National News

India’s AYUSH System Recognised in Bilateral Agreements with Oman, New Zealand

• Indian Commerce Ministry announced that the AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy) system received formal recognition in major bilateral trade agreements with Oman and New Zealand.
• These agreements, finalized in December 2025, represent the first time AYUSH has been formally included with dedicated annexures in such bilateral deals.

AIIMS New Delhi operationalized the Ashray facility

• AIIMS New Delhi operationalized the Ashray facility, a night-shelter initiative designed to assist patients and their attendants waiting overnight for Outpatient Department (OPD) services.
• Developed with the support of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the initiative uses eco-friendly electric shuttle buses to transport patients between the hospital and the shelter.

PRAGATI Platform

• Prime Minister’s flagship platform for Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation, PRAGATI, marked a significant milestone with the successful conduct of its 50th meeting.

STATE SPECIAL NEWS

Earthquake Hits Central Assam

• A 5.1 magnitude earthquake struck central Assam and the epicentre of the tremor was near Assam’s Morigaon district at a depth of 50 km.

Assam

Telangana abolished two-child norm for local body elections

• The Telangana Legislative Assembly has unanimously passed four Bills, including the Telangana Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which abolishes the long‑standing “two‑child norm” that barred candidates with more than two children from contesting local body elections.

Telangana

Smart Green Aquaculture Farm and Research Institute

• The Union Minister, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh inaugurated the Smart Green Aquaculture Farm and Research Institute and state-of-the-art Recirculatory Aquaculture System (RAS) Facility in Hyderabad, Telangana.
• Smart Green Aquaculture Limited has established India’s first commercial-scale tropical Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS)–based Rainbow Trout Aquaculture Farm & Research Institute, marking a watershed moment in the evolution of Indian aquaculture.

Ladakh Sports Policy 2025

• The Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Ladakh, Kavinder Gupta, officially launched the Ladakh Sports Policy 2025 at the LG Secretariat in Leh.
• This is the first comprehensive sports policy for the Union Territory since its formation in 2019.

Ladakh

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Delcy Rodríguez as Interim President of Venezuela

• Venezuela's Supreme Tribunal of Justice appointed Vice President Delcy Rodríguez as Interim President following the capture of President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces. Maduro was taken to New York to face "narco-terrorism" charges.

Venezuela

SUMMITS AND CONFERNCES

Aeronautics 2047

• A two-day national seminar ‘Aeronautics 2047’, organised by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), held at Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS), Bengaluru.

India AI Impact Summit 2026

• IndiaAI, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, in collaboration with the Government of Assam, and IIT Guwahati, convened the Human Capital Working Group Meeting in IIT Guwahati campus.
• The Guwahati convening will serve as a key regional and thematic precursor to the India AI Impact Summit 2026, scheduled to be held from February 15 – 20, 2026, in New Delhi, where national and global stakeholders will converge to shape the future of inclusive, responsible, and impact-driven AI.

IMPORTANT DAYS

National Bird Day

• National Bird Day is observed annually on January 5 to raise awareness about bird conservation and the survival of both wild and captive birds.
• India also recognizes November 12 as National Bird Watching Day to honor the birth anniversary of "The Birdman of India," Dr. Salim Ali.

ECONOMY & BANKING

India is World’s largest rice producer

• According to recent data for the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 seasons, India became the world's largest producer of rice, surpassing China.
• India’s rice production has reached 150.18 million tonnes, compared to China’s 145.28 million tonnes.

Relaxation for deep-tech startups

• Indian government officially scrapped the mandatory three-year existence condition for deep-tech startups seeking recognition under the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR)'s Industrial Research and Development Promotion Programme (IRDPP).
• Eligible deep-tech startups can now apply for financial assistance of up to ₹1 crore and other incentives much earlier in their lifecycle.
• This announcement was made during the DSIR's 42nd Foundation Day by Union Minister Jitendra Singh, who also launched the DSIR Guidelines for Recognition of In-House R&D Centres of Deep-Tech Startups.

India’s Russian oil imports at six-month high

• The latest data from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry showed that India imported 7.7 million tonnes of oil from Russia in November 2025, accounting for 35.1% of the country's total oil imports that month.
• This was also nearly 7% higher than the amount imported in November 2024 and was the highest since May 2025.

Russia

PERSON IN NEWS

L. Ganesan

• Veteran Dravidian ideologue and former Member of Parliament L. Ganesan passed away at the age of 92.
• Known as "Mozhipor Thalapathy" (Commander of Language Struggle), he was a prominent figure in the anti-Hindi imposition agitations of the 1960s.

ART & CULTURE

1,000 Years of Somnath Temple

• In January 2026, India commemorated 1,000 years since the first major attack on the Somnath Temple by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1026 AD.
• Known as the "Shrine Eternal," the temple stands at Prabhas Patan, Gujarat, as a symbol of resilience, having been destroyed and rebuilt at least seven times over the millennium.

Somnath Temple

DEFENCE NEWS

Pollution Control Vessel ‘Samudra Pratap’

• Indian Coast Guard’s first indigenously designed and built pollution control vessel ‘Samudra Pratap’ commissioned by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in Goa.
• The vessel will serve as a critical platform for enforcing marine pollution control regulations, maritime law enforcement, search and rescue operations, and safeguarding India’s Exclusive Economic Zone.

Indian Coast Guard

SPORTS

2nd Khelo India Beach Games

• The 2nd Khelo India Beach Games started on January 5, 2026, at Ghoghla Beach in Diu, and will conclude on January 10, 2026.
• The games are organized by the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, under the supervision of the Sports Authority of India and national sports federations.
• he six medal sports will be – Beach Soccer, Beach Volleyball, Beach Sepak Takraw, Beach Kabaddi, Pencak Silat and Open water swimming. Mallakhamb and Tug of War will be non-medal events.

Bangladesh will not travel to India for T20 WC

• Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has announced that its team will “not travel to India” for the tournament, and has formally requested the International Cricket Council (ICC) to “consider relocating Bangladesh’s matches outside India”.