Science and Technology News

Tata Group Announces $11 Billion AI Innovation City Near Navi Mumbai International Airport

• Tata Group has unveiled plans for a massive $11 billion investment to construct an AI Innovation City in Maharashtra, strategically positioned near the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport, marking one of India’s largest technology infrastructure projects.
• The ambitious development will serve as a comprehensive ecosystem focusing on cutting-edge technologies including Artificial Intelligence, large-scale data centre operations, and semiconductor-related services, positioning India as a major player in the global technology landscape.
• The Innovation City is designed to emerge as a global hub for next-generation technology and digital services, with its proximity to the international airport providing enhanced global connectivity that is expected to attract multinational corporations and international investors.
• Maharashtra government officials highlighted that the project garnered significant attention and praise during presentations at the World Economic Forum in Davos, underscoring its potential to transform the region into a technology powerhouse.
• The project is expected to create thousands of high-skilled jobs and position Maharashtra as a leading destination for advanced technology research, development, and commercial operations in the Asian region.

Important Days News

India Commemorates Parakram Diwas on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s 129th Birth Anniversary

• Parakram Diwas 2026 is being observed across India on 23 January 2026 to honor the birth anniversary of freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, celebrated as the “Day of Courage” to commemorate his extraordinary leadership and unwavering patriotism.
• Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was born on 23 January 1897 in Cuttack, Odisha, and went on to lead the Indian National Army (INA) in the struggle for independence, inspiring millions with his famous slogan “Give me blood, and I shall give you freedom.”
• The Government of India officially designated 23 January as Parakram Diwas on 19 January 2021, during the celebrations marking Netaji’s 125th birth anniversary, to ensure that his contributions and sacrifices remain etched in national memory.
• Educational institutions, government offices, and cultural organizations across the country are conducting patriotic programmes, speeches, debates, essay competitions, and cultural events to educate younger generations about Netaji’s role in India’s freedom movement.

Books and Authors News

Vice President Releases Comprehensive Book on Ram Janmabhoomi Movement in National Capital

• Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan officially released the book titled “Chalice of Ambrosia: Ram Janmabhoomi – Challenge and Response” at a distinguished gathering in New Delhi, marking an important documentation of a significant chapter in India’s socio-legal history.
• The book has been authored by Surendra Kumar Pachauri, a former Secretary to the Government of India, who brings his extensive administrative experience and scholarly approach to documenting the complex journey of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement.
• During the release ceremony, Vice President Radhakrishnan praised the book for presenting the Ram Janmabhoomi journey in a balanced and scholarly manner, emphasizing that it captures the nuances of the decades-long legal and social movement with objectivity.
• He specifically highlighted the Supreme Court’s landmark verdict delivered in 2019 as a pivotal turning point in Indian history, which he described as an event that restored national self-respect and brought closure to a long-standing dispute.
• The book release event witnessed the presence of several eminent personalities including Nripendra Mishra, former Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Vinod Rai, former Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Amit Khare, and Deepak Gupta, adding gravitas to the occasion.

National News

Ministry of Skill Development Partners with World Economic Forum to Launch India Skills Accelerator Initiative

• The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding with the World Economic Forum (WEF) to launch the India Skills Accelerator, aimed at comprehensively strengthening India’s skilling ecosystem.
• The strategic partnership will focus on enhancing Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) with strong industry linkages to ensure that training outcomes are directly aligned with market requirements and employability standards.
• Priority sectors identified for the initiative include emerging and future-oriented fields such as Artificial Intelligence, robotics, green energy technologies, cybersecurity, and advanced manufacturing, ensuring India’s workforce remains competitive in the global economy.
• The India Skills Accelerator aligns seamlessly with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and Vision India@2047, supporting the government’s long-term objective of creating a future-ready workforce capable of driving innovation and economic growth.

National News

Government Expands Carbon Credit Trading Scheme with New Emission Intensity Targets for Industries

• The Government of India has notified Greenhouse Gas Emission Intensity (GEI) targets for additional industrial sectors under the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS), significantly expanding the scope of India’s climate action framework.
• The new notification brings 208 additional obligated entities under the compliance framework, raising the total number of entities required to meet emission standards to 490, representing a substantial expansion of India’s carbon market.
• The GEI targets are designed to focus on reducing emissions per unit of output rather than imposing absolute emission caps, allowing industries to grow while improving their environmental efficiency and carbon footprint.
• The notification has been issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) as part of India’s commitment to meeting its climate goals and international commitments under the Paris Agreement.
• Under the scheme, entities that successfully meet or exceed their GEI targets will earn tradable carbon credits, while those falling short must purchase credits from the market to achieve compliance, creating a market-based mechanism for emission reduction.

State News

Rajasthan Develops NCR’s First Comprehensive Biological Park in Alwar District

• The Rajasthan government is developing a state-of-the-art Biological Park in Alwar district near Kati Ghati and Jaisamand, sprawling across nearly 100 hectares, representing a major investment in wildlife conservation and eco-tourism.
• The ambitious project will house more than 400 wild animals representing 81 different species, including apex predators like lions, cheetahs, and tigers, making it one of the most diverse wildlife facilities in northern India.
• The park will offer visitors the unique opportunity to experience lion safari, tiger safari, and herbivore safari all at a single location, a first-of-its-kind facility in the National Capital Region (NCR), expected to attract significant tourism.
• The project includes the establishment of a modern wildlife rescue centre modeled on the advanced facilities at Gir National Park in Gujarat, equipped to handle emergency wildlife situations and rehabilitation needs.
• Additional features include a high-tech veterinary hospital with advanced diagnostic and treatment capabilities, and a dedicated butterfly park to promote awareness about pollinator conservation and biodiversity.

International News

India Sends 7.5 Tonnes of Cancer Medicines to Afghanistan as Humanitarian Assistance

• India has delivered 7.5 tonnes of life-saving cancer medicines to Kabul, Afghanistan, demonstrating its continued commitment to humanitarian assistance despite complex geopolitical circumstances in the region.
• The medical aid was dispatched under India’s broader humanitarian outreach programme, as confirmed by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), reflecting the country’s people-first approach to international diplomacy.
• Afghanistan is currently experiencing critical shortages in oncology medicines and cancer treatment facilities due to severely limited healthcare infrastructure, inadequate medical supply chains, and economic challenges following political changes.
• This initiative is part of India’s ongoing strategy to strengthen people-to-people ties and provide direct support to Afghan civilians suffering from medical emergencies, transcending political considerations.
• India has previously extended substantial humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan including shipments of food grains, COVID-19 vaccines, essential medicines, and medical equipment, establishing itself as a reliable partner in Afghanistan’s humanitarian needs.

Banking and Finance News

Central Government Approves Comprehensive Wage and Pension Revision for PSGICs, NABARD and RBI Employees

• The Central Government has approved a comprehensive wage and pension revision package for employees of Public Sector General Insurance Companies (PSGICs), NABARD, and the Reserve Bank of India, benefiting thousands of employees across these critical financial institutions.
• The PSGIC wage revision is effective retrospectively from 1 August 2022, providing a 12.41% increase in the overall wage bill and a 14% hike in basic pay plus dearness allowance (DA), significantly improving compensation for insurance sector employees.
• The government has increased its contribution to the National Pension System (NPS) from 10% to 14% for all employees who joined these institutions after 1 April 2010, bringing parity with central government employees and enhancing retirement security.
• RBI employees will receive a 10% increase in both pension and family pension, effective from 1 November 2022, recognizing the critical role of the central bank’s workforce in maintaining financial stability.
• The total financial implication of these revisions is substantial, with ₹8,170.30 crore allocated for PSGICs and ₹2,696.82 crore specifically earmarked for RBI pension revision, representing a significant investment in employee welfare.

Appointments and Resignations News

Tata Communications Appoints Ganesh Lakshminarayanan as MD and CEO-Designate

• Tata Communications has appointed Ganesh Lakshminarayanan as its Managing Director and CEO-designate, marking a planned leadership transition at one of India’s leading telecommunications and digital infrastructure companies.
• He will assume full charge following regulatory approvals and necessary clearances, succeeding outgoing CEO A S Lakshminarayanan, who is set to retire on 13 April 2026 after leading the company through a significant transformation period.
• The announcement comes on the back of strong financial performance, with the company posting a net profit of ₹365 crore in the third quarter of FY26, representing a robust 54.3% year-on-year growth.
• Revenue for the quarter reached ₹6,188.97 crore, marking a healthy 6.7% annual growth, demonstrating the company’s ability to capitalize on increasing demand for digital infrastructure and connectivity services.
• The company booked an exceptional cost of ₹60.98 crore during the quarter due to the impact of new Labour Codes on gratuity calculations, reflecting regulatory changes affecting corporate India.

National News

National School of Drama to Present 25th Edition of Bharat Rang Mahotsav Across India

• The National School of Drama (NSD) will host the 25th edition of Bharat Rang Mahotsav (BRM) 2026, India’s premier international theatre festival, from 27 January to 20 February 2026, celebrating the diversity and richness of theatrical arts.
• BRM 2026 will be held across an unprecedented 40 locations throughout India, including remote and strategically significant regions such as Ladakh and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, ensuring that theatre reaches every corner of the nation.
• The festival will showcase 277 Indian productions alongside 12 international productions representing all seven continents, making it one of the most globally diverse theatre festivals in the world.
• Plays will be staged in an extraordinary 228 languages, including regional languages like Bhojpuri, Maithili, Tulu, classical Sanskrit, and tribal languages like Nyishi, highlighting India’s linguistic diversity and theatrical traditions.
• Special festival components include Adirang Mahotsav celebrating tribal theatre, Jashne Bachpan featuring children’s theatre, and Poorvottar Natya Samaroh showcasing theatrical traditions from India’s northeastern states.

Obituary News

Singapore’s Pioneering Environmental Champion Kirtida Mekani Passes Away at 66

• India-born Singapore environmentalist Kirtida Mekani, widely known as Singapore’s “Tree Lady,” passed away on 19 January 2026 at the age of 66 due to a heart attack, leaving behind a remarkable legacy of environmental conservation.
• She made history by becoming the first executive director of the Singapore Environment Council in 1993, where she pioneered numerous environmental initiatives that transformed Singapore’s approach to citizen-led conservation.
• Her most celebrated achievement was leading the Plant-A-Tree Programme launched in 2007, which successfully engaged citizens in planting more than 76,000 trees across Singapore, significantly enhancing the city-state’s green cover.
• She was instrumental in supporting and expanding the Community in Bloom movement, which resulted in the establishment of thousands of community gardens, fostering environmental awareness and community bonding through gardening.
• Her exceptional contributions were recognized with the President’s Award for the Environment in 2015, and she was posthumously honored with induction into the Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame in 2024, cementing her status as a pioneering environmental leader.

State News

Odisha Implements Comprehensive Ban on Gutkha and Pan Masala Products Statewide

• The Odisha Health Department has imposed a complete ban on the manufacture, sale, storage, transportation, and distribution of gutkha, pan masala, tobacco, and nicotine products across the state, marking a major public health intervention.
• The comprehensive prohibition applies to both packaged and unpackaged products, including items sold separately that are meant to be mixed with tobacco or nicotine substances, closing loopholes that previously allowed circumvention of restrictions.
• The notification ensures strict compliance with the Supreme Court’s nationwide directive on gutkha prohibition, aligning Odisha’s regulations with judicial mandates aimed at protecting public health from tobacco-related hazards.
• While Odisha had earlier imposed restrictions on tobacco sales in 2013, the new regulation eliminates legal loopholes that allowed continued sale of certain products, making the ban more effective and enforceable.
• Starting 1 February 2026, tobacco and pan masala products will face significantly higher taxation including a 40% Goods and Services Tax (GST) on pan masala, serving as an additional deterrent to consumption.

State News

Tamil Nadu Government Launches Semmozhi Illakiya Virudhu Multi-Language Literary Award

• The Tamil Nadu government has announced the launch of Semmozhi Illakiya Virudhu, a new annual state-backed literary award designed to recognize and celebrate literary excellence across multiple Indian languages.
• The award will honor exceptional books published in seven Indian languages: Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia, Bengali, and Marathi, promoting literary exchange and appreciation across linguistic boundaries.
• Each winner in their respective language category will receive a cash prize of ₹5 lakh, making it one of India’s most lucrative state-sponsored literary awards and placing it among the premier literary honors in the country.
• Separate expert committees will be constituted for each language to select winners, ensuring transparency, independence, and credibility in the evaluation process without political interference.
• The initiative has gained particular attention amid ongoing national debates about the autonomy of literary awards and concerns over alleged government interference in literary institutions at the central level.

Books and Authors News

Banaras Literature Festival Announces Book Award Winners Across Multiple Categories

• The second edition of the Banaras Lit Fest Book Awards 2026 has announced its winners across English, Hindi, and various Indian languages, recognizing outstanding literary achievements from the past year.
• Veteran author Namita Gokhale has been honored with the prestigious Bharatendu Harishchandra Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing her decades-long contribution to Indian literature as a writer, publisher, and literary festival organizer.
• In the English category, Shinie Antony received recognition for Fiction while Peggy Mohan was awarded for Non-Fiction, highlighting excellence in contemporary English-language writing from India.
• Hindi language winners include celebrated poet Mamta Kalia who won in the Fiction category, and renowned poet and translator Udayan Vajpeyi who received the award in the Poetry category.
• The awards will be formally presented during the Banaras Literature Festival scheduled from 30 January to 1 February 2026 in the ancient city of Varanasi, bringing together India’s literary community.

State News

Lucknow Achieves Milestone as Uttar Pradesh’s First Zero Fresh Waste Dump City

• Lucknow has achieved a significant environmental milestone by inaugurating its third fresh waste processing plant at Shivari, becoming Uttar Pradesh’s first city to achieve ‘zero fresh waste dump’ status through complete scientific waste processing.
• The newly inaugurated Shivari plant has a processing capacity of 700 metric tonnes per day, which brings Lucknow’s total waste processing capacity to 2,100 metric tonnes daily, sufficient to handle the city’s entire waste generation.
• The city generates approximately 2,000 metric tonnes of waste daily, which is now being completely processed through scientific methods rather than being dumped in landfills, representing a major environmental achievement.
• The waste undergoes systematic segregation with 55% organic waste being converted into compost and biogas for productive use, while the remaining 45% inorganic waste is channeled into recycling and Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) production.
• A 15-megawatt Waste-to-Energy (WtE) plant is planned at the Shivari facility to utilize RDF for power generation, which will further enhance the circular economy approach and convert waste into valuable energy resources.