1 The United Nations declared 2026 the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists.
The United Nations has declared 2026 the International Year for Rangelands and Pastoralists, a landmark decision to shine a spotlight on some of the world’s most under-noticed, yet vitally important ecosystems. This declaration addresses a significant imbalance in global climate action: while forests receive disproportionate attention and financial resources, grasslands and savannas—equally important for carbon absorption, biodiversity conservation, and climate resilience—are often marginalized in international climate negotiations and national climate strategies.
India has pioneered sustainable road construction technology by starting the world’s first commercial production of bio-bitumen . This historic announcement was made by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari at a CSIR technology transfer event in New Delhi . The successful technology transfer, titled ” Bio-Bitumen via Pyrolysis: From Farm Residue to Roads ,” was an indigenous innovation developed by the CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI), New Delhi , and the CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum, Dehradun (CSIR-IIP). This achievement not only marks a major step towards reducing dependence on fossil fuels but will also help address environmental challenges like stubble burning. Bitumen, a black, viscous substance derived from crude oil , is used as a binding material in road construction . In contrast, bio-bitumen is produced from biomass and agricultural waste, offering a greener and more environmentally friendly alternative. Nitin Gadkari said that this innovation will reduce dependence on fossil fuels and will also solve the problem of air pollution caused by burning of agricultural residues.
The Ministry of Women and Child Development has launched an integrated Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Partnership Facilitation digital portal called ‘ Pankhuri ‘. It aims to strengthen coordination, transparency and planned stakeholder participation in women and child development initiatives. The portal was launched by Union Minister for Women and Child Development Annapurna Devi . Pankhuri has been developed as a single window digital platform that brings together individuals working in the field of women and child development, Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) contributors, corporate entities and government agencies.
4 Justice Manoj Gupta will be the new Chief Justice of Uttarakhand High Court.
In exercise of the powers conferred by the Constitution of India, the President , after consultation with the Chief Justice of India , has appointed Shri Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta , Judge, Allahabad High Court, as the Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand High Court . This appointment will take effect from the date he assumes charge of his office consequent to the retirement of Shri Justice Guhanathan Narendra, the present Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand High Court, on January 09, 2026.
5 External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar appreciates invitation to attend Weimar Format meeting
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar participated in the first meeting of the India -Weimar Format in Paris . External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar stated that the world is currently going through a period of turmoil. Certain developments have taken place that could reshape the global order. He appreciated the invitation to attend the Weimar Format meeting, which was attended by the Foreign Ministers of France, Germany, and Poland . Mr. Jaishankar stated that the discussions primarily focused on India-EU relations, the Indo-Pacific region, and the Ukraine conflict. He noted that today there is potential for India’s relations with the EU and Europe to deepen further. The External Affairs Minister emphasized that there are still many areas with immense potential that need to be explored. The Weimar Meeting is primarily a trilateral format (Weimar Triangle) for cooperation and discussion between the Foreign Ministers of France, Germany, and Poland, which began in the 1990s.
The 53rd World Book Fair will be held from January 10th to 18th at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi . The fair will provide a platform to bring together publishers, authors, readers, and cultural figures from India and around the world. Over 1,000 publishers from over 35 countries will participate in the nine-day event. For the first time, this edition will offer free entry to visitors. He informed that this year, Qatar is the guest country , and Spain is participating as the focus country. He said that a special pavilion for children will be set up at the book fair. Mr. Malik informed that this year, the book fair will pay tribute to the Indian Armed Forces and their contribution to the nation since independence through the theme Indian Military History – Valor and Wisdom @ 75.
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) launched the Aadhaar mascot, Uday . The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) stated that the mascot will help make Aadhaar-related information more accessible and intuitive for people. The ministry stated that the mascot will simplify communication about Aadhaar services, including updates, authentication, and offline verification. UIDAI Chief Executive Officer Bhuvnesh Kumar stated that UIDAI invited people to design and name the mascot, reiterating the core principles of Aadhaar. Winning Participants:
Mascot Design Contest
- First Prize: Arun Gokul (Thrissur, Kerala)
- Second Prize: Idrees Dawaiwala (Pune, Maharashtra)
- Third Prize: Krishna Sharma (Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh)
Mascot Name Contest
- First Prize: Riya Jain (Bhopal)
- Second Prize: Idrees Dawaiwala (Pune)
- Third Prize: Maharaj Saran Chellapilla (Hyderabad)
8. Grand Army Day Parade to be held in Jaipur on 15th January
A grand Army Day parade will be held in Jaipur on January 15. As part of the events organized to commemorate the 78th Army Day , a four-day “Know Your Army” exhibition was inaugurated at the Bhawani Niketan Shiksha Samiti campus in Jaipur . The exhibition was inaugurated by Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma . Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that the exhibition provides a glimpse of state-of-the-art equipment and contemporary warfare methods.
9 Government launches district-based textile transformation scheme to boost exports and create employment
The Ministry of Textiles launched the District-Based Textile Transformation Initiative at the National Conference of Textile Ministers held in Guwahati . Under this strategic initiative, designed to accelerate inclusive and sustainable growth in the textile industry , districts have been categorized into Winner and Aspirational Districts . Winner districts will focus on addressing bottlenecks, including upgrading mega common facility centers, integrating Industry 4.0, and facilitating direct export market linkages. The Aspirational Districts aim to create a grassroots ecosystem to build infrastructure and formalize the workforce. The Ministry aims to transform 100 high-potential districts into global export winners and develop 100 Aspirational Districts into self-reliant hubs. The Ministry stated that these areas have been prioritized for tribal development, connectivity improvements, and geographical indication tagging to position unique cultural handicrafts in global markets.
10 Textiles Ministry signs MoUs with 15 states to strengthen data systems and integrate planning under Tex-RAMPS scheme
The Ministry of Textiles (MoT) took a revolutionary step towards evidence-based policymaking by signing Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with 15 states on the inaugural day of the National Textile Ministers’ Conference held in Guwahati . The MoUs signed between the Ministry of Textiles and the respective state governments are part of the ” Textile-Focused Research, Evaluation, Monitoring, Planning and Start-ups (Tex-RAMPS) ” scheme. This central government scheme aims to improve the comprehensiveness, quality, timeliness, and reliability of textile-related statistical products and research . Through these MoUs, a robust operational framework has been created to strengthen textile-related data systems in various states and union territories. Under the Tex-RAMPS scheme, the initiative promotes integrated planning for key sectors, including handloom, handicrafts, apparel, technical textiles, etc., by focusing efforts directly at the cluster and district levels.
11 Centre issues notification for first phase of Census; house enumeration to take place from April 1 to September 30
The Centre has issued a notification for the first phase of the Census of India 2027. Door-to-door census work will be conducted in all states and union territories between April 1 and September 30 this year . The census work will be carried out during a 30-day period determined by each state and union territory. The Home Ministry notification states that the facility for self-enumeration will be available up to 15 days before the start of the door-to-door census, as per the schedule notified by each state and union territory.
12 Army and HDFC Bank extend MoU for banking services and personal accident insurance till 2029
The Army and HDFC Bank have renewed their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide banking services and personal accident insurance to military personnel until 2029. This compensation is provided to serving and retired Indian Army personnel in the event of accidental death or disability. Under this three-year MoU, all serving Agniveer and pensioners will be provided with personal accident insurance of ₹1 crore and air accident insurance of ₹1 crore.
13 OpenAI launches ChatGPT Health, now AI will connect with medical records
Artificial intelligence company OpenAI has launched a new health feature called ChatGPT Health . This feature allows people to securely connect their medical records and health/fitness apps to ChatGPT . OpenAI stated that this feature was developed with the advice of over 260 doctors from 60 countries worldwide. Its goal is to help people better understand and manage their health. According to the company, more than 230 million people worldwide ask ChatGPT questions about health and wellness each week. This new feature has been introduced in response to this growing need. Through ChatGPT Health, users can combine data from their medical records and fitness apps like Apple Health and MyFitnessPal . OpenAI has clarified that ChatGPT Health will not replace a doctor, nor will it diagnose or treat any disease. It will only help people understand accurate information and make better decisions.
14 Australia beat England by 5 wickets in the fifth Test to win the Ashes series 4-1
Australia defeated England by five wickets in the fifth Test cricket match in Sydney to win the Ashes series 4-1. Batting first , England were bowled out for 384 in their first innings. In response, Australia scored 567 in their first innings. In the second innings, England scored 342 runs, setting Australia a target of 160 runs. Australia won the match by scoring 161 runs for five wickets. Travis Head was named Player of the Match, while Mitchell Starc was named Player of the Series. The Australian team created cricket history by forming seven partnerships of 50 or more runs in a single innings —a feat unprecedented in Ashes cricket and achieved only for the second time in the 134-year history of Test cricket .
15 Asian Indoor Championships: Tajinderpal Toor to lead Indian team
Two-time Asian Indoor shot put champion Tajinderpal Singh Toor will lead a 17-member Indian team at the 12th Asian Indoor Athletics Championships, to be held in Tianjin, China , from February 6 to 8. The Indian team will depart for the Continental Indoor Meet on February 3. The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) on Thursday formally announced the 17-member Indian team for the Asian Indoor Championships. Tajinderpal Toor, a 31-year-old international shot putter from Punjab, holds the national outdoor record of 21.77 meters, which he set in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, in 2023. Toor, a two-time Asian Games champion, also won the shot put gold medal at the 10th Asian Indoor Championships in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan. Long jumper Shahnawaz Khan and experienced triple jumper Praveen Chitravel will begin their 2026 season at the Asian Indoor Championships in China. Meanwhile, Tejaswin Shankar in the heptathlon and Manikanth Hoblidhar in the 60m sprint are the key names in the men’s team. Top women sprinters Nitya Gandhe and Abhinay Rajarajan will participate in the 60m dash in Tianjin. Moumita Mondal will compete in the 60m hurdles and women’s long jump. The Indian men’s team consists of Manikanth Hoblidhar (60m), Tejas Shirse (60m hurdles), J Adarsh Ram (high jump), CV Anurag and Shahnawaz Khan (long jump), Praveen Chitravel (triple jump), Samardeep Singh Gill and Tajinderpal Singh Toor (shot put), and Tejaswin Mondal (heptathlon). The Indian women’s team includes Nitya Gandhe and Abhinay Rajarajan (60m), Moumita Mondal and Pragyan Prashanti Sahu (60m hurdles), Pooja (high jump), Ancy Sojan and Moumita Mondal (long jump), Yogita (shot put), and KA Anamika (pentathlon).