NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. DGCA Imposes ₹22.2 Crore Penalty on IndiGo for
December 2025 Flight Disruptions: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation
(DGCA) has imposed a penalty of ₹22.2 crore on IndiGo for major
flight disruptions witnessed in December 2025.The regulator stated that the
disruptions were primarily caused by overstretching of flight crew, resulting
in widespread delays and cancellations.
2. PM Modi Launches India’s First Overnight Sleeper Vande
Bharat Train on Howrah–Guwahati Route: Prime Minister Narendra
Modi launched India’s first overnight sleeper Vande Bharat train
connecting Howrah (Kolkata) to Kamakhya (Guwahati) during his two-day
visit to West Bengal, with the inauguration held in Malda.The train
was manufactured indigenously by BEML in Bengaluru, incorporating
technology from the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai.Covering nearly 1,000
km, the fully air-conditioned train has 16 sleeper coaches (First AC, AC
2-tier, AC 3-tier) accommodating around 823 passengers, and features modern
amenities such as ergonomic berths, automatic doors, noise-reduction systems,
advanced suspension, Kavach anti-collision technology, and a top speed of 130
km/h.
3. India’s First Green Ammonia Project Launched in
Kakinada: India’s first Green
Ammonia project has been launched in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, with
CM N. Chandrababu Naidu laying the foundation stone for large-scale green
hydrogen and ammonia plants, aiming to establish a national green energy hub
and a future “Green Hydrogen Valley.”The AM Green project will be the
world’s largest green ammonia facility, producing 1.5 million tonnes annually
from June 2027, primarily for export to Germany.The green hydrogen and ammonia
plants together will attract ₹84,000 crore investment, supporting Andhra
Pradesh’s renewable energy targets, including 160 GW of green energy through
solar, wind, and other renewable sources.
4. Ponduru Khadi from Andhra Pradesh Receives GI Tag: Ponduru Khadi, a rare hand-woven cotton fabric
from Andhra Pradesh, has been granted the Geographical Indication (GI)
tag, enhancing global visibility, legal protection, and market opportunities
for artisans of this traditional craft.The GI registration, awarded to the
Khadi and Village Industries Commission, legally safeguards Ponduru
Khadi—produced exclusively in Ponduru village, Srikakulam district—against
imitation and certifies its geographical origin.
5. PM Modi inaugurated the Kaziranga Elevated Corridor
Project: Prime Minister Shri
Narendra Modi inaugurated the Kaziranga Elevated Corridor Project
(4-Laning of Kaliabor-Numaligarh section of NH-715), worth over Rs. 6,950
Crore in Kaliabor, Assam.Under this, a 90-kms corridor from Kaliabor to
Numaligarh is being developed at a cost of about Rs. 7,000 crore, including a
35-kilometre elevated wildlife corridor.It will feature 35 km of Elevated Wildlife
Corridor that will pass through Kaziranga National Park, 21 km Bypass section
and 30 km widening of the existing highway section of NH-715 from two to four
lanes.The project will pass through Nagaon, Karbi Anglong and Golaghat
districts and will significantly improve connectivity to Upper Assam,
particularly Dibrugarh and Tinsukia. As part of the project, Bypasses will be
developed at Jakhalabandha and Bokakhat that will help to decongest towns,
improve urban mobility and enhance the quality of life for local residents.
6. Sandeep Bakhshi Re-appointed as ICICI Bank MD &
CEO: ICICI Bank has approved
the re-appointment of Sandeep Bakhshi as Managing Director and CEO for
another two-year term, marking his third re-appointment since 2021.The new
tenure of Sandeep Bakhshi will be effective from October 4, 2026, extending his
leadership at ICICI Bank.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. India’s Electronics Exports Surge Past $47 Billion in
2025: India’s electronics exports
crossed $47 billion in 2025, registering a 37% growth over $34.93 billion
in 2024, with smartphones—mainly iPhones—contributing nearly two-thirds (~$30
billion) of total exports, driven by PLI-linked manufacturing.December 2025
exports stood at $4.17 billion, up 16.8% year-on-year, with electronics
crossing the $4 billion monthly mark in 7 out of 12 months, making it the
fastest-growing export category among India’s top 10 sectors.Growth has been
propelled by successive PLI schemes (Smartphone PLI-2020, India Semiconductor
Mission-2021, IT Hardware PLI-2023) and the Electronics Component Manufacturing
Scheme (ECMS) 2025 (₹22,919 crore outlay), with exports projected to cross $55
billion in 2026.
2. Finke River Recognised as World’s Oldest Flowing River: The Finke River in central Australia,
also known as Larapinta by the Arrernte people, is believed to be the
world’s oldest river still flowing today, dating back 300–400 million
years.Stretching over 640 kilometres across the Northern Territory and South
Australia, the river cuts through some of Australia’s most ancient landscapes,
long predating the age of dinosaurs.Unlike typical rivers, the Finke flows
intermittently, appearing as isolated waterholes for most of the year,
connecting briefly only after heavy rainfall, yet forming a continuous ancient
river system.
3. Uganda President Yoweri Museveni Wins Seventh Term: Uganda President Yoweri Museveni has won
a seventh term in office, further extending his long-standing leadership
in the country.He secured 71.65% of the total votes in the presidential
election, reaffirming his political dominance.Yoweri Museveni has been in power
since 1986, making him one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders.
4. 20 January – Penguin Awareness Day: Penguin Awareness Day is
observed annually on 20 January to spread awareness about penguin
species, their habitats, and the environmental threats they face, especially
due to climate change and melting polar ice.Penguins are flightless seabirds
found primarily in the Southern Hemisphere, with Antarctica hosting the largest
population, and they play a crucial role in maintaining the marine ecosystem
balance.
OTHER UPDATES:
DEFENCE
1. Indian Navy’s First Training Squadron Reaches
Singapore’s Changi Naval Base: Indian Navy’s First Training Squadron,
comprising INS Tir, INS Shardul, INS Sujata, and Indian Coast Guard Ship
Sarathi, arrived at Changi Naval Base, Singapore, for a training
deployment in the South East Indian Ocean Region.The visit strengthens maritime
security cooperation, highlights India’s leadership in the Indian Ocean Naval
Symposium (IONS), and aligns with the MAHASAGAR vision for mutual and holistic
advancement of security and growth across regions.
2. If
the U.S. Moves on Greenland: Why a Military Takeover Would Shake NATO and the
Global Order: Speculation
about an American military takeover of Greenland — once dismissed as political
theatre — is now being discussed seriously enough to alarm allies and
adversaries alike. Such a move would not merely redraw Arctic geopolitics; it would strike at
the foundations of NATO, embolden Russia and China, unsettle Europe, and potentially
accelerate nuclear proliferation. The contradictions at the heart of the idea
reveal why Greenland could become one of the most
destabilising flashpoints of the decade. Greenland
sits astride the Arctic routes linking North America and Europe. As ice
melts and shipping lanes open, the island’s location, radar coverage, and
undersea access have grown in importance. The United States already maintains a
military presence there under a 1951 defence agreement with Denmark, which
administers Greenland as an autonomous territory.Washington’s stated concern is
that Russia and China are expanding their Arctic footprint. While there
is evidence of growing Sino-Russian cooperation in Arctic energy and military
exercises, U.S. defence assessments consistently point to the waters around
Alaska — not Greenland — as the main theatre of activity.
3. Border
Roads Organisation: How India’s ‘Silent Sentinel’ Builds Security, Connectivity
and Confidence at the Frontiers: From icy Himalayan passes to
dense forests and arid deserts, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) operates
where terrain tests both engineering and human endurance. Over six decades
since its creation, the BRO has evolved from a niche construction arm into a
strategic pillar of India’s national security — delivering roads, tunnels,
bridges and airfields that serve soldiers on the frontlines and civilians in
some of the country’s most remote regions. Established on May 7, 1960, the Border Roads
Organisation was created to build and maintain strategic infrastructure in
border and inaccessible areas. Guided by its motto — “Shramena Sarvam Sadhyam”
(“Through hard work, all things are possible”) — the BRO works at the
intersection of defence preparedness and development.Since its inception, the
organisation has constructed over 64,100 km of roads, more than 1,100 bridges,
multiple tunnels and 22 airfields across India’s border regions. Since 2015–16,
it functions fully under the Ministry of Defence, reflecting its core role in
national security.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. Can
Scientists Really Detect a Single Graviton? Why a New U.S. Experiment Has
Sparked Excitement and Doubt: The claim is audacious: scientists in the U.S. say
they are building the world’s first experiment explicitly designed to detect an
individual graviton — the hypothetical quantum particle of gravity. The idea
has attracted $1.3 million in funding but also deep scepticism from physicists,
reviving a decades-old debate about whether gravitons can ever be detected, and
if doing so would actually prove that gravity is quantum in nature. The
proposal comes from researchers at Stevens Institute of Technology working with
collaborators at Yale University. Their plan is to build an ultra-sensitive
detector using a cylindrical resonator filled with superfluid helium — a state
of matter that behaves as a single quantum object when cooled close to absolute zero.The idea
is to cool this cylinder to its quantum ground state, eliminating thermal noise
entirely. In this near-perfect silence, the detector would “listen” for the
faintest possible disturbance. If a powerful gravitational wave — say, from
merging black holes — passes through, theory suggests it could deposit exactly
one quantum of energy into the helium. That energy would appear as a single
mechanical vibration, or phonon, which lasers monitoring the cylinder could
detect.Project co-leader Igor Pikovski has said the three-year effort is
unlikely to catch single gravitons immediately, but aims to build a working
prototype that future iterations could refine.
2. Steel
Slag Technology Pitched for Sustainable Roads in Hilly Regions: Union Minister of State (Independent
Charge) for Science and Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh has recommended
accelerated adoption of steel slag–based technology for sustainable road
construction, particularly in hilly and Himalayan regions. He noted that
despite proven benefits, the technology’s uptake in Himalayan states and Union
Territories remains limited and requires targeted outreach, training and
awareness-building among state agencies. Addressing an event marking the
signing of an agreement between the Technology Development Board and
Visakhapatnam-based Ramuka Global Eco Work Private Limited, the Minister said
workshops are being organised to familiarise engineers and officials with steel
slag applications. A two-day workshop on steel slag technology is scheduled to
be held in Jammu
and Kashmir next week, followed by
similar programmes in other states and UTs. He observed that regions with short
construction seasons, heavy rainfall and frequent road damage stand to gain the
most from the technology.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. RBI Notifies Revised Integrated Ombudsman Scheme
(RB-IOS): The Reserve Bank of India
(RBI) has notified revised rules under the Reserve Bank–Integrated
Ombudsman Scheme (RB-IOS), 2026 to strengthen and streamline customer
grievance redressal.Under the new scheme, there is no upper limit on the amount
of dispute that a complainant can raise against a regulated financial entity
before the RBI Ombudsman.
The Ombudsman has the power to award compensation of
up to ₹30 lakh for any consequential financial loss suffered by the
complainant.Additionally, compensation of up to ₹3 lakh may be granted for
loss of time, expenses incurred, and harassment or mental anguish suffered by
the complainant.The revised RB-IOS, 2026, will be applicable to banks, NBFCs,
non-bank PPI issuers, and credit information companies, and will come into
effect from July 1, 2026.
2. LTIMindtree Wins ₹3,000 Crore CBDT Contract for
AI-Based Tax Analytics Platform Modernisation: IT services firm LTIMindtree has secured a
₹3,000 crore contract from the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) to
develop an AI-based programme for modernising India’s national tax analytics
platform.The project, titled “Insight 2.0”, will be executed over a
seven-year period and focuses on leveraging artificial intelligence for
advanced tax data analytics.The modernised platform is designed to deliver
real-time insights to policymakers, supporting data-driven decision-making and
strengthening tax administration.
3. CareEdge Projects 7% GDP Growth for India in FY 2026-27 Despite Global Economic Uncertainties: CareEdge Ratings has projected that India’s economy will grow at 7% in FY 2026-27, indicating continued resilience despite global economic uncertainties, while real GDP growth for FY 2025-26 has been pegged at 7.4% as per the First Advance Estimates.For FY 2026-27, CareEdge estimates real GDP growth at 7% and nominal GDP growth at 10.1%, with India’s macroeconomic outlook remaining constructive, while the RBI has projected 7.3% GDP growth for FY 2025-26.
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