UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | January 19 to January 25, 2026

Don’t miss what matters—UPSC Current Affairs Pointers brings you the past week’s key news every Monday to power your Prelims and Mains preparation for UPSC, State PCS, and other government exams.

Past week Current affairs pointers | January 12 to January 18, 2026, read it here.

Events

• World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026

— The 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum was held in Davos, Switzerland from January 19 to 23, 2026, bringing together global leaders from government, business, and civil society.

— The theme of the annual meeting was ‘A Spirit of Dialogue’, to provide an impartial platform for leaders to address shared global challenges and shape innovations defining the future.

History of WEF The World Economic Forum was founded in 1971 by German academic Klaus Schwab. The Forum was initially launched as the European Management Forum before evolving into the World Economic Forum. A key idea promoted by Schwab is “stakeholder capitalism” — a model in which companies aim for long-term value creation by considering the interests of all stakeholders, not just shareholders. This includes employees, suppliers, communities and society at large, rather than focusing solely on short-term profits. According to the WEF, the concept underlines the need for businesses to serve a broader set of interests. Extending this approach, the Forum brings together leaders from business, government and civil society in the Swiss Alps to discuss major global challenges and explore solutions to address them.

Try to Recall: The major reports published by the WEF. FYI, questions have been asked in the UPSC prelims examination on the reports published by the WEF. Do check it at the end of the article.

CEC Gyanesh Kumar addressing the Election Commission’s International Conference on Democracy and Election Management at Bharat Mandapam on Wednesday.(Source: ECI)

• India International Conference on Democracy and Election Management (IICDEM) 2026

— The Election Commission of India (ECI) hosted the inaugural India International Conference on Democracy and Election Management (IICDEM) 2026 from 21st to 23rd January, 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.

— The conference was held under the theme of “democracy for an inclusive, peaceful, resilient, and sustainable world”. It saw participation of election management bodies from 45 countries, apart from diplomats, academics, and state Chief Electoral Officers.

— IICDEM concluded with the adoption of the Delhi Declaration 2026. The five pillars of the Delhi declaration are Purity of Electoral Rolls, Conduct of Elections, Research and Publications, Use of Technology, and Training and Capacity Building.

— Last year, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar took over as the 2026 chair of International Institute of Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), a Sweden-based intergovernmental organisation. India assumed the annual Chairship from the 2025 Chair, Switzerland.

— International IDEA is an intergovernmental organization (IGO) with a mandate to support sustainable democracy worldwide. India has been a member since 1995. The organisation includes 35 democratic countries and two observer nations.

— During the conference, CEC launched ECINet, a website and app that brings over 40 of its existing apps for voters and election officials on one platform.

• National Girl Child Day

— National Girl Child Day, an initiative of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, is celebrated every year on January 24 to spread awareness about the challenges that girls face.

— National Girl Child Day promotes awareness about the rights of the girl child and increases awareness of the importance of girls’ education, health, and nutrition. It also aims to promote girls’ position in society to improve their living.

• National Voters’ Day

— January 25 is celebrated annually as National Voters’ Day to mark the foundation day of the Election Commission of India (ECI), which was founded on January 25, 1950.

— The theme for National Voters’ Day 2026 is “My India, My Vote” with a tagline of Citizen at the Heart of Indian Democracy.

— The day aims to promote people’s participation in elections by encouraging and felicitating young voters and increasing voter enrolment.

• Republic Day 2026: Indian Army’s Remount and Veterinary Corps (RVC)

— At the annual Republic Day parades, the Indian Army’s Remount and Veterinary Corps (RVC) are generally represented by the dog squad. This year, in a first, other animals will also be part of the parade.

— The RVC is a specialised Corps of the Indian Army responsible for the breeding, rearing, and training of Army animals, including horses, mules and Army dogs. It ensures the operational readiness of these animals for combat, reconnaissance, and logistics, particularly in high-altitude and difficult terrain, while also providing veterinary care and supporting counter-terrorism operations.

Reports

(FYI: The data provided in these reports can be used to substantiate your Mains answer and create a broad understanding of the topic.)

• Global Water Bankruptcy Report

— The United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) has released a new report titled “Global Water Bankruptcy: Living Beyond Our Hydrological Means in the Post-Crisis Era”.

— The Water Bankruptcy Report has declared that the world has entered into the era of “global water bankruptcy”  due to a structural imbalance between water demand and available resources. The report calls for effective action to protect water-related natural capital before damages become fully irreversible.

— As per the report, nearly 75% of the world’s population lives in countries classified as water-insecure or critically water-insecure.

* Around 70% of the world’s major aquifers show long-term declining trends.

* Around 3 billion people and more than half of the world’s food production are located in areas where total water storage is already declining or unstable.

* More than 170 million hectares of irrigated cropland are under high or very high water stress

(Source: UN)

• Global Risks Report 2026

—  The World Economic Forum (WEF) has released the Global Risks Report 2026. The report has identified geoeconomic confrontation as the most significant global risk.

— According to the Report, cyber insecurity is the major risk faced by India, which is followed by the other risks such as inequality (wealth, income), insufficient public services and social protections (incl. education, infrastructure, pensions), and economic downturn (e.g., recession, stagnation), state-based armed conflict (proxy, civil wars, coups, terrorism, etc.)

• Responsible Nations Index (RNI)

— A new index was launched by India, RNI, under the aegis of the World Intellectual Foundation (WIF).

— The Index incorporates a comprehensive global framework for assessing nations on parameters such as ethical governance, social well-being, environmental stewardship, and global responsibility, going beyond conventional indicators of power and economic prosperity.

Rank	Country	Score
1	Singapore	0.61945
2	Switzerland	0.58692
3	Denmark	0.58372
4	Sweden	0.57397
12	Germany	0.55703
16	India	0.551513

(Source: WIF)

 

International Cooperation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in New Delhi, Monday. (PTI)

• PM meets UAE President

— At the invitation of PM Narendra Modi, President of UAE Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, paid an official visit to India on 19 January 2026. This was his third official visit to India since assuming office as President of the UAE, and his fifth visit to India over the past decade.

— They pledged to double bilateral trade to $200 billion in six years and form a strategic defence partnership.

— Both the leaders welcomed the signing of a 10-year LNG Supply Agreement between Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) and ADNOC Gas for the delivery of 0.5 million tonnes per year of liquefied natural gas, beginning in 2028.

— The UAE has decided to collaborate on setting up a supercomputing cluster in India, and the UAE will also look at investments for expanding data center capacity in India.

— The two sides also decided to work on establishing the House of India in Abu Dhabi. This will be a unique cultural space that will include a state-of-the-art museum that will reflect India’s ancient cultural heritage and be a lasting symbol of the India-UAE partnership.

— Both sides will also explore the possibility of setting up a digital or a data embassy. A data embassy is essentially an offshore centre where a nation-state stores its critical digital data, with an aim to ensure digital continuity and sovereignty against cyberattacks, natural disasters, or geopolitical conflict.

• Board of Peace to oversee Gaza

— US President Donald Trump has invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to join the Board of Peace for Gaza, as part of the Gaza peace plan.

— Last year, Trump announced a 20-point peace plan for Gaza, which also received the United Nations approval.

— The Gaza plan seeks to establish certain authorities to govern Gaza, which include the Board of Peace, International Stabilization Force (ISF), and technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee.

— The technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee is responsible for delivering the day-to-day running of public services. This committee was to be supervised by the “Board of Peace,” to be headed by Trump.

— Invitations for membership have been sent to countries across the conventional geopolitical camps — Hungary, Albania, Greece, Poland, Belarus, Germany, Canada, Turkey, Cyprus, Egypt, Jordan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Paraguay, and Argentina, and Pakistan are among those who have received letters.

— The countries that accept will get a tenure of three years, unless they pay $ 1 billion in cash in the first year of membership, in which case they become permanent members.

— Notably, the original mandate of the Board of Peace, as approved by the UN in November 2025, was to operate till the end of 2027, and neither a three-year membership nor a permanent membership were in the picture. Also, it was to operate only in Gaza.

• India-Spain relationship

— Spain has joined the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI), marking a significant expansion in the region. Finance Minister José Manuel Albares of Spain handed over the signed Declaration of Accession to the IPOI to S. Jaishankar.

— India and Spain will celebrate this year the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations as well as the Dual Year of Culture, Tourism and Artificial Intelligence.

AI-generated image

(Source: icwa)

• EU and the Mercosur bloc sign FTA

— The European Union and Mercosur, the South American trade bloc, finally sign a free trade agreement in Asuncion, Paraguay, concluding negotiations dating back to 1999.

— Mercosur comprises Brazil, its largest member by territory, economy and population, along with Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Bolivia, the newest member. Venezuela, once a member, has been suspended indefinitely.

— The European Union is a group of 27 countries in Europe. These countries came together to make things better, easier and safer for people.

 

Defence

India signed a contract with Airbus Defence & Space, Spain, for acquisition of 56 C-295MW transport aircraft for IAF in Sep 2021. (Wikimedia Commons)

• ‘Made in India’ C295 aircraft

— External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said that the first ‘Made in India’ C295 aircraft will be rolled out before September, adding that it reflected the deepening of India’s defence industrial collaboration with Spain.

— The aircraft is being manufactured under a 2021 deal between the countries where Airbus delivered 16 aircraft in ‘fly-away’ condition from its final assembly line last year, and the remaining 40 aircraft are being manufactured and assembled by Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) in India, under an industrial partnership.

— According to Airbus, the C295 is a versatile transport aircraft capable of several tasks — carrying troops and cargo, maritime patrol, airborne warning, surveillance and reconnaissance, armed close air support, medical evacuation and airborne firefighting.

— The aircraft can carry up to nine tonnes of payload or up to 71 personnel at a maximum cruise speed of 260 knots (around 480 kmph). It is also equipped for air-to-air refuelling of fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters.

— Powered by two Pratt & Whitney turboprop engines, the aircraft can cruise at altitudes up to 30,000 ft and can quickly take off from and land at unpaved, soft, and sandy/grassy airstrips.

 

Environment

• Dolphin population Survey

— Recently, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change rolled out the second rangewide estimation of riverine and estuarine dolphins under Project Dolphin.

— About Gangetic dolphins: They are frequently found alone or in small groups and are known to be extremely shy around boats, making it hard for scientists to observe them. Their local names include susu, soons, soans, or soos in Hindi, shushuk in Bengali, hiho or hihu in Assamese, and bhagirath, shus or suongsu in Nepali.

— Indus and Ganges dolphins have been listed as ‘Endangered’ in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List since the 1990s.

— Have you heard about dolphin clicks? Dolphins are functionally blind. They navigate by making clicking sounds that travel through water and bounce back after hitting objects. This process is called echolocation. This is also known as ‘dolphin clicks’. This survey used multiple underwater microphones or hydrophones to capture ‘dolphin clicks.’

• Biggest solar storm

— A powerful solar radiation storm struck the earth on January 18-19, 2026. This is the strongest solar radiation storm observed in more than two decades and it has been ranked four out of five on intensity scale by the Space Weather Prediction Centre (SWPC).

— According to Space.com, the Sun caused an intense X-class solar flare, the strongest in 23 years, which sent a fast coronal mass ejection (CME) hurtling toward Earth.

— Such events can have a serious impact on space weather and geo-space, including disrupting radio communications, affecting satellite operations, interfering with power grids, and posing risks to astronauts and airline passengers.

Aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, is seen in the sky above Nuuk, Greenland, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

• Northern Lights

— The powerful solar storm triggered by an X-class solar flare led to stunning auroral displays, also known as the Auroras or Northern Lights, visible far beyond their usual polar regions.

— Auroras are formed due to an active interaction in space between charged solar winds and the Earth’s magnetosphere. Solar winds are a stream of charged particles, mainly electrons and protons, and magnetic fields, released by stars.

— As the solar wind approaches the Earth, it is deflected by the planet’s magnetic field, which acts like a protective shield. However, some of the charged particles are trapped in the magnetic field and they travel down the magnetic field lines at the north and south poles into the upper atmosphere of the Earth.

— These particles then interact with different gases present there, resulting in tiny flashes that light up the night sky.

— When these bright and colourful lights are observed near the North, it is called Aurora Borealis, while those in the South are called Aurora Australis.

 

Persons in News

(Just FYI: Noting historical personalities’ anniversaries aids UPSC prep. UPSC often includes such personalities in questions, so revisiting their lives refreshes your static syllabus.)

• Sunita Williams

— Veteran NASA astronaut Sunita Williams has retired, as announced by the space agency. Her retirement took effect at the end of December last year.

— Williams spent over eight months aboard the ISS and returned to the Earth in March 2025 aboard the SpaceX, along with her crewmate, Butch Wilmore.

• Tatya Mama Bhil

— Allegations of corruption in the installation of tribal icon Tantya Mama’s statue have left the ruling government red-faced in Madhya Pradesh, after claims that the Khargone municipal authorities installed a cheap nine-foot fibreglass statue instead of the promised metal structure.

— The statue was unveiled on November 15, 2025, during Tribal Pride Day by local dignitaries, but complaints about its substandard quality led to an official investigation ordered by the district collector.

— Tatya Mama Bhil is revered as Madhya Pradesh’s own Robin Hood. Tribals constitute 21 percent of Madhya Pradesh’s population, the highest in the country. Tantya Bhil belonged to the Bhil community, which alone accounts for about 40 percent of the state’s 1.53 crore tribal population.

 

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.)

• Rafah crossing

— Israel wants to restrict the num­ber of Palestini­ans enter­ing Gaza through the Rafah bor­der cross­ing with Egypt to ensure that more are allowed out than in, three sources briefed on the mat­ter said ahead of the bor­der’s expec­ted open­ing next week.

— The Rafah crossing has been largely closed since May 2024, when Israeli forces seized the Gaza side during an extended military campaign. It briefly reopened in early 2025 during a short ceasefire but was shut again after hostilities resumed.

— Rafah border is the southernmost post of exit from Gaza and borders Egypt’s Sinai peninsula.

— There are only two other border crossings from and into the Gaza Strip. One is Erez, a crossing into Israel in northern Gaza and the other is Kerem Shalom in southern Gaza.

• Firozabad

— Firozabad is building up a new glass museum. It is referred to as the “Glass City of India”.

— Coming up on over 25,700 sqm of land, sources said, the museum is being developed in such a way that it would showcase the evolution of glass from ancient civilisations to the modern-day contribution of Firozabad. Officials said the museum will not just be limited to bangles but will also display glassware and craft exports, among other things.

— Officials said the museum would have dedicated galleries that will focus on the history of glass, glass products, digital storytelling and AR-VR experiences.

• ‘Granth Kutir’, a library at the Rashtrapati Bhawan

— President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the Granth Kutir at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The Kutir has a collection of around 50 manuscripts and two thousand three hundred books in 11 Indian classical languages.

— ‘Granth Kutir’ (or the library of scriptures) is part of the Rashtrapati Bhavan’s measure to shed colonial legacy and give prominence to India’s rich cultural, philosophical, literary and intellectual heritage. The collection includes works in Tamil, Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Odia, Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali, said a statement by the President’s Office.

 

Award

• Padma Awards 2026

— The Padma Awards for 2026 were announced on the eve of Republic Day. The Padma awards recognise the impeccable contributions made by civilians in various fields, including art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, and civil service, among others.

— The Padma Vibhushan is awarded for “exceptional and distinguished service”, while the Padma Bhushan is conferred to individuals for “distinguished service of high order”. The Padma Shri is awarded for “distinguished service in any field”.

— This year, five persons will be presented with the Padma Vibhushan, 13 will receive the Padma Bhushan, and 113 will receive the Padma Shri.

Padma Vibhushan 2026 winners:

 

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) The Global Competitiveness Report is published by the (UPSC CSE 2019)

(a) International Monetary Fund

(b) United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

(c) World Economic Forum

(d) World Bank

FYI: WEF also published the Global Risk Report, Global Competitiveness Report, Global Gender Gap Report, Energy Transition Index, and Global Travel and Tourism Report.

(2) Consider the following pairs: (UPSC CSE 2019)

Wildlife                             Naturally  found in

1. Blue-finned Mahseer:  Cauvery River

2. Irrawaddy Dolphin:      Chambal River

3. Rusty-spotted Cat:        Eastern Ghats

Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

(3) If a major solar storm (solar flare) reaches the Earth, which of the following are the possible effects on the Earth? (UPSC CSE 2022)

1. GPS and navigation systems could fail.

2. Tsunamis could occur at equatorial regions.

3. Power grids could be damaged.

4. Intense auroras could occur over much of the Earth.

5. Forest fires could take place over much of the planet.

6. Orbits of the satellites could be disturbed.

7. Shortwave radio communication of the aircraft flying over polar regions could be interrupted.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1, 2, 4 and 5 only

(b) 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7 only

(c) 1, 3, 4, 6 and 7 only

(d) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7

 

Prelims Answer Key

1. (c)    2. (c)   3. (c)

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