Current Affairs Quiz 23rd January 2026 Quiz

Exp. 23 January – Parakram Diwas

Parakram Diwas is observed on 23 January every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

The day celebrates Netaji’s courage, leadership, and contribution to India’s freedom struggle, especially through the Indian National Army (INA).

Government of India announced Parakram Diwas in 2021 to inspire patriotism and national pride among citizens.

Exp. SBI Life Launches ‘Smart Platina Advantage’ Guaranteed Savings Insurance Plan

SBI Life Insurance launched ‘SBI Life – Smart Platina Advantage’, an individual, non-linked, non-participating guaranteed savings life insurance plan offering long-term assured returns along with life cover.

The plan aims to support key financial goals such as children’s education, retirement planning, corpus creation and second-income generation, with guaranteed additions every policy year.

SBI Life Insurance was incorporated in October 2000 and is regulated by IRDAI since March 2001, making it one of India’s most trusted private life insurers.

Exp. BCCI Inks ₹270 Crore Gemini Sponsorship Deal Ahead of IPL 2026

BCCI signed a ₹270 crore sponsorship deal with Google’s AI platform Gemini ahead of the IPL 2026 season, marking a major AI entry into Indian cricket.

The deal comes after real money gaming platforms like Dream11 were banned, forcing BCCI to find new sponsors; Apollo Tyres later took over the jersey sponsorship for ₹579 crore.

Tata Group continues as the IPL title sponsor, while the Gemini partnership highlights the rising interest of AI and tech companies in India’s biggest T20 league.

Recent MoU

• Essar Signs ₹5,100 Crore MoU with Gujarat for Large-Scale Bio-Fuel Project
• Supreme Court of India Signs MoU with Bhutan Apex Court to Exchange Young Legal Professionals
• Delhi Government Signs MoU with RBI to Streamline Borrowings and Cash Management
• NTH and NHAI Sign MoU to Enhance Quality Assurance in National Highway Projects
• PDUNASS and IC Centre for Governance Partner to Embed Ethical Leadership in EPFO Administration

Exp. Punjab Police Launches “Operation Parhar” to Dismantle Gangster Networks Across the State

Punjab Police launched “Operation Parhar” to dismantle organised gangster networks and work towards making the state crime-free.

The operation involved around 2,000 police teams with nearly 12,000 personnel conducting simultaneous raids across Punjab.

To encourage public participation, an Anti-Gangster Helpline (93946-93946) has been launched for citizens to report criminal activities.

About Punjab

• Capital – Chandigarh
• Chief Minister – Bhagwant Mann
• Governor – Gulab Chand Kataria

Exp. JPMorgan to Set Up Branch in GIFT City for Trading Equities and Financial Instruments

JPMorgan Chase & Co. is setting up a branch in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) to trade equities, derivatives, and other financial instruments, leveraging India’s low-tax financial hub.

The branch is being established by JPMorgan Securities Plc, which has received a license from the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA), GIFT City’s regulator.

About JP Morgan Chase

• It is an American multinational banking institution
• Founded- 2000
• Headquarters- New York City, USA

Exp. Payoneer India Gets RBI In-Principle Approval to Operate as Cross-Border Payment Aggregator

Payoneer India, a subsidiary of Payoneer Global, has received in-principle approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to operate as a Payment Aggregator – Cross Border (PA-CB).

The PA-CB licence enables Payoneer India to facilitate cross-border payment transactions for merchants, including both inward (exports) and outward (imports) payments.

Exp. Canara Bank Becomes First to Integrate NBSL’s Plugin-Based UPI Solution into Canara aiPe

Canara Bank has partnered with NPCI BHIM Services Limited (NBSL) to integrate UPI services into its payment application Canara aiPe.

NBSL, a wholly owned subsidiary of National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), manages India’s digital payment infrastructure.

Canara Bank becomes the first bank to implement NBSL’s plugin-based UPI solution, enhancing digital payment capabilities for its users.

About Canara Bank

• Founded – 1906
• Headquarters- Bengaluru, Karnataka
• MD & CEO – Hardeep Singh Ahluwalia (replace K. Satyanarayana Raju)
• Chairman – Vijay Srirangan
• Tagline – Together with Can

Exp. Union Cabinet Approves ₹5,000 Crore Equity Infusion into SIDBI to Boost Credit for MSMEs

The Union Cabinet approved an equity infusion of ₹5,000 crore into SIDBI to expand credit availability for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

The infusion will be made in three tranches: ₹3,000 crore in 2025-26 and ₹1,000 crore each in 2026-27 and 2027-28, based on the respective book values of the previous financial years.

The capital boost is expected to increase the number of MSME beneficiaries from 76.26 lakh to 102 lakh by 2027-28, generating employment for approximately 1.12 crore people.

The additional equity will help SIDBI maintain a strong capital to risk-weighted assets ratio (CRAR), ensuring credit ratings remain healthy and allowing lending to MSMEs at competitive interest rates.

About Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)

• Founded – 2 April 1990
• Jurisdiction – Ministry of Finance
• Headquarters – Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
• Chairman & MD – Manoj Mittal (replace Siva S Ramann)

Exp. Union Cabinet Extends Atal Pension Yojana till 2030-31 and Approves Rs 5,000 Crore Equity Support for SIDBI to Boost MSMEs

The Union Cabinet approved the continuation of the Atal Pension Yojana (APY) up to the financial year 2030-31, with government support for promotional, developmental activities and gap funding to expand outreach among unorganised sector workers.

APY, launched on May 9, 2015, provides old-age income security, offering a guaranteed minimum pension of Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000 per month starting at age 60, based on contributions; as of January 19, 2026, over 8.66 crore subscribers are enrolled.

The Union Cabinet also approved an equity support of Rs 5,000 crore to SIDBI, to boost credit flow to Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) at competitive rates, with investment spread over three financial years (2025-26 to 2027-28).

Exp. SAMPANN Pension Platform Integrated with DigiLocker to Provide Paperless Access for Pensioners

The Office of the Principal Controller of Communication Accounts (Pr CCA) Delhi has integrated the SAMPANN (System for Accounting and Management of Pension) pension platform with DigiLocker, enabling digital access to pension documents for retirees under the Department of Telecommunications.

The integration allows pensioners to retrieve key documents such as Pension Payment Orders (e‑PPOs), Gratuity Sanction Orders, Communication Sanctions, and Form‑16 electronically, removing the need for physical copies.

Pensioners can access documents securely via DigiLocker anytime using a smartphone or desktop, supporting services like banking, medical reimbursements, and verification, ensuring convenience, transparency, and paperless processing.

The SAMPANN platform, inaugurated in 2018, digitises the entire pension lifecycle, including case initiation, e‑PPO issuance, disbursement, accounting, grievance redressal, and life certificate submission, empowering pensioners to manage their records independently.

Exp. Bharat Steel 2026 Summit to Focus on Sustainability and Technological Transformation in Steel Sector

Bharat Steel 2026, a two-day international conference-cum-exhibition, will be organised by the Ministry of Steel on 16–17 April 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.

The summit will focus on global steelmaking issues, including sustainability, supply chain resilience, and technological transformation in the steel sector.

India is the world’s second-largest steel producer after China, and the government has set ambitious targets of 300 million tonnes steel capacity by 2030 and 500 million tonnes by 2047.

Exp. Deepinder Goyal to Step Down as Eternal Group CEO

Deepinder Goyal will step down as Founder and Group CEO of Eternal, with Blinkit CEO Albinder Dhindsa set to take over the role.

Goyal will continue on the company’s board of directors as Vice Chairman, ensuring leadership continuity during the transition.

Exp. RBI Approves Re-appointment of Kaizad Bharucha as Deputy MD of HDFC Bank for Three Years

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the re-appointment of Kaizad Bharucha as Whole-time Director and Deputy Managing Director of HDFC Bank for a fresh three-year term starting April 19, 2026.

Kaizad Bharucha oversees key business verticals, strategy execution, and risk management at HDFC Bank; the announcement was positively received by markets, with the bank’s shares rising 0.38% on the BSE.

About HDFC Bank

• Founded – August 1994
• Founder – Hasmukhbhai Parekh
• Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
• MD & CEO – Sashidhar Jagdishan
• Chairman – Atanu Chakraborty
• Tagline – We understand your world

Exp. India Launches Responsible Nations Index to Assess Ethical Governance and Global Responsibility

India launched the Responsible Nations Index (RNI) at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi, under the aegis of the World Intellectual Foundation (WIF).

The RNI provides a global framework to assess countries on ethical governance, social well-being, environmental stewardship, and global responsibility.

The Index is the result of a three-year academic and policy research initiative, with key contributions from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Mumbai.

An Expert Panel Discussion titled “From Human Well-being to Global Stewardship: Rethinking Responsibility, Prosperity and Peace in the 21st Century” was held, chaired by N. K. Singh, Chairman of the 15th Finance Commission of India.

Responsible Nations Index 2026: Country-wise Scores and Ranks

Exp. VP C. P. Radhakrishnan Releases Hindi Edition of Dr. C. Palanivelu’s Autobiography “Palanivelu GUTS”

Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan released the Hindi edition of Dr. C. Palanivelu’s autobiography “Palanivelu GUTS” in New Delhi.

Dr C. Palanivelu is an eminent surgeon who recognised the potential of laparoscopic surgery in the early 1990s and introduced it in Coimbatore in 1991, setting up South India’s first laparoscopic surgery centre.

The Vice President described the book as an inspiring account of courage, perseverance, and ethical innovation in medicine; the event was also attended by Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh.