Current Affairs 09 January 2026

Jabarkhet Nature Reserve

• Jabarkhet Nature Reserve (JNR) is Uttarakhand’s first privately owned and operated nature reserve, completed 10 years in 2025.
• Unlike mass wildlife tourism (safaris, overcrowded national parks), JNR follows a “wildlife-first” model, allowing nature to recover before tourism.
• Restoration efforts included removal of invasive species, garbage clearance, habitat regeneration, and controlled human access.

National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID)

The National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) has re-emerged in public debate following reports of its expanded operational use, integration with the National Population Register (NPR), and increased access for State police forces.

What is NATGRID?

NATGRID is a technology-driven intelligence-sharing platform conceived after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks (2008) to address intelligence coordination failures. It functions as a secure middleware system enabling authorised agencies to access and analyse disparate databases for counter-terrorism and national security purposes. NATGRID was approved in 2012 by executive decision (Cabinet Committee on Security), not by a Parliamentary law.

Key Features:

• Enables 11 ceantral security and intelligence agencies to query data across 21 categories, including:
  • Identity and population data
  • Travel and immigration records
  • Banking and financial transactions
  • Telecom and communication data

Recent Developments (2025):

• Access has expanded from central agencies to State police officers (up to SP rank).
• Integration with National Population Register (NPR), which contains data of about 119 crore residents.
• Deployment of advanced analytics tools (e.g., entity resolution engines like “Gandiva”).

Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) 2022-23 & 2023-24

The Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) provides updated insights into how Indian households spend every ₹100, based on Monthly Per Capita Expenditure (MPCE) data.

Key Highlights:

• Food expenditure share declined:
  • Urban: ₹48 → ₹39 per ₹100
  • Rural: ₹59 → ₹47 per ₹100
  • Confirms Engel’s Law (food share falls as income rises).
• Dietary transition observed:
  • Lower spending on cereals.
  • Higher spending on fruits, eggs, fish, and processed foods.
• Fuel expenditure reduced, reflecting:
  • Saubhagya (rural electrification).
  • PM Ujjwala Yojana (LPG access).

PANKHUDI Portal for Women & Child Development

The Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) launched PANKHUDI, an integrated CSR and partnership facilitation digital portal, to strengthen coordination, transparency, and stakeholder participation in initiatives for women and child welfare.

• Single-window digital platform for CSR and voluntary contributions.
• This platform connects Individuals & NRIs, NGOs, Corporate entities and Government agencies.

Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat (BVMB)

The Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat (BVMB) campaign aims to reduce child marriage prevalence by 10% by 2026 and make India completely child marriage-free by 2030. Notably, Balod district in Chhattisgarh became India’s first child marriage-free district in 2025, while Surajpur district declared 75 village panchayats as Child Marriage-Free Panchayats in September 2025.

Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat (BVMB):

• Launched on 27 November 2024
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD)
• Aligned with SDG 5.3 (eliminate child, early and forced marriage by 2030)

UIDAI Launches Aadhaar Mascot ‘Udai‘

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has launched ‘Udai’, the official Aadhaar mascot, to make Aadhaar-related services and information more resident-friendly, relatable, and easy to understand.

The Aadhaar mascot Udai was selected through an open and inclusive national design and naming competition conducted on the MyGov platform, which received an overwhelming 875 entries from across India. The first prize for mascot design was awarded to Arun Gokul from Kerala, while the first prize for naming the mascot was won by Riya Jain from Bhopal, reflecting strong public participation in shaping Aadhaar’s citizen-centric communication initiative.

Amaravati Avakaya Festival 2026

The Andhra Pradesh Tourism Department, in collaboration with Teamwork Arts, is organising the three-day Amaravati Avakaya Festival at Vijayawada, starting from Punnami Ghat and Bhavani Island along the Krishna River.

Net-Zero Residential School Initiative in Andhra Pradesh

• The Government of Andhra Pradesh, in collaboration with Heartfulness, has launched a Net-Zero Residential School as a pilot project at the A.P. Social Welfare Residential School, Kuntamukkala (Krishna district).
• First-of-its-kind Net-Zero Residential School in the State.
• Designed as an Integrated Ecological Campus.

NHAI Creates Guinness World Records in Highway Construction

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has achieved two Guinness World Records for laying Bituminous Concrete on the Vanavolu–Vankarakunta section of the six-lane Bengaluru–Kadapa–Vijayawada Economic Corridor.

Key Achievements:

• Around 29 kilometers longest continuous laying of Bituminous Concrete in 24 hours
• Highest quantity (Over 10,000 metric tonnes) of Bituminous Concrete laid in 24 hours
• Project executed under the Bengaluru-Kadapa-Vijayawada Economic Corridor development programme.

TATA to Set Up India’s Largest Ingot & Wafer Manufacturing Facility in Andhra Pradesh

Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited (TPREL) will establish a greenfield 10-Gigawatt ingot and wafer manufacturing facility at Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, with an investment of ₹6,675 crore. This project is located at IFFCO Kisan Special Economic Zone, Nellore.

Disclaimer: This article is prepared for competitive exam preparation using publicly available information.