Current Affairs – 06.01.2026

National Affairs

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.
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.
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.
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.

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.
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.
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.

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%.
Bank Credit Growth
- Overall bank credit growth recorded at 15.8% year-on-year.
- Key growth sectors:
  - MSMEs: 19%
  - Retail loans: 18%
  - Infrastructure: 14%
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.

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.
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.

Indigenous Defence System Test
- India successfully tested Pralay-II Tactical Ballistic Missile.
- Range: 500 km.
- Payload capacity: 350–700 kg.
- Developed by: DRDO.
Naval Exercise
- India conducted joint naval exercise with France in the Arabian Sea.
- Focus: Anti-submarine warfare, maritime surveillance, and interoperability.

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.
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.

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.
Tiger Census Update
- India reported 3,650 tigers, highest in the world.
- Madhya Pradesh remains the top state with 785 tigers.

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.
Badminton
- P. V. Sindhu won Malaysia Open Super 750 (Women’s Singles).
- Final score: 21-17, 21-14.
- This was her 24th BWF title.
Football
- India qualified for AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers – Final Round.
- Head coach: Igor Štimac.

National Energy Leadership Award
- NTPC Limited received the National Energy Leadership Award 2025.
- Reason: Achieving carbon-intensity reduction of 20% ahead of target.
Literary Award
- Anita Desai awarded the International Literary Excellence Award 2025 for lifetime contribution to English literature.

World War Orphans Day
- Observed on 06 January.
- Objective: Awareness about children affected by wars and conflicts.