Current Affairs 02 January 2026

Indore Unsafe Water Tragedy

Indore city in Madhya Pradesh witnessed a major public health crisis after contaminated municipal drinking water led to widespread illness and deaths. More than 2,000 people fell ill, and the death toll crossed 10, including a six-month-old infant and six women, after consuming unsafe water supplied by the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) in the Bhagirathpura area.

A three-member inquiry committee, headed by IAS officer Navjeevan Panwar, was constituted to investigate the contamination, leakages in pipelines, and delays in laying a new water supply line.

Himachal Pradesh to Legalise Cannabis Cultivation

The Himachal Pradesh government is preparing to legalise and regulate cannabis (hemp) cultivation, aiming to harness its medicinal and economic potential. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu stated that a formal policy framework, including rules and regulations for hemp cultivation, is under finalisation and is expected to be placed before the State Cabinet soon.

Cannabis has traditionally grown wild in regions such as Kullu, Mandi, and Chamba, often linked to illegal drug trade. The proposed policy seeks to reposition cannabis as a medicinal crop, highlighting its use in pain management and anti-inflammatory treatments.

DRDO Tests Pralay Missiles

The Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted a salvo launch of two indigenous Pralay missiles from the same launcher off the coast of Odisha. The test was carried out as part of user evaluation trials. Both missiles followed their intended trajectories and achieved all mission objectives.

BSNL rolls out Nationwide VoWiFi (Wi-Fi Calling)

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has announced the nationwide rollout of Voice over Wi-Fi (VoWiFi), also known as Wi-Fi Calling, across all telecom circles in India.

With this launch, BSNL customers can make and receive voice calls and SMS over a Wi-Fi network using their existing mobile number and phone dialer, without installing any third-party apps. The service is especially useful in areas with weak or no mobile signals such as homes, offices, basements, and remote or rural locations.

VoWiFi is an IMS-based (IP Multimedia Subsystem) service that supports seamless handover between Wi-Fi and cellular networks.

Tobacco Tax Regime Changes (Effective from Feb 1)

The Union Finance Ministry has notified a new taxation framework for tobacco products, effective February 1, following the enactment of the Central Excise (Amendment) Act, 2025. The GST compensation cess on tobacco products, introduced in 2017 to compensate States for GST-related revenue losses, will cease from February 1.

Revised GST Slabs:

• Beedis moved from 28% to 18% GST slab
• All other tobacco products placed under a 40% GST slab

Sangita Kalanidhi Award 2025

R.K. Shriramkumar, a noted Carnatic violinist and authority on the compositions (keertanas) of Muthuswami Dikshitar, was conferred the prestigious Sangita Kalanidhi Award at the Sadas of the Music Academy, Chennai.

Andhra Pradesh – Land Administration Reforms

The Andhra Pradesh government has removed five categories of land from the prohibited properties list under Section 22-A of the Registration Act, providing long-awaited relief to farmers and genuine landowners.

Key highlights:

• Private patta lands have been completely removed from the 22-A prohibited list.
• Revenue officials have been instructed to take suo motu action to delete such lands upon receiving applications.
• Lands allotted to:
  • Serving and retired defence personnel
  • Freedom fighters
  • Political victims have also been removed, subject to submission of valid documents.
• For defence personnel, a recommendation from the District Sainik Welfare Officer is sufficient.
• Any one of nearly eight recognised land records (such as Adangal, 10(1) Register, DKT patta, RoH, etc.) will be adequate for deletion.
• Officials have been strictly warned against harassing landowners by demanding excess documentation.
• In disputed survey numbers, authorities must subdivide land, retaining only the disputed portion under prohibition.
• Decisions on conditional pattas, service inam lands, dotted lands, and pre-hold lands will be taken soon after discussions in the Group of Ministers.

Disclaimer: This article is prepared for competitive exam preparation using publicly available information.