03rd-05th January 2026

1. Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation introduces a new logo and mascot, ‘Sankhyiki’, to modernise its institutional identity
2. Ministry of Finance keeps interest rates on small savings schemes unchanged for the fourth quarter of FY26
3. Union Minister Pemmasani launches the Land Stack pilot project in Chandigarh
4. Gujarat sets up cyber security panels to safeguard critical energy infrastructure
5. Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor appointed Vice Chief of the Air Staff
6. Indian Army designates 2026 as the Year of Networking and Data Centricity
7. ESAF Small Finance Bank appoints Karthikeyan Manickam as Chairman
8. SpaceX launches Italy’s COSMO-SkyMed second-generation satellite
9. World Braille Day
10. National Bird Day
11. International Mind–Body Wellness Day

National News

1. MoSPI unveils new logo, mascot

• What:
  • The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation unveiled a new logo and mascot named ‘Sankhyiki’ to modernise institutional identity, improve public outreach, and reinforce the role of official statistics in nation-building.
• Tell me more:
  • Sankhyiki is designed as a citizen-centric character to make statistics simple, relatable, and engaging for people across the country.

2. Ministry of Rural Development launched Land Stack and Glossary of Revenue Terms (GoRT)

• What:
  • Under the Digital India Land Record Modernisation Programme (DILRMP), the Minister of State for Rural Development and Communications launched Land Stack pilots and released the Glossary of Revenue Terms on December 31, 2025.
• Tell me more:
  • Land Stack, launched as a pilot in Chandigarh UT and Tamil Nadu, is an integrated Geographic Information System-based digital platform providing single-window access to land and property information for citizens and government agencies.
  • The platform draws from international practices followed in Singapore, the United Kingdom, and Finland.
  • The Glossary of Revenue Terms was prepared to address different meanings of land revenue terms across States by providing definitions in vernacular languages, Hindi, English, and Roman scripts, without replacing State-specific terms.

Source: PIB

State News

1. Gujarat sets energy cyber panels

• The Gujarat government constituted a core committee and a task force to strengthen the state’s energy infrastructure against cyber attacks amid increased cyber risks in the energy sector.
• The Energy and Petrochemicals Department of the state constituted an 11-member core committee and a 19-member task force.

Source: TW

International News

1. SpaceX launches COSMO-SkyMed satellite

• What:
  • SpaceX launched the first space mission of 2026 using a Falcon 9 rocket, placing an Italian Earth-observing satellite into low Earth orbit for Italy, from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
• Tell me more:
  • COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation is operated by the Italian Space Agency and the Italian Ministry of Defence.
  • The satellite network supports applications including risk management, defence, security, environment protection, and agriculture.

Source: SC

Banking and Economy

1. Small savings rates unchanged again

• The finance ministry notified that rates for all major small savings schemes for the fourth quarter of FY26, from January 1 to March 31, 2026, will remain the same as the previous quarter.
• Interest rates for small savings schemes are reviewed and notified by the government on a quarterly basis.

Source: CNBC ET

Defence News

1. Indian Army designates 2026 as ‘Year of Networking & Data Centricity’

• What:
  • The Indian Army declared 2026 as the ‘Year of Networking & Data Centricity’ to enhance connectivity, real-time decision-making, and combat effectiveness for a future-ready force.
• Tell me more:
  • The declaration was announced by Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi.
  • Networking and data-centricity were highlighted as key drivers of the Army’s ongoing decade of transformation.
  • Earlier, the Army had designated 2024–25 as the ‘Year of Technology Absorption’.

Source: ET

Important Days

1. World Braille Day – January 4

• UN Focus: Reaching blind and visually impaired persons
• The day commemorates the birth of Louis Braille in 1809, who created a six-dot reading system after losing his sight, which became the braille language.
• The UN recognised Braille as a fundamental human right in 2019.

Source: UN UN

2. National Bird Day – January 5

• National Bird Day was established in 2002 by the Avian Welfare Coalition, a group of organisations committed to protecting birds from exploitation and cruelty.

Source: IT

3. International Mind–Body Wellness Day – January 3

Source: IT

Appointments

1. Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor appointed as 50th Vice Chief of Air Staff

• What:
  • Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor has been appointed the 50th Vice Chief of Air Staff of the Indian Air Force.
  • Air Marshal Tejinder Singh took charge as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of South Western Air Command from Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor in Gandhinagar.
• Tell me more:
  • Kapoor became the second consecutive SWAC chief to be appointed Vice Chief of Air Staff.
  • Air Marshal Sandeep Singh, Harjit Singh Arora, and Birender Singh Dhanoa previously served as SWAC chiefs and later became Vice Chiefs of Air Staff.

Source: IE

2. ESAF Bank appoints Karthikeyan Manickam as new chairman

• What:
  • Karthikeyan Manickam is a former executive director of the Bank of India.
• Tell me more:
  • Karthikeyan Manickam has served on the boards of Tamil Nadu Grama Bank and BOI STAR Investment Managers.
  • He was Chairman of Star Union Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company.

Source: ET

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