🇮🇳 National News
Nitin Nabin has been elected as the National President of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), marking a historic organisational milestone. His election was officially announced on 20 January by National Returning Officer Dr. K. Laxman during the Sangathan Parv event at BJP headquarters in New Delhi.
At 45 years of age, Nabin becomes the youngest National President in BJP’s history and the first leader from Bihar to occupy this position.
He represents the Bankipur Assembly constituency in Patna district and currently serves as the Road Construction Minister in the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among those who proposed his candidature, alongside J.P. Nadda and other senior leaders. Nabin succeeds Nadda as the party’s 12th president, taking charge at a time when BJP is preparing for multiple state elections.
The Election Commission of India commenced the inaugural India International Conference on Democracy and Election Management (IICDEM) 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.
This three-day conference (January 21-23) represents the largest global gathering of its kind hosted by India in the field of democracy and election management.
Nearly 100 international delegates from over 70 countries are participating, along with representatives from international organisations, foreign missions, and academic experts.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alongside Election Commissioners Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi, received the delegates at the inaugural session.
The conference is organised by the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM), which was established in 2011 as ECI’s dedicated training and academic arm.
The IICDEM 2026 conference programme includes general and plenary sessions such as the Inaugural Session, EMB Leaders’ Plenary, EMB Working Group Meetings, and the launch of ECINet digital platform.
A total of 36 thematic groups, led by CEOs of States and Union Territories and supported by national and international academic experts, are contributing to deliberations.
Participation extends to leading institutions including 4 IITs, 6 IIMs, 12 National Law Universities, and the Indian Institute of Mass Communication.
During the conference, ECI will conduct over 40 bilateral meetings with heads of participating Election Management Bodies. The docuseries ‘India Decides‘, documenting the conduct of Lok Sabha 2024 elections, was screened on the opening day. An exhibition highlighting the scale and complexity of conducting elections in India is running alongside the conference.
💼 Business & Economy
India and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to raise bilateral trade to USD 200 billion by 2032 during talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in New Delhi.
This was Sheikh Mohamed’s fifth visit to India in the last decade and the third as President. The leaders noted strong growth in bilateral trade, which expanded rapidly after the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) was signed in 2022 and reached USD 100 billion in FY 2024-25.
A 10-year LNG supply agreement was signed between HPCL and ADNOC Gas, covering 0.5 million tonnes of LNG annually with supplies beginning in 2028.
PM Modi invited UAE sovereign wealth funds to invest in India, specifically mentioning the second NIIF Infrastructure Fund scheduled for launch in 2026.
The leaders welcomed progress under the Bilateral Investment Treaty signed in 2024 and reviewed strong growth in bilateral trade.
| UAE’s Position for India | Ranking |
|---|---|
| Trading Partner | 3rd Largest |
| Export Destination | 2nd Largest |
| Crude Oil Supplier | 4th Largest |
| LNG & LPG Supplier | 2nd Largest |
UAE is the first foreign partner to invest in India’s Strategic Petroleum Reserves in Mangalore.
India’s UPI is integrated with UAE’s AANI platform and RuPay cards are linked to the JAYWAN network. About 3.5 million Indians live in the UAE, forming its largest expatriate group and contributing nearly 20% of India’s remittances.
🌐 International News
India and the UAE reaffirmed strong defence and security cooperation and welcomed the signing of a Letter of Intent, which moves both sides toward a Strategic Defence Partnership.
The leaders discussed establishing Digital Embassies that would operate under mutually recognised sovereignty arrangements.
Key Outcomes:
- Cultural cooperation – UAE to provide artefacts for display at the National Maritime Heritage Complex in Lothal
- House of India – to be established in Abu Dhabi
- Investment discussions – possible UAE participation in the Dholera Special Investment Region in Gujarat
UAE expressed support for India’s BRICS Chairmanship in 2026, while India expressed support for UAE’s co-hosting of the 2026 UN Water Conference.
👔 Appointments
Born in Ranchi, Nitin Nabin is the son of late BJP leader and former MLA Nabin Kishore Prasad Sinha. His political upbringing was shaped by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), giving him early exposure to BJP’s organisational and ideological framework.
With nearly two decades of organisational experience, he held several key roles including Bihar President of BJP Yuva Morcha and election in-charge for Chhattisgarh.
In December 2025, he was declared BJP’s national working president. Days ahead of formally assuming office, Nabin was granted Z-category security by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
Prime Minister Modi described Nabin as having ‘youth energy‘ combined with ‘long experience in the organisation‘, stating: “When it comes to party affairs, I am a worker, and Nitin Nabin is my boss.”
🛡️ Defence News
Chinese state media published new technical data on 14 January 2026 outlining the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s next-generation Type 096 Tang-Class ballistic missile submarine.
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Displacement (Submerged) | 15,000-20,000 tons |
| Missiles Carried | 16-24 JL-3 SLBMs |
| Missile Range | ~14,000 km |
| MIRV Warheads per Missile | 6-10 |
| Noise Signature | 95-100 decibels |
The disclosed figures place it in the same strategic weight class as the U.S. Navy’s Ohio-class and future Columbia-class SSBNs. The range enables strikes against the continental United States from patrol areas within the South China Sea or Bohai Gulf.
Updated force assessments indicate that China now operates an estimated 32 active nuclear-powered submarines, surpassing Russia’s fleet of approximately 25-28 operational vessels. Only the United States remains ahead, operating about 71 nuclear-powered submarines.
| Country | Nuclear Submarines |
|---|---|
| United States | ~71 |
| China | ~32 |
| Russia | 25-28 |
The People’s Liberation Army Navy now operates 14 Type 093B class attack submarines alongside 9 Type 094/094A ballistic missile submarines and older variants.
One Type 095 nuclear attack submarine is under early assembly, while the first Type 096 ballistic missile submarine is reported to be under construction. Beijing is expected to potentially surpass the total number of U.S. nuclear-powered submarines by 2035.
📅 Important Days
Three northeastern states—Manipur, Meghalaya, and Tripura—commemorated their 54th Statehood Day on 21 January 2026.
These states were formally elevated to independent states within India’s union on 21 January 1972, enacted through the North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971. The legislation restructured the Northeast’s administrative landscape, granting these areas their own legislative assemblies, governors, and chief ministers.
Celebrations featured: Manipur’s Lai Haraoba festival dances and Thang-Ta martial arts in Imphal • Meghalaya’s Wangala harvest dance and Khasi archery competitions in Shillong • Tripura’s tribal festivals
The day reinforces identity and autonomy for approximately 10 million residents across these states, comprising over 200 ethnic groups.
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