Daily GK and Current Affairs Updates 01/07/2026

Here is the comprehensive Current Affairs and GK brief for January 7, 2026, prepared for UPSC, SSC, Banking, and Railway exam preparation.

National & Polity

India's GDP Advance Estimates: The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released its First Advance Estimates, projecting India's real GDP growth at 7.4% for the fiscal year 2025–26, up from 6.5% in the previous year.
Modern Warfare Force 'Bhairav': The Indian Army announced the creation of a dedicated drone warfare force named 'Bhairav'.
- Objective: To integrate advanced drone technology into combat operations.
- Scale: 15 battalions have already been raised, with plans to expand to 25 battalions comprising over 1 lakh drone operatives.
Voter Roll Deletion Row (SIR): The Election Commission of India (ECI) defended the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls before the Supreme Court. The revision in Uttar Pradesh saw the deletion of 2.89 crore voters (18.7%), leading to accusations of it being a "parallel NRC."
Delhi–RBI MoU: The Delhi Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Reserve Bank of India, authorizing the RBI to act as its banker and debt manager to enhance fiscal discipline and public debt management.
National Sports Governance Act: Key institutional mechanisms of the Act, including the National Sports Board (NSB) and a central dispute resolution tribunal, came into full effect this week to increase transparency in sports federations.

Ind-Ra GDP Projection: India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) projected a GDP growth rate of 6.9% for FY27, citing potential headwinds like the El Niño pattern and sluggish global trade.
PPP Project Pipeline: The Finance Ministry announced a new three-year Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project pipeline to mobilize private capital for infrastructure, aiming to sustain the $7 trillion economy goal.
Indecent AI Content Warning: The Government of India issued a final deadline to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to submit an Action Taken Report regarding the misuse of its AI tool 'Grok' for generating sexually explicit content.
Railway Electrification: Indian Railways achieved a milestone of 99.2% electrification of its broad-gauge network. Only 574 route-km remains to be electrified across five states.

US–Venezuela Crisis: Tensions escalated globally following a US military operation in Venezuela that resulted in the detention of President Nicolás Maduro. The move sparked intense debate over international law and national sovereignty.
Operation Sindoor: Reports surfaced that the Indian Embassy in the US hired a lobbying firm associated with the Trump administration to facilitate trade talks during the strategic Operation Sindoor.
UNSC New Members: Five new non-permanent members began their two-year terms at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) following the Jan 1 transition.
Taiwan Security Alert: Taiwan’s security agency warned that China’s recent "Justice Mission 2025" war games, involving dozens of rockets and warships, were designed to undermine international support for the island.

Portable Desalination (SWaDeS): DRDO developed the Sea Water Desalination System (SWaDeS), a portable device for soldiers in remote or saline regions like Pangong Tso. It can be manually operated or engine-driven.
New Snake Discovery: Scientists discovered a new species of non-venomous reed snake in Mizoram, officially named Calamaria mizoramensis.
Rewilding Tigers: A three-year-old tiger cub (PKT7CP1) was successfully moved to the Dnyanganga Wildlife Sanctuary in Maharashtra for rewilding.
2nd Khelo India Beach Games: Currently underway at Ghokla Beach in Diu, featuring over 1,300 athletes across six sporting disciplines.
Passing of a Legend: Two-time World Billiards Champion Manoj Kothari passed away. He was a recipient of the Major Dhyan Chand Award (2005).

Day	Context / Significance
Coptic / Orthodox Christmas	Celebrated by Coptic and Orthodox Christians following the Julian calendar.
National Tempura Day	A day celebrating the popular Japanese dish.
Old Rock Day	A day for geologists and hobbyists to appreciate the history of the Earth through rocks and fossils.

LCA Tejas: January 4, 2026, marked the 25th anniversary of the first flight of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas (First flight: Jan 4, 2001).
Mpemba Effect: A phenomenon where hot water freezes faster than cold water; recently in news due to new simulations showing it occurs in other fluids too.
Melghat Tiger Reserve: Located in Maharashtra, it serves as a stronghold for the critically endangered forest owlet.
Indore Water Crisis: Recent reports on water contamination in Indore highlighted the city's struggle with waterborne diseases despite its high "Swachh" ranking.