Current Affairs and GK brief for January 24, 2026 for exam preparation

Here is the comprehensive Current Affairs and GK brief for January 24, 2026,for UPSC, SSC, Banking, and Railway exam preparation.

National & Polity

National Girl Child Day 2026: Observed across India today.
- Significance: Celebrated since 2008 to raise awareness about the rights, education, and health of girls.
- Historical Note: The date marks the day in 1966 when Indira Gandhi took charge as India's first woman Prime Minister.
Spain Joins IPOI: Following Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares's visit to New Delhi, Spain formally joined the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI).
- Upgrade: Bilateral ties were elevated to a "Strategic Association" framework.
- Consular News: Spain announced a new Consulate General in Bengaluru to boost engagement in South India.
Karpoori Thakur Formula: In news due to his birth anniversary (Jan 24), this formula refers to a layered reservation system (OBC, EBC, women, and EWS) originally implemented in Bihar.
Mukhya Mantri Sehat Yojana: The Punjab government launched this scheme to provide comprehensive cashless healthcare coverage of ₹10 lakh per family per year.

Capital Infusion in SIDBI: The Union Government approved an equity infusion of ₹5,000 crore into SIDBI.
- Goal: To expand MSME credit coverage from 76 lakh to 102 lakh beneficiaries by FY28.
Complaint Management System (CMS): The RBI mandated banks and NBFCs to implement a fully automated CMS to provide direct access to the Internal Ombudsman (IO) for faster grievance redressal.
Innoviti PA License: Innoviti Technologies received RBI authorization to operate as a Payment Aggregator (PA) under the PSS Act, 2007.
Dividend Milestone: RXIL became the first TReDS (Trade Receivables Discounting System) platform in India to declare an interim dividend (21.6%).

First Private Satellite Plant: The foundation stone for India’s first integrated private-sector satellite plant, named 'Palmnaro', was laid at Sanand, Gujarat. It is being developed by Azista Space Limited.
Military Quantum Mission: Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan released the 'Military Quantum Mission Policy Framework' to integrate quantum technologies into the Indian Armed Forces.
Helicopter MRO Hub: The foundation stone for a new Helicopter Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) hub was laid at Missamari, Assam, to support Army and IAF operations.
Indira Gandhi Peace Prize: The 2026 prize was awarded to Graça Machel (Mozambique) for her work in human rights and education.

6 GHz Spectrum De-licensing: The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) officially de-licensed the 5925–6425 MHz band for indoor and low-power outdoor use, enabling Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 technologies in India.
Carbon Credit Expansion: The MoEFCC expanded the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS) to four new sectors: Petroleum refineries, Petrochemicals, Textiles, and Secondary Aluminium.
Zero Fresh Waste Dump City: Lucknow officially achieved 100% scientific processing of municipal waste, becoming Uttar Pradesh's first "Zero Fresh Waste Dump" city.
Electric Vehicle Tech: India unveiled a domestic 30 kW Integrated Drive System (IDS) at IIT Madras to reduce dependence on imported EV components.

Day	Context / Significance
National Girl Child Day	Focused on empowering daughters and addressing gender inequality.
International Day of Education	2026 Theme: "The power of youth in co-creating education."
National Geographic Day	Celebrating geography, exploration, and global discovery.

Gangapur Dam: An earthfill dam on the Godavari River near Nashik; it was in the news due to an IAF aerial display.
SIDBI: Small Industries Development Bank of India; established in 1990, headquartered in Lucknow.
Indira Gandhi: Served as PM for three consecutive terms (1966–77) and a fourth term (1980–84).
IPOI Pillars: Maritime Security, Maritime Ecology, Maritime Resources, Capacity Building, Disaster Risk Reduction, Science and Technology, and Trade Connectivity.