INTERNATIONAL NEWS
US Removes Additional 25% Tariffs on Indian Goods
• The United States withdrew the additional 25% tariffs on Indian goods, effective February 7, 2026, strengthening bilateral trade ties.
• The decision followed India’s assurance to discontinue direct and indirect imports of Russian crude oil.
• The extra tariffs were originally imposed in August 2025 as part of reciprocal trade actions and energy-related concerns.
• A White House executive order confirmed that Indian goods entering US markets after 12:01 am EST, February 7, 2026, will be exempt from the additional duty.
• The rollback restores earlier tariff arrangements that existed before the August restrictions.
• The US government will closely monitor India’s compliance, with the possibility of reinstating tariffs if commitments are violated.
• The development highlights the growing link between energy trade policies and strategic diplomatic relations.
• Tariff decisions, including ad valorem duties based on product value, remain significant tools in global economic negotiations.
AWARDS
Rouble Nagi Wins Global Teacher Prize 2026
• Indian educator Rouble Nagi won the Global Teacher Prize 2026 at the World Government Summit.
• She received a $1 million award, presented by GEMS Education during the prize’s tenth edition.
• The award was conferred by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai.
• Nagi was honoured for transforming neglected walls into educational murals that promote literacy, public health, and environmental awareness.
• Over the last two decades, she has helped more than one million children access formal education using art-based learning methods.
• She was selected from over 5,000 nominations from 139 countries.
• Through the Rouble Nagi Art Foundation, she has established 800+ learning centres that help out-of-school children transition into formal education.
• She plans to use the prize money to set up a vocational institute offering free professional skill training and digital literacy programmes.
NATIONAL NEWS
PM Modi’s Malaysia Visit to Strengthen Bilateral Partnership
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi began a two-day visit to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, starting February 7.
• The visit focuses on reviewing and strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and Malaysia.
• Key areas of cooperation include trade, economic growth, emerging technologies, energy, and education.
• The visit aims to broaden collaboration by expanding ties into future-oriented sectors.
• A major Indian diaspora outreach programme forms an important part of the visit.
• A large community event titled ‘Selamat Datang Modi Ji’ has been organised to celebrate cultural and people-to-people ties.
• The gathering is expected to feature cultural performances and will be jointly addressed by PM Modi and Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim.
• Delegation-level discussions and signing of several MoUs are planned to enhance bilateral cooperation.
India Emerges as World’s Second-Largest Mobile Phone Manufacturer
• India has witnessed rapid expansion in electronics manufacturing over the past eleven years, becoming the world’s second-largest mobile phone producer.
• Growth has been driven by initiatives like Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat, supported by reforms and incentive schemes.
• The production value of electronic goods increased nearly six times, rising from ₹1.9 lakh crore (2014–15) to about ₹11.3 lakh crore (2024–25).
• Electronics exports recorded more than eight-fold growth, reaching approximately ₹3.3 lakh crore.
• Mobile phone production saw a 28-fold rise, reaching nearly ₹5.5 lakh crore.
• Mobile exports expanded 127 times, turning India into a net exporter of mobile phones.
• The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Large Scale Electronics Manufacturing (LSEM) launched in 2020 has been a major contributor, generating ₹15,172 crore investment and over 1.7 lakh jobs by December 2025.
• Additional support from PLI 2.0 for IT hardware, SPECS, EMC 2.0, and the Semicon India Programme has strengthened India’s position as a global electronics manufacturing hub.
India Records Highest Monthly Fertilizer Production in January 2026
• India achieved its highest-ever monthly production of phosphatic and potassic fertilizers in January 2026.
• Total domestic output reached 15.76 lakh metric tonnes, as reported by the Department of Fertilizers.
• The production surge was mainly driven by increased manufacturing of Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) and NPK fertilizers.
• Government support measures helped strengthen domestic fertilizer manufacturing capacity.
• Improved output was observed across public sector fertilizer units.
• Private fertilizer companies also enhanced their production capacity during this period.
• Industry-friendly policies and timely implementation of the Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) scheme supported the production rise.
• Stable availability of raw materials ensured uninterrupted operations and reduced dependence on fertilizer imports.
ECONOMY NEWS
RBI Keeps Repo Rate Unchanged at 5.25%
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) kept the policy repo rate unchanged at 5.25% in its latest monetary policy review.
• The decision was taken unanimously by the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) after its meeting on February 6, 2026.
• The MPC decided to continue with a neutral monetary policy stance.
• This was the first RBI policy review after the Union Budget 2026–27.
• RBI revised real GDP growth for 2025–26 upward to 7.4%, slightly higher than the earlier estimate of 7.3%.
• Consumer Price Inflation (CPI) for 2025–26 is now projected to average 2.1%.
• The RBI announced plans to create a unified digital portal to improve management of Lead Bank data.
• It also proposed easing branch expansion norms for NBFCs and allowing banks to lend to REITs under specified safeguards.
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