January 2026 Current Affairs

JANUARY 2026 CURRENT AFFAIRS SUMMARY

A. IMPORTANT DAYS - JANUARY 2026

• * January 3:
• - Rani Velu Nachiyar Birth Anniversary
• - First Indian queen to fight East India Company; reclaimed Sivaganga Kingdom
• - Born: January 3, 1730 | Died: 1796 | Reign: 1780–1790
• - India Govt issued postal stamp in her honor in 2008
• * January 4:
• - World Braille Day
• - Louis Braille (born January 4, 1809) invented Braille script for visually impaired
• - UN officially recognised this day from 2019
• * January 6:
• - World War Orphans Day
• - Introduced by French NGO SOS Enfants en Détresse in 1994
• - First observed 1995 | World Orphans Day: April 20
• - National Siddha Day
• - Celebrated on Aayilya star of Margazhi month (birth of Siddhar Agasthiyar)
• - Observed by Ministry of AYUSH | 9th year in 2026
• - Theme 2026: "Siddha for Global Health"
• * January 8:
• - World Buddhist Flag Day
• - Commemorates adoption of international Buddhist flag by WFB in 1950
• - Flag created by Colonel Henry Steel Olcott in Sri Lanka (1884)
• * January 9:
• - Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (NRI Day)
• - Marks Mahatma Gandhi's return from South Africa in 1915
• - Observed every 2 years on January 9 | Established 2003 by PM Vajpayee
• * January 12:
• - 29th National Youth Day
• - Swami Vivekananda born January 12, 1863 in Kolkata
• - Declared National Youth Day by Govt of India in 1984
• - 164th birth anniversary in 2026
• - Theme 2026: "Ignite the Self, Impact the World"
• * January 11-17:
• - 37th National Road Safety Week
• - First Road Safety Week: 1989 by MoRTH
• - Extended to a month-long campaign from 2021
• * January 14:
• - 10th Armed Forces Veterans Day
• - Linked to IPKF (Indian Peace Keeping Force) operations in Sri Lanka
• - IPKF operation "Operation Pawan": July 1987 – March 1990
• * January 21:
• - Tripura, Manipur & Meghalaya Foundation Day
• * January 23:
• - Parakram Diwas (Subhas Chandra Bose)
• - Netaji born: January 23, 1897 | Died: August 18, 1945
• * January 25:
• - National Tourism Day
• - National Girl Child Day
• - National Voters' Day | Theme 2025: "My India, My Vote"
• * January 26:
• - 77th Republic Day
• - Theme 2026: "150 Years of Vande Mataram"
• - Best Decorated Tableau: Maharashtra (CRPF)
• - TN Tableau theme: "Mantra of Prosperity: Self-Reliant India"
• - International Day of Clean Energy | Theme: "Clean Energy for People and Planet"
• * January 31:
• - 79th Martyrdom Day of Mahatma Gandhi
• - International Holocaust Remembrance Day
• - Theme 2026: "Bridging Generations"

B. APPOINTMENTS

• * US Federal Reserve Chair (next): Kevin Warsh
• * New York Mayor (sworn in): Mamtani (Indian-origin)
• * Venezuela Interim President: (backed by Donald Trump)
• * Karnataka longest-serving CM: Siddaramaiah
• * APEDA Chairman (extended): Abhishek Dev
• - APEDA formed: February 13, 1986 | HQ: New Delhi
• * NIA Head: Rakesh Aggarwal
• - NIA founded: December 31, 2008 | HQ: New Delhi
• * Uganda President (7th term): Yoweri Museveni
• * CVC Vigilance Commissioner: Praveen Vashista
• * BSF Director General: Praveen Kumar
• - BSF founded: December 1, 1965 | HQ: New Delhi
• * Bulgaria President (resigned): Rumen Radev
• * Eternal Group CEO: Albinder Dhindsa
• * NASA Retirement: Sunita Williams (60) – Indian-origin astronaut
• * Ashoka Chakra Award: Shubhanshu Shukla
• * Padma Awards 2026 Total: 131 recipients
• - Padma Bhushan: Vijay Amritraj (Tennis legend)
• - President's Medal: Chaya Sharma
• * Nobel Peace Prize: Maria Corina Machado
• * Indira Gandhi Peace Prize 2025: Graça Machel
• * UN Secretary-General Award 2025: Major Swathi Shantha Kumar
• * Anna Award 2025 (TN): Duraimurugan
• * Semmozhi Literary Award: Tamil Nadu
• * Green Champion Award (TN): For environmental protection contribution
• * Ramnath Goenka Sahitya Samman Award: Announced
• * TN State Film Awards: Announced
• * A. Muthulingam Award: Kalaivani Karunakaran
• * Ahmedabad International Flower Show 2026: Held
• * 98th Academy Awards (Oscars 2026): (Announced; ceremony held in January)
• - Best Film nomination: Kantara (India)
• * Fort Amir Communal Harmony Award: Announced
• * Best Police Station Award (TN): Announced

C. SPORTS

• * Hockey India League Champion: Vedanta Kalinga Lancers
• * World Chess Championship: Magnus Carlsen (champion); Arjun – Bronze
• * Australia Cricket – Retirement: Usman Khawaja (at 80 Test matches)
• * Indian Women's Hockey Coach (re-app): Jord Marin
• * National Car Racing Championship: Arjun, Sai Siva (titles)
• * 2036 Olympics Host: India (preparations in progress)
• * Khelo India Beach Games: Diu
• * Brisbane/Auckland/Adelaide Tennis: International tournaments held
• * Spanish Super Cup Football: Barcelona won
• * Yonex-Sunrise India Open Badminton: Super 750 Tournament
• * Saina Nehwal: Retirement related news
• * Gaël Monfils (France, 39): Veteran tennis player news
• * 2025-26 Vijay Hazare Trophy: Bengaluru
• * T20 World Cup cricket (upcoming): India preparations
• * Track Asia Cup Cycling: Chennai, India
• * National Senior Women's Kabaddi: Held in Hyderabad, Telangana

1st: Haryana | 2nd: Indian Railways | 3rd: Himachal Pradesh & Tamil Nadu

• * Khelo India Winter Games 2026: Held (Jammu & Kashmir region)
• * WTT Youth Contender Tournament: Manama, Bahrain
• * U-19 Boys World Cup Cricket: Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
• * 3 Indians selected as FIFA Referees
• * India to host 2036 Olympics: Confirmed bid

D. AWARDS & RECOGNITION

• * Padma Bhushan 2026: Vijay Amritraj (Tennis)
• * Ashoka Chakra: Shubhanshu Shukla
• * Padma Awards 2026: 131 recipients total
• * Nobel Peace Prize: Maria Corina Machado
• * Indira Gandhi Peace Prize 2025: Graça Machel
• * UN Secy-General Award 2025: Major Swathi Shantha Kumar
• * Anna Award 2025 (TN): Duraimurugan
• * Semmozhi Literary Award: Tamil Nadu
• * Green Champion Award (TN): For environmental protection contribution
• * Ramnath Goenka Sahitya Samman Award: Announced
• * TN State Film Awards: Announced
• * A. Muthulingam Award: Kalaivani Karunakaran
• * Ahmedabad International Flower Show 2026: Held
• * 98th Academy Awards (Oscars 2026): (Announced; ceremony held in January)
• - Best Film nomination: Kantara (India)
• * Fort Amir Communal Harmony Award: Announced
• * Best Police Station Award (TN): Announced

E. SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

• * SSLV Rocket 3rd Stage Engine: Successfully tested
• * PSLV-C62: Launched January 12
• * CHIEF 1900 (China): Hypergravity centrifuge; 1900x Earth's gravity
• * Sea Turtle Satellite Trackers: Fitted to monitor migration routes
• * Aditya-L1: Studied Earth's magnetic field during solar storm
• * Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS): Outbreak in Mansa town, Neemuch, MP
• * Chikungunya: Transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes
• * ECInet: World's largest electoral services platform
• * First Humanoid Robot (Railway): Introduced at Visakhapatnam Railway Station
• * NCS Portal: Central Govt's National Career Service portal
• * Telecom Companies Fined: ?150 crore for fraudulent calls (TRAI)
• * TN AI Centre: Tamil Nadu to set up first dedicated AI Centre in India
• * UDAY Identity Symbol: Introduced for Aadhaar services public recognition

F. STATE & SCHEME

• * Atal Canteens: Food for ?5 to poor; launched in Delhi
• * Cleanest City (Central Govt list): Indore (1st rank)
• * India's first slum-free urban area: Surat city
• * India's first fully paperless court: Kalpetta, Kerala (District Court)
• * India's first Butterfly Sanctuary: Aralam, Kannur district, Kerala
• * India's first mid-sea fish farming: Andaman & Nicobar Islands
• * Kaziranga National Park: Notable news
• * World's largest Green Hydrogen Plant: Foundation stone laid
• * Punjab Mukhya Mantri Sehat Yojana: Free cashless healthcare
• * Atal Vichal Agragami Assam Scheme: For research scholars
• * Namo Lakshmi Scheme: Gujarat
• * India Energy Week 2026: New Delhi
• * Kerala – First state to declare: State Microbe
• * Manipur Legislative Assembly: 60 members
• * 2026 Agriculture Year: Madhya Pradesh
• * Israel withdrawal: From various UN bodies (following US)
• * Trump Greenland warning: 25% tariff threat on 8 European nations
• * Trump Peace Committee: New international organisation officially functioning

G. TAMIL NADU SCHEMES

• * Laptop Scheme: Plan to provide laptops to 10 lakh students
• * Tamil Nadu Assured Pension Scheme (TAPS): Announced
• * Pongal Gift Scheme: Distributed to beneficiaries
• * Naan Mudhalvan: 1,200 students got private jobs (Dec 2025)
• * Organ Transplants & Rehabilitation: 1,476 in Tamil Nadu
• * 'Tell Me Your Dream' Project: Started January 9
• * 108 Ambulance Service: Notable updates
• * Cool Schools Scheme: Climate education initiative
• * TN Economic Growth (FY 2024-25): 11.19%
• * Three Amrit Bharat Express trains: Via Tamil Nadu
• * Vidiyal Payanam Scheme: Updates
• * Kalaignar Kanavu Illam Scheme: Updates
• * Maaperum Tamizh Kanavu Scheme: Updates
• * Government Model Schools Scheme: 8,209 schools (incl. 100-yr-old govt schools)
• * THIRAN: Targeted Help for Improving Remediation & Academic Nurturing
• * Tamil Nadu's Textile Trade Share: 33% of India's textile trade
• * Tamil Nadu Knowledge City: Tiruvallur
• * Global Tamil Studies Initiative: Launched at Cambridge University
• * STAR 3.0 Scheme: 18 new services by Registration Dept launched by CM Stalin
• * Thoothukudi Seawater Desalination: Project updates
• * Tamil Medium Priority in Govt Jobs: Amendment bill introduced in Assembly
• * World Women's Summit: Organised by TN Govt
• * 'Wellness on Wheels': Facility announced
• * TN Deep Technology Startup Policy 2025-26: Released by CM Stalin

H. TAMIL NADU

• * Free vaccinations for children: Even in private hospitals
• * Dengue fever: TN ranks 1st in nation for cases (2025)
• * TN-UN Women Agreement: MoU signed
• * Chennai International Book Fair 2026: Inaugurated by CM Stalin
• * 'Orderly' system abolition: HC ordered committee led by District Collector
• * Forest Area in TN: 24.47% of land area
• * Kural Week: Last week of December
• * Cyclone 'Ditwa' relief: ?111 crore for affected farmers
• * Mamallan Reservoir: Foundation stone laid by CM Stalin
• * State Resource Centre: ?5 crore; set up at Nungambakkam, Chennai
• * Martyr Immanuel Sekaran Memorial Hall: Paramakudi, Ramanathapuram
• * Full-length Bronze Statue: Kalingarayar at Vellode, Erode
• * TN Legislative Assembly First Session: Held

I. WORLD & INTERNATIONAL

• * US-Russia: "New START" treaty discussions
• * World's Largest Island: Greenland
• * Countries adopting Euro: Updates on currency adoption
• * Israel: Withdrew from key UN bodies
• * Trump Peace Committee: New international org began functioning
• * FIFA World Cup 2026: USA, Canada & Mexico (June 11 – July 19)
• * AFC Women's Asian Cup: Japan champion
• * AFCON 35th edition: Senegal vs Morocco

J. DEFENCE

• * Pralay Missiles: Successfully tested
• * Sudarshan Chakra: DRDO to play key role
• * Taimur Missile: Updates
• * INS Samudra Pratap: Pollution-control vessel dedicated to nation
• * Bhairav: Modern drone combat force launched by Indian Army
• * National IED Blast Analysis DB: Created by NSG (National Security Guard)
• * 3rd Gen MPATGM Missile: Man-Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile tested
• * DOSTI 17: India, Sri Lanka & Maldives joint exercise
• * Inspired Gambit 2026: Pakistan-USA joint military exercise
• * DRDO Chairman: Samir V Kamat | HQ: New Delhi | Est: 1958
• * BSF: Founded: December 1, 1965 | HQ: New Delhi
• * ITBP: Founded: October 24, 1962 | HQ: New Delhi

K. CENTRAL SCHEMES

• * Projects announced: ?7,295 crore worth (2 projects)
• * PMMVY completes 9 years: Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana
• * Atal Pension Yojana (APY): SIDBI established April 2, 1990 | HQ: Lucknow
• * Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana: Completes 11 years
• * Lakhpati Didis Scheme: Updates
• * Rural Drinking Water Connections: 81% of rural households covered
• * ULLAS: New India Literacy Programme
• * Jal Jeevan Mission target: 2030-31

L. NATIONAL

• * 77th Republic Day (January 26, 2026): Theme: "150 Years of Vande Mataram"
• * National Sports Management Act: Enacted
• * First Vande Bharat Sleeper Train: Kolkata–Guwahati route
• * Vande Bharat max speed: 180 km/h
• * India-Bangladesh Ganga Water Treaty: Water metering begins
• * India-Pakistan Nuclear Exchange: List of nuclear plants exchanged (annual)
• * Ahmedabad-Mumbai Bullet Train: Project progress
• * New Income Tax Act: Direct Taxes Board Chairman preparing officials
• * India-Germany: 19 agreements signed
• * Electronic Business Visa: India introduces for Chinese nationals
• * Indian Army 2026: Declared "Year of Networking & Data Centralization"
• * National Youth Festival: 82 people from Tamil Nadu selected
• * Forest Conservation Amendment Act: Leads to privatization (controversy)
• * UN declaration 2026: International Year for Mountains and Pastoralists
• * Article 350(B): Protection of linguistic minorities
• * 16th Population Census: Budget: ?11,718 crore
• * India's First Private Satellite Plant: Foundation stone at Sanand, Gujarat
• * India-EU Trade Agreement: Finalised
• * 171 million people out of poverty: India (World Bank report, last 10 years)
• * Nirmala Sitharaman Union Budget: 9th consecutive time (February 1)
• * World Bank loans to India: ?91,000 crore/year for 5 years
• * Shaksgam Valley: Strategic area in news
• * Republic Day 2026: Article 326 (citizens' voting right) highlighted
• * Tiger Census (TN): Started from January 5
• * Second Nationwide Dolphin Census: Launched by Union Minister Bhupender Yadav
• * India-Oman MoU: Maritime heritage and museums
• * Internet Users in India (2025): 95.8 crore (958 million)
• * Central Govt Debt Level: 57% of GDP
• * India's First Fully Paperless Court: Kalpetta, Kerala

M. ECONOMY

• * India GDP Growth (FY 2025-26): 7.4% (current year); IMF projects 7.3%
• * India GDP Growth (FY 2026-27): 6.8%–7.2% (Economic Survey)
• * India in Agriculture: 2nd in world (by value of production)
• * Central Govt Fiscal Deficit (2025-26): Announced
• * Central Govt Debt: 57% of GDP
• * GST: Goods and Services Tax updates

N. INDEX & REPORT

• * Tiger Deaths in India (2025): 166 tigers died
• * Total Tigers in India (2022 census): 3,682
• * India Crude Oil Imports: 3rd largest in world
• * NITI Aayog Export Preparedness Index 2024: Tamil Nadu ranks 2nd
• * Henley Passport Index 2026: India's ranking updated
• * India in Responsible Countries 2026: Ranked 16th
• * Safest City in World 2026: Abu Dhabi
• * Asia Manufacturing Index (AMI) 2026: India's ranking
• * India Domestic Air Transport: 3rd largest in world
• * Indian Sugar Production: Up 23%

O. OBITUARY

• * Manoj Kothari (67): Former world billiards champion
• * Suresh Kalmadi (81): Only Minister of State to present Railway Budget
• * Madhav Gadgil (83): Renowned ecologist
• * Ajit Pawar: Passed away January 28, 2026

P. SUMMITS

• * International AI Conference: To be held in Delhi (February 2026)
• * 3rd International Conference (Indian Languages): Delhi
• * Vibrant Gujarat Regional Trade Conference: Rajkot, Gujarat
• * Diaspora Tamils Conference: Chennai
• * Viksit Bharat Indians Conference: Delhi
• * 28th Conference of Speakers & Presiding Officers (Commonwealth): Held
• * First National Conference of Electricity Distribution Cos: New Delhi
• * TN Global Tourism Summit: Mamallapuram

Q. BOOKS & AUTHOR

• * "History That India Ignored": Author: (refer full edition)
• * "Agni Sarasulo Vikasinchina Kamalam – Droupadi Murmu": Author: Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad
• * "Chalice of Ambrosia: Ram Janmabhoomi – Challenge & Response": Author: Dr. Surendra Kumar Pachauri
• * "Red Lines Redrawn: Operation Sindoor and India's New Normal": Released by: Upendra Dwivedi

R. MISCELLANEOUS (KEY POINTS)

• * Republic Day 2026 Theme: "150 Years of Vande Mataram" (77th Republic Day)
• * Best Tableau: Maharashtra (CRPF)
• * TN Tableau: "Mantra of Prosperity: Self-Reliant India"
• * Hockey India League Winner: Vedanta Kalinga Lancers
• * Chess World Championship: Magnus Carlsen champion; Arjun Erigaisi – Bronze
• * NITI Aayog Export Index: TN 2nd place
• * India GDP projection 2026-27: 6.8%–7.2% (Economic Survey)
• * Tigers died in India 2025: 166 | Total tigers (2022): 3,682
• * Sunita Williams (Indian-origin): Retired from NASA (age 60)
• * Kevin Warsh: Next US Federal Reserve Chair
• * Safest City 2026: Abu Dhabi
• * India internet users (2025): 95.8 crore
• * Nirmala Sitharaman: Presenting Union Budget for 9th time (February 1)

First full-time woman Finance Minister: May 31, 2019

• * World Bank to India: ?91,000 crore/year loans for 5 years
• * IMF Head: Kristalina Georgieva | HQ: Washington D.C.

IMF formed: July 22, 1944

• * DRDO Chairman: Samir V Kamat
• * DOSTI 17: India, Sri Lanka, Maldives exercise
• * 3 Indians as FIFA referees: Selected
• * India-Germany agreements: 19 signed
• * Ahmedabad Flower Show 2026: Held
• * National Youth Festival: 82 from TN selected
• * PMMVY: Completes 9 years
• * Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana: Completes 11 years
• * Article 326: Only citizens eligible to vote
• * Article 350(B): Protection of linguistic minorities
• * Article 21: Right to life (referenced in Budget context)