GK and Currrent Affairs Daily updates 21/01/2026
Here is the comprehensive Current Affairs and GK brief for January 21, 2026, specifically prepared for UPSC, SSC, Banking, and Railway exam preparation.
National & Polity
BJP Leadership Update: Nitin Nabin was officially elected as the National President of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), succeeding the previous working president.
Statehood Day: Three Northeast states—Manipur, Tripura, and Meghalaya—celebrated their 54th Statehood Day today. They were granted full statehood on January 21, 1972, under the North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971.
IICDEM 2026: The Election Commission of India (ECI) hosted the inaugural India International Conference on Democracy and Election Management (IICDEM) 2026 in New Delhi, focusing on modernizing electoral processes globally.
One Station One Product (OSOP) Milestone: The Ministry of Railways reported that more than 1 lakh artisans have benefited from the OSOP scheme, which turns railway stations into hubs for local indigenous products.
SC Ruling on GAAR: The Supreme Court ruled that the General Anti-Avoidance Rule (GAAR) can override tax treaties. The landmark judgment specifically addressed high-value offshore transactions like the Tiger Global-Flipkart stake sale.
International & Defence
India-UAE Strategic Partnership: PM Narendra Modi and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan agreed to raise bilateral trade to $200 billion by 2032.
Key Deal: A 10-year LNG supply agreement was signed between HPCL and ADNOC Gas (0.5 million tonnes per year).
Defence: Both nations signed a Letter of Intent to move toward a Strategic Defence Partnership, the first of its kind between India and a Gulf nation.
Trump’s Greenland Claim: U.S. President Donald Trump cited the UK’s lease of Diego Garcia to justify his renewed interest in acquiring Greenland, sparking significant diplomatic debate in Europe.
Pax Silica Strategy: India’s strategic importance grew within the Pax Silica alliance, a US-led effort to counter China's dominance in the global semiconductor and rare-earth element supply chains.
Ammunition Facility in Nagpur: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated a new Medium Calibre Ammunition manufacturing facility at Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited (SDAL) in Nagpur to boost Aatmanirbharta.
Economy & Banking
WEF Investment in Maharashtra: During the World Economic Forum (WEF) summit, the Maharashtra government signed MoUs worth ₹14.5 lakh crore, with major focus on infrastructure and urban development.
Copper Deficit Warning: A new economic report highlighted a potential global "Copper Crunch" by 2026, driven by a 400% increase in copper usage for Electric Vehicles (EVs) compared to traditional cars.
RBI Recognises FEDAI: The Reserve Bank of India recognized the Foreign Exchange Dealers' Association of India (FEDAI) as a Self-Regulatory Organisation (SRO) for Authorized Dealers.
SMBC Subsidiary: RBI granted in-principle approval to Japan's Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) to establish a wholly owned subsidiary in India.
Science, Sports & Culture
Lokayan-26 Voyage: The Indian Navy’s sail training ship, INS Sudarshini, set sail for the 10-month-long "Lokayan-26" voyage to promote maritime cooperation across various international ports.
Vijay Hazare Trophy: Vidarbha created history by winning their first-ever Vijay Hazare Trophy title, defeating Saurashtra in the final.
Australian Open 2026: The year’s first Grand Slam continues in Melbourne, with top-seeded players progressing to the mid-rounds.
Ajanta-Ellora Film Festival: Renowned music composer Ilaiyaraaja was announced as the recipient of the Padmapani Award at the Ajanta-Ellora International Film Festival 2026.
Space Sustainability: A report noted that SpaceX has now successfully recovered its Falcon 9 boosters over 520 times, emphasizing the shift toward fully reusable launch systems in 2026.
Important Days (January 21)
| Day | Context / Significance |
| Tripura, Manipur, Meghalaya Statehood Day | 54th anniversary of their formation as states (1972). |
| NDRF Foundation Day (Observed) | Usually Jan 19, but celebrations continued with drills across various zones today. |
Static GK & Exam Snippets
Republic Day 2026 Chief Guests: Antonio Costa (President of the European Council) and Ursula von der Leyen (President of the European Commission).
Ashoka Chakra 2026: Awarded to Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian to be selected for the International Space Station (ISS).
Swami Vivekananda: January 12 was National Youth Day; his teachings on Vedanta remain a central theme in Jan 2026 exams.
Bulgaria & Eurozone: Bulgaria recently became the 21st member of the Eurozone, giving up the Lev for the Euro.
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