Carlos Alcaraz swept past Novak Djokovic to win his first Australian Open and become the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam, denying the Serbian great an unprecedented 25th major.
In doing so, he became the youngest man in the Open era to win all four majors, adding to his two titles each from Wimbledon and the French and US Opens.
At 22, he surpassed legendary countryman Rafael Nadal -- in the crowd to witness the feat -- who was two years older when he did the same.
A seventh Slam put him alongside John McEnroe and Mats Wilander and one behind Andre Agassi, Jimmy Connors and Ivan Lendl.
It was a first defeat for Djokovic in a Melbourne final, having won all 10 previously, leaving him still searching for a landmark 25th major to better Australia’s Margaret Court, who was also watching on centre court.
Djokovic, striving to become the oldest man to lift a Grand Slam singles trophy, last won one at the US Open in 2023.
Djokovic, striving to become the oldest man to lift a Grand Slam singles trophy, last won one at the US Open in 2023. Since then Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have shared the spoils.
In a major stride towards sustainable and eco-friendly rail operations, Indian Railways has successfully operationalised the nation’s first-ever LNG-Diesel dual-fuel DEMU train at Sabarmati in Ahmedabad. Under this initiative, the driving power cars of the 1,400 HP DEMU train have been converted to a dual-fuel system,
utilising Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to replace approximately 40 per cent of the traditional diesel consumption.
Divisional Railway Manager of Ahmedabad, Ved Prakash, said that these converted power cars have already undergone successful field trials covering over 2000 kilometres and are currently in regular passenger service without any operational hurdles.
In its continued efforts to make the management of Waqf properties transparent, people-friendly, and accountable through the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development (UMEED) Central Portal, the Ministry of Minority Affairs launched two additional modules on it - Survey Module and Waqf Property Lease Module, on 30th January 2026.
The new modules were launched by Dr. Chandra Shekhar Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Minority Affairs, in the presence of senior officials of the Ministry.
The Survey Module provides a comprehensive digital framework for capturing, managing, and updating information related to the survey of Waqf properties on the portal.
The module enables systematic recording and monitoring of key details such as lease information, lease period, lease amount, and other relevant particulars in a structured and transparent manner, thereby strengthening accountability and oversight in the leasing of Waqf properties.
The UMEED Central Portal, inaugurated by Union Minister of Minority Affairs Shri Kiren Rijiju on 6th June 2025, serves as a centralised digital platform for real-time uploading, verification, and monitoring of Waqf properties, under Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, 1995.
The World Bank Group and India announced a new Country Partnership Framework (CPF), envisaging USD 8-10 billion in annual financing over the next five years to help accelerate India's next phase of growth and support its vision of becoming a developed economy.
The Union Finance Minister welcomed the new Country Partnership Framework (CPF) with the World Bank Group, which is fully aligned with India's Viksit Bharat vision.
The Finance Minister underlined the importance of a development partnership that goes beyond financing, and includes knowledge sharing, technical assistance, and exchange of global best practices.
The new India-World Bank Group strategic partnership applies this global jobs strategy in India and supports it with USD 8-10 billion in annual financing over the next five years, to create jobs and mobilize private sector capital at scale, Washington-based multilateral funding agency said in a statement.
The World Bank Group's global jobs strategy rests on three pillars -- investing in critical infrastructure, both physical and human; strengthening a business-friendly environment through predictable laws, rules, and regulations; and deploying risk-management tools to help private investment scale, it said.
Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with Akasa Air at Wings India 2026 here to explore the future supply of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
The LoI proposes to establish a framework for collaboration between the two companies to support the airline’s sustainability goals through the potential supply of SAF.
SAF is a critical pathway for reducing lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions from air travel and is expected to play a key role in the aviation sector’s transition towards net-zero emissions.
Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), a Maharatna and India’s largest public sector steelmaker has earned the coveted ‘Great Place to Work’ certification for February 2026 to February 2027, straight third time in a row following a company-wide assessment by the Great Place To Work Institute, India.
The recognition reflects SAIL’s enduring commitment to nurture a workplace culture that is contemporary, agile and deeply aligned with the professional and personal growth of its people.
SAIL has been steadily rolling out progressive HR initiatives, the latest being SAIL DARPAN - a step towards a transparent, performance‑driven workplace where evaluation and target setting reflect objectivity and alignment with organizational goals, while empowering employees to own their growth.
Padma Shri awardee Jesuit priest and eminent educationist Father Thomas V. Kunnunkal S.J., a pioneering figure in India’s education system, passed away in Delhi on January 28 at the age of 99.
Widely regarded as a towering presence in India’s educational landscape, Father Kunnunkal was best known for his leadership of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).
Invited by then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, he served as Chairman of CBSE from 1980 to 1987, a period during which the board emerged as the benchmark for school education in the country. He had earlier served two terms as principal of St. Xavier’s School, Delhi, from 1962 to 1974 and again from 1977 to 1979.
In recognition of his outstanding contribution to education, the Government of India conferred on Father Kunnunkal the Padma Shri, the country’s fourth-highest civilian honour, in 1974.
1. Budget 2026-27: Summary
Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Smt Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2026-2027 in Parliament.
State Bank of India (SBI), has announced the launch of ‘CHAKRA’ – Centre of Excellence (CoE) for financing sunrise sectors that are critical to India’s economic development.
The centre will serve as a knowledge-led platform to enable financing for next-generation, technology-driven and sustainability-focused sunrise sectors.
The Centre will focus on eight sunrise sectors namely Renewable Energy, Advanced Cell Chemistry & Battery Storage, Electric Mobility, Green Hydrogen, Semiconductors, Decarbonisation, Smart Infrastructure, and Data Centre Infrastructure, that are emerging as key drivers of India’s economic future.
The Centre will facilitate structured engagement with development finance institutions, multilateral agencies, banks, NBFCs, industry bodies, corporates, start-ups, academia and policy think-tanks.
Transactions through the popular Unified Payments Interface (UPI) touched a record ₹28.33 trillion and 21.70 billion in value and volume terms, respectively, in January, according to data released by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
NPCI said the value of transactions was at ₹27.97 trillion in December.
On a month-on-month basis, the growth was 21 per cent in value terms.
The average daily transaction in January was 700 million with an average value of ₹91,4033 crore.
A day after the conclusion of the three-day State mourning for late Ajit Pawar, who died in a tragic air crash in Baramati on January 28, his wife Sunetra Pawar was sworn in as the first woman Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra at a brief ceremony at Lok Bhavan in Mumbai.
She has been given charge of excise duty, sports and youth welfare, and minorities development. Finance and planning, the portfolios handled by her husband, will be handled by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
World Interfaith Harmony Week is an annual event observed during the first week of February. In designating the observance of the week in 2010, the UN General Assembly pointed out that mutual understanding and interreligious dialogue constitute important dimensions of a culture of peace.
It established World Interfaith Harmony Week as a way to promote harmony between all people regardless of their faith.
World Interfaith Harmony Week (WIHW), conceived to promote a culture peace and nonviolence, was first proposed by King Abdullah II of Jordan at the United Nations in 2010.
This was quickly adopted by the UN General Assembly (resolution A/RES/65/5), declaring the first week of February each year as World Interfaith Harmony week, calling on governments, institutions and civil society to observe it with various programmes and initiatives that would promote the aim of the WIHW objectives.
On 30 August 2021, the UN General Assembly proclaimed 2 February as World Wetlands Day to raise awareness of the urgency of reversing the accelerating loss of wetlands and to promote their conservation and restoration. The day marks the date of the adoption of the "Convention on Wetlands of International Importance" held in 1971,
in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea.
Through the designation of protected areas, the implementation of effective policies, and the sharing of knowledge, the Convention enables countries to take measures to protect their wetlands and to use them wisely.
Adopted by 172 countries, each country joining the Convention must designate at least one wetland to be included in the List of Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar sites).
