January 2026 Current Affairs and Lecture Review

Flashcards covering key terms and updates from the January 2026 lecture transcript including National and International updates, Economics, and Science & Technology.

Santhali Language (Eighth Schedule)

A language belonging to the Austroasiatic family included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution via the $92^{nd}$ Constitutional Amendment Act, $2003$, with a recent edition of the Constitution launched in this language by President Droupadi Murmu.

IS 19412:2025

India’s first dedicated Indian Standard for agarbattis, titled "Incense Sticks (Agarbatti) Specification," which prohibits specified harmful insecticidal chemicals and synthetic fragrances.

"Lost, Looted and Recovered Firearm" database

India’s first centralized digital weapon database launched by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to track government-owned weapons lost or stolen from police and CAPF forces.

Al Hind Air and FlyExpress

Two new airlines granted No Objection Certificates by the Ministry of Civil Aviation in late $2025$ to boost competition in the Indian aviation sector.

Rashtra Prerna Sthal

A memorial complex in Lucknow featuring $65$-feet-high bronze statues of Syama Prasad Mookerjee, Deendayal Upadhyaya, and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, developed at a cost of $\text{₹}230\,\text{crore}$.

Sections 29 and 30 of the POCSO Act

Statutory provisions that shift the burden of proof to the accused in cases involving child sexual offences, recently cited by the Delhi High Court to uphold a conviction despite a hostile victim.

Balaji Raghavan v. Union of India

The Constitution Bench judgment relied upon by the Bombay High Court to rule that civilian awards like Bharat Ratna and Padma Awards are not titles and cannot be used as name prefixes under Article $18$.

Jayshree Ullal

The President and CEO of Arista Networks who topped the Hurun India Rich List $2025$ among Indian-origin professional managers with a net worth of $\text{₹}50,170\,\text{crore}$.

Dulhasti Stage-II

A $260\,\text{MW}$ run-of-the-river hydropower project on the Chenab River in Kishtwar district, Jammu and Kashmir, cleared by the government following the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty.

8th Central Pay Commission

A commission approved to review pay, pension, and service conditions for over $1\,\text{crore}$ individuals, expected to formally take effect from January $1$, $2026$.

Kushavati

The third district of Goa, created on December $31$, $2025$, comprising the talukas of Dharbandora, Quepem, Sanguem, and Canacona.

Sankhyiki (सांख्यिकी)

The name of the new mascot unveiled by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) to promote data-driven governance.

Gandiva

The analytical backbone tool of NATGRID that supports facial recognition and entity resolution across datasets for intelligence agencies.

Year of Networking & Data Centricity

The Indian Army's official designation for the year $2026$, focusing on integrated information sharing and data-driven decision-making.

Somnath Swabhiman Parv

A year-long observance in $2026$ commemorating $1,000\,\text{years}$ since the first attack on the Somnath Temple by Mahmud of Ghazni in January $1026$.

'Bhairav' Special Forces

New technology-driven battalions of the Indian Army comprising over $1\,\text{lakh}$ trained drone operatives to bridge the gap between conventional infantry and elite Para units.

ICJS 2.0 (National Rankings)

The digital platform for criminal justice integration where Uttarakhand Police secured the first position in the $2026$ national rankings.

Kamala Hydroelectric Project

A storage-based $1,720\,\text{MW}$ project in Arunachal Pradesh approved with an expenditure of $\text{₹}26,069.50\,\text{crore}$ on the Kamala River.

Major Swathi Shantha Kumar

The Indian Army officer who received the UN Secretary-General’s Award $2025$ in the Gender Category for her work with the UNMISS Indian Engagement Team.

Exercise DOSTI-17

The $17^{th}$ edition of the trilateral maritime exercise involving India, Maldives, and Sri Lanka, first conducted between India and Maldives in $1991$.

Numbeo Safety Index 2026 (Indian Context)

A safety ranking where Mangaluru was identified as India’s safest city with a score of $74.4$, while India ranked $70^{th}$ globally with a country score of $55.8$.

Parakram Diwas

Observed on January $23$ to commemorate the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, formally declared as a day of valour by the government in $2021$.

Operation Sindoor

The theme of the Tri-Services Tableau during the $2026$ Republic Day Parade, highlighting integrated military capability and victory through jointness.

National Tiger Conservation Authority (Gujarat Update)

The body that officially declared Gujarat a "tiger-present state" in December $2025$ after photographic evidence of a resident tiger in the Ratanmahal Wildlife Sanctuary.

Kalpetta District Court

The first fully paperless district court in India, located in Wayanad district, Kerala, and inaugurated by CJI Surya Kant.

"Donroe Doctrine"

A term coined by Donald Trump in January $2026$ to justify US military intervention in Venezuela based on a reinterpretation of the historic Monroe Doctrine.

IEEE Medal of Honor 2026

The highest recognition from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers awarded to NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, including a $\text{USD}\ 2\,\text{million}$ prize.

Akasa Air (IATA)

The airline that became India’s fifth member of the International Air Transport Association in late $2025$ after completing the IOSA safety audit.

Shaksgam Valley

A territory of approximately $5,180\,\text{square kilometers}$ which India claims was illegally ceded by Pakistan to China under the $1963$ Sino-Pakistan Boundary Agreement.

Geoeconomic Confrontation

Identified by the WEF Global Risks Report $2026$ as the most significant short-term global risk, involving the use of sanctions, tariffs, and supply-chain controls.

Finke River

An Australian river system originating $300$ to $400\,\text{million years}$ ago, recently recognized by scientists as the world’s oldest surviving flowing river.

BBNJ Agreement

Commonly known as the High Seas Treaty, this legal framework for biodiversity protection in international waters has officially entered into force.

ITVISMA

The world’s first gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy, administered in Abu Dhabi in late $2025$, which replaces the defective SMN1 gene.

Bio-bitumen

An eco-friendly alternative to petroleum-based bitumen produced from renewable organic sources like agricultural waste, which India became the first country to produce commercially.

M.S. Sahoo Committee

A $15$-member expert committee constituted by PFRDA to develop a regulatory framework for assured payout products under the National Pension System.

$$4.18\,\text{trillion}$$

India's estimated nominal GDP in $\text{USD}$ for the calendar year $2025$, the point at which it officially surpassed Japan to become the world’s fourth-largest economy.

India's Rice Production 2025

Reached $150.18\,\text{million tonnes}$, surpassing China’s $145.28\,\text{million tonnes}$ to make India the world's top producer.

ISO/IEC 42001 Certification

The world’s first certifiable AI management system standard, first achieved by the payments company Financial Software and Systems (FSS) in the APAC region.