Daily Current Affairs

Bengaluru has secured the top position in a nationwide assessment of women-friendly cities conducted by Avtar. The study evaluated 125 urban centres across India, with Bengaluru achieving the highest City Inclusion Score of 53.29.

The index utilizes a two-pillar framework for assessment:

• Social Inclusion Pillar – covers safety, healthcare, education, mobility, and overall liveability
• Industrial Inclusion Pillar – evaluates formal employment, skill development, corporate diversity practices, and workforce participation rates

The Responsible Nations Index will be launched on 19 January 2026 by the World Intellectual Foundation (WIF). The index is launched in partnership with JNU, IIM Mumbai, and Dr Ambedkar International Centre.

Former President Ram Nath Kovind will attend the launch event.

The index evaluates countries across three core dimensions:

• Internal Responsibility – covers dignity, justice, and citizen well-being
• Environmental Responsibility – measures natural resource stewardship and climate action
• External Responsibility – assesses contribution to peace and global stability

India’s passport ranking has improved to 80th position globally in the Henley Passport Index 2026.

Indian passport holders now have visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 55 destinations. Travel is easier across Asia, Africa, and island nations. However, major economies still require prior visas.

NHAI achieved four Guinness World Records during construction of the NH-544G Economic Corridor.

Records set on 6 January 2026 near Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh:

• Longest continuous laying of bituminous concrete – 28.89 lane km
• Highest quantity laid in 24 hours – 10,655 metric tons

Records set on 11 January 2026:

• Continuous paving – 156 lane km
• Bituminous concrete laid – 57,500 metric tons

India has achieved a significant breakthrough in logistics efficiency, with logistics costs reduced to 7.97% of GDP. This reduction has been attributed to sustained reforms and integrated infrastructure planning.

Indian Railways has approved 306 Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals with a combined capacity of 192 million tonnes annually.

Key achievements since 2014:

• 2,672 million tonnes of freight shifted from road to rail transport
• Savings of over 143 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions
• Private sector investment of nearly ₹8,600 crore mobilized

Delhi High Court has ruled that the PM CARES Fund has a right to privacy under the RTI Act.

The court cited Section 8(1)(j) of the Right to Information Act in its judgment, clarifying that privacy provisions apply to third parties under the legislation.

Key observations:

• Public authority status does not automatically remove privacy rights
• An earlier order by the Central Information Commission (CIC) was set aside
• The case involved an RTI application filed by Girish Mittal

Bamanwas Kankar Panchayat has been recognized as Rajasthan’s first fully organic village body.

The panchayat comprises seven hamlets that have completely eliminated the use of chemical fertilizers. Farmers have transitioned to using natural farming inputs for all agricultural activities.

Benefits reported:

• Improved soil health and reduced environmental pollution
• Lower input costs and enhanced food safety
• Government schemes have supported the transition to organic practices

Delhi government inaugurated 81 new Ayushman Arogya Mandirs on 14 January 2026 as part of the fifth phase expansion. With this addition, the total number of such centres in Delhi has risen to 319.

The initiative is aligned with Delhi’s plan to establish more than 1,100 such centres.

Services provided:

• Free doctor consultations, medicines, and diagnostic services
• Screening for diabetes, hypertension, cancer, and maternal-child healthcare
• Preventive care including mental health support, lifestyle counselling, yoga, and nutrition guidance

Skydo has received final authorization from RBI to operate as a Payment Aggregator–Cross Border (PA-CB).

The company is a cross-border payments platform designed for exporters. The license will strengthen trust with SMB and enterprise customers.

India and Germany signed 19 agreements and made eight key announcements during the German Chancellor’s visit.

Key highlights:

• Joint declaration to strengthen bilateral defence industrial cooperation
• Establishment of a Chief Executive Officers’ Forum to enhance trade and investment
• Visa-free transit through Germany announced for Indian passport holders
• New framework for recruitment of Indian healthcare professionals

Germany will provide 1.24 billion euros under the Green and Sustainable Development Partnership to support renewable energy, green hydrogen, and climate-resilient urban infrastructure.

The United States under President Donald Trump has withdrawn from 66 international organisations, including 31 UN entities and 35 non-UN organisations.

Prominent bodies affected include:

• International Solar Alliance (ISA) – jointly led by India and France
• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

Trump signed a memorandum stating that these memberships are contrary to US interests. For UN entities, the withdrawal involves ceasing participation and funding to the extent allowed by law.

Israel withdrew from seven UN agencies in January 2026 following an internal review. The decision was influenced by the recent US exit from various international bodies.

Bias and inefficiency were cited as primary reasons for the withdrawal. Israel had earlier cut ties with UN Women.

The exit includes UNCTAD and ESCWA among other agencies. Israel criticized what it termed politicisation of UN agencies.

The 38th India-France Strategic Dialogue was held in New Delhi. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and French Diplomatic Adviser Emmanuel Bonne co-chaired the dialogue.

Topics reviewed:

• Security, defence, technology, space, and civil nuclear cooperation
• Evolving geopolitical situations and regional issues of shared concern
• Preparations for President Emmanuel Macron’s upcoming visit to India

Emmanuel Bonne also met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Golden Globes 2026 celebrated excellence in cinema and television.

Key winners:

• ‘One Battle After Another’ – emerged as the top film at the ceremony
• ‘Hamnet’ – won the award for best drama film
• ‘Adolescence’ – dominated the television categories
• Wagner Moura and Jessie Buckley – won acting awards
• Timothée Chalamet – led the comedy film acting category

The Indian Navy’s First Training Squadron (1TS) will conduct a Long Range Training Deployment to Southeast Asia as part of the 110th Integrated Officers’ Training Course (IOTC).

The squadron will visit Singapore, Indonesia, and Thailand.

Ships involved:

• INS Tir
• INS Shardul
• INS Sujata
• ICGS Sarathi

The deployment includes six international officer trainees and personnel from Army and Air Force.

The Military-Civil Fusion exercise ‘Sanjha Shakti’ was conducted at Dighi Range, Khadki Military Station under the aegis of MG & G Area, Southern Command.

Over 350 personnel participated in the exercise.

16 civilian agencies participated, including:

• Maharashtra Police
• Force One
• Fire Fighting Departments

Makar Sankranti 2026 was celebrated on 14 January, with the Sankranti moment occurring at 3:13 PM.

The festival marks the Sun’s entry into Capricorn (Makara Rashi) and the beginning of Uttarayan.

Significance:

• End of winter and longer days
• Harvest gratitude and spiritual renewal

Devotees perform holy baths, charity, prayers, and prepare sesame-based sweets.

Lohri was celebrated across North India on 13 January 2026. The festival is mainly celebrated in Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh.

Lohri is associated with the joy of ripened crops and the sun’s northward journey. People gather around bonfires with family and friends.

Traditional folk songs sung in memory of Dulla Bhatti showcase rich Punjabi folklore.

Nihal Sarin emerged as champion of the Open Rapid section at Tata Steel Chess India 2026 in Kolkata.

He scored 6.5 points from nine games with five wins and three draws. Former world champion Viswanathan Anand finished second with six points.

Key facts:

• This is Nihal Sarin’s second Open Rapid title at Tata Steel Chess India (first in 2022)
• He earned a cash prize of $10,000
• He was a late entry, replacing reigning world champion D Gukesh

Telangana Government and Hockey India signed an MoU to host the Women’s 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifiers.

The event will be held in Hyderabad from 8 to 14 March 2026.

Eight teams will participate:

• India, England, Scotland, Korea, Italy, Uruguay, Wales, and Austria

The top three teams will qualify for the FIH Hockey World Cup in Belgium & Netherlands 2026.

Australian cricket captain Alyssa Healy announced her retirement in January 2026. She will finish after the India series and will skip T20Is.

She will captain in ODIs and Tests before retiring.

Career highlights:

• International career began in 2010
• Played over 160 T20Is
• Part of eight World Cup-winning campaigns
• Led Australia after 2023 and achieved an Ashes whitewash

Ueli Kestenholz died in an avalanche in Switzerland at the age of 50.

Career achievements:

• Won bronze at the 1998 Nagano Olympics – which marked snowboarding’s Olympic debut
• Competed in two more Winter Olympics after Nagano
• Won X Games gold medals

After retirement, he focused on freeride snowboarding. The incident occurred in Valais canton, and authorities are investigating.

Scott Adams died in January 2026 at the age of 68.

Career highlights:

• Created the comic strip ‘Dilbert’ in 1989
• The strip satirized corporate culture and appeared worldwide
• Won the Reuben Award for his work

Controversial remarks in 2023 led to newspapers dropping the comic. He suffered from prostate cancer.