National News

National Textile Ministers’ Conference Held in Guwahati, Assam

• The National Textiles Ministers’ Conference 2026 was organized by the Ministry of Textiles in collaboration with the Government of Assam from January 8-9, 2026, in Guwahati under the theme “India’s Textiles: Weaving Growth, Heritage & Innovation.” The conference brought together Textile ministers and senior officials from states and Union Territories across India, with Union Ministers Giriraj Singh and Pabitra Margherita, Chief Ministers Dr. Mohan Yadav (Madhya Pradesh) and Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma (Assam) attending the inaugural session.
• A comprehensive report titled “India’s Textile Atlas: State Compendium 2025” was officially released during the event, and a special conclave focused on ‘Strengthening and Empowering the Textiles Sector of the North-Eastern Region of India’ was organized to unlock the region’s potential in silk handloom, handicrafts, and bamboo-based textiles, with special emphasis on Eri, Muga, and Mulberry silk production.
• The Ministry of Textiles unveiled the District-Led Textiles Transformation (DLTT) Plan, a strategic initiative designed to accelerate inclusive and sustainable growth across India’s textile landscape by transforming 100 high-potential districts into Global Export Champions and elevating 100 Aspirational Districts into self-reliant hubs for textile production and innovation.
• The Textiles Committee under the Ministry of Textiles signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the North Eastern Handloom and Handicraft Development Corporation (NEHHDC), a Public Enterprise under the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, marking a major step towards Intellectual Property Rights protection of unique products from the North Eastern states through GI registration and post-GI initiatives.
• On the inaugural day, the Ministry of Textiles signed MoUs with 15 states aimed at creating a strong operational framework to bolster data systems under the Textiles-focused Research, Assessment, Monitoring, Planning and Start-Up (Tex-RAMPS) scheme, strengthening the foundation for data-driven policy making in the textile sector.

Defence News

L&T Signs Contract with Indian Army to Upgrade In-Service Pinaka MLRS

• On January 8, 2026, Larsen and Toubro (L&T) signed a comprehensive contract with the Indian Army, awarded by the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME), to overhaul, upgrade and provide long-term support for the Indian Army’s Pinaka Multiple Launcher Rocket Systems (MLRS), marking a significant advancement in indigenous defense capabilities.
• Under the contract, L&T will undertake complete overhaul of existing launchers, upgrade obsolete components, modernize command and control elements, and provide lifecycle support including quality assurance and training to ensure operational readiness and extended service life of the weapon systems.
• Initially, a pilot overhaul of one Pinaka launcher and a Battery Command Post will be jointly undertaken with the 510 Army Base Workshop (ABW), establishing standard procedures and best practices for subsequent phases of the modernization program across the Indian Army’s fleet.
• The cooperation strengthens the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model in India’s defense sector, improving the conduct of sustainment and upgrades of equipment while reducing dependence on foreign suppliers and building indigenous capacity for complex defense system maintenance.
• Concurrently, the Indian Army and HDFC Bank renewed their Memorandum of Understanding for three more years till 2029, focusing on financial services and welfare benefits for Army personnel, retirees, and Agniveers, including Personal Accident Insurance cover of Rs.1 crore, Air Accident Insurance cover of Rs.1 crore, and Rs. 5 lakh support each for child education and girl child marriage.

Defence News

Indian Army Launches Digital Platform ‘DIME’ to Modernize Logistics Management

• On January 8, 2026, the Indian Army launched ‘Depot Integration Management Edition (DIME)’, a comprehensive digital platform jointly developed with the Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-Informatics (BISAG-N) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, aimed at transforming logistics management and enabling commanders to make faster, more informed, and data-driven decisions.
• The platform is designed to provide real-time visibility and efficient management of spares and equipment by integrating inventory control, maintenance planning, and demand forecasting into one unified digital platform, addressing long-standing challenges in military supply chain management and operational readiness.
• DIME delivers end-to-end real-time logistics visibility from the frontline to Headquarters, supported by integrated dashboards for rapid stock assessment, along with alerts and predictive analytics to identify anomalies and anticipate requirements before critical shortages occur, ensuring sustained operational capability.
• The digital transformation initiative reduces approximately 70% of manual paperwork and streamlines workflows to make supply operations about one-third faster, significantly improving efficiency and allowing personnel to focus on strategic tasks rather than administrative processes.

Defence News

Indian Army Orders Rs 168 Crore Solar-Powered MAPSS UAV from NewSpace Research & Technologies

• In January 2026, the Indian Army placed a Rs.168 crore order with NewSpace Research & Technologies (NRT) for its Medium Altitude Persistent Surveillance System (MAPSS), a fully electric, solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicle designed for long-endurance surveillance missions, marking the first time that the Indian Army will deploy solar-powered UAVs beyond the battery-powered and tethered drones currently in operational use.
• The MAPSS UAV has been indigenously developed under the Ministry of Defence’s Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) programme and is designed to provide long-endurance Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) coverage, Electronic Intelligence (ELINT), and communications relay support, particularly for border monitoring in challenging terrain and contested areas.
• The solar-powered UAVs feature a lightweight airframe, solar recharging capability to enable long-endurance flights, and modular payload architecture that allows rapid reconfiguration for different mission requirements, providing operational flexibility and reducing logistical demands for fuel and battery replacement in remote deployment areas.
• Advanced mission autonomy enables operations in Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-denied zones, reducing logistical demands while enabling continuous border patrolling, artillery spotting, or network extension in communication-denied areas where conventional systems face significant operational limitations.
• The UAV’s quiet electric propulsion and low thermal signature features minimize the risk of enemy detection, providing tactical advantages in surveillance operations while enabling continuous border patrolling for extended periods without the acoustic and thermal signatures associated with conventional propulsion systems.

Banking and Finance News

Bank of Baroda Secured RBI Approval to Switch from Bank PD to Wholly-Owned Subsidiary

• In January 2026, Bank of Baroda (BOB), one of India’s leading Public Sector Banks, secured in-principle approval from the Reserve Bank of India to switch its existing authorization as Bank Primary Dealer (PD) business to set up a wholly-owned subsidiary for undertaking Standalone Primary Dealer (SPD) business, marking a significant step in the public sector bank’s strategic restructuring initiatives.
• The RBI clarified that the SPD business will be established subject to other regulatory approvals, and in a related development, the central bank increased the aggregate limit available to SPDs under the Standing Liquidity Facility at the existing repo rate from Rs 10,000 crore to Rs 15,000 crore with effect from April 2, 2025.
• Primary Dealers are RBI-registered Non-Banking Financial Companies that act as intermediaries between the RBI and other market participants, authorized to buy and sell Government Securities (like bonds and Treasury-bills) directly from the government’s debt manager and resell them, ensuring liquidity in the G-Secs market.
• Currently, India has 7 Standalone Primary Dealers including ICICI Securities Primary Dealership, Morgan Stanley India PD, Nomura Fixed Income Securities, PNB Gifts, SBI DFHI, STCI PD, and Goldman Sachs (India) Capital Markets, along with 14 bank-affiliated PDs including Canara Bank, Union Bank of India, HDFC Bank Limited, and Axis Bank Limited.
• Bank PDs are specialized departments within existing commercial banks that undertake PD activities, while SPDs are either subsidiaries of Scheduled Commercial Banks or entities incorporated abroad or under the Companies Act and registered as NBFCs, with the PD system introduced by RBI in 1995 to bolster infrastructure in the Government Securities market.

Banking and Finance News

Skydo Receives Final Authorization from RBI to Operate as PA-CB Entity

• On January 9, 2026, Skydo, a Bengaluru-based cross-border payments platform founded in 2022, received final authorization from the Reserve Bank of India to operate as a Payment Aggregator-Cross Border (PA-CB) entity, enabling the company to legally facilitate international payment collections for Indian exporters and businesses under RBI supervision.
• The PA-CB license enables Skydo to collect and remit payments from foreign customers to Indian businesses in a regulated manner, providing legal framework for cross-border payment facilitation that ensures compliance with foreign exchange regulations and anti-money laundering requirements while protecting both merchants and customers.
• With this regulatory approval, Skydo can now legally facilitate international payment collections for Indian exporters and businesses, expanding its service offerings to include local collections from overseas clients, invoicing tools, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and accounting integrations, and fast settlements with access to compliance documentation like Foreign Inward Remittance Certificates (FIRCs).
• The license enables Skydo to deepen and broaden its offerings for Indian businesses engaged in international trade, providing them with a compliant, efficient, and transparent platform for managing cross-border transactions while reducing the complexity and cost associated with traditional banking channels for international payments.

Banking and Finance News

PayG Secures RBI Approval to Operate as PA-P and PA-CB

• In January 2026, PayG, one of India’s most-trusted payment gateway service providers founded in 2021 in Bengaluru, Karnataka, secured the Reserve Bank of India’s approval to operate as a Payment Aggregator-Physical (PA-P) and Payment Aggregator-Cross-Border (PA-CB), completing its full suite of PA licenses.
• Following this comprehensive approval, PayG can now facilitate digital transactions across different modes including online payments, offline (in-person) transactions, and global use cases under the regulatory framework of RBI, providing merchants with a unified platform for managing diverse payment channels through a single integration.
• The expanded authorization enables PayG to support a comprehensive range of payment use cases through a unified platform, including processing online payments, providing offline and in-store transactions through Point of Sale (POS) and Quick Response (QR) code systems, and managing cross-border payments for international customers and global merchants.
• For merchants, the expanded authorization provides a single integrated platform to handle online, offline and cross-border payments in a secure and transparent manner, reducing the complexity of managing multiple payment service providers and streamlining reconciliation, settlement, and compliance processes across different payment channels.

Science and Technology News

Bharat Forge Signs MoU with Agile Robots for AI-Driven Industrial Automation

• In January 2026, India’s Bharat Forge Limited (BFL) and Germany’s Agile Robots S.E. signed a memorandum of understanding in Pune, Maharashtra, to explore a strategic collaboration in Artificial Intelligence-driven robotics and intelligent industrial automation, marking a significant Indo-German partnership in advanced manufacturing technologies.
• The partnership targets civilian industries by combining Bharat Forge’s extensive manufacturing expertise with Agile Robots’ cutting-edge robotic and automation solutions, aiming to co-develop and deploy AI- and vision-based automation solutions for manufacturing, industrial, Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), logistics, and sector applications, including automotive, healthcare, and consumer electronics.
• The collaboration will focus on introducing Agile Robots’ existing advanced solutions while expanding the development and deployment of advanced robotic systems across India and Southeast Asia, addressing the growing demand for automation in labor-intensive industries and helping manufacturers improve productivity, quality, and competitiveness in global markets.
• A key objective of the partnership is to develop fully autonomous “dark” factories that can operate with minimal human intervention, improving production efficiency, precision, and domestic manufacturing capabilities while reducing operational costs and enabling 24/7 production cycles that significantly enhance manufacturing capacity and output.

Banking and Finance News

Choice Wealth Secures Contract from IPPB to Launch Digital Investment Platform

• On January 8, 2026, Choice Wealth Private Limited, a subsidiary of Choice International Limited, received a contract from India Post Payments Bank (IPPB), under the Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications, to launch a comprehensive digital investment platform enabling IPPB customers nationwide to access formal financial investment services seamlessly.
• The digital investment platform will offer online Mutual Fund aggregation, Robo-Advisory services, and other digital investment solutions through mobile applications, web platforms, and micro-Automated Teller Machine (mATM) devices, providing multiple access channels to accommodate different user preferences and technological capabilities across urban and rural areas.
• The initiative aims to simplify investing and promote financial inclusion by specifically targeting first-time and underserved investors in semi-urban and rural areas who have traditionally lacked access to professional investment advisory services and modern financial products, democratizing wealth creation opportunities across India’s diverse population.
• The platform will ensure secure, technology-driven operations while adhering to regulatory compliance and data protection standards, leveraging IPPB’s extensive network across India to reach customers in remote locations and provide them with the same quality of investment services available to urban investors through traditional financial institutions.

Banking and Finance News

Morgan Stanley Projects India’s GDP Growth at 7.6% for FY26

• In January 2026, American brokerage firm Morgan Stanley projected India’s real Gross Domestic Product growth at 7.6% Year-on-Year for Financial Year 2025-26, which is 20 basis points higher than the National Statistics Office’s latest estimate of 7.4%, reflecting optimism about India’s economic resilience despite global uncertainties and domestic challenges.
• However, India’s GDP is projected to slow down to approximately 6.9% in the Second Half (July-September) of FY26 compared to 8% in the First Half (April-June) of FY26, below the firm’s previous estimate of 7.3%, with the growth rate expected to further moderate to 6.5% Year-on-Year in FY27 as the economy normalizes after recent stimulus measures.
• Morgan Stanley also projected India’s nominal GDP growth rate at 8% Year-on-Year for FY26, lower than 9.7% recorded in FY25, indicating moderation in price pressures alongside real economic growth, though the absolute size of the economy will continue to expand substantially.
• The report highlighted that the combined impetus from fiscal and monetary policy support, enhanced purchasing power and improved labour market outlook are expected to support broader consumption recovery, with domestic demand projected to drive growth amidst continued tariff uncertainties and global economic headwinds.
• The report projected a widespread pickup in Capital Expenditure due to rising investor confidence which will further boost private investment, with domestic demand expected to be the primary driver of growth while external demand faces challenges from protectionist trade policies and geopolitical tensions affecting global supply chains.

Awards and Recognitions News

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw Confers Ati Vishisht Rail Seva Puraskar 2025 to 100 Railway Officials

• On January 9, 2026, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw of the Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, and Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology conferred 100 railway officers and employees with the 70th Ati Vishisht Rail Seva Puraskar (AVRSP 2025) and awarded 26 shields to top-performing railway zones at the India International Convention and Expo Centre (IICEC), Yashobhoomi in New Delhi.
• The AVRSP is one of the highest service awards of Indian Railways, recognizing exemplary service, innovation, courage, and institutional excellence among railway personnel who have demonstrated outstanding dedication to improving railway operations, safety, and customer service throughout their careers.
• During the ceremony, a commemorative coin issued by the India Government Mint, Kolkata, and a postal stamp released by the Department of Posts under the Ministry of Communications were unveiled to celebrate the theme “100 Years of Electrification in Indian Railways,” marking the completion of a century since rail electrification began in India on January 9, 1926.
• Indian Railways has achieved significant progress in electrification, with over 68,700 route kilometers electrified across India to date, representing more than 72% completion of the electrification program, contributing to reduced carbon emissions, lower operational costs, and enhanced energy security for the world’s fourth-largest railway network.
• Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw unveiled an ambitious reform roadmap titled “52 weeks, 52 reforms” for the year 2026, committing to implement one major reform every week across key areas including customer service, maintenance, quality management, safety protocols, and operational efficiency to modernize Indian Railways comprehensively.

Defence News

DRDO Conducts Long-Duration Ground Test of Full-Scale Actively Cooled Scramjet Engine

• On January 9, 2026, the Defence Research and Development Organisation under the Department of Defence Research and Development in the Ministry of Defence successfully conducted a long-duration ground test of its full-scale, actively cooled scramjet (supersonic combustion ramjet) engine at the Scramjet Connect Pipe Test facility of the Defence Research & Development Laboratory in Hyderabad, Telangana, marking a major milestone in India’s Hypersonic Cruise/Missile Programme.
• The combustor operated continuously for over 12 minutes during the test, validating sustained supersonic combustion and test infrastructure performance, demonstrating India’s capability to maintain stable combustion at hypersonic speeds over extended durations, which is critical for the development of operational hypersonic cruise missiles.
• The air-breathing scramjet engine uses supersonic combustion and active cooling technology to enable hypersonic flight beyond Mach 5 (exceeding 6,100 kilometers per hour), with the technology supporting hypersonic cruise missiles that possess high maneuverability and low-altitude flight capabilities that significantly complicate interception by enemy air defense systems.
• The combustor and facility were indigenously designed and developed by DRDL with support from industry and academia, demonstrating India’s growing self-reliance in advanced aerospace technologies and reducing dependence on foreign suppliers for critical defense capabilities in the hypersonic domain.
• The successful test follows progressive scramjet development milestones, including earlier ground tests with a 120-second run in January 2025 and a 1,000-second endurance test in May 2025, which gradually scaled up scramjet technology and validated design principles, strengthening India’s regional deterrence capabilities and positioning the country among an elite group of nations with hypersonic weapons technology.

Science and Technology News

Two New Slender-Armed Frog Species Discovered in Arunachal Pradesh

• In January 2026, Indian scientists from the University of Delhi discovered two new species of slender-armed frogs named ‘Soman’s Slender Arm Frog (Leptobrachium somani)’ and ‘Mechuka Slender Arm Frog (Leptobrachium mechuka)’ from remote mountain habitats of Arunachal Pradesh, with the findings published in the United States-based peer-reviewed scientific journal PeerJ.
• The research was conducted over three years by the University of Delhi in collaboration with the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University through extensive field expeditions in remote regions of Arunachal Pradesh, demonstrating the biodiversity richness of India’s northeastern states and the importance of continued exploration in understudied mountain ecosystems.
• The newly identified frogs belong to the genus Leptobrachium of the family Megophryidae, one of the most diverse frog families globally comprising 366 recognized species across South and Southeast Asia, and of the 39 Leptobrachium species recorded worldwide, only four had earlier been documented in India before these discoveries.
• Soman’s Slender Arm Frog, discovered at Tiwarigaon in the Lower Dibang Valley and named in honor of late journalist and environmental reporter E. Somanath, measures approximately 55 millimeters in length, has a greyish-brown body with irregular light-grey markings and silver-grey to light-blue eyes, and inhabits evergreen forests where males call from stream banks.
• Mechuka Slender Arm Frog, identified near Mechuka town in the Shi Yomi district close to the India-China border and named after the town, measures approximately 60 millimeters in length, has a uniformly brown body with a reddish tinge and silvery-white eyes, and inhabits evergreen forests and adjoining grasslands, with the Brahmaputra River acting as a major biogeographic barrier separating these species from other Indian Leptobrachium species.

Important Days News

World Hindi Day 2026 – January 10

• World Hindi Day, also known as Vishwa Hindi Diwas, is observed annually across the globe on January 10 to promote awareness of the Hindi language and to honor the contributions of Hindi speakers around the world, with the Ministry of External Affairs organizing events and activities to promote Hindi globally since the first celebration in 2006.
• The date of January 10 was chosen because it marks the first use of Hindi in the United Nations General Assembly in 1949 and commemorates the first World Hindi Conference held from January 10-12, 1975, in Nagpur, Maharashtra, which was inaugurated by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and brought together Hindi scholars and enthusiasts from around the world.
• The decision to designate January 10 as World Hindi Day was made by the follow-up committee of the World Hindi Conference during its meeting on June 8, 2005, and was officially approved by then Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, with the first celebration taking place on January 10, 2006.
• Hindi belongs to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European family of languages and under Article 343 of the Constitution of India, Hindi in the Devanagari script became the official language of the Government of India in 1950, listed among the 22 languages in the Eighth Schedule, and serves as the official language in several Indian states including Bihar, Delhi, Haryana, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh.
• Hindi is among the top four most spoken languages globally with over 600 million speakers worldwide, widely used in countries such as Mauritius, Suriname, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, and Nepal, while Fiji is the only country outside India where Hindi is an official language alongside English and Fijian, with “Fiji Hindi” originating from Indian laborers under the indentured system and formally recognized in the 1997 Constitution of Fiji.

State News

Tamil Nadu Signs LoI with XeedQ GmbH to Launch Quantum Computing Programme

• In January 2026, The Innovation Tamil Nadu Technology Hub (iTNT), under the Government of Tamil Nadu, signed a Letter of Intent with XeedQ GmbH, a German quantum technology company, to launch India’s first state-backed quantum computing programme at UmagineTN2026 in Chennai, positioning Tamil Nadu as a leader in quantum computing education among Indian states.
• The programme is designed to democratize access to quantum computing, enable practical hands-on learning, build a local quantum ecosystem, and will be implemented in two phases: Phase 1 providing remote access to a 4-qubit quantum computer from XeedQ for participants across Tamil Nadu to experiment with algorithms and quantum hardware operation, and Phase 2 bringing a physical quantum computer to the iTNT Hub at Anna University.
• The iTNT Hub will anchor the programme by coordinating with universities, startups, and research centers, and managing the infrastructure, while XeedQ GmbH will provide quantum hardware, remote access tools, technical expertise, and comprehensive training resources to support the development of quantum computing skills across the state.
• Phase 2’s on-premises deployment of a physical quantum computer at Anna University will enable hands-on research and practical experimentation for students, startups, and researchers, providing direct access to quantum hardware for developing applications in areas such as cryptography, drug discovery, materials science, optimization problems, and artificial intelligence.

Appointments and Resignations News

Justice Soumen Sen Sworn in as Chief Justice of Kerala High Court

• On January 10, 2026, Justice Soumen Sen was sworn in as the 40th Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court, with the oath of office administered by Governor of Kerala Rajendra Arlekar in the presence of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Speaker AN Shamsheer, and other dignitaries at Raj Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram, succeeding Justice Nitin Madhukar Jamdar who retired on January 9, 2026.
• Justice Soumen Sen has worked across various sectors throughout his legal career, including civil, constitutional, banking, and arbitration cases, and has represented major bodies such as the Reserve Bank of India, Securities and Exchange Board of India, and Small Industries Development Bank of India, demonstrating expertise in complex financial and regulatory matters.
• He practiced for approximately 20 years at the Calcutta High Court in Kolkata, West Bengal, on both original and appellate sides before being appointed as a Judge of the Calcutta High Court in 2011, where he also served as Acting Chief Justice in September 2025, gaining extensive judicial experience in diverse legal domains.
• Prior to his appointment as Chief Justice of Kerala High Court, Justice Sen served as the Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court from October 2025, demonstrating his capability in judicial administration and his understanding of diverse legal systems across different Indian states with varying socio-cultural contexts.

State News

Karnataka Cabinet Approves ‘Akka Pade’ Scheme to Protect Women and Minor Girls

• In January 2026, the Karnataka cabinet led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah approved the launch of the “Akka Pade” (Elder Sister Force) scheme to strengthen the protection and safety of women and minor girls across the state, marking a significant initiative in community-based women’s safety and empowerment.
• The Akka Pade scheme is a women-and community-oriented protection and safety programme designed to safeguard women, girls, and children from violence, harassment, exploitation, and social evils such as child marriage, human trafficking, and drug abuse through proactive intervention and awareness building at the grassroots level.
• The scheme was initially rolled out in three districts—Mysuru, Belagavi, and Dakshina Kannada—and is set to be expanded across all 31 districts and five police commissionerates in Karnataka, ensuring comprehensive coverage and protection for women and girls throughout the state in both urban and rural areas.
• Operational activities under the scheme involve patrolling identified sensitive areas in two shifts, generally from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., along with conducting public awareness campaigns on critical issues including child marriage, child abuse, human trafficking, drug abuse, and legal protection frameworks available under Indian law.
• Specially designated state-provided vehicles called “Akka Pade Vehicles” are deployed to improve mobility, visibility, and accessibility of the Akka Pade teams, enabling rapid response to incidents and ensuring that the protective presence is visible and accessible to vulnerable populations across different geographical areas.