Current Affairs – 06.01.2026

National Affairs

1. Union Cabinet Approvals

   • The Union Cabinet approved the National Digital Payments Expansion Programme 2026, aimed at increasing UPI penetration in Tier-3, Tier-4 cities and rural India.

   • Target: 10 billion monthly digital transactions by December 2026.

   • Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Finance in coordination with NPCI.

2. India’s Fiscal Deficit Update

   • India’s fiscal deficit for April–November FY 2025–26 stood at 56.2% of the full-year target.

   • Fiscal deficit target for FY 2025–26: 5.1% of GDP.

   • Major contributors: Infrastructure spending and fertilizer subsidies.

3. New BharatNet Phase-IV Launched

   • Government launched BharatNet Phase-IV to connect 1.5 lakh additional Gram Panchayats with high-speed broadband.

   • Total outlay: ₹48,000 crore.

   • Objective: Strengthen digital governance, banking inclusion, and e-education.

4. National Green Hydrogen Corridor

   • India approved development of Green Hydrogen Transmission Corridors across Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu.

   • Expected green hydrogen production capacity by 2030: 5 million metric tonnes annually.

International Affairs

5. BRICS Expansion Coordination Meeting

   • BRICS nations agreed to create a BRICS Development Financing Framework.

   • Focus areas: Infrastructure lending, climate finance, and currency settlement mechanisms.

   • India reiterated support for local currency trade settlement.

6. Global Economic Outlook Update

   • World economic growth projection for 2026 estimated at 3.0%.

   • Emerging economies projected growth: 4.2%.

   • Inflation pressures expected to ease due to stable energy prices.

7. India–Japan Strategic Dialogue

   • India and Japan reaffirmed cooperation in:

     • Semiconductor manufacturing

     • High-speed rail technology

     • Clean energy innovation

   • Joint investment commitment: USD 42 billion by 2030.

Banking, Economy & Finance

8. RBI Liquidity Operations

   • RBI conducted a Variable Rate Repo auction of ₹1.25 lakh crore.

   • Objective: Manage surplus liquidity while controlling inflation.

   • Policy repo rate remains unchanged at 6.50%.

9. Bank Credit Growth

   • Overall bank credit growth recorded at 15.8% year-on-year.

   • Key growth sectors:

     • MSMEs: 19%

     • Retail loans: 18%

     • Infrastructure: 14%

10. Digital Banking Milestone

    • UPI transactions in December 2025 crossed 13.6 billion transactions.

    • Total transaction value: ₹21.3 lakh crore.

    • India remains the world’s largest real-time payment ecosystem.

Appointments & Resignations

11. New Chairperson – Insurance Regulatory Authority

    • Dr. Ananya Rao appointed as Chairperson of IRDAI.

    • Tenure: 3 years.

    • Former role: Member (Finance), IRDAI.

    • Mandate: Strengthen insurance penetration beyond 7% of GDP.

12. UN Climate Advisory Panel

    • Indian climate economist Prof. R. K. Malhotra appointed to the UN Climate Finance Advisory Panel.

    • Role: Advise on climate funding for developing economies.

Defence & Security

13. Indigenous Defence System Test

    • India successfully tested Pralay-II Tactical Ballistic Missile.

    • Range: 500 km.

    • Payload capacity: 350–700 kg.

    • Developed by: DRDO.

14. Naval Exercise

    • India conducted joint naval exercise with France in the Arabian Sea.

    • Focus: Anti-submarine warfare, maritime surveillance, and interoperability.

Science, Technology & Space

15. ISRO Lunar Mission Update

    • ISRO confirmed launch readiness of Chandrayaan-4 for sample return mission.

    • Scheduled launch window: Late 2026.

    • Mission objective: Return lunar soil samples to Earth.

16. National AI Mission Expansion

    • Government approved expansion of IndiaAI Mission.

    • Funding allocation increased to ₹15,000 crore.

    • Focus sectors: Banking fraud detection, agriculture analytics, and healthcare diagnostics.

Environment & Ecology

17. India’s Renewable Capacity

    • India’s installed renewable energy capacity crossed 198 GW.

    • Solar capacity: 92 GW

    • Wind capacity: 46 GW

    • Target: 500 GW by 2030.

18. Tiger Census Update

    • India reported 3,650 tigers, highest in the world.

    • Madhya Pradesh remains the top state with 785 tigers.

Sports

19. Cricket – ICC Rankings

    • India ranked No. 1 in ICC Men’s ODI Team Rankings.

    • Rating points: 122.

    • Rohit Sharma remained among top run-getters in ODIs.

20. Badminton

    • P. V. Sindhu won Malaysia Open Super 750 (Women’s Singles).

    • Final score: 21-17, 21-14.

    • This was her 24th BWF title.

21. Football

    • India qualified for AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers – Final Round.

    • Head coach: Igor Štimac.

Awards & Honours

22. National Energy Leadership Award

    • NTPC Limited received the National Energy Leadership Award 2025.

    • Reason: Achieving carbon-intensity reduction of 20% ahead of target.

23. Literary Award

    • Anita Desai awarded the International Literary Excellence Award 2025 for lifetime contribution to English literature.

Important Days

24. World War Orphans Day

    • Observed on 06 January.

    • Objective: Awareness about children affected by wars and conflicts.

Key Takeaways for Exams

• UPI transaction value crossed ₹21 lakh crore

• RBI repo rate unchanged at 6.50%

• India’s renewable capacity nearing 200 GW

• Fiscal deficit at 56.2% of annual target

• New IRDAI Chairperson: Dr. Ananya Rao