16th January 2026

1. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar unveils the logo, theme, and website for India’s BRICS Chairship in 2026
2. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and PSA roll out the ‘Inspiring Innovators’ skilling initiative in partnership with Netflix
3. Galgotias University inaugurates an IIT Mandi Catalyst satellite centre in Greater Noida
4. University of New South Wales announces plans to establish a new campus in Bengaluru
5. Karnataka Bank enables Khajane-2 e-receipts through its net banking platform
6. Karnataka launches the ‘Gruha Lakshmi Digital Marketing’ portal to support women entrepreneurs
7. Armed Forces Veterans’ Day observed to honour the contributions of ex-servicemen
8. Madhya Pradesh signs an MoU with Digital India BHASHINI to promote multilingual AI-based governance
9. India attracts $51 billion in FDI, driven by startups and manufacturing expansion
10. Overview of the Karan Fries cattle breed developed by ICAR–NDRI for climate-resilient dairy farming

National News

1. India outlines people-centric priorities for BRICS Chairship 2026

• What
  • External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stated that India’s BRICS Chairship will follow a “humanity first” and people-centric approach.
• Tell me more
  • The Chairship theme, Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability, reflects cooperation among BRICS members to address shared challenges in a balanced and inclusive manner.
  • The approach highlights relevance for India and other members amid geopolitical uncertainties, economic complexities, climate risks, technological changes, and development gaps.
  • BRICS completes 20 years, evolving into a major platform for cooperation among emerging markets and developing economies.
  • The BRICS is currently composed of eleven countries: its five original members – Brasil, China, India, Russia, and South Africa -, and six new members admitted in 2024-25 – Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Source: MEA NOA

2. ‘Inspiring Innovators’ skilling initiative concludes in New Delhi

• What
  • The Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India Ajay Kumar Sood attended the culmination of Inspiring Innovators – Naye Bharat Ki Nayi Pehchaaan on 13 January 2026 in New Delhi.
• Tell me more
  • Initiative developer – Netflix Fund for Creative Equity
  • Implementing agency – Graphiti Studios
  • Purpose – to promote socially relevant innovation through storytelling and skilling
  • Eight Indian start-ups identified by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser were showcased through eight short animated films.
  • The films, created by students from 8 universities, highlighted innovation in fisheries, agriculture, and assistive technologies, while providing hands-on creative experience to 26 students, including 50% women from Tier-II cities.
  • Mentorship support was provided by experts from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, and Graphiti Studios.
  • The films will be available on Netflix India YouTube channel.

Source: PIB

State News

1. University of New South Wales to open Bengaluru campus

• What
  • University of New South Wales will open a campus at Manyata Tech Park, Bengaluru, in August this year, strengthening India–Australia cooperation in higher education and supporting Bengaluru’s innovation and skill-development ecosystem.
• Tell me more
  • A Memorandum of Understanding was exchanged between UNSW Vice-Chancellor Attila Brungs and Industries Department Principal Secretary S Selvakumar at Vidhana Soudha.
  • Undergraduate programmes will be offered in commerce, media, computer science, and data science, along with a postgraduate programme in cybersecurity.

2. Galgotias University inaugurates IIT Mandi Catalyst Satellite Centre

• What
  • Galgotias University inaugurated the IIT Mandi Catalyst Satellite Centre on its campus to strengthen innovation-driven learning, entrepreneurship, and the startup ecosystem.
• Tell me more
  • The centre provides a platform for supporting early-stage startups, promoting deep-tech innovation, and connecting academic research with real-world applications.
  • Two Memorandums of Understanding were signed with National Institute of Technology Jamshedpur and Jharkhand University of Technology Ranchi.
  • Laxmidhar Behera is the Director of Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, and attended the event as the Chief Guest.
  • Goutam Sutradhar is the Director of National Institute of Technology Jamshedpur, and attended the event as the Guest of Honour.

3. Karnataka launches Gruha Lakshmi Digital Marketing portal for women entrepreneurs

• What
  • The Department of Women and Child Development, Government of Karnataka, launched Gruha Lakshmi Digital Marketing, an online portal to showcase products of women entrepreneurs to a global audience.
• Tell me more
  • The portal is accessible at gruhalakshmidigital.org and functions as an official digital marketplace for women-led enterprises.
  • The initiative is implemented by the Department of Women and Child Development, Government of Karnataka.

Source: ANI

Banking and Economy

1. Karnataka Bank enables Khajane-2 e-receipt payments through Internet Banking

• What
  • Karnataka Bank enabled payment of Government of Karnataka Khajane-2 e-receipts through its Internet Banking platform, allowing digital payment of state government taxes and fees.
• Tell me more
  • The bank received authorisation from Reserve Bank of India and approval from the Department of Treasuries, Government of Karnataka.
  • Payments are collected through the Khajane-2 Integrated Financial Management System after technical integration with RBI’s e-Kuber system.
  • The Khajane-2 e-receipt facility became operational from 14 January 2026 under Khajane-2, the Government of Karnataka’s Integrated Financial Management System for state revenue receipts.

Source: TH

2. FDI inflows and National Startup Day highlight India’s innovation push

• What
  • India received foreign direct investment worth USD 51 billion in the last six months, indicating continued global confidence in economic growth.
  • The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade will organise National Startup Day on 16 January to strengthen the startup and innovation ecosystem.
• Tell me more
  • DPIIT will launch 75 Grand Challenges on National Startup Day to promote innovation and sector-wise problem-solving.
  • Twenty National Startup Awards will be presented to recognise excellence in entrepreneurship.

Source: HBL

Agriculture and Rural Development

1. India registers high-yielding synthetic cattle breeds to boost dairy productivity

• What
  • India officially registered two synthetic cattle breeds, Karan Fries and Vrindavani, capable of producing over 3,000 kg of milk in a 10-month lactation period, to enhance national dairy productivity.
• Tell me more
  • Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan presented registration certificates for these breeds along with 14 other livestock and poultry varieties.
  • Karan Fries was developed by the National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, by crossing Tharparkar cattle with Holstein-Friesian bulls.
  • Vrindavani was developed by the ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, using Holstein-Friesian, Brown Swiss, Jersey, and Hariana cattle germplasm.
  • The national registry now includes 246 registered livestock and poultry breeds.

Source: News18

Important Days

1. 10th Defence Forces Veterans’ Day – January 14

• What
  • India observed the 10th Defence Forces Veterans’ Day on 14 January 2026 with nationwide events, with the main programme at Manekshaw Centre attended by around 2,500 veterans from the National Capital Region.
• Tell me more
  • The Raksha Mantri recalled the contribution of ex-servicemen from Operation Pawan, conducted by the Indian Peacekeeping Force in Sri Lanka, and noted steps to recognise them at the National War Memorial.
  • Welfare measures highlighted included implementation of One Rank One Pension, strengthening of the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme, expansion of telemedicine, and focus on rehabilitation and employment.
  • Annual magazines SAMMAAN, SAGAR SAMVAD, and VAYU SAMVEDNA were released by veteran directorates of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.

Source: PIB

Memorandum of Understanding

1. Madhya Pradesh signs MoU with Digital India BHASHINI for multilingual AI governance

• What
  • The Digital India BHASHINI Division, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, participated in the Madhya Pradesh Regional AI Impact Conference 2026 held in Bhopal.
• Tell me more
  • An MOU was signed between Madhya Pradesh and the Digital India BHASHINI Division, enabling integration of BHASHINI language technologies, translation application programming interfaces, and AI tools to support voice-first and multilingual digital services for last-mile delivery.
  • Madhya Pradesh announced plans to introduce a State Artificial Intelligence Policy in mission mode.

Source: PIB

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