In Nagaland, the 5th edition of the Rüsoma Orange Festival began today at Rüsoma village, about 10 kilometres away from the state capital Kohima. Held under the theme “Abundance of Rüsoma, the two festival aims to promote village welfare, boost rural entrepreneurship, and recognise the hard work of orange growers while promoting the unique taste of Rüsoma oranges. The two-day festival features cultural presentations, fun games, and stalls offering fast food, local cuisine, orange saplings, and more. Currently, 470 out of 570 households in the village are involved in orange farming. The village aims to expand orange orchards to 100 hectares in the next six to seven years and anticipates producing 25 lakh fruits in the future.

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. He said the new system offers significant environmental and economic benefits, including a substantial reduction in carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions, alongside an improvement in air quality along rail routes.

In Gujarat, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel launched the state-wide ‘Mukhyamantri Gramotthan Yojana’ from Bhadran in Anand district today. The ambitious campaign marks a strategic shift to provide urban-equivalent facilities to the rural heartlands of the state. In the first phase of this mission, 114 villages that serve as Taluka headquarters will be equipped with modern amenities, including high-quality road networks, underground drainage, solar street lights, and digital e-Gram services.

The Chief Minister also laid the foundation stone for 2,666 Gram Panchayat Ghar-cum-Talati Awas buildings, at 663 crore rupees. Addressing the gathering, Mr Patel emphasised that the Gramotthan Abhiyan will soon be expanded to cover all villages with a population of over 10,000, ensuring that the gap between rural and urban development is bridged through inclusive growth.

Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, operated by Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL–GMR), has been named best airport of the year at the Wings India 2026 awards, organised by the civil aviation ministry.

Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport was adjudged best airport in the above 25 Million Passengers Per Annum (MPPA) category.

Announcing the awards, the ministry said in a post on X: “#WingsIndia2026 recognised excellence across the aviation ecosystem, honouring the best in the industry at a grand ceremony. Minister of Civil Aviation, Ram Mohan Naidu presented the awards to the winners. From airports and airlines to manufacturing and services, the awards celebrated outstanding contributions that are shaping the future of Indian aviation."

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has operationalised a new web-based portal, PAIMANA (Project Assessment, Infrastructure Monitoring & Analytics for Nation-building), for the mandated monitoring of Central Sector Infrastructure Projects worth ₹150 crore and above, replacing the erstwhile OCMS-2006 (Online Computerized Monitoring system). In line with the principle of “one data, one entry”, PAIMANA is integrated with DPIIT’s Integrated Project Monitoring Portal (IPMP/IIG-PMG) through APIs, enabling automatic data flow of the information reported by Central Ministries/ Departments on IPMP. This integration has substantially reduced manual data entry, with about 60 per cent of projects on PAIMANA being updated automatically, contributing towards the standardised, and efficient infrastructure project monitoring by the Government of India.

The PAIMANA portal functions as a centralised national repository of infrastructure projects, enabling web-generated analytical reports and enhancing data accuracy, and operational efficiency. Key features of the portal include advanced data analytics, role-based user access, interactive dashboards, reporting and query modules, and review cases for identification of data gaps, thereby supporting improved data quality and informed decision-making. The operationalisation of PAIMANA has been undertaken in extensive coordination with over 20 Central Ministries/Departments, DEA and DPIIT, encapsulating project mapping, data migration, analytics and validation.

The government has notified the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, 2026, which will come into effect from 1st April this year. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change said that the revised rules will integrate the principles of circular economy and extended producer responsibility, with a specific focus on efficient waste segregation and management. It added that under the SWM rules 2026, four-stream segregation of solid waste at source has been made mandatory.

The new rules will also provide for the levy of environmental compensation based on the Polluter Pays principle for non-compliance, including cases of operating without registration, false reporting, and improper solid waste management practices. The Ministry further said that the rules will introduce graded criteria for development around solid waste processing and disposal facilities to facilitate faster land allocation.

India is about to get its first AI-enabled University. The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has announced a collaboration with Google Cloud and Chaudhary Charan Singh University (CCSU), Meerut, on 28 January 2026 at the AI for Learning Forum in Delhi. This initiative aims to create a national framework for educational excellence.

The project is designed to bridge the digital divide by leveraging advanced Cloud and AI technologies to modernise the country's vocational ecosystem. Under the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, the partnership seeks to empower millions of graduates and faculty members across the nation.

Chaudhary Charan Singh University has been designated as the national pilot institution to showcase how AI can enhance higher education and training in an AI-first era. The university will utilise the Gemini Enterprise platform to tackle administrative and pedagogical challenges.

NITI Aayog has signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) with NIIT Foundation to advance digital literacy, financial inclusion and Skill Development across Aspirational Blocks.

The partnership was formalised in the presence of Shri. BVR Subrahmanyam, CEO, NITI Aayog and Shri. Rohit Kumar, Additional Secretary and Mission Director, ADP&ABP, NITI Aayog.

The collaboration specifically focuses on Digital Literacy, Financial Inclusion and Skill Development, along with employability skills and community-based learning and will be implemented across selected Aspirational Blocks to ensure 100% block coverage, reach nearly 1.2 lakh beneficiaries and achieve at least 40% women’s participation.

The Ministry of Railways has sanctioned the construction of a fourth railway line between Baikunth and Urkura, covering a length of 26.40 kilometres, at an estimated cost of ₹426.01 crore, under the South East Central Railway.

The Baikunth–Urkura section is a vital part of the Bilaspur–Raipur–Nagpur main line, which also falls on the Mumbai–Howrah high-density railway network, one of the busiest rail corridors in the country. At present, this section is operating with saturated capacity, underscoring the urgent need for capacity expansion.

The sanctioned fourth line will significantly ease congestion and enhance the smooth movement of trains. The project will create capacity for additional passenger and coaching services, reduce delays, and improve punctuality on this heavily utilised section.

A class 9 student, Roshini, of Vedavalli Vidyalaya, NPS Senior Secondary School in Ranipet, has won the gold medal at the 29th All India National Championship 2026 for traditional martial arts held at Goa recently.

According to a press release, Ms. Roshni was honoured in the campus for her achievement. Vidya Sampath, Correspondent, Vedavalli Vidyalaya Schools, showered praise on the young student for her determination, and focus, the release said.