31st January 2026

1. Global Soft Power Index 2026 rankings released, highlighting India’s position
2. Slice launches India’s first UPI-centric digital banking ecosystem
3. RBI allows Punjab & Sind Bank to open a branch at GIFT City, Gujarat
4. World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day highlights awareness on preventable infectious diseases
5. World Wetlands Day focuses on the role of traditional knowledge in wetland conservation
6. World Bank’s pledge of USD 8–10 billion annually to India
7. Carlos Alcaraz defeats Novak Djokovic to complete a career Grand Slam at the Australian Open; Elena Rybakina, Australian Open women’s singles champion
8. Analysis of SBI’s new ‘CHAKRA’ initiative and its economic potential
9. Sunetra Pawar, Maharashtra’s first woman Deputy Chief Minister
10. Paysharp receives RBI approval to operate as a physical payment aggregator
11. Kota Ravi appointed as Chairman and Managing Director of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
12. Overview of Mukhyamantri Gramotthan Yojana and its impact on Gujarat’s villages

State News

1. Gujarat launches Mukhyamantri Gramotthan Yojana to upgrade rural infrastructure

• What:
  • Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel launched the Mukhyamantri Gramotthan Yojana in Anand district to provide urban-equivalent facilities in rural areas through a state-wide development campaign.
• Tell me more:
  • The first phase covers 114 Taluka headquarters villages with roads, underground drainage, solar street lights, and digital e-Gram services, and includes foundation stones for 2,666 Gram Panchayat Ghar-cum-Talati Awas buildings.

Source: NOA

Banking and Economy

1. slice launches UPI-first digital banking ecosystem

• What:
  • slice introduced a UPI-first digital banking ecosystem integrating savings, credit, and investments into one platform, reflecting Indian consumer preference for speed, transparency, ease of use, and seamless integration with everyday digital transactions.
• Tell me more:
  • slice launched India’s first savings account linked to 100% of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) repo rate, a UPI credit card for everyday payments, and fully digital fixed deposits with app-based access.
  • The savings account credits interest daily with no minimum balance, the UPI credit card offers up to 3% cashback and no fees, and fixed deposits offer up to 7.25% interest with insurance by Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC).

Source: ANI

2. Punjab & Sind Bank receives approval to open IFSC branch at GIFT City

• What:
  • State-owned Punjab & Sind Bank received approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to open a branch at the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) in GIFT City, Gandhinagar, marking entry into global financial services.
• Tell me more:
  • The GIFT City branch will help Punjab & Sind Bank expand foreign currency lending, trade finance, treasury operations, and international banking using India’s international financial hub for cross-border financial activities.
  • MD and CEO – Swarup Kumar Saha

Source: ET

3. India–World Bank Group announces new Country Partnership Framework with USD 8–10 billion annual financing

• What:
  • The World Bank Group announced a new Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for India, providing USD 8–10 billion annually for five years to support growth, job creation, private capital mobilisation, and India’s vision of becoming a developed economy.
• Tell me more:
  • The CPF focuses on private sector-led job creation, infrastructure and human capital investment, business-friendly regulations, risk-management tools, and five job-generating sectors including infrastructure, agribusiness, health care, tourism, and value-added manufacturing.

4. State Bank of India launches CHAKRA Centre of Excellence for financing sunrise sectors

• What:
  • State Bank of India (SBI) launched CHAKRA Centre of Excellence (CoE) to enable capital flow into technology-driven sunrise sectors, supporting India’s manufacturing potential and investment opportunities estimated above ₹100 lakh crore by 2030.
• Tell me more:
  • The Centre will focus on eight sunrise sectors, renewable energy, advanced cell chemistry and battery storage, electric mobility, green hydrogen, semiconductors, decarbonisation, smart infrastructure and data centres.
  • They are called sunrise sectors because they are new, fast-growing sectors with strong future potential, similar to how the sunrise signals the start of a new day.

5. Paysharp receives RBI approval for physical payment aggregation services

• What:
  • Chennai-based fintech firm Paysharp received the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Payment Aggregator-Physical (PA-P) licence on 21 January 2026, enabling regulated offline payment acceptance alongside existing online services.
• Tell me more:
  • Paysharp earlier obtained the RBI Payment Aggregator-Online (PA-O) licence in August 2024, allowing end-to-end, compliant payment acceptance across in-store, on-the-go, and online channels on a single platform.

Source: BS

Reports and Indices

1. India Leads APAC Emerging Markets with Strong GDP Growth

• What:
  • Moody’s Ratings projected India’s GDP growth at 7% in 2025 and 6.4% in 2026, leading Asia-Pacific emerging markets excluding Greater China.
• Why:
  • Strong domestic demand amid global uncertainty supports India’s economic growth prospects.
• Tell me more:
  • Moody’s maintained a stable economic outlook for the APAC region in 2026 with an average GDP growth of 3.4%.
  • Emerging markets in APAC are expected to grow by an average of 5.6%, while advanced markets will grow by 1.3%.
  • Australia is projected to grow by 2.3% in 2026 and 2027.
  • Indian sectors like oil & gas, airlines, and telecom face higher dollar-linked costs due to rupee depreciation but firms have strong financials and risk management.

GDP Forecasts

1. Global Soft Power Index 2026 by Brand Finance

• What:
  • The Brand Finance Global Soft Power Index 2026 ranked 193 United Nations (UN) member states using 55 metrics, showing lower scores due to economic uncertainty, geopolitical tensions, declining public trust, and increased scrutiny of country behaviour.
• Tell me more:
  • Top 10 countries

• India’s rank
  

Source: IE

Important Days

1. World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day – January 30

• Theme: Unite. Act. Eliminate.

Source: WHO

2. World Wetlands Day – February 2

• Theme: “Wetlands and traditional knowledge: Celebrating cultural heritage”

Source: UN

Sports

1. Australian Open 2026

• Carlos Alcaraz won the Australian Open 2026, defeating Novak Djokovic to become the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam.
• The victory marked his seventh Grand Slam title, with Alcaraz firmly established as world number one. Djokovic has 24 Grand Slams so far.
• Elena Rybakina is the Australian Open women’s singles champion.

Source: ALJ NPR

Appointments

1. Sunetra Pawar, Maharashtra’s first woman Deputy CM

• Sunetra Pawar was sworn in as Maharashtra’s first woman Deputy Chief Minister, succeeding her late husband Ajit Pawar to ensure political continuity and stability in the NCP-led alliance.

Source: TOI

2. Kota Ravi appointed as CMD of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited

• What:
  • Ravi Kota has been selected as Chairman and Managing Director of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) from May.
• Tell me more:
  • The Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) selected Ravi Kota.
  • The PESB is a high-powered government body that advises the Centre on top management appointments, tenure, performance appraisal, and governance frameworks in CPSEs.
  • It was established by a Government of India resolution in 1987, which has been amended from time to time, with the latest amendment in November 2008.

Source: MHA BW

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