14th January 2026

1. IndiaAI Mission signs an MoU with UPDESCO to develop the country’s largest state-level AI skilling ecosystem
2. CBIC Secretary Surjit Bhujabal inaugurates ICEGATE–LPMS integration in Agartala, Tripura
3. Indian Olympic Association launches the National Olympic Education and Development Programme and reactivates the National Olympic Academy
4. Coromandel International partners with IIT Madras to establish a corporate research centre
5. Tripura Gramin Bank introduces India’s first solar-powered ATM van
6. Indian mountaineer Aritra Roy successfully scales Mount Aconcagua in Argentina
7. Meta appoints Dina Powell McCormick as President and Vice Chairman
8. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav launches the ‘Swachh Jal Abhiyan’ to ensure safe drinking water
9. ICAR and NDDB enter into a strategic partnership to strengthen dairy research
10. India to host the 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth

National News

1. India to host 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth

• What
  • India will host the 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth in Samvidhan Sadan, New Delhi to promote understanding of parliamentary democracy and strengthen parliamentary institutions across Commonwealth countries.
• Tell me more
  • The three-day conference till January 16 will see participation from over 60 Commonwealth countries and semi-autonomous Parliaments, with Om Birla serving as Chairperson and chairing the Standing Committee meeting on the first day.
  • After the conference, the CSPOC Chair will be handed over to Lindsay Hoyle.

2. Coromandel International partners with IIT Madras to set up corporate research centre

• What
  • Coromandel International Limited signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Indian Institute of Technology Madras to establish a corporate research centre at the IIT Madras Research Park.
• Tell me more
  • The partnership enables Coromandel International to leverage the IIT Madras research ecosystem for joint research, technology incubation, talent development, and global collaboration, with focus on crop nutrition, advanced agri-inputs, and conversion of scientific research into scalable agricultural technologies.
  • The Memorandum of Understanding was announced during the inauguration of the IIT Madras Global Research Foundation.

Source: BS

State News

1. Madhya Pradesh launches Swachh Jal Abhiyan

• What
  • Madhya Pradesh launched the Swachh Jal Abhiyan after deaths due to contaminated water in Indore to ensure clean drinking water, strengthen water security, and improve grievance redressal statewide.
• Tell me more
  • The campaign includes GIS mapping of water and sewer pipelines, identification of intersection points, and leakage checks using robots.
  • The campaign will run in two phases from January 10 to February 28 and from March 1 to March 31, with Jal Sunwai held every Tuesday for drinking water complaints.
  • Drinking water complaints can be registered through 181, the Chief Minister Helpline.

Source: IE

Banking and Economy

1. ICEGATE–LPMS integration inaugurated at Agartala Integrated Check Post

• What
  • Integration of Indian Customs Electronic Gateway–Land Port Management System was inaugurated at the Integrated Check Post in Agartala, Tripura by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs.
• Tell me more
  • The integration enables faster clearance, automated customs processes, and real-time data exchange at land ports.
  • Automated workflows reduce manual intervention and improve operational efficiency at Integrated Check Posts.

2. Tripura Gramin Bank launches India’s first solar-powered ATM van

• What
  • Tripura Gramin Bank became the first Gramin Bank in India to introduce a solar-powered ATM van, strengthening sustainable banking and access to services in rural and remote areas.
• Tell me more
  • The innovation earned the bank the SKOCH Silver Award for innovative practices in governance.
  • The solar-powered ATM van was inaugurated in 2023 by Nirmala Sitharaman, and the bank currently operates three such ATM vans across Tripura.

Source: ANI

Awards

1. Aritra Roy summits Mt. Aconcagua under HAL-sponsored expedition

• What
  • Aritra Roy successfully summited Mount Aconcagua in Argentina, the highest peak outside Asia, during a solo expedition fully sponsored by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited as part of his seven-summits challenge.
• Tell me more
  • Mount Aconcagua stands at 6,967.15 meters above Mean Sea Level.
  • The Seven Summits challenge is a mountaineering goal to climb the highest peak on each of Earth’s seven continents.
    • Asia – Mount Everest
    • South America – Mount Aconcagua
    • North America – Mount Denali
    • Africa – Mount Kilimanjaro
    • Europe – Mount Elbrus
    • Antarctica – Mount Vinson
    • Australia/Oceania – Mount Kosciuszko or Puncak Jaya

Source: UNI

Sports

1. Indian Olympic Association launches NOEDP and revives National Olympic Academy

• What
  • Indian Olympic Association launched the National Olympic Education and Development Programme and reactivated the National Olympic Academy to strengthen India’s Olympic ecosystem.
  • The decisions were approved during meetings held in Ahmedabad, focusing on athlete-centric development, Olympic education, and institutional capacity building.
• Tell me more
  • National Olympic Education and Development Programme is a national framework for structured education and development across the Olympic ecosystem, implemented with National Sports Federations and State Olympic Associations for grassroots-to-elite outreach.
  • National Olympic Academy will function as the central institution for Olympic education, learning, research, and dialogue, support athlete development, and collaborate with the International Olympic Academy to align programmes with the Olympic Charter and international practices.
  • PT Usha was approved as President, and Gagan Narang was approved as Director of the National Olympic Academy.

Source: ANI

Memorandum of Understanding

1. IndiaAI Mission partners with UPDESCO to expand AI skilling infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh

• What
  • A Memorandum of Understanding was exchanged between Digital India Corporation under the IndiaAI Mission and Uttar Pradesh Development Systems Corporation Limited to strengthen the Artificial Intelligence ecosystem in Uttar Pradesh.
• Why
  • The initiative aims to equip youth in the State with future-ready digital skills and support employment, innovation, and workforce preparedness in the Artificial Intelligence sector.
• Tell me more
  • The Department of IT & Electronics, Government of Uttar Pradesh has been designated as the nodal administrative department, with UPDESCO, Lucknow nominated as the State Nodal Agency for implementing the IndiaAI Mission.
  • A total of 65 Data and AI Labs are planned across Uttar Pradesh under the mission framework.
  • Two IndiaAI Data and AI Labs at NIELIT centres in Lucknow and Gorakhpur are operational, and one lab has been established at Pilibhit by an industry partner.
  • The State Government has approved 49 additional Data and AI Labs, and implementation work for these labs has commenced.
  • Thirteen more locations will be identified later for establishing the remaining Data and AI Labs.

2. ICAR and NDDB sign MoU to strengthen research and capacity building in dairy sector

• What
  • Indian Council of Agricultural Research signed a Memorandum of Understanding with National Dairy Development Board to strengthen collaboration in research, innovation, and capacity building across dairy production, processing, and value addition.
• Tell me more
  • The partnership addresses climate resilience, low productivity, and value chain development through integrated farming systems, fodder development, manure management, biogas utilisation, and joint programmes for knowledge sharing and technology development.

Source: PIB

Appointments

1. Meta appoints Dina Powell McCormick as President and Vice Chairman

• Meta Platforms appointed Dina Powell McCormick as President and Vice Chairman.
• She earlier served as Deputy National Security Advisor under Donald Trump and worked in the administration of George W. Bush.
• She has worked in senior roles at Goldman Sachs and later worked at BDT & MSD Partners.

Source: CNBC

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