Last Updated on February 18, 2026 by studentabc.xyz

Current Affairs January 2026

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Current Affairs January 2026

01/01/2026
India is set to become the world’s fourth largest economy in 2025, surpassing Japan with a GDP of $4.18 trillion.
US President Donald Trump is set to become the first non-Israeli citizen to receive the “Israel Prize for Peace” following a historic rule amendment in July 2025.
DRDO celebrated its 68th Raising Day on 1 January 2026 and reviewed the achievements of 2025 and targets for 2026.
DRDO successfully conducted the first flight test of the 120 km range Pinaka Long Range Guided Rocket on 29 December 2025.
Eminent scientist A. K. Balasubrahmanian has assumed charge as the Chairman of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board with effect from January 1, 2026.

02/01/2026
India launched NTRAF to standardise assessment of technology maturity and enhance market-ready innovation across various sectors.
India strengthened its sea-based nuclear deterrence capability by successfully test-firing the K-4 submarine-launched ballistic missile from INS Arighat.
Indian chess stars Koneru Humpy and Arjun Erigaisi showcased India’s global chess prowess by winning bronze medals at the FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship 2025.

03/01/2026
Army Hospital (R&R) in Delhi Cantt successfully performed India’s first 3D Flex Aqueous Angiography with iStent.
Former New Zealand all-rounder Doug Bracewell has retired from international cricket
Denmark delivered the last physical letter, ending a letter delivery service that had existed for over 400 years.

04/01/2026
Google introduced the facility to change the primary Gmail ID without losing data.
Peru became the first country in the world to grant legal rights to stingless bees.
Deepti Sharma became the highest wicket-taker in women’s T20 International cricket with 152 wickets.
World Braille Day is celebrated on January 4, the birth anniversary of Louis Braille, to highlight the importance of accessibility and inclusion for people with visual impairments.

05/01/2026
A new species of reed snake, Calamaria mizoramensis, was discovered in Mizoram, published in Zootaxa on 5th Jan’ 2026.
Luv Agarwal was appointed as Director General of DGFT and Ravindra Kumar Agarwal was appointed as Chairman and Managing Director of FCI.
The proposed third district of Goa will be named ‘Kushavati’.

06/01/2026
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the International Exhibition of Piprahwa Buddha Relics, reunited after 127 years, in New Delhi.
Andhra Pradesh emerged as the top state in India to attract proposed investments in FY26 with a 25.3% share.
India launched its first government hospital-based AI clinic at GIMS in Greater Noida, providing healthcare startups with a platform to innovate and drive better patient care.
Karnataka recorded its highest number of organ donors in 2025 with 198 and ranked third nationally, reflecting growing awareness and better coordination in organ transplantation.
World War Orphans Day is celebrated every year on 6 January to highlight the suffering of children orphaned by wars and to protect and rehabilitate them.

07/01/2026
Bulgaria became the 21st member of the Eurozone by adopting the Euro as its official currency, thereby increasing EU integration and economic connectivity.
India has overtaken China to become the world’s largest rice producer with a production of 150.18 million tonnes.
Andhra Pradesh emerged as India’s top investment destination in FY26, attracting 25.3% of proposed capital investments.

Current Affairs January 2026

08/01/2026
India launched the e-B-4 visa, which allows Chinese businessmen to carry out industrial and commercial activities in India for up to six months.
DRDO has developed a portable Sea Water Desalination System (SWaDeS) for troops deployed in remote, coastal and high-altitude areas, which makes saline water potable.
Assam Governor Laxman Prasad Acharya launched ‘Sanskar Shala’ in Guwahati to promote value-based education for children aged 4–14 years.
Tamil Nadu has launched the Assured Pension Scheme (TAPS), under which state employees will be given a pension of 50% of the last salary.

09/01/2026
Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Suresh Kalmadi passed away in Pune at the age of 81.
Former world billiards champion and Dhyan Chand Award winner Manoj Kothari passed away at the age of 67.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan released 55 literary works in Indian classical languages ​​in New Delhi.
The US has decided to pull out of 66 international organisations, including the India-led International Solar Alliance.

10/01/2026
The UK has implemented stricter road safety rules called ‘Dave’s Law’ in memory of an Indian-origin child who died in a road accident in 2018.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari announced that India has become the first country in the world to commercially produce bio-bitumen.
Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang has been awarded the 2026 IEEE Medal of Honor with a prize money of $2 million.
India’s GDP is projected to grow by 7.4% in FY2026, according to the first advance estimates from the National Statistical Office.
India has launched a new E-B4 business visa to ease business travel for Chinese citizens.

11/01/2026
India has overtaken China to become the world’s largest rice producer with a production of 150.18 million tonnes.
HDFC Asset Management Company has entered the private credit sector with a fund of ₹2,500 crore.
India launched the e-B-4 visa, which allows Chinese businessmen to carry out industrial and commercial activities in India for up to six months.
Andhra Pradesh emerged as India’s top investment destination in FY26, attracting 25.3% of proposed capital investments.

12/01/2026
The United Nations General Assembly has declared the year 2026 as the International Year of Grasslands and Pastoralists, with FAO as the lead agency.
Uttarakhand Police secured the first position in ICJS 2.0 ranking, while the work of SDRF was appreciated in Mahakumbh-2025.
FSS has become the first payments company to receive ISO IEC 42001 certification in India, the Middle East, APAC and South Africa.
IDFC FIRST Bank launched Zero-Forex Diamond Reserve Credit Card with zero forex markup and premium travel benefits.

Current Affairs January 2026

13/01/2026
Akasa Air has become the fifth airline from India to receive IATA membership, having qualified in the IATA Operational Safety Audit.
UIDAI has launched the official Aadhaar mascot named ‘Udai’ to make Aadhaar services more citizen-friendly.
Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi launched the ‘Pankhuri’ portal to enhance coordination in women and child welfare schemes.

14/01/2026
.Bengaluru based Indian Army officer Major Swati Shantha Kumar received the UN Secretary-General’s Award 2025 for advancing gender equality under UNMISS in South Sudan.
GAIL partnered with PNGRB for National PNG Drive 2.0 to expand PNG, CNG and CGD networks across the country.
India will celebrate the 10th Defence Forces Veterans Day on January 14, 2026, to honour the bravery and service of veterans.

15/01/2026
Australia women’s team captain Alyssa Healy announced her retirement from international cricket ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026.
SpaceX launched NASA’s Pandora mission aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, which will study the atmospheres of exoplanets.
Indian mountaineer Aritra Roy successfully climbed Mount Aconcagua (6,967.15 metres), the highest peak outside Asia.
Blinkit, Zepto, Zomato and Swiggy decided to stop 10-minute delivery service to improve the safety of workers.

16/01/2026
Sydney amateur tennis player Jordan Smith won the ‘One Point Slam’ held before the Australian Open and won the prize money of 1 million Australian dollars.
Jaipur hosted the 78th Army Day parade outside the cantonment area for the first time, showcasing advanced military equipment and giving credence to the theme “Nation First”.
The Central government has changed the leadership of key security and counter-terror agencies by appointing new Directors General for BSF, ITBP and NIA.

17/01/2026
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in collaboration with Netflix launched “Inspiring Innovators – Naya Bharat Ki Nayi Pehchan” programme to promote creative skills and meaningful storytelling
American biologist Toby Kiers received the Tyler Prize for his research on underground fungal networks, which are important for ecology and carbon control.

18/01/2026
Bill Gates begins process to phase out Gates Foundation, to end by 2045
From 1st April’2026 all toll plazas across the country will be completely cashless and payments can be made only through FASTag and UPI.
More than 100 students fell ill with norovirus infection in China’s Guangdong province.

19/01/2026
National Startup Day 2026 marks the completion of 10 years of the Startup India initiative.
MS Dhoni has been appointed as the brand ambassador of India’s first international multi stage cycling race, the Pune Grand Tour.
Shri Praveen Vashisht was appointed Vigilance Commissioner of the Central Vigilance Commission on 16 January 2026.

20/01/2026
Scientists have discovered a new species of microscopic crustacean, Indiaphonte bijoyi, in the Kavaratti lagoon of Lakshadweep.
China’s population declined for the fourth consecutive year in 2025, driven by a low birth rate and rising death rates.
UNDESA has estimated India’s economic growth rate to be 7.4% in the current financial year.

21/01/2026
India launched the Responsible Nations Index (RNI) to promote ethical governance and sustainable development.
According to SBI report, India is moving towards becoming an upper-middle income country by 2030.
The Election Commission of India will organise the IICDEM 2026 conference in New Delhi, which will be attended by delegates from over 70 countries.
Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan released the Hindi version of Dr. C. Palanivelu’s autobiography ‘Palaniivelu Guts’.

22/01/2026
Mr. Nitin Naveen was elected unopposed as the new national president of BJP and became the youngest president of the party.
Britain approves construction of Europe’s largest Chinese embassy in London despite security concerns
Olympic medallist Saina Nehwal announced her retirement due to injuries, ending an era in Indian badminton.

23/01/2026
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni won a seventh term in power with 71.65% of the vote.
The Gates Foundation and OpenAI have launched a $50 million ‘Horizon1000’ initiative to deploy AI-based services in 1,000 primary health centers in Africa.

24/01/2026
CDS General Anil Chauhan released the Military Quantum Mission Policy Framework for induction of quantum technology in the armed forces.
Murali Krishna, son of renowned singer S. Janaki, died of a heart attack on January 22.

25/01/2026
NASA astronaut Sunita Williams has retired after a 27-year career in which she spent 608 days in space.
NASA’s Artemis II mission will launch in February, putting astronauts in orbit around the Moon for the first time since 1972.
China posted a record trade surplus of $1.2 trillion in 2025, the largest ever by any country.

26/01/2026
Mr. Virat Kohli became the fastest batsman to reach 28,000 international runs in 624 innings
Kerala has declared Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary as the state’s first butterfly sanctuary.
India sent 7.5 tonnes of life-saving cancer medicines to Afghanistan under health cooperation.
The 2026 theme of the day, celebrated on January 26, focuses on the vital role of customs in securing global supply chains and tackling cross-border crimes.

27/01/2026
Tata Communications appointed Ganesh Lakshminarayanan as its MD and CEO.
Timothee Chalamet became the youngest actor to receive three Best Actor Oscar nominations.
Odisha government imposed a complete ban on gutkha, pan masala and all tobacco products from 1st Feb’2026.

28/01/2026
Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan released the book “Chalice of Ambrosia: Ram Janmabhoomi – Challenge and Response” in New Delhi.
Researchers have discovered a new species of flowering plant ‘Strobilanthes riteshi’ in the biodiversity-rich East Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh.
Indonesia tops the global pineapple production, while India has emerged as the sixth largest pineapple producing country in the world.

29/01/2026
Brazilian theatre production ‘Pasado Presente Genturo’ will make its international debut at India’s ‘Bharat Rang Mahotsav’ and Russia’s ‘GITIS FEST’ in February 2026.
The discovery of Neolithic remains at Lakkundi in Karnataka has further strengthened the site’s claim for UNESCO World Heritage status.
IIT Guwahati developed a forecasting framework to identify potential glacial lake formation zones in the Eastern Himalayas, which will help in reducing GLOF risk.
In January 2026, Elon Musk became the richest person in the world with a net worth of $713.1 billion.

30/01/2026
AIIA signs MoU with CAYEIT to promote digital health, AI-based research and technical education in Ayurveda.
NITI Aayog has launched a three-month ‘Sampoorna Abhiyaan 2.0’ to improve key development indicators in 513 aspirational blocks.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has launched the ‘Samiksha’ portal for real-time monitoring and transparency of development projects.
Indian Railways has deployed its first AI-powered humanoid robot ‘ASC ARJUN’ for crowd monitoring and passenger assistance at Visakhapatnam station
The United States has officially pulled out of the World Health Organization (WHO), citing alleged failures in pandemic management.
France’s National Assembly has approved a law banning social media use by children under 15 (fifteen).

31/01/2026
Microsoft launched the Maia 200 AI chip to reduce its dependence on Nvidia.
Karnataka is home to 39% of India’s generative AI startups, according to the Economic Survey 2025–26.
India ranked second in the world in consumer confidence in January 2026, according to the LSEG-Ipsos index.