📊 Index & Rankings
Former President Ram Nath Kovind unveiled the Responsible Nations Index (RNI) in New Delhi. Jointly developed by the World Intellectual Foundation and Jawaharlal Nehru University, this index evaluates nations on ethical governance, inclusive growth, and responsibility towards citizens, environment, and knowledge systems.
Moving beyond traditional economic or geopolitical metrics, RNI promotes moral responsibility, sustainability, and human-centric governance.
India secured the 16th position among 154 countries, reflecting its strong performance in governance, environmental stewardship, and international cooperation.
🇮🇳 National News
India has commenced its first open-sea marine fish farming pilot in the Andaman Sea. The initiative concentrates on finfish and seaweed cultivation employing advanced cage systems and deep-water techniques.
Implemented jointly by NIOT, the Ministry of Earth Sciences, and the Andaman administration, the project seeks to enhance coastal livelihoods, encourage sustainable utilisation of marine resources, and reinforce India’s Blue Economy ambitions.
Enhance coastal livelihoods • Promote sustainable marine resource utilisation • Strengthen India’s Blue Economy vision
India has introduced its inaugural Tailings Policy to extract critical minerals from mining waste. Tailings refer to residual materials remaining after ore processing.
The policy targets recovery of lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements from existing mine dumps and tailing ponds. It mandates coordination among ministries and scientific assessment of waste sites.
Supports clean energy objectives • Reduces import dependency • Strengthens mineral security • Advances sustainable mining practices
Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended Bagurumba Dwhou 2026, a historic mass cultural event showcasing the traditional Bagurumba dance of the Bodo community. ‘Dwhou‘ signifies ‘wave‘ in Bodo.
Also known as the ‘Butterfly Dance‘ for its graceful, flowing movements mimicking butterflies, birds, and swaying trees, Bagurumba symbolises peace, fertility, joy, and collective harmony.
During the event, PM Modi also laid the foundation stone for the Kaziranga Elevated Corridor Project—a 35 km stretch along NH-715 that will allow wildlife to move freely beneath the roadway.
💼 Business & Economy
A State Bank of India report projects India to enter the upper-middle-income category by 2030, with per capita income reaching approximately $4,000.
This transition reflects sustained improvements in living standards driven by robust GDP growth, structural reforms, digitalisation, and infrastructure expansion. India’s economy surpassed $4 trillion by 2025 and is anticipated to become the world’s third-largest by 2028.
Continued growth exceeding 7% and rising productivity are reinforcing India’s global economic standing.
The International Monetary Fund has elevated India’s GDP growth forecast for FY 2025-26 to 7.3%, an increase of 0.7 percentage points from previous estimates.
This revision reflects vigorous domestic demand, resilient investment activity, moderating inflation, and supportive macroeconomic policies. Despite a slight deceleration to 6.4% projected for FY 2026-27, India continues to rank among the fastest-growing major economies.
Structural reforms • Digital expansion • Demographic advantages • Flourishing technology ecosystem
The IMF has revised its global growth forecast for 2026 upward to 3.3%, an increase of 0.2 percentage points, reflecting robust AI-driven investment, easing trade tensions, and improving supply chain adaptation.
Principal drivers include substantial spending on AI infrastructure, semiconductors, and data centres, which enhance productivity and asset values globally.
| Country/Region | Growth Projection |
|---|---|
| United States | 2.4% |
| China | 4.5% |
| Eurozone | 1.3% |
Global inflation is expected to decline from 4.1% in 2025 to 3.8% in 2026.
🌐 International News
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s January 2026 visit to India substantially fortified bilateral ties through multiple agreements.
Key outcomes include:
- Investment cooperation – Gujarat’s Dholera SIR
- Defence and space partnerships
- 10-year LNG supply arrangement – between HPCL and ADNOC Gas
- Food trade facilitation
- AI and supercomputing collaboration – between C-DAC and G42
- Civil nuclear cooperation
- Cultural initiatives – including the House of India in Abu Dhabi
Both nations established an ambitious target to double bilateral trade to $200 billion by 2032.
China’s population contracted for the fourth consecutive year in 2025, declining by approximately 3 million as births reached a record low of 7.92 million.
The birth rate dropped to 5.63 per 1,000 people, reflecting a deepening fertility crisis driven by elevated living costs, employment uncertainty, and social pressures.
Despite policy changes permitting larger families and incentives such as cash subsidies and tax benefits, fertility remains significantly below replacement level, highlighting the constrained effectiveness of pro-natalist measures.
👔 Appointments
Raymond Lifestyle has named Satyaki Ghosh as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective January 19, 2026, following board approval.
An industry veteran with over 25 years of experience spanning FMCG, textiles, retail, and consumer businesses, Ghosh has previously held senior leadership positions at Aditya Birla Group, Grasim Industries, L’Oréal India, PepsiCo, and other prominent organisations.
His appointment reflects Raymond’s focus on strengthening leadership and accelerating growth in its lifestyle and consumer-focused businesses.
🔬 Science & Technology
Researchers from Germany and the United Kingdom have reported the discovery of a hybrid solid-liquid state of matter occurring at the nanoscale, where matter exhibits both solid and liquid properties simultaneously.
Within a single nanoparticle, some atoms remain stationary while others flow freely like liquid. Stationary atoms form a rigid ‘fence‘ that confines mobile atoms.
This discovery could lead to more efficient, sustainable catalysts, particularly platinum-on-carbon catalysts used in fuel cells, hydrogen vehicles, pharmaceuticals, and petrochemicals.
NASA will soon launch Artemis II, the first crewed Artemis mission returning humans to the lunar vicinity since Apollo 17. The mission will fly four astronauts around the Moon without landing.
Launching aboard the Space Launch System rocket with the Orion spacecraft, astronauts will travel 7,400 km above the Moon and nearly 400,000 km from Earth—the farthest humans have ever ventured.
The mission includes the first woman and first person of colour on a lunar trajectory. Partners include ESA, JAXA, and CSA.
Scientists have identified Parakaempferia alba, a new herbaceous plant species belonging to the ginger family Zingiberaceae, in the Siang Valley region of Arunachal Pradesh.
The species flourishes in moist, shaded undergrowth of tropical semi-evergreen forests with minimal direct sunlight, typically at elevations between 150-400 metres in humid, sandy soils along shaded streambanks.
It functions as a ground-level stabiliser in riparian zones, mitigating soil erosion through its root system.
🛡️ Defence News
The Indian Navy has concluded a contract with Suryadipta Projects Pvt Ltd, Thane, for constructing three 200-tonne Bottom Opening Non-Propelled Barges, reinforcing India’s commitment to indigenous defence manufacturing.
Signed on January 16, 2026, the project supports MSME shipyards and aligns with Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiatives.
Built entirely in India under Indian Register of Shipping rules, these barges will enhance naval logistics while promoting domestic shipbuilding capacity and skilled employment, consistent with Maritime India Vision 2030.
INS Sudarshini has commenced Lokayan 26, a 10-month transoceanic expedition that will include participation in international tall-ship events—Escale à Sète in France and SAIL 250 in New York City.
This indigenous three-masted sail training ship of the Indian Navy, commissioned in 2012 as a sister ship of INS Tarangini, was built by Goa Shipyard Limited and operates from Southern Naval Command, Kochi.
The vessel serves as a ‘floating ambassador‘, advancing the MAHASAGAR vision for regional security and growth.
🏆 Awards, Books & Obituaries
C-DOT has been honoured with the SKOCH Award 2025 for its indigenous Cell Broadcast Solution—a unified disaster alert platform delivering real-time, geo-targeted emergency warnings to mobile phones.
The system enables instant alerts in 21 Indian languages, functioning even during network congestion, by integrating agencies including IMD, CWC, INCOIS, and NDMA.
Aligned with the UN’s Early Warnings for All initiative, this solution strengthens India’s disaster preparedness capabilities and demonstrates the nation’s growing proficiency in citizen-centric, self-reliant telecom technologies.
Legendary composer Ilaiyaraaja will be conferred the Padmapani Award at the 11th Ajanta-Ellora International Film Festival in early 2026, recognising his enduring contribution to Indian film music.
The prestigious award comprises a memento, citation, and cash prize of ₹2 lakh.
It acknowledges his four-decade career and innovative fusion of Indian and Western musical traditions that transformed cinema music across the subcontinent.
At a book release event in New Delhi, India’s Vice-President unveiled the Hindi edition of ‘Palanivelu GUTS‘, the autobiography of renowned surgeon Dr. C. Palanivelu.
The book chronicles his journey from humble beginnings to global recognition, emphasising ethical innovation and perseverance in medicine.
The Vice-President commended his pioneering contributions to laparoscopic and robotic surgery, his respect for mentors, and his efforts to expand affordable healthcare, noting that the Hindi edition will inspire audiences beyond the medical community.
Valentino Garavani, the legendary Italian fashion designer, has passed away at the age of 93.
He founded the Valentino fashion house in 1960 and achieved global acclaim for luxury couture and the iconic ‘Valentino Red‘. His designs adorned royalty and celebrities worldwide throughout decades of influence.
He retired in 2008, leaving behind a legacy that blended elegance with exceptional craftsmanship and helped shape modern haute couture. The fashion world remembers him as a timeless style icon.
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