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Here is the top, trending news of Tuesday, January 20, 2026, including Indian politics, states’ politics, geopolitics, federal issues, economics, development issues, sports, entertainment, and more.
Read updates below.
Live Updates
- 20 Jan 2026 4:47 PM IST
D K Shivakumar waiting patiently for Congress call on Karnataka leadership: MP DK Suresh
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar is patiently awaiting the Congress high command’s decision on the leadership issue, his brother and former MP D K Suresh said, describing him as a “disciplined soldier” committed to party unity.
Suresh said Rahul Gandhi has assured that a decision will be taken at the right time, stressing that Shivakumar is prioritising the interests of the party and its 140 MLAs. Amid speculation of a leadership change after the Congress government crossed the halfway mark, Suresh underscored the need for patience, unity, and an inclusive electoral strategy ahead of the 2028 Assembly polls, adding that the final call rests with the high command. - 20 Jan 2026 4:42 PM IST
Madras High Court reserves judgment in Vijay's Jana Nayagan case; film's release still uncertain
The Madras High Court on Tuesday reserved its orders on an appeal filed by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) challenging a single judge’s directive that the board grant a UA certificate to the film Jana Nayagan.
The film, which was supposed to be released on January 9th, has been facing issues as the CBFC hasn’t certified the film. With the High Court reserving its judgment without a set date, the release of the film continues to be uncertain.
- 20 Jan 2026 4:09 PM IST
TMC alleges SIR is ‘software intensive rigging’
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) said on Tuesday (January 20) that the SIR exercise in West Bengal is "Software Intensive Rigging", as the ruling party in the state stressed the need for more "transparency' in the ongoing process for electoral-roll revision.
Addressing a press conference here, TMC's leader in the Rajya Sabha Derek O'Brien, deputy leader Sagarika Ghose and MP Saket Gokhale demanded that the Election Commission (EC) release the transcripts of the discussions held at recent meetings between a party delegation and the full bench of the poll panel.
The press meet came a day after the Supreme Court directed the EC to display the names of the voters on the "logical discrepancies" list at gram panchayat bhavans and block offices.
"What does SIR actually stand for? Software Intensive Rigging.... The EC is one of the great institutions of our country, which has kept democracy vibrant for so many decades, but what has been happening now is a dismantling of this great institution," O'Brien said at the press conference.
"All we seek from the All India Trinamool Congress is transparency.... Our chairperson has said it. Our national general secretary has said it. We are for SIR, but we are for a transparent SIR, a planned SIR.... A humane SIR," he said.
- 20 Jan 2026 4:07 PM IST
MP govt sets up panel to probe Indore water contamination
The Madhya Pradesh government on Tuesday (January 20) constituted a state-level committee to investigate the Indore water contamination incident and submit its findings and recommendations, an official said.
The committee, led by the Additional Chief Secretary of the General Administration Department, Sanjay Kumar Shukla, will examine the actual causes and key facts of the water contamination in Indore’s Bhagirathpura area and analyse administrative, technical, and management deficiencies.
It will determine accountability of the officers/employees responsible for the incident, make necessary recommendations to prevent such recurrence in the future, and include other matters deemed necessary or incidental to the matter under investigation, the official said.
The committee will obtain necessary records, reports, and information from the departments concerned and, if necessary, conduct on-site inspections.
It will submit the investigation report to the state government within one month, the official said.
- 20 Jan 2026 4:03 PM IST
120 IS militants escape prison in northeast Syria; 81 recaptured amid clashes
Syria's ministry of interior said on Tuesday (January 20) that 120 Islamic State members escaped from a prison in northeast Syria a day earlier, amid clashes between government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which guards the prison.
Security forces recaptured 81 of the escapees, “while intensive security efforts continue to pursue the remaining fugitives and take the necessary legal measures against them,” the statement said.
The SDF and the government have traded blame over the escape at a prison in the town of Shaddadeh, amid the breakdown of a ceasefire deal between the two sides.
Also on Tuesday, the SDF accused “Damascus-affiliated factions” of cutting off water supplies to the al-Aqtan prison near the city of Raqqa, which it called a “blatant violation of humanitarian standards”.
The SDF, the main US-backed force that fought IS in Syria, controls more than a dozen prisons in the northeast where some 9,000 IS members have been held for years without trial. Many of the detained extremists are believed to have carried out atrocities in Syria and Iraq after IS declared a caliphate in June 2014 over large parts of Syria and Iraq.
- 20 Jan 2026 3:19 PM IST
RAF deployed in Assam's Kokrajhar, internet services suspended after clashes
Clashes erupted allegedly between Bodos and Adivasis in Assam's Kokrajhar district on Tuesday following a mob violence in which one person was killed, with Rapid Action Force (RAF) deployed and internet/mobile data services suspended temporarily, officials said.
On Monday night, a vehicle with three Bodos on board had hit two Adivasi persons at Mansingh Road under Karigaon outpost under Kokrajhar police station, a home department official said.
The three Bodos were beaten by neighbouring Adivasi villagers and the vehicle was torched, and one person died in the incident.
On Tuesday, the situation flared up with both Bodo and Adivasi communities blocking the National Highway adjacent to Karigaon outpost, burning tyres and a few houses while setting ablaze a government office and attacking the Karigaon police outpost, he said.
The Rapid Action Force has been deployed to contain and prevent further deterioration of the law and order situation.
Apprehending that social media and internet may be used to further spread inflammatory messages and rumours, the home department has suspended internet/mobile data service of all mobile service providers temporarily in the entire district until further orders.
Voice calls and the broadband connectivity based on fixed telephone lines shall remain functional during this period.
- 20 Jan 2026 3:02 PM IST
PhonePe gets SEBI nod for IPO
PhonePe has received SEBI approval for its IPO, and the company will be filing its Updated Draft Red Herring Prospectus (UDRHP) soon, setting the stage for India's most anticipated fintech IPO in the near horizon, as per sources familiar with the development.
The IPO will be an Offer For Sale by existing shareholders. The company will not be raising any additional primary capital in the IPO, said the sources.
PhonePe leads India's digital payments market with over 45 per cent market share in UPI transactions.
The company had posted Rs 7,115 crore in revenue for FY24-25, marking a 40 per cent year-on-year increase. The company also turned free cash flow positive with operating cash flow of Rs 1,202 crore. Its adjusted PAT (excluding ESOP costs) more than tripled to Rs 630 crore.
PhonePe's public listing will set a crucial benchmark for India's digital payments sector and could pave the way for other fintech unicorns eyeing public markets. - 20 Jan 2026 2:59 PM IST
Indian CEOs more confident than global peers on GDP, revenue growth: PwC survey
Amidst a subdued global outlook, Indian CEOs are a lot more optimistic than their global peers on growth of their economy as well as their company revenues, a new survey showed.
Also, India has moved to the second place after the US among global CEOs as a potential destination, up from fifth last year, as per the annual PwC CEOs survey released during the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting.
It said just over half of global CEOs are expecting growth, but India stands out as an exception.
The survey found that striking 77 per cent of India CEOs anticipate stronger domestic growth, and 57 per cent express high confidence in near-term revenue growth, nearly double the number of their global peers.
In a world defined by uncertainty, India's ascent on the global investment map also stood out.
PwC said India is now among the top investment destinations. While 46 per cent of global CEOs are not planning any investments, of those planning to invest beyond borders, 35 per cent would like to invest in the US, while 13 per cent each said they would like to invest in India, Germany, and the UK.
Last year, India was in the fifth spot along with France on the list of territories global CEOs would like to invest in.
- 20 Jan 2026 2:51 PM IST
After Hyderabad, I will make Amaravati world's best city: Chandrababu Naidu
Bullish on the growth trajectory of India and Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday (January 20) said he would make Amaravati the best and the most beautiful city in the world and everyone is welcome to be a partner in this endeavour.
Speaking at a breakfast session organised by his government along with industry chamber CII, he said, "We are all in inspiring times. India is moving fast and Andhra is growing even faster now...Earlier, we used to talk about ease of doing business and now we are talking about speed of doing business."
"We want to make everyone here a partner in growth of Andhra Pradesh," Naidu said, as he recalled that it was his visit to Davos in 90s that inspired him to think how the world is moving and how Andhra should be moving forward.
"I made Hyderabad the best livable city, now I want to make Amaravati the world's best city and I invite partners for that," he said.
India also offers a deadly combination of ample sunlight, wind and storage space for leading the world in green energy, the chief minister said, as he listed names of various sectors available for business in Andhra Pradesh and in India. - 20 Jan 2026 11:17 AM IST
TN Governor RN Ravi walks out of Assembly, yet again, amid anthem row
In a dramatic escalation of the longstanding tensions between Raj Bhavan and the Tamil Nadu government, Governor RN Ravi once again walked out of the House on Tuesday (January 20) without delivering the customary address, citing disrespect to the national anthem and profound disagreements with the government-drafted speech.
The session commenced as per tradition with the rendition of Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu, the state anthem. Expectations were high for the Governor’s address, but Ravi refused to proceed, alleging that the national anthem had not been played at the outset.
Sources indicate that he insisted that the national anthem should replace Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu in the proceedings. Without reading any part of the address, he exited the chamber, sparking widespread commotion and uproar among the members. In the aftermath, the assembly unanimously passed a resolution deeming the Governor’s address as having been read, in line with procedural norms.
