January 1st week current affairs (NDA 2025)

DEFENCE NEWS

• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted a salvo launch (simultaneous firing) of two indigenously developed Pralay missiles in quick succession from the same launcher at the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur, Odisha, as part of user evaluation trials.
• The Indian Army (IA), in collaboration with the civil administration and local residents, launched “Radio Sangam”, a Community Radio Station, at Keri village in Doongi block, Rajouri district, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), located near the Line of Control (LoC).
• The Indian Army (IA), under the leadership of Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Upendra Dwivedi, declared 2026 as the „Year of Networking & Data Centricity‟, aligning with the Indian Army‟s 2026 vision to build a future-ready and technology-driven force.
• The Indian Army will showcase a special animal contingent of the Remount & Veterinary Corps (RVC) at the Republic Day Parade on Kartavya Path for the first time, highlighting the strategic use of animals in military operations. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh commissioned Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) „Samudra Pratap‟ in Goa on January 05, 2026, marking a major boost to Aatmanirbharta in shipbuilding.
• The Defence Laboratory Jodhpur (DLJ), under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), developed a portable water purification system named Sea Water Desalination System (SWaDeS) to provide safe drinking water to soldiers deployed in remote, coastal, and water-scarce regions.

NATIONAL NEWS

• India achieved its highest-ever trademark registrations in a single financial year during Financial Year 2024–25, marking a major milestone for the country’s innovation and business ecosystem
• The Union Government has declared the Parvati–Arga Bird Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh as an Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) to strengthen biodiversity conservation and ecological protection
• The Government of India has approved the Scheme to Promote Manufacturing of Sintered Rare Earth Permanent Magnets (REPM) as a major strategic step towards self-reliance in critical minerals and advanced manufacturing
• Himachal Pradesh has initiated the cultivation of industrial hemp as part of a major policy shift aimed at transforming the rural economy, promoting sustainability, and strengthening the bio economy
• The year 2025 marked a major milestone for India‟s public healthcare system with the expansion of Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) and rapid growth in digital healthcare initiatives.
• The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has announced the withdrawal of the Know Your Vehicle (KYV) requirement for Car/Jeep/Van FASTag category
• The Government of India has extended the import restrictions on low-ash metallurgical coke for another six months, from 1st January 2026 to 30th June 2026
• India is set to strengthen its artificial intelligence research ecosystem with the establishment of the Indian AI Research Organization (IAIRO) at Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), Gandhinagar
• A recent NITI Aayog report on the globalisation of higher education praised Gujarat Biotechnology University (GBU) at Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) as a benchmark initiative aligned with national education reforms and India’s goal of becoming a global education hub
• Delhi Public Works Department has made QR codes mandatory on all new road signages, as per guidelines issued on January 1, 2026, to improve transparency, accountability, and quality standards.
• India crossed the historic milestone of 100 crore broadband subscribers in November 2025, reflecting rapid digital expansion and deepening internet penetration across the country
• India recorded 166 tiger deaths in 2025, which is 40 more than in 2024, according to data released by the National Tiger Conservation Authority
• The E-Bill System for fertiliser subsidies has been inaugurated by Jagat Prakash Nadda, Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers, in New Delhi
• Select provisions of the National Sports Governance Act, 2025 came into effect from January 1, 2026, marking a major reform in India‟s sports governance framework
• Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of multiple development projects of the Andaman and Nicobar Administration at Sri Vijaya Puram
• Vice President of India Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan inaugurated the 9th Siddha Day celebrations at Kalaivanar Arangam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 72nd National Volleyball Tournament through video conferencing
• Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh (Lalan Singh), Union Minister for the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, will inaugurate the Smart Green Aquaculture Farm and Research Institute along with a state-of-the-art Recirculatory Aquaculture System (RAS) Facility
• As part of India’s preparatory engagements for the India AI Impact Summit 2026, the Rajasthan Regional AI Impact Conference 2026 will held in Jaipur, Rajasthan
• The Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) completed nine years of implementation on 1st January 2026, marking a significant milestone in India’s efforts to strengthen maternal health, nutrition, and women‟s welfare
• The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of the Union Environment Ministry has recommended environmental clearance for the 1,200-MW Kalai-II hydropower project on the Lohit River in Anjaw district, Arunachal Pradesh
• Indian scientists, led by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, have developed Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) using 3D-printing technology, marking a major indigenous technological milestone

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

• Israel has announced a special peace honour for former United States President Donald Trump, marking a significant diplomatic development
• India and Bangladesh have initiated joint water measurement on the Padma and Ganga rivers as the 30-year Ganges Water Sharing Treaty enters its final year.
• Bulgaria adopted the Euro (EUR) as its official currency from January 1, 2026, replacing the Bulgarian lev (BGN) after approval by the Council of the European Union (EU) on July 8, 2025, confirming compliance with all Maastricht convergence criteria.
• Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) purchased its first-ever crude oil cargo from Colombia under an optional supply agreement with Ecopetrol, marking a strategic move to diversify crude oil imports away from Russia

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved the appointment of Rakesh Agarwal (IPS) as the Interim Director General (DG) of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
• Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor assumed charge as the Vice Chief of the Air Staff (VCAS) of the Indian Air Force (IAF) on January 1, 2026, succeeding Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari, who superannuated after 40 years of distinguished service.
• Canara Bank has assigned additional charge of Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer (MD & CEO) to Hardeep Singh Ahluwalia, with effect from January 1, 2026.
• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, appointed Lav Aggarwal as Director General (DG) of Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry (MoC&I) and Rabindra Kumar Agarwal as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Food Corporation of India (FCI) as part of a major bureaucratic reshuffle involving 25 senior civil servants, including in-situ promotions and reassignments.
• ESAF Small Finance Bank, headquartered in Thrissur, Kerala, appointed Karthikeyan Manickam as its Chairman, strengthening the bank’s leadership.
• The Department of Justice (DoJ) under the Ministry of Law and Justice (MoL&J) announced that the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, approved the appointment of Justice Mahesh Sharadchandra Sonak, a Judge of the Bombay High Court (HC), as the Chief Justice (CJ) of the Jharkhand High Court, under Article 217(1) of the Constitution of India (CoI), in consultation with the Chief Justice of India (CJI).
• The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) assigned Rakesh Aggarwal, a 1994-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer from the Himachal Pradesh cadre, the additional charge of Director General (DG) of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) following the early repatriation of Sadanand Vasant Date.
• RBL Bank announced key senior management changes, appointing Jaideep Iyer as Executive Director and Deepak Ruiya as interim Chief Financial Officer (CFO) as part of a planned leadership transition.
• Justice A. Muhamed Mustaque Ayumantakatha, the senior-most Judge of the Kerala High Court (HC), was sworn in as the 24th Chief Justice (CJ) of the Sikkim High Court.

AWARDS & HONOURS

• Singapore Changi Best Airport: Singapore Changi Airport awarded Best International Airport 2025 by Travel+Leisure India & South Asia at 14th India’s Best Awards.
• Jayshree Ullal Hurun List: Indian-origin Jayshree Ullal, Arista Networks CEO, ranked first on Hurun India Rich List 2025 with net worth of USD 5.7 billion (Rs.50,170 crores).
• Kaamya Karthikeyan South Pole: 18-year-old Kaamya Karthikeyan became youngest Indian and second-youngest woman globally to ski to South Pole on December 27, 2025, after 115 km trek.
• Meera Syal Damehood: British-Indian comedian and author Meera Syal awarded Damehood (DBE) in King Charles III’s New Year Honours List 2026 for contributions to literature and drama

SPORTS NEWS

• Indian women‟s cricket achieved a major milestone as Deepti Sharma became the highest wicket-taker in Women‟s Twenty20 International (T20I) cricket.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

• Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu (Civil Aviation) inaugurated and flagged off the inaugural flight of the indigenous Dhruv-NG helicopter at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bengaluru, Karnataka, on 30 December 2025.
• China set a new world record by accelerating a superconducting electric maglev train to 700 km/h in just 2 seconds, marking the fastest maglev acceleration test ever conducted.
• Two Hyderabad-based space start-ups – TakeMe2Space and EON Space Labs have successfully tested and integrated a 14-kg Earth observation satellite (MOI-1) along with a miniature space telescope (MIRA).
• Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully conducted a static ground test of the enhanced 3rd stage (SS3) of the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) at the Solid Motor Static Test Facility, Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
• SpaceX launched the COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation–Flight Model 3 (CSG-FM3), an Earth Observation Satellite (EOS), for the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and the Italian Ministry of Defence, aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, USA.
• Union Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar Subrahmanyam, from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), launched the IITM Global Research Foundation at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) campus in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, highlighting IIT-M’s vision to become the world‟s first multinational university.
• Yas Clinic – Khalifa City, in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Centre (ADSCC) and Vertex Pharmaceuticals, and under the support and oversight of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, successfully administered the first gene-therapy injection for hemoglobinopathies in the UAE using CASGEVY, a CRISPR-Cas9–based gene-editing therapy.
• India and Pakistan exchanged the list of nuclear installations and facilities through diplomatic channels to maintain strategic transparency and confidence building.
• China has commissioned a new upgraded guided missile destroyer as part of its rapid naval expansion to narrow the gap with United States maritime power.