Current Affairs

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) produced a detailed dark matter map by analysing gravitational effects on ordinary matter, as dark matter is invisible. Dark matter neither emits, absorbs nor reflects light and barely interacts with normal matter. Universe composition: visible matter 5%, dark matter 27%, dark energy 68%. JWST (launched 2021) orbits the Sun at L2 and studies cosmic history from first luminous objects to galaxy and planetary evolution.

During the three-day Acro Festival & SIV Championship Tehri 2026 in Uttarakhand, SDRF rescued two paraglider pilots who fell into Tehri Lake (Tehri Dam reservoir). The artificial reservoir near Tehri Garhwal town formed by diverting Bhagirathi (a Ganga source stream); elevation 1,700 m, depth ~262 m, length 42 km. Tehri Dam: 260 m earth-rockfill multipurpose dam (completed 2006), 1,000 MW + 1,000 MW pumped storage, managed by THDC India (NTPC subsidiary).

Bengaluru-based Alpha Design Technologies Ltd upgraded the Indian Air Force’s Pechora SAM, supporting indigenous modernisation of ageing hardware. Officially S-125 Neva/Pechora, it is a Soviet-origin medium-range, radar-guided system (launcher plus fire-control unit) typically using V-600 missiles and 4R90 Yatagan radar (five parabolic antennas). It intercepts low/medium-altitude targets, including drones/cruise missiles, under jamming; detects up to 100 km; fires 30–35.4 km; engages 20 m–20–25 km; ~92% kill probability; two targets up to 900 m/s.

Sunabeda Wildlife Sanctuary, Nuapada district, Odisha, recently declared ‘Maoist-free’, is reported by forest officials as emerging as a promising leopard habitat, with an estimated population of over 70. Declared a sanctuary in 1983, it adjoins Chhattisgarh’s Sitanadi and Udanti sanctuaries. It features a plateau, canyons and 11 waterfalls; forms the Jonk (Mahanadi tributary) catchment, with a dam for irrigation. Vegetation is dry deciduous tropical forest; flora includes Bija, Teak, Sisoo, Asan, Dharua, Mahul, Char, Sandalwood, Sidha. Fauna includes Barasingha, tiger, leopard, hyena, deer, gaur, sambar, sloth bear and hill myna.

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare notified 2026 amendments to the New Drugs and Clinical Trials (NDCT) Rules, 2019 to simplify regulation, reduce approval timelines and promote ease of doing business while ensuring public health and safety. Implemented via CDSCO using NSWS and SUGAM Portal modules, non-commercial manufacture shifts from licences to online prior intimation; high-risk drugs still need test licences. Timelines reduce by 90+ days; test-licence processing halves to 45 days; low-risk BA/BE studies get waiver with online intimation.

MoEFCC notified Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026 (effective 1 April 2026), amending SWM Rules, 2016 under Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, to strengthen sustainable management, Polluter Pays, circular economy and EPR. Mandatory source segregation: wet (compost/bio-methanate), dry (MRF), sanitary (separate), special-care (authorised). Bulk generators (≥100 kg/day, 40,000 L/day, or 20,000 sq m) must manage waste/on-site wet processing or obtain EBWGR certificate; user fees allowed. Buffer zones mandatory for facilities >5 t/day; CPCB to guide; portal to monitor. RDF use to raise fuel substitution 5% to 15% in six years; landfilling limited to inert/non-recoverable; tourist fees and local wet-waste processing in hotels; implementation committees set up.

A new plant species, Hoya nagaensis, has been recorded from Nagaland and reported in the international journal Kew Bulletin. It belongs to the milkweed group (genus Hoya, waxflowers) with milky sap, typically climbing/hanging vines. Found in high-altitude temperate, community-protected forests at a single location, it is provisionally IUCN Critically Endangered due to shifting cultivation and forest disturbance, showing affinity with H. thomsonii and H. coronaria.

PM Narendra Modi paid tributes to Lala Lajpat Rai (born 28 January 1865, Ludhiana district, Punjab). Joined Arya Samaj in 1882; part of Lal-Bal-Pal; advocated Swadeshi, Swaraj and militant nationalism; opposed Punjab Colonisation Act and irrigation rate hikes. In 1905, with Gokhale, represented Indian grievances in England; during WWI campaigned in USA; founded Indian Home Rule League of America (1916). INC President (Calcutta, 1920); supported Non-Cooperation post Jallianwala Bagh; led 1928 Simon Commission protests in Lahore and died after lathi-charge. Known as Punjab Kesari; wrote Unhappy India and The Story of My Deportation.

Union Budget 2026–27, presented in Parliament by Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, is first prepared in Kartavya Bhawan and structured around three kartavya for Viksit Bharat: growth, inclusion and resilience. Since 15 Aug 2025, 350+ reforms include GST simplification and labour code notification. Public capex rises to ₹12.2 lakh crore (BE 2026–27); ₹10,000 crore SME Growth Fund announced. DFC Dankuni–Surat and 20 National Waterways (from NW-5, Odisha) planned. Fiscal deficit targeted at 4.3% and debt-GDP 55.6%. New Income Tax Act, 2025 effective April 2026; TCS under LRS cut to 2%.

Prime Minister addressed the first India–EU Business Forum in New Delhi, held during the 16th India–EU Summit. Launched in 2026, it aims to strengthen India–EU economic partnership via trade, investment and business collaboration, supporting the India–EU FTA (concluding 2026; EU India’s 22nd FTA partner), R&D, services and resilient supply chains. Priorities: de-risking EVs/batteries/semiconductors/APIs; defence/space/telecom/AI; green transition (hydrogen/solar/smart grids); nuclear SMR cooperation. India (4th) and EU (2nd) together form 25% of global GDP; EU–India goods trade USD 137.41 billion (2023–24).

France’s National Assembly passed (116–23) a bill to ban under-15s from accessing social media platforms and embedded social networking features (e.g., Facebook/Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat), mandating EU-law-compliant age verification. It goes to the Senate; government targets implementation by September (next academic year). It also extends school smartphone bans to high schools. Macron cited youth violence and mental-health risks; 2024 Harris Interactive found 73% support.

India reports widespread vitamin D deficiency: 30–50% have levels <20 ng/dl (insufficiency 21–30; sufficiency 31–75; toxic >100). Vitamin D is fat-soluble (with A, E, K), difficult to excrete; excess may cause toxicity. Types: D2 (ergocalciferol; almonds, mushrooms) and D3 (cholecalciferol; fish, egg, liver); vegetarian diets often poor. Causes include low sunlight exposure, pollution and limited dairy fortification. Receptors exist in most tissues; roles include bone-mineral metabolism, immunity and mood. Deficiency is linked to muscle weakness, falls, respiratory infections, TB, cardiovascular and metabolic disorders (diabetes). Fortification needs toxicity testing, limited in India; supplementation follow-up blood test at 2–3 months; intake: children/adults 600–800 IU/day, elderly 800–1000, pregnant women 1000–1200.

Scuba divers reported a rare live sighting of whale shark (Rhincodon typus) off Visakhapatnam’s Chinna Rushikonda coast, highlighting monitoring needs in India’s coastal waters. The world’s largest fish inhabits epipelagic and coastal–oceanic zones, migrating along India’s east coast (Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, Machilipatnam). It is Endangered and listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972; threats include fishing/by-catch, ship strikes, pollution and irresponsible tourism.

International Data Privacy Day is observed annually on 28 January, designated in 2006 by the Council of Europe, commemorating the signing of Convention 108, the world’s first legally binding international treaty on data protection. It promotes awareness on personal data privacy in the digital age, with shared responsibility of government, platforms and citizens. India, the world’s 3rd-largest digitalised economy, follows DPDP Act, 2023 and DPDP Rules, 2025; Budget 2025-26 allocates Rs 782 crore for cybersecurity.

India’s Gallantry Awards are conferred by the President, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, for acts of bravery, valour or self-sacrifice in wartime and peacetime. Wartime awards (instituted 26 January 1950): Param Vir Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra, Vir Chakra. Peacetime awards (instituted 4 January 1952): Ashoka Chakra Class I–III, renamed in 1967 as Ashoka Chakra, Kirti Chakra and Shaurya Chakra. The Ministry of Defence invites recommendations twice yearly from the Armed Forces and Union Ministry of Home Affairs; awards are announced on Republic Day and Independence Day.

Two Bactrian camels will feature in the 2026 Republic Day Parade. The Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus), named after Bactria (ancient Central Asian region), is a large even-toed ungulate native to Central Asian steppes and arid zones, including the Gobi and Taklamakan deserts. In India, about 300–400 occur, all in Ladakh’s Nubra Valley. It has two fat-storing humps, thick winter fur, tolerates −30°C to 40°C, and is IUCN Critically Endangered.

Some States have reported issues over the Governor’s address to the State Legislature at the start of the year’s first session, raising questions on Articles 175 and 176. Article 175 allows the Governor to address or send messages to the House(s) anytime (discretionary), while Article 176 mandates a special address at the first session after each general election and the first session each year. Both are on Council of Ministers’ aid and advice, as affirmed in Nabam Rebia (2016).

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) conducted a high-altitude rescue and road restoration operation at Chatergala Pass (~10,500 ft) in Jammu & Kashmir to restore connectivity between Bhaderwah (Doda district) and Basohli (Kathua district). BRO, established in 1960, has been under the Ministry of Defence’s administrative control since 2015. It strengthens border connectivity and strategic infrastructure (roads, tunnels) through civilian-military personnel.

NASA introduced ExoMiner++, a deep learning software tool to support exoplanet detection. It analyses datasets from NASA’s Kepler mission and the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). ExoMiner++ scans stellar “light curves” to detect signature brightness dips (transits) when a planet passes in front of its star. It provides explainable-AI outputs, including probability scores and specific reasoning, aiding astronomers’ scientific trust.

Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD) was named a finalist for the 2026 Franz Edelman Award for Anna Chakra, an operations research–based decision support system for supply-chain optimisation under the Public Distribution System (PDS), optimising state-specific foodgrain logistics using advanced algorithms. Developed with WFP India and IIT Delhi, it integrates PM Gati Shakti and Railways’ FOIS via ULIP. Edelman honours high-value OR/analytics; winner gets $10,000.

DRDO showcased the indigenously developed LR-AShM (Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile) hypersonic glide missile system and its launcher at the 77th Republic Day parade, its first public appearance. Designed for the Indian Navy, it meets land-based coastal battery requirements for anti-ship coastal defence. Hypersonic vehicles exceed Mach 5 and follow low, manoeuvrable trajectories, making detection/interception difficult, enabling rapid, precise strikes and enhancing sea-denial and deterrence in the Indian Ocean Region.

Microsoft launched Maia 200, its second-generation in-house AI chip (original Maia: 2023), manufactured by TSMC on 3-nanometre technology. It is live in a Microsoft data centre in Iowa, deployed across US data centres with rollout planned for Arizona. Designed for large-scale AI workloads (chatbots, generative AI), it reduces reliance on Nvidia. It uses HBM (older-gen) and large SRAM, and bundles an open-source software stack including Triton (with OpenAI contributions) to rival CUDA.

Botanical Survey of India recorded a new flowering plant, Strobilanthes riteshii (Acanthaceae), from Chayangtajo, East Kameng district, Arunachal Pradesh. Named after Dr Ritesh Kumar Choudhary, it grows on open hill slopes along roadsides near streams/waterfalls in evergreen patches. Endemic to Eastern Himalayan Arunachal; ~25 mature individuals noted. Resembles S. gigantea; purple-violet bell flowers. Flowers Aug–Oct; fruits Sep–Dec. IUCN: Data Deficient; threats include road widening, jhum cultivation, and stream pollution.

India observes the 16th National Voters’ Day on 25 January to promote voter participation and democratic values, commemorating the Election Commission of India’s establishment in 1950 under Article 324. Launched in 2011, NVD honours voters, encourages youth enrolment and universal adult suffrage. The ECI theme is “My India, My Vote” with tagline “Citizen at the Heart of Indian Democracy”. Main event in New Delhi includes EPIC distribution by the President and National Electoral Awards for electoral management excellence nationwide.

PM Modi congratulated 2026 Padma awardees. Padma Awards (instituted 1954)-Padma Vibhushan/Bhushan/Shri—are top civilian honours, conferred annually by President with sanad+medallion for arts, social work, public affairs, science, industry, medicine, literature, education, sports, civil services. Public nominations (self ok); all eligible; govt/PSU staff ineligible except doctors, scientists; usually non-posthumous; cap 120 (excl posthumous, NRI/foreigner/OCI); non-title. Committee yearly by PM: Cabinet Secretary (chair), Home Secretary, Secretary to President, 4–6 eminent; recommendations to PM+President.