UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | January 12 to January 18, 2026

— Traditionally, the dance is performed by young Bodo women, with men accompanying as musicians. The dance features gentle, flowing movements that imitate butterflies, birds, leaves and flowers. Performances are usually organised in groups, forming circles or lines that enhance its visual elegance.

 

Events

• National Youth Day 2026

— National Youth Day is observed every year on January 12 in India to commemorate the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, one of the country’s greatest spiritual leaders and thinkers.

— Swami Vivekananda is considered one of the great Indian monks who enlightened the Western world about Hinduism. As a disciple of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa, he pushed for national integration in colonial India and is credited with reviving Hinduism in the nation.

• Second Global Summit on Blue Food Security

— The Second Global Summit on “Blue Food Security: Sea the Future 2026” was held in Eilat, Israel from January 13-15, 2026.

— A Joint Ministerial Declaration of Intent on Cooperation in the Field of Fisheries and Aquaculture was signed between India and Israel.

•  28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC)

— The 28th CSPOC took place in New Delhi from 14 to 16 January 2026. The Conference brings together the Speakers and Presiding Officers of the national parliaments of the independent sovereign states of the Commonwealth.

— Speakers and Presiding Officers from more than 45 Commonwealth Parliaments were hosted by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Om Birla.

— India hosted the conference after 16 years. Earlier it hosted the conferences in 1971, 1986, and 2010.

— CSPOC was established in 1969 by the then Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons, and since its inception, it is Canada that has provided secretarial support for all its activities.

— CSPOC is an independent group with no formal affiliation with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), the Commonwealth Secretariat or the Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM). However, its membership is the same as that of CPA.

— CSPOC operates on a two-year cycle, holding a conference of the full membership every two years, usually early in January, and a meeting of the Standing Committee at the same time the intervening year.

— During the valedictory session, Speaker Birla also handed over the chairmanship of 29th CSPOC to Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the UK House of Commons, and wished him best for the success of the next Conference in London.

• National Startup Day 2026

— January 16 is designated as National Startup Day as a recognition of India’s entrepreneurial spirit. This year it also marks a decade of the Startup India initiative.

— Launched on 16th January, 2016, the Startup India Initiative has rolled out several programs with the objective of supporting entrepreneurs, building a robust startup ecosystem and transforming India into a country of job creators instead of job seekers.

— These programs are managed by a dedicated Startup India Team, which reports to The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).

— At Google AI Startups Conclave, Google India launched the ‘Google Market Access Programme’, a new initiative aimed at helping Indian AI startups scale their products for enterprise adoption by leveraging the tech giant’s vast distribution network and access to key international markets.

Recall: The schemes launched by the government for Startups in India like Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS).

• 10th Armed Forces Veterans Day

— The Armed Forces Veterans’ Day is celebrated every year on January 14 across India to pay respects to the armed forces veterans for their selfless duty and sacrifices and to reinforce solidarity towards the next of kin of the Bravehearts.

— The first Armed Forces Veterans Day was organised on January 14, 2017, as a pan-India event under the purview of the Ministry of Defence. The aim was to salute the unwavering dedication and sacrifices of tri-services veterans while standing in solidarity with their families.

— January 14 was chosen to be celebrated as Veterans’ Day as it was on this day in 1953 when Field Marshal KM Cariappa, the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army post-independence, retired after glorious service to the nation and became a veteran.

The Indian Army held its 78th Army Day Parade on the streets of Jaipur, marking the first public city-level celebration of the event. (ANI Photo)

• 78th Army Day

— Indian Army Day is observed every year on January 15 to honour the bravery and sacrifices of soldiers who dedicated their lives to protecting the country.

— The official theme for Indian Army Day 2026 is “Year of Networking and Data Centricity”.

— The day commemorates the occasion when General (later Field Marshal) K M Cariappa took over the command of the Indian Army from General Sir F R R Bucher, the last British Commander-in-Chief, in 1949 and became the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of Independent India.

 

Polity

• Jal Jeevan

— The Centre is planning to cut the outlay of its flagship rural tap water scheme or Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) by almost 60 per cent from Rs 67,000 crore allocated in Budget 2025-26 to Rs 17,000 crore in the revised estimates (RE) of the current financial year.

— Launched in August 2019, the JJM was aimed at providing Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTC) to provide 55 lpcd (litres per capita per day) drinking water to all rural households in the country by 2024. In the fiscal year 2024-25 too, the Centre had allocated Rs 70,163 crore, but it was cut to Rs 22,694 crore at the RE stage.

Map of Kaziranga Elevated Corridor (Image: PIB)

• Kaziranga Elevated Corridor

— The Prime Minister has inaugurated a 34.5-kilometre elevated corridor in Assam’s Kaziranga.

— The corridor is part of a major existing highway connecting the national park and Eastern Assam to the state capital, Guwahati, and its aim is to enable safer passage for animals to cross.

— The Kaziranga National Park, which has the world’s largest population of the one-horned rhinoceros and is home to 37 species of mammals and nearly 500 species of birds, is located on the Brahmaputra floodplains in Central Assam’s Nagaon and Eastern Assam’s Golaghat districts.

— National Highway 715 (earlier NH-37) forms the southern boundary of the national park, and across it lie the hills of Karbi Anglong.

— The major part of the widening of this NH from two lanes to four lanes passes along the boundary of the park or through it; the elevated corridor is part of this. It will leave an area underneath for the cross-movement of animals from the national park to the Karbi Anglong Hills.

• SOP for cyber financial frauds

—  The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has approved the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal’s (NCRP) Cyber Financial Crime Reporting and Management System (CFCFRMS).

— As per the new SOP, for small-value frauds, where the amount held is below Rs 50,000, a refund can be processed swiftly without a court order. Additionally, if no court or restoration order exists, banks must lift the hold on such amounts within 90 days.

— It establishes a uniform process for banks, payment aggregators, non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), e-commerce platforms, stock-trading apps, mutual fund houses, and other financial intermediaries to follow when a cybercrime complaint is lodged against a suspicious transaction.

• Jamma Bane land system of Karnataka

— The Karnataka Land Revenue (Second Amendment) Act, 2025 aimed at modernising the land records for the unique Jamma Bane land holdings in Coorg, which is now in Kodagu district.

— The Jamma Bane tenure is a form of land holding prevalent in Kodagu district which is distinctly different from other classes of land holdings in the state. The word Jamma means hereditary.

— These Jamma lands were originally granted by the erstwhile kings of Coorg and the British — between 1600 and 1800 — to local communities in return for military service.

— The Jamma Bane land ownership is registered in the name of the original pattedar from a family. Over generations, the names of the new owners are added alongside the name of the pattedar. The land ownership name could not be changed to reflect new owners.

— This led to numerous disputes regarding succession, alienation, and privileges attached to Jamma Bane lands.

— The new amendment to the law essentially empowers tahsildars (assistant commissioners of the revenue departments) in Kodagu to make necessary corrections in land records to bring them in conformity with the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964

 

International Cooperation

• India-Germany relationship

— German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed 19 pacts at bilateral talks in Gandhinagar on 12th January, 2026.

— This marked the German Chancellor’s first official visit to India and his first bilateral trip outside of the European Union and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries.

— The visit followed the successful 7th India–Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC) held in New Delhi on 25 October 2024.

— Since May 2000, India and Germany have had a ‘Strategic Partnership’ which has been further strengthened with the launch of IGC in 2011 at the level of Heads of Government.

Key outcomes of the bilateral talks:

— Both the nations signed pacts for roadmaps on defence industrial cooperation and higher education, joint declaration on critical minerals and semiconductor ecosystem, and a bilateral dialogue mechanism on Indo-Pacific.

—  They announced a visa-free entry regime for Indian passengers transiting through Germany.

— A joint declaration of intent was signed to “establish an Indo-German Centre of Excellence for Skilling in Renewable Energy”, which will strengthen cooperation in curriculum development for the Indian and German job market, cooperation with German and Indian industry and training in the renewable energy sector.

— India-Germany bilateral trade in goods and services surpassed US$ 50 billion in 2024, amounting to over 25% of India’s trade with the EU.

— The two sides also signed a joint declaration of intent on strengthening bilateral economic cooperation through the German-Indian CEO Forum, which will further promote business and industry collaboration.

EAM Jaishankar and his Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi.

•  18th India – Japan Strategic Dialogue

— External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met visiting Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi for the 18th India-Japan Strategic Dialogue.

— They decided to launch an AI Dialogue to push for engagement in AI.

— They also decided to convene the Joint Working Group on Critical Minerals in early 2026 to  advance cooperation in rare earth elements and critical minerals. It is a new initiative.

— Under the Economic Security Initiative, India and Japan will convene the private sector dialogue to enhance public-private cooperation in the field of economic security. ⁠

— Year 2027 will mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and India. Both ministers concurred to designate 2027 as the “75th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between Japan and India.”

Speaking in New Delhi in the context of India’s BRICS presidency this year, S Jaishankar highlighted how the current global environment is laced with uncertainties and complications. (Photo: X/S Jaishankar)

• India’s BRICS presidency

— The logo, theme, and website of India’s BRICS Chairship 2026 was unveiled by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on 13 January 2026 in New Delhi.

— The theme for this year is “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”. It draws inspiration from the Prime Minister’s “Humanity First and People-centric” vision for BRICS.

— Jaishankar also spoke of “four broad priorities” guiding India’s BRICS 2026 chairship, stating that “resilience, innovation, cooperation, and sustainability” are the precedents that will lead the 18th summit of the grouping, to be held later this year.

— The BRICS logo unveiled consisted of lotus in the colours of the BRICS nations. It blends tradition with modernity, with petals reflecting the vibrant colours of all BRICS members and symbolising collective strength and unity. At the centre, the “Namaste” gesture conveys warmth, respect, and harmonious collaboration.

• Pax Silica

— The visiting United States envoy, Sergio Gor, invited India to join Pax Silica, a month after leaving New Delhi out of the US-led initiative, indicating a softening in tensions between the two countries.

— The U.S. has already invited these allies to join the initiative – Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Australia.

— Pax Silica is a US-led initiative focused on securing AI and tech supply chains, aimed at bringing “friendly and trusted” countries together to ensure that key technologies are safe, reliable, and not controlled by hostile play, according to the US State Department.

— Measures under Pax Silica include pursuing new joint ventures and strategic co-investment opportunities, protecting sensitive technologies and critical infrastructure from undue access or control by countries of concern and building trusted technology ecosystems, including ICT systems, fibre-optic cables, data centres, foundational models and applications.

— According to the official statement, “Pax Silica” draws from the Latin pax—meaning peace, stability, and long-term prosperity, as seen in terms like Pax Americana and Pax Romana. Silica refers to the compound that is refined into silicon, one of the chemical elements foundational to the computer chips that enable artificial intelligence.

 

Environment

• EV retrofitting

— Under the new EV policy, the Delhi government announced plans to incentivise the retrofitting of old petrol and diesel cars and their conversion into electric vehicles (EVs).

— Under this proposal, the government is planning to provide an incentive of Rs 50,000 for the first 1,000 old vehicles retrofitted into EVs. The plan is under consideration, and a final decision will be taken after Cabinet approval.

— EV retrofitting refers to the process of converting existing petrol or diesel vehicles into electric vehicles. During retrofitting, the fuel tank, engine, fuel pipes, exhaust system, and engine accessories are replaced with a battery, controller, and motor.

Let’s recall: Delhi government has also announced that no non-BS VI private vehicle registered outside Delhi is allowed to enter the Capital from 18th December, 2025. How are Bharat Stage emission norms aimed at curbing vehicular pollution?

• Orobanche aegyptiaca

— Mustard is a crop increasingly susceptible to infestation by Orobanche aegyptiaca. It is locally known as margoja.

— Orobanche aegyptiaca is a parasitic weed that attaches to the roots of mustard plants and extracts nutrients, carbon and water from them. By depriving the host crop of these, it causes wilting, yellowing and stunted growth of the plants and, thereby, lower mustard seed yields.

— Mustard is India’s biggest edible oil-yielding crop, accounting for over 4 million tonnes (mt) out of its 10.5-10.6 mt annual indigenous production.

 

Science and Technology

• PSLV-C62 mission

— The PSLV-C62 mission of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) suffered a major setback on 13th January when it failed to reach its intended orbit because of problems in the rocket.

— The PSLV-C62 rocket was carrying EOS-N1, an earth observation satellite, and 15 other payloads, including seven from Brazil and Nepal. All the payloads were lost.

— This was the second successive failure for a PSLV rocket, raising questions over the reliability of ISRO’s most successful launch vehicle.

— The PSLV, or Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, is what is known as a four-stage rocket. The stages refer to different parts of the rocket, each of which have their own engines and fuel.

— Each of these stages sequentially take charge of propelling the mission. They get detached and discarded after doing their job. The stages are sometimes also used to refer to the different phases of the mission flight.

NASA astronaut Zena Cardman is helped out of the SpaceX Crew-11 capsule after they re-entered the earth in a middle-of-the-night splashdown near San Diego. (NASA via AP)

• NASA’s first medical evacuation

— The SpaceX Crew-11 capsule carried out NASA’s first medical evacuation.

— SpaceX guided the capsule to a middle-of-the-night splashdown in the Pacific near San Diego, less than 11 hours after the astronauts exited the International Space Station.

— NASA’s Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke were joined on the return by Japan’s Kimiya Yui and Russia’s Oleg Platonov. Officials have refused to identify the astronaut who developed the health problem last week or explain what happened, citing medical privacy.

 

Places in News

(Just FYI: The location of the place is important, considering that UPSC has asked several questions about places that were in the news, such as Aleppo and Kirkuk, in the 2018 UPSC Prelims. The best way to remember them is to plot them on a world map.)

• Shaksgam Valley

— Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Kavinder Gupta on Tuesday asked China to stop its infrastructure construction projects in the Shaksgam Valley, saying the Chinese activity in the area “is illegal and cannot be tolerated”.

— Shaksgam Valley, or the Trans Karakoram Tract, is part of the Hunza-Gilgit region occupied by Pakistan and lies to the north of the Siachen glacier. Spread over more than 5,000 sq km, its terrain and climatic conditions make it difficult for human habitation. While it is claimed by India, Pakistan used to control it.

— Pakistan ceded it to China in 1963, but China has attempted to assert itself in this region even earlier. Although India has always considered Aksai Chin to be part of J&K, in the 1950s, the Chinese built a highway connecting Tibet with Xinjiang through the region, which was more easily accessible to the Chinese than to the Indians. China has since claimed Aksai Chin to be part of Hotan county of its Xinjiang province.

— According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, India has never recognised the so-called China-Pakistan boundary agreement that happened in 1963. India has consistently maintained that the agreement is illegal and invalid.

• World’s First Repository of Mountain Ice Cores

— Scientists have inaugurated the first global repository of mountain ice cores at the Concordia station in the Antarctic Plateau. It preserves the history of the Earth’s atmosphere in an Antarctic vault for future generations to study as global warming melts glaciers around the world.

— The Ice Memory Foundation, a consortium of European research institutes, inaugurated the frozen sanctuary after boxes containing 1.7 tons of ice arrived via ice breaker on a 50-day refrigerated journey from Trieste, Italy.

— An ice core is something of a time capsule, containing the history of the Earth’s past atmosphere in a frozen climate archive.

— The first two samples of Alpine mountain ice core, drilled out of Mont Blanc in France and Grand Combin in Switzerland, are now being stored in a snow cave at the Concordia station in the Antarctic Plateau at a constant temperature of around -52°C/-61°F.

— The Ice Memory project was launched in 2015 by a consortium of research institutes: From France, the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD) and the University of Grenoble-Alpes; from Italy the National Council of Research (CNR) and
the Ca’Foscari University in Venice, and Switzerland’s Paul Scherrer Institute.

• Bio-Safety Level 4 (BSL-4) Containment Facility and laboratory in Gujarat

— Union Home Minister Amit Shah has laid the foundation stone of the Bio-Safety Level 4 (BSL-4) Containment Facility and laboratory in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

— The technical term “Bio-Safety Level 4″ represents the highest level of biological containment. Such laboratories are designed to safely research the world’s most dangerous and life-threatening pathogens which are highly infectious and often lack effective vaccines or treatments.

— It will be the second such civilian research facility in India and the first to be fully funded and controlled by a state government. It is being constructed under the Gujarat State Biotechnology Mission (GSBTM).

— Currently, there is only one civilian BSL-4 laboratory functional in India, located at the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune, Maharashtra.

 

Test Your Knowledge

(Note: The best way to remember facts for UPSC and other competitive exams is to recall them through MCQs. Try to solve the following questions on your own.)

(1) Bagurumba is the folk dance of

(a) Bhils community

(b) Santhal community

(c) Bodo community

(d) Toda community

(2) Consider the following statements about the Pax Silica:

1. It is a NATO-led initiative headed by the US.

2. India is invited to join it along with China.

which of the statements mentioned above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 1 and 2

(d) None

(3) Consider the following pairs:

1. National Youth Day: January 16

2. Army Day: January 15

3. National Startup Day: January 12

How many of the Statements given above are correct? –

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Prelims Answer Key

1. (c)     2. (d)     3. (a)

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