1. National Affairs

Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan’s Multi-State Visit

Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan went on a multi-state tour to Puducherry, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu from December 29 to 30, 2025.

• Puducherry: Marked his first official civic reception as VP. He inaugurated the Senior Secondary Block at Petit Seminaire CBSE School and distributed keys to 216 housing tenements under the Smart City Mission in Kumaragurupallam.
• Kerala: Participated in the Trivandrum Fest 2025 (Christmas-New Year Peace Carnival) organized by the South Kerala Diocese of the Church of South India and the Assembly of Christian Trust Services. He released four books focusing on the philosophy, legacy, and educational vision of Sree Narayana Guru.
• Tamil Nadu: Attended the valedictory function of Kashi Tamil Sangamam 4.0 as the Chief Guest in Rameswaram.

MoJS Launches ‘Jal Seva Aankalan’

The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) launched ‘Jal Seva Aankalan’ on the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) portal.

• What it is: A Gram Panchayat (GP)-led digital tool for self-assessing drinking water service functionality.
• The Shift: It transitions the focus from creating infrastructure to sustaining service delivery, reducing reliance on costly third-party surveys.
• Process: Starts with local stakeholders (VWSC, Panchayat Secretary, operators, and community groups) and requires Gram Sabha endorsement. The results populate the JJM Panchayat Dashboard, eGramSwaraj, and Meri Panchayat App, with a 30-day window for public feedback.
• Deadline: All Har Ghar Jal (HGJ) Gram Panchayats must complete the assessment by January 26, 2026.

Ministry of Defence Signs Deals Worth Rs 4,666 Crore

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) finalized two separate capital procurement contracts to modernize operational preparedness.

• Contract 1 (Rs 2,770 Crore): Procurement of over 4.25 lakh Close Quarter Battle (CQB) Carbines for the Indian Army and Navy. Manufacturing is split 60:40 between Bharat Forge Limited and PLR Systems Pvt. Ltd. (a JV of Adani Defence and Israel Weapon Industries), to be delivered over five years.
• Contract 2 (Rs 1,896 Crore): Procuring 48 Heavy Weight Torpedoes from WASS Submarine Systems S.R.L. (Italy) for the Navy's Kalvari-class submarines (Project-75). Deliveries run from April 2028 to early 2030.
• Note: Total capital contracts signed by MoD in FY25-26 reached Rs 1,82,492 crore.

Western Railways Commissions ‘Kavach 4.0’

The Vadodara division commissioned the advanced indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system, Kavach 4.0, on the 96 km Bajwa–Ahmedabad section in Gujarat.

• First Route Performance: Sankalp Fast (59549/59550) ran as the first Kavach-enabled train on this corridor, which spans 17 stations.
• Technology & Safety: Operates at Safety Integrity Level-4 (SIL-4) using RFID tags and UHF radio communication. Kavach 4.0 features upgraded location accuracy and better signal detection in complex yards.

MoS&T Signs Agreement for ‘Smart Sea Project’

The Technology Development Board (TDB) under the Department of Science and Technology (DST) partnered with Vijai Marine Services Private Limited (VMSPL), Goa.

• Project Name: Smart Sea Project by Vijai Autonomous Craft for Environment (VACE).
• Framework: Part of the Indo-Canada Collaborative Industrial Research and Development Programme (IC-CIR&D).
• Scope: Developing an Indian Register of Shipping (IRS)-certified 20-passenger lightweight electric boat using Fiber Reinforced Plastic (FRP) and electric propulsion systems from Canada’s ACEL Power Inc.

Safeguard Duty on Steel Imports Imposed Till 2028

The Government of India converted its April 2025 provisional duty into a final, definitive 3-year safeguard duty on non-alloy and alloy steel flat products (under headings 7208-7212, 7225-7226).

• The Tapering Rates:
  • April 21, 2025 – April 20, 2026: 12%
  • April 21, 2026 – April 20, 2027: 11.5%
  • April 21, 2027 – April 20, 2028: 11%

Project Approved for Sandbar-Nesting Birds in Ganga Basin

The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) approved a dedicated conservation project for sandbar-nesting birds, specifically targeting the endangered Indian Skimmer (Rynchops albicollis).

• Details: It builds upon existing work for dolphins and turtles under Namami Gange Mission-II. Nest monitoring will continue along the Chambal River and Lower Ganga, expanding to new sites in Bijnor, Narora, and Prayagraj (UP).

India Post Restructures Outward International Mail

Effective January 1, 2026, certain outward international letter mail services are discontinued to improve tracking, security, and customs compliance.

• Discontinued: Registered Small Packet (goods), Outward Small Packet (Sea/SAL/Air), Surface Letter Mail, and SAL Letter Mail.
• Unchanged: Registration remains active for document-only items (Letters, Post Cards, Printed Papers). Users are encouraged to switch to the International Tracked Packet Service (ITPS) for shipping goods.

2. Banking & Finance

RBI Grants Final PA-CB Licence to BRISKPE

Cross-border payments platform BRISKPE received final approval from the Reserve Bank of India to operate as a Payment Aggregator-Cross Border (PA-CB).

• Capability: Allows both inward export collections and outward import payables capped at Rs 25 lakh per transaction, utilizing Account-to-Account (A2A) networks and global banking channels.

SEBI Mandates NISM Certification for AIF Compliance Officers

To standardize risk governance in the Alternative Investment Fund sector, SEBI announced strict qualification rules effective January 1, 2027.

• Requirement: Compliance officers must pass the NISM Series-III-C: Securities Intermediaries Compliance (Fund) Certification Examination. Adherence must be explicitly stated in the fund's annual Compliance Test Report.

3. Economy & Business

India Becomes World’s 4th Largest Economy

The government announced that India surpassed Japan to claim the position of the world's 4th largest economy, boasting a GDP of USD 4.18 trillion.

• Global Rank: India now trails only the USA (1st), China (2nd), and Germany (3rd).
• Growth Context: Real GDP expanded by 8.2% in Q2 of FY25-26. The government aims to achieve High Middle-Income (HMI) status by the independence centenary in 2047.
• Macro Indicators: Foreign Exchange Reserves stood healthy at USD 686.2 billion (Nov 2025). Gross FDI for H1 FY26 grew 19.4% to USD 51.8 billion.

Air India and airBaltic Codeshare Deal

Air India signed a unilateral codeshare agreement with Latvia's national carrier, airBaltic. Air India will place its "AI" code on airBaltic flights connecting transit European hubs (like Amsterdam, Paris, and Frankfurt) to the Baltic cities of Riga (Latvia), Tallinn (Estonia), and Vilnius (Lithuania).

4. Awards, Appointments & Sports

Mountaineering: Kaamya Karthikeyan Sets South Pole Record

18-year-old Kaamya Karthikeyan became the youngest Indian and the second-youngest woman globally to ski to the South Pole (2,385 m). She trekked 115 km across Antarctica in -30°C conditions while pulling an expedition sled. This marks progress toward the Explorers Grand Slam (climbing the Seven Summits and skiing to both poles).

King’s New Year Honours List 2026

British-Indian comedian and actress Meera Syal was awarded a Damehood (DBE) for services to drama, literature, and charity. Other notable Indian-origin awardees included Upadhaya (Damehood), Dhruv Patel (CBE), Neeta Akhtar (CBE), and Pavan Popat (OBE).

Bureaucratic Appointments (ACC Reshuffle)

• Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT): Lav Aggarwal (1996-batch IAS, Andhra Pradesh cadre), succeeding Ajay Bhadoo.
• CMD of Food Corporation of India (FCI): Rabindra Kumar Agarwal (1997-batch IAS, Kerala cadre), replacing Ashutosh Agnihotri.

Space Tech: ISRO Tests SSLV 3rd Stage (SS3)

ISRO successfully conducted a 108-second static ground test of an upgraded third stage (SS3) for its Small Satellite Launch Vehicle at SDSC Sriharikota. The newly introduced carbon-epoxy motor case, advanced igniter, and optimized nozzle system increase the launch vehicle's payload capacity by roughly 90 kg.

FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships 2025 (Doha, Qatar)

Static GK Quick Reference

• FIDE Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland (Established 1924)
• Food Corporation of India (FCI): Established in 1965 under the Food Corporation Act, 1964. Headquartered in New Delhi.
• The Seven Summits: Everest (Asia), Aconcagua (S. America), McKinley/Denali (N. America), Elbrus (Europe), Kilimanjaro (Africa), Vinson (Antarctica), Kosciuszko (Oceania).

To learn more about the strategic safety advancements and technical integration of Indian Railways' automatic braking network, you can watch this Detailed Breakdown of the Indigenous Kavach System. This video covers how real-time radio communication and station-interlocking updates actively prevent collisions.