Monthly Current Affairs January 2026 by Krati Ma’am

Monthly current affairs play an important role in competitive exam preparation. They help students revise important news, government decisions, scientific developments, and national events in one place. The January 2026 current affairs session by Krati Ma’am focuses on clarity, factual accuracy, and exam relevance. The session is designed for aspirants preparing for SSC GD, SSC CGL, CHSL, RRB Group D, NTPC, ALP, and other government exams.

Importance of January Current Affairs for Exams

January is a crucial month for current affairs. Many national and international events take place during this time. Important government announcements, defence exercises, environmental updates, and observance days are often asked in exams. Regular revision of the current January affairs helps students build confidence and improve accuracy in objective questions.

Krati Ma’am’s session combines multiple topics into a single revision module. It allows students to revise quickly and remember key facts.

January Important Days and Festivals

January is a month of many celebrations and observances.

• January 10: World Hindi Day. (Note: National Hindi Day is September 14).

• January 12: National Youth Day.

• January 13: Lohri Festival (Punjab).

• January 15: Indian Army Day.

• January 15: Makar Sankranti (Celebrated on the 15th this year due to Ekadashi).

• January 16: National Skill Day and Lokpal Day.

Key Current Affairs Highlights from January 2026

The important current affairs for January 2026 include:

1. G7 Meeting on Critical Minerals

• The USA will host the G7 meeting on Critical Minerals.

• India and Australia have been invited to participate.

• An upcoming G7 summit is planned for France, with a previous one held in Canada.

2. Hindi Divas (Hindi Day)

• World Hindi Day: 10th January commemorates the first World Hindi Conference held in Nagpur in 1975 during Indira Gandhi's tenure.

• National Hindi Day: 14th September, observed at the national level in India.

3. M-STrIPES App for Tiger Census

• The M-STrIPES (Monitoring System for Tigers' Intensive Protection and Ecological Status) app is associated with the tiger census.

• Census work using this app was initiated from the Annamalai Tiger Reserve, near the Nilgiri Hills.

4. GULF SHIELD 2026 Exercise

• Saudi Arabia will host the GULF SHIELD 2026 exercise.

• This exercise involves the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations.

5. Renaming of Radhapani Tiger Reserve (MP)

• The Radhapani Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh is set to be renamed after Vishnu Shridhar Wakankar.

• The total number of tiger reserves is now 58. The newest one is the Madhav Tiger Reserve.

6. EV Manufacturing Unit in Lucknow

• The Defence Minister inaugurated an Electric Vehicle (EV) manufacturing unit in Lucknow.

• Lucknow also implements 100% scientific treatment of all waste material (solid and liquid) before disposal.

7. National Workshop on MISHTI Scheme

• The MISHTI (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes) scheme focuses on mangrove conservation.

• A national-level workshop for the scheme was conducted in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh.

• The scheme was announced in the 2023-24 Union Budget.

8. Location of Pakistani Drone Incursion

• Recent Pakistani drone activity was spotted at the Line of Control (LOC) on the Jammu and Kashmir border.

9. Failed ISRO Mission

• An ISRO mission, designated PSLV-C62, reportedly failed.

• Rohit Sharma was mentioned as a recipient of the Padma Shri.

10. "SAHAS SHAKTI" Exercise

• The Indian Army conducted an exercise named SAHAS SHAKTI in the Dhingi Hills, an area spanning parts of Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Goa.

11. First Woman Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court

• Justice Revati Mohite Dere has been appointed as the first woman Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court.

12. Book on President Droupadi Murmu

• The Telugu book "Agnishalu," dedicated to President Droupadi Murmu, was launched at Andhra University.

13. Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary Renaming

• The Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala was renamed as the Aralam Butterfly Sanctuary due to its high diversity of butterflies.

• The Tiger Stripe butterfly was declared the official butterfly of Chandigarh.

14. New Naval Base for Surveillance

• India plans to build a new naval base at Haldia Port in West Bengal to enhance surveillance over China and Bangladesh.

15. Newest Indian Member of IATA

• Akasa Air has become the fifth Indian airline to join the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

16. Women's Hockey India League 2025-26

• SG Pipers won the title, defeating the Sorangi Bengal Tigers in Ranchi.

17. Cricketer with 28,000 International Runs

• Virat Kohli became the player to complete 28,000 runs across all international cricket formats.

• Top run-scorers: 1. Sachin Tendulkar, 2. Virat Kohli, 3. Kumar Sangakkara.

18. BRICS 2026 Summit

• India will host the BRICS summit in 2026.

• The theme will be "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability."

19. Visit of German Federal Chancellor

• Friedrich Merz, Federal Chancellor of Germany, visited India for two days during the International Kite Festival.

• The Chancellor is the highest political position in Germany, with Berlin as its capital.

20. 'Bada Tyohar' Festival

• This festival was celebrated by the Hatti tribe of Himachal Pradesh.

21. Flamingo Festival

• The festival was organized at the Neelapattu Bird Sanctuary and is also celebrated on the banks of Pulicat Lake in Andhra Pradesh.

22. 'Dhiyan Di Lohri' in Punjab

• Punjab celebrated a special festival on Lohri (Jan 13) called Dhiyan Di Lohri.

• Makar Sankranti was celebrated on Jan 15 this year. Bihu is celebrated in Assam.

23. India's First Legged Mobile Manipulator

• India's first legged mobile manipulator, exhibited on Republic Day, is named Scorpio.

24. Republic Day 2024 Chief Guests & Film Awards

• Chief Guests: Heads of the European Union Commission (Ursula von der Leyen) and Council (Charles Michel).

• Two Indian films, Kantara and Tanvi, were selected for Oscar nominations.

25. Khelo India Beach Games 2026

• This was the second edition, held in Diu.

• Overall Champion: Karnataka.

• Mascot: Pearl, a dolphin.

26. Israel's Withdrawal from UN Agencies

• Israel has withdrawn its name from a total of seven UN agencies.

27. NASA's Artemis II Mission

• NASA's first crewed Artemis mission will send four astronauts (3 male, 1 female) to the Moon, scheduled for February 2026.

28. Recent Wildfire

• A major wildfire occurred in Argentina.

29. Makar Sankranti Month

• Makar Sankranti is celebrated in the month of January (Hindu month of Maagh).

30. Henley Passport Index

• India's Rank: 80th.

• Top Rank: Singapore.

31. 28th Conference of Speakers (Commonwealth)

• India hosted the conference, which was headed by Om Birla.

• The Commonwealth Nations have 56 member countries.

32. Indian Lighthouse Festivals

• Third Edition: Held in Visakhapatnam.

• Second Edition: Held in Puri.

• First Edition: Held in Goa.

33. India's First Solar-Powered ATM Van

• A mobile ATM van powered by solar energy was launched by Tripura Gramin Bank in Tripura.

34. Devinder Singh Garcha (Deceased)

• An athlete associated with Hockey and a gold medalist for the Indian team, who passed away in Punjab.

35. Recent Nipah Virus Cases

• New cases of the Nipah virus were detected in West Bengal.

36. Shatrujeet Kapur's Appointment

• Appointed as the Director-General (DG) of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).

37. Army Day and Other Important Dates in January

• Army Day: 15th January.

• National Youth Day: 12th January.

• National Skill Day / Lokpal Diwas: 16th January.

38. Interstate Animal Exchange Program

• Assam and Madhya Pradesh have agreed to an animal interchange program between their wildlife habitats.

39. Samurai Martial Art Honour

• Pawan Kalyan from Andhra Pradesh became the first Indian to receive the Samurai martial art honor from Japan.

40. Green Ammonia Plant

• A Green Ammonia plant has been established in Andhra Pradesh, near Kakinada.

41. Farthest Human-Made Object

• Voyager 1, a NASA mission, is the farthest human-made object from Earth.

• Shukrayaan is India's upcoming mission to Venus.

42. New Prime Minister of Yemen

• Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak has been appointed as the new Prime Minister of Yemen.

43. Spituk Gustor Festival

• This festival is celebrated in Ladakh during the month of Maagh, following the Losar festival.

44. Taylor Prize Recipient

• American scientist Toby Kiers was honored with the Taylor Prize.

45. Top State in Export Performance

• Maharashtra topped the states in export performance.

46. Goodwill Ambassador for Pune-Gearing 2026

• MS Dhoni has been named the Goodwill Ambassador for this cycling event, which India will host for the first time.

47. Exhibition of Buddhist Relics

• PM Modi visited an exhibition of relics from Piprahwa, associated with Buddhism.

48. 52nd G7 Summit (2026)

• The 52nd G7 Summit will take place in France.

• Other summits: SCO Summit in Turkey, G20 Summit in Miami, USA.

49. Animal with Sharp Rise in Deaths

• India recorded a sharp rise in the deaths of Tigers. Madhya Pradesh has the highest tiger population and, consequently, the highest number of deaths.

50. Gaan-Ngai Festival

• A harvest festival is celebrated in Manipur.

51. India's First Slum-Free City

• Surat, Gujarat, is set to become India's first slum-free city, also known as the Diamond City.

• Chandigarh is a slum-free Union Territory.

52. New Indian Air Force Base

• CDS Anil Chauhan inaugurated a new IAF base at Car Nicobar.

53. Galaxy Frog

• This frog species, recently in the news, is endemic to the Western Ghats of Kerala.

54. Indian Army's Theme for 2026

• The year 2026 has been dedicated to "Networking and Data-Centric Operations" by the Indian Army.

55. US Action on Venezuela's Former Leader

• The US took action against Venezuela's former leader, Nicolas Maduro.

56. Top Rice Producing Country

• India has surpassed China to become the number one rice producer.

• Within India, Telangana showed high production this cycle.

57. 'Suryastra' Weapon System

• The Indian Army has partnered with NIBE Limited to develop the 'Suryastra' system.

58. Eighth Pay Commission

• Assam has become the first state to form its own committee to study the recommendations for the 8th Pay Commission.

59. Type 052D Guided-Missile Destroyer

• This updated warship was developed by China.

60. Sandalwood Leopard

• A leopard with unique sandalwood-colored patches was spotted in Karnataka.

61. 72nd National Volleyball Tournament

• Inaugurated in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.

62. OPEC+ Discussions

• The OPEC+ nations have begun discussions related to oil production and market stability.

63. New Non-Permanent Members of UNSC

• Five new members have joined the UN Security Council: Bahrain, Colombia, Congo, Latvia, and Liberia.

64. SpaceX 'Cosmo-SkyMed' Launch

• SpaceX launched the Cosmo-SkyMed satellite for Italy.

65. Improved Sex Ratio in Haryana

• Haryana's sex ratio has reportedly improved to 923 as of 2025 data.

66. Kalai Hydro Power Project

• This 12,000 MW project is planned for Arunachal Pradesh.

67. Rare Eastern Imperial Eagle Sighting

• This rare eagle was spotted in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve.

68. 3D Image of a Volcano

• A 3D image of a volcano was captured in Mexico.

69. Second Khelo India Beach Games Location

• Held at Goghla Beach in Diu.

70. 'B for Business' Visa

• India has launched this special visa category for citizens of China for up to 6 months.

71. 'SWADHES' Portable Water Purifier

• A portable device for purifying water, developed by the DRDO.

72. 2000-Year-Old Kushan Coin

• A Kushan-era coin dating back to the reign of King Vasudeva was discovered.

73. 'Bhairav' Drone Operations Command

• A new modern warfare force named Bhairav has been established for specialized drone operations.

74. Railway Electrification in India

• As of November 2025, India achieved 99.2% railway electrification.

75. 25th Anniversary of Tejas Aircraft

• The Indian Air Force celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Tejas aircraft, a 4.5 generation fighter developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

76. Payment Regulatory Board Meeting

• The first meeting of the Payment Regulatory Board, constituted by the RBI, was headed by Sanjay Malhotra.

77. Farakka Barrage Treaty Renewal

• The treaty concerning the Farakka Barrage with Bangladesh is due for renewal, handled by the Jal Shakti Ministry.

78. Satellite in Failed PSLV-C62 Mission

• The satellite payload on the failed mission was EOS-01.

79. Wangchu Hydro Power Project in Bhutan

• The Adani Group (India) will develop the Wangchu Hydro Power Project in Bhutan.

80. ISRO's Study on Cosmic Dust

• ISRO has completed a study on cosmic dust.

81. Madhav Gadgil (Deceased)

• A prominent environmentalist passed away in Pune.

82. New Bridge Connecting Sagar Island

• West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee inaugurated a bridge to connect Sagar Island over the Muri Ganga River.

83. Rabies under the Endemic Diseases Act

• Rabies has been included under the Endemic Diseases Act.

84. BIMSTEC's Cancer Care Initiative

• The second phase of a cancer care initiative will be undertaken through BIMSTEC.

85. GI Tag for Nagori Ashwagandha

• Nagori Ashwagandha from Rajasthan has received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag.

86. Use of Biocitumen in Roads

• India will be the first country to use biocitumen for road construction.

87. Polish Foreign Minister on US Tariffs

• Radosław Sikorski, the Foreign Minister of Poland, criticized US tariffs impacting India.

88. World Book Fair in Delhi

• The guest country at the Delhi World Book Fair was Qatar.

89. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas

• Observed on 9th January, it is a biennial event.

90. India's First Paperless District Court

• The district court in Kalpetta, Kerala, became fully paperless.

91. 'Bio-Pi' District

• Keifang has been declared India's first 'Bio-Pi' district.

92. Safest City for Women in India

• Bengaluru has been ranked as the top city in India for women's safety.

93. 'Pankhudi' Portal

• The Pankhudi portal was launched for women and children to facilitate CSR partnerships.

94. UIDAI Mascot

• The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has launched a new mascot named Uday.

95. Republic Day Missile Display

• The LR-ASHM (Long Range Anti-Ship Missile) was slated for display during the Republic Day parade.

Monthly Current Affairs January MCQs

1. Which country will host the G7 Meeting on Critical Minerals?

A. France
B. Canada
C. United States
D. Germany

Answer: C. United States

2. World Hindi Day is observed on which date?

A. 14 September
B. 10 January
C. 12 January
D. 15 January

Answer: B. 10 January

3. The M-STrIPES App is related to which activity?

A. Forest fire monitoring
B. Bird census
C. Tiger census
D. Wetland mapping

Answer: C. Tiger census

4. From which tiger reserve was the M-STrIPES-based census initiated?

A. Corbett Tiger Reserve
B. Bandipur Tiger Reserve
C. Annamalai Tiger Reserve
D. Kanha Tiger Reserve

Answer: C. Annamalai Tiger Reserve

5. Which country will host the GULF SHIELD 2026 military exercise?

A. UAE
B. Saudi Arabia
C. Oman
D. Kuwait

Answer: B. Saudi Arabia

6. The Radhapani Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh is being renamed after whom?

A. Madhav Gadgil
B. Jim Corbett
C. Vishnu Shridhar Wakankar
D. Salim Ali

Answer: C. Vishnu Shridhar Wakankar

7. Who inaugurated the Electric Vehicle manufacturing unit in Lucknow?

A. Prime Minister
B. Chief Minister of UP
C. Defence Minister
D. Transport Minister

Answer: C. Defence Minister

8. The MISHTI scheme is related to the conservation of which ecosystem?

A. Grasslands
B. Coral reefs
C. Mangroves
D. Wetlands

Answer: C. Mangroves

9. Pakistani drone incursion was recently reported near which area?

A. Rajasthan border
B. Punjab border
C. Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir
D. Gujarat coast

Answer: C. Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir

10. Who became the first woman Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court?

A. Justice Hima Kohli
B. Justice Indu Malhotra
C. Justice Revati Mohite Dere
D. Justice Bela Trivedi

Answer: C. Justice Revati Mohite Dere

11. Which wildlife sanctuary was renamed as Aralam Butterfly Sanctuary?

A. Silent Valley
B. Wayanad Sanctuary
C. Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary
D. Periyar Sanctuary

Answer: C. Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary

12. Which Indian airline became the fifth member of IATA?

A. Vistara
B. Alliance Air
C. Akasa Air
D. AirAsia India

Answer: C. Akasa Air

13. India will host the BRICS Summit in which year?

A. 2025
B. 2026
C. 2027
D. 2028

Answer: B. 2026

14. What is the name of India’s first legged mobile manipulator showcased on Republic Day?

A. Bhairav
B. Swadesh
C. Scorpio
D. Suryastra

Answer: C. Scorpio

15. Which state topped export performance in the recent assessment?

A. Gujarat
B. Tamil Nadu
C. Maharashtra
D. Karnataka

Answer: C. Maharashtra