4.5/5
Current Affairs 21st January 2026
Changed Names
1. PM’s Office: Seva Tirth
2. MGNREGA: VB G Ram G
3. Raj Bhavan: Lok Bhavan
4. Central Secretariat: Kartavya Bhavan
5. FIDE World Cup 2025 Trophy: Viswanathan Anand Cup
6. Aurangabad Railway Station: Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Railway Station
7. Atal Sohalla Classic: Bhagwan Birsa Munda Classic
1. MuanpuiiSaiawi named High Commissioner to New Zealand
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Career Diplomat and Background: Saiawi is a senior officer of the 2005 batch of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS). Hailing from Mizoram, she has held several prestigious roles throughout her career, including serving as First Secretary in both Japan and the Republic of Korea, and as Counsellor in Israel.
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Current and Future Roles: Prior to this appointment, she served as the Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, specifically overseeing disarmament and international security affairs. She is expected to take up her new assignment in Wellington shortly, succeeding the outgoing High Commissioner, Neeta Bhushan.
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Strategic Importance: Her appointment comes at a pivotal time as India and New Zealand seek to deepen bilateral ties, particularly in trade, cyber diplomacy, and emerging technologies.
Footnotes: New Zealand’s PM: Christopher Luxon, Capital: Wellington
2. Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary Declared Eco-Sensitive Zone
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Extent and Coverage: The notification demarcates a buffer zone ranging from zero to one kilometer around the sanctuary's boundary. This ESZ covers an area of approximately 243 square kilometers and encompasses 94 villages across the districts of Rajsamand, Pali, and Udaipur.
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Environmental Restrictions: To protect the fragile Aravalli ecosystem, the declaration imposes a strict ban on several "prohibited" activities, including commercial mining, stone quarrying, and the establishment of new polluting industries. Additionally, the construction of new commercial hotels and resorts is now prohibited within one kilometer of the sanctuary boundary.
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Socio-Ecological Balance: Beyond conservation, the move aims to promote sustainable livelihoods for indigenous communities through "regulated" and "promoted" activities. Union Minister Bhupender Yadav highlighted that the ESZ will encourage initiatives like organic farming, agroforestry, and skill development.
3. UAE Becomes India’s Second-Largest LNG Supplier
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Long-Term Energy Security: A landmark 10-year Sales and Purchase Agreement (SPA) was signed between India’s Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) and ADNOC Gas. Under this deal, ADNOC will supply 0.5 million metric tonnes (MMTPA) of LNG annually to India starting in 2028, with the deal valued between $2.5 billion and $3 billion.
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Infrastructure and Supply Chain: The LNG will be delivered to the newly commissioned Chhara LNG terminal in Gujarat. This partnership is part of a broader strategy where, by 2029, Indian companies are expected to account for over 20% of ADNOC Gas’s total annual output, cementing India's status as the UAE's largest LNG customer.
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Strategic Trade Expansion: Beyond energy, the two leaders set an ambitious target to double bilateral trade to $200 billion by 2032 (up from $100 billion in FY 2024-25). The visit also saw the signing of a Letter of Intent for a Strategic Defence Partnership and agreements on food safety and civil nuclear cooperation.
4. NASA Astronaut Sunita Williams Retires
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Record-Breaking Career: Effective December 27, 2025, Williams retired after 27 years of service. She concludes her career with 608 total days in space (the second-most by a NASA astronaut) and holds the record for the most cumulative spacewalk time by a woman, totaling 62 hours and 6 minutes across nine excursions.
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Final "Starliner" Mission: Her final mission became one of the most dramatic in recent history. Launched in June 2024 for an intended 8-day test flight of Boeing’s Starliner, technical issues extended her stay to 286 days. She served as the Commander of the International Space Station (ISS) for Expedition 72 before finally returning to Earth via a SpaceX Crew Dragon in March 2025.
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Global Legacy and Mentorship: A retired U.S. Navy captain of Indian-Slovenian descent, Williams is celebrated as a "trailblazer" by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. In her post-retirement activities, she has already begun a "homecoming" tour in India (visiting New Delhi in January 2026).
5. Vidarbha Create History with Maiden Vijay Hazare Trophy Triumph
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Redemption from Last Year: Exactly one year after losing the 2025 final to Karnataka, Vidarbha returned to the summit clash at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. They secured a commanding 38-run victory, successfully defending a total of 317/8 by bowling out Saurashtra for 279 in 48.5 overs.
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Star of the Final: Opening batter Atharva Taide was the hero of the match, scoring a brilliant 128 off 118 balls. His innings, which included 15 boundaries and three sixes, provided the foundation for Vidarbha's massive total. He was well-supported by Yash Rathod (54), while pacer Yash Thakur led the bowling attack with a clinical 4-wicket haul (4/50).
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Record-Breaking Season for Aman Mokhade: While Taide shone in the final, teammate Aman Mokhade was named Player of the Tournament. He became only the third player in history to cross 800 runs in a single season, finishing with a staggering 814 runs.
6. Union Defence Minister Inaugurates Ammunition Facility
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Fully Automated Production: The new plant, established by Solar Defence & Aerospace Limited (a subsidiary of Solar Industries), is a fully automated facility. It is dedicated to manufacturing 30mm medium-caliber ammunition, which is extensively utilized by both the Indian Army and the Indian Navy for various weapon platforms.
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Boost to Defense Exports: During the same visit, the Defence Minister flagged off the first tranche of Guided Pinaka weapon systems for export to Armenia. He highlighted that India is rapidly transitioning from a defense importer to a global exporter, with defense exports reaching a record ₹24,000 crore in the current fiscal cycle.
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Strategic Vision for Private Sector: Minister Rajnath Singh emphasized the government's goal to increase the private sector's share in defense manufacturing to 50% or more in the near future. He noted that the successful integration of private players, such as through the development of the "Bhargavastra" counter-drone system and "Nagastra" loitering munitions, is vital for national security and reducing foreign dependency.
7. Ravi Shankar Chhabi appointed DIG in CRPF
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Cadre and Background: Ravi Shankar Chhabi is a 2007-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre. He is a regular recruit hailing from the Rohtas district of Bihar and has nearly two decades of experience in various operational and administrative roles.
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PreviousAssignment: Prior to this central deputation, he was serving as the DIG (Public Grievances) at the Director General of Police (DGP) Headquarters in Lucknow. In that role, he was responsible for monitoring complaints against police personnel and strengthening accountability frameworks within the state police.
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Deputation Details: His appointment to the CRPF is on a central deputation basis against an existing vacancy. The MHA has directed the Uttar Pradesh government to relieve him immediately so he can assume his new leadership responsibilities in the country's largest central armed police force.
8. RVNL Wins Champion of Change CSR Award
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Recognition of Impactful Initiatives: The award, presented by the India CSR Network, recognizes RVNL’s consistent and high-impact Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects. It highlights the organization's commitment to inclusive development and sustainable nation-building beyond its core mandate of rail infrastructure.
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Focus on Aspirational Districts: A major factor in the win was RVNL’s work in the Narainpur district of Chhattisgarh’s remote Abujhmarh region. This area is home to the primitive Madiya tribal community and has been significantly affected by Left Wing Extremism. RVNL’s sustained efforts in such geographically isolated and socio-economically challenged terrains were highly commended.
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Leadership and Alignment: The award was received by Anil Kumar Mahato, Coordinator (CSR) for RVNL. CMD Saleem Ahmad noted that the recognition reinforces the company's belief that infrastructure growth must be accompanied by meaningful social responsibility, aligning with national development priorities and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Footnotes: RVNL Chairman & MD: Salim Ahmad, HQ: New Delhi, Estd: 2003
WHAT HAPPENED TODAY?
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1952 – Jawaharlal Nehru’s Indian National Congress won India’s first general election.
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1954 – The USS Nautilus, the world’s first nuclear-powered submarine, was launched.
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1972 – Manipur, Tripura & Meghalaya became full states of India.
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