MockSutraCurrent Affairs
MONTHLY CAPSULE · JANUARY 2026

January 2026 Current Affairs

103 verified updates with instant GK Bytes — for Punjab Police, RSSB LDC, SSC & state exams.

103 UPDATES
13 SECTIONS
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24 PDF PAGES
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Polity & Governance12

General · Legislation & Bills
07

UGC Equity Regulations, 2026 Notified - and Stayed

UGC notified the 'Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions' (Anti-Discrimination) Regulations, mandating Equity Committees and Equal Opportunity Centres. Amid campus protests, the Supreme Court stayed implementation around 29 January.

GK BytePolity - education, rightsUGC established: 1956
08

UGC Mental Health & Well-Being Policy

UGC circulated a uniform mental-health policy for higher education institutions (aligned with NEP 2020), requiring support centres, a 1:500 faculty-mentor ratio and linkage with the Tele-MANAS helpline.

GK ByteGovernance - education, health
11

National Sports Governance Rules, 2026 Notified

The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports notified the National Sports Governance (National Sports Bodies) Rules, 2026 under the National Sports Governance Act, 2025, covering eligibility, disqualification and 'Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit' appointments.

GK BytePolity - sports law
13

Draft Pesticide Management Bill, 2025 Released

The Ministry of Agriculture released the draft Bill for comments; it proposes to replace the Insecticides Act, 1968 and create a Central Pesticides Board and a Registration Committee.

GK BytePolity - agriculture law
14

MMDR Amendment Bill, 2026 (Public Consultation)

The Ministry of Coal released draft amendments removing area limits on reconnaissance, exploration and mining licences, and codifying central power to auction exploration licences.

GK ByteEconomy - miningMMDR Act: 1957
09

National Startup Day - A Decade of Startup India

PM Modi marked a decade of the Startup India initiative (launched 16 Jan 2016) at Bharat Mandapam; DPIIT-recognised startups grew to over 2.09 lakh by December 2025, creating over 21 lakh jobs.

GK ByteEconomy - startupsNodal dept: DPIITIndia rank: 3rd-largest startup ecosystem
01

77th Republic Day 2026 - EU Leaders as Chief Guests

For the first time, two EU leaders were joint chief guests at the 77th Republic Day - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa - who visited India (25-27 January) to co-chair the 16th India-EU Summit.

GK ByteNational - Republic Day, IRFirst Republic Day: 26 Jan 1950Parade venue: Kartavya Path, New Delhi
02

Republic Day 2026 Parade Themes

The parade centred on 'Svatantrata Ka Mantra - Vande Mataram' (marking 150 years of the national song, composed by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1875) and 'Samriddhi Ka Mantra - Aatmanirbhar Bharat'.

GK ByteNational - culture, historyVande Mataram: written 1875; from 'Anandamath' (1882)
03

Republic Day 2026 - 30 Tableaux on Kartavya Path

Thirty tableaux rolled down Kartavya Path - 17 from States/UTs and 13 from Ministries/Departments/Services - with highlights from Assam (terracotta), Kerala (Water Metro), Odisha ('Soil to Silicon') and Nagaland (Hornbill Festival).

GK ByteNational - Republic Day
14

Budget Session 2026 - First Half

The Budget Session began on 28 January with the President's Address; the first half ran to 13 February, featuring the presentation and general discussion of the Union Budget.

GK BytePolity - Parliament
05

Budget Session 2026 Convened; President's Address

The Budget Session began on 28 January with President Droupadi Murmu's address to a joint sitting of both Houses; it was scheduled in two phases (28 Jan-13 Feb and 9 Mar-2 Apr) with 30 sittings.

GK BytePolity - ParliamentArticle 87: President's special address to Parliament
04

Beating Retreat Ceremony

The Beating Retreat ceremony, marking the formal conclusion of Republic Day celebrations, was held at Vijay Chowk, New Delhi, on 29 January.

GK ByteNational - ceremonial

Banking & Economy30

General · Inflation & Prices · Industry & Corporate · Trade & External · Taxation · Reports · Capital Markets · Growth & GDP · Monetary Policy · Budget
17

Designs Act Amendment Concept Note

DPIIT floated proposals to extend 'design' to virtual designs (GUIs, icons, typefaces) and to accede to the Riyadh Design Law Treaty and the Hague Agreement.

GK ByteEconomy - intellectual property
19

RBI Tightens Digital Lending Framework

The RBI mandated that all loan disbursals flow directly to the borrower's bank account, required a Key Fact Statement with APR disclosure, and prescribed a cooling-off period of at least three days.

GK ByteBanking - digital lendingAPR: Annual Percentage Rate
20

RBI Cyber Security & Data Protection Advisory

The RBI directed all regulated entities (banks, NBFCs, fintechs, payment aggregators) to prioritise customer data protection in alignment with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, with periodic board reviews.

GK ByteBanking - data protectionDPDP Act: enacted 2023
21

RBI Infuses Rs 2 lakh crore Liquidity via OMOs

The RBI conducted Open Market Operations to purchase government securities worth Rs 2 lakh crore in four tranches of Rs 50,000 crore each (including on 5, 12 and 22 January) to ensure durable banking-system liquidity.

GK ByteBanking - monetary operations
34

FY26 Sectoral GVA Estimates

Gross Value Added is estimated to grow 7.3% in FY26, led by services (near 10%), with manufacturing and construction around 7% and agriculture at 3.1%.

GK ByteEconomy - sectoral data
36

WPI Wholesale Inflation for December 2025

Wholesale Price Index inflation for December 2025 was 0.83% (provisional) year-on-year, with the WPI food index rising to 0.00% from -2.60% in November.

GK ByteEconomy - wholesale prices
37

IIP Industrial Output Grows Strongly

The Index of Industrial Production for November 2025 grew 6.7% (manufacturing 8.0%, mining 5.4%), and IIP for December 2025 later showed 7.8% growth, signalling robust factory momentum.

GK ByteEconomy - industrial data
38

December 2025 Trade Data

Total exports (goods + services) for December 2025 were US$74.01 billion and total imports US$80.94 billion; the April-December merchandise trade deficit stood at US$248.32 billion.

GK ByteEconomy - external sector
39

GST Collections for December 2025

Gross GST collection for December 2025 was Rs 1.75 lakh crore, up 6.1% year-on-year, following the two-tier 'GST 2.0' rate revamp effective 22 September 2025.

GK ByteEconomy - indirect taxesGST rolled out: 1 July 2017
40

IMF World Economic Outlook Update (January 2026)

The IMF's January WEO Update projected India's growth at 6.3% for 2026 and 6.5% for 2027, retaining India as the fastest-growing major economy.

GK ByteReports & indicesIMF HQ: Washington, D.C.MD: Kristalina Georgieva
41

World Bank & UN Growth Forecasts

The World Bank's January Global Economic Prospects pegged South Asia growth at 6.2% in 2026, while the UN's WESP 2026 projected India moderating to about 6.6% in 2026.

GK ByteReports & indices
42

Manufacturing PMI in Strong Expansion

The HSBC India Manufacturing PMI stood at 56.8 in January 2026, firmly above 50, with the composite reading around 58.4, indicating strong private-sector activity.

GK ByteEconomy - indicatorsPMI above 50: expansion
46

India Q1 2026 M&A Activity Near a Record

India recorded roughly 710 deals worth about US$20 billion in Q1 2026 - one of the highest activity levels on record - with a record 56 outbound deals worth ~US$3.9 billion.

GK ByteEconomy - corporate
86

Retail Inflation Eases Sharply in FY26

Average retail (CPI) inflation fell to about 1.7% for April-December 2025-26 (from 4.6% in 2024-25), reflecting easing food prices and a favourable base.

GK ByteEconomy - inflation
87

Current Account Deficit Narrows to 0.8% of GDP

India's current account deficit narrowed to about 0.8% of GDP in the first half of 2025-26, aided by strong services exports and remittances.

GK ByteEconomy - external sector
88

FDI Inflows Reach US$81 billion in 2025

Foreign Direct Investment inflows into India reached about US$81 billion in 2025, roughly 13% higher year-on-year, reflecting sustained investor confidence.

GK ByteEconomy - FDI
89

PLI Scheme Crosses Rs 2 lakh crore Investment

The Production Linked Incentive scheme attracted around Rs 2 lakh crore in investment and over Rs 17 lakh crore in production, as cited in the President's address.

GK ByteEconomy - manufacturingPLI launched: 2020 (14 sectors)
91

IDBI Bank Strategic Stake Sale Progresses

The government's sale of its 60.72% stake in IDBI Bank advanced, with financial bids expected in January and the deal potentially exceeding Rs 1 lakh crore.

GK ByteEconomy - disinvestment
45

Sensex & Nifty Hit Record Highs

Indian equities hit fresh records in early January - the Sensex closed near 85,762 and the Nifty50 crossed 26,300, with Nifty touching an intraday record of about 26,373 on 5 January.

GK ByteEconomy - markets
33

First Advance GDP Estimates: FY26 Growth at 7.4%

The NSO released the First Advance Estimates projecting India's real GDP growth at 7.4% for FY26 (up from 6.5% in FY25), led by financial and public services.

GK ByteEconomy - growth dataReleased by: NSO / MoSPI
35

CPI Retail Inflation for December 2025

Retail (CPI) inflation for December 2025 rose to 1.33% year-on-year (from 0.7% in November) as food deflation narrowed; core inflation climbed to a 28-month high of 4.8%. This was the last release on the 2012=100 base.

GK ByteEconomy - inflationNew CPI base year: 2024 (from Feb 2026)
43

RBI Conducts US$10 billion USD/INR Buy-Sell Swap

The RBI conducted a USD/INR Buy/Sell Swap auction of US$10 billion with a three-year tenor to reinforce durable rupee liquidity amid seasonal cash outflows.

GK ByteBanking - forex operations
18

SEBI (Mutual Funds) Regulations, 2026 Notified

SEBI notified a sweeping overhaul of the 30-year-old mutual-fund framework (effective 1 April 2026), introducing a performance-linked base expense ratio, reduced brokerage caps, a 'Life Cycle Funds' category and a slimmer rulebook.

GK ByteCapital markets - mutual fundsSEBI Chairman: Tuhin Kanta Pandey
90

India Confirmed as World's 3rd-largest Startup Ecosystem

India was reaffirmed as the world's third-largest startup ecosystem, with over 2.09 lakh DPIIT-recognised startups by December 2025 - a landmark marked on National Startup Day.

GK ByteEconomy - startups
100

India's Startup Decade - 21 lakh Jobs Created

Marking ten years of Startup India, the government highlighted that recognised startups had created over 21 lakh direct jobs, underscoring the ecosystem's role in employment and innovation.

GK ByteEconomy - employment
92

Adani Enterprises Acquires Flight Simulation Technique Centre

Adani Enterprises completed the acquisition of a 72.8% stake in Flight Simulation Technique Centre Pvt Ltd, strengthening its aviation-training footprint.

GK ByteEconomy - corporate
44

India's Forex Reserves Cross US$700 billion (Record)

India's foreign exchange reserves surged past US$700 billion in mid-January and reached about US$709 billion (week ended 23 January), a record high covering more than 11 months of imports.

GK ByteBanking - external reservesComponents: FCA, Gold, SDRs, Reserve position in IMF
93

Adani Defence-Embraer MoU

Adani Defence Systems and Technologies signed an MoU with Brazil's Embraer to develop a regional transport-aircraft ecosystem in India.

GK ByteEconomy - defence industry
09

Economic Survey 2025-26 Tabled

The Economic Survey (tabled 29 January, core to the Budget session) projected real GDP growth of 7.4% and GVA growth of 7.3% for FY26, keeping India the fastest-growing major economy, with FY27 growth projected at 6.8-7.2%.

GK ByteEconomy - Economic SurveyPrepared by: Chief Economic Adviser (CEA)
06

Economic Survey 2025-26 Tabled

The Economic Survey was tabled by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, projecting real GDP growth of 6.8-7.2% for 2026-27 and about 7.4% for 2025-26, with inflation within the 4% (+/-2%) band.

GK ByteEconomy - Economic SurveyPrepared by: Chief Economic Adviser (CEA)

International Relations11

Summits · Visits & Diplomacy · General · Trade & Agreements
28

India at Davos 2026

India fielded one of the largest delegations - 10 states (with five CMs and two deputy CMs) and four Union ministers - to pitch investment opportunities; the WEF launched a report on India in the new geoeconomic order.

GK ByteEconomy-IR - investment
30

India-Germany Outcomes & CEO Forum

The two leaders recast ties around semiconductors, critical minerals and green fuels and launched a German-Indian CEO Forum; Germany agreed to join Exercise MILAN and deploy a Liaison Officer at the IFC-IOR.

GK ByteIR - India-Germany
29

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's Visit to India

Chancellor Merz made his first official India visit, accompanied by 23 leading German CEOs; the two sides signed multiple agreements spanning defence, semiconductors, critical minerals, telecom and bioeconomy.

GK ByteIR - India-GermanyGermany Capital: BerlinCurrency: Euro
27

WEF Annual Meeting, Davos 2026

The World Economic Forum met in Davos, Switzerland under the theme 'A Spirit of Dialogue', drawing nearly 3,000 leaders from over 130 countries; the WEF also released its Global Risks Report 2026.

GK ByteIR - global forumsWEF HQ: GenevaFounder: Klaus Schwab (1971)
31

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed's Visit

The UAE President visited India; the two sides signed a Letter of Intent for a Strategic Defence Partnership and pledged to double bilateral trade to US$200 billion, with UAE investment in Gujarat's Dholera zone.

GK ByteIR - India-UAEUAE Capital: Abu DhabiIndia-UAE CEPA: since 2022
32

India-UAE US$3 billion LNG Deal

ADNOC Gas agreed to supply 0.5 million metric tonnes of LNG per year to Hindustan Petroleum for ten years in a ~US$3 billion deal, making India a top LNG customer of the UAE.

GK ByteEnergy - India-UAE
22

16th India-EU Summit Held in New Delhi

The 16th India-EU Summit took place at Hyderabad House, co-chaired by PM Modi, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa - the first time the EU's top leadership jointly attended.

GK ByteIR - India-EUEU HQ: BrusselsEU members: 27
23

India-EU Free Trade Agreement Concluded

After nearly two decades of talks, India and the EU concluded their landmark FTA - the largest either side has concluded - covering about 2 billion people and roughly 25% of global GDP across 20 chapters.

GK ByteTrade agreementsTalks began: 2007 (relaunched 2022)
24

India-EU FTA - Tariff & Market-Access Terms

About 99.5% of India's exports get preferential access to the EU, while India offers preferential treatment to ~97% of EU exports; India will cut auto tariffs gradually from 110% to 10% and reduce wine and spirits duties.

GK ByteTrade agreements - specifics
25

India-EU FTA - Trade Targets

The agreement aims to raise bilateral merchandise trade to US$250 billion by 2030-31 (from ~US$136 billion in 2024-25) and services trade to US$100 billion, cushioning Indian exporters against higher US tariffs.

GK ByteTrade agreements - targets
26

India-EU Security & Defence Partnership + Mobility Agreement

Alongside the FTA, India and the EU signed a Security and Defence Partnership (maritime security, counter-terrorism, cyberdefence) and a mobility/migration agreement expanding legal pathways for Indian students and skilled workers.

GK ByteIR - security cooperation

Defence5

General · Navy & Maritime · Exercises · DRDO & R&D
51

India Reports New BMD Phase-III Interceptors

Reports indicated India began developing two new interceptors under Phase-III of its Ballistic Missile Defence Programme, designed to counter hypersonic weapons, MIRVs and non-ballistic atmospheric-entry vehicles.

GK ByteDefence - missile defence
52

Indian Navy Plans Record 19 Warships in 2026

The Indian Navy is set to commission a record 19 warships in 2026 - its biggest single-year addition - including INS Udaygiri and a Nistar-class Diving Support Vessel, roughly one vessel every six weeks.

GK ByteDefence - naval expansionNavy Day: 4 December
53

Exercise Khanjar (India-Kyrgyzstan)

The 13th edition of the annual India-Kyrgyzstan bilateral special-forces exercise 'Khanjar' focused on urban and mountain warfare, sniping and counter-terrorism, strengthening India-Central Asia defence cooperation.

GK ByteDefence - joint exercisesKyrgyzstan Capital: Bishkek
50

DRDO Scramjet Combustor Ground Test

DRDO's DRDL conducted a long-duration ground test (over 1,000 seconds) of an actively cooled full-scale scramjet combustor in Hyderabad - a foundation for India's Hypersonic Cruise Missile Development Programme.

GK ByteDefence - hypersonicsScramjet: supersonic-combustion ramjet
10

78th Army Day at Jaipur

The 78th Army Day was observed with a parade at Jagatpura, Jaipur - the first ever held outside a cantonment area - under the theme 'Year of Networking and Data Centricity'.

GK ByteDefence - important daysMarks: K.M. Cariappa becoming first Indian C-in-C (1949)

Space3

ISRO · NASA & Global
49

ISRO Releases ISSAR-2025

ISRO released the Indian Space Situational Awareness Report 2025 (ISSAR-2025) at the SMOPS-2026 conference in Bengaluru, reinforcing India's commitment to debris-free missions and space surveillance.

GK ByteSpace - policy/SSA
48

NASA Launches Pandora Space Telescope

NASA launched the Pandora small space telescope aboard a Falcon 9 to study exoplanet atmospheres; the same flight carried NASA's SPARCS and BlackCAT CubeSat telescopes.

GK ByteSpace - astronomy
47

ISRO PSLV-C62 Mission Fails

ISRO's PSLV-C62 (64th PSLV flight) lifted off from Sriharikota but failed to reach orbit after a deviation in roll rates near the end of third-stage operation. The primary payload was the DRDO-built EOS-N1 satellite; it was the second consecutive PSLV failure.

GK ByteSpace - launch vehiclesPSLV: Polar Satellite Launch VehicleSpaceport: Sriharikota (SDSC-SHAR)

Science & Technology7

Research & Innovation · Semiconductors · AI & Computing · General
54

CSIR-IGIB Develops CRISPR Gene Therapy for Sickle Cell

CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology developed 'BIRSA 101', India's first indigenous CRISPR-based gene therapy for sickle cell disease, with technology transferred to industry for affordable deployment.

GK ByteSci-tech - biotechCRISPR: gene-editing technology (Nobel 2020)
55

India's Semiconductor Design Progress

As of January 2026, the Design-Linked Incentive (DLI) scheme supported 24 semiconductor design startups; 122 designs were taped out with 56 chips fabricated at 180 nm at SCL Mohali, alongside advanced-node tape-outs.

GK ByteSci-tech - semiconductorsSCL: Semiconductor Laboratory, Mohali
56

IndiaAI Innovation Challenge 2026 Launched

The IndiaAI Mission (under MeitY) launched the IndiaAI Innovation Challenge 2026 in collaboration with the Ministry of AYUSH and the Ministry of MSME to build deployment-ready AI solutions.

GK ByteSci-tech - AI
57

IndiaAI Compute - Over 38,000 GPUs Onboarded

Under the IndiaAI Mission (Rs 10,371.92 crore outlay), more than 38,000 GPUs were onboarded via the AI compute portal, offered to Indian startups and academia at affordable rates.

GK ByteSci-tech - AI infrastructure
58

IndiaAI Innovation Centre - 67 Proposals

The IndiaAI Innovation Centre's call for proposals drew 67 submissions from startups, researchers and entrepreneurs for building indigenous foundation models across healthcare, education and finance.

GK ByteSci-tech - AI
59

Jupiter at Opposition & Quadrantid Meteor Shower

Jupiter reached opposition on 10 January 2026, appearing at its brightest for the year, while the Quadrantid meteor shower peaked on 3 January (visibility limited by a near-full Moon).

GK ByteSci-tech - astronomy
60

India's Full Immunisation Coverage Hits 98.4%

India's full immunisation coverage rose from 62% in 2015 to 98.4% by January 2026, alongside plans for a nationwide HPV vaccination drive and an indigenous Td (tetanus-diphtheria) vaccine in 2026.

GK ByteHealth - immunisation

Environment & Ecology3

Pollution · Wildlife
15

Environment (Protection) Fund Rules, 2026 Notified

Notified under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, penalties collected under the Air Act, Water Act and EP Act will be credited to a central fund for monitoring, remediation and clean-tech research (admin costs capped at 5%).

GK ByteEnvironment - regulationEP Act: 1986 (post-Bhopal disaster)
16

Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026 Notified

MoEFCC notified the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026 under the Environment (Protection) Act, replacing the earlier rules to strengthen segregation, processing and extended producer responsibility.

GK ByteEnvironment - waste management
61

India Launches 6th All-India Tiger Estimation

India formally launched its 6th All-India Tiger Estimation at Thanthai Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, conducted every four years under Project Tiger; India hosts an estimated 3,682 tigers (70-75% of the world's wild tigers).

GK ByteEnvironment - tiger conservationProject Tiger: launched 1973Previous count: 3,682 tigers (2022)

Sports5

General · Tennis · Hockey
76

KIWG Ice Hockey Gold Retained by Indian Army

The Indian Army retained the men's ice hockey gold, beating Chandigarh 3-2 in the final; Ladakh's Skarma Tsultim was a standout with four medals.

GK ByteSports - Khelo India
77

Australian Open 2026 Champions

Carlos Alcaraz beat Novak Djokovic to win his first Australian Open (7th major and career Grand Slam), while Elena Rybakina defeated Aryna Sabalenka for the women's singles title.

GK ByteSports - tennisAustralian Open: first Grand Slam of the year (hard court)
80

Australian Open 2026 Concludes

The 2026 Australian Open ran 18 January-1 February at Melbourne Park. Defending men's champion Jannik Sinner lost in the semi-finals; Venus Williams, at 45, became the oldest player in the women's singles draw.

GK ByteSports - tennisAustralian Open: first Grand Slam of the year (hard court)
75

Khelo India Winter Games 2026 - Leh Leg

The first phase of the 6th Khelo India Winter Games was held in Leh, Ladakh, featuring ice hockey and ice skating (with figure skating added for the first time); around 900 athletes competed.

GK ByteSports - Khelo IndiaKIWG snow leg: Gulmarg (February)
78

Hockey India League 2025-26 Concluded

The Kalinga Lancers won the men's Hockey India League title (their second), while the SG Pipers won the women's HIL crown.

GK ByteSports - hockey

Awards & Honours8

Cinema & Arts · Literature · General · Civilian Honours
74

Golden Globes 2026 (83rd Edition)

Held in Los Angeles and hosted by Nikki Glaser, 'One Battle After Another' won Best Motion Picture (Comedy/Musical), Best Director and Best Screenplay, while 'Hamnet' won Best Motion Picture (Drama).

GK ByteAwards - cinema
94

Amitav Ghosh Releases 'Ghost-Eye'

Acclaimed novelist Amitav Ghosh released his new book 'Ghost-Eye', with the national tour beginning on 5 January 2026.

GK ByteBooks & authorsAmitav Ghosh: won the Jnanpith Award (2018)
95

Book on President Droupadi Murmu Released

A book chronicling the life and journey of President Droupadi Murmu was released on 10 January 2026.

GK ByteBooks & authors
12

Subhas Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar 2026

India's highest disaster-management honour went to the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (institutional, Rs 51 lakh) and Lt Col Seeta Ashok Shelke (individual, Rs 5 lakh), announced on Parakram Diwas.

GK ByteAwards - disaster managementAnnounced on: 23 January (Netaji's birth anniversary)
70

Padma Awards 2026 Announced - 131 Awards

The Centre announced 131 Padma Awards - 5 Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri - including 19 women, 16 posthumous awards and 6 from the Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI category.

GK ByteAwards - civilian honoursInstituted: 1954Announced on: Republic Day eve
71

Padma Vibhushan 2026 Recipients

The five Padma Vibhushan awardees included veteran actor Dharmendra (posthumous), former Kerala CM V.S. Achuthanandan (posthumous), classical violinist N. Rajam and former Supreme Court judge K.T. Thomas.

GK ByteAwards - recipients
72

Padma Bhushan 2026 Highlights

The 13 Padma Bhushan awardees included singer Alka Yagnik, actor Mammootty, industrialist Uday Kotak, former Uttarakhand CM Bhagat Singh Koshyari and adman Piyush Pandey (posthumous).

GK ByteAwards - recipients
73

Padma Shri 2026 - Sports & Notable Names

Padma Shri honourees included cricketers Rohit Sharma and Harmanpreet Kaur and hockey goalkeeper Savita Punia, among achievers across arts, science, medicine and social work.

GK ByteAwards - recipients

Appointments5

General · Media & Tech · PSU & Government
80

Raj Kumar Goel Appointed Chief Information Commissioner

Raj Kumar Goel was appointed Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) of India, heading the apex body under the Right to Information Act.

GK ByteAppointments - RTIRTI Act: 2005
81

Sangita Barua Elected President, Press Club of India

Sangita Barua was elected President of the Press Club of India, the leading body of journalists in the national capital.

GK ByteAppointments - media
82

Aparna Garg Appointed Railway Board Member (Finance)

Aparna Garg was appointed Member (Finance) of the Railway Board, part of the apex management of Indian Railways.

GK ByteAppointments - railways
83

Who's Who - Key Constitutional Office-holders

As of January 2026, Droupadi Murmu was President (15th), C.P. Radhakrishnan Vice President, Justice Surya Kant the 53rd Chief Justice of India, and Gyanesh Kumar the 26th Chief Election Commissioner.

GK BytePolity - who's who
79

New DGs for Security Agencies

Praveen Kumar (1993-batch IPS) was made Director General of the BSF, Shatrujeet Singh Kapoor DG of the ITBP, and Rakesh Aggarwal (1994-batch IPS) DG of the NIA.

GK ByteAppointments - securityNIA: National Investigation Agency (est. 2009)

Important Days8

General · National Days
62

World Braille Day

Observed on the birth anniversary of Louis Braille to raise awareness of Braille as a means of communication and inclusion for the visually impaired.

GK ByteImportant days
63

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas

The annual observance marks the contribution of the overseas Indian community and Mahatma Gandhi's return to India from South Africa in 1915.

GK ByteImportant days - diaspora9 Jan: Gandhi's return from South Africa (1915)
64

National Youth Day

Observed to mark the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda; the 2026 theme was 'Ignite the Self, Impact the World'.

GK ByteImportant days
65

Makar Sankranti / Uttarayan

The harvest festival marking the sun's transition into Capricorn (Makar rashi) was celebrated across India with regional variations such as Pongal, Lohri and Bihu.

GK ByteCulture - festivals
66

Parakram Diwas / Netaji Jayanti

The 129th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was observed as Parakram Diwas ('Day of Valour').

GK ByteImportant days - historyNetaji: founded Azad Hind Fauj (INA)
67

National Voters' Day

The 16th National Voters' Day was observed under the theme 'My India, My Vote', marking the founding of the Election Commission on 25 January 1950.

GK BytePolity - electionsECI founded: 25 Jan 1950
68

National Tourism Day

Observed on 25 January to highlight the importance of tourism to India's economy, culture and employment.

GK ByteImportant days - tourism
69

Martyrs' Day / Shaheed Diwas

Observed on 30 January to mark the death anniversary (assassination) of Mahatma Gandhi, with a two-minute national silence.

GK ByteImportant days - history

Obituaries4

Public Life · General
96

Obituary: Former MP L. Ganesan

L. Ganesan, 91, a veteran Indian politician and former Member of Parliament (1980-86, 2004-09), passed away in January 2026.

GK ByteObituaries - politics
97

Obituary: Veteran Politician Kabindra Purkayastha

Kabindra Purkayastha, 94, a long-serving former Member of Parliament (1991-2014) from Assam, passed away in January 2026.

GK ByteObituaries - politics
98

Obituary: Actress Jayashree Kabir

Jayashree Kabir, 73, a Bengali actress known for films including 'Pratidwandi' and 'Simana Periye', passed away in January 2026.

GK ByteObituaries - arts
99

Obituary: Former Tamil Nadu MLA N. Sundaram

N. Sundaram, 72, a Tamil Nadu politician and former MLA (1996-2001, 2006-11), died following a fall in January 2026.

GK ByteObituaries - politics

Reports & Indices2

General · Global Indices
85

WEF Global Risks Report 2026 Released

The WEF released its Global Risks Report 2026 at Davos, flagging misinformation/disinformation, extreme weather, geoeconomic confrontation and societal polarisation among the top near-term global risks.

GK ByteReports & indices
84

Henley Passport Index 2026 - India Climbs to 80th

India climbed five places to 80th in the Henley Passport Index 2026, with visa-free, visa-on-arrival or e-visa access to about 55 destinations.

GK ByteReports & indicesBy: Henley & Partners

Frequently asked questions

What does the January 2026 current affairs capsule cover?

It covers 103 verified current affairs from January 2026 across 13 sections including polity, economy, international relations, government initiatives, science, defence, sports and awards. Each item includes a short explanation and a GK Byte linking it to static general knowledge.

Is the January 2026 current affairs PDF free to download?

Yes. The full January 2026 capsule PDF is free to download on MockSutra, with no login required.

Which exams is this January 2026 current affairs useful for?

It is built for Punjab Police Constable, RSSB LDC / Junior Assistant, SSC and state PSC exams, and is useful for any Indian government exam with a current affairs section.

How should I revise January 2026 current affairs quickly?

Read each story's heading and explanation once, note the GK Byte, then use the PDF for a fast final skim before your exam.

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