Detailed Analysis for UPSC, SSC, Banking & State PSC Examinations
SECTION 1: NATIONAL AFFAIRS & GOVERNANCE
Polity & Governance ★★★
India’s First Fully Paperless District Court Inaugurated
- Event: Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant inaugurated the country’s first fully paperless district court in Kalpetta, Wayanad district (Kerala). While the event occurred on Jan 6, it dominated the legal news cycle on Jan 9 due to its nationwide implication for judicial reforms.
- Exam Relevance: Key topic for GS Paper II (Judiciary) and Digital India initiatives.
- Core Facts & Data:
- System Developer: Developed in-house by the IT Wing of the Kerala High Court.
- Key Technologies: Integrates Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, digital signatures, voice-to-text transcription, and automated case summaries.
- Impact: Eliminates physical filing, reduces pendency, and lowers litigation costs.
- Static GK Integration:
- e-Courts Project: A Pan-India mission mode project monitored by the Supreme Court e-Committee.
- Current CJI: Justice Surya Kant (53rd CJI).
- Article 225: Jurisdiction of existing High Courts.
- Rapid Revision Insight: Kalpetta in Wayanad hosts India’s first fully paperless district court, a milestone in the e-Courts mission.
Reports & Indices ★★
Uttarakhand Tops ICJS 2.0 Rankings
- Development: The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) released the Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) 2.0 rankings on January 9, 2026.
- Rankings:
- 1st: Uttarakhand Police (Score: 93.46)
- 2nd: Haryana Police (Score: 93.41)
- 3rd: Assam Police (Score: 93.16)
- About ICJS: It integrates the five pillars of the criminal justice system: Police, Courts, Prisons, Forensics, and Prosecution based on the principle of “One Data, One Entry”.
- Static GK Integration:
- NCRB Foundation: 1986.
- Parent Ministry: Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
- CCTNS: Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (the backbone of ICJS).
- Rapid Revision Insight: Uttarakhand secured Rank 1 in NCRB’s ICJS 2.0 digital policing rankings.
Culture & Heritage ★★
Somnath Swabhiman Parv (Millennium Observance)
- Event: The Somnath Swabhiman Parv is being observed from January 8–11, 2026, in Gir Somnath district, Gujarat.
- Historical Context: The event marks exactly 1,000 years since the first major attack on the Somnath Temple (historically attributed to Mahmud of Ghazni in 1026 AD).
- Objective: To emphasize cultural resilience and Sanatan heritage. The initiative is driven by the Prime Minister as the Chairman of the Somnath Temple Trust.
- Static GK Integration:
- Architecture: Chalukya style (Kailash Mahameru Prasad style).
- Reconstruction: The modern temple was reconstructed on the initiative of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and inaugurated in 1951 by President Rajendra Prasad.
- Jyotirlinga: It is considered the first of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Shiva.
- Rapid Revision Insight: Somnath Swabhiman Parv commemorates the 1000th anniversary of the temple’s resilience against the 1026 AD invasion.
SECTION 2: ECONOMY & BANKING
Economy & GDP Forecasts ★★★
NSO First Advance Estimates: FY26 Real GDP at 7.4%
- Development: The National Statistics Office (NSO) released the First Advance Estimates (FAE) of National Income for the Financial Year 2025–26.
- Key Data Points:
- Real GDP Growth (FY26): Projected at 7.4% (Increased from 6.5% in FY25).
- Nominal GDP Growth: Estimated at 8.0%.
- Sectoral Performance:
- Tertiary (Services): Fastest growth at 9.1%.
- Agriculture: Growth estimated at 2.7%.
- Exam Relevance: These figures are the authoritative data used for the upcoming Union Budget preparation.
- Static GK Integration:
- NSO: Formed by merging CSO and NSSO under MoSPI (Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation).
- GDP Base Year: 2011-12.
- Rapid Revision Insight: NSO projects FY26 Real GDP growth at 7.4%, driven by a 9.1% surge in the services sector.
Banking & Regulation ★★
RBI Cancels Registration of 51 NBFCs
- Action: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) cancelled the Certificate of Registration (CoR) of 35 NBFCs and accepted voluntary surrender from 16 NBFCs in early January 2026.
- Reason: Non-compliance with regulatory norms, specifically regarding Net Owned Fund (NOF) and digital lending guidelines.
- Legal Provision: Action taken under Section 45-IA(6) of the RBI Act, 1934.
- Key Fact: A majority of the cancelled NBFCs were operating from the Delhi-NCR region.
- Rapid Revision Insight: RBI cancelled 35 NBFC licenses under Section 45-IA(6) due to regulatory non-compliance.
Government Schemes & Policy ★★
Tamil Nadu Launches India’s First Deeptech Startup Policy
- Event: Tamil Nadu unveiled India’s first dedicated Deep-Tech Startup Policy 2025–26 at the Umagine Conference in Chennai.
- Key Provisions:
- Corpus: ₹100 crore support fund for 100 startups.
- Focus Areas: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Semiconductors, Biotech, and Space Tech.
- Goal: To transition research from labs to global market products.
- Rapid Revision Insight: Tamil Nadu is the first state to launch a specific Deep-Tech Startup Policy with a ₹100 crore corpus.
SECTION 3: DEFENCE, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Defence & Security ★★★
Mission Sudarshan Chakra: Anti-Drone Grid
- Launch: India launched Mission Sudarshan Chakra on January 9, 2026, to modernize air defence.
- Objective: To establish a Joint Counter-UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System) Grid involving the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
- Technology: Integrates soft-kill (jamming/spoofing) and hard-kill (laser/missile) capabilities to counter hostile drones.
- Target: Completion of the grid by 2035.
- Static GK Integration:
- DRDO Anti-Drone System (D4 system): Currently used by Indian armed forces.
- Indrajaal: India’s first private AI-powered anti-drone dome (by Grene Robotics).
- Rapid Revision Insight: Mission Sudarshan Chakra aims to create a tri-service Counter-UAS grid by 2035.
Space & Astronomy ★★
Discovery of ‘Cloud-9’: A Starless Dark Matter Galaxy
- Discovery: NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope identified a rare celestial object named ‘Cloud-9’.
- Characteristics:
- Located near Messier 94 (14 million light-years away).
- Classified as a RELHIC (Reionization-Limited H I Cloud).
- Unique Feature: It contains gas and dark matter but no stars, termed a “failed galaxy.”
- Significance: Provides critical evidence for the existence of dark matter structures predicted by cosmic formation theories but rarely observed.
- Rapid Revision Insight: Cloud-9 is a starless, gas-rich dark matter cloud discovered by Hubble near Messier 94.
SECTION 4: INTERNATIONAL & MISCELLANEOUS
International Relations ★★
US-Venezuela Crisis: Operation Southern Spear
- Event: Tensions escalated on Jan 8-9, 2026, following US airstrikes (Operation Southern Spear) in Caracas, leading to the capture of Nicolás Maduro.
- Developments:
- Delcy Rodríguez sworn in as interim President.
- Casualties: Death toll rose to 100.
- Geopolitics: US Attorney General Pam Bondi indicted Maduro on drug charges. This marks a major shift in US foreign policy in Latin America.
- Exam Relevance: High probability for questions on “Operation Southern Spear” or the leadership change in Venezuela.
- Rapid Revision Insight: Operation Southern Spear refers to the US military intervention in Venezuela in Jan 2026.
Awards & Honours ★★
Jensen Huang Receives IEEE Medal of Honour 2026
- Recipient: Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA.
- Award: IEEE Medal of Honour 2026 (Highest honour in electrical engineering).
- Reason: For pioneering contributions to GPU technology and accelerated computing, fueling the AI revolution.
- Static GK: NVIDIA is currently one of the world’s most valuable companies due to the AI chip boom.
- Rapid Revision Insight: Jensen Huang (NVIDIA) was awarded the IEEE Medal of Honour 2026 for GPU innovation.
QUICK REVISION CAPSULE (9 JAN 2026)
- First Paperless Court: Kalpetta, Kerala (Inaugurated by CJI Surya Kant).
- Best Digital Policing (ICJS 2.0): Uttarakhand Police (Rank 1).
- FY26 Real GDP (NSO): 7.4% projected growth.
- Mission Sudarshan Chakra: Counter-drone defence grid (Target 2035).
- Somnath Swabhiman Parv: Commemorates 1000 years of the temple’s resilience (1026 AD attack).
- Cloud-9: Starless dark matter cloud discovered by Hubble.
- NBFC Cancellations: RBI cancelled 35 registrations (mostly Delhi-NCR).
- IEEE Medal of Honour 2026: Jensen Huang (NVIDIA CEO).
- Deep Tech Policy: Tamil Nadu launched India’s first such policy with ₹100cr corpus.
- International Year 2026: Rangelands and Pastoralists (UN).
RAPID FIRE EXAMINATION MCQs
- Q1. Which state police secured the first rank in the ICJS 2.0 rankings released by NCRB in 2026?
(A) Uttarakhand (B) Haryana (C) Assam (D) Kerala - Q2. According to the NSO First Advance Estimates, what is India’s projected Real GDP growth for FY 2025-26?
(A) 7.4% (B) 6.5% (C) 8.0% (D) 7.1% - Q3. The ‘Somnath Swabhiman Parv’ observed in January 2026 marks how many years since the first major attack on the Somnath Temple?
(A) 1000 Years (B) 800 Years (C) 500 Years (D) 750 Years - Q4. ‘Mission Sudarshan Chakra’, recently seen in the news, is related to:
(A) Anti-Drone Defence System (B) Maritime Security (C) Cyber Warfare (D) Space Debris Removal - Q5. Where was India’s first fully paperless district court inaugurated by the CJI in January 2026?
(A) Kalpetta, Kerala (B) Pune, Maharashtra (C) Indore, Madhya Pradesh (D) Bengaluru, Karnataka
