National Affairs

1. Indusfood 2026 (9th Edition)

• Date & Venue: January 08–10, 2026 | India Expo Centre & Mart, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh
• Inaugurated by: Chirag Paswan, Union Minister for Food Processing Industries (MoFPI).
• Organized by: Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• Key Components & Conclaves:
  • 1st World Culinary Heritage Conference 2026: Organized by the Indian Federation of Culinary Associations (IFCA).
  • BHARATI Startup Challenge: Launched by APEDA to promote innovation in agritech and food export sectors.
  • India–UAE Food Corridor: Accelerated via an MoU between TPCI and Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi (KEZAD) to streamline bilateral food trade networks.
  • New Pavilions: Introduced Pet Food & Animal Nutrition and Cookware & Kitchenware sectors.

2. 3rd Indian Lighthouse Festival (Lighthouse Festival 3.0)

• Date & Venue: January 09–10, 2026 | MGM Park, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
• Organized by: Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways (MoPSW) + Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships (DGLL).
• Key Outcomes:
  • Lighthouse Museum: An MoU was exchanged between the Visakhapatnam Port Authority (VPA) and DGLL to set up a new museum in Vizag.
  • Infrastructure Boost: Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal laid the foundation stones for 4 major port projects worth ₹230 crore under VPA (including LPG berth firefighting upgrades, dry dock modernization, and a new Administrative Office Building).
  • Virtual Launches: Foundation stone laid for staff quarters at Junglighat (Sri Vijaya Puram, Andaman & Nicobar Islands) and a light-and-sound show at Aguada Lighthouse (GoA).

3. India's Clean Energy Milestones (MNRE Data)

• Status Report (2025): India's total non-fossil fuel electricity capacity reached 266.78 GW in 2025 (a 22.6% increase year-on-year).
• Renewable Expansion: India added 48 GW of renewable energy (including hydro) in 2025 alone, placing its progress alongside China and the US.
• National Goals: Aligns with the target of 500 GW of non-fossil capacity by 2030 and Net Zero emissions by 2070.

Total Non-Fossil Fuel Capacity: 266.78 GW
│
├── Solar Power ────────── 131.81 GW (~38.8% growth)
├── Wind Energy ──────────  54.51 GW (~13.2% growth)
├── Large Hydro ──────────  50.91 GW (Includes pumped storage)
├── Bioenergy ────────────  11.61 GW
└── Small Hydro ──────────   5.16 GW

4. India Post: Speed Post 24 & Speed Post 48

• Launched by: Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Union Minister for Communications, at Pichor in Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh.
• Service Framework: Under these newly structured services, Speed Post 24 guarantees document and parcel delivery within 24 hours (1 day), while Speed Post 48 ensures delivery within 48 hours (2 days).

5. Joint Military-Civil Fusion (MCF) Exercise: 'Sanjha Shakti'

• What: First-ever joint Military-Civil Fusion training drill.
• Location: Diggi Range, Khadki Military Station, Pune, Maharashtra.
• Organizers: Indian Army, under the Southern Command (MG&G Area).
• Participants: Indian Army forces working alongside 16 civilian agencies (including Maharashtra Police, Force One, and emergency services) with over 350+ civilian personnel to improve disaster and rear-area security response.

6. #NonStopZindagi Campaign (National PNG Drive 2.0)

• Timeline: January 01 to March 31, 2026.
• Partnership: GAIL (India) Limited + Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB).
• Core Aim: To accelerate City Gas Distribution (CGD) across households, commercial, and industrial segments to increase natural gas share in India’s primary energy basket to 15% by 2030.
• Regulatory Policy: Supported by PNGRB’s unified tariff system—"One Nation, One Grid, One Tariff".

Awards & Recognitions

1. 83rd Annual Golden Globe Awards (2026)

• Venue: Beverly Hilton, California, USA (Hosted by Nikki Glaser).
• New Category Debut: Best Podcast won by Amy Poehler for Good Hang With Amy Poehler.
• Historic Milestone: Wagner Moura became the first Brazilian actor to win Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama (for The Secret Agent).
• Top Winners:
  • Film: "One Battle After Another" (Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson) won 4 awards, including Best Picture (Musical/Comedy).
  • Television: "Adolescence" (Directed by Philip Barantini) secured 4 awards, including Best Limited Series.

2. Corporate HR Honors

• BSE Limited (Bombay Stock Exchange): Conferred with the Asia Best Employer Brand Award 2026 at the Hong Kong Leadership Awards & CMO Asia Awards, validating its workspace management policies in the financial sector.

Science & Technology

Flight Test of 3rd Generation MPATGM

• Conducted by: DRDO’s Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad.
• Location: KK Ranges, Ahilya Nagar, Maharashtra.
• Weapon Blueprint: The Man-Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM) is a lightweight, fire-and-forget, third-generation anti-armor weapon featuring top-attack capability against moving targets.
• Production Consortium: Developed alongside Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL).
• Specifications: Weight of Missile is ~14.5 kg; Command Launch Unit (CLU) is ~14.25 kg; Length is ~1.3 meters.

Sports & Obituaries

1. Khelo India Beach Games 2026 (2nd Edition)

• Venue: Ghoghla Beach, Diu (UT of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu).
• Mascot: 'Pearl', an energetic dolphin.
• Standings: Karnataka emerged as Overall Champion with 11 medals (3 Gold, 2 Silver, 6 Bronze). Tamil Nadu finished 2nd, and Manipur finished 3rd.

2. Obituary: Davinder Singh Garcha (73)

• Profile: Former Indian Hockey Player, Olympian, and retired IPS officer (DIG, Punjab Police).
• Olympic Career: Core member of the Indian team that won the Gold Medal at the 1980 Moscow Olympics (scoring 8 goals in 6 matches).
• Honors: Awarded the Major Dhyan Chand Award (2021), India’s highest lifetime achievement award in sports.

Important Days

1. National Road Safety Week & Month 2026

• National Road Safety Week: Observed from January 11–17 (2026 marks the 37th edition; first introduced in 1989 by MoRTH).
• National Road Safety Month (NRSM 2026): Observed from January 1 to 31, 2026.
• Theme: "Sadak Suraksha Jeevan Raksha" (Road Safety, Life Safety).

2. National Youth Day 2026 (January 12)

• Significance: Commemorates the 163rd birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda (First celebrated in 1985).
• 2nd Viksit Bharat Young Leaders’ Dialogue (VBYLD 2026): Organised by the Department of Youth Affairs at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi from Jan 9–12. Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed presentations spanning 10 core national themes, including Fit Bharat, Aatmanirbhar Bharat, and Green Viksit Bharat.

State News

1. Andhra Pradesh: Dagadarthi Greenfield Airport

• Location: Nellore District, AP.
• Status: Approved by the AP Cabinet, making it the 8th airport in the state.
• Strategic Connectivity: Sited to connect multi-modal logistics hubs including the Krishnapatnam and Ramayapatnam ports, KRIS City, and the IFFCO Kisan SEZ.
• Capacity: Phase-1 is designed for 1.4 million passengers annually, scalable to 15 million in later phases.

2. Judicial Appointments

• Meghalaya High Court: Justice Revati Mohite-Dere (formerly of the Bombay High Court) was sworn in as the first woman Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court. She succeeded Justice Soumen Sen (who transferred to the Kerala HC).