Current Affairs Quiz - January 2026

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:
India has become the world’s largest rice producer, surpassing China with a total output of 150.18 million tonnes. The announcement was made by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The achievement reflects improved farming practices and effective agricultural policies. Use of high-yielding and climate-resilient seed varieties has boosted production. Alongside this milestone, 184 new varieties of 25 different crops were released. These new varieties aim to increase crop productivity and farmer incomes. The initiative strengthens India’s competitiveness in global agricultural markets.

Notes:
SARAS Mela 2026 is held in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, from 6–18 January 2026, marking the first time the national-level event is hosted there. The Mela brings together Women’s Self-Help Groups (SHGs) from all States and Union Territories, with around 300 women artisans and entrepreneurs participating. The objective of event is to promote economic empowerment of women SHG members through sustainable livelihoods and provide national-level exposure and market access.

Notes:
At the 79th Foundation Day of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the Union Minister launched the SHINE scheme in New Delhi. SHINE stands for Standards Help Inform and Nurture Empowered Women. It is a new initiative of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). The scheme places women at the centre of India’s quality and standards journey. It provides structured training through partnerships with Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Self-Help Groups (SHGs). It empowers women with knowledge to ensure safety, quality, and family protection. The scheme also helps strengthen livelihoods and community awareness.

Notes:
The first phase of the All-India Tiger Estimation 2026 (AITE-26) has started in the Thanthai Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. It is located in the Bargur Hills of Erode district in Tamil Nadu. The sanctuary lies between Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve of Tamil Nadu and Male Mahadeshwara and Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuaries of Karnataka. The area is part of the Nilgiris Elephant Reserve.

Notes:
Earth’s Rotation Day is observed every year on 8 January to highlight Earth’s continuous rotation on its axis. It commemorates the 1851 Foucault Pendulum experiment conducted by French physicist Léon Foucault. The experiment gave the first clear experimental proof that Earth rotates on its axis. Earth’s rotation causes the day–night cycle and influences climate and wind patterns. The day promotes awareness of basic Earth science and astronomy.

Notes:
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) is celebrated every year on 9 January since 2003. It recognises the contribution of the Overseas Indian community to India’s development. 9 January marks the return of Mahatma Gandhi to India from South Africa in 1915. Gandhi’s return led India’s freedom struggle and transformed the nation. These platforms connect the Indian diaspora with the Government of India. They promote networking, experience sharing, and mutually beneficial cooperation.

Notes:
In Jaipur, nearly 250 families continue to preserve Kathputli, one of Rajasthan’s oldest folk art traditions. Kathputli is a traditional string puppet theatre form that originated in Rajasthan. Historically, travelling performers used Kathputli shows to narrate stories of Rajput kings, brave warriors, folk heroes, and moral tales to village audiences. The word Kathputli comes from kath meaning wood and putli meaning doll, highlighting its simple wooden structure. A Kathputli puppet is made using wood, cloth, thread, and metal wire, with a wooden upper body and cotton and fabric below.

Notes:
During the All India Tiger Estimation 2026 survey, the Indian giant squirrel was sighted in the Atwan region of the Pune forest division. The Indian Giant Squirrel is also known as the Malabar Giant Squirrel and is a large rodent species native to India. It belongs to the category of tree squirrels and is adapted to living in forest canopies. It is among the largest squirrel species found in the world. The species is mainly distributed across the Western Ghats, Eastern Ghats, and the Satpura Range. It is the state animal of Maharashtra and is locally known as Shekru.

Notes:
Research at 27 test lakes in northeastern Germany showed an increase in the abundance of charophytes. Charophytes are a type of green algae found in freshwater ecosystems. Fossils of charophytes date back to the Silurian Period, about 443 million years ago. This period marked the shift of plants from water to land, and charophytes are the closest living relatives of land plants. They grow in silt, mud, peat, or sand and often colonize newly cleared areas first.