V Kamakoti, Director of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras since 2022, has been awarded the Padma Shri for his contributions to education and research in India. Following the announcement, Kerala Congress made sarcastic remarks on social media platform X about Kamakoti’s past research related to cow dung and cow urine, sparking widespread debate and verbal exchanges online.

In response to the criticism, Zoho Corporation founder Sridhar Vembu publicly defended Kamakoti, leading to an open exchange between the two sides on X. Kamakoti later issued a statement describing the Padma Shri as an inspiration toward the national goal of “Viksit Bharat 2047,” emphasizing that the honor represents collective effort rather than individual achievement.

The controversy highlights differing perspectives on traditional and cultural aspects of research in India, while Kamakoti expressed motivation to continue contributing to the country’s development and innovation.

Former Indian cricketer Jacob Martin was arrested by Vadodara police in Gujarat for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol and causing a road accident. The incident occurred early Tuesday morning in the Akota area of Vadodara. According to police, around 2:30 a.m., Martin lost control of his MG Hector vehicle near the Puneet Nagar Society and hit several parked cars, causing severe damage. Police suspect the 53-year-old was intoxicated at the time of the crash.

Authorities said Martin was arrested under charges of drunk driving and rash driving, and his vehicle was seized. Police believe he had consumed alcohol with a friend before driving that night. The report did not mention any injuries resulting from the collision.

Jacob Martin represented India in 10 One Day Internationals between 1999 and 2001. He also captained the Baroda Ranji Trophy team and was known as a prominent domestic batsman during his playing career.

India’s Rajya Sabha has expressed condolences over the death of former Bangladesh Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia. A condolence motion was introduced in the Indian Parliament on Wednesday to honor her long political career and contributions to South Asian politics.

According to parliamentary sources, both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will pay tribute to Khaleda Zia, with members observing a brief moment of silence in recognition of her influence as a prominent Bangladeshi political leader. Khaleda Zia served multiple terms as Bangladesh’s Prime Minister and played a significant role in shaping the country’s political structure over several decades.

The tribute in the Indian Parliament is described as part of a constitutional and cultural tradition of honoring influential leaders from neighboring countries whose political lives have had a meaningful impact on regional politics.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was killed on Wednesday morning in a plane crash while traveling from Mumbai to Baramati. The small aircraft carrying him went down near Baramati airport as it attempted to land, resulting in the deaths of five people, including Pawar. Preliminary reports suggest that the victims may include the pilot and members of his security team. The crash occurred around an hour after the plane took off from Mumbai at approximately 8 a.m.

Images and videos from the site showed wreckage scattered across the area, with fire and smoke visible as ambulances and rescue teams arrived quickly. Injured individuals were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine whether mechanical failure or weather conditions contributed to the crash.

Pawar had been en route to attend four major public meetings in Baramati ahead of local government elections. His sudden death has cast a shadow of grief over Maharashtra’s political community, with leaders and organizations expressing deep condolences.

Cricket Scotland has turned to the International Cricket Council (ICC) for assistance in securing an Indian visa for Pakistan-origin fast bowler Safyaan Sharif ahead of the T20 World Cup starting on February 7 in India. The ICC has assured Scotland that all players will receive their visas before the tournament begins, after Bangladesh was replaced by Scotland in the competition. However, Sharif’s visa process may face complications due to his Pakistani heritage.

The Scottish team is scheduled to depart for India later this week. Ongoing political and diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan have made it difficult for Pakistani citizens and those of Pakistani descent to obtain Indian visas. Several players from other teams have reportedly faced similar challenges ahead of the tournament.

Cricket Scotland’s chief executive, Trudy Lindblad, said the board is committed to working closely with the ICC, which is coordinating with local authorities and the BCCI to ensure necessary support. The team remains hopeful that Sharif will receive his visa before their opening match against the West Indies in Kolkata on February 7.

At least eight people have died and fourteen remain missing after a fire broke out early Monday at a momo manufacturing factory and an adjacent warehouse in southeastern Kolkata, West Bengal. The blaze, which began in a decorator’s warehouse in the Anandapur area, spread rapidly to the nearby factory containing large amounts of flammable materials. As of Tuesday afternoon, the fire had not been fully extinguished.

Relatives of the victims said the missing individuals were inside the warehouse and factory when the fire started, and many are feared dead. Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari posted a list of fourteen missing persons on social media, though officials have not confirmed the number. Witnesses described desperate phone calls from trapped workers as the fire intensified.

State Fire Minister Sujit Bose, who visited the site on Tuesday, said rescue operations were delayed due to extreme heat inside the warehouse and complex construction that made access difficult. Authorities will investigate whether proper fire safety measures were in place at the facility.

India and the European Union have finalized a landmark free trade agreement after almost twenty years of intermittent negotiations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Tuesday. The deal, reached amid global uncertainty surrounding the United States, aims to strengthen alternative economic and strategic ties between the two sides. It will open India’s large and relatively protected market to the 27 EU member states, while the EU remains India’s largest trading partner.

Modi described the agreement as a major breakthrough, calling it the “mother of all deals” that will create new opportunities for India’s 1.4 billion people and millions across Europe. He and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are expected to present the details at the India–EU summit in New Delhi. In the 2024–25 fiscal year, bilateral trade between India and the EU reached 136.5 billion dollars.

According to an Indian government official, the agreement is now undergoing legal review, expected to take five to six months. Once completed, it could come into effect within a year of formal signing.

A female staff member at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, was attacked and robbed inside a hospital lift on Sunday, January 15. The victim, identified as Varsha Soni, a ward attendant in the gynecology department, was alone in the lift when a masked man entered, asked for directions, and then suddenly tried to snatch her gold chain and mangalsutra. The assailant fled through the stairs after taking the mangalsutra, while the pearl necklace fell inside the lift. No security guard was present at the time.

The incident, captured on CCTV, has caused widespread concern across the city, raising questions about safety and law enforcement in sensitive public institutions. A written complaint was filed at Bagsewania Police Station, but a formal case has not yet been registered. Preliminary investigation suggests that security was relaxed on Sunday, allowing the attacker to escape through the IPD gate.

Authorities note that under India’s new criminal code, chain snatching now carries lighter penalties, which police say has led to a sharp rise in such crimes in Bhopal over the past year.

India has not yet responded to an invitation to join U.S. President Donald Trump’s newly formed Peace Board, which was launched in Davos, Switzerland. The country was notably absent from the charter signing ceremony, prompting speculation that New Delhi fears the board might intervene in the Kashmir dispute. The board was introduced by Trump as a global initiative extending beyond the Gaza ceasefire to address conflicts in other regions.

The Peace Board’s creation comes as the United States withdraws from several United Nations bodies, raising concerns that Trump aims to diminish the UN’s global relevance. Pakistan, India’s long-time rival, has already joined the board, which Indian media described as a warning signal for New Delhi. Analysts and former diplomats noted that if Trump includes Kashmir in his peace agenda, India could face difficulty opposing international peacekeeping involvement.

Former Indian envoys and UN officials cited in local media confirmed that Trump’s peace plan might be applied beyond Gaza, suggesting potential diplomatic challenges ahead for India.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has stated that only Bengali-speaking Muslim migrants are being evicted from the state. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, he said that any Muslim migrant living in the hills around Guwahati would receive an eviction notice. According to The Hindu, Sarma emphasized that the evictions target only those referred to locally as 'Miyas', a term often used pejoratively for Bengali-speaking Muslims.

Sarma accused sections of the media of spreading rumors about possible evictions in the Guwahati hills. He said that no eviction would take place until the election, and residents would then realize that the media had unnecessarily alarmed them. The Chief Minister added that the government is working to grant land rights to hill residents but maintained that Muslim migrants in those areas would still face eviction notices.

He also accused the Congress party of appeasing Muslim voters, claiming that out of 750 applications for party tickets, 600 were from 'Miyas' and only 120 to 130 from Hindus.

U.S. President Donald Trump invited India to join his newly launched ‘Peace Board’, but New Delhi has yet to formally participate. The board was inaugurated during the 56th World Economic Forum in Davos, where Trump, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and 20 other world leaders signed the founding charter. India’s absence drew attention, with analysts suggesting that concerns over internationalizing the Kashmir issue are driving its hesitation.

According to reports from The Dawn and BBC Hindi, Indian policymakers fear that joining the board could increase global scrutiny over Indian-administered Kashmir. Trump said the board’s initial goal is to secure a lasting ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and oversee an interim administration. However, some Indian commentators worry that Trump aims to position the board as an alternative to the United Nations, potentially bringing disputed regions like Kashmir under its purview.

Former Indian diplomats noted that while the UN Security Council approved the board’s mandate until December 2027, Trump’s broader peace plan has no fixed duration and could expand beyond Gaza, complicating India’s decision-making.

Heavy snowfall has paralyzed life in Manali, a hill town in India’s Himachal Pradesh, as continuous snow for 48 hours has covered the Kothi-Manali national highway, causing a 7–8 kilometer-long traffic jam. Tourists have been forced to spend the night inside vehicles without food or water. Local authorities reported that around 700 roads across the state have been closed due to the snow, making travel through alternative routes extremely difficult.

Tourists visiting Shimla, Kullu, and Manali to enjoy the snow have found themselves in danger, with some walking nearly 20 kilometers through hilly terrain to reach government shelters. The weather office warned that heavy snowfall and rain are expected to continue from January 26 to 28 under the influence of western winds, potentially worsening the situation. Power outages have further complicated conditions.

A taxi driver stranded on the Kothi-Manali road said his passengers remained in the vehicle for 24 hours without food or water and criticized the administration for failing to clear the roads. Authorities have been urged to act swiftly and provide emergency assistance to affected tourists.

The Maharashtra state government in India, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has appointed Manoj Yadav, a non-Muslim government official, as the head of the state’s Hajj Committee on January 14. The decision has drawn strong criticism from Indian Muslims, who argue that a religious body overseeing Hajj affairs should be led by a Muslim.

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board, which oversees Muslim family law matters, announced plans to challenge the appointment in the Bombay High Court. Muslim leaders in Maharashtra stated that the Hajj Committee manages all aspects of the pilgrimage for the state’s Muslims, and therefore its leadership should remain within the community. They expressed concern that the appointment signals government interference in religious matters.

Maharashtra’s Muslim leaders have also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and central government officials, warning that appointing a non-Muslim to such a religiously sensitive position could deepen mistrust between the government and the Muslim community.

Indian actor and social media personality Kamal R Khan, known as KRK, was arrested by Mumbai Police on the night of January 23. The arrest followed his January 22 post on X (formerly Twitter) where he commented on Bangladesh’s reported refusal to play in the T20 World Cup in India. Police stated that the arrest was linked to a shooting allegation, but many social media users claimed he was targeted for criticizing India’s attitude toward Bangladesh and Pakistan.

The controversy arose after reports that Bangladesh’s government expressed reluctance to send its team to India for the tournament due to security and political concerns. The International Cricket Council has not yet announced any change in venue. KRK’s detention has reignited debate over the intersection of cricket and politics in India and the limits of free expression.

KRK, born in Deoband, Uttar Pradesh, began his career in the early 2000s as a screenwriter before acting in films such as “Deshdrohi” and appearing in the reality show “Bigg Boss.” He currently runs a YouTube channel and works as a film critic.

An analysis published on January 24, 2026, describes increasing harassment and marginalization of Muslim citizens in India, the world’s most populous country. The report argues that Muslims are often told they must remain politically silent to prove loyalty to the state, with their rights and visibility expected to be limited. It notes that since India’s independence in 1947, Muslims have actively participated in democratic and constitutional processes, but their space for legitimate political expression is now shrinking.

The article traces the roots of this ‘exceptionalism’ to the post-partition period, when staying Muslims were viewed as morally distinct from those who left. Historian Mushirul Hasan and theorists Mahmood Mamdani and Hilal Ahmed are cited to show how Muslims have been framed as either loyal and apolitical or suspect when politically active. Media portrayals reinforce this divide, labeling Muslims differently depending on whether they protest or remain silent.

The report concludes that such framing has become institutionalized, with legal and policy reforms presented as neutral while dissenting Muslim voices are dismissed as emotional or regressive.