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Current Affairs 08th January 2026
Festivals 2025
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Hornbill Festival: Nagaland
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Dhanuyatra Festival: Odisha
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Mangsir Bagwal Festival: Uttarakhand
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Sangai Festival 2025: Manipur
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44th International Trade Fair: New Delhi
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Kati Bihu Festival: Assam
1. Indian Scientists Create Supercomputer Simulation
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Solving the Mpemba Paradox: Using advanced supercomputing, Indian researchers developed the first simulation to prove and explain the Mpemba effect—the counterintuitive phenomenon where hotter water freezes faster than colder water.
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Discovery of "Bypassed" Delays: The simulation revealed that as water cools, it often gets trapped in short-lived, intermediate molecular states that delay freezing; however, hotter water can sometimes "choose" a faster molecular path to nucleation (ice birth), bypassing these delays.
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Beyond Water: The study successfully demonstrated that this effect is not exclusive to water but can occur during the fluid-to-solid transition of other materials, offering new insights into nonequilibrium physics and the thermal control of next-generation electronics.
2. Anshuman Gaur accredited as the next Ambassador of India to Bosnia
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Concurrent Accreditation: Shri Anshuman Gaur, a 2001-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, has been concurrently accredited as the next Ambassador of India to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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DualResponsibility: He is currently serving as the Ambassador of India to the Republic of Hungary and will continue to fulfil this role while managing his new responsibilities in Bosnia and Herzegovina from his residence in Budapest.
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Distinguished Career: Before his current postings, Gaur served in several high-profile positions, including Chief of Protocol of India and Deputy Chief of Mission in Ottawa, Canada. He is also a published poet, known for his works like Isthmus of Time.
Footnotes: Bosnia's Official Languages: Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian, Capital: Sarajevo
3. IDFC FIRST Bank Launches ‘Zero-Forex Diamond Reserve Credit Card’
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Zero Forex Markup & Global Cash Access: The card eliminates the standard 2%–3.5% foreign exchange markup fee on all international transactions. Additionally, it offers interest-free ATM cash withdrawals globally until the payment due date (subject to a nominal transaction fee of ₹199).
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High-Value Travel Rewards: Cardholders can earn an effective 10% value back on hotel bookings and 6.6% value back on flight bookings made via the bank’s mobile app. It also provides premium travel perks, including two domestic and two international airport lounge visits per quarter, plus complimentary golf rounds.
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Comprehensive Insurance & Protection: To enhance traveler security, the card includes a ₹25,000 trip cancellation cover, coverage for lost baggage or delayed flights, an air accident cover of ₹1 crore, and a personal accident cover of ₹10 lakh.
Footnotes: IDFC FIRST Bank's MD & CEO: V. Vaidyanathan, HQ: Mumbai, Estd.: 2015
4. HSBC Private Bank appoints Ida Liu as CEO
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Elite Industry Transition: Ida Liu joins HSBC after an 18-year tenure at Citigroup, where she most recently served as the Global Head of Citi Private Bank. She succeeds Gabriel Castello, who served as the interim CEO and will now transition to the role of Vice Chair.
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Strategic UHNW Focus: Her mandate is to deepen HSBC’s leadership among Ultra-High-Net-Worth (UHNW) clients and sophisticated entrepreneurs, focusing specifically on strengthening cross-border connectivity across major global wealth corridors.
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Global Expertise: With over 25 years of experience, Liu brings a unique background that spans investment banking at Merrill Lynch to a previous executive role in the fashion industry (Vivienne Tam). She will report directly to Barry O’Byrne, CEO of HSBC International Wealth and Premier Banking.
Footnotes: HSBC's Previous CEO:Gabriel Castello, HQ: Mumbai, Estd.: 1853
5. Gold Medalist Jinson Johnson announces Retirement
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Asian Games Glory: A three-time Asian Games medalist, Johnson's career pinnacle was at the 2018 Jakarta Games, where he won gold in the 1500m and silver in the 800m. He finished his career on a high by securing a bronze medal in the 1500m at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games.
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National Record Holder: He leaves the sport as the current national record holder in the 1500m (3:35.24), a mark he set in Berlin in 2019. In 2018, he famously shattered Sriram Singh’s 42-year-old national record in the 800m, though that record was recently eclipsed in 2025.
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Historic Olympian: Johnson made history at the Rio 2016 Olympics by becoming the first Indian male in 36 years to qualify for the 800m event. Despite battling severe Achilles injuries and COVID-19 during his peak years, he remained one of India’s most resilient and consistent track athletes
6. Anahat Singh gets silver in Women’s U-19
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Final Stand: Entering as the top seed and favorite, the 17-year-old Anahat narrowly lost a hard-fought final to France's Lauren Baltayan with a scoreline of 9-11, 11-7, 3-11, 9-11.
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Historic Run: This was Anahat's ninth appearance in a British Junior Open final across various age groups. Had she won, she would have become only the second Indian woman to claim the U-19 title, following Joshna Chinappa’s historic win in 2005.
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Sustained Dominance: Despite the final loss, Anahat remains one of the most successful players in the tournament's history, having previously won the British Junior Open titles in the U-11 (2019), U-15 (2023), and U-17 (2025) categories.
7. S Prakash appointed as CEO for Health Insurance
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Strategic New Role: Dr. S. Prakash has been appointed as the CEO for Health Insurance Ecosystem and Strategic Partnerships, effective January 7, 2026. This is a first-of-its-kind role created to drive structural reforms, standardization, and deeper collaboration across India's rapidly growing health insurance sector.
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Mission for Efficiency: His primary mandate is to reduce friction between insurance companies and hospitals. Key focus areas include implementing standardized treatment protocols, building a common hospital empanelment platform, addressing fraud and waste, and accelerating digital interoperability to make claims processing faster and more predictable for policyholders.
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Vast Industry Expertise: A qualified surgeon by training, Dr. Prakash brings over 30 years of experience to the role. He previously served as the MD & CEO of Star Health and Allied Insurance.
8. Renowned Ecologist Madhav Gadgil passed away
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Biological Diversity Act (2002): He was one of the key architects of this landmark act. He pioneered the concept of People's Biodiversity Registers (PBRs), which empowered Gram Sabhas to document and protect their local natural resources.
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Institution Building: He founded the Centre for Ecological Sciences (CES) at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, in 1983—the first of its kind in India.
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Zoning: He suggested a "bottom-up" approach, dividing the region into three zones (ESZ1, ESZ2, and ESZ3) with varying levels of protection, where ESZ1 would have a complete ban on mining and large dams.
WHAT HAPPENNED TODAY?
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1790 – First State of the Union Address is delivered by George Washington to Congress.
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1959 – Charles de Gaulle becomes President of France’s Fifth Republic.
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