Current Affairs and GK as on 30/01/2026

Here is the comprehensive Current Affairs and GK brief for January 30, 2026, for UPSC, IBPS, SSC, Banking, and Railway exam preparation.

National & Polity

78th Martyrs' Day (Shaheed Diwas): The nation observed Martyrs' Day today to mark the 78th death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, who was assassinated on this day in 1948.
- President Droupadi Murmu and PM Narendra Modi paid floral tributes at Rajghat.
- A two-minute silence was observed nationwide at 11:00 AM to honor those who sacrificed their lives for India’s freedom.
SC Stays UGC Equity Rules: The Supreme Court stayed the implementation of the UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026. The court cited concerns over the narrow definition of "caste-based discrimination," which petitioners argued excluded certain student categories from protection.
Economic Survey 2025–26 Highlights: Tabled on the eve of the Union Budget, the survey projected India's GDP growth for FY26 at 7.4%. It highlighted a "sharp improvement" in the asset quality of Scheduled Commercial Banks and a 60% expansion of the National Highway network since 2014.
New Aadhaar App: UIDAI launched a revamped Aadhaar mobile application featuring enhanced security, biometric locking, and improved privacy controls for digital identity management.
SIT Notice to KCR: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) served a notice to former Telangana CM K. Chandrashekar Rao in connection with a high-profile phone-tapping case, requesting his appearance for examination today.

2nd India-Arab Foreign Ministers Meeting: India hosted the second edition of this strategic dialogue in New Delhi. The meeting focused on five priority sectors: Energy, Food Security, Healthcare, Trade, and Connectivity.
USA Exits Paris Agreement: On January 27, the United States officially withdrew from the Paris Climate Agreement for the second time, a move that drew significant international criticism today regarding global climate resilience.
UN on Myanmar Crisis: Five years after the military coup, the UN warned today that the crisis in Myanmar has deepened, with military-controlled elections further entrenching repression.
Coking Coal Strategy: The Government of India notified Coking Coal as a "Critical and Strategic Mineral" under the MMDR Act, 1957, aiming to reduce the 85% import dependence, primarily from Australia and Russia.

Union Budget 2026 Eve: Ahead of the February 1st budget, reports indicate major focus areas will include "Biopharma SHAKTI" (a ₹10,000 crore manufacturing initiative) and ISM 2.0 for semiconductor self-reliance.
New CPI Series (Base 2024): The Ministry of Statistics (MoSPI) announced a move to change the Consumer Price Index base year from 2012 to 2024. The new basket will include modern items like smartphones and OTT subscriptions while reducing the weightage of food and beverages.
IIM Ahmedabad AI School: IIM Ahmedabad signed an agreement to establish the Krishnamurthy Tandon School of Artificial Intelligence, supported by a significant private endowment to foster AI research in India.

Australian Open 2026: In a massive semi-final clash, Novak Djokovic defeated Jannik Sinner. He is now set to face world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz in the Men's Singles final this Sunday.
BCCI Sponsorship Deal: The BCCI signed a landmark ₹270 crore sponsorship deal with Gemini (Google's AI) ahead of the IPL 2026 season.
Living Root Bridges Nomination: Meghalaya’s Jingkieng Jri (Living Root Bridges) were formally nominated for the UNESCO World Heritage List, highlighting indigenous Khasi bio-engineering.

Day	Context / Significance
Martyrs' Day	Commemorating Mahatma Gandhi's 78th death anniversary.
World Leprosy Day	Observed to raise global awareness and end the stigma associated with leprosy.
Sarvodaya Day	Celebrating Gandhi's philosophy of "Universal Uplift" or "Progress for All."

Article 343: Declares Hindi in Devanagari script as the official language of the Union (Note: India has no "National Language").
Economic Survey: Prepared by the Department of Economic Affairs under the Chief Economic Adviser (CEA).
Nipah Virus: Its natural hosts are Fruit Bats (Pteropodidae family).
DGCA: Functions under the Ministry of Civil Aviation to regulate air safety and licensing.