BPSC Prelims Jan 2026 Current Affairs Flashcards

Indigenously Developed Maritime Defense: The INS Anjadip

The Indian Navy has officially inducted the ‘Anjadip’, which represents the third vessel in the series of indigenously developed Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft ($ASW SWC$). This vessel was constructed by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers ($GRSE$) and was formally delivered to the Indian Navy at $INS Adyar, Chennai$. Measuring approximately $77\,metres$ in length, the ‘Anjadip’ is recognized as one of the largest Indian naval warships to be powered by a waterjet propulsion mechanism. The design and manufacture were carried out by $GRSE, Kolkata$, in a strategic partnership with L&T Shipyard, Kattupalli. This induction marks a significant step in enhancing India's coastal defense and anti-submarine capabilities through domestic production.

Breakthroughs in Ophthalmic Surgery and Glaucoma Management

India has achieved a historic medical milestone with the successful execution of its inaugural $3D$ Flex Aqueous Angiography combined with an iStent procedure. This breakthrough surgery took place at the $Army Hospital, Delhi Cantt$. The procedure utilized a stand-mounted $Spectralis$ imaging system and a $3D$ surgical microscope, which facilitated highly precise imaging and a minimally invasive intervention for glaucoma. The iStent itself is a miniature implant designed to improve the drainage of aqueous fluid, thereby lowering intraocular pressure in patients suffering from glaucoma, a group of eye disorders where optic nerve damage typically results from elevated pressure ($IOP$). The implementation of this technology is expected to significantly enhance surgical accuracy and patient safety within the field of ophthalmology.

25 Years of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)

The Government of India is celebrating the silver jubilee of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana ($PMGSY$) in $2025$, commemorating $25\,years$ since its launch on $25\,December\,2000$. The programme's central objective is to provide all-weather road access to previously unconnected rural habitations. For the fiscal year $2025-26$, the government has allocated approximately $₹19,000\,crore$ to sustain rural connectivity efforts. The funding structure for the scheme currently relies on a $60:40$ ratio between the Centre and States, while North-Eastern and Himalayan States receive a preferential $90:10$ ratio. In the upcoming Phase IV ($2024-29$), the plan includes constructing $62,500\,km$ of roads to link nearly $25,000$ habitations, with a total projected outlay of $₹70,125\,crore$. Since its inception, nearly $8,25,114\,km$ of roads have been sanctioned, with approximately $95-96\%$ ($7,87,520\,km$) completed by $December\,2025$. Implementation is monitored via digital tools like $OMMAS$ (Online Management, Monitoring and Accounting System), $e-MARG$ (electronic Maintenance of Rural Roads under PMGSY), $GPS$ tracking, and a three-tier quality assurance framework.

Market Dynamics and Regulatory Approvals in Civil Aviation

To address the high market concentration in the Indian aviation sector—currently dominated by $IndiGo$ (approx. $65\%$) and $Air India$ (approx. $27\%$)—the Ministry of Civil Aviation has issued No Objection Certificates ($NOCs$) to three new carriers: $Shankh Air$, $Al Hind Air$, and $FlyExpress$. These airlines are now in the process of obtaining Air Operator Certificates ($AOCs$) from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation ($DGCA$). In addition, $Akasa Air$ has officially become the fifth Indian member of the International Air Transport Association ($IATA$) after successfully clearing the $IATA\,Operational\,Safety\,Audit\,(IOSA)$ in $December\,2025$. The aviation industry remains a vital economic pillar, supporting $7.7\,million$ jobs and contributing nearly $US\$53.6\,billion$ to India's $GDP$.

Energy Infrastructure and Environmental Impact in Arunachal Pradesh

Arunachal Pradesh is advancing several major hydroelectric projects to become India's ‘Power House’. The Union Environment Ministry has recommended environmental clearance for the $1,200\,MW$ Kalai-II Hydropower Project on the $Lohit River$. Executed by $THDC India Ltd$ near $Hawai$ village in $Anjaw$ district, it is a run-of-river project with pondage. However, controversy exists as environmental groups note that the $EIA$ report omitted mention of the critically endangered white-bellied heron ($Ardea\,insignis$), which is a $Schedule\,I$ species under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, $1972$. Simultaneously, the $1720\,MW$ Kamala Hydroelectric Project on the $Kamala River$ (a tributary of the $Subansiri$) has been initiated in the $Kamle$ district. This project supports India's goal of reaching $500\,GW$ of non-fossil fuel capacity by $2030$.

Academic and Global Research Collaborations

External Affairs Minister $Dr.\,S.\,Jaishankar$ recently unveiled the $IITM Global Research Foundation$ at $IIT Madras$, aiming to transform the institute into the world’s first multinational university with a significant international footprint. The event coincided with the $IITM$ Festival Fortnight, including technical festival $Shaastra$ and cultural festival $Saarang$. In regulatory research, the Union Minister for Power inaugurated a Centre of Excellence ($CoE$) for Regulatory Affairs in the Power Sector at $IIT Delhi$, established in collaboration with the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission ($CERC$) and $Grid Controller of India Limited (Grid India)$. This center will focus on energy transition, digitalization, and green hydrogen.

Digital Governance and Technological Innovations

The National Capital Territory of Delhi has signed an $MoU$ with the $Reserve Bank of India (RBI)$ to improve financial governance. The $RBI$ will serve as the official banker and debt manager, overseeing State Development Loans ($SDLs$) to fund capital projects like $Yamuna$ rejuvenation and healthcare. In the realm of high-performance computing, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology ($MeitY$) launched the $PARAM SHAKTI$ supercomputer at $IIT Madras$. This $3.1\,Petaflop$ system uses $C-DAC’s$ $RUDRA$ server series and supports research in climate modeling and drug discovery. Furthermore, the Ministry of Environment ($MoEFCC$) operationalized the ‘$NIRANTAR$’ platform, a digital dashboard for institutional coordination involving the $CPCB$, $SPCBs$, and $FSI$.

New Delhi World Book Fair 2026 and Literary Achievements

Union Education Minister $Dharmendra Pradhan$ inaugurated the New Delhi World Book Fair ($NDWBF$) $2026$ at $Bharat Mandapam$. The theme for this edition is ‘Indian Military History: Valour and Wisdom @$75$’. During the event, the book ‘The Saga of $Kudopali$: The Unsung Story of $1857$’ was released, paying tribute to $Veer Surendra Sai$. For $2026$, $Qatar$ was the Focus Country and $Spain$ served as the Partner Country. In other literary news, Vice-President $C.\,P.\,Radhakrishnan$ released ‘Sing, Dance and Lead: Leadership Lessons from the Life of $Srila Prabhupada$’, authored by $Hindol Sengupta$, focusing on the founder of $ISKCON$.

Global Risk Outlook 2026: World Economic Forum Insights

The World Economic Forum’s ($WEF$) $21st$ edition of the Global Risks Report ($2026$) designates ‘uncertainty’ and ‘competition’ as defining features. Geoeconomic confrontation has risen to the top short-term risk, followed by misinformation/disinformation and societal polarization. While extreme weather events dropped to fourth for short-term risks, they remain the most severe long-term threat over a $10-year$ horizon. For India, the report identifies cyber insecurity as the primary risk, driven by rapid digital payment expansion, followed by income inequality and water security issues in the $Indus River Basin$. Additionally, the $WEF$ announced the establishment of a new Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution ($C4IR$) in $Andhra Pradesh$ focused on energy and cyber resilience.

Aquatic Biodiversity and Wildlife Conservation Efforts

Under the $Namami Gange$ Programme, the Union Jal Shakti Minister launched the $Aqua Life Conservation Monitoring Centre$ for Ganga and Other Rivers at the $Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun$. Key initiatives include a dedicated Dolphin Rescue Ambulance and the Indian Skimmer Conservation Project in collaboration with the $BNHS$. In Kerala, the $Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary$ has been renamed the $Aralam Butterfly Sanctuary$, housing $266$ butterfly species ($80\%$ of the state’s diversity), including $27$ species endemic to the Western Ghats. In Chandigarh, the State Board of Wildlife declared the ‘Striped Tiger’ as the State Butterfly, following a public vote where it secured $54\%$ of the total ballots.

Sovereign AI and Digital Logistics in Tamil Nadu and India Post

Tamil Nadu has signed an $MoU$ with $Sarvam AI$ to establish India’s first Sovereign AI Park in $Chennai$. This facility will include $GPU$-based data centers and develop Indic Large Language Models ($LLMs$) in languages like Tamil. Meanwhile, $India Post$ achieved a milestone by delivering its first-ever $ONDC$ order—walnuts from $Srinagar$ to $New Delhi$. This integration allows $ONDC$ access to over $1.6\,lakh$ post offices, supporting the One District One Product ($ODOP$) initiative. At the corporate level, Microsoft introduced its $second-generation$ AI chip, $Maia 200$, manufactured on $TSMC's$ $3-nanometre$ process with $140\,billion$ transistors, delivering over $10\,petaFLOPS$ of performance at $FP4$ precision.

High-Containment Research: India's First State-Funded BSL-4 Laboratory

Gujarat has laid the foundation for the nation’s first state-funded Biosafety Level-$4$ ($BSL-4$) laboratory. Unlike centrally funded labs under the $ICMR$, this facility is financed and managed locally to improve pandemic preparedness and target ‘Disease X’. The complex includes multi-tier research modules ($BSL-2$ to $BSL-4$) and animal biosafety modules ($ABSL-3$ and $ABSL-4$), supporting a ‘One Health’ approach that connects human, animal, and environmental safety.

National Recognition: Padma Awards and Peacetime Gallantry

On the eve of the $77th$ Republic Day in $2026$, the President approved $131$ Padma Awards ($5\,Padma\,Vibhushan$, $13\,Padma\,Bhushan$, and $113\,Padma\,Shri$). Padma Vibhushan recipients include $Dharmendra Singh Deol$ (Posthumous), $Justice (Retd.) K.\,T.\,Thomas$, $N.\,Rajam$, $P.\,Narayanan$, and $V.\,S.\,Achuthanandhan$ (Posthumous). Notable Padma Bhushan winners include $Alka Yagnik$, $Mammootty$, and $Uday Kotak$. The $Ashok Chakra$, India’s highest peacetime gallantry award, was conferred upon $Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla$ for his leadership during the $Axiom-4$ space mission, where he became the first Indian astronaut to visit the International Space Station ($ISS$).

State-Specific Initiatives and Infrastructure

• Andhra Pradesh: Plans to develop a satellite launch facility on $Hope Island$ in $Kakinada Bay$ as part of the Space City Project. It also topped the investment chart for $2026$.
• Telangana: Introduced Doorstep $FIR$ registration for specific offenses like $POCSO$ and $SC/ST$ atrocities. It also hosts ‘Wings India $2026$’ at $Begumpet Airport$.
• Gujarat: Launched ‘Asha Van’ for cancer detection and ‘Poshan Udaan $2026$’ to spread nutrition awareness during the kite festival. Sanand became the site for India's first private satellite manufacturing facility ($Palmnaro Electro-Optical Payload Facility$).
• Tripura: Celebrated the $48th$ Kokborok Day on $19\,January$, marking the language's recognition in $1979$. Foundation was laid for the $₹450\,crore$ Matabari Tourism Circuit.
• Kerala: Leading in personal $EV$ adoption with $93.4\%$ of its electric sales being personal vehicles. Declared Bacillus subtilis as the first State Microbe in India.
• Sikkim: The $SSDMA$ won the Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar $2026$ in the Institutional category.

Comprehensive Chronological and Miscellaneous Facts

• January 1, 2026: Denmark discontinued traditional postal services; $Kamya Karthikeyan$ became the youngest Indian woman to ski to the South Pole; $Bulgaria$ adopted the official currency ($Euro$); $Italy$ assumed the $G-7$ presidency.
• January 4, 2026: India successfully tested the Agni-$5$ missile at $APJ Abdul Kalam Island$; India became the world's largest rice producer; $166$ tigers reported dead in $2025$ per $NTCA$.
• January 8, 2026: $2026$ declared International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists by the UN.
• January 13, 2026: $Virat Kohli$ completed $28,000$ runs in international cricket; $Singapore$ topped the Henley Passport Index (India $80th$).
• January 29, 2026: $Novak Djokovic$ reached $400$ Grand Slam match wins; $Nat Sciver-Brunt$ scored the first century in the Women's Premier League ($WPL$).
• January 30, 2026: $France$ passed a social media ban for children under $15$.
• January 31, 2026: Maharashtra launched India's first menopause clinic.

Questions & Discussion

Q: What is the significance of the Piprahwa Relics? A: The Grand International Exposition of Sacred Piprahwa Relics, titled ‘The Light & the Lotus’, showcased remains of $Bhagwan Buddha$ unearthed in $1898$ in Uttar Pradesh. They were returned from the UK after $125\,years$. This event highlights India's push to promote the Pali language, which received classical status in $2024$.

Q: How does the new Tailings Policy impact the mining sector? A: The policy facilitates the recovery of critical minerals like $Selenium$, $Cobalt$, and $Indium$ from mining waste (tailings, slag, fly ash). This is overseen by the $GSI$ and $IBM$ to unlock hidden economic value from secondary sources.

Q: What role does the robot 'ASC ARJUN' play in the Indian Railways? A: Deployed at $Visakhapatnam$ Railway Station, ‘ASC ARJUN’ is a humanoid robot built by the $RPF$. It features Face Recognition ($FRS$) for security, crowd monitoring, and provides automated passenger assistance in English, Hindi, and Telugu.