Current Affairs 23 January 2026

Add as a preferred Source on Google

Graca Machel selected for Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace 2025

Renowned Mozambican human rights activist and humanitarian Graca Machel has been selected for the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2025, as announced by the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust. Graca Machel was honoured for her path-breaking contributions in education, health and nutrition, economic empowerment, and humanitarian work, often carried out under challenging circumstances.

The award carries a cash prize of ₹1 crore, along with a citation and a trophy.

Palaeoclimatology

With accelerating climate change, scientists are increasingly turning to palaeoclimatology to understand how Earth’s climate behaved over centuries, millennia, and geological time scales. By reconstructing past climates, researchers can better predict future climate patterns and assess the long-term impacts of global warming.

What is Palaeoclimatology?

Palaeoclimatology is the branch of science that studies past climates using natural archives known as climate proxies, such as:

• Ice cores
• Ocean and lake sediments
• Tree rings
• Fossil pollen
• Marine micro-organisms

Sunita Williams retired from US space agency

NASA astronaut Sunita Williams has retired after a distinguished 27-year career with the U.S. space agency. During her service, she completed three missions aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and carried out nine spacewalks, contributing significantly to human spaceflight and space research. She also created history by becoming the first person to run a marathon in space.

Project Iceworm

Amid renewed geopolitical interest in Greenland, reports have highlighted a serious environmental legacy of U.S. Cold War activities buried beneath the Arctic ice. The abandoned Camp Century, constructed in 1959 as part of the secret Project Iceworm, left behind hazardous materials including radioactive waste, diesel fuel, sewage, and toxic chemicals, which were presumed to remain permanently frozen. However, climate change and accelerating ice melt now threaten to release these pollutants into subglacial aquifers and eventually the ocean.

The issue raises complex questions of environmental accountability, climate justice, and diplomatic responsibility between the U.S., Greenland, and Denmark.

Gandabherunda image inscription

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has discovered a rare Gandabherunda image inscription at the Sri Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy Temple in Vinukonda, located in Palnadu district of Andhra Pradesh. Gandabherunda, a mythological double-headed bird associated with Lord Vishnu, is considered a rare and significant symbol in Hindu iconography.

The inscription, carved on a stone slab inside the sanctum sanctorum, is written in Telugu language and script and dates back to Saka 1399 (Hemalambi year), corresponding to October 16, 1477 CE. Epigraphical records indicate that the temple, its sikhara, and mandapa were constructed by Sagi Gamnamanayini. The finding provides valuable insights into the Vaishnava traditions, temple architecture, and socio-religious history of Andhra Pradesh in the 15th century.

Bharat Rang Mahotsav 2026

The 25th edition of Bharat Rang Mahotsav (BRM) 2026, the world’s largest international theatre festival, will be organised by the National School of Drama (NSD) from 27 January to 20 February 2026. This landmark edition will be held in the largest-ever format, spanning 40 locations across India and featuring at least one participating country from each of the seven continents.

Key highlights include the Theatre Bazaar to promote new playwrights, the launch of 17 books under the ‘Shruti’ initiative, and 33 productions directed by women.

Trucks-on-Trains (ToT) service

Indian Railways, through the Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC), has operationalised the Trucks-on-Trains (ToT) service to promote a strategic modal shift from road to rail for long-haul freight movement. The initiative integrates road agility with rail efficiency, allowing loaded trucks to be transported on specially designed flat wagons over electrified freight corridors, while retaining road transport only for first- and last-mile connectivity.

Currently operational on the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor between New Rewari and New Palanpur (≈636 km), the ToT service has reduced transit time from nearly 30 hours by road to about 12 hours. It has demonstrated strong adoption, especially from the dairy and FMCG sectors, with key participation from the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (Amul).

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