January 2026 Current Affairs for NDA

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• Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla was awarded the Ashoka Chakra, India's highest peacetime gallantry award.
• Three personnel were awarded the Kirti Chakra, India's second-highest peacetime gallantry award.
• 13 personnel received the Shaurya Chakra, including one posthumously.

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• Padma Vibhushan → Padma Bhushan → Padma Shri (descending order of precedence).
• 5 Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan, 113 Padma Shri were announced.
• Announced on Republic Day and conferred by the President of India.
• 19 women, 6 Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI, 16 posthumous awardees.

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• The Indian Navy won the Best Marching Contingent award among the three Services.
• Among CAPFs/Other Auxiliary Forces, the Delhi Police won the Best Marching Contingent award.
• Maharashtra won the Best State Tableau for its Ganeshotsav-themed presentation.
• The 77th Republic Day Parade celebrated the theme “150 Years of Vande Mataram.”
• The parade featured armed forces contingents, cultural performances, and state tableaux.

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• The portal supports initiatives related to nutrition, health, ECCE (Early Childhood Care and Education), child welfare, and women's empowerment.

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• Kavach 4.0 is India's Automatic Train Protection (ATP) System.
• It enables automatic speed control and enhances railway safety.

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• The Sandalwood Leopard is an extremely rare colour variant of the Indian leopard.
• The discovery highlights the state's rich genetic diversity and the importance of big cat conservation.

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• India's first fully paperless district court was inaugurated at Kalpetta, Wayanad (Kerala).
• It was inaugurated virtually by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant.
• The court features AI-based judicial assistance tools and electronic court proceedings.

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• The initiative aims to promote the Blue Economy and coastal livelihoods.
• It focuses on the sustainable development of marine aquaculture in open-sea conditions.

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• Theme of WEF 2026: “A Spirit of Dialogue.”

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• The Board of Peace Initiative focuses on the reconstruction of Gaza.
• It was launched at Davos with the participation of 35+ countries.
• India adopted a cautious stance on the initiative.
• The initiative aims to support peacebuilding and post-conflict reconstruction in the Gaza region.

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• The USA announced its withdrawal from 66 international organizations, treaties, and commissions.
• The withdrawal included the India–France-led International Solar Alliance (ISA).
• The decision was announced under the “America First” policy review.
• The International Solar Alliance (ISA) is jointly led by India and France.

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• Rangelands cover about 50% of Earth's land surface and support over 2 billion people and 50% of the world's livestock.

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• It is the world's first legally binding treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ).
• The treaty establishes global rules to protect international waters (high seas).
• It entered into force after being ratified by over 60 countries.

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• e-B-4 (Productive Investment Business Visa) is a new electronic business visa category.
• It was introduced to facilitate business travel for Chinese nationals.

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• Spain joined the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) during its Foreign Minister's visit to India.
• The visit marked the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Spain.

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• Estimated to be 300–400 million years old.
• The river flows through the MacDonnell Ranges in the Northern Territory.

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• The discovery was made at the Rori Mound near Taxila, Pakistan.
• Archaeologists unearthed 2,000-year-old Kushan Empire coins and lapis lazuli fragments.
• The findings highlight the region's importance in early trade routes and historical links.
• The Kushan Empire was one of the major powers of Central and South Asia during the early centuries of the Common Era.

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• The base aims to strengthen India's operational presence and maritime surveillance in the Bay of Bengal.
• Around 100 naval personnel will be stationed at the facility.

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• Sagar Maitri-VI is a research vessel deployment mission of the Indian Navy.
• The mission promotes ocean research and maritime scientific cooperation.
• It covers countries including Oman, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Myanmar.
• INS Sagardhwani flagged off for fifth edition of 'Sagar Maitri' initiative.

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• It was launched at Rajouri, Jammu & Kashmir.
• The initiative aims to promote public awareness, local culture, and strengthen trust between the Indian Army, civil administration, and border communities.

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• The 78th Indian Army Day was celebrated on 15 January 2026.
• The grand parade was held at Jaipur, Rajasthan.
• It was the first Army Day parade held outside New Delhi and a military cantonment.
• The event featured over 30 contingents, including the newly raised Bhairav Battalion, with participation from the Nepal Army Band.

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• SwaDeS (SeaWater Desalination System) was developed by the Defence Laboratory, Jodhpur (DRDO).
• It is a portable water purification system available in manual and engine-operated variants.

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• Developed by DRDO with a range of about 1,500 km.
• It can travel at hypersonic speeds (Mach 5+), providing a long-range anti-ship strike capability.

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• The maiden flight of LCA Tejas took place on 4 January 2001.
• The Indian Air Force commemorated its 25th anniversary on 4 January 2026.

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• PSLV-C62 was the 64th mission of PSLV.
• It was launched on 12 January 2026 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
• The primary payload was EOS-N1, an Earth observation satellite.
• The mission encountered an anomaly near the end of the PS3 (third stage), after which ISRO initiated a detailed analysis.
• The mission also carried 15 co-passenger satellites, including 7 developed by Dhruva Space.

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• AayulSAT is India's first on-orbit satellite refuelling demonstrator.
• It was developed by OrbitAID Aerospace.

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• Vidarbha defeated Saurashtra in the final.

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• Only Sachin Tendulkar is ahead with 34,357 international runs.
• Kohli achieved the milestone against New Zealand in Vadodara.

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• Major Swathi Shantha Kumar received the UN Secretary-General's Award 2025.
• She was honoured for the “Equal Partners, Lasting Peace” project in South Sudan.
• The initiative supported around 5,000 women through female peacekeeper deployment.
• The award recognizes exceptional leadership, innovation, and commitment to UN values.

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• Manoj Kothari was a former World Billiards Champion.
• He won the World Billiards Championship (1990) and the World Doubles Championship (1997).
• He was honoured with the Major Dhyan Chand Award (2005) and the IBSF Lifetime Achievement Award (2025).

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• Davinder Singh Garcha was a former Indian hockey player.
• He was a member of India's gold medal-winning team at the 1980 Moscow Olympics.
• He was honoured with the Major Dhyan Chand Award (2021).

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• He served as the President of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) from 1996 to 2012.
• Before entering politics, he served as a pilot in the Indian Air Force.

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• Madhav Gadgil was a renowned ecologist, scholar, and conservationist.
• He is regarded as the father of modern Indian ecology.
• He was honoured with the Padma Shri (1981), Padma Bhushan (2006), Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement (2015), and the UN Champion of the Earth Award (2024).

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• Mark Tully was a renowned veteran journalist and former BBC correspondent.
• He was widely known as the “Voice of India” for the BBC.
• He was honoured with the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan by the Government of India.

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• 68th Foundation Day in 2026. DRDO functions under the Ministry of Defence.

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• It commemorates Mahatma Gandhi's return to India from South Africa on 9 January 1915.
• PBD Conventions have been held biennially since 2015.

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• Armed Forces Veterans' Day is observed every year on 14 January.
• 2026 marked the 10th Armed Forces Veterans' Day.
• The day commemorates the retirement of Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa, India's first Indian Commander-in-Chief, on 14 January 1953. It honours the service and sacrifices of veterans of the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force.

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• Parakram Diwas is observed every year on 23 January.
• It commemorates the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
• It honours Netaji's contribution to India's freedom struggle and inspires patriotism among citizens.

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• Foundation day of the Election Commission of India (ECI), established on 25 January 1950.
• The day aims to encourage voter registration, especially among young and first-time voters.