SECTION 1: NATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS
Defence & Security ★★★
Indian Army Designates 2026 as “Year of Networking and Data Centricity”
- What happened? The Indian Army has officially declared the year 2026 as the “Year of Networking and Data Centricity”.
- Why in news? Announced by Army Chief General Upendra to highlight the shift towards a unified, secure network for military operations.
- Key facts & data:
- This follows the 2024 theme (Year of Technology Absorption) and 2025 theme (Year of Reform).
- Objective: To establish a seamless data connectivity network to prevent communication lags during critical operations.
- Focuses on leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) for predictive analysis and battlefield transparency.
- Static GK linkage:
- Army Day: January 15.
- Motto: Service Before Self.
- Chief of Army Staff (2026 context): General Upendra Dwivedi.
- Prelims-focused facts:
- Project SANJAY: Battlefield Surveillance System recently flagged off.
- Operation Sindoor: Recent counter-terror operation in Pahalgam mentioned in year-end reviews.
- Mains / Descriptive value: Critical for answers on Modernisation of Armed Forces, Network Centric Warfare (NCW), and integration of AI in defence.
- Expected MCQs:
- The Indian Army has designated 2026 as the year of: (A) Networking and Data Centricity (B) Technology Absorption (C) Reform (D) Artificial Intelligence.
- One-liner revision note: 2026 is the Army’s Year of Networking and Data Centricity, succeeding the Year of Reform (2025).
Economy & Agriculture ★★★
India Surpasses China to Become World’s Largest Rice Producer
- What happened? According to Ministry of Agriculture data for early 2026, India has overtaken China as the world’s largest rice producer.
- Why in news? A historic milestone in global food security and Indian agriculture.
- Key facts & data:
- India’s Production: Estimated at 150 million tonnes.
- China’s Production: Approximately 145.28 million tonnes.
- Top Producing States: Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
- Key Variety: IR8 (introduced during Green Revolution).
- Static GK linkage:
- Rice Climate: Kharif crop; requires high temperature (above 25°C) and high humidity (100+ cm rainfall).
- Central Rice Research Institute: Cuttack, Odisha.
- West Bengal Varieties: Aman, Aus, and Boro.
- Prelims-focused facts:
- India is also the world’s largest exporter of rice.
- West Bengal remains the largest rice-producing state traditionally.
- Mains / Descriptive value: Analysis of India’s Green Revolution legacy and shift in global agricultural dominance.
- Expected MCQs:
- Which country became the world’s largest rice producer in 2026? (A) India (B) China (C) Vietnam (D) Thailand.
- One-liner revision note: India produced 150 MT of rice in 2025-26, surpassing China for the top spot.
Polity & Governance ★★
Assam Forms Committee for 8th Pay Commission Implementation
- What happened? Assam became the first state to constitute a committee to prepare for the implementation of the 8th Pay Commission for state employees.
- Why in news? Sets a precedent for other states ahead of the central implementation.
- Key facts & data:
- Committee Head: Subhash Chandra Das.
- Context: The Central 8th Pay Commission is expected to be implemented from January 1, 2026.
- Fitment Factor: Being determined by a central committee led by Ranjana Desai.
- Static GK linkage:
- Pay Commission: Constituted by the Govt of India to review salary structure of employees.
- 1st Pay Commission: Established in 1946 (Chairman: Srinivasa Varadachariar).
- Prelims-focused facts:
- State government salaries are not automatically linked to Central Pay Commission; states must adopt them via their own cabinets/committees.
- Expected MCQs:
- Which state became the first to form a committee for the 8th Pay Commission? (A) Assam (B) Gujarat (C) Uttar Pradesh (D) Maharashtra.
- One-liner revision note: Subhash Chandra Das heads the Assam committee for 8th Pay Commission implementation.
SECTION 2: INTERNATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS
International Relations ★★★
Operation Southern Spear: US Strikes in Venezuela
- What happened? Reports confirm the death toll from US airstrikes on Caracas, Venezuela (part of Operation Southern Spear), has risen to 100 people.
- Why in news? Major geopolitical escalation involving US military intervention in South America in early 2026.
- Key facts & data:
- Target: Caracas, Venezuela.
- Casualties: Includes Venezuelan military personnel and Cuban personnel.
- Context: Tensions regarding the ouster of Nicolas Maduro and US control of oil reserves.
- Static GK linkage:
- Venezuela Capital: Caracas.
- Currency: Venezuelan Bolívar.
- Oil Reserves: Venezuela holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves.
- Mains / Descriptive value: Implications of US interventionism and its impact on global oil prices and South American geopolitics.
- Expected MCQs:
- ‘Operation Southern Spear’ is associated with US military action in which country? (A) Venezuela (B) Iran (C) Yemen (D) Syria.
- One-liner revision note: Operation Southern Spear involved US airstrikes on Caracas, Venezuela in Jan 2026.
Environment & Ecology ★★
International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists 2026
- What happened? The United Nations has declared 2026 as the International Year for Rangelands and Pastoralists.
- Why in news? To advocate for the integration of grasslands into national climate plans and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
- Key facts & data:
- Coverage: Grasslands cover ~40% of Earth’s land surface.
- Focus: Supporting pastoral livelihoods, wildlife, and soil carbon storage.
- Static GK linkage:
- Grasslands in India: Banni (Gujarat), Shola (Western Ghats).
- Global Names: Prairies (USA), Steppes (Eurasia), Pampas (Argentina), Veld (South Africa).
- Prelims-focused facts:
- Unlike forests, grasslands store most of their carbon underground in roots and soil.
- Expected MCQs:
- The UN has declared 2026 as the International Year of: (A) Rangelands and Pastoralists (B) Glaciers (C) Millets (D) Camelids.
- One-liner revision note: UN declared 2026 as International Year of Rangelands to highlight grasslands’ role in carbon storage.
SECTION 3: IMPORTANT / MOST EXPECTED TOPICS
Science & Technology ★★★
Indian Scientists Simulate ‘Mpemba Effect’ on Supercomputer
- What happened? Scientists at JNCASR (Bengaluru) developed the first supercomputer-powered simulation to explain the Mpemba effect.
- Why in news? Resolves a centuries-old scientific paradox using advanced Indian computational capabilities.
- Key facts & data:
- Mpemba Effect: The phenomenon where hot water freezes faster than cold water.
- Mechanism: Explained via non-equilibrium thermodynamics and energy dissipation at the molecular level.
- Institute: Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR).
- Static GK linkage:
- Supercomputers in India: PARAM Rudra, AIRAWAT.
- Freezing Point: 0°C (32°F).
- Prelims-focused facts:
- The effect is named after Erasto Mpemba, a Tanzanian student who observed it in 1963.
- Expected MCQs:
- Which Indian institute recently simulated the Mpemba Effect using supercomputers? (A) JNCASR (B) IISc (C) TIFR (D) IIT Madras.
- One-liner revision note: JNCASR scientists used supercomputing to model why hot water freezes faster than cold (Mpemba Effect).
Space & Technology ★★
NASA’s Hubble Discovers Starless Cloud ‘Cloud-9’
- What happened? NASA’s Hubble Telescope discovered a starless, gas-rich, dark-matter cloud nicknamed ‘Cloud-9’.
- Why in news? A rare celestial find that challenges understanding of galaxy formation.
- Key facts & data:
- Location: Near Messier 94 (M94).
- Distance: 14 million light-years from Earth.
- Composition: Neutral Hydrogen gas and Dark Matter (invisible in visible light).
- Static GK linkage:
- Hubble Space Telescope: Launched in 1990.
- Dark Matter: Hypothetical form of matter thought to account for ~85% of matter in the universe.
- Expected MCQs:
- ‘Cloud-9’, recently discovered by Hubble, is best described as: (A) A starless gas cloud dominated by dark matter (B) A new exoplanet (C) A black hole (D) A super-earth.
- One-liner revision note: Cloud-9 is a dark-matter dominated starless cloud found 14 million light-years away by Hubble.
Important Days & Themes ★
Earth’s Rotation Day 2026
- What happened? Observed on January 8.
- Why in news? Commemorates the historic demonstration of Earth’s rotation.
- Key facts & data:
- Scientist: French physicist Léon Foucault.
- Experiment: Demonstrated in 1851 using a lead-filled brass sphere (Foucault Pendulum).
- Year: 2026 marks the 175th anniversary.
- Static GK linkage:
- Earth’s Rotation: West to East. Takes approx 23 hours, 56 minutes, 4 seconds.
- Coriolis Force: Caused by rotation, deflects winds.
- Expected MCQs:
- Earth’s Rotation Day commemorates the pendulum experiment of which scientist? (A) Léon Foucault (B) Galileo (C) Newton (D) Copernicus.
- One-liner revision note: Jan 8 is Earth’s Rotation Day, marking Foucault’s 1851 pendulum demo.
QUICK REVISION BOX
- Army Theme 2026: Year of Networking and Data Centricity.
- Largest Rice Producer: India (150 MT) > China (145 MT).
- Mpemba Effect: Hot water freezes faster than cold (Simulated by JNCASR).
- Cloud-9: Starless dark matter cloud discovered by Hubble.
- Operation Southern Spear: US military action in Venezuela (Caracas).
- 2026 International Year: Rangelands and Pastoralists.
- 8th Pay Commission Committee: Formed by Assam (Head: Subhash Chandra Das).
- Raksha Kavach: Futuristic warfare tech displayed by DRDO at R-Day 2026 prep.
RAPID FIRE MCQs
- Q1. Which country has surpassed China to become the world’s largest rice producer in 2026?
(A) India (B) USA (C) Vietnam (D) Indonesia - Q2. ‘Operation Southern Spear’, recently seen in news, is related to which region?
(A) Venezuela (B) Ukraine (C) Gaza (D) Taiwan - Q3. Which Indian state became the first to form a committee for the 8th Pay Commission implementation?
(A) Assam (B) Kerala (C) Rajasthan (D) Gujarat - Q4. The ‘Mpemba Effect’, recently simulated by Indian scientists, relates to:
(A) Freezing of water (B) Black hole density (C) Quantum computing (D) Genetic sequencing - Q5. What is the theme designated by the Indian Army for the year 2026?
(A) Year of Networking and Data Centricity (B) Year of Technology Absorption (C) Year of Artificial Intelligence (D) Year of Indigenisation
