Daily Current Affairs – February 3, 2026

The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum has lauded the new trade deal, anticipating significant gains for businesses and consumers. This initial step, reducing India's reciprocal tariff, signals strong political will for a comprehensive agreement. Both nations aim to boost supply chains and economic resilience, with further negotiations expected to expand bilateral trade towards a $500 billion target.

India is considering a proposal to link its Unified Payments Interface (UPI) with Singapore's Alipay+ to facilitate cross-border digital payments. This potential integration would allow seamless transactions for Indian travelers abroad and vice-versa. The decision hinges on a thorough evaluation of data security, IT system safeguarding, and geopolitical considerations.

“The Union Budget will give new strength to all-round development of Rajasthan and support our resolve to achieve the development goals… It is a roadmap for a developed India,” Rajasthan CM Bhajan Lal Sharma said

India and the U.S. agreed to a trade deal under which Washington will bring down the reciprocal tariff on Indian goods to 18% from the current 25%

Mr. Trump ​told reporters ⁠that he had spoken with House ​Speaker Mike ⁠Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune ‌and thought “they’re ‌pretty close to a ‍resolution”

The government of ⁠Tshopo province, where Kisangani is located, said in a statement on Sunday (February 1, 2026) that the drones attempted to strike Bangoka International Airport between ​early Saturday (January 31, 2026) and early Sunday (February 1, 2026) ⁠but were shot down before reaching their target

Budget 2026-27 aims to accelerate economic growth while balancing fiscal prudence. Key highlights include a rise in STT, TCS relief for travellers, Rs 12.2 lakh crore Capex, incentives for IT, semiconductor, and BioPharma sectors, and a focus on digital and physical infrastructure. The budget supports markets, growth, and sectoral expansion.

In the Union Budget for FY27, the government announced plans to accredit more than 1,000 clinical trial sites to speed up drug development. Whether it works will depend on manpower and regulatory capacity.

Universal Music India is returning to Bollywood via strategic partnerships and acquisitions, seeking a stronger role in storytelling across Hindi and regional cinema. It aims to enhance market share and create value in the music and film industries by investing in long-term collaborations.

Gukesh drew with Vincent Keymer of Germany in the final round to end as the top performing Indian on 6.5 points. But, his fifty per cent score was below par and the Indian ace slipped below the 2750 rating mark