UPSC Current Affairs, January 2026
The news that matters for UPSC from PIB, one brief a day: what happened, the facts for Prelims, the angles for Mains, and practice.
Every day
- 31 January 2026: Saturday · 3 issues · 1 MCQRamsar Sites in India and Glaw Lake · Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) Scheme · Lakshya Zero Dumpsite (Dumpsite Remediation Accelerator Programme)
- 30 January 2026: Friday · 6 issues · 2 MCQsEconomic Survey 2025-26 · Kavach Automatic Train Protection System · PM-DevINE (Prime Minister's Development Initiative for North East Region) · Coronal Mass Ejection and Geomagnetic Storms · National Commission for Women (NCW) · Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) and Priority Sector Lending
- 29 January 2026: Thursday · 12 issues · 6 MCQsCoking Coal as Critical and Strategic Mineral (MMDR Act, 1957) · Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2025 (draft) · SHANTI Act (nuclear energy law) and AERB · Commercial Courts Act, 2015 and Pre-Institution Mediation (Section 12A) · Designs Act, 2000 and Riyadh Design Law Treaty · Consumer Price Index (CPI) Base Revision, 2024 series · National Biodiversity Authority and Access and Benefit Sharing · Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA) Rules · PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) · Dynamic Ground Water Resources Assessment (CGWB) · Dam Safety Act, 2021 and National Committee on Dam Safety · AgriStack (Digital Public Infrastructure for Agriculture)
- 28 January 2026: Wednesday · 4 issues · 2 MCQsNew Drugs and Clinical Trials (NDCT) Rules, 2019 · Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026 · Uniform Consent Guidelines under Air and Water Acts · Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs)
- 27 January 2026: Tuesday · 5 issues · 2 MCQsIndia-European Union Free Trade Agreement · NITI Aayog Circular Economy Reports (ELVs, Waste Tyres, E-waste, Li-ion Batteries) · Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 and DPDP Rules, 2025 · National Household Income Survey and ASISSE · Nipah Virus Disease
- 25 January 2026: Sunday · 1 issuePFRDA and National Pension System (NPS)
- 24 January 2026: Saturday · 2 issuesVizhinjam International Seaport · Election Commission of India and Article 324
- 23 January 2026: Friday · 8 issuesCERT-In (Indian Computer Emergency Response Team) · One District One Product (ODOP) · Roadmap for 100 GW Pumped Storage Projects (CEA) · National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) · International Conference on Democracy and Election Management (Delhi Declaration 2026) · PLI Scheme for White Goods (ACs and LED Lights) · National Waterways and Inland Waterways Transport · India AI Governance Guidelines
- 22 January 2026: Thursday · 6 issues · 2 MCQsCarbon Credit Trading Scheme (India Carbon Market) · Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana-IV (PMGSY-IV) · Groundwater Management in India · Long Range Anti-Ship Hypersonic Missile (LR-AShM) · Trucks-on-Trains and Dedicated Freight Corridor · Military Quantum Mission Policy Framework
- 21 January 2026: Wednesday · 4 issues · 3 MCQsNational Electricity Policy (Draft 2026) · Atal Pension Yojana · NITI Aayog Decarbonisation Roadmaps (Cement, Aluminium, MSME) · Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana
- 20 January 2026: Tuesday · 3 issuesOne Station One Product (OSOP) · Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 (Unpaid User Fee Amendment) · Jute and Jute Textiles Control Order, 2016
- 19 January 2026: Monday · 4 issuesBorder Roads Organisation (BRO) · National Board for Wildlife and its Standing Committee · Research Development and Innovation (RDI) Scheme · India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership
- 18 January 2026: Sunday · 1 issueInternational Year of Cooperatives 2025
- 17 January 2026: Saturday · 5 issues · 1 MCQProject Dolphin and Dolphin Population Estimation · Vande Bharat Express · Chips to Start-up (C2S) Programme · IndiGo Disruption and Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) Rules · Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM)
- 16 January 2026: Friday · 7 issuesPostal Exports · Vande Bharat Express · Startup India Recognition Framework (DPIIT) · Seeds Act, 1966 and SATHI Portal · Bharat Tribal Health Observatory (Project DRISTI) · Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 · Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM)
- 15 January 2026: Thursday · 4 issuesStartup India Recognition Framework (DPIIT) · NITI Aayog Report on Convergence of MSME Schemes · Bharat Tribal Health Observatory (Project DRISTI) · SCOMET and Strategic Trade Controls
- 14 January 2026: Wednesday · 5 issues · 1 MCQAravalli Green Wall Project · Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) · NITI Aayog Export Preparedness Index · Namami Gange Aquatic Life Conservation Initiatives · Vegetable Oil Products, Production and Availability (Regulation) Order
- 13 January 2026: Tuesday · 7 issues · 3 MCQsBSL-4 Bio-Containment Facility · Index of Industrial Production (IIP) and Chain-Based Index · NPS Vatsalya · PLI Scheme for Automobile and Auto Components · Gati Shakti Multi-Modal Cargo Terminals (GCT) Policy · ADMM-Plus (ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus) · Task Force on Coaching Ecosystem (Gopichand) and National Coach Accreditation Board
- 12 January 2026: Monday · 5 issues · 1 MCQNational Sports Governance Act, 2025 and National Sports Board · India-Germany Strategic Partnership · Consumer Price Index (Base 2012=100) · Scheme to Promote Manufacturing of Sintered Rare Earth Permanent Magnets · National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET)
- 10 January 2026: Saturday · 3 issues · 1 MCQIndia-Oman Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) · CCPA and Service Charge Guidelines · National Critical Mineral Mission
- 9 January 2026: Friday · 6 issues · 3 MCQsNational Digital Livestock Mission (Pashu Aadhaar) · MISHTI (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Incomes) · Scramjet Engine and Hypersonic Cruise Missile (DRDO) · National IED Data Management System (NIDMS), NSG · Samagra Shiksha · NCORD (Narco-Coordination Centre) and NCB
- 8 January 2026: Thursday · 3 issues · 1 MCQNational Sports Governance Act, 2025 and National Sports Board · Tex-RAMPS Scheme · District-Led Textiles Transformation (DLTT)
- 7 January 2026: Wednesday · 4 issues · 3 MCQsPesticides Management Bill, 2025 (replacing Insecticides Act, 1968) · National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) · Bio-Bitumen via Pyrolysis (CSIR) · First Advance Estimates of GDP
- 6 January 2026: Tuesday · 3 issuesPower Distribution Reforms and AT&C Losses · Mpemba Effect · PPP Project Pipeline
- 5 January 2026: Monday · 2 issues · 1 MCQNutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) Scheme · National Mission for Clean Ganga and river rejuvenation (Central Monitoring Committee)
- 4 January 2026: Sunday · 4 issues · 1 MCQDesign Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme · Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 · Good Samaritan Rules and Section 134A, Motor Vehicles Act · DSIR Recognition under Industrial R&D Promotion Programme
- 3 January 2026: Saturday · 2 issuesPiprahwa Relics · ECINet App
- 2 January 2026: Friday · 8 issues · 3 MCQsMachine-Based Excise Levy on Chewing Tobacco, Jarda and Gutkha · Export Promotion Mission (EPM) · Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS) · National Biodiversity Authority and Access and Benefit Sharing · Pharmacovigilance Programme of India and Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission · Piprahwa Relics · PRAGATI (Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation) · Forest Rights Act, 2006
- 1 January 2026: Thursday · 6 issues · 1 MCQCredit Guarantee Scheme for Exporters (CGSE) · Machine-Based Excise Levy on Chewing Tobacco, Jarda and Gutkha · PFRDA and National Pension System (NPS) · FASTag and Know Your Vehicle (KYV) · Director KYC under the Companies Act, 2013 · Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 (VB-G RAM G)