Current Affairs Quiz - January 2026

Notes:
Senior Indian diplomat DB Venkatesh Varma has been nominated by the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General to chair the Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters for 2026–27. This is the first time an Indian has been appointed as chair of the board, established in 1978. Indian diplomats have previously served as members, but never as chair. DB Venkatesh Varma is a leading expert on disarmament and Russia, with key roles in India’s Prime Minister’s Office, including during India–US nuclear deal negotiations. He also served as India’s ambassador to Russia, managing bilateral ties during Covid-era coordination and launching India’s Act Far East policy from Vladivostok in 2019.

Notes:
The 16th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM)-Plus Experts Working Group (EWG) on Counter Terrorism (CT) has begun in New Delhi on 14 January 2026. India and Malaysia are co-chairing this third meeting of the 2024–2027 cycle. Delegations from 11 ASEAN countries, 7 dialogue partners, and ASEAN Secretariat representatives are participating. The meeting is reviewing progress since the last session and advancing the three-year work plan on counter-terrorism cooperation. The Final Planning Conference for the Table Top Exercise (TTX) is being conducted on 14 January. Malaysia will host the Table Top Exercise (TTX) later in 2026, while India will conduct the Field Training Exercise (FTX) in 2027.

Notes:
The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) issued the National Pension System (NPS) Vatsalya Scheme Guidelines 2025. NPS Vatsalya is a contributory long-term financial security scheme exclusively for minors. It was announced in the Union Budget 2024–25 and launched on 18 September 2024 by the Union Finance Minister. The scheme allows parents or legal guardians to build systematic savings for children, with continuity into NPS on attaining majority. It is open to all Indian citizens, including Non-Resident Indians (NRI) and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI), below 18 years.

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The two-day Regional Level Conference of Labour & Employment and Industry Secretaries of States/UTs was held in Jaipur on 14 January 2026. The conference is the second of five regional meetings organized to facilitate the implementation of the four Labour Codes and address issues related to Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), and Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana (PMVBRY). The conference emphasized stronger Centre–State coordination, last-mile dissemination of workers’ rights, expansion of ESIC coverage, and promotion of employment generation through Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana (PMVBRY).

Notes:
NITI Aayog released the Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2024, assessing export readiness of India’s States and Union Territories (UTs) to support the goal of USD 1 trillion merchandise exports by 2030 and Viksit Bharat @2047. EPI 2024 is structured around four pillars—Export Infrastructure, Business Ecosystem, Policy & Governance, and Export Performance. It is further divided into 13 sub-pillars and 70 indicators for granular assessment. Top-performing Large States are Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh, while top-performing Small/North Eastern States & UTs are Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Nagaland, Dadra & Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu, and Goa.

Notes:
The Department of Financial Services launched the Paripoorna Mediclaim Ayush Bima for Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) beneficiaries. The insurance policy provides cashless facilities, modern treatments, and access to a wide network of hospitals. It is exclusively for CGHS beneficiaries, covering a maximum of six members per policy. The policy offers indemnity-based in-patient hospitalisation coverage within India, with sum insured options of ₹10 Lakh or ₹20 Lakh. A co-payment option allows beneficiaries to choose 70:30 or 50:50 cost-sharing between insurance companies and subscribers.

Notes:
The Ministry of Rural Development launched a National Campaign on Entrepreneurship under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) to strengthen non-farm livelihoods and boost income growth among rural women. The campaign plans to train 50,000 community resource persons in enterprise development and provide Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP) training to 50 lakh Self Help Group (SHG) members nationwide. The initiative aims to strengthen rural economies, build a robust ecosystem for rural enterprises, and improve access to formal financial institutions and enterprise loans for grassroots women entrepreneurs.

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The International Labour Organization (ILO) released its Employment and Social Trends 2026 report in Geneva on 14 January 2026. The report warns that global unemployment will remain at 4.9% in 2026, affecting 186 million people. Employment quality progress has stalled; extreme working poverty declined only 3.1% between 2015–2025. Informal employment is rising, with 2.1 billion workers globally projected to be informally employed by 2026. India accounts for 3% of global manufacturing. India, along with Japan and Korea, is expanding jobs in the renewable energy sector. There is a gap between demand and supply of green-skilled workers in India.

Notes:
A recent survey across the Ganga River basin recorded 3,037 gharials in 13 rivers despite serious survival threats. Gharial is a freshwater crocodile belonging to the Crocodylia order and Crocodylidae family. Its scientific name is Gavialis gangeticus and it mainly feeds on fish. Earlier, its range extended across Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan. Today, major populations survive in the Chambal, Girwa, and Rapti–Naryani rivers. In India, gharial reserves are located in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan. As per the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, it is critically endangered.

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Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma announced direct procurement of ginger and dry broomsticks from farmers starting February 2. The procurement is under the flagship Bana Kaih handholding scheme to ensure assured income to cultivators. The announcement was made during the inauguration of a ginger processing unit at Sairang near Aizawl. NITI Aayog has declared Mizoram as the ginger capital of India due to strong farmer-led production. Ginger cultivation has significantly increased farmers’ income and purchasing power.