NATIONAL NEWS

Telangana CM Launches 4 Welfare Schemes On Republic Day

The Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy launched the four welfare schemes of his government- Rythu Bharosa, Indiramma Atmiya Bharosa, Indiramma Indlu, and new ration cards on the occasion of the Republic Day on 26 January 2025.

The schemes were promised by the ruling Congress Party during the 2023 Telangana legislative assembly election. The Congress came back to power with a landslide victory.

Rythu Bharosa- eligible farmers will be provided financial assistance of Rs. 12,000 per acre of arable land. The amount will be credited to the farmer's bank account.

Indiramma Aathmeeya Bharosa- financial support of Rs. 12,000 annually will be provided to landless agricultural labour families.

Indiramma Indlu- a housing scheme for, homeless Dalits, Tribals, and backward classes. They will receive financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh to construct homes. The government has set a target to construct 4,50,000 houses in 2024-2025 with a budget outlay of Rs 22,500 crore.

Nagaland Launches Chief Minister Mobile OperationTheatre

Nagaland Governor La Ganesan launched the Chief Minister Mobile Operation Theatre on the occasion of the 76th Republic Day celebration in the state capital, Kohima on 26 January 2026.

The Chief Minister Mobile Operation Theatre initiative of the state government aims to provide advanced surgical and healthcare facilities to the remote and rural areas of the state.

The Mobile Operation Theatre which will be on a modified vehicle will be managed by doctors from Kohima hospitals and will include private hospital doctors.

The Mobile Operation Theatre is equipped with an advanced mobile surgical unit and portable diagnostic tools such as ultrasound, X-ray, endoscopy, and blood testing equipment, along with instruments for minimally invasive surgeries.

It is equipped with state-of-the-art keyhole surgery capabilities.

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

5 MoU Signed Between India and Indonesia

President Prabowo Subianto of Indonesia successfully concluded his four-day official visit to India on 26 January 2025.

His visit to India from 23-26 January 2025 was his first official visit after becoming the President of Indonesia in 2024.

He was the Chief Guest at the 76th Republic Day ceremony, and during his visit to India, he held high-level talks with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Five MoUs were exchanged between the two sides that aims to strengthen the bilateral ties between the two countries. These MoUs are as follows:

Cooperation in Health.

Renewal of the agreement between the Indian Coast Guard and the Indonesian Coast Guard on Maritime Safety and Security.

Cooperation in Traditional Medicine Quality Assurance between Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine & Homeopathy and Indonesian Food and Drug Authority.

Cooperation in the Fields of Digital Development.

Cultural Exchange Program between the two countries for the 2025-28 period.

 

BANKING

State Bank of India Payments Partnered with Pine Labs

State Bank of India Payments and Pine Labs have announced an expanded partnership, building on their 12-year collaboration.

SBI Payments, a joint venture between the State Bank of India and Hitachi Payment Services Pvt. Ltd., has joined forces with Pine Labs, a leading merchant commerce platform, to further strengthen their alliance.

The partnership aims to accelerate the adoption of digital payments and commerce solutions across India.

By leveraging SBI Payments’ vast distribution network and Pine Labs’ advanced merchant solutions, the collaboration seeks to deliver a seamless checkout experience for businesses and consumers.

A key highlight of the partnership is the introduction of a comprehensive merchant digitization suite, which enables merchants to Streamline workflows, Digitize operations, Improve efficiency and Drive sales growth

The collaboration underscores a shared commitment to financial inclusion and digital empowerment for merchants nationwide.

Jio Introduces ‘JioSoundPay’

Reliance Jio has launched JioSoundPay, an innovative feature for its JioBharat device, designed to revolutionize payment operations for small-scale merchants across India.

The feature provides instant, multilingual audio confirmations for UPI payments, eliminating the need for a separate sound box.

Currently, small and micro merchants spend approximately ₹125 per month on sound boxes, but JioSoundPay is offered free for life, allowing JioBharat users to save nearly ₹1,500

This solution is expected to benefit around 5 crore merchants, including Kirana stores, vegetable vendors, and roadside eateries, by enhancing cost-efficiency and eliminating the need for external devices.

The move is part of Reliance Jio's strategy to strengthen its market presence following subscriber losses.

By disrupting the sound box segment, currently dominated by competitors like Paytm, Jio aims to empower small businesses and expand its reach across the country.

 

AWARDS & PRIZES

Indore and Udaipur Achieve Global Recognition as Wetland Cities under Ramsar Convention

Indore and Udaipur have reached a significant milestone by becoming the first two Indian cities to be recognized under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands as Wetland Cities.

This prestigious recognition is a testament to India’s ongoing commitment to sustainable urban development and ecological conservation.

The accreditation highlights the role of wetlands in providing ecological, social, and economic benefits, making them crucial to the sustainable growth of cities.

Indore and Udaipur are the first cities from India to be recognized as Wetland Cities under the Ramsar Convention.

The Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) nominated both cities for the prestigious recognition.

The WCA system promotes the conservation and wise use of urban and peri-urban wetlands.

It provides an opportunity for cities to gain international recognition and positive publicity for their efforts in protecting wetland ecosystems.

Home to Sirpur Lake, a Ramsar site that is notable for its role as a water bird congregation area and is being developed into a bird sanctuary.

 

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Jitender Pal Singh Appointed India's New Envoy to Israel

Jitender Pal Singh, who has served as India's point person for engaging with the Taliban since their capture of power in Afghanistan in August 2021, has been appointed as India's new Ambassador to Israel.

This appointment comes at a crucial time when diplomatic efforts are ongoing to resolve the Middle East crisis, particularly the hostages and ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.

A 2002-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, Singh is currently serving as Joint Secretary in charge of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran.

He has also worked closely with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar's office.

In the past four years, Singh has had extensive engagement with the Taliban, including multiple visits to Afghanistan where he met prominent Taliban officials such as Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and Defence Minister Mullah Yaqoob.

Additionally, he has met with former Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai. His groundwork played a role in facilitating the recent meeting between Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Taliban Foreign Minister Muttaqi in Dubai.

 

SPORTS

Women’s Hockey India League 2025

The Odisha Warriors Club won the inaugural edition of the Women’s Hockey India League 2024-25 title by defeating Soorma Hockey Club 2-1 in the final played at the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Munda Astro Turf Hockey Stadium in Ranchi

The Women’s Hockey India League is a franchise club tournament based on the Cricket's Indian Premier League (IPL) model.

In the inaugural Women’s Hockey India League four franchise teams- Soorma Hockey Club, Delhi SG Pipers, Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers, and Odisha Warriors- participated.

Each franchise team had a maximum of 24-player squad, which included at least 16 Indian hockey players (with a mandatory four junior players) and eight international hockey players.

Best Goalkeeper: Savita Punia (Soorma Hockey Club)

Upcoming Player: Sonam (Soorma Hockey Club)

Top Scorers: Yibbi Jansen (Odisha Warriors), Charlotte Englebert (Soorma Hockey Club)

Player of the Tournament: Jyoti (Soorma Hockey Club)

2025 National TT Championship Singles Title

Manush Shah and Diya Chitale of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) respectively won the men's and women’s singles titles at the UTT 86th Senior National and Inter-State Table Tennis Championships 2025 held at the Pandit Dindayal Upadhyay Indoor Stadium in Surat Gujarat.

The UTT 86th Senior National and Inter-State Table Tennis Championships 2025 was organised by the Table Tennis Federation of India at Surat from 19-26 January 2025.

Manush Shah (RBI) defeated Payas Jain (Delhi) 10-12, 11-6, 11-6, 12-10, 11-8.

In the women’s final, Diya Chitale defeated two-time national champion and highest-ranked Indian women's player in the world, Sreeja Akula. Sreeja Akula was representing RBI in the Championships.

Diya defeated Sreeja Akula 4-3 (10-12, 8-11, 13-11, 12-10, 11-8, 9-11, 11-9) in the final to win the singles title.

In the mixed doubles, the Railways Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) pair of Poymantee Baisya and Akash Pal defeated Maharashtra's Jash Modi and Taneesha Kotecha 11-5, 11-6, 11-4.

Johor International Open Chess Tournament

Iniyan Panneerselvam, the talented 22-year-old Grandmaster from Erode, Tamil Nadu, delivered a remarkable performance to claim victory at the 9th Johor International Open Chess Tournament held in Malaysia.

Iniyan dominated the event, finishing 1.5 points ahead of his nearest competitor and securing the title before the final round.

This victory, combined with his earlier success at the Chennai Open in January 2025, further solidifies his position as one of India’s rising chess stars.

Iniyan gained 15 rating points from this tournament, further boosting his chess ranking.

 

IMPORTANT DAYS

Data Protection Day

Data Protection Day, also known as Data Privacy Day, is celebrated annually on January 28.

The purpose of this day is to raise awareness about data protection and privacy rights, emphasizing the need for individuals to safeguard their personal information in an increasingly digitized world.

As technology advances, the security of our data becomes a major concern, and Data Protection Day encourages both individuals and organizations to adopt measures that protect personal data from misuse.

The origins of Data Protection Day trace back to April 26, 2006, when the Council of Europe decided to establish the day as a way to promote awareness of data privacy.

The Council of Europe’s Data Protection Convention, also known as Convention 108, was opened for signature on January 28, 1981, and the observance of Data Protection Day was set to coincide with this date.

 

OBITUTARY

India’s Preeminent Cardiac Surgeon K.M. Cherian

KM Cherian, a world-renowned cardiologist with over 50 years of experience, has passed away in Bengaluru at the age of 82.

His death comes shortly after he launched his biography in Kerala.

The biography of Dr. K. M. Cherian, is titled Hand of God.

Priya M Menon wrote the book, and Times Group Books published it.

Cherian was a pioneer in cardiac surgery, and one of his most notable achievements was performing India's first heart-lung transplant on a patient.

He founded the Frontier Lifeline Hospital and the Frontier Mediville, a large medical science park in Chennai, which became a hub for patients worldwide.

His expertise and innovative approaches attracted numerous international patients seeking treatment.