Morning Digest: Farmers’ body seeks Goyal’s resignation over U.S. trade deal; West Bengal CEO seeks one-week extension for SIR deadline; and more

The Hindu Morning Digest gives a select list of stories to start the day. Read the top news today on February 8, 2026.

As soon as Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal explained the details of the India-United States bilateral trade agreement, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) demanded his immediate resignation. Leaders of apple and cotton growers said any relaxation to the import of cotton will be disastrous for States such as Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat. Talking to reporters at a press conference on Saturday (February 7, 2026), the leaders of SKM said the framework for the interim agreement on U.S.-India trade is a total surrender before the multinational giants of U.S. agriculture sector.

The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal on Saturday (February 7, 2026) sought a one-week extension from the Election Commission of India (ECI) to complete the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, as around 5% of the hearings remain pending after the original deadline expired on Saturday (February 7, 2026). In a recommendation sent to the ECI on Saturday (February 7, 2026), CEO Manoj Kumar Agarwal sought additional time to complete hearings, upload documents, process submissions of forms 6, 7 and 8, and digitise all records. The proposed revised deadline for completing the groundwork is February 14. The final draft rolls were earlier scheduled to be published on February 14. If the extension is approved, officials said the publication of the finaldraft rolls could be pushed to February 21. 

Fifty-one Maoists, carrying a total reward of ₹1.61 crore between them, surrendered in the Sukma and Bijapur districts of Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region on Saturday (February 7, 2026), the police said. Of them, 30 surrendered in Bijapur, while 21 surrendered in Sukma. Twenty-four of the surrendered Maoist cadres were women, Inspector General of Police (IGP, Bastar Range) P. Sundarraj said. A total of 14 weapons, including AK-47 rifles, self-loading rifles, INSAS rifles, and barrel grenade launchers, were also handed over to the government by the Maoists who surrendered.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday (February 7, 2026) said India is seen as a “trusted partner for growth” and it was reflected in the recent trade deals it has agreed to with various countries, including the UK, USA and EU. Referring to the trade deals India agreed to with various countries, the Prime Minister said India is seen as a “trusted partner for growth”. Addressing a community programme in Kuala Lumpur, Mr. Modi also said that the Indian diaspora continues to serve as a strong bridge between India and Malaysia.

Mostari Banu, a woman from Murshidabad who claims to be the original petitioner in the matter involving Special Intensive Revision (SIR) before the Supreme Court, has claimed that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee “stole the limelight” by appearing before the apex court on February 4. Ms. Banu, who hails from Bhagwangola in Murshidabad and is associated with the Communist Party of India (Marxist), said that she had filed the petition several weeks ago on the harassment during the ongoing SIR in the State.

The Jammu and Kashmir government has abandoned the ₹416.72-crore resettlement plan for Dal Lake dwellers. To a question from National Conference (NC) legislator Tanvir Sadiq, it told the J&K Assembly that the project achieved “only 27% progress” in 17 years. The plan was conceived by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress leader Sonia Gandhi to preserve and restore the lake, which attracts tourists from across the globe. The Singh government approved the plan in 2009. The project sought to relocate and rehabilitate around 9,000 families from the Dal Lake ecosystem to tackle growing pollution, mitigate impact on aquatic life and preserve the shrinking lake.