Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary, located in the Aravalli mountain range, has been declared an environmentally sensitive area.

 Nitin Nabin  took over as  the national president  on Tuesday   at the BJP headquarters in the national capital, Delhi,   becoming  the party’s 12th national president . He  became the youngest leader to hold the post. Appointed on December 14 last year,  45-year-old  Nabin, the national working president, received overwhelming support from the BJP’s top leadership, including Prime Minister Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and outgoing party president J.P. Nadda.

3 Spituk Gustor festival in Ladakh marks the beginning of the spiritual New Year

 The annual Spituk Gustor Festival has begun in Ladakh   , filling the region with colorful sights, sacred rituals, and spiritual energy.   Held at  the historic Spituk Monastery , the festival follows a week-long prayer service for world peace and prosperity. It also marks the end of the first and coldest phase of Ladakh’s harsh winter  . The two-day Spituk Gustor Festival has begun at Spituk Monastery in Ladakh. It is the region’s first monastic festival of the year and marks the seasonal transition. Spituk Gustor is a traditional annual monastic festival celebrated at Spituk Monastery, one of Ladakh’s oldest Buddhist monasteries. The festival follows days of special prayers and rituals to seek peace, prosperity, and victory over negative forces. A major highlight of the festival is the sacred Cham dance performed by monks, who wear colorful masks and traditional costumes.

4 Chandana Sinha awarded Indian Railways’ highest honour

The Ministry of Railways  has  honored  Railway Protection Force (RPF) Inspector Chandana Sinha  with  the Ati Vishisht Rail Seva Award, the highest service honor of the Indian Railways . She was honored for her quiet but impactful work  to prevent child trafficking at railway stations and in trains . Her efforts have rescued hundreds of vulnerable children and highlighted the vital role of the Railways in protecting children during travel.

5 Andhra Pradesh to develop satellite launch facility on Hope Island

Andhra Pradesh  Chief  Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu  has  announced  plans to develop a satellite launching facility on   Hope Island  . The proposed satellite launching facility will be built on Hope Island in the Kakinada Bay of Andhra Pradesh. Hope Island is located approximately 600 kilometers from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota  , India’s major space port. Hope Island’s coastal location  provides strategic advantages for launch routes over the Bay of Bengal  and ensures minimal risk to the population.

6 PAU included in BRICS network, the only state agricultural university in the country

Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana ,  a BRICS Network University ,  joins the BRICS Network on Food Security  . India is preparing to assume the rotating presidency of BRICS in 2026, with the presidency logo recently released. Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, has been formally included in the BRICS Network University under the thematic area of ​​Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security. Significantly, PAU is the only state agricultural university in the country to be selected in the network, while  the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), Delhi ,  represents the institute category  , placing PAU in a unique leadership position in the consortium. BRICS, a diplomatic group with Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa as its five original members, represents major emerging and fastest-growing economies.

7 Central Government notifies the Central Motor Vehicles (Second Amendment) Rules, 2026

The Central Government  has  notified the Central Motor Vehicles (Second Amendment) Rules, 2026  ,  to strengthen compliance with  user fee payments  at  toll plazas . The aim is to improve user fee compliance, increase the efficiency of electronic toll collection, and prevent user fee evasion on national highways. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways stated that these amendments will help the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) promote a transparent and technology-based toll system for the sustainable development and maintenance of the national highway network across the country. According to the rules, no-objection certificates for transfer of ownership and inter-state transfer of a vehicle will be issued unless the outstanding user fee is paid. Furthermore, the amended rules mandate that commercial vehicles seeking to obtain national permits must have no outstanding user fee dues.

8 India to host AI Impact Summit from February 16 to 20 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi

India  will host the AI ​​Impact Summit  from February 16-20 this year  at  the Bharat Mandapam  in   New Delhi  . This summit will be the first global artificial intelligence summit to be held in the global South. It will bring together global leaders, policymakers, technology companies, innovators, and experts to discuss the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in governance, innovation, and sustainable development. Artificial intelligence is a key tool in India’s development path, helping to strengthen governance and improve public service delivery. The India Artificial Intelligence Impact Exhibition is expected to feature over four hundred exhibitors across seven thematic pavilions and attract over 150,000 visitors.

9 Republic Day 2026: Who is M.M. Keeravani, who got the opportunity to present Vande Mataram in a new form?

Republic Day 2026  is going to be special. The entire nation’s eyes will be on  New Delhi  , where a grand parade  will be held  from   India Gate to Rashtrapati Bhavan. This year , to mark the 150th anniversary  of the national song ” Vande Mataram, ”  it  will be presented in a new voice and form . Renowned Indian  musician and Oscar-winner M.M. Keeravani  has been chosen for this historic rendition. His music touches the hearts of listeners. M.M. Keeravani was born on July 4, 1961, in Kovvur, West Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh. His full name is Koduri Marakathamani Keeravani. His family comes from a film background. His first break as an independent composer came with the film “Kalki” (1990), but the film never released. His fortunes changed with the release of Ram Gopal Varma’s film “Kshanam Kshanam” in 1991. Keeravani made his Bollywood debut in 1994 with the film “Criminal.” He subsequently composed music for Hindi films such as “Zakhm,” “Saaya,” “Sur,” “Jism,” and “Paheli.” His songs “Gali Mein Aaj Chand Nikla,” “Jaadu Hai Nasha Hai,” and “Awarapan Banjarapan” were well-received by audiences. However, his music gained international recognition in 2022 when the song “Naatu Naatu” from S.S. Rajamouli’s film “RRR” won a Golden Globe and an Oscar, bringing India fame to the world.

10 Punjab Police launches ‘Operation Prahar’ against 10 gangster networks

Punjab Police  launched  Operation Prahar to dismantle gangster networks and make the state gangster-free  . 2,000 teams comprising 12,000 police officers began raids across the state today to arrest gangsters. Police are identifying 60 major gangsters and 1,200 of their associates who are involved in criminal activities.

11 National level winter carnival begins today in Manali, Himachal Pradesh

 The national-level Winter Carnival has begun  in  Manali, the world-famous tourist destination  in Himachal Pradesh  . The carnival  will continue until January 24th  and was inaugurated   by  Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu with a formal prayer ceremony at the Hadimba Devi Temple  . The Chief Minister flagged off the Winter Carnival floats. On this occasion, he announced the development of a river bank in Manali at a cost of Rs 250 crore to promote tourism. In addition to cultural groups from across the country, approximately 300 women’s groups presented colorful tableaux dressed in traditional costumes. A Sharad Sundari competition will also be held during the Manali Winter Fair, with 30 participants participating in this competition.

12 Focus on Green Energy in Mizoram, Foundation Stone of 24 MW Tuirini Hydroelectric Project Laid

Mizoram  Chief  Minister Lalduhoma  on Monday  laid the foundation stone for the 24 MW Tuirini Small Hydroelectric Project in Aizawl district  . The project will be set up as an externally aided project, funded through a loan from the Shanghai-based New Development Bank (NDB). According to officials, the project will be set up on the banks of the Tuirini River at a cost of approximately Rs 676.98 crore. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that the 10 MW Thenzawl Solar Power Project was inaugurated last month, while the construction work on the 5 MW Sumsuih solar power project is underway, with about 20 percent of the work completed. Both the Thenzawl and Sumsuih solar projects are fully owned by the state government.

13 Vacuum assisted track cleaners developed in Ahmedabad under ‘Make in India’ initiative, making railway track cleaning easier

Cleaning railway tracks and surrounding areas  has always been a challenging task. Keeping this in mind,  Indian Railways’ Sabarmati Loco Shed  in  Ahmedabad  has developed an  in-house vacuum-assisted track cleaner machine  . It was recently successfully trialed at Sabarmati station, making the track cleaning process much easier and more effective.

14 79th National Football Championship-Santosh Trophy to begin in Assam

The 29th National Football Championship – Santosh Trophy – will  begin in Assam  . Assam is hosting the championship for the seventh time. A total of 12 teams will participate in the tournament, divided into two groups of six teams each. Group A includes last year’s winners West Bengal, hosts Assam, Nagaland, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, and Tamil Nadu. Group B includes Railways, Services, last year’s runners-up Kerala, Punjab, Meghalaya, and Odisha. All matches will be live streamed on the FIFA Plus platform. The top four teams will advance to the knockout quarter-finals, scheduled for the 2nd and 3rd of next month. Both semi-final matches will be played on February 5th, and the final on February 8th.

15 Kokborok Day 2026

Kokborok Day ,  also known  as  Tripuri Language Day , is celebrated every year on 19 January  in Tripura. The day celebrates the rich linguistic and cultural heritage of the Kokborok language, the mother tongue of the Tripuri community. The day commemorates the historic recognition of Kokborok as the state language of Tripura and highlights efforts to preserve and promote indigenous languages. Kokborok, also known as Tripuri or Tiprakok, is the native language of the Tripuri people of Tripura. It belongs to the Tibeto-Burman language family.