Weekly Current Affairs (January 2026 – Week 5) – Exam Revision Notes

Karnataka Constitutes Gig Workers’ Welfare Board

• The Karnataka Government constituted the Karnataka Platform-Based Gig Workers Welfare Development Board under the 2025 Act to implement welfare measures for gig and platform workers.
• The Labour Minister will serve as the ex-officio President of the Board.
• The Board includes four representatives each from gig worker unions and aggregator platforms.
• Major aggregator platforms such as Zomato, Uber, Amazon, and Porter are represented, along with labour unions like AITUC.
• Mandatory registration has been introduced for both gig workers and aggregator platforms.

India Energy Week 2026

• The event was held in Goa with participation from representatives of nearly 125 countries.
• India is currently among the top five exporters of petroleum products, exporting to over 150 countries.
• India aims to raise oil and gas investments to $100 billion by the end of the decade and expand exploration to 1 million sq. km under the Samudra Manthan Mission.
• India currently ranks second globally in refining capacity (about 260 MMT per annum) and aims to become number one, crossing 300 MMT soon.

Neolithic Relics at Lakkundi, Karnataka

Recent excavations at Lakkundi village in Gadag district, Karnataka, have unearthed relics dating back to the Neolithic period, strengthening the State’s proposal to include Lakkundi in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list. Lakkundi was once called the “village of a hundred wells and temples” and flourished during the 11th–12th centuries under the Kalyana Chalukyas.

Sampoornata Abhiyan 2.0 (NITI Aayog)

NITI Aayog has launched Sampoornata Abhiyan 2.0, a three-month nationwide campaign running from 28 January to 14 April 2026, aimed at achieving saturation of key development indicators in Aspirational Districts and Aspirational Blocks.

AYUSH-Zepto Partnership MoU

The Ministry of Ayush has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ayush Export Promotion Council (AYUSHEXCIL) and Zepto Limited to strengthen digital access, quality assurance, and consumer trust in AYUSH medicines and wellness products across India.

State Festival: Ratha Saptami

• The Andhra Pradesh government declared Ratha Saptami as a State festival for three days at the Sri Suryanarayana Swamy temple at Arasavalli in Srikakulam district.
• Arasavalli is one of the oldest Sun temples in India and holds immense religious significance for devotees.
• Did You Know? Eleven villages in Ambajipeta mandal of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema district showcases their richly decorated chariots at the Jaggannathota site on the second day of Sankranti. This unique cultural festival has been celebrated continuously for over four centuries.

Lepakshi Handicrafts Gain International Recognition

• The Lepakshi handicrafts of Andhra Pradesh received fresh international recognition as the Indian High Commission in Singapore decided to present specially curated Lepakshi gift boxes during India’s Republic Day celebrations.
• An order for 400 gift boxes has been placed, each showcasing traditional Andhra Pradesh crafts such as leather puppetry, elephant-shaped baggage tags, and hand-painted elephant-themed coasters.

Early 8th Century Telugu Inscription Discovered

• An early 8th century CE Telugu inscription has been discovered at Pitikayagulla village in Bestavaripeta mandal, Prakasam district, Andhra Pradesh.
• The inscription is engraved on a stone slab erected in front of the historic Pitikesvara temple.
• Written in Telugu language and script of the 8th century CE, making it an important find for epigraphical and linguistic studies.
• The four-line inscription records the construction of a new embankment (nava katta) attributed to Pranimilli Achari, believed to be a sculptor or craftsman.

State-level Cocoa Conclave 2026

• Eluru district hosted a two-day State-level Cocoa Conclave 2026 on January 30 and 31, 2026.
• The conclave aims to promote the expansion, development, processing, and value addition of cocoa cultivation in the State.
• The Directorate of Cashewnut and Cocoa Development (DCCD), located in Kochi, Kerala, is the primary government body under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare responsible for cocoa industry development.

Women Entrepreneurs’ Industrial Park

• The Andhra Pradesh Government signed an MoU with FICCI Ladies Organisation (FICCI-FLO) to promote women entrepreneurship in the State.
• The agreement provides for the establishment of a 30-acre exclusive Women Entrepreneurs’ Industrial Park under the AP Plug and Play Private Industrial Parks Policy 2024–29.
• The industrial park will be exclusively for women entrepreneurs who are members of FICCI-FLO.
• The initiative aligns with AP Government’s ‘One Family, One Entrepreneur policy’.

Free Power Scheme for Weavers

• The Andhra Pradesh government will launch a Free Power Scheme for weavers from April 1, 2026.
• Handloom weavers will receive free electricity up to 200 units per month, while power loom weavers will get free power up to 500 units per month.
• A total of 1,03,534 weaver families will benefit, including 93,000 handloom families and 10,534 power loom families.
• Additional welfare measures: Increase in monthly pension from ₹3,000 to ₹4,000 for weavers aged 50 and above.
• MoUs were signed with Co-optex, Taneira (Tata), and Aadyam (Aditya Birla) to promote handlooms through e-commerce platforms.

Paathara: Ancient Grain Storage Tradition

• Paathara (also called Khoni) is a traditional underground grain storage system once widely practised by farmers along the Mahendratanaya river in the Uddanam region of Srikakulam district.
• The storage pit is rectangular, plastered with straw and clay, and sealed with cow dung, making it eco-friendly and effective against rodents, moisture, and theft.
• This practice symbolised food security, prosperity, and joint family culture, with each family storing enough paddy for annual consumption and rituals.

Governors’ Walkouts and Constitutional Limits

• Recent walkouts by Governors during the inaugural sessions of State Legislative Assemblies in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala have triggered a constitutional debate.
• Under Article 176(1), the Governor ‘shall’ address the Legislative Assembly at the commencement of the first session each year.
• Constitutional experts argue that the Governor has no discretion to alter, skip, or abort the address, as it is delivered on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers.
• Supreme Court judgments (Shamsher Singh vs State of Punjab 1974, Nabam Rebia case 2016) have held that Governors cannot act independently of the elected government, except in defined discretionary areas.

PANCHAM (Panchayat Assistance and Messaging Chatbot)

• The Ministry of Panchayati Raj organised a felicitation function on 25 January 2026 in New Delhi to honour elected Panchayat representatives invited as Special Guests for the Republic Day Parade 2026.
• Around 240 Panchayat leaders—including Sarpanches, Mukhiyas, Gram Pradhans, and Block/District Panchayat Presidents were recognised for achieving saturation in flagship Central Government schemes.
• The event saw the launch of PANCHAM (Panchayat Assistance and Messaging Chatbot) developed with UNICEF, the 17th issue of Gramoday Sankalp, and the PESA Performance and Implementation Rank Indicators.
• The Ministry’s tableau at the Republic Day Parade was themed ‘SVAMITVA Scheme: Aatmanirbhar Panchayat se Samriddh evam Aatmanirbhar Bharat.’

₹80 Crore Agarwood Value Chain Development Scheme

• Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Jyotiraditya Scindia laid the foundation stone of the ₹80 crore Agarwood Value Chain Development Scheme at North Fulkabari, Tripura.
• The scheme aims at strengthening the entire agarwood ecosystem from cultivation to global marketing.

RBI Report: Demographic Transition in India

• A recent RBI report titled ‘State Finances: A Study of Budgets 2025–26 – Demographic Transition in India’ highlights a rapid ageing trend in several Indian States.
• Kerala will have 22.8% of its population aged above 60 years by 2036, making it the most aged State in India.
• Tamil Nadu is expected to enter the ageing category by 2026, with 15.8% of its population above 60 years.
• A State is classified as ageing if 15% or more of its population is aged 60+.
• The RBI recommends that ageing States shift policy focus from employment generation to old-age support systems, healthcare financing reforms, and preventive healthcare.
• The report underscores the need for States like Kerala to build a ‘silver economy’, focusing on healthy ageing, elderly care infrastructure, and productivity of older workers.

RBI Report on Health Spending by Union Government

• The National Health Policy (NHP), 2017 aimed to raise public health expenditure to 2.5% of GDP by 2025, with the Union government contributing 40% of total public health spending. However, this target remains unachieved.
• State governments have steadily increased health spending from 0.67% of GDP (2017–18) to 1.1% of GDP (2025–26 BE).
• In contrast, Union government health spending has declined post-COVID from 0.37% of GDP in 2020–21 to 0.29% of GDP in 2025–26 (BE).
• The Health and Education Cess (4%), introduced in 2018–19, has not significantly expanded health budgets; only about one-fourth of collections are used for health.

Committee for Strategic Asset Allocation and Risk Governance

• The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has constituted a high-level committee titled Strategic Asset Allocation and Risk Governance (SAARG) to review and modernize the investment framework of the National Pension System (NPS).
• The committee is chaired by Shri Narayan Ramachandran, former Country Head and CEO of Morgan Stanley India, and includes nine eminent experts from capital markets, asset management, and securities law.

Padma Awards 2026

Jeevan Raksha Padak 2025

The awards are given in three categories:

• Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak
• Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak
• Jeevan Raksha Padak

From Andhra Pradesh, Netala Madhu and Potluri Krishnanjaneyulu are among the recipients of the Jeevan Raksha Padak.

Republic Day Parade 2026 Awards

The results of the Best Marching Contingents and Best Tableaux for the Republic Day Parade 2026 have been officially announced.

India Energy Week Awards

• AVINYA – The Energy Startup Challenge awarded Minimines Cleantech Solutions as the winner for its low-carbon recovery technology from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries.
• VASUDHA – Overseas Upstream Startup Challenge was won by SENERGETICS (Netherlands) for AI-driven corrosion monitoring solutions.
• In the Hackathon Challenge, IIT Bombay emerged as the winner for developing an AI-based unified reservoir analysis platform.

Genetic Study: Schizophrenia-Bone Health Link

Forever Chemicals (PFAS)

Forever chemicals are a group of man-made chemicals called PFAS that do not break down easily in nature or the human body. Because they remain in the environment, water, food, and blood for many years, they are called “forever chemicals”. These chemicals are commonly used in non-stick cookware, waterproof clothing, food packaging, fire-fighting foams, and industrial products.

Solid Waste Management Rules 2026

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has notified the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, 2026, replacing the earlier SWM Rules, 2016. The new rules, notified under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, will be implemented from April 1, 2026.

Matabari Tourism Circuit

The Matabari Tourism Circuit was recently started in Tripura with a financial outlay of ₹450 crore. The Matabari Tourism Circuit covers key attractions like Tripura Sundari Temple, Chabimura rock carvings and Dumbur Lake etc.

Gallantry Awards – Republic Day 2026

A major highlight of this year’s Awards is Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla (Indian Air Force) being awarded the Ashok Chakra, India’s highest peacetime gallantry award, for his historic space mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in June 2025.

Operation Sahyadri Checkmate

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has successfully dismantled a clandestine mobile mephedrone manufacturing laboratory in the Sahyadri ranges under a special operation named “Operation Sahyadri Checkmate.”

Mark Tully

Veteran journalist, author, and former BBC India bureau chief Mark Tully passed away in New Delhi at the age of 90. He served as the Chief of Bureau of the BBC in India for 22 years.

Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister passed away

Ajit Anantrao Pawar, Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister, passed away at the age of 66 in a tragic plane crash. A senior leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), he was a dominant political figure in Maharashtra, especially in Baramati, which elected him eight consecutive times.

Syria’s Kurdish Regions

Syria’s Kurdish regions are in news due to fresh clashes between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Syrian government forces after the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024.

International Data Privacy Day

International Data Privacy Day is observed every year on 28 January to raise awareness about protection of personal data and privacy in the digital age.

16th National Voters’ Day – 25 January

The Election Commission of India (ECI) celebrated the 16th National Voters’ Day (NVD) on January 25, 2026, in New Delhi. Theme for NVD-2026: ‘My India, My Vote’ with the tagline ‘Citizen at the Heart of Indian Democracy.’