference accelerator built on 3-nanometre technology. The company says the chip is designed to improve the economics of running large AI models in production, with a redesigned memory system and scalable networking for large clusters. Microsoft said Maia 200 will initially be deployed in US Azure regions and used for AI models from its Superintelligence team.
After Nipah virus infections were detected among healthcare workers in Barasat, West Bengal rolled out containment steps including isolation, advisories to hospitals and stepped-up surveillance. Officials urged vigilance without panic, while medical experts noted the virus’s high fatality risk and the importance of infection control. Samples and confirmations were handled through coordinated lab networks, with response teams supporting state-level containment.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar died on 28 January 2026 after a chartered business jet crashed during landing at Baramati airport in Pune district. Aviation authorities said the aircraft attempted a second approach before going down, with poor visibility cited in initial accounts. The crash triggered a wave of condolences and an official mourning announcement, while investigators moved in to determine what went wrong.