January 2026

National and State News 

• First Sleeper Vande Bharat Express: PM Modi flagged off India’s first sleeper Vande Bharat train connecting Howrah (Kolkata) and Kamakhya (Guwahati) from Malda. 

• Kaziranga Elevated Corridor & Amrit Bharat Express: Foundation stone laid for the ₹6,957 crore Kaziranga Elevated Corridor in Assam to safeguard migrating wildlife. 

• MSME Technology Centres in Himachal Pradesh: Ministry of MSME approved two new Technology Centres at Pandoga and Parwanoo with ₹10 crore each. 

• Punjab’s First Dog Sanctuary: Inaugurated in Ludhiana as a pilot project for humane stray dog population management. 

• Bharat Future City: Telangana and UAE explored strategic partnerships to develop India’s first net-zero greenfield smart city. 

• New Spaceport at Hope Island: Andhra Pradesh announced its 3rd spaceport dedicated to private and commercial small-to-medium satellite launches. 

• SAMPANN & UMANG Integration: Telecom pensioners can now securely access PPO details and Life Certificates via the UMANG mobile app. 

• Research Scholar Assistance in Assam: Assam launched ₹25,000/month (₹40,000 for Divyang) assistance for regular research scholars. 

• Alwar Biological Park: Rajasthan to build the NCR region’s first 100-hectare Biological Park in Alwar district. 

• Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS): India notified Greenhouse Gas Emission Intensity (GEI) targets for 208 new obligated entities. 

• Humanitarian Aid to Afghanistan: India dispatched 7.5 tonnes of essential cancer medicines to Kabul as medical assistance. 

• Tobacco Ban in Odisha: Odisha enforced a complete ban on the manufacture, sale, and distribution of gutkha and pan masala. 

• Semmozhi Illakiya Virudhu: Tamil Nadu instituted a ₹5 lakh annual award to recognize classical literature across non-Hindi Indian languages. 

• Zero Fresh Waste Dump City: Lucknow became the first city in Uttar Pradesh to achieve 100% scientific municipal fresh waste processing. 

• Private Satellite Unit in Gujarat: Azista Space laid the foundation stone for India’s first private integrated satellite plant ‘Palmnaro’ in Sanand. 

• First Zinc Tailings Recycling Facility: Hindustan Zinc partnered with Sedgman and Leighton Asia to establish a recycling plant at Rampura Agucha. 

• ECINET Digital Platform: Election Commission of India launched ECINET, integrating over 40 applications into a single web portal. 

• GeM & WTC Mumbai MoU: Partnered to expand market access and public procurement opportunities for MSMEs and female entrepreneurs. 

• Glacial Hazard Prediction Model: IIT Guwahati developed a scientific framework identifying 492 potential future glacial lake outburst flood sites. 

• Uniform Civil Code Amendment in Uttarakhand: Uttarakhand promulgated an ordinance introducing procedural and administrative reforms to the UCC Act. 

• Namo Laxmi Scheme in Gujarat: Allocated ₹1,250 crore to support female secondary education and prevent dropouts in Classes 9-12. 

• Kerala’s State Microbe: Kerala became the first state to declare a state microbe, officially choosing ‘Bacillus subtilis’. 

• First AI-Enabled State University: Chaudhary Charan Singh University (CCSU), Meerut, partnered with Google Cloud and MSPE as a pilot AI university. 

• UNESCO World Heritage Nomination: India submitted the dossier for Meghalaya’s ‘Jingkieng Jri / Lyu Chrai’ Living Root Bridges for 2026-27. 

• PM E-DRIVE Certification: Montra Electric’s Rhino 5538 EV became the first heavy-duty truck to receive PM E-DRIVE certification. 

• Sampoornata Abhiyan 2.0: NITI Aayog launched a 3-month campaign to achieve 100% saturation in Aspirational Districts and Blocks. 

• 77th Republic Day Chief Guests: EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President António Costa visited India as official Chief Guests. 

• Speed Post 24 & Speed Post 48: India Post launched new express delivery services guaranteeing 24-hour and 48-hour delivery timelines. 

• Friendo Safety App: Punjabi singer Kaka developed ‘Friendo’, a dedicated mobile application providing quick emergency aid for women. 

• First Organic Village Body in Rajasthan: Bamanwas Kankar Panchayat in Rajasthan became the state’s first completely organic village body. 

• EV Adoption Leader: Kerala topped Indian states in personal four-wheeler electric vehicle adoption in 2025. 

• PM CARES RTI Privacy Ruling: Delhi High Court held that PM CARES Fund enjoys statutory right to privacy under Section 8(1)(j) of RTI Act. 

• World’s Largest Green Ammonia Project: AM Green to develop a $10 billion, 1.5 MTPA green ammonia production project in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh. 

• ONDC Logistics Partner: Department of Posts delivered its first online order as an official Logistics Service Provider on ONDC. 

• 10 Years of Startup India: Startup India completed a decade on National Startup Day (Jan 16), growing into a nationwide innovation network. 

• Female Labor Force Participation: PLFS bulletin reported female LFPR and WPR reached yearly highs in December 2025, with overall unemployment at 4.8%. 

• 7 Years of Womaniya Initiative: GeM celebrated 7 years, connecting over 2 lakh female-led micro and small enterprises to public procurement. 

• Illegal Betting Crackdown: Government blocked 242 illegal betting/gambling web links, taking total blocked platforms over 7,800. 

• NAMO Book Fest: Inaugural edition launched in New Delhi featuring releases of ‘Gen V Bano’ and ‘Mahatma’. 

• Jamma Bane Land Reforms: Karnataka amended land laws to resolve long-pending documentation issues and digitize land records in Kodagu. 

• Supreme Court Merit Ruling: SC ruled unreserved category seats are open competition pools based strictly on merit for all candidates. 

• PESA Act Rules in Jharkhand: Jharkhand notified PESA rules after 25 years to grant self-governance to Gram Sabhas in 13 Fifth Schedule districts. 

• Spituk Gustor Festival: Traditional two-day monastic festival began at Spituk Monastery in Ladakh marking the end of peak winter. 

• Electronics Exports Milestone: India’s annual electronics exports crossed $47 billion in 2025, led by smartphone production under PLI scheme. 

• Bembla River Irrigation & MAHIMA Agency: Maharashtra approved ₹4,775 Cr irrigation project in Yavatmal and set up MAHIMA for overseas job placement. 

• Tailings Policy for Critical Minerals: India notified its first policy framework to recover strategic critical minerals from mining waste dumps. 

• Open-Sea Marine Farming: India launched its inaugural open-ocean marine finfish and seaweed farming project in the Andaman Sea. 

• Hydrogen-Powered Train: India’s first hydrogen-powered train pilot project entered final commissioning on the Jind-Sonipat route in Haryana. 

• ₹17 Lakh Crore PPP Pipeline: Department of Economic Affairs operationalized a 3-year pipeline of 852 infrastructure projects across India. 

• Deep-Tech Startup Funding: Government relaxed the 3-year existence rule, granting deep-tech startups up to ₹1 crore DSIR funding. 

• Largest Inland Rainbow Trout Farm: SmartGreen Aquaculture launched India’s largest RAS-based trout farm in warm Deccan climate (Ranga Reddy, Telangana). 

• e-B-4 Business Visa: India introduced online business visas for Chinese nationals to facilitate structured industrial investments. 

• Triennial Director KYC: MCA revised Companies Act rules, replacing annual director KYC with a triennial (3-year) submission cycle. 

• Commercial Bio-Bitumen Production: India became the world’s first country to produce bio-bitumen commercially for road construction using agricultural waste. 

• First Paperless District Court: CJI inaugurated India’s first completely paperless district court with AI assistance in Kalpetta, Wayanad, Kerala. 

• ICJS 2.0 Police Rankings: Uttarakhand Police topped the national criminal justice data integration list with a score of 93.46. 

• First Deeptech Startup Policy: Tamil Nadu launched policy backed by ₹100 crore to nurture 100 science-driven startups. 

• 4 Guinness World Records by NHAI: Achieved on NH-544G in Andhra Pradesh, including longest continuous 3-lane bituminous laying (9.63 km in 24 hrs). 

• Keyi Panyor Bio-Happy District: Newly formed district in Arunachal Pradesh selected as India’s first ‘Bio-Happy District’ in partnership with MSSRF. 

• APAAR ID Top Performer: Chhattisgarh led large states by generating academic IDs for 88.63% of enrolled students. 

• Fisheries Output Surge: India became the 2nd largest fish producer globally with 197.75 lakh tonnes in FY 2024-25. 

• APEDA Regional Office in Raipur: Inaugurated in Chhattisgarh to support agricultural exports, FPOs, and food processing. 

• Record Trademark Registrations: India registered over 5.5 lakh domestic trademarks in FY 2024-25, the highest in national history. 

• Industrial Hemp ‘Green to Gold’: Himachal Pradesh launched regulated industrial hemp cultivation to boost rural bio-economy by 2027. 

• Dulhasti Stage-II Hydropower: Cleared 260 MW project on Chenab River in Kishtwar district, J&K, costing ₹3,200 crore. 

• First Slum-Free City: Surat, Gujarat is on track to become India’s first slum-free city through in-situ housing redevelopment. 

• 100 Crore Broadband Milestone: India’s total broadband subscriber base officially crossed 100 crore (100.37 crore) in late 2025. 

Government Schemes and Policies 

• Atal Pension Yojana Extension: Cabinet approved APY continuation up to FY 2030-31 with government gap funding support. 

• Mukhya Mantri Sehat Yojana: Punjab launched free cashless medical coverage up to ₹10 lakh/family per year across all income groups. 

• Tamil Nadu Assured Pension Scheme (TAPS): Guaranteed 50% of last drawn salary as pension for state employees with a 10% employee contribution. 

• Akka Pade Scheme Expansion: Karnataka expanded the ‘Akka Pade’ initiative statewide across 31 districts to combat crimes against women and girls. 

• Sanskaar Shaala Initiative: Assam launched a value-based moral and cultural education program for children aged 4 to 14. 

• Kisan Credit Card (KCC) Crop Loans: Government extended Modified Interest Subvention Scheme offering 3% prompt repayment incentive for FY26. 

• 11 Years of Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana: The government-backed scheme celebrated 11 years with an 8.2% annual interest rate for girl child savings. 

Banking and Financial news 

• IMF India Growth Forecast: Upgraded India’s FY26 GDP growth projection to 7.3% citing strong corporate earnings. 

• ₹5,000 Crore Equity for SIDBI: Cabinet sanctioned DFS equity infusion into SIDBI across three financial tranches. 

• Moody’s GDP & Insurance Forecast: Projected 7.3% GDP growth for FY26 and highlighted 17% growth in insurance premium revenues. 

• ZET NPCI Approval: Fintech firm ZET received TPAP approval to offer UPI payments linked to RuPay credit cards. 

• Razorpay Offline Payment Aggregator: Razorpay POS received RBI approval as offline payment aggregator (PA-P). 

• Payoneer Cross-Border Approval: Payoneer India received in-principle RBI approval as Cross-Border Payment Aggregator (PA-CB). 

• Export Credit Interest Subvention: RBI released guidelines offering 2.75% p.a. interest subvention for MSME exporters under Niryat Protsahan. 

• Suryoday SFB Video KYC: Collaborated with HyperVerge to deploy AI-powered video KYC for digital customer onboarding. 

• India FDI Inflows Jump 73%: UNCTAD reported India received $47 billion FDI in 2025, driven by manufacturing and data centers. 

• RXIL Capital Return: TReDS platform RXIL became India’s first to declare and pay an interim dividend (21.6%) to shareholders. 

• PFRDA SAARG Committee: Constituted SAARG committee headed by Narayan Ramachandran to modernize NPS asset allocation. 

• SEBI Approval for PhonePe IPO: PhonePe cleared to launch ₹12,000 crore Initial Public Offering via pure Offer for Sale. 

• Juspay First Unicorn of 2026: Payments infrastructure firm Juspay raised $50M Series D, reaching a $1.2 billion valuation. 

• World Bank Financing for Bhutan Hydro: Approved $815 million financing for Tata Power’s 1,125 MW Dorjilung project in Bhutan. 

• Buyforex GIFT IFSC PSP Nod: EbixCash subsidiary received in-principle approval as regulated Payment Service Provider in GIFT IFSC. 

• RBI CRR and SLR Amendment: Updated 2026 directions incorporating Development Financial Institutions into reporting formats. 

• Swiss Re Insurance Outlook: Projected India to be the fastest-growing major insurance market globally with 6.9% annual growth. 

• RBI Supervisory Action on PSL: Directed HDFC Bank (₹500 Cr) and ICICI Bank (₹1,283 Cr) to make provisions for agri-loan misclassification. 

• RBI-ESMA MoU: Signed cooperation agreement on cross-border regulation and oversight of Central Counterparties. 

• SEBI Household Investment Survey: Revealed only 9.5% (3.21 crore) of Indian households currently invest in securities markets. 

• Swabhimaan Deferred Annuity: Bharti AXA Life launched guaranteed non-linked deferred annuity retirement plan. 

• Revised Integrated Ombudsman Scheme 2026: RBI notified updated One Nation, One Ombudsman framework taking effect July 1, 2026. 

• SMFG India Credit & Google Pay: Partnered to offer collateral-free instant personal digital loans to app users. 

• FEMA 2026 Import/Export Regulations: Notified revised foreign exchange rules replacing 2015 regulations effective October 2026. 

• NPS Swasthya Pilot: PFRDA allowed sandbox pilot combining health benefits and pension savings under NPS. 

• EU Bank Branches in India: India permitted EU banks to open up to 15 new branches over 4 years under the India-EU FTA. 

• ICEGATE-LPMS Integration: Inaugurated real-time digital customs data exchange at Agartala Land Port in Tripura. 

• First Solar Mobile ATM Van: Tripura Gramin Bank launched ‘TGB on Wheels’, India’s first fully solar-powered mobile ATM. 

• Retail Inflation (CPI) Dec 2025: NSO reported retail inflation at 1.33%, remaining below RBI’s 2% lower tolerance bound. 

• INR Rupee Trade with Israel: State Bank of India to facilitate bilateral trade settlements in Indian Rupees via Vostro accounts. 

• Registered Crypto Exchanges: 49 cryptocurrency exchanges registered with FIU-IND under PMLA framework as VDA Service Providers. 

• Amazon Pay Fixed Deposits: Launched FD offerings in partnership with 7 banks and NBFCs insured up to ₹5 lakh under DICGC. 

• Composite Government Salary Package: DFS launched standardized salary packages with Public Sector Banks for central employees. 

• World Bank FY26 GDP Estimate: Projected India’s FY26 economic growth at 7.2% driven by robust domestic demand. 

• Paripoorna Mediclaim Ayush Bima: Launched optional top-up health coverage with Ayush benefits for CGHS beneficiaries. 

• NPS Assured Payout Panel: PFRDA set up 15-member panel under M. S. Sahoo to frame guaranteed payout guidelines. 

• FEDAI Forex SRO Recognition: RBI recognized FEDAI as Self-Regulatory Organisation for Authorised Forex Dealers. 

• SMBC Wholly-Owned Subsidiary: Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp received RBI nod to convert Indian branches into a WOS. 

• Automated CMS for Internal Ombudsman: RBI mandated automated complaint systems for banks and large NBFCs for internal ombudsman access. 

• Wholesale Inflation (WPI) Dec 2025: WPI turned positive to 0.83% after two months of deflation due to rising manufactured goods prices. 

• Canara Bank BHIM Plug-in: First bank to integrate NBSL plug-in UPI stack directly into its Canara ai1Pe app.  

• Revised SBI ATM Charges: SBI revised non-bank ATM cash withdrawal fee to ₹23+GST and non-financial fee to ₹11+GST. 

• OECD Global Minimum Tax Deal: Finalized 15% global tax deal featuring a specific carve-out for US-based multinational firms. 

• Piramal Finance Multilateral Funding: Secured $350 million from IFC and Asian Development Bank under Sustainable Finance Framework. 

• Reopening Urban Co-op Bank Licences: RBI proposed reopening UCB licensing after 22 years, prioritizing large well-run credit societies. 

• West Bengal Health Reform Loan: World Bank approved $286 million IBRD loan to strengthen healthcare for 90M citizens. 

• First Overseas Green Loan by IGGEFIL: IREDA subsidiary sanctioned $22.5M for a 100 MW solar project in Zambia. 

• Zero-Forex Diamond Reserve Card: IDFC FIRST Bank launched zero forex markup credit card for international travelers. 

• Ind-Ra FY27 Growth Forecast: Projected India’s GDP growth at 6.9% for FY27 citing base effect and global trade conditions. 

• 75% Dividend Payout Cap Proposal: RBI proposed raising bank dividend payout cap to 75% of net profit based on CET1 ratios. 

• Supervisory Data Quality Index (sDQI): Scheduled Commercial Banks’ sDQI score improved to 90.7 in Sep 2025 quarter. 

• The Fortuna Wave: Federal Bank unveiled refreshed brand identity and visual insignia in Mumbai. 

• Axis Bank Safety Centre: Added in-app security management tool featuring SMS Shield verification. 

• Digital Rupee on SmartGateway: HDFC Bank integrated CBDC (e₹) into merchant payment gateway at zero transaction cost. 

• Cancellation of 35 NBFC Licences: RBI revoked certificates of registration of 35 NBFCs for regulatory non-compliance. 

• Mandatory Cooling-Off Period: RBI proposed 3-year cooling-off period for co-op bank directors completing 10-year tenure. 

• Vyapar Business Loan: Axis Finance introduced collateral-free loans up to ₹10 lakh for semi-urban/rural MSMEs. 

• First Advance Estimates FY26: NSO estimated real GDP growth at 7.4% (Rs 201.90 lakh crore) for FY26. 

• WMA Limit for Delhi: RBI fixed Ways and Means Advances limit for Delhi NCT at ₹890 crore. 

• Skydo PA-CB Authorisation: Fintech Skydo received final RBI licence to process cross-border export payments. 

• Morgan Stanley GDP Projection: Estimated FY26 real GDP growth at 7.6%, higher than government advance estimates. 

• PhonePe PG Bolt: Launched device tokenization checkout for Visa and Mastercard in-app transactions. 

• PayG Dual PA Approval: Received RBI approval to operate as both Physical (PA-P) and Cross-Border (PA-CB) aggregator. 

• Choice Wealth & IPPB: Awarded contract to build digital investment and mutual fund platform for India Post Payments Bank. 

• Gold ETF Holdings Surge: India’s gold ETF holdings jumped 65% to 95 tonnes, making India 6th largest globally. 

• 4th Largest Economy: India officially surpassed Japan with a $4.18 trillion GDP, targeting $7.3 trillion by 2030. 

• Trend & Progress of Banking Report: RBI reported SCB balance sheet growth at 11.2% with CRAR robust at 17.2%. 

• BRISKPE Cross-Border Authorisation: Prosus-backed fintech received final PA-CB authorization from RBI. 

• Gaj Premium Metal Card: IDFC First Bank launched invitation-only metal card with ₹12,500 annual fee waived on ₹10L spend. 

• Syrian Redenomination: Syria issued new banknote series dropping two zeros to manage hyperinflation. 

• RediffPay UPI TPAP: Rediff.com received final NPCI approval for UPI payments in partnership with Axis Bank. 

International News 

• India-Japan Strategic Dialogue: Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi visited India for the 18th Strategic Dialogue and rode the Delhi Metro. 

• BRICS Naval Exercise Clarification: MEA clarified that recent naval drills were South Africa-led and not an official BRICS activity. 

• Global Employment Trends 2026 (ILO): ILO projected global unemployment rate to remain at 4.9% with 2.1 billion workers in informal employment. 

• Global Risks Report 2026 (WEF): WEF identified geoeconomic confrontation and state conflict as top short-term risks, and extreme weather as top long-term threat. 

• Board of Peace Initiative: US President Donald Trump launched the global stability board at Davos in coordination with the UN. 

• US Withdrawal from WHO: United States finalized its exit from World Health Organization after 78 years of membership. 

• India-EU Free Trade Agreement: India and European Union concluded negotiations on a historic comprehensive Free Trade Agreement. 

• Partner Country at Gulfood 2026: India debuted as Partner Country at the world’s largest food sourcing exhibition in Dubai. 

• UNEP Nature Finance Report: Highlighted a 30:1 imbalance between nature-negative investments ($7.3T) and conservation spending. 

• Dhaka-Karachi Direct Flights: Bangladesh and Pakistan resumed direct air passenger services after a 14-year hiatus. 

• BRICS India Chairship 2026: Dr. S. Jaishankar unveiled the lotus-inspired logo, website, and theme ‘Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability’. 

• German Chancellor Visit: Friedrich Merz visited India; signed 19 MoUs covering renewable energy, hydrogen mobility, and nanotechnology. 

• Indo-Israel Blue Food Summit: Signed Joint Declaration to set up Centres of Excellence for Fisheries and Aquaculture. 

• ASEAN-India Digital Ministers’ Meeting: Vietnam hosted 6th ADGMIN virtually, approving the ASEAN-India Digital Work Plan 2026. 

• Ethane Shipping Joint Ventures: ONGC partnered with Japan’s Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) to form two VLEC shipping JVs in GIFT City. 

• International Year of Rangelands 2026: UNGA officially proclaimed 2026 as IYRP to support pastoralist communities globally. 

• US Exit from 66 Global Bodies: USA issued Executive Order withdrawing from 66 bodies including the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and IRENA. 

• IATA Membership for Akasa Air: Akasa Air became India’s 5th airline to join the International Air Transport Association. 

• Malaysia Restricts xAI Grok: Malaysia temporarily blocked Grok AI over concerns regarding sexualized non-consensual image generation. 

• EU Carbon Tax (CBAM): European Union enforced Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism levies on steel, aluminum, and cement imports. 

• Joint Ganges Water Measurement: India and Bangladesh initiated joint flow verification as the 1996 Water Sharing Treaty nears 2026 expiry. 

• Bulgaria Adopts Euro: Bulgaria became the 21st Eurozone member on January 1, 2026, replacing the Bulgarian lev. 

• Zero Duty on Australian Exports: 100% of Australian tariff lines became zero-duty for Indian goods under ECTA. 

• Colombian Crude Import: Indian Oil Corporation imported 2M barrels of Colombian crude to diversify away from Russian supplies. 

Summits & Conferences 

• India AI Impact Summit 2026: India to host the first global AI summit in the Global South at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. 

• 86th All India Presiding Officers’ Conference: Hosted in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh under the overarching theme ‘Strong Legislature-Prosperous Nation’. 

• 28th CSPOC Conference: India hosted the Commonwealth Speakers and Presiding Officers Conference in New Delhi. 

• Bharat Electricity Summit 2026: Global conference scheduled in New Delhi under theme ‘Electrifying Growth. Empowering Sustainability. Connecting Globally’. 

• ASEAN-India Digital Ministers’ Meeting: 6th ADGMIN approved the ASEAN-India Digital Work Plan 2026. 

MoUs and Agreement 

• Bank of Baroda & IIFCL MoU: Partnered for joint infrastructure project lending and loan syndication across emerging sectors. 

• GeM & WTC Mumbai MoU: Partnered to expand market access and public procurement opportunities for MSMEs and female entrepreneurs. 

• ONGC & Mitsui OSK Lines MoU: Partnered to form two VLEC ethane shipping JVs in GIFT City. 

• German Chancellor Visit MoUs: Signed 19 MoUs covering renewable energy, hydrogen mobility, and nanotechnology. 

• SMFG India Credit & Google Pay MoU: Partnered to offer collateral-free instant personal digital loans to app users. 

Science and Technology 

• PARAM SHAKTI Supercomputer: MeitY inaugurated C-DAC’s 3.1 Petaflop supercomputing facility at IIT Madras. 

• Next-Gen Aadhaar App & Udai Mascot: UIDAI released a privacy-focused mobile application and introduced the official mascot ‘Udai’. 

• Pancham AI Chatbot: Ministry of Panchayati Raj launched an AI tool to connect government and rural panchayat representatives directly. 

• National Explosives Database (NIDMS): Home Ministry launched NIDMS, an online database tracking all bomb blasts and IED incidents since 1999. 

• Glacial Hazard Prediction Model: IIT Guwahati developed a scientific framework identifying 492 potential future glacial lake outburst flood sites. 

Environment News 

• Aralam Butterfly Sanctuary: Kerala officially renamed Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary as its first dedicated butterfly sanctuary. 

• Parvati-Arga Eco-Sensitive Zone: Declared an Eco-Sensitive Zone in Uttar Pradesh to protect Gangetic plain bird habitats. 

• Solid Waste Management Rules 2026: Ministry of Environment notified new rules based on circular economy and Extended Producer Responsibility effective April 2026. 

Important Days 

• Global Family Day (Jan 1): Celebrated worldwide to promote global peace, unity, and non-violence. 

• World Braille Day (Jan 4): Observed to honor Louis Braille and promote Braille literacy for the visually impaired. 

• World Day of War Orphans (Jan 6): Draws global attention to the protection, care, and rehabilitation of war-affected children. 

• African National Congress Foundation Day (Jan 8): Marks the 1912 founding of the ANC, highlighting its role against apartheid in South Africa. 

• Pravasi Bharatiya Divas / NRI Day (Jan 9): Commemorates Mahatma Gandhi’s return from South Africa in 1915 and honors overseas Indians. 

• World Hindi Day (Jan 10): Promotes global awareness and appreciation of the Hindi language worldwide. 

• National Human Trafficking Awareness Day (Jan 11): Raises public awareness to combat human trafficking and exploitation. 

• Lal Bahadur Shastri Death Anniversary (Jan 11): Remembers India’s 2nd Prime Minister and his contributions to the nation. 

• National Youth Day (Jan 12): Marks the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, celebrating youth empowerment. 

• Indian Army Day (Jan 15): Honors Field Marshal K. M. Cariappa taking over as the first Indian Commander-in-Chief in 1949. 

• Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Jayanti / Parakram Diwas (Jan 23): Celebrates Netaji’s birth anniversary and honors his courage and patriotism. 

• International Day of Education (Jan 24): Highlights the fundamental role of quality education in peaceful global progress. 

• National Girl Child Day (Jan 24): Focuses on empowering girl children and addressing social inequality and discrimination. 

• National Tourism Day (Jan 25): Raises awareness about the socio-economic and cultural significance of tourism in India. 

• National Voters Day (Jan 25): Encourages ethical voting and civic participation under the theme ‘My India, My Vote’. 

• International Day of Clean Energy (Jan 26): Inaugural UN observance promoting a fair transition to renewable energy sources globally. 

• Republic Day (Jan 26): Commemorates the 77th anniversary of the adoption of the Indian Constitution in 1950. 

• International Customs Day (Jan 26): Recognizes customs authorities for facilitating cross-border trade and commerce safely. 

• International Holocaust Remembrance Day (Jan 27): Honors victims of the Holocaust and reaffirms commitments against antisemitism. 

• International Data Privacy Day (Jan 28): Promotes data protection awareness; Govt allocated ₹782 crore for cybersecurity in Budget 2025-26. 

• Martyrs Day (Jan 30): Commemorates the martyrdom of Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation. 

• World Leprosy Day (Jan 30): Spreads awareness about leprosy under the theme ‘Leprosy is curable, the real challenge is stigma’. 

• World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day (Jan 30): Unites global efforts to eliminate neglected tropical diseases under ‘Unite. Act. Eliminate’.