Infrastructure, Environment & Governance

1. 235 crore port & maritime projects in Tamil Nadu

   • Rolled out by the Central Government

   • Focus: Port infrastructure strengthening + digital maritime governance

2. Kamala Hydroelectric Project (Arunachal Pradesh)

   • Approved by the Public Investment Board (PIB)

   • Enhances renewable energy capacity in the Northeast

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.

National Affairs

• India introduced a new electronic business visa category e-B-4 exclusively for Chinese nationals to promote structured and legitimate business engagement.

• Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya inaugurated the Sanskaar Shaala programme in Guwahati to strengthen value-based education initiatives.

• RBI proposed increasing the dividend payout cap for banks to 75% of net profit, up from the earlier 40%, subject to regulatory conditions.

• RBI reported improvement in the Supervisory Data Quality Index (sDQI) of Scheduled Commercial Banks to 90.7 in September 2025, from 89.9 in the previous quarter.

National Affairs

• Prasar Bharati initiated steps to resume live radio broadcasts in Thadou language from AIR Imphal, suspended during Manipur ethnic violence (2023).

• Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, with MyGov, announced winners of four creative challenges under the Badalta Bharat Mera Anubhav campaign.

• Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to release 55 literary works developed by Centres of Excellence for Classical Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam & Odia, including Tirukkural editions and sign-language books.

• AYUSH systems formally recognised in India–Oman CEPA and India–New Zealand FTA (finalised Dec 2025).

National Affairs

• Republic Day 2026 (26 Jan) is expected to have strong diplomatic significance, with EU leaders likely as Chief Guests, highlighting India–EU strategic ties.

• RBI held the first meeting of the Payments Regulatory Board (PRB) in Mumbai, chaired by Governor Sanjay Malhotra.

• RBI signed an agreement with GNCTD under Section 21A(1) of the RBI Act, 1934, strengthening cooperation in government banking operations.

• Tamilnad Mercantile Bank (TMB) partnered with TechFini to strengthen UPI acquiring and issuing capabilities.