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Daily Current Affairs 17th and 18th January 2026 Daily GK Update
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National News
India Launches Theme, Logo and Website for BRICS 2026 Presidency
- India assumed the BRICS Presidency (18th) for 2026 on 1 January 2026, taking over from Brazil, marking its fourth term as the BRICS chair.
- External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar launched the official BRICS 2026 website, theme, and logo in New Delhi to kick-start India’s chairship.
- India’s BRICS presidency will follow a “humanity-first” and people-centric approach, focusing on inclusive growth and global welfare.
- The theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability” and the lotus–‘Namaste’ based logo symbolise unity, prosperity, respect, and mark 20 years of BRICS as a key platform for emerging economies.
About BRICS
- Formation- 16 June 2009
- Founded at- Yekaterinburg, Russia (1st BRIC summit)
- Membership- Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, South Africa, United Arab Emirates
Bamanwas Kankar Becomes Rajasthan’s First Fully Organic Certified Gram Panchayat
- Bamanwas Kankar gram panchayat in Rajasthan has become the State’s first fully organic certified village body, located in the newly formed Kotputli–Behror district.
- The shift towards organic farming began after villagers collectively addressed declining soil fertility, falling groundwater levels, rising input costs, and health issues linked to chemical-based agriculture, focusing on long-term sustainability.
- The panchayat has adopted chemical-free farming and ecological livestock practices, including crop rotation, mulching, biological pest control, vermicompost use, and environmentally responsible animal husbandry.
Navi Mumbai International Airport to Be Named After D B Patil
- Navi Mumbai International Airport will be named after late D B Patil, a prominent leader linked with farmers’ and local rights movements, as announced by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at a public meeting in Airoli.
- Navi Mumbai is set to become the next economic growth engine of Maharashtra, with the airport acting as a catalyst for sectors like pharmaceuticals, food processing, services, innovation-driven enterprises, and import–export activities.
About Maharashtra
- Capital – Mumbai
- Chief Minister – Devendra Fadnavis (3rd time)
- Deputy Chief Minister – Eknath Sindhe & Ajit Pawar
- Governor – Acharya Devvrat (additional charge)
Andhra Pradesh Cabinet Approves Dagadarthi Greenfield Airport in Nellore District
- The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet approved the Dagadarthi Greenfield Airport project in Nellore district, marking a major boost to regional aviation infrastructure.
- With this approval, Dagadarthi will become the 8th airport in Andhra Pradesh, strengthening air connectivity in the state.
- The airport is strategically located near major National Highway corridors and close to Krishnapatnam Port and Ramayapatnam Port, enabling strong multimodal transport integration.
- The project will be developed in phases over 1,332.80 acres of land and has already received in-principle approval from the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
About Andhra Pradesh
- Capital – Amaravati
- Chief Minister – N Chandrababu Naidu
- Deputy CM – Pawan Kalyan
- Governor – Abdul Nazeer
GAIL Joins PNGRB’s National PNG Drive 2.0 to Promote PNG and CNG Across India
- GAIL (India) Limited has partnered with PNGRB for the National PNG Drive 2.0 initiative, joining the nationwide #NonStopZindagi campaign to promote Piped Natural Gas (PNG) and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) adoption across India.
- National PNG Drive 2.0 runs from 1 January to 31 March 2026, supporting India’s goal to increase the share of natural gas in the energy mix to 15% by 2030.
- The campaign aims to raise awareness, generate demand, and strengthen the City Gas Distribution (CGD) ecosystem, supported by the Unified Tariff framework under the principle of “One Nation, One Grid, One Tariff”.
Union Environment Minister Chairs NIRANTAR Meeting to Strengthen MoEFCC Coordination
- Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav chaired a meeting on the NIRANTAR platform, aimed at strengthening coordination and collaboration among institutions under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
- NIRANTAR’s four verticals focus on research, assessment of outcomes, and their ultimate utilisation, enhancing effective use of India’s natural resources.
Essar Signs ₹5,100 Crore MoU with Gujarat for Large-Scale Bio-Fuel Project
- Essar Future Energy Limited signed an MoU with the Gujarat government to invest ₹5,100 crore in setting up a large-scale bio-fuel complex in Devbhumi Dwarka district.
- The MoU was signed at the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference (VGRC) held in Rajkot, marking a major push for renewable energy in the state.
- The proposed bio-fuel project will have an initial feedstock processing capacity of 1 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) and was signed in the presence of senior state ministers and officials.
Recent MoU
- 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
- India Optel Limited (IOL) signed agreement with Safran Electronics & Defense to manufacture two high-precision, combat-proven defence systems in India
Indian Mountaineer Aritra Roy Conquers Mount Aconcagua in Argentina
- Indian mountaineer Aritra Roy successfully summited Mount Aconcagua in Argentina, the highest peak outside Asia at 6,967.15 meters above sea level.
- The solo expedition, sponsored by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), is part of Roy’s Seven Summits challenge, following his earlier climb of Mount Everest.
- Roy reached the summit on January 7 at 2:00 PM local time after a 44-km trek in extreme conditions with temperatures as low as –40°C, facing snowstorms and blizzards.
International News
India Climbs to 80th Position in Global Passport Index 2026
- India ranked 80th in the Henley Passport Index 2026, with visa-free, visa-on-arrival or eTA access to 55 destinations, sharing the rank with Algeria and Niger.
- India’s position has improved by five places from 85th in 2025, reflecting a gradual increase in global mobility for Indian passport holders.
- Despite the improvement, India remains below the global average of over 100 destinations, with limited access to Europe, the UK, the US, and Canada, restricting spontaneous travel.
- Singapore continues to hold the most powerful passport (192 destinations), followed by Japan and South Korea jointly at second place, while Afghanistan remains the weakest (24 destinations).
- Compared to peers, India lags behind China (59th, 81 destinations), Saudi Arabia (54th, 88 destinations) and South Africa (48th, 101 destinations), highlighting the mobility gap for Indian travellers.
Appointments
Kotak Mahindra Bank Names Former Bajaj Finance MD Anup Kumar Saha as Whole-Time Director
- Kotak Mahindra Bank appointed former Bajaj Finance MD Anup Kumar Saha as its whole-time director.
- Saha will oversee consumer banking, marketing, and data analytics, focusing on customer-centric transformation, digital innovation, and data-led strategies.
- With this appointment, Saha becomes the fourth whole-time director on Kotak Mahindra Bank’s board, joining MD & CEO Ashok Vaswani and executive directors Jaideep Hansraj and Paritosh Kashyap.
Recent Appointments in Banking & Insurance Sector
- CEO of HSBC Private Bank – Ida Liu (replace Georges Elhedery)
- CEO of Health Insurance Ecosystem by General Insurance Council – Prakash
- Interim MD & CEO of Canara Bank – Hardeep Singh Ahluwalia (replace K. Satyanarayana Raju)
- Non-Executive Chairman of India Infoline Finance Limited (IIFL) – B.P. Kanungo
PFRDA Forms Expert Panel to Develop Assured Pension Income Product Under NPS
- PFRDA has constituted a high-level expert committee to develop an assured pension income product under the National Pension System (NPS), aimed at attracting risk-averse subscribers.
- The 15-member panel, chaired by M. S. Sahoo (former IBBI chairperson), will act as a standing advisory body to frame guidelines and regulations for assured payouts under NPS.
- The move aligns with the PFRDA Act and the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, marking the first structured effort to design a market-based assured pension product with inputs from multi-disciplinary experts.
Sports
Australia Women’s Captain Alyssa Healy Announces Retirement from International Cricket
- Australia women’s team captain Alyssa Healy announced her retirement from all forms of international cricket ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026.
- The 35-year-old wicketkeeper-batter ends an illustrious T20I career of nearly 15 years, scoring 3,054 runs at a strike rate of 129.79.
- Debuting in 2010, Healy is a six-time T20 World Cup winner and also lifted the ODI World Cup in 2013 and 2022, marking the end of a golden era in Australian cricket.
Recently Retired Players
- Jinson Johnson (Kerala, India) – Middle-distance Runner
- Usman Khawaja (Australia) – International cricket
- Doug Bracewell (New Zealand) – all forms of international cricket
- Mohit Sharma (India) – All Forms of Cricket
- Kane Williamson (New Zealand) – T20 Internationals
- Rohan Bopanna (India) – Professional Tennis
Defence
Indian Army Inducts Solar-Powered MAPSS Drone for Long-Endurance Border Surveillance
- Indian Army signs ₹168 crore contract for MAPSS, a solar-powered surveillance drone system, marking the first induction of a solar-powered unmanned aerial platform for long-endurance border monitoring.
- MAPSS (Medium Altitude Persistent Surveillance System), developed by Bengaluru-based NewSpace Research & Technologies, uses solar energy instead of conventional fuel or batteries, allowing continuous airborne operations for extended periods.
- The system is designed for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions across diverse terrains, providing quieter electric propulsion, reduced thermal signature, and support for tracking, observation, communications, and target identification.
Science and Tech
ISRO’s PSLV-C62 Mission Fails to Place 16 Satellites into Orbit
- ISRO’s PSLV-C62 mission, the first launch of the year, failed to place its 16 satellites into the intended orbit due to a technical problem in the rocket’s third stage.
- The rocket was launched successfully from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, with the first two stages performing normally.
- The mission carried EOS-N1 (Earth observation satellite) along with 15 other payloads, including satellites from Brazil, Nepal, and the UK, as well as Anvesha, a surveillance satellite developed by DRDO.
- This is the second consecutive PSLV mission affected by third-stage issues, despite PSLV’s previous successes in missions like Chandrayaan-1, Mars Orbiter Mission, Aditya-L1, and Astrosat.
Important Days
11 – 17 January 2026 – National Road Safety Week
- National Road Safety Week 2026 is being observed from January 11 to 17 across India to raise awareness about road safety and reduce accidents.
- The campaign focuses on promoting safe driving practices, adherence to traffic rules, and use of helmets and seatbelts among motorists and pedestrians.
- The year 2026 marks the 37th observance of National Road Safety Week in India.
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