Daily Current Affairs: 29 January 2026

Narayan Ramachandran heads PFRDA (Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority) constituted 9-member SAARG committee.

[Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA)]

Key Updates:

• Narayan Ramachandran, former country head and CEO of Morgan Stanley India, chairs the SAARG committee formed by PFRDA.
• The committee includes former whole-time member Ananth Narayan, Motilal Oswal Co-founder Raamdeo Agrawal, DSP Mutual Fund MD & CEO Kalpen Parekh, and First Global Founder & CMD Devina Mehra.
• PFRDA mandates the SAARG committee to review and modernise the National Pension System (NPS) investment framework within 9 months.
• The panel will benchmark NPS guidelines against leading global pension systems and the evolving Indian investment ecosystem.

President Droupadi Murmu conferred Jeevan Raksha Padak Series of Awards-2025 on 30 individuals.

Key Updates:

• President Droupadi Murmu approved the Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak for six persons.
• Six persons received the Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak.
• Eighteen persons were awarded the Jeevan Raksha Padak.
• Six of the 30 awardees are being honoured posthumously.
• The awards recognise meritorious acts of human nature in saving a life.

Ajit Pawar dies in plane crash near Baramati Airport.

[Maharashtra]

Key Updates:

• Ajit Pawar, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister, was killed in a plane crash near Baramati Airport.
• The crash occurred during landing at Baramati airport and also claimed the lives of four others.
• The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will investigate the crash with coordination from Pune rural police.
• Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis declared a state holiday and three days of mourning following Pawar’s death.
• The Pune Traders Federation announced that all shops in Pune city will remain closed for the entire day on Thursday.

U.S. dollar hits four-year low as President Trump signals tolerance of decline

[United States]

Key Updates:

• The U.S. dollar dropped to a four-year low against a basket of currencies on 28 January 2026.
• President Donald Trump described the dollar’s value as "great" when asked if it had fallen too far.
• The dollar had already fallen 10% during 2025 before the latest slide.
• Analysts noted Trump’s stance effectively green-lights further dollar selling by markets.
• A weaker dollar benefits U.S. multinationals’ foreign revenue conversion but risks importing inflation.

Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) to launch National Household Income Survey (NHIS) in 2026

[Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI)]

Key Updates:

• The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) will launch the National Household Income Survey (NHIS) and the Annual Survey of Incorporated Service Sector Enterprises (ASISSE) in April 2026.
• The National Statistics Office (NSO) will conduct the fieldwork for both surveys digitally across India for a duration of one full year.
• MoSPI is convening an All-India Workshop of Trainers (AIWOT) in Chennai on 28–29 January 2026 to prepare senior officials and field functionaries for the rollout.
• The NHIS will provide data on household income distribution, living conditions, and sources of income from labour, capital, and land.
• The ASISSE will build a national database of the corporate services sector, capturing indicators such as Gross Value Added (GVA), fixed capital formation, employment, and emoluments.
• The ASISSE will use an enterprise-based approach aligned with the Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) framework to generate estimates at state and industry levels.
• The surveys will cover the entire Indian Union, with the exception of villages in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands that remain inaccessible year-round due to geographical constraints.

Department of Posts (DoP) partners with Stock Holding Services Limited (SSL) to extend demat and IPO access through 1.65 lakh post offices.

[Department of Posts (DoP)]']

Key Updates:

• Department of Posts (DoP) signed an agreement with Stock Holding Services Limited (SSL) on 27 January 2026 at Dak Bhawan, New Delhi.
• The collaboration enables demat and trading account opening, mutual fund investments, IPO participation, and other SEBI-regulated investment products via India Post’s network of over 1.65 lakh post offices.
• SSL services will be accessible through digital onboarding links and QR codes hosted on official platforms and deployed at selected post office locations.
• SSL and DoP will jointly conduct structured investor education programmes targeting first-time investors, rural households, and semi-urban citizens.

GAIL (India) Ltd to acquire equity stake in Singapore-based LNG ship-owning company.

[GAIL, K LINE, J M Baxi]

Key Updates:

• GAIL (India) Ltd will take an equity stake in a Singapore-based LNG ship-owning company through its wholly owned subsidiary GAIL Global IFSC Ltd registered in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City).
• The LNG vessel is under construction in South Korea and is linked to a long-term charter signed by GAIL.
• Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd (K LINE) and J M Baxi Marine Services will also be equity partners in the ship-owning company.
• GAIL already holds a 26 per cent stake in the LNG carrier ‘GAIL Bhuwan’ hired from Japan’s Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd.

Uttarakhand Uniform Civil Code (Amendment) Ordinance 2026 introduces procedural, administrative and penal improvements for effective implementation.

[Uttarakhand]

Key Updates:

• Uttarakhand Government implemented the Uniform Civil Code (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026, after Governor Lieutenant General Gurmit Singh (Retd.) approved it under Article 213 of the Constitution of India.
• The ordinance amends the UCC Act, 2024, and came into force immediately.
• It simplifies marriage registration, enabling fully online application from anywhere without physical presence at Sub-Registrar offices.
• Within less than a year of UCC implementation, 4,74,447 marriages have been registered, averaging about 1,400 registrations per day compared to 67 per day under the previous Uttarakhand Compulsory Registration of Marriages Act, 2010.
• Couples and witnesses can now upload documents and record video statements online to complete registration.

Gujarat launches Namo Lakshmi Yojana with ₹1,250 crore outlay for 12 lakh girl students.

[Gujarat]

Key Updates:

• The Gujarat government introduced the Namo Lakshmi Yojana to provide financial aid to approximately 12 lakh girl students in the state.
• The scheme has a total expenditure of ₹1,250 crore.
• It targets female students mainly studying between Class 9 and 12 to reduce dropout rates.
• Aid will be disbursed in instalments throughout the academic year to cover school fees, uniforms, books, stationery and transport.
• Funds will be directly transferred into beneficiaries' bank accounts through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system.

Maharashtra Launches Country’s First Menopause Clinics to Provide Integrated Healthcare Support for Women

[Maharashtra]

Key Updates:

• Maharashtra has established the country’s first dedicated menopause clinics across government hospitals and urban health facilities.
• The initiative was launched on 14 January 2026, on the occasion of Makar Sankranti, under the guidance of the Minister of State for Health Meghna Bordikar.
• The clinics provide expert medical consultation, mental health counselling, and screening for bone, heart, and hormonal health at a single location.
• The programme aims to address physical changes, mental stress, hormonal imbalance, bone-related problems, sleep disorders, and depression in women.
• Maharashtra is the first state in India to introduce such specialised clinics exclusively for women during the menopause phase.

Model Youth Gram Sabha (MYGS) Awards Conferred with Top Prizes of ₹1 Crore

Key Updates:

• Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj (MoPR), Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel, conferred the National Awards for Model Youth Gram Sabha (MYGS) at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on 28 January 2026.
• The MYGS initiative involved over 28,000 students from 619 Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) and 200 Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) participating in simulated Gram Sabha and Gram Panchayat proceedings.
• In the JNV category, JNV Una (Himachal Pradesh) won the first prize of ₹1 crore, JNV Kannur (Kerala) won the second prize of ₹75 lakh, and JNV Ukhrul-I (Manipur) won the third prize of ₹50 lakh.
• In the EMRS category, EMRS Kosambuda (Chhattisgarh) secured the first prize of ₹1 crore, EMRS Hirli (Odisha) won the second prize of ₹75 lakh, and EMRS Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh) won the third prize of ₹50 lakh.
• The initiative aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the Prime Minister’s vision of nurturing one lakh young leaders across the country through experiential civic learning.
• A comprehensive MYGS Compendium in English and Hindi was released to document the journey of students gaining first-hand exposure to grassroots governance and Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI).

Ministry of Jal Shakti Honours 58 WaSH Warriors as Special Guests for 77th Republic Day

[Ministry of Jal Shakti]

Key Updates:

• The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry of Jal Shakti, hosted 58 WaSH Warriors from Swachh Sujal Gaon villages as Special Guests for the 77th Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi.
• The WaSH Warriors were nominated by States and Union Territories under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) to represent rural households, marginalised communities, and Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) majority villages.
• Union Minister for Jal Shakti, Shri C. R. Patil, chaired the Samvad Samaroh on 27 January 2026, attended by Ministers of State Shri V. Somanna and Shri Raj Bhushan Choudhary.
• The JJM has reportedly benefited over 9.5 crore women and saved an estimated 4.5 crore hours of their time by providing household tap water connections.
• A booklet titled Peyjal: Jan Shakti Ki Abhivyakti – Volume II was released to document the journeys of WaSH Warriors and grassroots leadership in sustainable drinking water systems.
• The event highlighted community leaders including Shri Motilal from Chhattisgarh, Ms Nijuma Devi from Assam, Mrs Lentsothsi from Nagaland, and Shri Amrutbhai Parmar from Gujarat.
• The honoured guests belong to villages that are Har Ghar Jal certified under JJM and ODF Plus Model verified under Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen).
• Shri Kamal Kishore Soan, Additional Secretary and Mission Director of the National Jal Jeevan Mission (NJJM), interacted with the warriors at Pandit Deendayal Antyodaya Bhawan.

Remount and Veterinary Corps (RVC) Republic Day 2026 animal contingent debuts Bactrian camels, Zanskar ponies and raptors

Key Updates:

• The Remount and Veterinary Corps (RVC) will for the first time present Bactrian camels, Zanskar ponies, Army dogs and four raptors in the 2026 Republic Day parade.
• Captain Harshita Raghav, one of the first women inducted into the RVC in 2023, will lead the 2026 contingent.
• Bactrian camels inducted for Ladakh’s cold deserts can carry up to 250 kg and operate above 15,000 ft along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
• Indigenous Zanskar ponies from Ladakh carry 40-60 kg loads and patrol high-altitude areas including Siachen.
• Army dogs inducted under the 2023-2025 indigenous breeds drive include Mudhol, Rampur, Chippipara, Kombai and Rajapalayam.
• The RVC traces its origin to the 1779 Stud Department in Bengal and received the President’s Flag in 1989.

NITI Aayog–NIIT Foundation MoU for 100% Aspirational Blocks coverage

[NITI Aayog]

Key Updates:

• NITI Aayog has partnered with NIIT Foundation to achieve 100% coverage in digital literacy, financial inclusion and employability across select Aspirational Blocks.
• The collaboration targets approximately 1.2 lakh beneficiaries with at least 40% women participation.
• NIIT Foundation will lead on-ground implementation through trained mobilisers, trainers, and by building capacity of community facilitators, self-help group leaders and peer educators.

Mukhya Mantrir Eti Koli Duti Paat Scheme: ₹300 crore one-time assistance of ₹5,000 each to 6 lakh tea garden workers.

[Assam]

Key Updates:

• Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma launched the Mukhya Mantrir Eti Koli Duti Paat Scheme at Doomdooma in Tinsukia district.
• The scheme will disburse over ₹300 crore as a one-time financial assistance of ₹5,000 each to more than six lakh permanent and casual tea garden workers.
• The benefit covers 836 tea gardens across 27 districts and 73 legislative assembly constituencies in Assam.
• Budgetary allocation has been made to ensure successful implementation of the scheme.
• The launch fulfills an election promise of the present Assam government.

India and European Union sign new security and defence partnership

[European Union (EU)]

Key Updates:

• India and the European Union (EU) have signed a security and defence partnership pact focusing on maritime domain cooperation and Indo-Pacific engagements.
• The partnership will facilitate stronger participation of the Indian defence industry in the European market.
• An industry-led India-EU Defence Industry Forum will be established with official participation as observers and associating EU member states.
• A dedicated annual EU-India Security and Defence Dialogue has been announced.
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated that the Indian defence industry can contribute meaningfully to the EU's 'ReArm initiative' aimed at diversifying suppliers and de-risking dependencies.

Bangladesh and China sign G2G deal to establish advanced drone manufacturing plant in Bogra

[Bangladesh, China]

Key Updates:

• The Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) and state-owned China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC) signed a government-to-government (G2G) agreement to establish a drone manufacturing facility.
• The plant will be located near the New Bogra Airbase in the Bogra region and is expected to be operational by late 2026.
• The facility will initially focus on producing Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) UAVs.
• The partnership involves a full technology transfer from CETC to the BAF to enable Bangladesh to eventually design and assemble its own indigenous UAVs.
• The BAF is also finalising a USD 2.2 billion deal with China to procure 20 Chengdu J-10C Vigorous Dragon multirole fighter jets to replace its ageing fleet.
• The manufacturing site's proximity to India’s Siliguri Corridor, known as the Chicken’s Neck, has raised security concerns regarding intelligence risks and signals data collection.
• The signing ceremony at the BAF headquarters in Dhaka Cantonment was attended by Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan and Chinese Ambassador Yao Wen.

Indian Navy First Training Squadron concludes three-day Indonesia visit

[Indonesia]

Key Updates:

• Indian Navy First Training Squadron (1TS) departed Belawan, Indonesia on January 23 after a three-day port call.
• Ships of 1TS included INS Tir, INS Shardul, INS Sujata and Indian Coast Guard Ship Sarathi.
• Professional interactions, cultural exchanges, training visits and friendly sports meets were held with Indonesian Navy personnel.
• Capt Tijo K Joseph, Senior Officer 1TS, met Laksamana Muda (RAdm) Deny Septiana, Commander of Naval Area Command I (Komando Kodaeral I).
• An onboard reception co-hosted by 1TS and Consulate General of India, Medan, was attended by senior dignitaries of Kodaeral I with Kolonel Wirawan Aby P, Chief of Operations, as Chief Guest.
• Indian naval trainees visited Komando Daerah Angkatan Laut I facilities to understand regional command roles.
• Joint yoga sessions and friendly sports were organised fostering camaraderie between the two navies.
• Ships were opened to local school children, generating excitement and curiosity through guided tours.
• The visit advances India's Act East Policy and strengthens maritime cooperation with Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) member Indonesia under the MAHASAGAR vision.

United States official says Hamas disarmament in Gaza to be accompanied by amnesty

[United States]

Key Updates:

• A United States (US) official stated that disarmament by Hamas in Gaza will be accompanied by "some sort of amnesty" for the Palestinian group.
• The US official made the comment on Monday after the recovery of the body of the last Israeli captive in Gaza, paving the way for the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal agreed in October.
• US President Donald Trump's 20-point Gaza plan states that Hamas members who decommission weapons will be given amnesty and safe passage if they wish to leave Gaza.
• Hamas said the return of captive remains underscored its commitment to phase one of the ceasefire and demanded Israel open the Rafah crossing without restrictions and withdraw completely from Gaza.
• Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan met Hamas officials in Ankara on Monday to discuss the second phase of the ceasefire and humanitarian conditions in Gaza.

Indian Security Forces conduct Operation Trashi-I in Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir

[Jammu and Kashmir]

Key Updates:

• Operation Trashi-I was launched on 18 January 2026 by a joint team comprising the Indian Army, Para (Special Forces), and Jammu and Kashmir Police (J&K Police) Special Operations Group (SOG).
• The operation is focused on the Chatroo belt of Kishtwar district, specifically the dense forests of Janseer-Kandiwar and locations along the Kishtwar-Sinthan road.
• The first exchange of fire occurred on 18 January 2026 in Sonnar village near Mandral-Singhpora, resulting in injuries to eight security personnel.
• A Pakistani terrorist belonging to the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfit was killed during a firefight on 24 January 2026.
• Security forces are utilizing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), drones, and sniffer dog units to track terrorists moving through heavy snowfall in the region.
• The operation was initiated following the busting of three terrorist hideouts in Kathua district on 16 January 2026.
• Recovered items from the operation sites include empty M4 cartridges, food items, cooking gas cylinders, and other logistical materials.

St. Xavier’s College researchers discover Hemileccinum indicum mushroom in Uttarakhand oak forests

[Uttarakhand]

Key Updates:

• Researchers at St. Xavier’s College, Jharkhand, identified Hemileccinum indicum, a new mushroom species, in the oak forests of Uttarakhand at 2,600 m altitude.
• This is the first record of the genus Hemileccinum in India.
• DNA sequencing and electron microscopy revealed the species’ distinctive pitted spores.

Kerala becomes first Indian state to declare Bacillus subtilis as State Microbe

[Kerala]

Key Updates:

• Kerala declared Bacillus subtilis as its State Microbe, making it the first state in the country to officially designate a state microbe.
• Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced the designation during the inauguration of the Centre of Excellence in Microbiome (CoEM) in Thiruvananthapuram.
• Bacillus subtilis is a probiotic bacterium found in the environment, human gut, and fermented foods.
• CoEM, established by the Kerala government, aims to study microorganisms' role in health, environment, and sustainability.
• CoEM functions under the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE) in collaboration with the Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council (K-DISC).
• CoEM is the first institution in India to integrate microbiome-based translational research across human health, nutrition, immunity, agriculture, fisheries, and environmental conservation.
• CoEM signed MoUs with Kerala Startup Mission and Amrita School of Biotechnology for future collaborations.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) captures galaxy cluster MACS J1149.5+2223

[National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)]

Key Updates:

• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has captured a detailed image of the massive galaxy cluster MACS J1149.5+2223.
• The galaxy cluster is located approximately 5 billion light-years away from Earth in the constellation Leo.
• The image demonstrates gravitational lensing, a phenomenon where the immense gravity of the cluster distorts light from background galaxies into arcs and elongated streaks.
• MACS J1149.5+2223 contains over 300 verified galaxies and is identified as one of the largest gravitationally bound objects in the universe.
• A lensed spiral galaxy within the cluster, resembling a pink jellyfish, previously hosted the most distant single star ever discovered and a supernova seen four times due to lensing.
• The observations were conducted using the Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam), Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec), and Near-Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph (NIRISS) instruments.
• The study is part of the Canadian NIRISS Unbiased Cluster Survey (CANUCS) programme, which aims to investigate the first generations of galaxies and the era of reionisation.

Bengaluru startup Akashlabdhi readies July launch of AntarikshHAB, India’s first inflatable space habitat

[Bengaluru]

Key Updates:

• Akashlabdhi, incubated at Indian Institute of Science (IISc), completed key habitat tests in Switzerland with partners including European Space Agency (ESA).
• The July mission will launch a 70 cubic metre scaled version of AntarikshHAB aboard a vehicle supplied by Spanish firm PLD Space.
• The inflatable module will be deployed in orbit, then de-orbited for atmospheric re-entry and post-flight material inspection.
• Underground validation tests at Versuchsstollen Hagerbach (VSH) run by Amberg Group covered pressure, leak-before-burst, thermal cycling, accelerated ageing, and micrometeoroid impact simulations.
• Indian academic contributors are IISc, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IIT-Roorkee) and Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT-Delhi); Swiss partners include ETH Zurich, EMPA and Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI).
• The programme is grant-supported by ESA and its partners and aims to advance the habitat to Technology Readiness Level 6 (TRL-6).

CCRAS–CSU workshop transliterates five rare Ayurvedic manuscripts in Kerala.

[Kerala]

Key Updates:

• Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) and Central Sanskrit University (CSU) completed a 15-day Transliteration Capacity Building Workshop on Ayurvedic Manuscripts at CSU Puranattukara (Guruvayoor) Campus, Thrissur, Kerala from 12 to 25 January 2026.
• The workshop trained 33 scholars—18 from Ayurveda and 15 from Sanskrit—in manuscriptology, palaeography, technical Ayurvedic terminology, and scripts including Grantha and Vattezhuthu.
• Five rare unpublished manuscripts were transliterated: Dhanwanthari (Vaidya) Chinthamani (146 palm-leaf pages from Grantha to Sanskrit), Dravyashuddhi (110 pages Grantha to Sanskrit), Vaidyam (59 pages Medieval Malayalam to Malayalam), Roga Nirnaya Part I (75 pages Medieval Malayalam to Malayalam), and Vividharogangal (78 pages Vattezhuthu to Malayalam and Sanskrit).
• The event was held under the MoU between CCRAS and CSU as part of CCRAS’s national initiative to document, digitise and enable research-based utilisation of classical Ayurvedic manuscripts.
• Prof. Vaidya Rabinarayan Acharya, Director General of CCRAS, stated this was the second such workshop; the first at CSU Puri Campus, Odisha, transliterated 14 Ayurvedic manuscripts.

Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati (IIT Guwahati) develops framework to predict glacial lake formation

[Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati (IIT Guwahati), Assam]

Key Updates:

• Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati (IIT Guwahati) have developed an advanced predictive framework to identify areas where new glacial lakes are likely to form in the Eastern Himalayas.
• The framework is designed to address the risk of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) caused by rapid glacier melting and expansion due to climate change.
• The probabilistic model utilizes high-resolution satellite imagery and digital elevation data to account for topographical features such as bowl-shaped depressions and valleys.
• The research team evaluated multiple predictive methods, including Logistic Regression, Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), and Bayesian Neural Networks (BNN).
• The Bayesian Neural Network (BNN) approach was identified as the most accurate method for predicting potential glacial lake formation sites.
• The study identified 492 specific locations in the Eastern Himalayas where new glacial lakes are likely to form.
• The research findings have been published in the international journal Scientific Reports.

Freshwater influx threatens Maharashtra’s Lonar meteor lake and submerged ancient temples

[Maharashtra]

Key Updates:

• Lonar lake in Buldhana district is India’s only basaltic meteor impact crater and a Ramsar wetland.
• The lake’s pH has dropped from 11.5 to nearly 8.5 due to freshwater influx.
• Fish were spotted in the lake last year for the first time, signalling ecosystem shift.
• Nine of the 15 shoreline temples are now partially or fully underwater.
• Lake level has risen by around 20 feet because deep borewells drilled by farmers punctured basalt layers.
• Two additional freshwater springs now flow into the crater beyond the historical two.
• Hydrogeologist Ashok Tejankar recommends intercepting spring water to supply Lonar town after purification.

Odisha CM inaugurates India's first Flat Rolled Products (FRP) aluminium unit in Sambalpur

[Odisha]

Key Updates:

• Odisha Chief Minister (CM) Mohan Charan Majhi inaugurated India’s first Flat Rolled Products (FRP) aluminium unit at the Aditya Aluminium plant of Hindalco Industries Limited (Hindalco) at Lapanga in Sambalpur.
• The CM inaugurated a specialised battery foil unit established with an investment of ₹834 crore.
• A foundation stone was laid for the expansion of the smelter plant involving an investment of ₹21,162 crore.
• Hindalco Industries Limited (Hindalco) Managing Director (MD) Satish Pai stated that the total investment in these projects is envisaged at ₹50,000 crore.
• The projects are expected to generate employment for 15,000 youths, including the recruitment of 4,500 women across facilities in Keonjhar, Rayagada, and Sambalpur.
• The CM inaugurated the 25th Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Enterprise Odisha Exhibition 2026 in Rourkela.

National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) Launches Reports to Strengthen Circular Economy in Waste Sectors

[NITI Aayog, Rajasthan]

Key Updates:

• National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) released three reports focusing on the circular economy in end-of-life vehicles (ELVs), waste tyres, e-waste, and lithium-ion batteries.
• The reports were shared during the International Material Recycling Conference (IMRC) organised by the Material Recycling Association of India (MRAI) in Jaipur.
• NITI Aayog recommended the development of modern recycling infrastructure and the formalisation of informal recycling activities to improve resource recovery.
• The reports suggest strengthening the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework to address challenges in waste management and enforcement.
• The government of India aims to achieve 30% electric vehicle (EV) penetration by 2030, following a rise in EV sales from 50,000 units in 2016 to 2.08 million units in 2024.
• Lithium-ion battery demand is projected to grow from 29 GWh in 2025 to 248 GWh by 2035.
• The number of ELVs is projected to increase from 23 million in 2025 to 50 million by 2030.
• E-waste generation in India is expected to rise from 6.19 million metric tonnes in 2024 to 14 million metric tonnes by 2030.

Data Privacy Day observed on January 28

Key Updates:

• Data Privacy Day is observed on January 28 every year.
• India notified the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Rules ahead of Data Privacy Day 2026.
• The DPDP Rules aim to strengthen digital privacy governance as nearly a billion Indians use online services.

QS World University Rankings: Europe 2026 released on 28 January 2026

Key Updates:

• QS World University Rankings: Europe 2026 was released on 28 January 2026.
• University of Oxford (UK) tops the ranking, overtaking ETH Zurich (Switzerland) and Imperial College London (UK).
• Seven of the top 10 universities are UK institutions.
• Over 950 institutions from 42 countries and territories are ranked using 12 performance indicators.
• City St George’s, University of London is the highest-ranked new entrant at 127th place.
• Denmark records the highest average score in seven of the twelve indicators among locations with five or more ranked institutions.
• Ireland is the most improved location, with 87.5% of its ranked universities moving up.
• Western Europe is the most represented sub-region with 227 ranked institutions.
• Istanbul is the most represented metropolitan area with 29 ranked universities.
• Baku Engineering University improved the most, rising 96 places to =395.
• University of Oxford leads the Employer Reputation indicator, followed by University of Cambridge and Imperial College London.
• University of Oxford also tops the Employment Outcomes indicator, followed by University of Cambridge and London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

International Day of Clean Energy observed on 26 January

Key Updates:

• The International Day of Clean Energy is observed annually on 26 January.
• The date marks the anniversary of the founding of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in 2009.
• The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) officially proclaimed 26 January as the International Day of Clean Energy in 2023.
• The theme for 2026 focuses on accelerating the global transition to renewable, affordable, and sustainable energy for all.
• The observance aims to raise awareness for achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), specifically Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy.
• India link not mentioned in the article.

International Customs Day observed on 26 January 2026

Key Updates:

• International Customs Day (ICD) is observed annually on 26 January to recognise the role of customs administrations in facilitating global trade, protecting borders, and preventing illegal movement of goods.
• The theme for ICD 2026 is Customs protecting society through vigilance and commitment.
• The theme focuses on innovation, digital transformation, and adaptive strategies to secure global trade against challenges such as e-commerce, cross-border crime, and supply chain risks.
• The observance traces its origins to 1953, when the first session of the Customs Cooperation Council (CCC) was held in Brussels, Belgium.
• The CCC is now known as the World Customs Organisation (WCO).
• The WCO represents 183 member countries and works to strengthen customs systems worldwide.
• Customs authorities are responsible for preventing smuggling and illegal trade, streamlining import and export processes, and collecting duties to support government revenue.
• Customs administrations also focus on adapting to challenges such as e-commerce and digital trade while strengthening international cooperation through trade agreements.
• ICD aims to raise awareness among travellers and businesses regarding compliance with customs laws to help reduce violations and improve trade efficiency.