Most Important Current Affairs – January 2026 / Monthly Current Affairs / Imp current affairs 2025-26 .

January 2026 Monthly Current Affairs

This comprehensively covers important current affairs for January 2026, useful for competitive exams and general awareness. Key topics include national events, international recognitions, sports achievements, government initiatives, and significant appointments.

Key Highlights and Facts

• 77th Republic Day 2026 Main Guests:
  • Ursula von der Leyen (President of the European Commission, first female in the role, former German Defence Minister)
  • Antonio Costa (President of the European Council, former Prime Minister of Portugal)
• Padma Awards 2026:
  • Padma Bhushan: 13 recipients
  • Padma Vibhushan: 5 recipients
  • Padma Shri: 113 recipients
• Ashok Chakra Awardee:
  • Group Captain Shubanshu Shukla, second Indian astronaut to go to ISS, awarded highest peacetime gallantry award.
• Asian Olympic Council New President:
  • Sheikh Jawan bin Ahmed Al Thani (Qatar Olympic Committee President), succeeding Indian Randhir Singh.
• Notable Death:
  • Ajit Pawar, Maharashtra’s 6-time Deputy Chief Minister, died in a plane crash on Jan 28, 2026.
• Brand Finance Global Soft Power Index 2026:
  • India ranked 32nd (down 2 places from previous year).
  • Top 3: USA, China, Japan.
• Constitutional Article Referenced:
  • Article 87: President’s right to address the joint session of Parliament at the start of the budget session.
• Arijit Singh:
  • Announced retirement from playback singing.
  • Awarded Padma Shri in 2025.
• United Nations International Year 2026:
  • Declared as International Year for Rangelands and Pastoralists.
  • Also designated International Year of the Woman Farmer.
• New Ramsar Wetlands in India:
  • Patna Bird Sanctuary, Etah (Uttar Pradesh)
  • Chhari Dhand Wetland, Kutch (Gujarat)
  • Total Ramsar sites in India increased to 98.
  • Tamil Nadu has the highest number of Ramsar sites.
• First Female Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra:
  • Sumitra Pawar, NCP leader and Rajya Sabha MP.
• Australian Open 2026 Winners:
  • Men’s Singles: Carlos Alcaraz (Spain), defeated Novak Djokovic.
  • Women’s Singles: Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan), defeated Aryna Sabalenka.
• Eurozone Expansion:
  • Bulgaria became the 21st member on January 1, 2026.
• Legal Rights Granted:
  • Peru granted legal personhood to stingless bees of the Amazon rainforest, first in the world.
• Indian Women’s Hockey Team:
  • Head Coach: Sjoerd Marijne (Netherlands), replaced Harinder Singh.
  • Captain: Salima Tete (Jharkhand)
  • Current World Ranking: 5th
• Jallikattu Festival 2026:
  • Held in Thachan Kuruchi village, Pudukkai district, Tamil Nadu.
  • Part of Pongal celebrations, 2000-year-old tradition.
  • Banned in 2014, legalized again in 2023.
• Tiger Deaths in 2025:
  • Total: 166
  • Highest in Madhya Pradesh (55), followed by Maharashtra (38).
  • India hosts ~75% of global tiger population.
• Biographical Book:
  • “Agni Sarsulo Vikas Sinchana Kamalam” based on life of President Droupadi Murmu.
  • Author: Yarla Gadda Lakshmi Prasad.
• Khelo India Beach Games 2026 Medal Tally:
  

  Rank	State	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
  1	Karnataka	3	2	6	11

• 83rd Golden Globe Awards 2026:
  • Youngest winner: Owen Cooper (16 years), Best Supporting Actor for TV series Adolescence.
  • Best Drama Film: Hamnet.
  • First Best Podcast category introduced; winner: Good Hang with Amy Poehler.
• Saksgam Valley:
  • Located in Laddakh.
  • China-Pakistan Economic Corridor expansion through this region rejected by India.
• UN Secretary-General’s Award 2025:
  • Major Swati Shanta Kumar recognized for work in gender equality and women’s empowerment in UN peacekeeping (South Sudan).
• India’s Fish Production:
  • 2nd highest globally (8% of world’s production).
  • China leads with ~30%.
  • 195 million tonnes produced in 2024-25.
  • Sector employs ~3 crore people.
• Henley Passport Index 2026:
  • India ranked 80th (up from 85th in 2025).
  • 55 countries visa-free access.
  • Top: Singapore, Japan, South Korea.
  • Neighboring countries: China (59), Pakistan (98).
• Republic Day 2026 Tableau Awards:
  • 1st: Maharashtra (Theme: Ganeshotsav as symbol of Atmanirbhar Bharat)
  • 2nd: Jammu & Kashmir
  • 3rd: Kerala
  • Best Cultural Ministry tableau: Ministry of Culture (Theme: Vande Bharat)
  • Best Marching Contingent: Indian Navy
• UNESCO World Heritage Nomination 2026-27:
  • Living Root Bridges of Meghalaya nominated.
  • India has 44 WH sites: 36 cultural, 7 natural, 1 mixed.
• Supreme Court Committee Extended:
  • Justice Geeta Mittal Committee’s tenure extended till July 31, 2026.
  • Monitoring relief and rehabilitation of Manipur violence victims.
• BWF Athletes Commission Chairperson:
  • PV Sindhu appointed for 2026-2029 term.
  • First Indian world champion badminton player and Padma Bhushan awardee.
• Gujarat Reinstated as Tiger State:
  • After 33 years, confirmed by sighting tiger in Ratan Mahal Wildlife Sanctuary.
  • Previously lost status in 1992.
• Notable Deaths:
  • Vishwa Bandhu Sen, Tripura Assembly Speaker, passed away at 72.
  • Khaleda Zia, first female Prime Minister of Bangladesh, passed away at 80.
  • Madhav Gadgil, senior environmentalist and Padma Bhushan awardee, passed away at 83.
• Prime Minister National Child Awards 2025:
  • Awarded to 20 children aged 5-18 for excellence in bravery, social service, sports, arts, and culture.
  • Two awarded posthumously.
• Somaliland Recognition:
  • Israel first country to officially recognize Somaliland as an independent sovereign state.
• FID World Rapid Chess Championship 2025:
  • Winner: Magnus Carlsen (Norway), sixth World Rapid title, 19th overall World Championship.
  • Bronze: Arjun Erigaisi (men), Koneru Humpy (women).
• Parvati Arga Bird Sanctuary:
  • Declared eco-sensitive zone in Gonda district, Uttar Pradesh.
  • Ramsar site since 2019.
• INS Vagsheer:
  • President Droupadi Murmu traveled aboard INS Vagsheer, a Kalvari-class submarine (Project 75).
  • Named after a predatory fish of Indian Ocean.
• Rare Earth Oxide Reserves:
  • India ranks 3rd globally with 6.9 million tonnes.
  • Top reserves: China (44 million tonnes), Brazil, then India.
• Mukalla Port:
  • Located in Hadhramaut, Yemen.
  • Recently targeted by Saudi airstrikes to stop arms smuggling.
• Green to Gold Initiative:
  • Launched in Himachal Pradesh to promote industrial hemp farming.
  • Aims to make Himachal self-reliant in agriculture by 2027.
• Smriti Mandhana:
  • Second Indian woman to cross 10,000 international cricket runs.
  • Fourth worldwide.
  • Equaled highest international centuries by an Indian female batter (17).
  • ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year 2024.
• Mamadi Doumbouya:
  • Elected President of Guinea with 86.72% votes.
  • Marks return to civilian rule.
• DRDO 68th Foundation Day:
  • Celebrated on 1 January 2026.
  • Headquartered in New Delhi, chaired by Dr. Sameer V. Kamat.
• Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary:
  • Bihar’s proposed second tiger reserve.
  • Largest wildlife sanctuary in Bihar; existing tiger reserve: Valmiki.
• Sports Governance Task Force:
  • Chaired by Abhinav Bindra.
  • Focus on transparency and athlete welfare.
• Venezuela Interim President:
  • Delcy Rodríguez appointed following arrest of President Nicolás Maduro by the USA.
• Maharashtra New DGP:
  • IPS Sadanand Vasant Date appointed.
  • Former NIA Director General.
• Greenland:
  • Largest island geographically part of North America.
  • Politically autonomous region under Denmark.
  • Rich in lithium, uranium, graphite.
• Kalai-II Hydroelectric Project:
  • Proposed in Anjaw district, Arunachal Pradesh.
  • 1200 MW capacity.
  • Environmental clearance recommended despite activist protests.
• EB4 Visa:
  • Launched for Chinese citizens to facilitate business visits related to machinery installation and maintenance in India.
  • Fully online process, valid up to 6 months.
• Pravasi Bharatiya Divas:
  • Celebrated every January 9 since 2003.
  • Commemorates Mahatma Gandhi’s return to India from South Africa on January 9, 1915.
• Ungal Kanavai Solungal Program:
  • Launched by Tamil Nadu government.
  • Participatory governance initiative involving volunteers collecting citizen inputs for policy-making.
• Indian Army’s ‘Bhairav’ Warfare Force:
  • Modern drone-centric combat unit with over 100,000 drone operators.
  • Currently 15 battalions deployed along LAC and LOC, planned expansion to 25.
• Nagari Ashwagandha GI Tag:
  • Awarded to Nagaur district product (Rajasthan).
  • Second agriculture-based GI product from Rajasthan after Sojat Mehndi.
• Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) New Chairman:
  • A.K. Bala Subramanyam appointed.
  • Previously Technical Director at NPCIL.
  • AERB headquartered in Mumbai, established 1983.
• India’s First Fully Paperless District Court:
  • Inaugurated in Kalpetta, Wayanad, Kerala.
  • Uses AI for judicial assistance.
• UIDAI Mascot ‘Uday’:
  • Launched to simplify Aadhaar-related services and increase trust.
• India’s First Bio-District:
  • Keri-Paniyur in Arunachal Pradesh.
  • Concept promotes biodiversity conservation with livelihood enhancement.
• Visegrad (Weimar) Triangle:
  • Regional cooperation group of France, Germany, and Poland.
  • India held official talks for the first time in Paris.
• Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary:
  • Kerala’s first butterfly sanctuary.
  • Hosts 266 of 327 butterfly species found in Kerala.
• Elisa Healy Retirement:
  • Australian women’s cricket captain and wicketkeeper announced retirement post 2026 India series.
  • Holder of 8 World Cup titles and multiple ICC awards.
• UN Advisory Board on Disarmament:
  • DB Venkatesh Varma appointed as the first Indian Chairperson for 2026-27.
• ITBP New DG:
  • Shatrugjit Singh Kapoor appointed.
  • Former Haryana DGP, replaces Praveen Kumar.
• 9th International Spice Conference:
  • To be held in Kochi, Kerala, February 2026.
  • Inaugurated by Amitabh Kant.
  • India is world’s largest spice producer and exporter.
• ECI’s EC-Net Platform:
  • Launched to integrate 40 apps and web services for election management.
  • Available in English and 22 Indian languages.
• Notable Deaths:
  • Sir Mark Tully, BBC journalist known as “Voice of India,” passed away at 90.
  • Madhav Gadgil, environmentalist and Padma Bhushan awardee, passed away.
• J.C. Daniel Award 2024:
  • Awarded to actress Sharada by Kerala Government for lifetime contribution to Malayalam cinema.
• Tamsa River Origin:
  • Originates from Satna district, Madhya Pradesh.
  • Length: 264 km, joins Ganga near Prayagraj, UP.
• France Social Media Bill:
  • Passed law banning social media use for children under 15.
  • Aimed at reducing screen addiction and mental health issues.
• Hockey India League 2025-26:
  • Kalinga Lancers won the title, defeating Ranchi Royals 3-2.
  • Second title for Kalinga Lancers.
• PM Swarnidhi Credit Card Launch:
  • Launched by PM Modi from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
  • UPI-linked credit card for street vendors with initial limit ₹10,000, extendable to ₹1 lakh.
• India-EU Free Trade Agreement:
  • Signed on January 27, 2026, in New Delhi.
  • EU established in 1993 under Maastricht Treaty; 27 member countries.
• Operation Mega Buru:
  • Anti-Maoist operation in Saranda forest, Jharkhand.
  • 17 Maoists neutralized.
  • Saranda forest known for dense greenery and biodiversity.
• Country Exiting Paris Climate Agreement Twice:
  • USA officially exited the Paris Agreement for the second time under President Donald Trump.
• Kerala’s State Microbe:
  • Bacillus subtilis declared as Kerala’s state microbe.
  • Known for improving soil fertility and human immunity.

Important Events January

Quantitative Data Table

Key Insights

• India’s expanding global influence is evident through international recognitions, trade agreements (India-EU FTA), and leadership roles in UN and sports bodies.
• Environmental conservation and biodiversity are prioritized with new Ramsar sites, eco-sensitive zones, and the declaration of bio-districts.
• Technological advancements in judiciary and electoral processes illustrate India’s push towards digitization and transparency.
• Sports achievements and administration reforms highlight India’s growing stature and focus on governance in sports.
• India maintains a strong cultural heritage and social initiatives, visible in events like Republic Day tableaux, participatory governance programs, and national awards.
• Geopolitical nuances such as rejection of China-Pakistan corridor expansion and recognition of Somaliland by Israel reflect ongoing international dynamics.