Current Affairs Quiz - January 2026

Notes:
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications, released the National Frequency Allocation Plan 2025 (NFAP-2025). NFAP-2025 is a key policy governing the management and allocation of radio-frequency spectrum in India. It allocates spectrum to various radio-communication services in the frequency range 8.3 kHz to 3000 GHz. The plan serves as a reference for spectrum managers, wireless operators, and telecom equipment manufacturers. National Frequency Allocation Plan 2025 (NFAP-2025) identifies the 6425–7125 MHz band for International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT), boosting mid-band spectrum for 5G, 5G Advanced, and future 6G networks.

Notes:
The first Yarn Processing Plant of Purvanchal will be set up in Mirzapur district, Uttar Pradesh. The plant will provide locally processed yarn to the carpet industry, reducing dependence on other states. The Mirzapur–Bhadohi belt is a major hub for handmade carpet production and export. The project is being developed under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model with an estimated investment of ₹8 crore. Local weavers and carpet manufacturers will benefit from lower raw material costs and timely yarn supply. The plant is expected to be completed by April 2026 and is supported by the Uttar Pradesh Textile & Garmenting Policy 2022.

Notes:
The Ministry of Defence signed defence contracts worth ₹4,666 crore to strengthen the Indian Army and Indian Navy. The deal includes Close Quarter Battle Carbines for both forces and Heavyweight Torpedoes for the Indian Navy. The Close Quarter Battle Carbine is a 56 × 45 millimetre compact firearm made under Indigenous Design, Development and Manufacturing. It is designed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO’s) Armament Research and Development Establishment, Pune. It is manufactured by Bharat Forge Limited, a Pune-based Indian multinational company.

Notes:
Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) conferred the IFFCO Sahitya Samman 2025 on eminent Hindi writer Maitreyi Pushpa for her outstanding contribution to Hindi literature, especially rural life and agrarian realities. The IFFCO Young Literary Award 2025 was presented to Ankita Jain for her book “Oh Re! Kisan.” Maitreyi Pushpa (born 30 Nov 1944, Aligarh) has a master’s in Hindi literature and is renowned for novels, short stories, plays, poetry, and women-centric writings. IFFCO Sahitya Samman, instituted in 2011, honors writers reflecting rural and agricultural life and carries a cash prize of ₹11 lakh, citation, and memento.

Notes:
Recently, around 60 people were injured when a loco train carrying workers hit a goods train inside the Pipalkoti tunnel of the Vishnugad–Pipalkoti Hydroelectric Project. The Vishnugad–Pipalkoti Hydroelectric Project (VPHEP) is a run-of-river hydropower project on the Alaknanda River, a major tributary of the Ganga River, in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. The project will generate about 1,665 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually. It is developed by THDC India Limited, a joint venture of the Government of India and the Government of Uttar Pradesh, with World Bank funding.

Notes:
Recently, Andhra Pradesh emerged as India’s top investment destination, capturing 25.3% of all proposed investments in the first nine months of FY26. It leads other states like Odisha (13.1%) and Maharashtra (12.8%), showing a shift of industrial momentum to eastern and southern corridors. Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Maharashtra together account for 51.2% of India’s total proposed capital investment. Nationwide, investment announcements reached Rs 26.6 lakh crore, up 11.5% year-on-year. Andhra Pradesh’s performance is credited to investor-friendly policies, fast-track approvals, infrastructure development, and sector-focused strategies.

Notes:
International Mind Body Wellness Day is observed annually on January 3 to highlight the link between mental and physical health. The day encourages self-care, mindfulness, movement, and healthy lifestyle practices for overall well-being. It draws on both ancient holistic healing traditions and modern scientific research confirming mind-body interconnection.

Notes:
Delhi government plans to declare rabies a notifiable disease to strengthen disease surveillance and early outbreak detection. A notifiable disease is legally required to be reported to government health authorities. Timely notification helps monitor disease trends and provides early warning of outbreaks. The Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 gives the legal basis for notifying diseases in India. Diseases are notified based on incidence, severity, communicability, outbreak potential, and risk of international spread.

Notes:
World Day of War Orphans is observed annually on 6th January to raise awareness about children who have lost parents due to war or armed conflicts. The day highlights the physical, social, and psychological challenges faced by orphans growing up without parental support. It calls for protection, care, rehabilitation, and societal support systems to help war orphans rebuild their lives with dignity and security. According to UNICEF, around 140 million children worldwide are orphans: 52 million in Africa, 10 million in Latin America & the Caribbean, 7.3 million in Central Asia, and 61 million in Asia.

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi commemorated 1,000 years since the first attack on the Somnath Temple in 1026 AD, calling it a timeless symbol of India’s civilisational resilience and unbreakable spirit. The Somnath Temple is located on the coastline at Prabhas Patan in Veraval, in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat. The name “Somnath” means “Lord of the Soma (Moon),” and the site is also known as Prabhasa, meaning “place of splendour.” Somnath is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga sites of Lord Shiva and is a major Hindu pilgrimage centre (tirtha). It is among the five most revered coastal pilgrimage sites of India, along with Dwarka, Puri, Rameswaram, and Chidambaram.