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India Pulse | February 6, 2026: Your Daily Digest of India's Governance, Progress, and Vision
The India Pulse Newsletter for February 6, 2026 covers Lok Sabha witnessing repeated disruptions and noisy scenes, Rajya Sabha discussing private members' legislative bills, Jaishankar holding talks with Greek Defence Minister, Western Air Command conducting two-day joint operations conclave, Central Government releasing over Rs.1,100 crore to strengthen Panchayati Raj, Jitin Prasada informing Rajya Sabha about India's DPI agreements with world, and EC extending deadline for filing claims and objections for SIR in Uttar Pradesh.
NEWS IN DETAIL
Lok Sabha Witnesses Repeated Disruptions & Noisy Scenes
The Lok Sabha again witnessed repeated disruptions and noisy scenes on Friday, resulting in adjournments. When the House met at 11 a.m., Speaker Om Birla appealed to members to maintain decorum and allow proceedings to continue.
The Speaker said that 19 hours and 13 minutes of the House has been wasted so far. However, the House was adjourned within minutes till 12 noon amid continued uproar. When the Lok Sabha reassembled at noon, the scene was no different.
Presiding Officer Krishna Prasad Tenneti repeatedly urged Opposition members to stop displaying placards and maintain order in the House. As disruptions continued, the House was adjourned for the day. Meanwhile, the Rajya Sabha conducted smooth business. Question Hour and Zero Hour were conducted without disruption. Post-Lunch, when the Upper House reassembled, it took up Private Members’ Legislative Business.
Rajya Sabha Discusses Private Members’ Legislative Bills
The Rajya Sabha on Friday took up Private Members’ Legislative Business, in which several Members moved different bills.
SS (UBT) MP moved the Airline Passengers’ Rights Bill, while A A Rahim of CPI (M) moved the Educational Consultancies Regulation Bill. Sanjay Seth of the BJP moved the Small Claims Court Bill.
Independent MP Kartikeya Sharma today introduced a Bill named the Critical Infrastructure (Resilience, Protection and Accountability) Bill, 2026. It aims to provide for the identification, designation, and protection of critical infrastructure of strategic importance, to establish a framework for its resilience through technological integration and to impose strict liability and accountability on parties responsible for failure of or loss of lives due to defects in the critical infrastructure.
The proposed legislation has been brought in the backdrop of repeated incidents involving the collapse or failure of bridges, roads, buildings and other public structures, where cases often end without accountability due to procedural and contractual complexities. The Bill seeks to ensure that loss of life caused by negligence in infrastructure projects is treated not as a technical lapse, but as a serious criminal offence. He said that infrastructure is not merely about concrete and steel but is directly linked to the daily safety of millions of citizens, and that accountability must be fixed when lives are lost due to negligence.
Mr Sharma today also introduced the Shakti Samman (Pay Equity for Women) Bill, 2026, in the Upper House. The Bill proposes an AI-based portal and a work of equal value standard to bridge the gender pay gap and ensure genuine economic justice for Indian women. It aims to enforce the fundamental right of women to equal pay for work of equal value, to prescribe objective standards for job evaluation to eliminate gender bias in remuneration, to establish the National Authority for Pay Parity of Women with distinct investigative and adjudicatory powers and to prohibit systemic wage discrimination and non-transparent pay practices. Mr Sharma said that true empowerment is possible only when women’s contributions are valued with the same dignity and economic worth as men’s. He added that the Shakti Samman Bill is not a critique of the past but a blueprint for a fairer future, using AI and transparent audits to make pay equity a real right for every working woman.
Jaishankar Holds Talks with Greek Defence Minister
India’s External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar had an in-depth conversation on a wide range of strategic and security issues with the National Defence Minister of Greece, Nikos Dendias, in New Delhi.
In social media post, Dr Jaishankar appreciated Dendias’ many insights and assessments and he wrote:
“Delighted to welcome Minister of National Defense of Greece @NikosDendias this evening. An in-depth conversation on a wide range of strategic and security issues. Appreciate his many insights and assessments.”
Western Air Command Conducts Two-Day Joint Operations Conclave
Headquarters Western Air Command conducted a two-day high-level Joint Operations Conclave under the framework of the All Domain Joint Operations Exercise 2026.
The Ministry of Defence, in a statement, said the conclave was aimed at strengthening joint operational capabilities and deepening inter-service coordination in an increasingly complex multi-domain environment.
The discussions focused on enhancing interoperability and achieving seamless integration across air, land, sea, space and cyber domains. On the occasion, Senior Air Staff Officer at Western Air Command, Air Marshal J S Mann, emphasised the importance of jointness and integrated warfighting, highlighting the need for improved coordination and operational efficiency.
During the event, Chief of Integrated Defence Staff Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit also stressed the need to institutionalise joint mechanisms for integrated planning, intelligence sharing and identification of capability gaps. Senior officers from the Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff, Army, Navy, Defence Space Agency, Defence Intelligence Agency and Air Force also participated in the deliberations.
Central Government Releases Over Rs 1100 Crore To Strengthen Panchayati Raj
The Central Government has released more than 11 hundred crore rupees as Fifteenth Finance Commission grants to strengthen Panchayati Raj Institutions, Rural Local Bodies in Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Telangana during this financial year.
The Ministry informed that for Madhya Pradesh, over 652 crores rupees have been released as the second instalment of United Grants for the financial year 2024-25. The funds will benefit all 52 eligible District Panchayats, 312 eligible Block Panchayats and over 23 thousand eligible Gram Panchayats in the State.
A Fund amounting to 222 crores rupees for Punjab has also been released as the first instalment of United Grants for the current financial year. These funds will support over 13 thousand eligible Gram Panchayats, 150 eligible Block Panchayats and 22 eligible District Panchayats across the State.
In addition, for Telangana, more than 256 crores rupees have been released as the first instalment of United Grants for the financial year 2024-25, benefiting over 12 thousand eligible Gram Panchayats.
Jitin Prasada Informs Rajya Sabha About India’s DPI Agreements With World
Government of India has signed Memorandum of understanding (MoU)/ agreements with 23 countries for sharing or cooperation on India Stack / Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), primarily for replication and adoption of India’s digital governance platforms.
Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada informed Rajya Sabha on Friday.
These MoUs focus on cooperation in areas such as digital identity, digital payments, data exchange and service delivery platforms, aligned with India’s broader DPI diplomacy under the India Stack framework, he said.
UPI is now live in over eight countries, including the UAE, Singapore, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, France, Mauritius and Qatar, positioning India as a global leader in digital payments. Its growing international adoption is boosting remittances, promoting financial inclusion, and strengthening India’s position in the global fintech landscape, the Minister informed the House.
MoUs have been signed with Cuba, Kenya, United Arab Emirates and Lao People’s Democratic Republic (LPDR) for Digilocker.
Apart from this, the Government of India has taken measures to share the success of India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) globally. India Stack Global (https://www.indiastack.global/) showcases India’s DPI and facilitates its adoption by friendly countries. The portal provides access to 18 key digital platforms.
The Global DPI Repository (https://www.dpi.global/), launched during India’s G20 Presidency (2023), serves as a global knowledge platform, with India contributing the highest number of DPI solutions.
SIR In Uttar Pradesh: Deadline For Filing Claims & Objections Extended
The Election Commission has extended the deadline for filing claims and objections under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision exercise in Uttar Pradesh.
Voters can now submit Forms 6, 7 and 8 till March 6, 2026, to add their names, seek corrections or request deletions from the electoral rolls. The earlier deadline was February 6.
Chief Electoral Officer of Uttar Pradesh, Navdeep Rinwa, in a press briefing, informed that political parties had demanded an extension during a meeting held on January 27, following which the claims and objections period was extended by one month. He added that applications for inclusion, correction or deletion of names can be submitted till March 6. The Election Commission will dispose of all claims and objections by March 27, after which the final electoral roll will be published on April 10.