Current Affairs Quiz - January 2026

Notes:
Recently, INS Sagardhwani, India’s oceanographic research vessel under DRDO’s Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL), was flagged off for the fifth edition of the Sagar Maitri initiative from Southern Naval Command, Kochi. Sagar Maitri is a collaborative initiative of the Indian Navy and DRDO under MAHASAGAR, aiming to strengthen cooperation among Indian Ocean Rim (IOR) countries through socio-economic engagement and ocean research. The mission includes the MAITRI (Marine & Allied Interdisciplinary Training and Research Initiative) component for long-term scientific partnerships.

Notes:
Recently, veteran music composer Ilaiyaraaja was announced as the recipient of the Padmapani Award at the 11th Ajanta-Ellora International Film Festival. The award recognises his unmatched contribution to Indian cinema and music. It includes a Padmapani memento, a citation certificate, and a cash prize of two lakh rupees. The 11th Ajanta-Ellora International Film Festival will be held from 28 January to 1 February at Mahatma Gandhi Mission, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. The festival is supported by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Department of Cultural Affairs, Maharashtra.

Notes:
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change declared Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary in the Aravalli mountain range as an Eco-Sensitive Zone. The move aims to conserve the area’s flora and fauna and support indigenous communities living nearby. Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Aravalli mountain range, a significant hill system in western India, covering parts of Rajasthan’s Rajsamand, Pali, and Udaipur districts. The 0–1 km area around the sanctuary hosts leopards, striped hyenas, jungle cats, Indian pangolins, blue bulls, chinkaras, and birds like painted francolin.

Notes:
India ranked sixth among 11 Asian countries in the Asia Manufacturing Index (AMI) 2026, showing the need to strengthen manufacturing competitiveness. The Asia Manufacturing Index (AMI) measures competitiveness across eight key pillars and 43 sub-parameters. The index is in its third year and is released by Dezan Shira and Associates. Malaysia rose to second place in 2026, replacing Vietnam. Vietnam slipped to third position. These changes indicate intensifying competition within Asia’s manufacturing sector.

Notes:
Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh directed upscaling of Kaladi, a Geographical Indication (GI) tagged dairy product of Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir. Kaladi will be promoted under the One District One Product (ODOP) initiative for national and global markets. Focus is on value addition and shelf-life enhancement without changing taste, texture, or nutrition Council of Scientific and Industrial Research–Central Food Technological Research Institute (CSIR-CFTRI), Mysuru, and CSIR–Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM), Jammu, will jointly work on the project. Kaladi is traditionally made from raw full-fat milk and is known as the “mozzarella of Jammu”.

Notes:
Operation Trashi-I entered its fourth day in January 2026 in the dense forests of Kishtwar district, Jammu and Kashmir. It is a multi-day counter-terrorism and area-domination operation in the Chatroo forest region. The operation is jointly conducted by the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police including Special Operations Group (SOG), and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). It aims to track and neutralise terrorists, destroy hideouts and logistics, and disrupt infiltration routes.

Notes:
India did not attend the ceremonial launch of the Board of Peace, even though it had received a formal invitation from U.S. President Donald Trump. The Board of Peace is a United States–led intergovernmental initiative announced by President Donald Trump during the World Economic Forum (WEF) held in Davos, Switzerland. The primary mandate of the Board is to oversee post-war reconstruction and governance of the Gaza Strip through a technocratic administrative framework rather than traditional political mechanisms. Its long-term vision includes expanding its role to address and resolve global conflicts in situations where existing international institutions are perceived to have failed.

Notes:
The Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD) has been named a finalist for the 2026 Franz Edelman Award for its Anna Chakra initiative. Anna Chakra is a supply chain optimisation tool developed under India’s Public Distribution System (PDS). It is an operations research–based decision support system that optimises state-wise food grain logistics. The initiative was created through a Government–United Nations–Academia partnership involving DFPD, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in India, and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi. It uses advanced algorithms to identify optimal transport routes and ensure smooth movement of food grains across the supply chain.

Notes:
The World Economic Forum (WEF) is establishing five new Centres for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, including one in Andhra Pradesh, India. India already has two such centres: in Mumbai and Telangana. The Fourth Industrial Revolution Network, launched in 2017, connects national and thematic centres worldwide to advance responsible development of emerging technologies. Other new centres will be in France, the U.K., and the UAE.

Notes:
NITI Aayog recently released a report titled “Enhancing Circular Economy of End-of-Life Vehicles in India”, warning of a looming crisis with end-of-life vehicles (ELVs). ELVs in India are expected to rise to 50 million by 2030, from 23 million by 2025, posing safety risks and being a major source of pollution. Older vehicles emit up to 8 times more pollutants than BS-VI standard vehicles. The Vehicle Scrappage Policy (2021) aims to phase out old vehicles through Automated Testing Stations (ATS) and Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facilities (RVSF), offering incentives like scrap value, fee waivers, and tax rebates (up to 25% for non-transport, 15% for transport vehicles).