Daily Current Affairs: 24 January 2026

C P Radhakrishnan says Ram Mandir restored self-respect of Indians worldwide

Key Updates:

• C P Radhakrishnan, Vice-President of India, stated that the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya restored the self-respect of Indians worldwide.
• He made the remark while speaking at the launch of a book on the Ram Janmabhoomi movement authored by retired bureaucrat Surendra Kumar Pachauri.
• Radhakrishnan described the temple construction as a defining moment in India’s civilisational journey.

Government of India Approves Wage and Pension Revision for PSGICs, NABARD, and RBI

[Reserve Bank of India (RBI), National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)]

Key Updates:

• The Government of India has approved a 12.41% hike in the wage bill for Public Sector General Insurance companies (PSGICs), effective from August 2022.
• The revision for PSGICs incorporates a uniform family pension rate of 30% and an increase in NPS contribution from 10% to 14% for employees who joined after April 2010.
• The total financial implication for the PSGIC wage and pension revision is approximately ₹8,170 crore, benefiting 46,322 employees, 23,570 pensioners, and 23,260 family pensioners.
• The PSGICs covered under the revision include National Insurance Company Ltd (NICL), New India Assurance Company (NIACL), Oriental Insurance Company (OICL), United India Insurance Company (UIICL), General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC), and Agriculture Insurance Company of India Ltd (AICIL).
• The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) will implement a hike of approximately 20% in pay and allowances for all Group 'A', 'B', and 'C' employees.
• The government has approved a 10% enhancement in pension and family pension on basic pension plus dearness relief for Reserve Bank of India (RBI) retirees, effective from November 1, 2022.
• The RBI pension revision results in an effective enhancement of the basic pension by a factor of 1.43 for 30,769 beneficiaries, including 22,580 pensioners and 8,189 family pensioners.
• The NABARD revision is expected to benefit approximately 3,800 serving and former employees.

Odisha Total Ban on Gutka and Tobacco/Nicotine Food Products

[Odisha]

Key Updates:

• Odisha government ordered a complete ban on manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and consumption of gutka and all food products containing tobacco and nicotine.
• The ban covers gutka, pan masala, zarda, khaini and similar chewable or flavoured/scented food products, packaged or unpackaged.
• Cigarettes and bidis are excluded from the prohibition.
• Violations will attract strict penal action under food safety law, including product seizure, licence cancellation and prosecution.

Carbon Credit Trading Scheme expands coverage to refineries, textiles, petrochemicals and secondary aluminium

Key Updates:

• The government has widened the scope of the Indian carbon market by setting greenhouse gas emission intensity (GEI) targets for 208 more carbon-intensive industrial units.
• A notification issued on 13 January brings petroleum refineries, petrochemicals, textiles and secondary aluminium under the compliance mechanism of the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS).
• With this latest inclusion, a total of 490 obligated entities across the country’s most emission-intensive sectors are now covered under the compliance framework of the Indian carbon market.

Skills Accelerator MoU to bridge workforce skill gaps

[World Economic Forum (WEF)]

Key Updates:

• Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) signed an MoU with the World Economic Forum (WEF) to launch and implement a Skills Accelerator in India.
• The Accelerator is a multistakeholder platform aimed at identifying, scaling, and accelerating innovative solutions and public–private partnerships to address critical skills gaps in the workforce.
• It will strengthen India’s technical and vocational education and training ecosystem by aligning skilling initiatives with industry and global economy demands.

India dispatches 7.5 tonnes of cancer medicines to Afghanistan

[Afghanistan]

Key Updates:

• India dispatched 7.5 tonnes of life-saving cancer medicines to Kabul to address urgent needs of cancer patients.
• The medicines were sent to meet the shortage in Afghanistan.
• India remains committed to supporting the friendly people of Afghanistan.

Alwar to Host NCR’s First Biological Park with 400 Wild Animals, 81 Species

[Rajasthan]

Key Updates:

• The biological park will cover the region from Kati Ghati to Jaisamand and be built on 100 hectares, with 30% developed as a zoo and 70% as green space.
• A high-tech animal rescue centre modelled on Gir National Park and a modern veterinary hospital will be established within the park.
• The park will display over 400 wild animals of 81 species, including giraffes from Africa, seven tiger species, lions and cheetahs, alongside lion, tiger and herbivore safaris.
• A butterfly park showcasing various butterfly species will also be created inside the biological park.

Maharashtra signs MoUs for Innovation City and Small Modular Reactors (SMR) at World Economic Forum (WEF)

[Maharashtra, World Economic Forum (WEF)]

Key Updates:

• The Tata Group has pledged to invest $11 billion in developing the ecosystem for India's first ‘Innovation City' near Navi Mumbai airport.
• The investments are in sectors such as artificial intelligence (AI), data centres, quantum processing, renewable energy, green skill, electric vehicles, urban transformation, green steel, shipbuilding, sustainability, fintech, digital infrastructure and textiles.
• Maharashtra will also be the first in the country to set up small modular reactors (SMR) for generating atomic electricity.
• The initiative is in line with the passage of Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Bill in Parliament.
• The state has also signed an MoU with US-based Supervity AI to set up the world's first AI Global Capability Centre (GCC) hub in BKC.
• The state has held talks with govt nuclear energy entities in India and Russia to fulfill the power demand of data centres.

25th Bharat Rang Mahotsav begins on January 27

Key Updates:

• 25th Bharat Rang Mahotsav begins on January 27 and ends on February 20.
• Festival features 277 Indian and 12 international productions from 15 countries.
• First time inclusion of productions by 33 women directors.
• New venues added: Ladakh, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu, Aizawl, Tura, Nagaon, Mandi, Rohtak.
• Languages showcased include Maithili, Bhojpuri, Tulu, Urdu, Sanskrit, Tai Khamti, Nyishi.
• First-time participation of transgender communities, sex workers, senior citizens.
• NSD to launch NSD radio station, OTT channel, and podcast series during the festival.
• Tributes paid to Ebrahim Alkazi, Ratan Thiyam, Daya Prakash Sinha, Bansi Kaul, Alok Chatterjee.
• 17 new books on theatre to be launched under NSD's Shruti initiatives.

Banaras Lit Fest announces Book Awards 2026; Namita Gokhale gets Lifetime Achievement Award

Key Updates:

• Banaras Lit Fest announced winners of the second Banaras Lit Fest Book Awards 2026 in New Delhi.
• Bhartendu Harishchandra Lifetime Achievement Award conferred on writer and cultural curator Namita Gokhale.
• Announcement made at the outreach and curtain-raiser event at Hi-Tech Institute of Engineering & Technology, Delhi NCR.
• Awards recognise excellence in fiction, poetry, non-fiction and translation across English, Hindi and Indian languages.
• Each category award carries ₹51,000, citation and trophy; Lifetime Achievement Award carries ₹1 lakh.
• Awards to be presented during Banaras Lit Fest from January 30 to February 1, 2026, at Hotel Taj, Banaras.
• Gokhale honoured for contributions to writing, publishing and cultural dialogue across generations.
• Festival President Deepak Madhok said the awards have emerged as a credible literary benchmark.
• Founder Brijesh Singh announced the introduction of a Youth Award category.
• Gomati Devi Eminence Awards 2026 announced for contributions to nation-building across sectors.

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Jayanti 2026 was observed as Parakram Diwas on January 23

Key Updates:

• Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Jayanti 2026 was observed on January 23, marking his 129th birth anniversary.
• The day was celebrated as Parakram Diwas to honour Netaji’s courage, leadership and role in India’s freedom struggle.
• Parakram Diwas commemorated Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, the iconic leader of the Indian National Army (INA).
• The term Parakram, meaning valour, reflected Netaji’s fearless and revolutionary spirit.
• Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was born on January 23, 1897, in Cuttack, Odisha.
• He had resigned from the Indian Civil Service to dedicate himself fully to the independence movement.
• Netaji led the INA and founded the Forward Bloc to strengthen resistance against British rule.
• The Government of India had designated January 23 as Parakram Diwas to honour his sacrifices.
• Schools and colleges organised debates, essay writing and cultural programmes across the country.
• Tributes were paid at Netaji’s statues and memorials, especially in Cuttack, Kolkata and Delhi.

Kirtida Mekani passes away at 66

[Singapore]

Key Updates:

• Kirtida Mekani, originally from Karnataka, died of a massive heart attack at home.
• She was the founding executive director of the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) from 1993.
• Mekani launched the Plant-A-Tree Programme in 2007 with Singapore’s National Parks Board (NParks) under the Garden City Fund.
• She served as trustee of the United World College of South East Asia (UWCSEA) Foundation supporting its Rainforest Restoration Project.
• In 2016 she co-founded the Biomimicry Singapore Network.
• She was on the board of World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Singapore and trustee of Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI).
• She served on the board of LASALLE College of the Arts and on the management committee of the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society (SIFAS).
• She received the President’s Award for the Environment in 2015 and was inducted into the Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame in 2024.