4–5 January 2026 Current Affairs

🏛️ National Affairs & Governance

• PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the Grand International Exposition of Sacred Piprahwa Relics in New Delhi, showcasing rare Buddhist relics linked to Bhagwan Buddha.

• Delhi PWD made QR codes mandatory on all new road signages (from 1 Jan 2026) to improve transparency, accountability, and quality monitoring.

• Small Savings Scheme (SSS) interest rates were kept unchanged for Q4 FY26 (Jan–Mar 2026) by the DEA, Ministry of Finance .

• States & UTs are expected to borrow around ₹5 lakh crore in Q4 FY26 , higher than Q4 FY25 borrowings.

• Surat (Gujarat) is nearing the status of India’s first slum-free city due to large-scale slum redevelopment initiatives.

• Goa Government announced the creation of a third district , carved out of South Goa, to improve governance outreach.

• MoSPI unveiled a new official logo and mascot to modernise its institutional identity.

• India crossed 100 crore broadband subscribers in November 2025 , highlighting rapid digital penetration.

💰 Economy, Finance & Regulation

• SEBI strengthened capital, compliance, governance, certification and operational norms for Merchant Bankers , effective 3 January 2026 .

• Ashika Group received SEBI in-principle approval to sponsor Ashika Mutual Fund , enabling AMC formation.

• SEBI mandated NISM certification for Compliance Officers of AIF Managers , effective 1 January 2027 .

• Raajmarg Infra Investment Trust (RIIT) received AAA (Stable) rating from CARE Ratings for long-term bank facilities.

• Sagarmala Finance Corporation Ltd (SMFCL) , India’s first maritime NBFC, began lending operations and sanctioned ₹4,300 crore .

• Revised tax framework for sin goods (tobacco, pan masala, gutkha, cigarettes) notified by MoF , effective 1 Feb 2026 .

• ADB granted in-principle approval of ₹4,100 crore loan to Telangana for Phase-I Musi River Development Project .

• E-Bill System for fertiliser subsidies inaugurated by Jagat Prakash Nadda to improve transparency and efficiency.

🌍 International Affairs

• Bulgaria adopted the Euro (€) as its official currency from 1 January 2026 , replacing the Bulgarian lev.

🧑‍💼 Appointments & Institutions

• Lav Aggarwal appointed Director General of DGFT under Ministry of Commerce & Industry.

• Rabindra Kumar Agarwal appointed CMD of Food Corporation of India (FCI) .

• ESAF Small Finance Bank appointed Karthikeyan Manickam as its Chairman .

🛡️ Defence, Space & Security

• DRDO successfully conducted a salvo launch of two Pralay missiles from the same launcher at ITR Chandipur, Odisha .

• ISRO conducted a static ground test of enhanced SS3 stage of SSLV at Sriharikota .

• Hyderabad-based startups TakeMe2Space & EON Space Labs tested and integrated a 14-kg EO satellite (MOI-1) and telescope MIRA .

• Gujarat Government constituted a Core Committee & Task Force to protect energy infrastructure from cyber-attacks .

🌱 Environment & Biodiversity

• India recorded 166 tiger deaths in 2025 , 40 more than in 2024, as per NTCA data .

🏅 Sports & Achievements

• Kaamya Karthikeyan (18, Mumbai) became the youngest female in the world to scale all Seven Summits .

• Sjoerd Marijne appointed Chief Coach of Indian Women’s Hockey Team by Hockey India .

• World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championship 2025 held in Doha, Qatar .

📜 Acts & Reforms

• Select provisions of the National Sports Governance Act, 2025 came into force from 1 January 2026 , reforming sports administration.

📅 Important Day

• World Braille Day 2026 observed on 4 January , promoting awareness about Braille and accessibility for the visually impaired.