National News

NSO to Launch India’s First-Ever National Household Income Survey and Annual Survey of Incorporated Service Sector Enterprises from April 2026

• The National Statistical Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation announced in January 2026 that it will conduct India’s first-ever National Household Income Survey (NHIS) and Annual Survey of Incorporated Service Sector Enterprises (ASISSE), both scheduled to run for one year starting April 2026, marking a significant milestone in India’s statistical data collection framework.
• The announcement was made during the two-day All-India Workshop of Trainers held from January 28-29, 2026, in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, where training protocols and methodologies for both surveys were discussed with state-level coordinators and field trainers to ensure uniform implementation across the country.
• The NHIS will collect comprehensive data on household income, living conditions, and income distribution patterns, enabling detailed comparisons across different regions and household categories while supporting evidence-based policy formulation and assessment of household well-being across India’s diverse socio-economic landscape.
• The ASISSE will specifically cover the incorporated services sector using Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) data as its sampling frame, providing state-level and industry-level estimates of Gross Value Added (GVA), capital formation, employment generation, and emoluments paid to workers in the organized service sector.
• Both surveys will be conducted entirely through digital means using Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) technology and will cover all of India except for hard-to-access villages in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, ensuring comprehensive geographic representation while maintaining operational feasibility.

Science and Technology News

Indian Railways Launches First LNG-Diesel Dual-Fuel DEMU Train in Ahmedabad

• Indian Railways successfully launched India’s first-ever Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)-diesel dual-fuel Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU) train at Sabarmati in Ahmedabad, Gujarat in January 2026, representing a major technological breakthrough in railway transportation and sustainable fuel adoption for the country’s rail network.
• The Integrated Coaching Depot at Sabarmati has successfully modified two 1,400 Horse Power DEMU Driving Power Cars equipped with 2,200-liter LNG tanks to operate on a dual-fuel system, enabling up to 40% diesel substitution with LNG, thereby significantly reducing dependency on conventional diesel fuel while maintaining operational efficiency.
• Both modified units have successfully completed more than 2,000 kilometers of rigorous field trials, demonstrating reliable performance across various operational conditions, and the train is now capable of covering a maximum distance of 222 kilometers of daily operation on a single full refill of LNG, making it suitable for regular passenger services.
• Trial-based estimates indicate substantial economic benefits with annual savings of nearly Rs 11.9 lakh per Driving Power Car and approximately Rs 23.9 lakh annually for a complete 8-coach DEMU train, representing a significant reduction in operational costs that can be replicated across Indian Railways’ extensive DEMU fleet.
• The adoption of LNG fuel technology will result in considerable environmental benefits by reducing emissions of Carbon Dioxide, Nitrogen Oxides, and particulate matter, aligning with Indian Railways’ commitment to sustainable transportation and contributing to India’s broader climate change mitigation goals and carbon neutrality targets.

Science and Technology News

Union Minister Jitendra Singh Inaugurates Rs 32 Crore CSIR-NIO Shore-Based Regional Centre in Visakhapatnam

• Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Dr. Jitendra Singh, heading the Ministry of Science & Technology and Ministry of Earth Sciences, inaugurated the Shore-Based Laboratory of CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography Regional Centre at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh in January 2026, establishing a major marine research infrastructure facility on India’s eastern coast.
• The Rs 32 crore facility features a built-up area of 4,550 square meters and was constructed by the Central Public Works Department at Yendada Village, Rushikonda, Visakhapatnam, providing state-of-the-art laboratory infrastructure and research facilities for comprehensive oceanographic studies in the Bay of Bengal region.
• The research centre will focus on marine geological and geophysical surveys of the Eastern Continental Margin of India, including bathymetry mapping, tectonic studies, deep-sea exploration, and monsoon research in the Bay of Bengal, significantly enhancing India’s understanding of its eastern maritime domain and underwater geological features.
• The facility strengthens India’s national energy security by supporting offshore oil, gas, hydrocarbon exploration, and seabed mineral exploration activities, providing critical scientific data and technical expertise for identifying and developing marine energy resources in India’s Exclusive Economic Zone.
• The centre contributes significantly to India’s Blue Economy initiatives by supporting fisheries development, coastal resilience programs, skill development for marine sectors, seaweed cultivation research, and harmful algal bloom forecasting systems, benefiting coastal communities and maritime industries along the eastern seaboard.

National News

Ministry of Minority Affairs Launches Two Additional Modules on UMEED Platform

• The Ministry of Minority Affairs launched two additional modules named ‘Survey Module’ and ‘Waqf Property Lease Management Module’ on the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development (UMEED) central portal in January 2026, with the formal launch ceremony conducted by Dr. Chandra Shekhar Kumar, Secretary of the Ministry, in New Delhi.
• The Survey Module provides a comprehensive digital framework that enables systematic recording, management, and updating of information related to the survey of Waqf properties on the central portal, ensuring all property-related data is centralized, accessible, and maintained in a standardized format across different state Waqf boards.
• The Waqf Property Lease Module facilitates end-to-end digital management of leasing-related information for Waqf properties through the portal, enabling systematic recording and monitoring of crucial details including lease information, lease period, lease amount, lessee details, and other relevant contractual information in a structured and transparent manner.
• These digital modules will significantly enhance transparency and accountability in Waqf property management by eliminating paper-based systems, reducing scope for manipulation or unauthorized transactions, and providing real-time monitoring capabilities to regulatory authorities and stakeholders.
• The UMEED central portal, originally launched in June 2025, serves as a centralized digital system under the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act of 1995, enabling real-time uploading, verification, and monitoring of Waqf properties across India, with these new modules further strengthening the platform’s capabilities for comprehensive Waqf property administration.

Science and Technology News

Odisha to Establish National UAV Test and Innovation Corridor at Rangeilunda Airport

• The Government of Odisha partnered with BonV Aero at Wings India 2026 in Hyderabad, Telangana in January 2026 to establish India’s first National UAV Test & Innovation Corridor at Rangeilunda Airport in Ganjam district, uniquely repurposing an operational commercial airport for live drone testing in dynamic airspace up to 1,000 meters altitude.
• The corridor will enable comprehensive drone testing in low-altitude airspace up to approximately 1,000 meters under realistic operational conditions, including beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations, swarm drone trials involving multiple coordinated unmanned systems, Artificial Intelligence-based navigation systems, and autonomous airspace management scenarios that simulate real-world deployment challenges.
• The project is being developed in phases under the Building and Management of Aviation Assets and Network (B-MAAN) scheme, which is the Government of India’s strategic initiative to promote regional aviation growth and establish cutting-edge technology infrastructure for emerging aviation sectors including unmanned aerial systems.
• This facility represents a groundbreaking development as India’s first operational commercial airport to be repurposed as a live UAV test and development facility, enabling drones to fly and be tested in real, dynamic airspace with actual air traffic considerations, providing more realistic testing conditions than isolated test ranges.
• The National UAV Test & Innovation Corridor will significantly boost India’s drone manufacturing ecosystem by providing domestic and international drone manufacturers with advanced testing infrastructure, accelerating product development cycles, and positioning Odisha as a hub for unmanned aerial vehicle innovation and certification activities.

International News

India Partners with World Bank on USD 8-10 Billion Annual Plan to Boost Jobs and Growth

• The Government of India and the World Bank Group announced a new Country Partnership Framework (CPF) in January 2026, aimed at accelerating job creation across both urban and rural areas with USD 8-10 billion in annual financing over the next five years, representing one of the largest development partnerships between India and the multilateral institution.
• The newly announced plan took effect from the start of January 2026 and fully aligns with India’s “Viksit Bharat” (Developed India) vision, which aims to transform the country into a developed nation by 2047, addressing critical challenges of employment generation, economic growth, and inclusive development across all sections of society.
• The World Bank Group’s global jobs strategy for India is structured around three main pillars: investing in critical infrastructure including both physical infrastructure like transportation and digital networks, and human infrastructure through education and skills development; strengthening a business-friendly environment through predictable laws, transparent rules and streamlined regulations; and deploying risk-management tools to help private investment scale effectively.
• The financing framework will support large-scale interventions across multiple sectors including infrastructure development, manufacturing, services, agriculture, and emerging technology sectors, with particular emphasis on labor-intensive industries that can generate substantial employment opportunities for India’s growing workforce.
• This partnership framework represents a significant scaling up of World Bank engagement with India and demonstrates international financial institutions’ confidence in India’s economic trajectory and reform agenda, while providing crucial long-term financing for transformative projects that can create millions of productive jobs across the country.

Banking and Finance News

State Bank of India Launches Global Trade Finance Centre in Kolkata

• State Bank of India, India’s largest Public Sector Bank, bolstered its trade finance and global banking operations in January 2026 with the launch of a Global Trade Finance Centre (GTFC) in Kolkata, West Bengal, following the bank’s announcement in July 2025 on its 70th anniversary to establish two specialized GTFCs in Kolkata and Hyderabad.
• The GTFC is designed as a centralized system to streamline inland trade processing and the handling of import and export transactions, supporting all SBI branches across the eastern and northern regions of the country while facilitating faster turnaround times, robust compliance oversight, and significantly improved customer experience for businesses involved in domestic and cross-border trade.
• The centre leverages advanced technologies including Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Blockchain systems to transform trade finance operations, transitioning from traditional paper-based, manual processing systems to digital, automated workflows that reduce processing time, minimize errors, and enhance security in international trade transactions.
• The Kolkata GTFC operates with a total staff strength of 277 personnel comprising 161 regular SBI employees, 105 outsourced staff members, and 11 temporary workers, with notable emphasis on local employment as 61% of the workforce (169 employees) has been recruited from West Bengal, contributing to regional employment generation.
• Since its establishment in 2024, the GTFC has contributed Rs 1.40 crore in Goods and Services Tax (GST) to the West Bengal state exchequer, demonstrating its economic contribution to the regional economy while serving as a critical hub for processing India’s growing trade finance requirements in the eastern and northern corridors.

Banking and Finance News

Indian Oil Corporation Signs Agreement with Akasa Air to Explore Sustainable Aviation Fuel Supply

• Indian Oil Corporation Limited, operating under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, signed a Letter of Intent with Akasa Air to jointly explore the future supply of Sustainable Aviation Fuel in January 2026 during the Wings India 2026 airshow held in Hyderabad, Telangana, marking a significant step toward greening India’s aviation sector.
• The Letter of Intent establishes a comprehensive framework for collaboration between India’s largest integrated oil and gas company and the airline to assess how IOCL might supply SAF to Akasa Air in the future, including detailed evaluation of technical, logistical, and commercial aspects of sustainable fuel integration into airline operations.
• Under the agreement framework, IOCL and Akasa Air will jointly evaluate potential SAF supply volumes based on the airline’s fleet expansion and route network, identify optimal delivery locations across Akasa Air’s operational airports, establish realistic supply timelines aligned with IOCL’s production capabilities, and determine approved sustainable feedstocks and production pathways that meet international aviation fuel standards.
• Sustainable Aviation Fuel represents a lower-carbon alternative to conventional jet fuel that can significantly reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions from aviation operations, typically achieving 50-80% reduction in carbon emissions compared to traditional fossil-based jet fuel, depending on the feedstock and production pathway employed.
• IOCL, established in 2019 as a Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprise headquartered in New Delhi, operates as India’s largest integrated oil and gas company with comprehensive operations across refining, pipelines, fuel marketing, petrochemicals, and increasingly, clean energy initiatives including biofuels, hydrogen, and sustainable aviation fuel development.

National News

Patna Bird Sanctuary and Chhari-Dhand Designated as India’s 97th and 98th Ramsar Sites

• Union Minister Bhupender Yadav of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change announced on January 30, 2026, that Patna Bird Sanctuary in Etah, Uttar Pradesh, and Chhari-Dhand in Kutch, Gujarat, have been designated as Ramsar wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, bringing India’s total Ramsar sites to 98.
• Patna Bird Sanctuary, spanning approximately 109 hectares and located at Patna village in Etah district on the banks of the Upper Ganga Canal which provides water to the wetland, serves as a key habitat for migratory and resident birds especially during winter, supporting diverse avian species including waterfowl such as ducks and geese, waders and shorebirds, and species like kingfishers, herons, and egrets.
• Chhari-Dhand is situated in the Kutch district as part of the Great Rann of Kutch ecosystem, functioning as a seasonal wetland that forms a shallow water body during the monsoon season and dries out in summer months, surrounded by salt flats and desert-like terrain, creating a unique ecosystem in western India that supports specialized flora and fauna adapted to extreme conditions.
• India’s Ramsar site network began with Chilka Lake in Odisha and Keoladeo National Park in Rajasthan being designated as the country’s first Ramsar sites in 1981, and has since grown substantially with Tamil Nadu leading with 20 Ramsar sites, followed by Uttar Pradesh with 11 sites and Odisha with 6 sites, representing the top three states by number of internationally recognized wetlands.
• The Sundarban Wetland in West Bengal holds the distinction of being India’s largest Ramsar site covering an area of 4,230 square kilometers, while Renuka Lake in Himachal Pradesh is the smallest Ramsar site in India with an area of just 0.2 square kilometers, demonstrating the diversity in scale and characteristics of India’s protected wetland ecosystems.

Awards and Recognitions News

Steel Authority of India Earns ‘Great Place to Work’ Certification for Third Consecutive Year

• Steel Authority of India Limited, a Maharatna Public Sector Undertaking and India’s largest steelmaker, earned the ‘Great Place to Work’ certification for the period February 2026 to February 2027 in January 2026, marking the third consecutive year that SAIL has received this prestigious workplace recognition following a comprehensive company-wide assessment.
• The certification was awarded by the Great Place To Work Institute, India, following an extensive evaluation process that included employee surveys, leadership assessments, and organizational culture audits across SAIL’s multiple plants and offices spread throughout India, measuring trust, pride, camaraderie, and workplace practices.
• SAIL achieved a notable increase in its TRUST INDEX© score during the evaluation period, indicating a high level of positive feedback from employees regarding workplace culture, management practices, professional development opportunities, work-life balance, and overall employee satisfaction compared to previous assessment cycles.
• This recognition reflects SAIL’s sustained commitment to nurture a workplace culture that is contemporary, agile, and deeply aligned with both the professional and personal growth of its workforce, demonstrating that large public sector enterprises can successfully create progressive, employee-centric organizational environments.
• SAIL continues to introduce progressive Human Resource initiatives, with its SAIL DARPAN platform promoting a transparent, performance-driven evaluation system that ensures objective assessment, aligned target setting between employees and supervisors, and empowers employees to take ownership of their career growth through clear performance metrics and development pathways.

Obituary News

Former CBSE Chairman and Padma Shri Awardee Father Thomas V. Kunnunkal Passes Away

• Father Thomas V. Kunnunkal, a Jesuit priest and one of the most prominent personalities in India’s post-Independence education system, passed away in January 2026 at the age of 99 in New Delhi, having been born on July 3, 1926, in Alappuzha, Kerala, and dedicating nearly eight decades to transforming Indian education.
• He was awarded the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian honor, in 1974 in recognition of his exceptional contributions to the field of literature and education, acknowledging his pioneering work in modernizing India’s secondary education system and making quality education accessible to diverse student populations.
• Father Kunnunkal, widely known as Father Stany, served as Chairman of the Central Board of Secondary Education from 1980 to 1987, during which period he implemented significant reforms in curriculum design, examination systems, and educational standards that continue to influence CBSE’s framework and millions of students across India and abroad.
• He played a pivotal role in founding the National Open School in November 1989 as an autonomous organization in pursuance of the National Education Policy 1986 by the Ministry of Education, creating an alternative pathway for education that has since provided opportunities to millions of learners who could not access conventional schooling systems.
• In 2005, Father Kunnunkal published a book titled ‘The Role of Teachers on National Regeneration,’ articulating his vision of education as a transformative force for national development and emphasizing the critical importance of teachers as nation-builders who shape not just academic knowledge but also character, values, and civic consciousness in future generations.

Summit and Conference News

India Energy Week 2026 Held in Goa from January 27-30, 2026

• The fourth edition of India Energy Week 2026 was held at the Advanced Training Institute of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited in Goa from January 27-30, 2026, hosted under the patronage of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and jointly organized by the Federation of Indian Petroleum Industry and dmg events.
• The event centered on the theme “Energizing Growth, Securing Economies, and Enriching Lives,” featuring both a Strategic Conference for policy-level discussions and a Technical Conference for industry-specific deliberations, enabling comprehensive dialogue on energy collaboration, energy transition and resilience, net-zero strategies, hydrogen economy, renewable energy integration, Liquefied Natural Gas expansion, digitalization, Artificial Intelligence applications, and City Gas Distribution networks.
• During the summit, India and Canada signed a joint statement to strengthen strategic cooperation in the energy sector, while GAIL (India) Limited and Japanese shipping major Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Limited entered into a long-term charter agreement for an LNG carrier named “GAIL BHUWAN,” strengthening India’s LNG shipping and maritime energy infrastructure capabilities.
• Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Limited and Oil India Limited signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore collaboration in oil and gas exploration activities, while Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and Tata Motors signed an MoU to jointly develop India’s largest Mega Electric Vehicle Charging and Engagement Hubs, demonstrating the breadth of partnerships forged during the event.
• The India Energy Week 2026 concluded with an awards ceremony celebrating startups, industry leaders, and academic institutions for their outstanding contributions to clean energy development, upstream technology innovation, and sustainable exploration practices, recognizing excellence across the energy value chain and encouraging continued innovation in India’s energy sector transformation.

Important Days News

World Leprosy Day 2026 Observed on January 25

• World Leprosy Day is observed globally on the last Sunday of January each year to raise awareness about leprosy and address the persistent stigma and discrimination faced by persons affected by the disease, with the 2026 observance taking place on January 25, marking its 73rd annual commemoration, while the 2027 observance will occur on January 31.
• The 2026 theme “Leprosy is curable, the real challenge is stigma” emphasizes that while medical science has made leprosy completely curable through Multi-Drug Therapy, the social stigma, discrimination, and misconceptions surrounding the disease remain the primary obstacles to early detection, treatment completion, and social reintegration of affected persons.
• In India, National Leprosy Day is observed annually on January 30, coinciding with the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi who worked extensively to remove the stigma associated with leprosy and advocated for dignified treatment and social inclusion of persons affected by the disease.
• Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease and named after Norwegian physician Gerhard Henrik Armauer Hansen who identified the causative bacteria in 1873, is caused by Mycobacterium leprae bacteria and mainly affects the skin, peripheral nerves, eyes, and upper respiratory tract, potentially causing permanent disability if left untreated but completely curable when detected early.
• Under the National Leprosy Eradication Programme, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare provides free diagnosis and Multi-Drug Therapy at all government health facilities and has set an ambitious goal of ‘Zero Transmission, Zero Leprosy’ by 2027, reflecting India’s commitment to eliminating leprosy as a public health problem and addressing the social dimensions of the disease.

Important Days News

International Zebra Day 2026 Observed on January 31

• International Zebra Day is observed annually across the globe on January 31 to raise awareness about zebra conservation, their critical ecological importance in African ecosystems, and the multiple threats faced by different zebra species due to habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict, poaching, and climate change impacts.
• Three distinct zebra species exist with varying conservation statuses: Grévy’s zebra is classified as Endangered with only about 2,000-3,000 individuals remaining in the wild, Mountain zebra is classified as Vulnerable with fragmented populations, and Plains zebra is classified as Near Threatened despite having larger populations, with multiple subspecies under each species facing different threat levels.
• Zebras possess unique stripe patterns that serve multiple biological functions including predator confusion through visual disruption when the herd moves collectively, thermoregulation by creating air currents along the body surface, protection from biting insects which are deterred by stripe patterns, and individual identification as each zebra has a completely unique stripe pattern similar to human fingerprints.
• Zebras mainly inhabit grasslands, savannas, semi-desert regions, and hilly terrain across eastern and southern Africa, with significant populations in Kenya, Ethiopia, Namibia, Angola, and South Africa, playing crucial roles in their ecosystems by maintaining grassland balance through grazing, supporting predator-prey dynamics, and serving as indicators of overall ecosystem health.
• Conservation efforts for zebras include habitat protection and restoration, anti-poaching initiatives, establishment of wildlife corridors to connect fragmented populations, community-based conservation programs that provide alternative livelihoods to communities living near zebra habitats, and international cooperation for transboundary conservation as zebra populations often migrate across national borders.

State News

Gujarat Chief Minister Launches ‘Mukhyamantri Gramotthan Yojana’ to Upgrade Rural Infrastructure

• Bhupendra Patel, the Chief Minister of Gujarat, launched the state-wide ‘Mukhyamantri Gramotthan Yojana’ in January 2026 from Bhadran in Anand district, Gujarat, with the comprehensive objective of providing urban-equivalent facilities and infrastructure in rural areas, bridging the development gap between urban and rural regions of the state.
• In the first phase of this transformative mission, 114 villages that serve as Taluka headquarters will be equipped with modern amenities including high-quality road networks with proper drainage, underground sewerage systems to improve sanitation and public health, solar street lights for energy-efficient illumination, and digital electronic Gram (e-Gram) services for online governance and citizen services.
• During the launch event, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel laid the foundation stone for 2,666 Gram Panchayat Ghar-cum-Talati Awas buildings worth Rs 663 crore, providing integrated office-cum-residential facilities for village administrative officers and improving grassroots governance infrastructure across Gujarat’s rural landscape.
• The initiative will subsequently be expanded to all villages with populations above 10,000, representing a phased approach aimed at accelerating inclusive development by systematically bringing urban-level amenities, infrastructure, and governance standards to rural areas, potentially benefiting hundreds of villages and millions of rural residents.
• The Mukhyamantri Gramotthan Yojana represents Gujarat’s commitment to balanced regional development and rural transformation, addressing the historical infrastructure deficit in villages while preventing rural-to-urban migration by making villages attractive places to live and work with access to modern facilities, digital connectivity, and improved quality of life.