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Current Affairs 12th January 2026
Gaganyaan Mission
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India’s first human spaceflight mission by ISRO
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Aim: Send Indian astronauts to LEO and return safely
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Altitude: 400 km above Earth
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Launchvehicle: LVM3
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Keyobjectives: Human spaceflight capability, crew safety, re-entry & recovery
1. Revati Mohite Becomes Meghalaya’s First Woman Chief Justice
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Historic Appointment & Swearing-In: Justice Dere was administered the oath of office by Meghalaya Governor Chandrashekhar H. Vijayashankar at the Durbar Hall of Lok Bhavan in Shillong. She succeeded Justice Soumen Sen, who was transferred to the Kerala High Court.
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Distinguished Career at Bombay High Court: Before her elevation, she served as a senior judge at the Bombay High Court for over 12 years (since 2013). She is widely recognized for her landmark judgments on police accountability, women's rights—including the 2016 ruling allowing women into the Haji Ali Dargah's inner sanctum—and protecting civil liberties.
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AcademicExcellence: A native of Pune, she holds a Master of Laws ($LL.M.$) from the University of Cambridge, UK, which she completed as a recipient of the prestigious Cambridge Commonwealth Trust Scholarship.
Footnotes: Meghalaya's CM: Conrad Sangma, Governor: C. H. Vijayashankar, Capital: Shillong
2. NHAI Sets Four Guinness World Records on Bengaluru-Kadapa-Vijayawada Corridor
Paving Distance & Quantity (24-Hour Records): On January 6, 2026, the team set two global records by completing the longest continuous laying of bituminous concrete (28.89 lane km) and the highest quantity laid (10,655 metric tonnes) within a single 24-hour window.
Massive Continuous Paving (Project Totals): On January 11, 2026, they broke two more records for the uninterrupted laying of 57,500 metric tonnes of bituminous concrete and the continuous paving of 156 lane km (equivalent to a 3-lane-wide stretch of 52 km), significantly surpassing the previous world record of 84.4 lane km.
Engineering Excellence: The feat was accomplished using state-of-the-art machinery—including 70 tippers, 5 hot mix plants, and 17 rollers—with quality control monitored by IIT Bombay to ensure the highway meets the highest global safety and durability standards.
Footnotes: NHAI's Chairman: Santosh Kumar Yadav, Estd: 1995
3. Major Swathi Shantha Wins UN Secretary-General’s Award 2025
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Recognition for Gender-Inclusive Peacekeeping: Major Swathi won the award in the 'Gender Category' for her project titled "Equal Partners, Lasting Peace." Her initiative was selected from numerous nominations across all UN missions worldwide through a competitive UN-wide voting process.
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Impactful Leadership in South Sudan: Serving with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), she leads India's first all-woman Military Engagement Team. Under her command, the team conducted extensive foot, river, and air patrols to reach remote conflict-affected areas, which were previously difficult for peacekeepers to access due to local mistrust.
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Empowering Local Communities: Her work directly improved the lives of over 5,000 women in and around Malakal. By integrating female peacekeepers into frontline duties, she created a safe environment that encouraged local women to participate in peace dialogues and share their stories, significantly strengthening grassroots-level trust in the UN mission.
4. DRDO Successfully Tests Indigenous MPATGM
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Precision Strike Against Moving Targets: The flight test successfully demonstrated the missile's "top-attack" capability against a moving target. In this mode, the missile climbs steeply after launch and strikes the target from above—the most vulnerable part of a tank—ensuring a high kill probability even against modern Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) protected by Explosive Reactive Armour.
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Advanced "Fire-and-Forget" Technology: As a third-generation weapon system, the MPATGM is equipped with a state-of-the-art Imaging Infrared (IIR) Homing Seeker and integrated AI-based image processing. This allows the operator to "lock on" before launch, after which the missile guides itself autonomously to the target, allowing the soldier to move to safety immediately.
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Final Step Toward Army Induction: The successful trial against a moving target marks the completion of the technology development phase. Developed in collaboration with industry partners Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), the system is now ready for final user evaluation trials and subsequent induction into the Indian Army.
Footnotes: DRDO'S Chairman: Samir V. Kamat, HQ: New Delhi, Estd: 1958
5. Dhaka Bank appoints Osman Ershad Faiz as MD & CEO
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Extensive Global Experience: Faiz brings over 30 years of international banking expertise to the role. He has held high-profile leadership positions at major global institutions, including serving as the Managing Director and COO of Standard Chartered Bank Singapore and the Chief Information and Operating Officer (CIOO) of the FinTech firm AMTD Digital.
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Specialization in Digital Transformation: His appointment comes at a strategic time for Dhaka Bank as it shifts toward a tech-led future. Faiz is widely recognized for his proficiency in banking strategy, FinTech, and digital transformation, having previously co-founded Asia FiiT, an international banking advisory firm in Singapore.
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Award-Winning Leadership: Beyond his technical skills, Faiz is a highly decorated professional. He received the "Legend" Award at the World CIO 200 Summit (2023) and has been repeatedly featured on the HERoes Global Role Model lists for his advocacy of gender diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
Footnotes: Dhaka Bank's Chairman: Abdul Hai Sarker, HQ: Dhaka, Estd: 1995
6. Virat Kohli Becomes Second-Highest Run-Scorer in Cricket
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Surpassing Kumar Sangakkara: Kohli reached this landmark during the first ODI against New Zealand in Vadodara. With a match-winning knock of 93 runs, he surpassed the legendary Sri Lankan batter Kumar Sangakkara’s career tally of 28,016 runs. He now sits at 28,068 runs across all formats, trailing only the great Sachin Tendulkar (34,357 runs).
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Fastest to 28,000 Runs: During the same innings, Kohli became the fastest player in history to reach the 28,000-run mark. He achieved the feat in just 624 innings, shattering the previous record held by Sachin Tendulkar, who took 644 innings to reach the same milestone.
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Unmatched Consistency: This achievement highlights Kohli’s extraordinary longevity and form. The Vadodara innings marked his fifth consecutive 50-plus score in ODIs. Notably, Kohli now exclusively plays the ODI format after having retired from Test and T20 international cricket.
7. Italy Honours Shrinivas Dempo with Prestigious Civilian Award
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Recognition of Diplomatic & Humanitarian Service: The award was bestowed in recognition of Dempo’s exceptional service as the Honorary Vice Consul of Italy in Goa since 2013. He was specifically lauded for his role in resolving complex legal and administrative cases involving Italian citizens and investments, as well as providing critical assistance to Italian nationals traveling through the state.
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Strengthening Indo-Italian Ties: Beyond humanitarian aid, the honor highlights Dempo's efforts in fostering "people-to-people" diplomacy. As the Chairperson of the Dempo Group, he has been instrumental in promoting bilateral cooperation across business, culture, and education, helping bridge the gap between Italian institutions and the local Goan community.
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Prestigious Investiture Ceremony: The decoration was formally presented by Walter Ferrara, the Consul General of Italy in Mumbai, during a ceremony held at Panaji, Goa. The event was attended by high-ranking officials, including Union Minister Shripad Naik and Goa’s Public Works Minister Digambar Kamat, underscoring the regional and international significance of Dempo’s contributions.
Footnotes: Italy's President: Sergio Mattarella, Capital: Rome
8. Shri Vinay Kumar appointed as Director at NMDC Limited
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Dual Leadership Role: Already serving as the Director (Technical) since May 2023, Shri Vinay Kumar has been given the additional charge of Director (Commercial). This strategic move by the Ministry of Steel ensures leadership continuity following the cessation of Shri Vishwanath Suresh from the post on January 7, 2026.
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Strategic Oversight: In this expanded capacity, he will oversee NMDC's commercial operations, including marketing strategies, domestic and international contracts, pricing, and business development. This dual responsibility aims to streamline the coordination between technical production and market outreach during a period of robust demand for iron ore.
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Decades of Industry Expertise: An alumnus of IIT BHU (B.Tech in Mining), Kumar has been with NMDC since 1992. He is widely credited for the successful execution of major projects, such as the Kumaraswamy Mines in Karnataka and the digitalization initiatives known as "NMDC 2.0," which have pushed the company toward its goal of 50 MTPA (Million Tonnes Per Annum) output.
Footnotes: NMDC's Chairman: Amitava Mukherjee, HQ: Hyderabad, Estd: 1958
WHAT HAPPENNED TODAY?
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National Youth Day in India: January 12, in honor of Swami Vivekananda.
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Theme 2026: “Ignite the Self, Impact the World.”
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Encouraging Youth Empowerment, Self‑Confidence, Leadership & Positive Global Contribution
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