Top 10 Current Affairs January 2026 for UPSC, SSC & Banking Exams

Right from celebrating the 77th Republic Day in full enthusiasm, the withdrawal of the USA from the WHO, Group Captain Shubanshu Shukla receiving the Ashok Chakra, to major retirements in sports. This month has witnessed events which have a high tendency of being asked in competitive exams. Let's see all the major highlights of the month in our January 2026 current affairs roundup.
This comprehensive current affairs update will boost your General Knowledge and help you stay ahead in UPSC, SSC, Banking, Railways, Defence, State PSC, Teaching Exams, and other competitive exams. Stay informed. Keep reading!

 1. List of new Appointments in January 2026

2. National News January 2026

2.1 Republic Day 2026

• Edition : 77th
• Theme : 150 years of Vande Mataram
• Chief Guest :  Mr Antonio Costa (President of the European Council ) & Ursula von der Leyen (President of the European Commission)
• Best Marching Contingent among three Services : Indian Navy
• Best Marching Contingent among CAPFs/other auxiliary Forces : Delhi Police
• Top three tableaux (States/UTs): Maharashtra (Ganeshotsav: A Symbol of Aatmanirbharta)

2.2 Launch of Aadhar Mascot

• Launched by  Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) .
• Name : Udai
• It's launched to help simplify and humanise Aadhaar-related information for citizens across the country.

2.3 First Country to Commercially Produce Bio-Bitumen

• Country name : India
• It marks a significant advancement in sustainable infrastructure development and will make a contribution towards India’s vision of clean, environmentally responsible highways.
• What Is Bio-Bitumen?
  • Bio-bitumen represents a revolutionary alternative to petroleum-derived bitumen.

3. International News January 2026

3.1 US Withdraws from the World Health Organization

• It left the organization after completing the mandatory one-year notice period.
• One of the main reasons cited was the organization's failure to handle the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The WHO lawyers suggest the US is obliged to pay the arrears - estimated at $260m (£193m).
• WHO hq. : Geneva (Switzerland)

3.2 21st member of Eurozone

• Country name : Bulgaria 🇧🇬
• Bulgaria gave up the lev, in circulation since the late 19th century, marking a full transition to the euro.
• What is Eurozone ?
  • It's a monetary union of EU countries using the euro.
  • It was established by Maastricht Treaty(1992).

3.3 UN Declares 2026 as International Year for Rangelands and Pastoralists

4. States/UTs News January 2026

4.1 Mukhya Mantri Sehat Yojana

• Launched by Punjab Government .
• Aim : To make quality healthcare available to all residents without them thinking about the Hospital expenses.
• Under this scheme, every family in the state will get free and cashless medical treatment worth up to ₹10 lakh.

4.2 Kerala’s First Butterfly Sanctuary

• Name of the santuary : Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary 
• Located in Kannur (Kerala)
• The Aralam area was officially declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1984 .

5. Defence News January 2026

5.1 25th Anniversary of Tejas Light Combat Aircraft’s First Flight

• The Tejas LCA programme was launched in 1983 by the Government of India.
• Details of the 1st flight:
  • Took place on1st January , 2004.
  • Pilot: Wing Commander Rajiv Kothiyal
  • Take-off Location: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Airport

5.2 Indian Army has declared 2026 as ‘Year of Networking & Data Centricity’.

5.3 Commencement of Exercise Dosti 17

• It's a trilateral exercise Coast Guard exercise .
• Countries involved : India 🇮🇳, Maldives 🇲🇻 and Sri Lanka 🇱🇰.
• Edition : 17th

6. Sports Highlights January 2026

6.1 Record created in the Cricket arena

• Virat Kohli has become the second-highest run-scorer in international cricket.
• He recently surpassed Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka).
• Top in the list : Sachin Tendulkar (total of 34,357 runs).

6.2 First Centurion in Women's Premier League

Name: Nat Sciver-Brunt 

She represents Mumbai Indians in the Women's Premier League 2026.

6.3 Important retirements in Sports Arena

DYK : Saina Nehwal is the first India Badminton player to win an Olympic medal. She won it in 2012 London Olympics.

7. Important Awards January 2026

7.1 Ashok Chakra for Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla

• President Droupadi Murmu approved gallantry awards for 70 Armed Forces personnel.
• On the 77th Republic Day , Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla (1st India to go to International Space Station) was conferred the Ashoka Chakra.
• Ashoka Chakra is the highest peacetime gallantry award of India.

7.2 Indira Gandhi Peace Prize for 2025

• Awarded to Graca Machel (A renowned Mozambican human rights activist).
• She has been honoured for her lifelong efforts to improve education, healthcare, nutrition, women’s empowerment and humanitarian support.

7.3 First Indian to Receive rare Samurai Martial Arts honour

Name: Pawan Kalyan ( Current Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh)

Honoured for the Japanese martial arts form Kenjutsu.

8. Report/Ranking/Portal January 2026

8.1 Numbeo Safety Index 2026

• The index ranks cities based on crime and safety-related survey responses.
• Top city in the list : Qingdao (China)
• Top Indian city : Mangaluru 

8.2 Responsible Nations Index 2026

• Released by World Intellectual Foundation.
• The index measures how responsibly countries exercise power towards their own citizens, towards the environment, and towards the global community.
• Top in the list : Singapore 🇸🇬
• India’s rank : 16th

9. Obituaries January 2026

9.1 Ajit Pawar

• Current Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
• Passed away in a tragic plane crash incident involving a flight scheduled for his travel in Baramati.
• Fondly called “Ajit Dada”. 

9.2 Khaleda Zia

• She is the first female Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
• She was the founder of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

10. Important Books January 2026

10.1 History That India Ignored

• Author: Prem Prakash (A veteran journalist and Chairman of Asian News International (ANI))
• It aims to highlight neglected aspects of India’s freedom struggle.

Here's the BONUS! Special Days in January 2026 List of National & International Important Days

Want to revise the biggest national and international developments from last year as well? Read Top Current Affairs of 2025 to quickly recap the key events, policies, awards, and global shifts that shaped competitive exam questions.