January 2026 witnessed several landmark developments across governance, economy, technology, judiciary, defence, and international affairs , reflecting India’s growing institutional maturity and global engagement.
🗳️ Democratic Governance & Judicial Reforms
The Election Commission of India (ECI) will host the first India International Conference on Democracy and Election Management (IICDEM) 2026 from 21–23 January at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi . This event positions India as a global knowledge hub for electoral best practices, democratic resilience, and election technology.
In a major step towards judicial digitisation , Chief Justice of India Surya Kant virtually inaugurated India’s first fully paperless district court at Kalpetta, Wayanad (Kerala) , reinforcing the goals of the e-Courts Mission Mode Project .
🏗️ Infrastructure, Sustainability & Innovation
India became the first country in the world to commercially produce bio-bitumen , a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based bitumen, marking a breakthrough in green road construction and circular economy practices.
The Indian Navy strengthened its eastern maritime posture by initiating a new naval base at Haldia, West Bengal , enhancing surveillance and rapid response capabilities in the Bay of Bengal . Additionally, the First Training Squadron (1TS) commenced its Long-Range Training Deployment (LRTD) to Southeast Asia , offering real-time operational exposure to naval cadets.
🤖 Artificial Intelligence, Startups & Advanced Technology
The Rajasthan Regional AI Impact Conference brought together policymakers, industry leaders, startups, and academia to deliberate on ethical, inclusive, and responsible AI , ahead of the India-AI Impact Summit.
Tamil Nadu unveiled the Deep-Tech Startup Policy 2025–26 , India’s first dedicated policy for science-driven entrepreneurship , aimed at translating advanced research into commercial and societal solutions.
In advanced computing, IIT Madras launched “Param Shakti” , an indigenously developed 1-petaflop supercomputer , while India’s first indigenous quantum computer is set for commercial deployment at IIIT Dharwad , signalling India’s entry into next-generation computing.
📊 Economy, Banking & Financial Regulation
The National Statistics Office (NSO) released the First Advance Estimates (FAE) of GDP for FY26 , a critical indicator for fiscal planning and economic forecasting.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) exercised its regulatory authority under Section 45-IA(6) of the RBI Act, 1934 , cancelling the registration of 35 NBFCs for non-compliance. It also proposed amendments to Governance Directions, 2025 , introducing a mandatory cooling-off period for directors in cooperative banks, strengthening governance standards.
To support MSMEs, Axis Finance launched the Vyapar Business Loan , a collateral-free credit product tailored for micro and small enterprises.
🧵 Social Sector, Law Enforcement & Governance
The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) released the 2nd edition of ICJS 2.0 rankings , assessing inter-agency coordination across police, courts, prisons, forensics, and prosecution under the Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System .
The National Textiles Ministers’ Conference 2026 held in Guwahati, Assam , focused on policy coordination,
Month: Current Affairs - January 10, 2026
Category: