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Daily Current Affairs 12th January 2026 Daily GK Update
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National News
UIDAI Launches Aadhaar Mascot ‘Udai’ to Make Services More People-Friendly
- The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) launched the official Aadhaar mascot, Udai, to make Aadhaar-related information more relatable and people-friendly.
- Udai will help simplify the communication of Aadhaar services, including updates, authentication, and offline verification.
- UIDAI held a Mascot Design Contest on the MyGov platform last year, receiving 875 entries from across India.
- Arun Gokul from Thrissur, Kerala, bagged the first prize in the mascot design competition. Idris Dawaiwala of Pune, Maharashtra, and Krishna Sharma from Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh were the second and third prize winners, respectively.
- Riya Jain of Bhopal won the first prize in the mascot name competition, followed by Idris Dawaiwala of Pune and Maharaj Saran Chellapilla of Hyderabad in the second and third position respectively.
India Becomes First Country to Commercially Produce Bio-Bitumen for Sustainable Road Construction
- India becomes the first country in the world to commercially produce bio-bitumen for road construction, announced by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari at the CSIR Technology Transfer Ceremony in New Delhi.
- Bio-bitumen, made from biomass and agricultural waste, reduces dependence on fossil fuels and addresses crop residue burning, a major source of air pollution.
- The initiative demonstrates successful technology transfer by CSIR, supports Viksit Bharat 2047, promotes cleaner highways, circular economy practices, and sustainable infrastructure development.
Nagauri Ashwagandha Gets GI Tag
- The Centre has granted a Geographical Indication (GI) tag to Nagauri Ashwagandha, giving Nagaur district of Rajasthan a distinct global agricultural identity.
- Nagaur’s dry climate and sandy soil produce Ashwagandha with longer, thicker roots and bright red berries, making it high-quality and the basis for the GI status.
- The GI recognition protects authenticity, prevents misuse, enhances export potential, and is expected to improve farmers’ incomes through premium pricing and market security.
Simplilearn Partners with IndiaAI Mission to Launch ‘YUVA AI for ALL’ Foundational Course
- Simplilearn has partnered with the IndiaAI Mission (MeitY) to host and roll out the ‘YUVA AI for ALL’ foundational course, supporting India’s vision of building a digitally skilled and AI-literate society.
- The initiative aims to encourage 10 million citizens across age groups, regions, and socio-economic backgrounds to acquire essential AI knowledge, amid rising AI adoption in India.
- YUVA AI for ALL is a free course designed to introduce learners to AI fundamentals, real-world applications, and its impact on daily life, hosted on Simplilearn’s learning platform.
- Learners will receive a co-branded certificate from IndiaAI (MeitY) and Simplilearn, combining government-backed AI resources with Simplilearn’s edtech expertise to strengthen India’s AI learning ecosystem.
About Simplilearn
- Founded in 2010, Simplilearn is a Blackstone portfolio company with headquarters in Plano, Texas, and Bengaluru, India, and operates as a global digital upskilling platform across 150+ countries.
- The company delivers 1,500+ live classes every month, impacting over 8 million learners worldwide through industry-recognised, role-based programs developed with leading universities, corporations, and experts.
Banking & Financial News
Government Pegs India’s GDP Growth at 7.4% for FY 2025–26 in First Advance Estimates
- The government has estimated real GDP growth at 7.4% for FY 2025–26, higher than 6.5% in FY 2024–25, while nominal GDP growth is projected at 8%, as per the First Advance Estimates released by MoSPI.
- With Q1 and Q2 growth at 7.8% and 8.2%, respectively, growth in the second half of FY26 is expected to moderate to an average of 6.8%; the RBI has projected overall growth at 7.3% for the year.
- Manufacturing growth is expected to accelerate to 7%, services to 9.1%, while agriculture growth may slow to 3.1%, and mining & quarrying is projected to contract by 0.7% in FY26.
- Private consumption expenditure is estimated to grow at 7%, slightly lower than last year, whereas gross fixed capital formation (investment) is expected to rise faster at 7.8%, indicating continued investment momentum.
HDFC Bank Integrates CBDC into SmartGateway to Enable Digital Rupee Payments
- HDFC Bank has integrated the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) into its SmartGateway platform, enabling merchants and enterprises to accept digital rupee payments alongside existing digital modes.
- With CBDC acceptance, SmartGateway strengthens its position as a comprehensive payment hub, allowing businesses to adopt digital currency without altering their core systems.
- The integration opens avenues for instant settlement, programmable payments, reduced intermediary risk, and advanced use cases, reinforcing HDFC Bank’s leadership in payment innovation.
About HDFC Bank
- Founded – August 1994
- Founder – Hasmukhbhai Parekh
- Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
- MD & CEO – Sashidhar Jagdishan
- Chairman – Atanu Chakraborty
- Tagline – We understand your world
Federal Bank Unveils ‘The Fortuna Wave’ Brand Identity to Reflect Modern, Future-Ready Vision
- Federal Bank unveiled The Fortuna Wave, its updated brand identity, symbolising the Bank’s evolution toward being contemporary and future-ready, in the presence of its leadership and Brand Ambassador Vidya Balan in Mumbai.
- The new identity emphasises Authenticity, Prosperity, and Togetherness, reflecting the Bank’s commitment to its customers, investors, and employees.
- The refreshed branding ensures a distinct, coherent, and continuous visual language across digital and physical assets, supporting Federal Bank’s growth from a locally trusted brand to a national and globally recognized player.
About Federal Bank
- Founded- 23 April 1931
- Founder- K.P Hormis
- Headquarters – Kochi, Kerala.
- MD & CEO- – KVS Manian (replace Shyam Srinivasan)
Appointments
Prakash Appointed CEO of Health Insurance Ecosystem by General Insurance Council
- General Insurance Council (GI Council) appointed Prakash as CEO, Health Insurance Ecosystem and Strategic Partnerships.
- Prakash will work with insurers, hospitals, regulators, and other stakeholders to improve transparency, efficiency, and trust in the health insurance value chain, including standardising treatment protocols, enhancing grievance resolution, and addressing fraud and abuse.
Ida Liu Appointed CEO of HSBC Private Bank
- HSBC announced Ida Liu as CEO of HSBC Private Bank, succeeding Georges Elhedery.
- The appointment aims to accelerate HSBC’s global wealth management strategy, focusing on ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) clients and international wealth corridors.
Recent Appointments in Banking & Insurance Sector
- CEO of Health Insurance Ecosystem by General Insurance Council – Prakash
- Interim MD & CEO of Canara Bank – Hardeep Singh Ahluwalia (replace K. Satyanarayana Raju)
- MD & CEO of Canara Bank – Brajesh Kumar Singh
- Non-Executive Chairman of India Infoline Finance Limited (IIFL) – B.P. Kanungo
- MD of SBI – Ashwini Kumar Tewari (extension for 2 years till Dec 2027)
Sports
Australian Open 2026 to Feature Record $111.5 Million Prize Pool
- The 2026 Australian Open will feature a record $111.5 million AUD prize pool, the highest in the tournament’s history, a 16% increase from last year’s $96.5 million.
- The men’s and women’s singles winners will each receive AUD 2.79 million, marking a 19% rise from the previous edition.
- The 2026 edition will be the 114th Australian Open, held annually at Melbourne Park, Victoria, and is the first of the four Grand Slam events each year.
- Matches will be played on a synthetic hard court (GreenSet), consistent with the tournament’s traditional hard court format.
Anahat Singh Wins Silver in Women’s U-19 at British Junior Open Squash Championships
- Top-seeded Indian squash player Anahat Singh won the silver medal in the women’s under-19 final at the British Junior Open.
- She lost the final 9-11, 11-7, 3-11, 9-11 to France’s Lauren Baltayan at the University of Birmingham, England.
- Anahat reached the final after defeating Egypt’s Malika El Karaksy in the semifinals.
Asian Games Gold Medalist Jinson Johnson Announces Retirement from Athletics
- National record-holder and Asian Games gold-medalist Jinson Johnson from Kerala announced his retirement from athletics at the age of 34.
- Johnson’s career highlights include winning gold in the 1500 metres and silver in the 800 metres at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games, with his 1500m gold timing of 3:44.72 seconds.
- Johnson broke the 42-year-old 800m national record in 2018 and the 23-year-old 1500m national record during the Commonwealth Games, later improving his 1500m record to 3:35.24 seconds in 2019.
Awards
IRFC Earns Fifth Consecutive ‘Excellent’ DPE Rating for FY 2024–25
- Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC) has been rated “Excellent” by the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) for FY 2024–25, marking its fifth consecutive top rating since its listing in FY21.
- The consistent recognition reflects robust corporate governance, disciplined financial management, and stable performance, even amid changing market conditions.
- During the year, IRFC strengthened and diversified its lending while remaining focused on financing railway and allied infrastructure, including power, mining, logistics, metro rail, and ports.
- Founded in 1986, IRFC remains a key pillar in supporting India’s railway modernisation and national infrastructure development.
Defence
IAF Commemorates 25 Years of Tejas LCA First Flight
- The Indian Air Force (IAF) commemorated 25 years since the first flight of the indigenous Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), marking a milestone in India’s fighter aircraft development.
- Tejas conducted its first flight on 4 January 2001, flown by Wing Commander Rajiv Kothiyal from HAL Airport in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
- In late 2025, HAL secured a contract to supply 97 Tejas Mk-1A jets to the IAF, worth over ₹62,370 crore, reinforcing India’s defence self-reliance.
Obituary
Veteran BJP Leader Kabindra Purkayastha Passes Away at 94
- Former Union Minister of State and senior BJP leader Kabindra Purkayastha passed away at the age of 94 in Silchar.
- Born on 15th December 1931 in Kamarkhal (then Sylhet, now in Bangladesh), Purkayastha joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in 1951 and played a key role in spreading its ideology across Northeast India.
- He was a founding member of the BJP, elected to the Lok Sabha from Silchar in 1991 and 1998, and served as Minister of State for Telecommunications under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee from 1998 to 1999.
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