IMPORTANT DAYS

10th Defence Forces Veterans’ Day 2026

• Defence Forces Veterans’ Day is observed annually on 14 January across India.

• The day commemorates the legacy of Field Marshal K. M. Cariappa, India’s first Army Chief.

• He retired from service on 14 January 1953, marking the significance of the date.

• The 10th edition of the observance was marked with national-level celebrations.

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh attended the main event at Manekshaw Centre, Delhi Cantt.

• Nearly 2,500 veterans from Delhi and NCR participated in the programme.

• Special homage was paid to veterans of Operation Pawan in Sri Lanka.

• Annual publications SAMMAAN, SAGAR SAMVAD and VAYU SAMVEDNA were released.

APPOINTMENT

Senior IPS Appointments in Central Armed Forces

• Rakesh Aggarwal has been appointed Director General of the NIA on 14 January.

• The decision was cleared by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.

• He is a 1994-batch IPS officer from the Himachal Pradesh cadre.

• His tenure as DG, NIA, will continue till 31 August 2028.

• Shatrujeet Singh Kapoor has taken charge as DG, ITBP.

• Kapoor belongs to the 1990 IPS batch of the Haryana cadre.

• His service as DG, ITBP, will run until 31 October 2026.

• Praveen Kumar has been named DG, BSF, with tenure up to 30 September 2030.

Paripoorna Mediclaim Ayush Bima for CGHS Beneficiaries

• A new health insurance product, Paripoorna Mediclaim Ayush Bima, was introduced on 14 January for CGHS members.

• The scheme has been rolled out by the Department of Financial Services.

• It offers cashless hospitalisation along with coverage for advanced medical treatments.

• The policy is exclusively meant for CGHS beneficiaries, covering up to six family members.

• It provides in-patient hospitalisation cover within India with insurance options of ₹10 lakh or ₹20 lakh.

• Beneficiaries can opt for co-payment models of 70:30 or 50:50 between insurer and subscriber.

• The plan is available as a voluntary retail policy and is exempted from GST to keep premiums affordable.

• It will soon be available through New India Assurance Company Limited, both offline and online.

NATIONAL NEWS

Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals Driving Logistics Reform

• India’s logistics cost has declined to 7.97% of GDP, a key reform milestone.

• Integrated infrastructure planning has played a major role in this improvement.

• The country is moving closer to global logistics efficiency standards.

• 306 Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals have been approved by Indian Railways.

• These terminals offer a combined capacity of 192 million tonnes annually.

• Since 2014, significant freight has shifted from road to rail transport.

• This shift has helped cut over 143 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions.

• Nearly ₹8,600 crore in private investment has been mobilised under the initiative.

Delhi Expands Primary Healthcare with New Ayushman Arogya Mandirs

• The Delhi Government inaugurated 81 new Ayushman Arogya Mandirs on 14 January.

• This rollout marks the fifth phase of expansion of neighbourhood health facilities.

• The move aims to strengthen primary and preventive healthcare at the local level.

• With these additions, the total centres in Delhi have increased to 319.

• The long-term plan targets the creation of over 1,100 Arogya Mandirs across the city.

• Facilities include free consultations, medicines and diagnostic services.

• Regular screening for diabetes, hypertension, cancer, and maternal–child health is provided.

• Coverage under AB-PMJAY and AB-Vaya Vandana Yojana has crossed 6.9 lakh health cards.

STATE NEWS

Gandhinagar Kite Festival 2026 Begins

• Patang Utsav 2026 was inaugurated in Gandhinagar on 14 January.

• The ceremony was led by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.

• The festival coincides with Uttarayan, a culturally significant harvest period.

• Uttarayan symbolises the transition to longer daylight hours.

• The inauguration featured the release of balloons into the sky.

• Citizens were extended festive greetings on the occasion.

• The International Kite Festival remains a flagship cultural event of Gujarat.

• While Ahmedabad leads celebrations, the festival now spans multiple cities statewide.

Lohri 2026 Celebrated Across North India

• Lohri was celebrated with enthusiasm on 13 January 2026.

• The festival is widely observed in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.

• It symbolises harvest joy, warmth and community bonding.

• Celebrations revolve around bonfires, family gatherings and festive foods.

• Lohri marks the sun’s northward movement and ripening of crops.

• Folk songs recalling Dulla Bhatti highlight Punjab’s cultural heritage.

• Special ‘Dhiyan Di Lohri’ events promoted the celebration of girl children.

• In Punjab, 5,100 newborn girls were honoured at a village-level celebration.

SPORTS

Hyderabad to Host Women’s FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifiers 2026

• Telangana Government signed an MoU with Hockey India for hosting duties.

• The Women’s FIH Qualifiers 2026 will be held in Hyderabad.

• Matches are scheduled from 8 to 14 March 2026.

• The tournament reinforces India’s growing stature in global hockey.

• Eight international teams will participate in the event.

• Competing nations include India, England, Korea, Italy and others.

• The top three teams will qualify for the FIH World Cup 2026.

• The main World Cup will be jointly hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands.

RANKING AND INDEX

Responsible Nations Index to be Launched

• The Responsible Nations Index will be unveiled on 19 January.

• It is being launched by the World Intellectual Foundation.

• Academic partners include JNU, IIM Mumbai and Dr Ambedkar International Centre.

• Former President Ram Nath Kovind will attend the launch event.

• The index evaluates countries across three responsibility dimensions.

• Internal responsibility measures dignity, justice and citizen well-being.

• Environmental and external responsibility assess sustainability and global cooperation.

• The index ranks 154 countries using transparent, globally sourced data.

SUMMIT AND CONFERENCE

16th ADMM-Plus EWG on Counter-Terrorism in New Delhi

• The 16th ADMM-Plus Expert Working Group meeting began on 14 January in New Delhi.

• The event is being co-hosted by India and Malaysia.

• Delegations from 11 ASEAN nations and 7 dialogue partners are attending.

• Discussions focus on the three-year action plan for counter-terror cooperation.

• Participants are exchanging best practices and operational experiences.

• The forum strengthens India’s multilateral engagement on counter-terrorism.

• ASEAN members include countries from Southeast Asia, including Timor-Leste.

• Dialogue partners include major powers such as the US, China, Russia and Japan.

38th India–France Strategic Dialogue Reinforces Bilateral Partnership

• The 38th India–France Strategic Dialogue was convened in New Delhi.

• It was jointly chaired by NSA Ajit Doval and Emmanuel Bonne, Diplomatic Adviser to the French President.

• Both sides assessed the progress of bilateral cooperation across key sectors.

• Discussions covered defence, security, advanced technology, space and civil nuclear collaboration.

• Regional developments and the changing global geopolitical landscape were also reviewed.

• Preparatory talks were held regarding President Emmanuel Macron’s proposed visit to India.

• The two countries reiterated their commitment to working together on global security and stability.

• The dialogue builds on the India–France Strategic Partnership, which completed 25 years in 2023.