24 January 2026 Current Affairs

1️⃣ Education, Research & Human Capital

Atal Vichal Agragami Assam Programme

• Monthly financial assistance for research scholars .

• Strengthens state-level R&D ecosystem and academic retention.

• Relevant for:

  • Human capital investment

  • Federal role in higher education

  • Innovation-led development

📌 Link with NEP 2020 & Atmanirbhar knowledge economy.

2️⃣ Foreign Trade, Forex & Export Promotion

FEMA (Export–Import of Goods & Services) Regulations, 2026

• Issued under FEMA, 1999 .

• Introduces:

  • Uniform timelines

  • Enhanced monitoring of export-import forex flows.

• Exam relevance:

  • Balance of Payments (BoP)

  • Trade facilitation

  • RBI’s regulatory role in external sector

Export Promotion Mission – NIRYAT PROTSAHAN

• Interest subvention on pre- & post-shipment export credit .

• Boosts MSME exports & trade competitiveness.

3️⃣ FinTech, Digital Payments & Banking Regulation

NPCI & RBI Approvals

• ZET → TPAP approval (UPI ecosystem).

• Razorpay POS → Offline Payment Aggregator (PA-P).

• Payoneer India → Cross-Border Payment Aggregator (PA-CB).

📌 Indicates:

• Structured expansion of digital payments

• Tight but enabling fintech regulation

• Cross-border payment modernisation

AI-Powered Video KYC

• Suryoday SFB + HyperVerge.

• Enhances:

  • Digital onboarding

  • AML/KYC compliance

  • Financial inclusion

4️⃣ Infrastructure Finance & Banking Cooperation

BoB – IIFCL MoU

• Joint lending & loan syndication for infrastructure.

• Exam relevance:

  • Infrastructure financing models

  • Public sector bank collaboration

  • Long-term credit mechanisms

5️⃣ Climate Policy & Carbon Markets

Greenhouse Gas Emission Intensity (GEI) Targets

• Notified under Carbon Credit Trading Scheme .

• Covers additional carbon-intensive sectors .

• Exam focus:

  • India’s climate governance

  • Emission intensity vs absolute emissions

  • Market-based climate instruments

📌 GS-III favourite topic (Climate + Economy).

6️⃣ Global Risks, Economy & Reports

WEF – Global Risks Report 2026

• 21st edition.

• Highlights:

  • Geopolitical rivalry

  • Climate risks

  • AI & technology disruption

• Useful for:

  • Essay

  • GS-III (Economy, Security, Climate)

7️⃣ Space, Science & Strategic Technology

India’s First Private EO Satellite Constellation

• Led by Pixxel Space consortium .

• Significance:

  • NewSpace ecosystem

  • Earth observation for climate, agriculture, defence

  • Space sector liberalisation

Fengyun-3D Satellite (China)

• Tracked disintegration of iceberg A23a.

• Links:

  • Climate monitoring

  • Polar science

  • Meteorological satellites

8️⃣ Health, Social Policy & Public Welfare

India → Afghanistan (Cancer Medicines)

• 7.5 tonnes humanitarian aid.

• Reinforces:

  • Health diplomacy

  • Soft power

  • Regional responsibility

Odisha Tobacco Ban